August 22

Dawn lifted her hand to her mouth and yawned. The clock on her pokéglov read 2:03 AM, but the prebattle jitters meant sleep eluded her. Tracy managed to scrounge up enough beans and with the help of his Azumarill and Ash's Torkoal, he'd managed to get her some coffee in a mug that looked like it was being held together with prayers. While she was fond of the smell, without any milk or sugar, she wasn't particularly keen on its bitterness. She took only intermittent sips with the hope of giving the rest to Tracy when he came back down.

The artist had disappeared upstairs to check on Professor Oak, and it wasn't long before she heard the muffled wails through the floorboards and the sounds of things shattering against the walls. Venonat, Azumarill, and Scizor burst through the door and up the stairs to the room above. Dawn winced with every crash and scream, clenching her mug by its broken handle and taking another sip.

It would be just another thing on the list of tragedies that Ash would have to deal with when he came back. Beyond being a voice over the radio, Dawn hadn't really known the Professor well enough to mourn his passing, but the thought of how Ash would take the news left her misty-eyed. Tracy's footfalls from the stairs, slow and heavy, pulled her out of her thoughts. She got up from the couch, but stopped just short of exiting the living room.

What would I even say to him? What good would telling him I'm sorry even do? Would it even matter coming from me? Someone who didn't even know him. Would it be worse if a said nothing? I just want to show that I care. That after everything in Twinleaf, I can sympathize. Maybe if I gave him a hug or…

The image of the metal pipe in his hands flashed to the forefront of her thoughts and stayed her steps. Part of her knew that she shouldn't be afraid of Tracy. Ash would often talk about his old traveling companions on their downtime in Sinnoh. She had heard of him speak of Oak's assistant, of how amazing he was at sketching Pokémon, how cheerful he was.

Dawn could've said the same for Ash or her pokémon, but every night came the nightmares of her own friends. The wild look in Ash's eyes on the cruise, the dried blood spattered onto Piplup's feathers after Oreburgh. The images would repeat again and again until she woke up with a start. She'd chant to herself that her friends would never do that, Ash would never grab her and hit her face in a blind rage. But the fear of what he could do if he lost control was still there. The Tracy Ash had told her about was gone. Maybe that Tracy had died on the 16th.

Maybe he had to.

In that moment Oak's assistant stormed past her and out the back door. His pokémon barely noticed her presence as they followed him out. Dawn sidled out of the building to find Tracy on his knees, screaming for Ash's Bayleaf. His metal pipe was planted deeply into the ground. The leaf pokémon approached cautiously, exchanging glances with Scizor and Azumarill who nodded back and urged her forward.

Tracy sobbed openly now, slamming his fists into the dirt like he was making graves for his tears. Bayleaf drew close enough for him to rest his head against the base of her neck and retreat from him once he took a deep breath. Tracy's body shuddered violently as he got back onto his feet. His breaths were growing faster, almost to the point of hyperventilation. The pipe buried beside him was ripped out of the ground with such ferocity that Dawn flinched away from him.

"We're going to make them pay," Tracy howled to the crowd of pokémon forming around him. "For everyone we've lost this past week. Every drop of blood the Fearow have spilled, we'll pay them back a thousand-fold!" Tracy roar was quickly lost in the chorus of cries from Ash's pokémon.

Dawn's hand protectively hovered over the pokéglov, now holding her team, when Tracy started heading towards her. The look on her face stopped him in his tracks. He kept his distance and looked to the floor.

"I…I'm sorry you had to see that," Tracy's face was flushed, his pupils dilated, hair clinging to his moistened brow. "Bayleaf's leaves release a chemical that energizes you and make you want to fight. It's probably the only reason Ash was able to get out of bed yesterday."

Dawn's gaze narrowed. "You made Ash smell this?"

Tracy's features sharpened at the accusation. "The Professor needed to tell Ash something and I knew he didn't have much time left, so I'm sorry if I couldn't wait for Ash to finish mourning," Tracy hissed back, only to realize who he was talking to and glance away.

"Dammit! Sorry…this stuff is potent when inhaled from its source. If it makes you feel any better I made sure Bayleaf only gave Ash a small dose, just to get him moving."

The bluenette closed her eyes.

"It doesn't, but I understand why you did it."

