Sprigatito must've been tired. Joe was in his apartment for just twenty minutes. In that time she had fallen asleep, curled up on a branch. Being a lookout wasn't her future profession. It was boring. Thankfully Joe made enough noise closing his door. It woke Sprigatito up.

Joe paid her no mind as he locked his door and turned to leave. Sprigatito was a green cat in a tree in Summer. Perfect camouflage. He'd come home to freshen up, grab something to eat, and grab his fitness bag. He now wore denim jeans, a plain shirt and a jacket. Bag down at his hip, dangling from his shoulder.

Sprigatito was still half asleep. Groggy from a poorly timed, short nap. She smiled seeing Joe. Stepped forward. Misplaced her paw. Slipped from the branch. Yelped in response. Now she was fully awake. More importantly, she was falling.

Joe turned. He was used to hearing birds in the trees. But not… cats? He glimpsed movement. His emerald eyes widened. Looking back at him were two big red eyes he knew. Sprigatito. She was falling.

Joe didn't hesitate. It didn't matter that he was four storeys up. He put a meaty hand on the wall of the hallway. Jumped over it. His brain was playing catchup with his actions. Cats were nimble. They were fine with heights. He'd seen them fall from trees before and walk away fine. Oh well. He was committed now. As he fell, he kicked against the outer wall. Angled himself at Sprigatito as he fell. He reached out a hand. The two intersected a moment later. He grabbed the cat. Pulled her to his chest. Twisted his body and grabbed his fitness bag with his other hand. Moved it under him. He'd made one lazy decision in his life. He only needed one change of clothes, but his fitness bag was stuffed with a dozen pairs of clothes. That was now going to save him from serious injury because he couldn't recover into a roll in time.

Joe's bag hit dirt followed shortly by the man himself. He did a full body roll with the momentum once. Twice. Three times. Came to a stop at the base of a tree. Despite it being over in five seconds, Joe was panting. Adrenaline coursed through his veins. He raised his head. Sprigatito was curled up in his hand, against his stomach. He moved his hand. Allowed her to stand. She was shaking.

"You're all right." He patted her head. He sat up. Caught the cat as she slid off his torso. He winced. He'd hurt his side. Felt like he'd been struck hard by a blunt weapon. He assumed it wouldn't be too serious. Maybe a bruised rib or two. He'll take some painkillers. He'll recover.

Sprigatito was thankful to Joe. She didn't know if she could've recovered. It didn't matter. Joe had stepped in to help once again. It made her like him even more. Now she really wanted to stay with him. Joe moved in a way that suggested he wanted to stand. She jumped off of him. He rose to his feet. She watched as he dusted himself off. She saw the pain on his face as he moved. He'd been hurt because of her.

Joe looked at the cat. Smiled at her. She'd come back. This was a first. All the Pokemon he'd taken care of before had found life with others. But not this cat. She had no one to return to. No one that cared for her. In that case, Joe was happy to be chosen. He'd gladly adopt her. He reached into a pocket. Pulled out the sphere his manager gave him earlier. Red on top, white on the bottom. A Pokeball. He'd been told to make the most of his holiday. Joe intended to seise any opportunity that presented itself to him. Seemed like it was time he finally caught a Pokemon, if only for the fact that Sprigatito needed someone.

He crouched down in front of Sprigatito. She tilted her head. He pushed the center button of the Pokeball. It expanded from the size of an eye to the size of a baseball. Held it out to the cat. "How about it? Want to come with me? I promise plenty of treats."

During their time together, Jasmine had imparted an abundance of wisdom onto Joe. Mainly about Pokemon. They were animals intrinsically linked to humans. They had been for tens of thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands, of years. Even wild ones could be easily domesticated if a human proved their worth. Sometimes it was a test of strength. Sometimes it was a show of affection.

Sprigatito's face lit up. The biggest smile of her life. There was no hesitation. She wanted a parental figure and she found one. She jumped. Headbutted the Pokeball. Said ball opened. Blue energy came out, engulfed Sprigatito, and absorbed her into the ball. The lid closed. It rocked back and forth in Joe's hand. It settled. A soft ding rang out. Did this thing have a speaker?

More importantly, Joe caught his first Pokemon. A Sprigatito. A pet. He now had a responsibility. He would treat Sprigatito right. Raise her well.

He let her out immediately. The lid opened. Blue energy burst out onto the ground. When it dissipated and the ball closed, Sprigatito was standing there. She yipped her excitement. Hopped onto Joe's leg. Used claws to climb his jacket. His broad shoulders made for a perfect perch. She sat down.

Joe shrank the ball. Pocketed it. He knew it was necessary. Pokeballs were not tools of oppression. In the modern age, they were identifiers. Despite the problem of wild animals in the city, Pokemon were regulated in human settlements. Pokemon needed to be registered to a person. Almost like a family registry. Pokeballs counted as registration. It was best to be safe, so Joe caught the cat.

He reached up to his shoulder. Scratched Sprigatito under the chin. She purred. Joe still had no desire to battle. Sprigatito was a scaredy-cat anyway. He wouldn't even consider sending her into battle. She was a pet. Part of the family. Joe could handle problems himself. He'd built up his strength for years. Solved every problem he encountered.

All but one. But he preferred not to think about it these days. It seemed impossible to solve so he ignored it. If he couldn't help himself, he at least wanted to help others.

Joe bent down. Grabbed his bag. It'd come loose of his shoulder at some point. The constant pain in his side was just annoying at this point. He'd head to a corner store. Grab some pain relief before his workout. Actually, he should take it easy. Shouldn't strain his body with an injury. He considered what to do. Exploring Olivine one last time sounded good. This time it would be with his pet by his side. It would be a first. Maybe he'd see the city in a new light.