Fox frowned up at the wall of yellow and green that seemed to sprout off the building, a jaundiced, cancerous growth. There was the hum of life as the little bug-pods huddled for warmth. A drone Beedril buzzed down to check on the placement of one and, finding it satisfactory, rose again.

This was going to be a job, that was for fucking sure.

He was still frowning as he pushed through the doors on the ground floor of the building, checking his pouches and bag for the items he would need. Back in Kanto, before… well, before everything, he’d had a lovely little apiary and a garden, and he’d experimented with the happiness and productivity pheromones put out by bees.

Later, he’d used his experience with chemicals in a decidedly different fashion.

He was directed up an elevator to the office of a one mister Frank Caffey, whose door he rapped on gently.

“Pest control.”

Frank Caffey
for the swarm

☉

Fox gave the man a small smile and stepped past him into the office, taking a brief look around: neat, concise, organized… and everything shaded in yellow from the writhing mass of cocoons currently organically glued to the windows.

“Oh. Of course.” Fox shook Frank’s hand, smile growing apologetic. “I’m Fox.”

Introductions done, he stepped to the window, squinting through it.

“Mmm, I don’t like using the word ‘easy’,” he said, “but I should be able to handle it.”

He plucked a Pokeball off of his belt, rolling it in his palm.

“Nothing a little cold can’t fix. Do these windows open?”

Frank Caffey
for the swarm

☉

“Kakuna and Beedrill in general were a more difficult subject given their inherent solitary nature although it might not look it,” Fox explained, with a little bit of a laugh at the irony. “There’s no hivemind controlling them: no queen to remove. The Beedrill themselves very rarely check in on the larva. They’re remarkably independent.”

He speaks as he follows Frank through the halls of the tastefully decorated, if blase, office space, chuckling again.

“Apologies. I do a lot of work on camera. I’m used to explaining things… or talking to myself, really.”

Fox steps past him to peer over the edge of the balcony and then look up at the golden swarm.

“Yes, this will do nicely. Thank you.”

He produces two Pokeballs and, from them, two Pokemon.

“Maacah, powder snow,” he instructed, and the Spheal began conjuring a small snowstorm just off the face of the building, fluffy flakes blowing back against the glass, temperature of the air dropping significantly. “Olera, sleep powder. Really throw it.”

The Gloom began to gather her spores, packing the glowing blue pollen into a tightly packed ball, and then jumped up on the balcony to baseball chuck it at the mass of Kakuna, where it erupted and was blown back into the swarm by powder snow. Many of the Kakuna began to rattle and drop, hitting the ground with loud clunks.

Frank Caffey
for the swarm

☉

“Oh, yes,” Fox said, looking over his shoulder with a re-assuring smile, “their chrysalae are extremely sturdy.” As he speaks, more Kakuna fall and hit the ground below with heavy bumps, like dropping stones.

Heading back in towards the office, he gives his Pokemon a thumbs up. “Keep it up. Climb a little, if you need to.”

Turning back to Frank, he explains, “Now I’ll just go down and gather them up with my Bayleef and get them moved to a nice park or forest.” Which may take a few trips, but as long as they weren't clinging to the face of the building, it would be easy enough to do.

Frank Caffey
for the swarm
my knowledge in this post is derived from Pokemon Stadium.

☉

Fox was not the sort to bond with business types-- which said more about him than business types, of course.

He wasn’t the sort to bond with anyone, really, but he pushed the thought out of his brain as he shifted hair off of his forehead. His point was Frank Caffey was all right-- the relief on his face was visible when Fox told him the little Kakuna were going to be okay.

At the mention of payment, Fox held up his hands. “Oh, no, don’t worry about it. There’s no charge.” His mouth quirks up in a thoughtful expression. “Or if there is one, I wasn’t told about it.” Dropping his shoulders in a shrug, he grins. “Who cares. You pay taxes, right?”

Fact of the matter was he’d rather Frank called someone like him to come remove the Kakuna over a pest-control company.

“Just keep me in mind if this happens again. I’m more than happy to help.”

Frank Caffey
for the swarm

☉