It was Saturday and that made David nervous.
He took comfort in the small pink token, but he was still distracted as he went through his morning duties. He nearly missed a gap in the fence and when Pidgey gave a loud cry as she was released, he jumped. After Pidgey finished cawing at him, neither of them could find any other signs of the invading Pokemon. The weight of the token in his hand was a comfort, but it was also a question, and he couldn't be sure if it would be a help at all.
They retreated back to the farm to give the morning report without any more news of the invader. Oliver broke his trend of silence to say that the Pokemon had likely left the grove but would be back. He sent David out to patch the fence anyway.
The additional morning task meant he was late to the group meeting. Tulia sent him a commiserating look, having her own work related delays most mornings, and shifted over to give him a seat on the sidelines. David wasn’t given much time to check out the battle between Danny’s Bulbasaur and Sarah’s Rattata before Tulia began to complain about work.
Tulia worked with Bellsprouts. Her parents worked with Bellsprouts. So did her grandparents. So did her cousins many times removed. So did their grandparents. It was vines and acid all the way up and down her family tree, she explained. If there was an industry or job that required a Bellsprout , the Meyer family had a hand in it.
She had worked in cleaning. She had helped make dyes and paint. She assisted with the metal work. The only thing she refused to do was make fertilizer. And Tulia hated it all. Or more accurately, David realized listening to her complaints, she hated working for family.
“-and there they were! As if spending the whole day at it wasn’t enough, they came over to drop off more ‘materials’ for me to review.” Tulia groaned. She pulled at her thick waxy overalls. “It doesn’t stop.”
David murmured an agreement. “I’m camping on the farm I’m working at. My boss decided not to mention or unlock the canteen toilet for the first few days. I’m not sure if he ever would have if his son didn’t bring it up.”
Tulia scrunched her face up. “That’s pretty bad. It reminds me of when-”
Martin interrupted her by tapping her on the shoulder. “You up for a battle?”
Tulia blinked and looked out on the pitch. Rattata and Bulbasaur had been recalled. Danny and Sarah walked towards them mid-discussion. “Yeah, sure. Just one second.”
Martin breathed out in relief behind Tulia’s back as she dug into her bag. He made a tired face at David. It seemed this wasn’t the first time he’d listened to her complaints.
-.-
David looked across the field at Terry.
For all his nervousness at the day, or rather what it signified, he was looking forward to this battle. Pidgey and Sandshrew had fought a few rematches since their interrupted fight, and all had ended without a decisive winner. He'd kind of hoped that Pidgey’s new Move would be ready for the deciding battle, but it was not to be. The lavender spirals were too dangerous for everyone outside of the battle to be used yet.
Martin counted down from three, and they released at the same time.
Pidgey appeared with a loud cry and took to the sky.
David narrowed his eyes as heads across the training grounds turned towards them. He didn’t like this latest habit of hers. Once in the morning as revenge for being woken up was one thing. Disturbing the peace every time she was sent out was another.
Across the pitch, Sandshrew dug into the dirt and created a small hollow. Both Sandshrew and Terry had learned of Pidgey’s increased strength and speed the hard way. After that painful match they knew not to try and start with Defense curl anymore.
Sandshrew didn’t sit idle though. Crouching in the hollow made it more awkward for Pidgey to attack, and the excavation gave it plenty of ammunition.
Both David and Terry remained silent for now. Their Pokemon knew what to do. Only when things became more hectic and urgent would they lend their help. Their matches had opened in the same way several times and neither Pokemon had the variety to change things up.
Pidgey tucked her wings and began to dive beak first for a Peck.
Sandshrew spun around, kicking up dust and dirt in a Sand Attack aimed up at the sky. The attack was vaguely aimed in Pidgey’s direction but no one expected it to do much. Their experimentation and attempted lessons for Pidgey had taught them that. Instead, the Ground type Pokemon used the cloud he kicked up to move. If they couldn’t make Pidgey less accurate, they would make it easier to evade instead.
Pidgey collided with the cloud, stirring it up again and sending the dirt higher in the air.
A squeak from the cloud revealed that the strategy wasn’t effective today. David couldn't see Sandshrew behind the disturbed soil, but it was easier to track Pidgey. She didn’t blend in nearly as well as the scaled hamster Pokemon as she began her escape from the dirt cloud.
