“One word of a lie, and you’ll be asleep until Saffron.” Noah ground out.

His smile wrinkles were twisted and angry, scars on his expression. The convoy's leader had changed out of his travel clothes before coming over. He was in a white and blue uniform, sporty like most clothes in this world but designed for comfort rather than the rigors of travel. It wasn't an outfit for a confrontation. The white and blue made all the pink stand out more.

Teal eyes blinked languidly.

“What?” David asked, frozen. He stared at the man. Where had this come from?

“What are you here for? The supplies or the Pokemon?” Noah's voice grew colder with each question.

Pidgey pushed herself up from her roosting position and let out a light shrill.

David frowned at Noah. He didn’t know what the man was talking about, but he wasn’t heading back to Saffron. He continued his search through his backpack with his right hand. If he found the tent spikes he could fight.

“Don’t move a muscle,” Noah snarled. “I see a glint of a pokeball come out of that bag and Jiggy attacks you first.”

David stopped but not before he felt cool metal against his fingers. Pidgey let out another light shrill and, raising her wings, hopped closer to David.

“Tell your Pidgey to stop too. No point in her getting hurt.”

“Pidgey. Calm,” David called knowing that he was anything but. He also knew that Pidgey would do what she wanted anyway.

Pidgey stopped and lowered her wings slightly. David wasn't sure if he was glad or not.

Noah relaxed a fraction and lowered his arm to reattach a pokeball to his belt and grip another.

“Answer the question.”

David examined the man standing opposite him. His brows were furrowed and mouth taut. There was a tremble in his shoulders, but his hands were steady over his pokeballs. He was furious.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” David answered slowly. Not a lie. His hand closed around the spike.

Noah’s eyes dipped quickly down to the pink plush toy Pokemon. Before David couldn't have named it, but the hint of 'Jiggy' jogged his memory. Jigglypuff. It didn’t move but a curly tuft of fur? head tail? twitched minutely.

Noah’s glower shifted to confusion for a second before hardening.

“Then why do you have that?” Noah asked darkly, pointing at the ground by David.

David looked around, confused, at the gear that he’d taken during his search for the tent spikes. The pots and pans. The sachets. The towel, leaflets, underlayers, the... metal braces. The braces that were around Pidgey’s pokeball when he escaped the Team Rocket hideout.

David reached out with his left hand and moved a leaflet, revealing the item fully. He tightened his right around a spike in the backpack. This could go badly.

Pidgey let out a squawk as the brace was revealed. Noah twitched at the sound and pulled a pokeball off his belt.

“What is it?” David asked.

“What is it? What is it!” Noah repeated furiously. “Clearly your Pokemon knows! Where did you get it? Who gave it to you?” The questions were shot out like bullets.

“It’s not mine,” David replied just as fast. He raised his left hand up and away from the awful thing but left his right in the bag. This was a misunderstanding. He would never do that to Pidgey.

“What?” Noah roared. “It just happened to be lying here?”

“No.” David said, pausing to consider how to say this.

Noah pulled his pokeball forward, finger on the button.

“Team Rocket.” David rushed out.

Noah paused.

“It’s Team Rocket’s. They kidnapped me as I left Saffron. When I escaped-” David pointed at the metal brace again. “That was on Pidgey’s ball.”

Noah’s eyes flicked down towards the pink plush toy which had barely moved. Its antenna? twitched again. Noah looked towards Pidgey who was inching closer to David. His hand lowered, and he placed the pokeball back on his belt.

“Explain.”

 

-.-

 

As David talked, Noah kept glancing down towards his Pokemon. Whatever signals were passing between them, David couldn’t pick up on. The convoy leader had plenty of questions, but thankfully they were all about Team Rocket and his encounters with them rather than about David himself. Only Noah’s final question left him stumped.

“Why can’t my Jigglypuff get a read on you?”

David blinked and looked down at the plush toy Pokemon. It stared back at him with large teal eyes and its entire body tilted to the side. This was its first movement other than blinking and twitching its antenna since release.

“I don’t know.” David answered truthfully. It might be something to do with the fact he wasn’t from this world, but he didn’t ‘know’ that, and he wasn’t about to volunteer that information.

Jiggy opened its mouth and breathed in. It grew by about half its size before it let out a big exhalation and deflated.

Noah puffed his cheeks unhappily.

“I don’t like it. But I can’t help but believe you.” The bulky man shrugged his shoulders and sat down. He gestured at Pidgey. “She doesn’t give off any of the signs of confinement. And it's all too far-fetched to be anything but the truth.”

“What is it?” David asked, a little worried now. Noah was talking like the device could have permanent effects on Pidgey.

Noah lifted his hand and pinched his brow. “A bad solution to a terrible problem. They were used during the war to try and prevent loss of life but were only marginally successful.”

David exhaled as the puzzle piece slotted into place. He’d been kept in a cell in Team Rocket’s hideout and metal bars would stop humans. But Pokemon? Not so much. What good were flimsy metal bars when these creatures could rearrange the world. Plenty of moves like Teleport or Dig would have rendered that cell pointless, even if the Pokemon trapped did not simply destroy it.

“They were outlawed after the war as part of the treaty. Both Regions used the devices to their shame, but everyone agreed to their destruction.” Noah pointed at Jiggy. “Status moves and Disable are the standard now.”

Jiggy bobbed back and forth at David and Pidgey as a lull overtook the conversation.