"I can't afford to be sad about the Professor right now, especially if the Fearow could be here any moment. Did you register your pokémon to the pokéglov?"

Dawn nodded and extended her arm to show off the red and white gauntlet. Tracy's fingers danced over a hologram keyboard over his pokéglov and a small panel of light blinked into existence over her device. The words on its surface asking her if she approved the transfer of her party to Tracy's pokeglov. Dawn hesitated for a moment but eventually pressed the button, summoning an arc of crimson light that jumped from her device to Tracy's.

"Dawn, I know this isn't easy for you. I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure we can all make it out of here alive."

"What do you have planned?"

Tracy tapped his pokéglov and brought up a bird's eye view of Oak's ranch on another panel of light, filled to the edges with markings he'd drawn. With the flick of his hand the screen flipped to face the bluenette. Tracy watched and smiled as her eyes darted back and forth, silently mouthing the notes he had written.

Oak's assistant had not been idle in the days since the Fearow attacked; he had made sure to commit everything the Fearow did to memory. He'd analyzed their movements, their inclination towards certain attacks and maneuvers. Countless sketches filled the walls of his room, some detailing the average distance between each Fearow when they flew while others were dedicated to the shape and structure of their formations when they flocked to them.

"Every time they came here we only fought to defend ourselves, to make them go away. No more. This time we hit them with everything we have. If they're gonna come here, then I plan on making them pay for every inch."

Ivec's heart beat frantically against his breast as he flew across the Kantonian countryside. Soaring several meters below him was the first wave of what must've been largest assembly of Fearow he, and probably anyone in the world, had ever witnessed. A flock that flew with purpose and pride, a feeling he'd instilled upon hearing his retelling the tale of how his rise to power began.

Ivec had reminded them of the voice they'd heard in their heads a week ago, how their increase in strength and skill were gifts from an entity of great power who sanctioned their attack on the humans. He had told them of a future when the humans from the nearby settlement would come for them, capturing them in their magical orbs, separating families and forcing them to fight other creatures for their entertainment. Ivec assured them that they weren't fighting for him, but for their families, for those still in eggs, unaware of the world they would be born into. They were fighting to ensure their children would live in a world without the fear of enslavement.

And now, the source of all their fears was a mere kilometer away.

The first light of dawn crept over the land, and as Ivec looked upon his flock, the way the feathers on each wing caught the light, he felt that all was right in the world. It was as if nature itself had blessed his crusade.

Years of training, of loss and pain, had finally culminated into what would be his finest moment. Songs would be sung of his achievement on his day; his tale would be told for countless generations.

"Attacks incoming!" Yelled one of the Fearow near the front. The Alpha Fearow squinted with his one good eye and saw a wall of shimmering orbs heading towards them. As innocent as they looked, many of Ivec's original flock had lost their lives when underestimating the power those bubbles carried. As if to make matters worse, a wintery chill rushed over him, stealing the warmth from his bones and leaving him feeling sluggish.

Bubblebeam and Icy Wind? How did they know we were coming? Why are they even up at this hour? Could they have-No! It matters not! I know this technique and the perfect counter for it.

"Launch the attack back with the wind," Ivec squawked and flapped his wings frantically. The others did as they were told, beating the air and sending gales at the wall of bubbles. Ivec smiled. The attack slowed to a crawl, then slowly drifted back to its source. One of the bubbles brushed against another, setting off a chain of explosions that rippled through the wall leaving only a dark cloud of smoke.

The force was enough to push the flock back a few meters, but aside from some ruffled feathers no one had suffered any damage. Ivec's pride at his own quick thinking disappeared when a massive column of fire shot through the dark cloud and speared through the center of their formation. Those close enough to watch their brethren blacken before their eyes were quick to join them as the heat ignited their feathers.

Dozens flapped their wings to put as much distance between them and the inferno, only for their added gales to make the river of fire burn hotter. Fearow on the outer edges of the formation started to move away, giving room to those trying to escape, only to stop short when white beams of light sliced through the air around their formation, cutting off any escape.

Those trying to escape the flames crashed into those that hesitated to move into the path of the beams. Ivec watched in horror as three new orange beams of energy were added to the confusion.

