"Hi, Bob," says Bella. "So, we were wondering how Pokéballs work and Sherlock says you probably know."

"I do know," says Tony, "but unless you understand five-dimensional topology and space-folding, the explanation is pretty much 'um, magic?'."

"But you can do it with apricorns even if they don't work as well as the techy kinds, apricorns just - grow that way," laughs Bella, "are they magic?"

Bella giggles. "That," she asserts, "was cute."

"In terms less likely to make my pointy cuddle-buddies abandon me: Apricorns just do the same thing naturally that manufactured Pokéballs do with careful engineering."

"I should tell Renée about your issue with pointy cuddly 'mon, I bet she'd knit at least three fluffy Porygon-shaped sweaters before she got bored."

"Next time I call her, will do. I cannot guarantee that these sweaters will not be in garish colors."

"It's not like Porygon are known for their fashion sense."

"Yeah, I'm just imagining poor Bob in something in two shades of green and red-orange. With a pompom on top of his head."

"I promise you, if you send me fluffy Porygon sweaters, I will find Porygon who want to wear them."

"I suppose you haven't got a shortage, there's probably three in the flock with taste as terrible as Renée's."

"Yeah, that's what I'm thinking."

"So if Pokéballs work by magic, how does PC storage work? I don't quite trust it for my 'mon but I know people who rotate out a few extra critters. I tend not to associate with outright collectors, but some people can be sincerely friendly with ten 'mon, or can only manage three out at a time and have to store three but love all six, you know."

"PC storage works by more magic!" says Tony. "I don't totally understand it, but apparently the development process involved reverse-engineering Porygon. Dad got kinda mad about it."

"Were Porygon harmed in the process?" asks Bella, frowning.

Tony spreads his hands. "No way to know," he says. "We don't track every single Porygon in the world. I mean, they said none were, but Porygon code is tricky stuff."

"Oh dear."

"Yeah. So. Not that I can prove anything, and maybe they didn't hurt anypory, and I'm sure the system works just fine, but - I don't use PC storage."

"I had no idea there was anything dodgy about how it was invented. I just didn't think I ought to be taking possession of a creature I didn't plan to keep around."

"Yeah, I hear ya."

"Slightly more tempted to devote some time to some sorta activism project, now, but I don't think I could actually make a dent, it's too convenient and like you say it works, the 'mon never seem traumatized - though I suppose I wouldn't know, I can't actually understand - you ever talk to a Pokémon that's been stored, Sherlock?"

"Not that they mentioned, no. Should I go and find some and ask?"