"Heya, Voltorb." I said, greeting my Kanto Pokeball Pokemon. "Guess what? When I was in Hisui, I caught another type of Voltorb! Same type of Pokemon - electric - and they actually LOOK like the Pokeballs we used back then! See?"

I showed my Voltorb the wooden Pokeball I made using Apricorn and red tumblestone.

"Ready?" I asked, throwing the ball into the air. "Toby, come on out!"

The Poké Ball clacked once midair before popping open in a flash of pale golden light.

With a crackle of static and the familiar zzzt! of electric sparks, the Pokémon materialized in midair, hovering effortlessly a few inches above the ground.

“Torrbbb…” the Hisuian Voltorb chirped, its wooden body gleaming faintly in the sunlight, eyes wide with that permanently surprised expression, mouth carved open in a cheerful grin.

Its spherical body was lighter than its Kanto counterpart, made entirely of smooth wood and red-stained tumblestone. Tiny tufts of green moss curled up around its seams, giving it a slightly foresty vibe, like a nature-themed ornament that had come to life. Sparks flickered at its seams as it buzzed excitedly in place.

“Toby,” I grinned, stepping forward, “meet your future… cousin? Relative? Other version of yourself from the future?”

My regular Voltorb stared. It didn't move, didn’t blink—though I’m not entirely sure it could blink. Its blank eyes were locked onto Toby like it was trying to process the existence of a distant, wooden doppelgänger.

Toby, meanwhile, zipped toward the Kanto Voltorb and bumped gently into him with a loud clack.

“Torbb!!”

Kanto Voltorb jolted, sparks flying from the contact, and bounced back half a foot.

I cringed. “Okay! Okay, maybe too soon for introductions—”

But then Kanto Voltorb spun once and bumped back, just as gently.

The two orbs hovered in place, facing each other.

Then—click. They both spun once in unison, sparks flaring in a little friendly zap between them.

I exhaled a breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding and smiled. “Guess you two are gonna get along just fine.”

Toby chirped again, then hovered in a little excited circle around Kanto Voltorb. Kanto Voltorb watched him, expression unreadable but sparks steady and calm.

“So, Toby,” I said, crouching beside the pair, “that’s your modern-day counterpart. And Voltorb, that’s Toby. He’s from a time where Poké Balls were wooden and people still made stew by bonfire. And yes, he explodes just as much as you do, but with... slightly more bark shrapnel.”

Kanto Voltorb sparked in response, and Toby chirped again.

They bumped.

And exploded.

Together.

Just a little.

The grass sizzled. My hair frizzed.

I sighed as smoke drifted upward.

“…Great. They’re bonding.”