PokeWild

David and Michael nattered on for a while, sticking to the theme of legends and pausing only to discuss aspects of the stories.

David had to do some quick thinking to convert stories from his home to the Pokemon world. The Sword in the Stone became about a Pokemon in a cave who would only follow the worthy. Heroes became trainers, dragons became… well, from Michael’s stories, dragons didn’t need to change all that much. Greek mythology translated quite well, with the ancient monsters becoming strange and wonderful Pokemon.

David made an attempt to translate Disney but Michael shot those stories down quickly.

“Why did she cut her hair? Could she have climbed down the tower at any time? Or jumped onto a flyer?”

“Tinkerbell couldn’t have been captured by Hook. She would blow him away with one move.”

“Why didn’t they feed her a Pecha berry if they knew it was poison?”

“She should have left and come back with a Pokemon to smash it all down.”

David was finally given a reprieve by a loud noise outside the house. To both his and Michael’s relief, it was raised voices not an incoming Snorlax.

“-protocol.”

“IS ANY OF THIS-”

David coughed loudly to cover the incoming swearing. When it dragged on he switched to elbowing the wall.

“-PROTOCOL.”

“Are you okay David?” Michael asked, concerned.

David cleared his throat. “I’m fine.”

A door slammed open.

“Michael!” Oliver shouted into the house. “You can come out now.”

Oliver continued to say something else to the other voices in a low, cold tone. David was too distracted by the locks clicking open behind him to hear what.

As soon as the door creaked open, Michael was off like a rocket. David followed behind him at a slightly slower pace, not wanting to get lost in the house.

They met Oliver out on the porch. Michael didn’t slow until he impacted into Oliver and wrapped his hands around his legs. Oliver let out an exhale and his face softened. He gave David a grateful nod as he followed Michael out of the dark into the light.

“This man was the first on the scene?”

David blinked as his eyes adjusted to the light and took in the two figures standing at the edge of the porch. The dark blue uniform with silver highlights stood out against the brightness of the day. David stiffened.

“I was.”

He should have known that he'd run into the Celadon police eventually. Would a report have been sent on from Saffron? Would they recognise him from a description?

“We have a few questions for you, if you-”

“I’ve already told you everything,” Oliver snapped.

The Officer on the right’s face twitched. “Your testimony was very.. Helpful. However, we need to interview everyone. It’s the small details that make-”

“No.”

The air was thick. Oliver placed a hand over Michael protectively. His other hand lowered to his waist.

“If anyone is going to ask more questions it will be me. It is not my farm that committed the crime." He paused. "What was it you said? Small details? I’ll remember that when I inspect the station.”

“Councilman Laurel,” The Officer on the left said, straightening. The movement highlighted how her uniform differed from the other Officer’s. More detail, more formality. She ran her fingers across three blue and red pokeballs at her waist before letting her hand fall to the side. The air cleared. “The department will be conducting a full review but we need evidence-”

“And you won’t find it on my porch.” Oliver finished her sentence for her. “Anyone could sneak onto my farm. Very few people should have access to that Snorlax’s pokeball. I would have thought that Celadon’s defences being compromised would be more important to the League Police.”

“Acting Councilman Laurel,” The Officer began again.

“Councilman,” Oliver corrected softly. “Councilman. I am sure you are aware, Officer June, that I was against the Snorlax handover when it was initially proposed and I can assure you that in light of recent events the decision will be revisited. Now, it is time for you to leave.”

The Officer on the right’s hands clenched but both they and Officer June gave short nods and retreated from the patio. They walked back towards the grove.

Oliver watched them leave before giving Michael’s back a pat and turning to David.

“They will be hanging around the grove to ambush you. Head into the city for the day.”

Michael’s stomach growled and David was reminded he hadn’t eaten yet either.

Oliver sighed. “Michael, will you head inside and prepare the kitchen?”

“But-”

“Michael,” Oliver said gently. He waited until Michael was out of sight before speaking again. “We will need to have a talk about why exactly you left Saffron and what my.. fool of a brother-in-law left out of his letter.”

David stiffened and his hand went to the pokeball around his neck. “You don’t think that-”

“No,” Oliver said tiredly, shaking his head. He splayed his hands. “Others-you, you watch the leaves shaking and think it is the wind. I feel the roots shifting and tell you it runs deeper.”

“You don’t think it’s because of me but you think it’s related?” David summarised.

Oliver grunted, scowling and moved towards the table.

David exhaled slowly. Mulish old man. He was too tense for cryptic messages right now.

Oliver started to pick up the remains of a breakfast that had been sitting in the sun for an hour or two.

“Change is coming to Kanto. There’s a new scent in the air, something foreign. Something no one has seen before.”

-.-

Even with a shortcut through the orchard to avoid the main entrance and Oliver’s prediction that the police would be focusing on the grove, David kept a lookout behind him for any tails after leaving Nature’s scent. He took several detours, weaving between apartment buildings and through side streets before he was confident that he wasn’t followed.

The longer path took the last bite out of his morning, but well, David was late for training anyway. He was still figuring out how and what to tell the others when he reached the stands, the large empty field appearing around one last corner.

Wait, empty field?

There were a few trainers, mostly mid battle on the pitches but aside from that, the stands were as empty as David had ever seen it. His training group was nowhere in sight.

David walked across to the stored seating but the group wasn’t training amongst the tall metal containers either.

“Shit.”

Where were they?

-.-

With hours to burn until Oliver was going to kick the police off his property, David wandered through the city. At first it was idly but as he passed a park full of people sitting in groups or having lunch with their Pokemon, he thought of a destination.

A few minutes later he was staring at his training group. They were still in the park where they had first met and now met every morning. Not one Pokemon was in sight and the five of them were sitting in a circle, hunched over something.

“Hey, sorry I’m late,” David called as he approached. Had they waited for him?

Sarah squeaked, straightening and yanking something to her chest. Everyone else followed suit but without the sound effects.

“Okay..” David said, trying to see what everyone was hiding in their hands. “How come you are all still here?”

“David!” Sarah complained, a little red in the face. “You can’t sneak up on us mid game!”

Everyone except for Sarah relaxed as they recognised the interloper. Their hands fell until the cards in their hands were visible but not far enough that anyone else could get a look at the card’s faces. Sarah shuffled to the side and nodded at David to sit.

She didn’t relax her grip on her cards until he did.

“What are you up to?” David asked again. The group immediately ignored him as he sat down, switching back to examining their cards or watching each other.

Danny shrugged at him from across the way with a wide smile.

“Didn’t you hear?” Tulia said absently. “I thought everyone in the city knew.”

“There was an issue at the farm, a Snorlax-” David trailed off as he realised no one was listening.

He poked Tulia. “Knew what?”

She swatted at him but looked up from her cards. “About the Collect’em tournament. The Game Corner is running one to celebrate the upcoming harvest. They announced the prizes this morning. Eight-”

“Eeevees!” Sarah interrupted. “They’re even throwing in an evolution stone of your choice for the top two! One of them will be MINE.”

“-Eevees.” Tulia finished with a scowl at Sarah. “The tournament’s on next week. We’re practising now.”

“We’ll deal you in next round,” Danny said with another wide smile as she looked around the group.

David sat back, hand going to Pidgey’s ball around his neck. Everyone else was overjoyed at the news but his heart was sinking. A tournament with a big prize announced on the same day the Snorlax was placed in Nature’s scent.

It could be a coincidence.

But that name, Game Corner, was too familiar for him to be comfortable. What was it Oliver said?

It runs deep. Change is coming.