“Why did you keep it?” Noah asked, pulling his Jigglypuff towards him.

David released the spikes in his right hand and rummaged around in his backpack. He pulled out all of the sachet wrappers and empty toilet rolls. All good fire starting material.

“I don’t know. Habit maybe? I’ve gotten so used to leaving nothing behind. And I didn’t want to leave any traces for...” David trailed off.

The silence stretched between them for a moment. It was uncomfortable. After coming so close to blows, and with Pokemon involved in such tight quarters, likely deathly blows, neither of them could relax.

“Give it to me,” Noah said suddenly.

“The brace?” David asked, surprised. After this near disaster he'd been planning on destroying it or burying it somewhere at the least. Pidgey might enjoy having a target to practice moves on.

“Yes. They should have all been destroyed. That they weren’t or are being made and used again...” Noah puffed out his cheeks. “It’s bad. The White Pokeball can’t order the League, but we can make this known. These devices were outlawed for a reason. People will care.”

David hesitated. Should he try to warn Noah about Team Rocket? Trying to warn the police hadn’t gone well. Noah seemed like someone who was finally going to do something about Team Rocket. Did he want to push his luck with vague warnings?

“Be careful of Team Rocket. Some of the things they said... I think they have backing. From gym leaders. Just... Know you’ll be at risk.” David grimaced at the end. It was enough to put Noah on the right track and give him a warning. He had to try. Near violent misunderstanding aside, Noah seemed alright. And the White Pokeball sounded like some sort of charity? Neutral party?

“I assumed. To be able to cover up these devices you’d need some pull. It's not a good sign.” Noah’s brow furrowed again then lightened. “But don’t worry. Jiggy isn’t as cute as he looks and any attack on a White Pokeball member is a big deal.”

David's shoulders sagged a little. Noah had gotten half the message. Hopefully that would be enough. What was it with people in this world? They were so quick to violence and so blase about it.

“Right.” Noah pushed himself up and gave Jiggy’s back a pat before recalling him with a light blip of light. “I’d best get back to the train before we draw any more suspicions. Stay here tonight and try to avoid the other trainers. I’ll tell the crew that you’re to be left alone, and I’ll have a word with Libby. People will hear of the lost trainer, but they’ll hear about a younger man with a Spearow. It might help your peace of mind at least.”

David waved goodbye and turned to Pidgey who plopped down beside him. A wave of fatigue hit him, and he closed his eyes to breathe for a second. He focused on steady inhales and exhales until Pidgey chirped. He opened his eyes to see her pecking at the paper bag containing their one remaining Oran berry.

Sighing he reached for his backpack and the spikes that had definitely buried themselves again.

 

-.-

 

He was woken in the morning by the sound of the convoy.

Bleary eyes fought away the darkness, and he opened his tent to see that the camp had turned into a hive of activity. The bull Pokemon were butting heads while the Rhyhorn eagerly dug into food. People scurried back and forth, feeding and grooming the Pokemon, or preparing the attachments to the containers.

David took a minute to examine the Rhyhorn. He was much closer to the creatures now, and it was easier to make out their details in the morning light.

They seemed more docile compared to the larger bull Pokemon. Multiple Rhyhorn ate from single trays while the bull Pokemon each ate from their own dish. Their slate gray shapes were formed from overlapping ridges and plates that shifted as the creature bent forward to eat. The overlapping plates reminded David of a cliff side. The wavy layers of rock pressing against each other and spilling out into the exposed air.

The short, stumpy horns on their angular heads would bump against other Rhyhorns as they ate. Each time it happened both Pokemon would back away and look around for a second before returning to eat.

David dragged his eyes away and began to pack up.

 

-.-

 

David watched from his campsite as the convoy moved towards the road. He was all packed and ready to go, but there was no harm in following Noah’s suggestion to stay back. The less word about his whereabouts that got out the better.

Scouts, including Libby and their Dodrio, left first heading out in front of the convoy and off into the woods. Noah broke away from the convoy soon after and his bull Pokemon trotted towards David.

“Good morning David,” Noah called as he approached.

David returned the greeting and Noah slid off the Pokemon and gave it a few pats.

“Here.” Noah passed David a small pink token. A small circle surrounded by two lines was embossed into the metal. “It isn’t much but if you need help bring this to a White Pokeball building.”

“Thanks,” David answered then paused. “Can I ask why it’s pink?”

Noah laughed.

“I always say we should be called the Pink Pokeball. Over the years the organization has found itself fairly entrenched with certain Pokemon lines. The books and official story state the name comes from the color of a legendary. Some people say Arceus is white, some say it's another color.” Noah snorted. “You can paint it white if you like.”

“Pink is fine,” David said with a smile. He turned and tucked the token into his backpack.

“The road should be clear to Celadon. As I said yesterday, the Rangers are either taking a break or they’ve been pulled to Saffron to search for you and Team Rocket. You could be in Celadon tonight if you keep a good pace.” Noah puffed his cheeks. “Right, well I need to be off.”

“Be careful,” David called after him, not talking about the road.

Noah nodded. “Try not to stray off the Route again until you and your Pokemon are ready. David. May the earth rise up to meet you on your Journey.”

With that oddly formal phrase, Noah slapped his Pokemon’s back and it turned. Its three tails lashed against it back as it took off at a full sprint towards the retreating convoy.

David watched the convoy leave into the rising sun for a second before picking up his backpack. He set off down the road in the opposite direction.