Sandshrew didn’t recover from the attack fast enough to catch her. Pidgey flew up and away towards Terry before tilting to the side and turning back around.
Sandshrew let out an angry hiss and continued to expand his hole in the ground. One of the Pokemon’s hind legs was moving stiffly.
David turned his focus to Terry. What was she planning? Usually she’d be screaming orders by now. A new Move? Poison Sting? His hands clenched. They didn’t have any antidotes, but it was at the end of the week. She’d explained that there was only a small chance of a poison infection from the move.
He gritted his teeth but didn’t call out to Pidgey. There was no point getting her to land. It would only give Sandshrew time for a Defense Curl or an easier target to attack. Poison Sting was a ranged Move. They could remain flying either. Endless circling in the skies would only tire Pidgey out. Any orders he gave would only confuse her.
Pidgey dived.
Sandshrew didn’t kick up a cloud of dust with Sand Attack.
Pidgey drew closer.
“Mud Slap!” Terry bellowed with a shout that could be heard on the other side of the field.
David cursed and watched the new Move play out, ready to give whatever orders he could.
The Move started like a Sand Attack would but with a few key differences. Sandshrew remained still a stone as he concentrated instead of moving to throw up more material. Yellow tan crumbles of dirt drifted up around Sandshrew and grew into larger, flowing clumps. The clumps hung for a second suspended in motion by light brown streaks. Then like a switch was flicked, they shot at Pidgey. Unlike with Sand Attack, the attack wasn’t scattered but concentrated in a surge that didn’t miss.
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Pidgey let out a high pitch shrill as she was covered in mud.
David relaxed. It didn't hurt her. That was a cry of surprise not pain. This time it was Sandshrew left squealing as the Pidgey shaped missile smacked into him beak first. The surprise had disturbed Pidgey enough to make her lose control of her descent, but not enough to make her miss.
“Tackle!” David roared over the Pokemon’s complaints. Pidgey needed to create some breathing room to take off again.
“Scratch!” Terry screamed back. She stood as still as always but made her displeasure at the Move's lack of effect with the scowl on her face.
Sandshrew descended on the muddy Pidgey. A loud pop let David know the Tackle had succeeded, but his relief was drowned out as Sandshrew continued. The Pokemon attacked again in a mad rage without any breaks to regain energy between its swipes.
Pidgey let out a heart-wrenching shriek.
Sandshrew fell back away from a vicious Peck. Pidgey didn’t capitalize on the weakness. Pained, she turned and hopped back towards David.
“Forfeit!” David shouted. As much as he hated it, he waited for a signal from Terry before rushing out on the field.
Pidgey continued to hop towards him.
David sank to his knees and gently steadied her as he tried to figure out what was wrong. She was covered in a layer of mud that made it difficult to tell. Before long the growing red line down her left side was hard to miss. Someone handed him a water bottle, and he washed off the dirt as best he could as Pidgey let out small shrieks.
When the mud was washed off Pidgey gently raised her right wing. She tucked it back and tried to lift the left before shrieking and letting it lie against her side.
“I’m going to recall you okay?” David asked Pidgey.
Pidgey let out an unhappy chirp and disappeared.
“I think that’s a pokecenter job.” Danny said, peering down over his shoulder.
“Yeah.” David said, scanning the sidelines for his bag. “I’ll go now.”
“You should wait for Terry.” Danny replied. “Sandshrew will need help too.”
David looked back across the field. Terry was still examining Sandshrew. The Pokemon complained as she wiped a dark brown fluid from its scales. Martin stood beside her.
David couldn’t feel it within himself to feel too sorry for the Pokemon. Which he hated. He just couldn’t consider the Pokemon’s shattered scales and blood while Pidgey bled too. How could he when she couldn’t even open her wing?
He gave Danny a nod and thanked her for the water bottle before moving to the sidelines to gather his and Terry’s stuff. They wouldn't be the first to leave the field today. Sarah had accompanied Tulia to the Pokecenter after the previous match. Oddish’s Acid Move had caused enough damage to Bellsprout’s already damaged stalk that they wanted to be careful.
-.-
David and Terry had a short chat about the battle as they queued in the Pokecenter line, but neither was up for much conversation. They spoke enough to make it clear there were no hard feelings and went back to waiting anxiously.
The queue wasn’t long and while they run through Celadon, neither was about to shove their way to the front. Not again anyway on David's side. That kind of behavior was too memorable.
