This is not a spaceship. This is a hilly area with a lot of soil and rocks and burn marks on the ground and occasional valiant clumps of grass. And quadrupedal creatures making vocalizations and chasing each other, over there, up the hill.

Heh. It could wade into a pool of burning fuel, and that fire doesn't look particularly hot. It raises its arms and roars at them.

It climbs a tree. The tree becomes on fire. It tries to drive them away, deploying claws and poison stingers and trying to seem threatening, but for some insane reason fire is exceptionally deadly now. It backs itself into a corner and tries to shield itself with a head-sized rock.

It tries to smack the ball away, instinctively thinking grenade! But by that point it can't move very much.

They use tools, build things? Perhaps they belong to a very strangely-adapted hive. It stands up tall and demands to know where it is, not really expecting them to understand.

They indeed do not understand! They talk, but to each other.

It waits until they're sufficiently distracted and sprints for the nearest door-like structure.

Hiss! And various other angry sounds surrounding vivid profanity that they cannot understand.

Bipeds continue talking to each other.

Bipeds pause in the speaking and listen to it!

Bipeds resume talking, louder and more rapidly, including the string 'Kuztektools'.

Its first response to this is alarm/threat assessment. Its second is thinking Yes. Your fire things are very concerning.

They're there to make sure you don't try to run away again.

It makes an angry sound. You are not my princess! This is not my hive! I must return home!

There's little or no chance of my ever returning home. Perhaps it's pointless. But I must try.

None of us has ever heard of the gate you're describing or of anything that looked like you, even smaller ones.

None of us have personally seen the entire world, but we know things about most of it. I can translate a few things but then I have to stop, I really can't keep this up.

Please do translate everything you think, and perhaps what the others say, while you still can. Is it common to imprison creatures with those devices?

Bipeds talking bipeds talking bipeds talking. "It wants to know if 'those devices' are common," the psychic one says/thinks. "Yes, Pokéballs are the usual way to keep Pokémon portable and contained most of the time."

Are most Pokémon (It makes a reasonable attempt at this word out loud) people? I am. And I do not appreciate being contained.

The biped translates this thought for the other bipeds, then, "No, most of them aren't. The girl with the Rapidash" (this is accompanied with a concept; it is that biped) "is arguing that you should be let go, but you'd probably just get caught again and the person who caught you wants to keep you."

Why?

"He thinks you'd be good in a fight and impress people, especially since no one else has one."

"He thinks he could train you to do arena battles," shrugs the psychic. "I don't have a bet on this, I'm just translating."

The Hiver has no response to this. Eventually, I require water and carbohydrates at this time.

The biped who caught the hiver says something, but before the psychic can translate it most of the bipeds are shouting at each other.

The Hiver shouts into the fray, "I! Not! Pokémon!"

And now it is in the ball again. Apparently the guy holding it doesn't like his Pokémon weighing in on debates.

The next time it's let out, it gives its best roar while surveying the area.

It is in the same room. Bipeds are alarmed by the roaring. However, there is a bowl of water and another bowl of foodish substance present, in addition to a smaller selection of fire creatures than before (though still several).

"No Pokéball. Dark." Bowls? Alright. It downs the water in one go, samples one of the foodbits and finds it unpleasant but edible. It puts the bowl back down, it's not starving.

The biped who caught it, and the one who was previously identified as the one who wanted to let it go, are having a furious argument. The psychic is not in immediate evidence.

It identifies a few of the words. It weighs in with, "I fight if good reason."

"Food is bad. Not enough-" something in its language, apparently.

The Hiver tries to talk to the telepath, soliciting as many words as he can as quickly as he can. Apologize for heavy demand on you.

"Larry. You are not my princess. You are a prince claiming everything he sees not knowing what it is. This is not my Hive. If I fight for you, it must be trade."

"Death in a good battle is better than any other fate that awaits me outside of a Hive."

"I still do not know many words. Do you wish for me to fight, or not?"

"I am probably not a Pokémon. I have never seen any before today. But what else could I do? I am not a scientist. I could not return home even if I were. I am a stray, without a Hive. Fighting show-battles is better than no purpose at all."

"How do Pokéballs work?"

"This discussion is moving in a circle. Where can I find more water?"

The Hiver follows, so as to learn where water may be got.

