PokeWild

David spent the evening packing and planning. He laid out everything he owned. He consulted his notebook. He read through his leaflets.

It rained for the first time in weeks.

Pidgey was not amused. She also refused to go back into her ball, instead, sitting at the entrance to the tent. She seemed annoyed by the weather, constantly trying to poke her head outside to look. Now however, she had another target and was inching towards it.

David gave her a light shove, scooting her away from the food sachets and the guide book beneath it. “Not now, Pidgey. Move.”

His small, orange tent was cramped at the best of times. With everything he owned hastily shoved inside to protect it from the rain, and a Pokemon, small though she was, it was an effort to do anything.

Pidgey snipped at him and let out a slow squawk, but she did move. She settled on his trowel and fire starting kit and David was able to reach past her for Celadon’s guide book. He flicked through the pages.

Celadon was located in the centre of Kanto. To the west was Viridian. To the north west, Pewter. To the north east, Cerulean. To the east, Saffron. To the south east, Vermillion. To the south, Fuschia. To the south west, Cinnabar Island. All of Kanto spread in a circle around Celadon, like the spokes of a wheel through which food flowed.

The only issue for David, as he finally found the page he was looking for, was that officially, those spokes did not seem to exist. The official map for Celadon wasn’t too far off his five rings theory with how the city was structured. It didn’t mark out rings as such, but all the locations of shops and buildings followed that design. What was missing from the map and any he had seen was the route he’d arrived into Celadon from. It wasn’t plotted, marked or even referenced. In fact, in the guide book the road to that route ended in a ‘Celadon Park Area’. Only two official Routes out of the city were listed, Route 7 and Route 16.

David scowled. Maybe he could ask Oliver about the unofficial ‘spoke’ roads? Noah, who had been in charge of that Saffron convoy, had told him that they were delivering food. If it involved berries, Oliver would know and his berries had to be delivered somehow. But.. Noah had also warned him about Rangers.

Something told him that these 'un' official food transport routes weren’t zone marked for trainers with a single badge.

David groaned and reconsidered his options. None were good.

Pidgey bumped into his shoulder.

“One second,” David said and nudged her back.

Route 7 led back to Saffron city. When David had chosen Celadon as his first destination and gym, he’d expected to be able to pass back through there. Now though, after what happened before he left.. and with Aodhan’s visit.. Saffron city was no longer an option.

Route 16 led to Fuchsia city. Fuchsia city, the marsh, the location of the difficult poison gym and the proclaimed ‘wild’ of Kanto. The city was home to massive Pokemon preserves. Preserves which were fiercely protected by a special department of Rangers. Built on a peninsula, the city would be the most isolated part of Kanto if it wasn’t for Cinnabar Island.

Or that’s what the maps said anyway.

But David’s interest in the city due to something he hadn’t learned from a book. Marsh. Fred had told him that the Psychics had fled the marshes after an uprising. What was the connection between Fuchsia, Saffron and the Voyants? Could he throw the Voyants off his trail there? Could he find answers?

“Pidgey.”

David blinked up at Pidgey. She fixed him with a stare - not a Leer, she’d stopped doing that when she gained more control of the Move, and squawked.

Then she began to shake. Droplets of water scattered around the tent, soaking anything exposed. Including all his notes and leaflets.

“Pidgey!” David complained, frantically looking around for something to save the paper with. His towel was still damp from his shower earlier. The thermal layers were somewhere by his feet. The toilet-

David’s eyes widened and he swore. “Toilet paper! I forgot to get toilet paper.”

Pidgey squawked again and, now dry, settled into a roosting position.

-.-

“David!”

David smiled at the excitable boy staring down at him from the patio. “Good morning Michael. I didn’t know you’d be by today.”

Michael frowned and then his eyes fell. “I heard you were leaving.”

David sighed. Right. Jacob would have mentioned it to his son. “Yeah. Something has come up and it’s time for me to go.”

“But!” Michael spluttered. "You said I could help with training!"

David set his stuffed bag down at the bottom of the stairs and began the ascent up to the patio. He would miss the kid. Even if, given the way Michael’s eyes lingered on the ball hanging from his neck, Michael would miss someone else more than him.

“I’m sorry. I expected to be here for longer too.”

It didn’t look like Jacob was here this morning, only three places had been set out, but Oliver was slouched in his chair at the head of the table as usual. David caught his eyes and flicked his own down to the ball around his neck and then back at Michael.

Oliver’s mouth twisted and he looked down at the food waiting on the table. David prepared for the usual response: ‘After the report’, ‘Eat your food’, ‘He’ll be here later’.

Instead, Oliver grumbled and waved his hand at David.

David smirked. The old man had the largest soft spot for Michael. “Would you like to help me feed Pidgey one last time?”

Michael nodded furiously.

-.-

Later, after Pidgey and Michael had been fed and David had given his report, Oliver sent Michael inside and beckoned for David to follow him. He led David around the side of the house, to where they’d sheltered from the ‘Pidgey!’ onslaught the week before.

“Jacob told me about our visitor.” Oliver chewed on the word for a moment, before scoffing. “I thought I saw someone skulking about Tuesday night.” He splayed his hand out for a moment before shaking his head. “Pay the Voyants no mind. They aren’t in charge of Celadon. There’s work for you here.”

David smiled, at both the unintentional pun and the white lie. Now that Jacob had mentioned it, he could see how Oliver was growing antsy. The timing of the Snorlax's arrival and Michael returning home had left the owner of Nature’s Scent with little to do.

“Thank you,” David said. Oliver’s help had been invaluable, even if the man could be a grouchy old shit sometimes. David gestured back at the patio, where his Silver League recovery program bag sat. “But I’m on a timer. I’d need to go at the end of the month anyway. Better to go now - When the Voyants aren’t watching.”