For a moment, he thought the attacks had missed, each Hyper Beam a few meters off from hitting anyone at the edge of the formation.

Then the beams converged towards the center.

Any structure their formation once held was in shambles. The Hyper Beams swept through the chaos, cleaving through any semblance of order remaining. Pained and frenzied squawks saturated the skies. Feathers shaken loose fell alongside blackened corpses of fallen allies.

"To me!" Ivec crowed, swooping down to lead the survivors out of the strike zone. Unsurprisingly, Ukeke was the first to reach him.

"Ivec, we need to retreat, we've just lost a third of our forces!"

"No, we can still win this. They have never displayed this much power in our previous fights. Seeing the size of our forces they must've unleashed everything they had to take us out. They have to be depleted by now, we can still finish this with the ones that remain."

"How many of our forces need to die before you are sated?" Ukeke roared.

"Think of the hatchlings, Ukeke," Ivec snidely replied.

"We both know you're not doing this for them."

"I need only kill the rodent and the human and we can leave. But if we're being honest, after what has just transpired, do you really think the rest of the flock is still doing this for noble pursuits anymore?"

Ukeke was about to retort when he noticed a maze of bubbles floating over the forest. Unlike the previous attack the bubbles were spread further apart; bursting one wouldn't set off the others. Several Fearow who tried to fly over the floating minefield were quickly cut down by shards of ice, burning yellow stars, and massive rays of orange energy. Other Fearow took their chances dipping into the forest, only to crash when the woods were too narrow to navigate through.

"Ivec, going through the bubbles is a trap. They're forcing us through there. We'll take some losses but if we go around we can-"

"They're taunting me," he scoffed, unable to hear his lieutenant. "If we are swift and nimble we can outspeed whatever paltry snare they have in store for us." Ivec spun away, weaving through the gaps between each bubble with ease. Ukeke groaned but mirrored the Alpha's actions, chancing a glance to the rest of the flock behind them.

Many of them were able to maneuver through the bubblefield without incident; the few that couldn't only suffered a few singed feathers. But there was something else that he noticed, and as much as it pained him to admit, Ivec was right about the flock. He could see the hatred in their eyes, fury at the loss of loved ones in that surprise attack. Gone were the notions of fighting for a better future, now they fought for those who had been taken from them.

The further in they traveled, the more numerous the bubbles became, a problem their opponents were quick to rectify with golden glowing seeds that whistled past Ukeke's head. He didn't bother to dodge them, those that connected didn't even leave a bruise.

He soon learned he was never the intended target.

Popping sounds filled his ears. It was the only warning he and those in the bubblefield had before everything detonated.

Dawn should've felt comforted by the fact that all of Tracy's plans, based on his latest reactions, had gone off without a hitch. She should've been relieved that the fearow were taking heavy losses before they even arrived at the ranch. The girl from Twinleaf tried to find some solace that she was in a house protected by panels that could withstand direct tank fire. Nonetheless, the sight of Tracy's wicked grin, as he peered through his binoculars, kept sending shivers down her spine.

It was daylight and Ash had yet to come back with the Pidgeot flock he had promised. Tracy had accounted for that, in fact, it felt as though he had accounted for nearly everything. Dawn glanced through the window to see the soon-to-be battlefield. At first glance Tracy's Scizor and Ash's Glalie appeared to be all that stood between them and the Fearow, but they were anything but alone.

A few meters behind them was a trench, one foot wide and five feet deep, spanning the width of the field. Bunneary was down there with Chimchar, Venonat, and Torkoal, poised to launch their attacks at any fearow flying over them. Piplup was waiting in the river to the right of them with Buizel, Totodile, and Azumarill. Hidden in the patch of forest that hugged the length of the professor's house was Bayleaf and Turtwig.

"Team Welcome Mat should be here soon," Tracy said, more to himself than to inform Dawn.

As if on cue, Kingler scuttled out of the brush with Corphish and Quilava hanging from the crimson spires that made up his crown. Sceptile ran alongside him, carrying Bulbasaur and Pachirisu in each arm. Donphan and Snorlax brought up the rear.

As instructed, Team Welcome Mat separated to join their secondary teams as soon as they reached the trench. Kingler and Corphish ran straight for the river, Quilava, and Pachirisu hopped into the trench, leaving Ash's grass starters to join the others in the forest. Donphan and Snorlax circled around the house to join Muk who guarded the front door and stairs.