The water can be got out of a faucet in a room too small for the Hiver to enter.

That is irritating. It asks Larry, "Is there a water I can get to myself? At the moment I would be comfortable with at least four bowls."

"All the plumbing in the building's in here. Quit complaining." He hands it a filled bowl.

The Hiver gulps it down and hands it back and waits.

Larry fills it up again, as many times as the Hiver wants.

The 'mon that are out in the room at the moment are all fire type, but some of them are also other types. "I'm pretty sure you're Bug but you might be a combo and all I knew from the way the Houndour were chasing you down was that you're weak to fire, so when you were running away everybody got out fire types. Bella's not helping anymore with her Rapidash though."

"I might also count as Steel. My exoskeleton is largely composed of a steel-based alloy. The idea of types is very foreign. I was strong against fire before I came here. Hiver Warriors are supposed to be strong against everything. I wonder what a... Scientist who studies life, from my Hive, would think of types."

"Bug/Steel, huh? That would totally explain a fire vulnerability. Maybe you had an accessory for it or something before I got you."

"We do not well understand each other. I think this world turned me into a Pokémon. I was not one before."

"That doesn't make any sense," says Larry.

"To me Pokémon make little sense. As does how I can be successfully contained by a sphere the size of a light snack."

"It's some complicated physics thing."

"Is there food that is of fruit or honey? The other food did not have enough sugar, and has an unpleasant texture."

"I can stay out, stay here. The ball is unpleasant." But it won't object further, the monkey-non-hive-having creatures are being slightly reasonable. And the time to escape is when they let their guards down after it behaves for a while.

"You're huge, if you were a little 'mon I could just leave you out in the store but I'm not leaving you unsupervised or trying to justify you to the grocery store people. Do you want fruit or do you want to stay out a bit longer?"

"You seem to have forgotten that one of my conditions for willingly fighting for you is spending most of my time outside of that device. Again I offer to fight something and prove that I am worth the trouble of treating me like an actual person."

It makes a considering sound that just sounds strange to the humans. "You continue to fail to understand. I am not property. I will serve loyally and willingly, but only if you prove you deserve it."

"Enough of this!" The Hiver makes a grab for the Pokéball with faster-than-human reflexes, smashes it between two palms, and bolts for the door, charging straight past or knocking aside any fire-things that try to stop it.

It tries to claw and fight out of whatever stasis the Pokéball is inflicting on it. Which doesn't work.

"This has been an extremely unpleasant day. I cannot go home. I thought I had found a prince to fight for, but he considers me property and not a member of his Hive. I am still hungry."

Bella has some fruit in her bag. She hands it over. It's not all that much fruit, but she also has just a bag of sugar. "Well, Larry no longer considers you his property."

Bella waits.

"I can let you go. But since you're not familiar with this - area, planet, whatever - you might have trouble finding your own food and keeping away from dangerous 'mon. What do you want to happen now?"

"I want a purpose. I..." It needs to talk through Joe for half of this. "I want to go home. Since that is impossible, I want a purpose. I want something or someone to serve that is not an arrogant prince stomping his feet whenever something does not go his way. Preferably something where I am particularly helpful, and which provides me with the things I need to survive and a few occasional luxuries."

"I might be able to find a way for you to work keeping dangerous wild 'mon away from towns. Does that sound good?"

"So long as I am recognized as a person and not a creature, it would be better than anything else I have seen of this place."

"People will probably think you're a Pokémon, but if you learn the language, you do perimeter ranger work, and everyone understands you're a legendary Pokémon you'll probably get some more respect than Larry was able to cough up, at least."

"If Larry had attempted to make me fight against my will, I would have tried to kill him eventually. Who would be my commander and are they likely to do this?"

"I don't know any rangers personally. I'd have to ask around. It might take a long time to find one who will treat you well, but I think I could find one eventually. It will take longer if you absolutely can't stand going in your Pokéball, because I usually travel by riding a flying Pokémon and I'm not sure she can carry you while you're out."

"The ball would be... Acceptable... If it was wielded by one I trust. I dislike it because it makes me helpless."

"I wouldn't like it either. If you were small enough that you could ride Rachis with me I wouldn't suggest it."

"Of all the Hivers to be stranded here, at least I am perhaps best suited for it."