When their turn came, Terry gestured him forward, but David refused and indicated for her to go. She frowned at him, surprised. Pidgey was clearly the most injured and they both knew it. David, however, was getting ready for a strange conversation that he wanted to keep to himself.
When the receptionist called ‘Next’ out again a little louder and with less patience, Terry reluctantly moved. She did not seem impressed with him, but he hoped that she was putting it down as some polite gesture.
Thankfully the next open spot at the desk was further down. David pulled the pink token out of its spot in the backpack and held it and Pidgey’s pokeball out to the receptionist.
“Could you-”
The receptionist leaned forward to examine the token. “Door to the right.”
They pointed behind themselves to a small door at the side of the counter.
“And I can get healing there?” David confirmed, grabbing for Pidgey’s ball around his neck.
The receptionist nodded and indicated at the door again.
David hurried over.
Inside the door was a short hallway with three chairs. A single door led away from the hallway with a large green light above it. An arrow stood out from the green.
David looked around the room before walking to and slowly opening the next door. It opened into another small room. Along one wall a counter divided the room from another. The other sides of the room, including the one he was on, each had one door.
“Hello?” David asked the shrouded figure behind the counter as he stepped inside.
The receptionist gave him a wave. “Hello. Could I see your token please?”
David let the door fall closed behind him and handed the token over. The door locked with a click.
The receptionist hummed at something and put the token into a machine. David could make out their outline as they moved, but he couldn’t see any of the receptionist's features. Were they wearing some kind of shawl?
“How can we help you?” They asked.
David slowly held out Pidgey’s ball. This was definitely on the intimidating side. What had Noah given him? “My Pidgey needs healing but... could it be kept out of the League system?”
“A Pidgey?” The receptionist confirmed skeptically. “Nothing that will need to be restrained or kept out of sight?”
David nodded even more hesitantly.
The receptionist nodded and accepted the ball. They pulled a translucent shield down over the counter and disappeared behind another door.
David stared after them for a second before looking around his room. He considered trying the door he had come through just in case but gave up on the thought. He hadn’t heard it unlock. The other doors were much the same. One even had a complicated keypad of some kind.
Before he could examine the keypad too closely, the door behind the counter opened again and the receptionist returned.
“You Pidgey is being healed. Now about your request, I can do that, but I’ll need to verify your record first.”
They held up a hand as David began to speak.
“It is against our copies of the League database. Unlike the healing allowance, the access will not be recorded.”
David considered it.
“I got that token after an encounter with Team Rocket. Someone who worked with the league was involved.”
The receptionist shook their head. “There is a note with the token. Don't be concerned about that.”
That he should be concerned about anything else was left unsaid. David felt even less confident about the locked box he’d found himself in. He handed over his license anyway. What else could he do at this point?
The receptionist tapped away at a bulky computer for a while. Eventually they looked up at him. “Are you passing through Celadon or staying for a while?”
“I should be here for a month or so.”
The receptionist tapped something out. “If you need further healing, come back here. Only within your league allowance of course. Let us know when you’re leaving and we’ll backdate the records.” They looked up at him. “Please understand we won’t do this forever. You will need to provide evidence of risk or have your sponsor do so.”
“Right,” David said and exhaled in relief. Private healing for a month. That would be plenty to put some distance between him and Team Rocket. There was no way he was important enough to them for them to search for months. He ignored the voice in his head pointing out that he shouldn’t have been important enough to be kidnapped either.
The receptionist smiled back at him and passed his license and pink token back. David took the token back last. He'd thought it would be a one use thing. “Would you like to wait in the private lobby or have your Pokemon brought out in the main lobby?”
David looked around at the two mystery doors behind him and the locked door he had come from.
“Main lobby please.”
Terry was waiting with Sarah and Tulia when he got out. Sarah and Tulia were bickering about something and gave him a short wave before continuing. Terry gave him an odd look but didn’t ask any questions as David sat down beside them.
-.-
David trudged along the road between the orchards into Nature’s scent farm. He was ready for an evening of quiet reading to Pidgey and hopefully an uneventful patrol.
He tensed as the bushes to his side shook.
“Pidgey guy!” Michael shouted, smiling at him happily as he brushed the berry plants aside.
“Michael!” Oliver’s voice called out from within the bushes.
It seemed someone had gotten Oliver talking again.