"Looks like everyone's in position," Tracy set his binoculars down and started heading to the stairs.

"You're not seriously going out there, are you?"

"I can't leave Scizor out there by himself. As sturdy as he is in his new form, he can only fight for so long before he overheats. I've had his back and he's had mine in the last few days. Same goes for the other pokémon, I can't leave them out there without my guidance in case something throws them off the battle plans I set up. Just stay here and be safe."

As uncomfortable as Dawn was with Tracy, she couldn't help but feel like the room grew colder when he disappeared to the floor below.

Tracy slammed the door behind him and turned to find Scizor and Venonat already waiting for him.

"Ven, now?" Tracy prompted. Venonat bobbed up and down, the closest thing he had to a nod.

"Alright then. Ice and Water Teams, you're up!" Tracy shouted and felt the goosebumps travel down his arms the closer Glalie came. Six streams of water shot out of the river, dousing the forested area in a thin layer of water. He noticed something blue flash within the trenches just before a wall of ice dominated his view of the field. The pokémon watcher, teeth chattering, handed his pipe to Scizor to rub some warmth back into his arms. Glalie did as he was told and started freezing the surface of Oak's building in a thin layer of ice.

"It'll b-b-be worth it," he told himself, seeing his breath mist with every word. Tracy closed his eyes. If he focused, he could hear the hum of a hundred wingbeats in the distance, the endless chorus of angry squawks growing louder with each passing second. The next phase of his plan would be up to Venonat. All Tracy had to do was survive.

Scizor tapped Tracy on the shoulder, handing him back his pipe but with a slight modification, courtesy of his claws. Tracy inspected the end of his weapon, now pinched close into a point sharp enough to draw blood. The Pincer Pokémon beckoned Glalie to follow him into the forest the moment he finished sealing Tracy inside a box of blue ice.

Ivec flapped his wings to keep himself aloft, watching his flock fly ahead of him to surround the human dwelling now covered in ice.

Do they think this will defend them?

The answer to Ivec's question rose from the trench in the form of a flaming cyclone a few meters tall but angled away from the house. He had seen this attack before, this Fire Spin, and had already briefed the rest of the Flock on its limitations. It was a ground-based technique that was not only slow but inaccurate.

The other Fearow watched in bemusement, but felt it prudent to keep a safe distance from the fire whirl as it slowly lifted off the ground. As it rose higher a pokémon leapt out of the trench, his head and rear alit with flames. Ivec recognized the creature as Quilava, having watched him ascend into his current form from their previous bouts. Seeing an opening a few from the flock dove at the Volcano pokémon, aiming their beaks towards his midsection.

"Overheat," a voice from within the trench yelled, unleashing a geyser or white flames that was drawn in and assimilated into the cyclone above.

"Eruption!" Quilava cried. Fearow in the attack's path spun out of the way. Those too close to the flames felt their feathers ignite. In their last moments, before their eyes dried beyond use, they came to realize the Fire Spin was never meant to hit them.

It was meant to absorb the other attacks.

Ivec's keen sight worked against him, the twister of white and blue fire becoming so bright he had to look away. Even if he had, the area around the attack shimmered violently from all the heat making it impossible to see what lied within. Moisture on the trees turned into steam as the ice around the human structure and trenches quickly melted.

The funnel of flame exploded to ten times its size, those once at a cautious distance felt the ravenous inferno lick the air between them. Those too slow to react were sucked into the blazing twister, becoming dark shadows amidst the flames. Then, to the flock's surprise, the flames dissipated and littered the field with the charred remains of its victims.

Jets of water and a barrage of bubbles were fired from the river, eager to fill in the fire's absence. Not to be outdone, the pokémon taking cover in the forest let loose a mix of razor leaves and bullet seeds.

"It would appear they are pulling out all the stops against me. If that's the case, then so shall I," Ivec chuckled, settling onto a branch. "Ukeke, do not send in the second wave until I give the order and ensure that I am not disturbed for the next ten minutes. I will settle this once and for all."