"Why's that?"

"I can fight. A worker or builder or scientist would have died to those hounds. And I don't even want to think about a Royal being placed in such danger."

"Do you want to fight?"

"I was made to fight. I want to serve a purpose, and the easiest purpose is to fight."

"Okay. Probably the best way to do that usefully is to get you in with the Rangers."

"How should I behave to be acceptable to the Rangers?"

"That... probably depends on whether they're going to treat you like a tame loose 'mon, of which there are some, or like a space alien who happens to be able to directly fight wild 'mon and want Ranger training. Either way - never attack a human, don't damage things humans have made... if they treat you like a ranger proper they'll probably pay you and you'll have to buy your own food that way, I recommend mail order."

"I could even make a workshop and make proper armor, with money. I would like to test myself against a non-fire Pokémon, to verify that I can indeed fight them. Would any of yours be willing to spar?"

"Yeah, somebody'll spar with you. Juu's not the best choice if you're right you're part Steel... it'll have to be Zag." She pulls a ball and tosses a 'mon.

The Hiver goes into a defensive position, and Zag moves before it can decide how to attack.

The Hiver is as gentle as possible in return, not deploying claws or poison. It's a bit slower and doesn't have such ridiculous strength, but it's very, very good at feints and blocking and hitting back in ways that are hard to dodge.

The Hiver is completely undamaged by the admittedly gentle attacks, not even scratched. "I would not mind. This level of damage is barely affecting me at all."

The Hiver staggers a bit. But only a bit. "That did not hurt nearly as much as fire. Would my poison stingers count as poison type?"

"...Maybe, but no 'mon has three types, and you might just be a bug/something with a poison attack. My Rapidash knows a poison attack. And let's not try it on Zag in case it's complicated compared to 'mon poison in some way."

"I think I need to be subjected to more attacks to determine exactly which type I am. It could be important to know."

"Poison has pretty few defensive weaknesses. Juu could hit you - if you're bug/steel that'll average out to normal, if you're poison/steel same thing, but if you're bug/poison you'll barely feel a thing? Zag can ice you, which is standard for bugs, standard for poison, weak against steel. Zag, hang back for a sec." Zag stops dancing around the hiver.

"Yes. And try to poison me. I thought I was immune to fire, I also think I am immune to poison and wish to check."

"Almost nothing. How does this creature produce such a wide variety of effects and can I learn to do it?"

"'Mon can each learn four formal attacks, few exceptions apply. Some of them are ones they pick up naturally just by existing, others they have to learn by machine, and most 'mon can't learn all possible moves even by machine. The Pokécenter worked on you, so move machines might also. C'mere, Zag." She puts Zag away. "The same 'mon who knows the poison attack is a fire 'mon. I won't have her burn you, but don't touch her mane or tail, she doesn't like you enough to have that be safe."

"I remember the Rapidash from that building. I had not planned to."

The Hiver is completely unaffected. "I am Bug/Steel type, apparently."

"It's at least a solid guess. You could be immune to poison for some other reason - a few species of 'mon are unaffected by specific attack types even if they ought to be vulnerable - but you are probably bug/steel."

"If I fight more seriously, to see if I can win a fight, are your 'Mon likely to be permanently harmed?"

"...Usually, when 'mon fight each other, they fall unconscious and can be fully healed at a Pokécenter. If you are in some relevant sense not a 'mon, I wouldn't want to risk it, not with one of mine. We can go for a hike and try to find something wild for you to beat up that no one will miss."

"Very well. I have no desire to kill your 'mon." It follows wherever she leads at a reasonably quick speed.

"Not as fast as a running Houndour."

In answer, he dashes at it and gives a full-bodied two-fisted punch. The Shinx is knocked back hard, but it's tough enough not to go down just from that.

The Shinx zaps him! Rawr!

Between zaps the Hiver swipes at it with claws, applies its poison stingers, and tries to give it a bite with its thick claw-like mouth, though that one misses.

The Shinx doesn't last particularly long. It is not a particularly powerful Shinx.

"So I am still capable of winning a fight. Good to know."

"Yep. You'd be very useful on a perimeter. Humans can't directly fight 'mon ourselves, so we keep them out of places we live as much as we can, and only go out with our own teams for defense."

