As Poe landed at the Slateport station and Jack dismounted, he brushed a smudge off the Ranger pin he had affixed to the collar of his shirt and adjusted the red armband on his bicep before reaching into his pocket to check the PokeNav app. Things had been quiet at the Verdanturf station so he was unsurprised to be dispatched elsewhere, though he was surprised to be getting a report of a Combee swarm in the busy Slateport Lower District. He is familiar with the street on the report, so he slips his phone back into his pocket, gives Poe a friendly pat on the neck, and sets off into the busy streets of the city.

As Jack entered the Lower District, the hectic din of traffic and commuters thinned out into the early afternoon lull of nightlife not yet awoken. Instead, it was replaced by the low thrum of buzzing that seemed to fill Jack's chest with a continuous vibration. His strides quickened anxiously as he reaches the turn onto the designated street and his hand dips back into his pocket to check the specific address as he rounds the corner. Instead, he catches sight of a familiar face on the street as the buzzing thrum grows louder in his ears.

Hurrying down the sidewalk, being careful to stay close to the side of the buildings under cover of awnings and balconies, Jack hustles over to his friend. "Careful, mate," he says to Zev Harcourt, "The Rangers have gotten a report of aggressive Combee activity in this area."

Mission: Bees![break]Zev Harcourt

NOTES

Jack's mouth forms into a silent "O" of surprise as Zev reveals he is the one who filed the report, but Jack recovers as he thumps his mate on the back before they break off their manly embrace. With a smile, he strikes a heroic pose with his left arm popped out to highlight the Ranger armband before becoming somber once more.

"Combee only swarm like this for a reason, and that reason usually involves a Vespiqueen," he replies to Zev, "All I need to do is find the Vespiqueen, figure out what the issue is, and fix it to get everything back to normal. Still, this is very unusual behavior."

Jack scans the roofline, looking for locations where the pokemon could have built a hive. An abandoned-looking building further down the street and a water tower perched atop a multistory unit immediately catch Jack's eye, causing him to pause and think. "You know mate, you handled that Rhyhorn really well on the way to the distillery and you got out of the Splashfest time distortion just fine. I'm certain the Rangers would appreciate your assistance in this important matter, plus you know the area better than anyone else," Jack turns to the man, unable to keep an impish grin from spreading across his face.

Mission: Bees![break]Zev Harcourt

NOTES

"Smart thinking, mate," Jack says to his friend with an approving nod at the Noctowl, "Fire-type would be the logical choice for this, but with the civilian presence and combustibles around here, flying is the better option."

Jack's eyes scan the skyline, even as he releases his Corviknight from his pokeball. "They seem to be congregating along the roofline, so let's head that way," Jack says as he heads toward a metal ladder fixed to the side of one of the nearby buildings. "Let's not antagonize them any more than we need to. Poe, take the long way around and avoid any of those bugs," he says to the Corviknight, which lifts into the air with a heavy flap of wings and disappears around the corner as he flies low to the ground.

After the initial climb up the ladder, things become much easier as the way up turns into fire escapes and solid, albeit rusty, metal stairways. Jack smiles to himself about what a successful team he and Zev make as he climbs the final flight of stairs, though the smile fades as a disturbing scene unfolds before him. Hundreds of Combee buzz back and forth above the block, far more than are visible from street level. The ongoing hum from the enormous colony vibrates through Jack, giving him the faintest feeling of a headache and nausea. As Poe hops over along the asphalt surface of the roof, Jack turns to Zev and speaks above the droning hum, "This is worse than I thought. We need to capture one so we can have it analyzed and figure out what is causing this."

Mission: Bees![break]Zev Harcourt

NOTES

Jack nods to his capable friend and turns his eyes skyward, eyeing the mass of Combee swarming above the buildings. "Do it, Poe," Jack says to his Corviknight, sending the corvine pokemon into the air in a flurry. As Poe reaches the first Combee, it swats it with a steel wing, sending it plummeting to the roof with a crash.

"Got one!" Jack cries enthusiastically to Zev, as he hurls a pokeball at the stunned Combee, encapsulating it in an aura of red light that snaps into the device. As Jack scoops the pokeball from the hot asphalt surface of the roof, the buzzing around them intensifies, taking on a menacing tone.

Lifting his eyes, Jack watches as the swarm warps and twists like a flowing ribbon in high winds before streaming down toward them. In an instant, Poe crashes heavily to the roof, his wings spread wide before Jack and Zev with the ringing of metal mixing into the buzzing as the Combee smash rapidly into the Corviknight's wings.

Mission: Bees![break]Zev Harcourt

NOTES

NOTES