It was cold and it was dark. So dark that my eyes couldn't see anything at all, not even outlines of whatever happened to be in the small area. Maybe I had turned blind.

Days had gone by since I was confined to this cage. How many days, I'm not sure. All I know is that I'm hungry. So very hungry. The only thing worse than the hunger gnawing away at my mind was how cramped I was. There was no room to move at all, and my entire body ached from it.

When would the pain end... I needed to move, and I really needed to eat...

Finally, there was something different happening. Voices drew near, I could hear them. What they were saying, I had no idea. They drew closer and closer. The next moment, my cage was moved. Having no room to move and keep my balance, my body collided with the side of the cage when it was lifted, then again when it was set down once more.

More voices, more chattering. Still I couldn't make out their words.

Far too quickly for my liking, the heavy black cloth covering my cage was removed. All I could do to shield my light-depraved eyes from the blinding light was turn my head and hold my eyes tightly shut. I couldn't just continue holding myself back though, so I tried my best to get my eyes open and seeing.

Several minutes passed before I could see anything but blinding white light. When I did manage to finally see again, I noticed that the cloth was still over the cage. The top, at least. The only revealed part was the front. Not only that, the cage was open! Those bars were out of the way, and I could get out. Freedom. Food. Movement. Food. I finally had my chance to escape this stuffy cage.

Without hesitation, or even proper thought, I took my first step toward the exit of the cage I had lived in for several days. Embarrassingly enough, my body was so lost to my movement that I ended up stumbling forward and falling flat on my chest. Groaning at the hit, I turned my head and glanced upward. The sky. That bright, wide, high blue sky. Freedom.

The voices picked up again and I worried that I would be forced back into the cage if I didn't act quickly. Doing my best to ignore the pain, I forced myself to a stand and flapped my oh so cramped wings. Thankfully, my wings hadn't lost their ability. I took to the air in a matter of seconds.

Once I was high up in the bright blue sky of glorious freedom, I risked a glance downward. The people who had captured me back in my home had moved that small cage into the back of their vehicle again and were leaving.

Just where was I?

Curious just where I had been taken, I soared over the trees and looked for any landmark I could possible find. I only flew as low to the ground as I dared to get. It was a forest, but which one? I couldn't recognize any of the trees at all. Or even the streams.

"What's that bird, mamma? It's pretty!"

Hearing another human, I instantly halted my forward momentum and flew higher. I wasn't going to risk being captured again. No more cages, no more. I still needed to find food, but I wouldn't dare risk finding any. Not when it meant getting in range of people and their devices.

"That's a Swellow, honey." A different human was the one who spoke, followed by a mocking sound. A laugh, most like. "They're being moved here all he way from Sinnoh. We'll see a lot more of them around here, soon."

"Wow, cool! So they finally got the first one out here, huh? I can't wait to catch one!"

"I wonder what other Pokémon they'll bring to Johto. Oh, this is gonna be great."

"Forget waiting, I'm gonna catch that one right there. They'll bring more, so me being the first one with one of those blue birds is not a problem."

"Not if I catch it first!"

I needed to retreat. Even though I flew higher and further, the humans seemed to be getting closer and closer. The noise they made, the yells and movements, they kept getting closer. No, I needed to get away. I needed to stay away from them, away from cages. I needed to find somewhere safe. Somewhere with food. Somewhere, anywhere.

Beating my wings with a desperate ferocity, I did my best to get away.

Hours, countless hours, passed me by. Before I knew it, night had fallen and the moon had clawed its way high into the sky. Cocking my head to see above myself, I gazed at the countless stars twinkling and shining in that darkness that had replaced the bright blue from earlier.

No more human voices reached me. For now, I was safe.

For now.

My wings straining terribly from so much movement after being trapped for so long, I carefully glided down toward a stream in the forest. It didn't look like anyone was there, Pokémon or human. It looked safe.

Landing a little roughly, nearly toppling over, I was breathing heavy. The sound of the gentle stream was like a soft lullaby. So slow, so gentle, so very natural. It was calming, and just what my nerves needed.

Before I could even bend enough to drink some of that clean, clear water, something hit my side. Oh no. My eyes wide, I turned my head to see what was there. Oh no. No. It couldn't be. A human stood there, grinning widely. That was the last thing I saw before I was pulled into yet another dark place. It wasn't as stuffy or cramped as that cage was, but it was still such a small space. And so very dark. So dark...

Why wasn't I allowed to eat, or even drink, before being captured again? Why must I suffer like this? All I wanted was to eat, then get home. To see my friends again.

I wonder if Tailow and Zigzagoon are getting along without me...

The next time you catch a Pokemon not from your own region, you should stop and think... Just what has that Pokemon been through, and how did it get to your area...?