Quit worryin'," Adrian offered cooly, sliding a hand into his pocket and clutching his phone, withdrawing it to begin flicking through some new alerts. Nothing important, but enough to keep him distracted. "Just trust that not much is gonna bother us. Unless you see a nest up there."

At Adrian's flank was his Corviknight, which glowered at the pink monkey scaling the tree, perhaps provoked by their vibrant red hair. Adrian ran a hand soothingly over its plumage to help calm and pacify it before it decided to go rogue.

"Do you see a nest?" It couldn't have been that hard to tell if he was actually using his eyes.

---

Sénon Game

Adrian shrugged casually. Was he supposed to keep track? It wasn't like a birthday or anything, although for most of them he could obviously remember the season, month and year accurately.

"Maybe a year?" A lot had changed in that time. Reign hadn't exactly warmed up to him right away; even after the New Year's Raid, Reign had developed habitual mood swings, proving capricious and difficult to train. Nipping at him was just one of many of its little anxious tendencies.

But when Howitzer died, things had changed. Reign began to seem almost protective, but in an overbearing way, and still prone to at least minor tirades, lashing out at Adrian out of habit.

And now with Mt. Pyre and news of a looming conflict, it'd grown ever slightly more subservient.

"Trust me, Reign's a handful," he laughed with forced cynicism. "Needs a firm hand. Because otherwise' he'd have bit mine off awhile ago."

His hand runs over Reign more aggressively, but to its lustrous black plumage, it is more like a gentle polish against its pristine coat of mirror armor.

"That thing fixed yet?"

---

Sénon Game

Tch. Copying his pokemon felt so ubearably cliche after commenting on it. Was that supposed to butter him up? It mattered little, but the petty half of his nature made mental note. "Let's go, then."

While they took to the skies, leaving the Castform behind, Adrian smelled something on the wind. Even tasted it, but it was an odd sensation. He'd detected this same sort of sweet, pungent aroma on at least several occasions, though he wasn't entirely yet certain of the connection until-

A rumble in the visible skyline alerted them.

"That storm snuck up pretty fast-"A crack like a whip, a dazing flash and the surging electricity forking through the sky crackled across the sky and towards Petalburg Woods, disturbing the wildlife. Then, a massive Fearow spread its wings.



Well, at least neither of us was hit... As their avian accomplices availed them skyward, they drew the attention of the Fearow, which called out with a shrill, grating shriek that jarred the nerves. All around them the leaves of trees could be heard shifting, as if rustled and moved by a violent gust.



Before long they found themselves amidst a coordinated, writhing swarm of Spearow led by Fearow. Shit, Adrian managed to curse under his breath before pulling Reign around, circling around defensively to monitor the flock surging en masse.

"God dammit man. Our track record was looking so good." Why'd everything always have to go to shit? Adrian couldn't be bothered with this, not now, but they weren't left much choice.



Spearow began swooping towards them in growing numbers before it became apparent the entire host had raised their talons against them. F#%k.

"Senon; Reign knows Iron Head, Drill Peck, Roost, Agility, Iron Defense and Power Trip! He spouted all that drivel in rather a rush, trying to arm Senon with the necessary knowledge.

Taking hold of Reign's scruff, Adrian draped himself against its figure, trying to keep low. "Reign, plow through with Iron Head! Head deeper past the woods for now." And they were off.

---

Sénon Game

The came crashing down through the ticket of trees, coming to a full stop when Reign planted its feet into the soil, spreading its wings to slow its descent. Adrian felt a little uneasy, but he was rushing to find the right pokeball, jumping from off the bird. In the distance, he heard the cacophony of Spearow in pursuit of him. Damn, where's-?

It didn't matter as he hurled a pokeball forward, unleashing a Toxtricity ahead of him, offering him up to the Spearow hot on their trail. "Overdrive!"

Rift seemed a little confused, but was never one to turn down the opportunity at a performance. Without much pause it scratched at the protrusions along its torso, sending an ear-piercing screech like a guitar through the woods that sparked with a life of its own, electrifying everything it touched. Up ahead the Spearow ran full tilt into the blast, shrieking like they'd been brutally tasered...

And yet still more and more of them flocked around him, enough that Rift was beginning to be overwhelmed by the sheer volume. Shit...

That's a lot of Spearow. But where's the Fearow...? Adrian began flicking his eyes around in attempt to find the cretin who'd marched this flock to war against them for no good reason.

If he didn't get a handle on the situation soon, they'd be vulnerable, so he did what anyone would. An odd, marble-like gemstone embedded in his wristband began to glow as Toxtricity's form began crackling with alternating blue-and-yellow current.

---

Sénon Game

As the swarm swirled around them, Adrian's Toxtricity began to shimmer with an unearthly glow before it rose in stature, growing perhaps a foot in size before the transformation tapered itself.

He would've liked to know where Senon had gone before firing this off, but as the storm finally encroached towards them, Adrian seized the opportunity: "Rift, Use your Stun Shock!"

Toxtricity leaned back as it conjured a guitar of lightning that rippled with energy, crackling with a sound like a hissing viper and humming with the surging voltage therein. At its sight, Adrian's eyes stung and watered such that he averted his gaze.



Like the thunderclap, the improvised and literal electric guitar came crashing down towards the horde, sending sparks flying as it smashed into the ground with a resonating boom. What followed was a forked column of purple lightning come racing down, zigzagging from on high before surging through the gathered mass of Spearow.

The sound of their shrieking cries intermixed with the crashing thunder and sizzling electricity thundered through the forest, Adrian's hearing faded as he heard a tone ringing in his head until at last the lightning subsided and the swarm had turned tail, at least those not left paralyzed.

And from the looks of it, Senon hadn't been caught in the blast. That's a relief. But where'd he go?

---

Sénon Game

Adrian popped out his phone and flipped through his contacts before sending Senon a text. Where r u? Out here in the middle of the sticks he couldn't see much except the Spearows strewn haphazardly about the forest floor. Guess I gotta look...

For now he chooses to remain on foot, if only to make sure any reinforcements don't catch him by surprise, and to indulge Rift his moment of power. Who wouldn't want to be escorted by a pokemon with sick rifts and power chords? Nobody in their right mind, and least of all Adrian, that's who.

As he's trudging along the southerly storm begins blowing harder north towards the forest, whipping up the branches full of leaves, filling his ears with the sound of their incessant rustling.

Though he couldn't much hear over it, he pressed on in search of Senon and any remaining birds.

---

Sénon Game

After allowing his Toxtricity to ride out the waves of power emanating from its mega stone, Adrian pried his phone from its pocket once more, noticing a few alerts. Good, he's alright... What a relief.

And he had the good sense to mention where he was headed. Adrian retrieve Toxtricity from the ground and mounted Reign once more, taking wing towards Petalburg's Pokemon Center posthaste.

While he traveled, a few Spearow followed close by, but refrained from attacking. One was even so brazen as to land on his shoulder, which proved worrying. I suppose he's worried about Fearow...?

When he arrived at the Center he came in quietly, though the Spearow began to flap its wings, raving in squawks and chirps as it assuredly picked up the scent of its own. "Easy there, Woodstock..."

As he pushed towards the front desk and asked after Senon, he was directed to the next room.

Once inside, Adrian found Senon and the Fearow.

"Everything go alright...?" At sight of Fearow, he'd wince, empathetic towards its condition.

---

Sénon Game