"You don't use weapons? I suspect the weapons I had access to at home would be effective against 'mon."

"Some people use weapons, but 'mon are easier to learn to use and more culturally standard and cheaper, and less likely to actually kill the wild ones, which is usually considered preferable."

"I'll still miss my guns. You are better than that arrogant princeling. So you may put me in the ball if it makes it quicker to find Rangers who might like me."

"Well, we can try the nearest town without me having to fly anywhere, if you don't mind a long walk. Maybe we'll get lucky."

"How long is the walk? I seem to require less food for time spent inside the ball, which may become a concern."

"I gave you everything I brought. It would take maybe fifteen minutes if I let Fireflower gallop it, but you don't go that fast, so a few hours."

"You seem to think I am slower than I am. I can run reasonably fast, I just take a while to get up to speed." It demonstrates- it's about twice as fast as a running human, mostly thanks to its sheer size.

Bella puts Juu in her ball and urges Fireflower along. She easily catches up to the Hiver. "Fireflower is fast."

It has no comment but to speed up a little more, then settle into a steady pace. THUMP-THUMP-THUMP-THUMP.

"We're actually going the wrong way," Bella says. "Follow me." She steers Fireflower around.

"I can eat almost anything, I just find it unpleasant. I like large quantities of simple carbohydrates, and sugar is probably the cheapest. I also need protein and fats and vitamins. One measure of that disgusting food from earlier for every four measures of sugary things will be good for my health, though still unpleasant."

"Hmm, I wonder if you could eat a whole egg. You probably could. I can afford another bag of sugar and an egg, but I'm not rich, you're huge, and I have other 'mon to feed."

"I could eat a whole egg, though I might prefer it hot. But the cost of food is why I mentioned the ball. Though mildly unpleasant, it is less unpleasant than being reduced to eating sticks and grass. I have noticed that my hunger is slowed to a crawl when I am in it."

"Yeah, that's normal, but 'mon still need to eat a full meal at least once a day even if they're in their balls the entire rest of the time. If you can wait a few hours we can try the local rangers and if we have to go to another town I can put you away, fly there, try them, and feed you an egg and a bag of sugar if that doesn't work either."

"Are the rangers not here? Out on patrol?"

"It might take a few hours to convince them even if they eventually agree they want you."

"I see."

"So do you need to eat before we try that, because of all the running, or are you good for now?"

"Hiver warriors have an awareness of their own bodies, so I know I am in acceptable condition. I will become uncomfortably hungry in about five hours, and uncomfortably thirsty in about four."

"Well, water's cheap. There's a fountain over here, you're allowed to drink from it." She nudges Fireflower along until they're at a fountain in a city square.

"I am tk'tlz." It still can't really be pronounced by humans, the closest they'll get is 'tektools'.

"And I would not cooperate if I were made into decoration."

Bella and her Rapidash (who drank a little water too as long as it was there) trot on. "Ranger station isn't too far from here."

It follows, keeping close track of all 'mon and trainers and considering tactics as a calming exercise.

The Hiver studies the border. "The fence could be sturdier. Are there motion sensors in the fields?"

"No. There are a lot of wild 'mon. The idea behind the fences is to make sure they go through in the most convenient places so we know where to expect them, not to keep them out entirely, and it does nothing against fliers. And the rangers can't be getting excited about every wild Starly."

"Interesting." Yes, that would make for different considerations. Especially if most potential threats are very low-level. "Maybe I think wild 'mon are more dangerous than most actually are."

"Perhaps you should call me a Hiver instead."

"I can't go home and tournaments do not particularly appeal, so I intend to make myself useful here somehow. Bella suggested the Rangers."

"Dry and warm."

"While you consider it we can ask other towns. Does this area have radio communication? If not, I'm no scientist but I could make a spark radio easily enough."

"Thank you for removing me from Larry, by the way. He was unpleasant."

"You're welcome. I had to trade him my Sawsbuck, so I'm hoping the Rangers will trade me something that Larry will take for Branch back."

"Perhaps I am being selfish," It sounds upset at itself, "But this is far better than spending an eternity in the ball or trying to tolerate a trainer who treats his warriors as unthinking creatures. I would have tried to starve myself, or perhaps tried to make enough trouble to be released of his own will."

