TO: Josh Devlin (josh.devlin@hoennleague.gov)
CC: francie myrtle (francie.myrtle@hoennrangers.gov)
MISSION: "Sparkling Spawning"
PROTOCOL: Protect
DANGER: ★★☆☆☆

Recent natural and man-made disasters have upset Ledian mating cycles around Petalburg Woods, diverting them toward Petalburg Plateau. This has attracted a swath of dangerous flying-type Pokémon looking for easy meals. The effects this could have on the regional ecosystem are devastating. Your mission is to protect the swarm of Ledian from predators.

Your objectives are as follows:

A) Protect the Ledian from predators during their mating ritual.
B) Collect samples of the Ledian's sparkling dust for analysis.

We have shipped you a small supply bag filled with Poké Balls. You may use them at your discretion to catch-and-release predators at your discretion. You are not permitted to keep any of the Pokémon you catch. The supply bag also contains empty vials to be filled with sparkling dust. We require you to fill two for your mission to be considered complete, but the more you can fill, the better.

Per your restitution with the League, this is the fourth of ten assignments you will complete without compensation.

Good luck! We're all counting on you.

It was truly a rare opportunity for Mauville's Gym Leader to visit the sanctuary of one of his best friends. Though they were both Rangers, Shalin Nariya 's work kept her to Verdanturf more than she would have liked. With many of her Pokémon still on the mend from the venomous foliage grown in the wake of Elisabeth Fiorelli 's attack, she needed his help in keeping the place safe while she was fighting wildfires in the southwest. Little did she know there would be more than one site she would be asked to help out at.

In the night sky, the Ranger in blue surveyed the plateau from the back of his Aerodactyl, Meteos. So far, so good. It did not take him long to notice the long-haired blonde at the rendezvous location. He reined the prehistoric predator into a shallow dive, landing next to the young lady. "You must be Ranger Myrtle," Josh presumed. "Elite Ranger and Gym Leader Devlin, but you can call me Josh. Great to meet you."

While Josh wasn't particularly fond of bug-types, especially after what King Zing did to Eris, the beauty of the mating ritual briefly captivated him before he shook his head and refocused. "Ranger Myrtle, I'll brief us before we get started. Our mission is twofold: protect the Ledian from flying Pokémon and collect Ledian dust for the League. I think the best way to handle the flying-types is to take to the air and battle their flock leaders. If we can take down their leaders, the others will follow."

Josh twirled a Poké Ball in his hand before clicking its release switch, a saddle-wearing Pidgeot emerging from it. "These two are Meteos and Pazuzu," the Gym Leader introduced his Pokémon. "I've got more flying Pokémon if we need them, but these are two of my best that won't also destroy the environment. Do you have a flying Pokémon of your own?"

"That's great, Francie," Josh replied with a smile. "I prefer to be on a first-name basis with people." Francie's use of a portable PC to access Pokémon storage was something the Gym Leader was a bit jealous of. He never got League clearance to have portable access to his Pokémon - he could only access his Pokémon storage account when at a Pokémon Center. When he became Mauville Gym Leader, he sidestepped that requirement by way of simply letting his dozens of Pokémon roam the vast property that was Mauville Racing Grounds.

"Works for me," the blue-uniformed commander answered the young Ranger after she presented her plan. "How well can your Pokémon work autonomously? I'm going to have my hands full directing my own team," he admitted. He also had to be at the reins of his Aerodactyl, which was a handful to control. Meteos was one of his swiftest flying Pokémon, but his aggression often had to be reined in. "If you're comfortable with it, you might want to take to the air yourself, just at a lower altitude. How much experience do you have as a rider?"

Their conversation would be cut short by the rustling of feathers breaking the silence of the night. The feather of a Noctowl dropping on Meteos' head was Josh sign to jump into action. "They're here. I'll do my best to corral them away from the Ledian. Might not be a bad idea to saddle up in case things get hairy," he gestured toward the other Ranger's Aerodactyl. "See you on the other side. Let's go, Meteos!" With a flick of the rock-type's reins, the Gym Leader zoomed skyward, ready to slice through Noctowl plumage with high speed STONE EDGE passes.