Oliver just scowled at him.

“I really appreciated the job. And the place to stay.”

Oliver rolled his eyes and shoved an envelope at him. “Your pay then. Where’ll you be going?”

David took the envelope, nearly dropping it as Oliver let go of it instantly. “I’m not sure yet. I can’t decide if I should head to Fuchsia or take one of the convoy routes to Vermillion for the Water gym.”

Oliver raised an eyebrow and looked back at David’s backpack. “Do you have a bike? They don’t allow camping on the bridge. You make it across in one night or you don’t go on.”

David’s shoulders sank. That took one option off the table then. “I guess I’ll head to Vermillion on the convoy routes then.”

Oliver’s moustache twitched and he began to mumble under his breath. “Stupid … get himself killed.”

Oliver scowled at David again. “Head to Fuchsia. I’ll organise a place for you on the wagons heading across the bridge.”

With that cryptic note, Oliver turned to leave.

David blinked at his back. “What wagon?”

“Get to the bridge! You’ll know!” Oliver shouted back.

David scowled at Oliver’s back. Not this again, he was sick of hidden messages. He debated chasing after the old man, but he was running low on time. He needed to meet his training group.

David clicked his tongue and went to his bag instead. He opened the envelope along the way. 525P, a full week's wages when he was leaving on mid week on a Thursday.

That old shit.

-.-

“You’re leaving?”

David nodded and wilted under the staring. He’d expected a reaction like this, but..

Sarah’s eyes were wide in shock and her mouth open. She let her half eaten pastry drop to the side, forgotten.

Tulia glared at him with a sour expression.

Terry tugged at her overly large hat and her face was blank.

Martin’s lips were pressed together in a slight frown.

Danny just looked worried. She was biting her lip and looking at the ground.

And David knew he deserved it. The group had been working together for weeks, battling, training and pushing each other forward. Then David had booked a gym battle and they’d added studying for the theory exam to their mixed schedule. And now, two days after he secured his first gym badge, David was leaving. Without helping the others.

He felt like crap.

“Why?” Tulia asked, her eyes still narrowed at him.

“I.” David began an excuse, but stopped. He wanted to say something to let them forgive him, or the opposite. Something that would drive them away, and keep the Voyants away from them. After losing him here the Voyants were bound to dig into what he had been up to. Now that they’d found him they wouldn’t let him go easily.

But he couldn’t. He didn’t want to lie to them. He couldn’t tell them the whole truth. So, as always, David went for the middle road.

“My past caught up to me. I need to avoid someone in Celadon and-” David pulled his backpack round to his front and tapped the Silver League logo. “-I’m on a timer. As part of a League program I have a month to get a second badge if I want to keep Pidgey.”

The stares lessened, though David didn’t like the sudden focus on his clothes and gear. A silence lingered over the group. They’d never really had to talk about anything serious before.

“You never said,” Sarah said, almost accusingly.

David shrugged. “I didn’t want to talk about it.”

Martin brushed his hands and stood up, breaking the layer of awkwardness that had settled. “You’re here for the training today anyway. Let’s talk about your plans on the way.”

“Actually.” David winced and gestured to his bag. Aodhan had not given him much time. “I’m not. I need to leave the city before the evening.”

“Oh.” Martin paused, unsure what to do and itching to move.

“We’ll see you around anyway right?” Tulia asked in a flurry. “We’ll all be on our journeys.”

“Yeah.” David smiled but he wasn’t sure how true that was. Kanto seemed to be a big place. “I’ll see you at the gyms. Repay the favour for all the help.”

Everyone rushed to argue that it wasn’t a favour or how they’d helped themselves or how he’d helped them. This led to a bit of reminiscing about the last month, but before long the five of them were standing up. It was time for four of them to go train and for David to go.

But he couldn’t leave them without a warning.

“Just, be careful of anyone wearing a white armband with a red ‘R’ on it alright? They call themselves Team Rocket and they’re.. dangerous. And-” David hesitated. Was he going to come across as crazy? “-They’re here in Celadon.”

The four of them stalled in their steps. None of them knew what to say to that.

“Sorry,” David said. “I’m sorry to leave like this. I wanted to be there for your matches.”

“It’s oka-”

“Don’t say-”

“Nothi-”

They all spoke at once, they all fell silent.

“It was good to see you. Thanks for all the training and tips,” David said. He gave them a wave.

He made it a few steps before someone joined him.

“Where are you heading then?”

David grinned. “Fuchsia. Why? Thinking of joining me?”

Danny raised her eyebrows and made a face at him.

“No.” She sighed. “I guess I just didn’t expect it. I’ve- I’ve been avoiding thinking about it.”

“Fuchsia?” David asked with a frown. He didn’t expect Danny to have issues with the Poison Gym. Poison was super effective against Grass, but Bulbasaur was a Grass-Poison type. It wasn’t weak to Poison.

“No,” Danny said, sounding forlorn. “Leaving. I guess I didn’t want to think about it.”

David hummed. “I get that. Celadon is.. comfortable.”

Danny made a noise, half in agreement, half not.

David shrugged at her. “Did you know that Celadon has the least emigration in Kanto?”

“City,” Danny corrected absently. “City with the least emigration.”

“Right,” David said hesitantly. Was there a difference? Some other way of categorising Cinnabar because it was an island? “Anyway I got some advice recently." David waved a hand towards the sky. "Don’t fall for a city before you visit all of Kanto and better to wait until you see beyond that.”

“Beyond that?” Danny repeated, almost questioning. She turned and gave David a nod. “I think it’s time for me to book a gym challenge. I’ll see you on the circuit.“ She raised a teasing eyebrow at David. ”Or beyond that.”