His lieutenant, knowing what Ivec was preparing, nodded grimly and turned to face the battlefield. Ten minutes might as well have been an eternity, but for once, he believed Ivec's claim and stood ready to block any strike aimed at the Alpha.

The Fearow were adapting faster than Tracy had anticipated.

If they weren't evading the attacks completely they were letting them purposely land where they would do the least amount of damage, then using Mirror Move to send the same attack back. Worse, they were aiming the techniques not at their source, but where they would do the most damage.

While Ash's grass starters wouldn't be too bothered by the water moves, the same could not be said for the trees that they were using as cover. Towers of flame occasionally rose from the trenches but after the first round of casualties, the Fearow kept a healthy distance away from that area.

It was early and less than ideal, but they weren't getting anywhere in the current phase of his plan. Tracy ran towards the center of the battlefield, a sign to the others that he was initiating Phase Three of the plan. Whether they were eager or stupid, the Fearow who saw him as an easy target dove at the chance of a quick kill.

Tracy watched one of the Fearow draw close as he slid to a stop. There was no way for him to outrun it, no way he could block the attack on his own strength. With complete faith, he readied his pipe and waited for his opening. The incoming beak stopped short a few centimeters from his brow, held in place by a red metal claw. Taking his chance, Tracy thrust his pipe into the bird's chest and skewered its heart.

Scizor felt a muffled and gurgling cry in his claw, then swung the bird over Tracy's head to block the strike from another fearow coming in from behind. The attacker tried to swerve away but Scizor was faster, slamming one bird into another. He would've moved in for a finishing blow if not for the massive crimson claw crushing both birds in one swing. Kingler smiled to his fellow Pincer Pokémon and moved to cover any openings.

Sceptile darted out of the woods, his Leaf Blade already ignited and glowing menacingly. A Fearow swooped in to intercept, unaware he was fated to be a lesson to his brethren that old type advantages were no longer set in stone. The Forest Pokémon continued his charge towards the oncoming fearow, neither of them willing to change course.

In the last meter between them, Sceptile spit a seed. His opponent twisted, moving just enough to let the seed graze past his beak and miss his eye. The movement made him lose sight of Sceptile for the briefest of moments, but that had been enough for his target to get past him. The bird started to turn his head, preparing to aim his own Bullet Seed at the starter.

Except, his head wouldn't stop turning.

More and more of the battlefield came into view at angles he hadn't thought his neck was capable of. He'd nearly made a complete rotation when he saw his own headless body sprawled across the dirt, then felt the ground against his head. The world was a tumble of colors as he bounced and tumbled. Just as his brain registered what had happened, the darkness took him.

An orange beam bisected the sky and while it failed to hit any of the flock, Snorlax had made himself known. One foolhardy fearow thought to take advantage of Snorlax while he recharged his Hyper Beam. Ivec had warned them of the resilience of this opponent's belly, so he aimed his sights higher and went for the head.

Inches before striking his target's skull, Snorlax turned his head and chomped down on the beak. The sudden stop nearly broke the fearow's neck, but it was Snorlax's follow-up uppercut that finished the job. Other fearow rushed to attack, but veered away and kept their distance upon seeing their comrade reduced to a literal cloud of feathers and blood.

Muk became the thing of nightmares for those who attempted to fight him. His body bubbled and hissed with the fearow he had caught previously; a wing and beak slowly sunk into his body as it broke down. Shooting his own Sludge Bombs back had a negligible effect and so the birds thought themselves safe for as long as they kept their distance from his attacks. That illusion fell away when Muk's eyes glinted and one of the fearow went still, hovering for a few seconds, before plummeting to the ground and into Muk's open arms.

Fearow who ventured too close to the forest faced the onslaught of Bayleaf and Bulbasaur's vines, whipping and coiling around any limb they caught. Other fearow that came to cut the restraints were greeted with a flurry of leaves that sliced through the treetops for their trouble. While the leaves only dealt minor cuts, the real attack, hidden within the barrage, quickly took root.

Nestled beneath the feathers, half-embedded in each fearow's skin, lied Bulbasaur's Leech Seed sapping the bird's lifeforce. Tiny roots burst out from the base of the seed, snaking across its host, coiling around anything in its reach and constricting tightly, growing longer and stronger the more the seed drank.

