Chiro-Chiro landed beside Locke as they bent down to retrieve the capsule, picking at his trainer’s bag in search of something. “Right, right. I didn’t forget,” they chided as they pulled out a bit of jerky and passed it to the Talonflame, who happily charred with a bit of flame and tore into. From the tree line, Piki-Piki stared with interest. Looked like they caught the Trumbeak’s attention along with the Yanma.

The change of subject brought Locke back to Alexei. “An injured Taillow…” The image of a Swellow with a crooked tail pinion floated in their mind. “Do you mean Major? How’d that happen?”

The brief scuffle with the Yanma seemed to spark Piki-Piki’s competiveness again, at the same time a Ninjask entered the clearing. The Trumbeak immediately launched himself from his branch and gave chase, but the speedy cicada easily outpaced him, buzzing around in circles so quickly it was hard to keep track.

Locke nodded along with the older man’s advice, then turned to Chiro-Chiro again. “Help him out with Tailwind.” Swallowing the last of his jerky, the Talonflame took flight again, hovering a few feet above them and kicking up a strong breeze with his wings.

Piki-Piki jostled a bit with the unexpected speed, but readjusted and set his sights on the Ninjask. He caught the cicada in sharp talons, then repeatedly brought his beak down on its head with his Fury Attack until they both touched the ground. The two Pokémon wrestled in the grass for a bit until Locke tossed a Pokéball at the helpless Nincada.

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[attr="class","wizzcred"]❤ wizz

[attr="class","wildbgsaf"]

[attr="class","wildtitle"]A WILD BULBASAUR APPEARED!

[attr="class","wildshiny"]

[attr="class","wildpkmnbox"]

[attr="class","wildtab"]

[attr="class","wildbgsaf"]

[attr="class","wildtitle"]A WILD ARIADOS APPEARED!

[attr="class","wildshiny"]

[attr="class","wildpkmnbox"]

[attr="class","wildtab"]

Locke listened to Alexei speak with rapt attention. “You’d hardly know he was ever injured if it weren’t for the bend he flies so well. I gotta Noctowl I found in a similar bit of trouble, but she didn’t come out with anything but sore pride and a vengeance against litter,” he said over the sudden noise brought upon by the cloud of tropical birds descending on the area.

Speaking of ringleaders, Piki-Piki’s eyes were now flicking between Chiro-Chiro and the scene with the Ariados. He was still keeping a good distance from Locke, but he didn’t immediately join the flock of his own kind either. They were willing to call that progress at least.

The Bulbasaur, for its part, wasn’t acting very grateful to the noisy bunch of birds that descended upon its attacker, Growling at any that got too close to where it was still trapped in the spider’s webs. Locke considered it for a bit, then turned back to address their own Pokemon.

“Piki-Piki.” The Trumbeak’s attention snapped to them, eyes narrowing in a way that made him look unnervingly similar to his evolution and made Locke’s confidence falter once again. “Er, why don’t you try freeing it with Pluck?” For a moment, it seemed like the tropical bird was going to just keep glaring at them without following the order. Then, all at once, he took off to join his brethren around the tangled Pokémon.

Piki-Piki Plucked the webbing into his beak with ease, but, curiously, didn’t release the Bulbasaur. Instead, he hoisted it into the air to carry back with him, dropping the enraged plant right at Locke’s feet, who had to leap back to avoid the bundle of Leech Seeds it launched at them in defense.

Chiro-Chiro was on it in an instant, knocking out the grass type with a quick Flamethrower while Piki-Piki made a squawking noise that sounded a little too close to a laugh. The Talonflame reeled around and quieted the troublemaker with a glare, but Locke stopped him with a hand on the bird’s back while they pressed a Pokéball to the now-free, but smoldering Bulbasaur.

“I can’t imagine doing this with an entire flock. Do they really all listen to ya, or do they just listen to Sam?”

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[attr="class","wizzcred"]❤ wizz

[attr="class","wildbgsaf"]

[attr="class","wildtitle"]A WILD CACNEA APPEARED!

[attr="class","wildshiny"]

[attr="class","wildpkmnbox"]

[attr="class","wildtab"]

[attr="class","wildbgsaf"]

[attr="class","wildtitle"]A WILD JUMPLUFF APPEARED!

[attr="class","wildshiny"]

[attr="class","wildpkmnbox"]

[attr="class","wildtab"]

Locke took this information with a thoughtful hum. If Piki-Piki he couldn’t to earn Piki-Piki’s respect, maybe one of his other Pokémon could?

He glanced at Chiro-Chiro, who had settled in beside his trainer to preen himself. The Talonflame was strong, but wasn’t exactly a leader-type and usually preferred to do his own thing. De-De commanded her own flock fairly well, but Delibird had their own set of rules the Trumbeak likely wouldn’t care for.

While he was thinking, Locke’s own Trumbeak swooped down to Pluck at the flower on a passing Cacnea’s head, only to receive a Sucker Punch and a beak-full of painful-looking needles for his efforts.

“If only the same could be said for him…”

The tropical bird quickly rallied himself and approached again with a Fury Attack, but a flurry of Pin Missiles pushed him back again. “Piki-Piki! Keep your distance and use Bullet Seed!” The Trumbeak just squawked something at them that sounded an awful lot like “Don’t tell me what to do!”, and flew at the cactus again.

The Pluck landed this time, but as his opponent fainted from the blow, so too did Piki-Piki, their Destinies Bound together. Locke tossed an empty Pokéball and Piki-Piki’s own capsule with a sigh, and considered the pinion that just wouldn’t straighten out no matter what anyone tried.

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[attr="class","wizzcred"]❤ wizz