"No, I get it, you are a person, you are more important than somebody holding my stupidest Pokémon for a few days, but I do want him back. I like him."

"I see. I think I will buy incense or perfume when I have money. Hivers have good noses, and there are many unfamiliar scents here."

"We had to repair our own equipment. I wonder if the things I might be able to build are new to here. Other than deadly weapons... Electric stun rifles, water-purifying machines, radios, night-vision devices, stun-gas bombs."

"If you want to sell space alien tech, so much the better. We have radios and night vision goggles but the rest could find a market. The Rangers ought to let you quit whenever you want to if you need more time to put stuff together once you have starting cash."

"Unfortunately I'm not an expert technician. I wouldn't trust stun rifles or gas to work as I am familiar with on 'mon or humans without testing, and finding willing testers..."

"...would be awkward, but if you stun wild 'mon nobody will be really upset if they die. I mean, some people might, most people won't, say, eat 'mon meat, but nobody's looking out for individual wild ones."

"And if I wanted to manufacture lethal weapons, that has its own set of issues. Perhaps composite armor or personal energy shields would be better. I have a much better chance at managing armor than shields, though."

"I still need something to eat first."

"I could survive on chow, but I find it more unpleasant than regular Pokémon seem to. Thank you."

The Hiver eats them and goes into the ranger station and sleeps there.

In the morning, Bella comes by again. She talks to the Pastoria rangers on the ranger communication network, agrees to trade her Hiver for a Steelix that has got a little careless in the field and could use more individualized training, and, presuming the Hiver's consent, puts it away in its ball and flies to Pastoria.

The Hiver grumbles about it a bit, but assents to being put away.

And when it is out again it is at a Ranger station in Pastoria, which assigns him to be trained by a ranger who has a slot open. They give Bella a different 'mon in return for her efforts.

"You understand that I am not a regular 'mon, correct? I am smarter, and dislike being put away, and need to eat non-chow, and would like to be paid."

"Yeah, that was all explained, I just need to hold your ball for legal purposes and to make sure the trade opens her slot," says the ranger, pointing at Bella.

"Very well. Though I don't understand why I must remain linked to a ball."

"If it breaks or something there won't be much hurry about replacing it," the ranger says. "We'll see if an actual need for it comes up, like if we need to travel out past the perimeter quickly."

"That would be convenient, yes. By the way, I can withstand falls from arbitrary heights, here at least."

"Perhaps a way to contact you. I would consider you a friend."

"Sure. I'm usually not near a videophone but you can call me on the Pokétch -" She supplies her contact information.

"Safe travels, Bella. Ranger, I should show you my abilities."

"Sure, let's put you through your paces," agrees the Ranger as Bella lets herself out.

"Wait, wait, hang on, time out," says Bella. "What did you say that was? Where did you get it?"

"I... have also met an unprecedented species of bug that could talk. A few months back."

"Humans can't exactly pronounce its name, but - 'Tektools'?"

"...Iz big, blue?"

"Yes."

"Yeah, it's fine, it's working with some rangers in Pastoria."

"You don't have a flier that can carry you? I can point out a ground route on a map but I almost always fly when I have a city destination in mind."

"My Fletchinder isn't big enough to carry me yet. I think she'll evolve in another month or two."

"Okay, lemme see your map. Trying to fit you on my Pidgeot would be crowded at best."

He has a map of Sinnoh! It's paper, and heavily annotated in the sections he's already visited.

She marks out the best routes, including a section that she can take on her Sawsbuck "but if you don't have a rideable jumper either, better to go around it" and a forest that is "a total mess of bugs, so stock up on antidotes and mind your party balance."

"I've got a good jumper. Bugs, eh? I've got Fletch, fire/flying, but I'll pull someone else too. I don't think she can take on an entire forest. Thanks for the advice!"

"No problem. Let me know how the reunion goes, okay? Tektools is my friend."

"I mean, we can keep going if you and Zertot want but I feel really awkward about using what are probably space aliens for recreational combat."

"I know biology," Zertot claims, "I am changed. No different than any Pokémon. I stronger and tougher. Heal-machine heal me, so, fight is fine. Maybe explain how changed, but iz complicated."

Yep. Bella puts Branch away. "Pokécenter time for me. I'm glad I could help you find Tektools."

"Thanks!"