Ask the ralts to join you

You smiled back to the ralts, then considered. "I'm going on a journey to try and build a strong team of pokemon and challenge other trainers. Would you like to join me? A strong psychic would be a great help to the team, and I can make sure you don't have to worry about going hungry again."

The ralts paused, staring at you in surprise. Then you felt an odd sort of prodding on your mind, asking permission to look deeper. You gave a small nod, then you could feel the ralts' mind step into yours and start exploring.

It -or rather she, you could feel more of her mind like this- started out poking at the idea of your journey, feeling out what you wanted to do and why in more detail. From there she focused in on pokeballs, wondering how she would be traveling if she decided to go with you.

That led to her finding your memories of hacking the pokeballs. You could feel her confusion about how you had done it, she didn't seem to have any frame of reference for computers, but she could understand what you had done.

"Umm... I can explain..." You started, though you weren't sure if you really could.

The ralts tilted her head. An image of {if May==1}May{else}a girl from your daydreams about the hacked pokeballs{endif} and an image of a kirlia appeared side by side in your head, followed by... identical feelings coming from both?

"What was that sensation?" You asked. "I didn't understand it."

The ralts paused, then a few scenes flicked through your head. The ralts seeing a zigzagoon, which was giving off a muted sense of joy, then briefly turning startled as it mistook its own tail for something sneaking up on it. The ralts telepathically communicating with another ralts, and picking up on a complex mixture of emotions. The ralts watching two humans walking on the route, and feeling out their mixture of competitiveness and excitement.

You took a moment to process the scenes, then understood. "So, you can sense emotions?" The ralts nodded. "And you're saying... That since a ralts and a human both have the same sorts of emotions, then if its fine to capture a ralts, it must be fine to capture a human?" The ralts nodded again. {if May Travel==1}

May blinked, looking between the two of you. "That's not... Huh." She stopped, and you and the ralts both looked at her. After a moment she spoke again. "That seems wrong, but I can't think of a good argument actually. Well, at least for pokemon that are sapient, a zigzagoon or something like that isn't a full person."

The ralts gave a nod of acknowledgement.

"Huh." You smiled at the ralts. "I'm glad that you're okay with that."{else}"Huh." You smiled at her. "I'm glad that you're okay with that."{endif}

The ralts replied with a memory of seeing another trainer using a scyther to beat down a kirlia as it tried to escape, the trainer throwing a series of pokeballs until eventually the kirlia couldn't resist anymore. Then the ralts flickered back a quick memory of your own interactions with herself, emphasizing the contrast between the approaches.

{if May==1}"Umm..." You looked at May. "I kinda did capture May by surprise without asking her first."

The ralts glanced at May, but then sent you a quick sense of May's emotions, a mix of curiosity about the ralts, amusement at your expense, and enjoying cuteness. It somehow (you didn't have words to describe telepathy well) emphasized the lack of fear or anger.{if Poochyena==1}

"And..." You looked at Champ. "I have captured a pokemon by fighting. I'm probably going to do it again, too."

The ralts looked at Champ, and then back at you. She pushed a memory into your mind, and with a start you realized it was from Champ's perspective. Champ came out of the bushes to challenge you, and... She wanted to get stronger, and she was considering that a good trainer could help with that. It would have been an exaggeration to say {poocheyna} wanted to get caught, but she was open to the idea if you were strong enough to beat her.

"Is that common among wild pokemon?" You asked. The ralts nodded, and you smiled. {endif}{elseif Poochyena==1}"Umm..." You looked at Champ. "I have captured a pokemon by fighting. I'm probably going to do it again, too."

The ralts looked at Champ, and then back at you. She pushed a memory into your mind, and with a start you realized it was from Champ's perspective. Champ came out of the bushes to challenge you, and... She wanted to get stronger, and she was considering that a good trainer could help with that. It would have been an exaggeration to say Champ wanted to get caught, but she was open to the idea if you were strong enough to beat her.

"Is that common among wild pokemon?" You asked. The ralts nodded, and you smiled. {endif}"So you'll be upset if I capture someone who doesn't want to be captured, regardless of species, but you don't mind if I catch a human girl who is open to the idea?"

The ralts nodded, then you could feel her attention focus back into your mind to see if you honestly believed you would stick to that.