Josh admired those with the strength to ride bareback, especially Pokémon as strong as Aerodactyl. He needed it, though; going as fast as he did amplified the force on his rump. While his skills and strength had developed to the point where he rarely got saddle sore, the Gym Leader remembered the unpleasantries of when he did during a time he was less experienced. He never would have been able to ride Meteos bareback, what with having some of the most forceful takeoffs out of his entire air force. There were also the fierce stoops the rock-type was capable of. The way he folded his wings in and unfurled them at the trough of his dive, it was like riding on a falcon.

Josh, Meteos, and his bird Pokémon were high in the air, dogfighting with the Noctowl to try to make francie myrtle 's job easier. As the first few fell to STONE EDGES, AERIAL ACES, and other potent moves, the nocturnal Pokémon directed their focus away from the Ledian and toward the Gym Leader and his Pokémon. Unlike many birds, Noctowl had mild psychic powers that no amount of speed would let Meteos dodge. He hurled Poké Balls at several that came too close for comfort, but for every one that was captured, another threatened to tear Josh and his birds out of the sky. Several Poké Balls hit the ground, some landing uncomfortably close to Francie. One may have even beaned her.

After the first wave of Noctowl had been captured or incapacitated, Meteos was showing signs of disorientation from the birds' EXTRASENSORY powers. "Pazuzu!" Josh cried for his Pidgeot. "Fly underneath me! I'm sliding down!" With that, he attempted a dangerous mounted switch from his Aerodactyl to his Pidgeot.

The mounted switch was successful, Josh safely landing in Pazuzu's saddle with a squawk from the enormous bird. Meteos was not only confused, but tired; he had switched rides because he had felt the rock-type's flight becoming progressively more unstable. Within a minute or two, the EXTRASENSORY barrage proved to be too much for Meteos to handle, Josh recalling the Aerodactyl.

As drastic as it would be, the best way for Josh to repel the Noctowl was by blowing them all out of the sky with the biggest attack Pazuzu could muster. The flying-type built up a lot of speed over his friend's sanctuary, well above where the Ledian were flying. "Pazuzu, use HURRICANE!" Josh cried loudly enough for francie myrtle to hear and take appropriate measures to protect herself.

The Pidgeot took an abrupt turn and flapped his wings with such power that it felt like the bird was trying to buck him off. Good thing his flying Pokémon all wore cocoon saddles, or he would have been sent flying himself! His mount's strength rocked him back and forth as the Noctowl struggled to fly in the dangerous winds. They backed off, but the windstorm had scattered Ledian dust all over the place! "Quickly Pazuzu, now use TWISTER there!" the Gym Leader pointed.

Vigorously beating his wings again, the Pidgeot generated a cyclone that drew the sparkling dust into a dense funnel. It had to have been breathtaking to see the whirlwind from a distance. Once the avian relaxed, letting the TWISTER dissipate, the dust floated to the ground in a much more compact area than before, making it much easier for Francie to fill the requested vials with dust.

The storm Pazuzu's wings created caused the Ledian and their predators to duck for cover. Not wanting to deal with the enormous and powerful bird, the Noctowl backed off and looked for other Pokémon to prey upon. With that, both the things the League had asked them to do were done. The two had more than enough dust to hand over to the League for study, and every last one of the Ledian were safe.

When Francie called attention to the color of her Lycanroc, even Josh was taken aback. "...Wasn't your Lycanroc's fur just red? And now it's blue? I thought the Shiny phenomenon was caused by a rare combination of recessive genetic traits. But...you think the Ledian dust did that?" At least Lyonel looked quite pleased over the new look. That deep blue did look really good! "If that's the case, I wish I'd have brought some of my Pyroar. They'd look great in a golden coat, like Aslan's got." He let out a big yawn. "Anyway, I'm exhausted. Not used to working nights. How about we get back to Petalburg? I need to get Meteos to a Pokémon Center and turn in for the night."