Scizor was loosely aware of Sceptile next to him, in fact he was hardly aware of Tracy, Kingler, or the rest of Ash's party that joined their phalanx formation. There wasn't time to focus on who was helping him. Every action, every thought was dedicated to taking advantage of an opening or creating one for someone else. He could make out certain moments in the corner of his eye, but tried not to let his mind wander.

The group's movements entered a sort of rhythm, one technique or movement flowing into that of another teammate without the need for words or planning. It was a kind of rhythm born of years simply spent being beside other, a level of synchronization that could not be taught but lived. Even those who were newcomers, whose actions or attacks couldn't tap into this flow, found that the collective synergy more than compensated for the lack of coordination.

Pachirisu hopped onto Snorlax's outstretched paw then watched the battle zoom out beneath him when he was thrown into the air. Wings and beaks converged from every direction, but the Elesquirrel had already charged and released his attack. Tracy fought the temptation to look up when the field around them brightened and the fried bodies of several fearow smashed into the ground around him.

Buneary kicked off a fearow's chest, not enough to damage him, but enough to stun him long enough for Buizel's Sonic Boom to connect. Rivers of flame and ice darted back and forth like deadly spotlights. While Quilava and Glalie weren't catching any Fearow, Azumarill's aquatic shots at the spots around the attacks did. Ribbons of water sliced across the sky. Any unfortunate Fearow caught in their path found itself flying with one less limb. Those who lost a wing were not struck again.

Gravity would do the rest.

"Ivec. Now?" Ukeke glanced away from the fight.

The Alpha exhaled slowly, not out of irritation but as part of his mental exercises. His focus was so complete, Ukeke imagined his words had been wasted.

"Are you almost done?" the lieutenant snapped a little more forcefully than he intended. Ivec seemed to take no offence as he kept meditating but parted his beak slightly.

"It is taking longer than I had hoped, but I am halfway there. Now would be a good time to send in the next wave and have them do that maneuver I trained them to do," Ivec's command carried a slight echo, his body thrummed with some unseen force.

Ukeke gave the call and watched the second half of their forces emerge from the forest.

Tracy's hopes sank so low they could've drilled to the center of the earth. He had truly believed that he and the pokémon would've made it out of this battle without any losses. Thanks to his tactics and the strength of Ash's team they had whittled down the flock to a handful of fighters, but their leader had shown him his mistake. He'd overextended and played his hand too early. Dozens of Fearow now circled over them, none of Ash's pokémon attacked lest they only graze their target and have it launched back at them.

"Would be nice to have the cavalry come in anytime now, Ash," Tracy growled.

What is taking him so long? Even if Ash didn't find them he would've been back here by now. The Fearow couldn't have known we were going to ask for their help. Or could they? Ash has Pikachu with him, there's no way he would've lost to a flying type. Even then Mimey is with him. Unless the Fearow are keeping him occupied from joining this fight and- No. I don't have time to think about this right now.

Tracy's glare morphed into one of confusion when fearow started to retreat from the battlefield, past the river to the right of Oak's house.

But they have the advantage again, what are they doing?

Tracy watched their avian adversaries align themselves into a wall. He held up his hand to keep the other pokémon from launching any attacks. At this distance, the fearow would have ample time to dodge or worse, use it to fuel a Mirror Move. With their numbers replenished and the strength of Ash's team already half spent, they needed to make every attack count.

Tracy then felt a blast of wind over his face, a pause, and then another. The row of Fearow at the top of the formation gave a single flap of their wings with such strength that it sent them back, behind the wall of their brethren. Those pushed back then dove down and formed the bottom line of the wall, steadily raising up as those at the top row repeated the process. The watcher strained to keep his eyes open against the gales, long enough to see that now two rows of fearow were flapping their wings before he realized what they were doing.

"Everyone, take cover by the house or in the trench," Tracy's voice sounded small compared to the roar of the wind but to the enhanced hearing of the pokémon, the message was clear. He started running and even with the wind at his heels, the former aide found himself outpaced by most of Ash's team, even Snorlax.

His neck felt the sting of sand and soil spraying over him. Leaves and tiny twigs pelted his back until a crimson arm wrapped around his waist, then the world became a blur. Tracy went soaring over the trench and though Scizor had been aiming for the backdoor to the house, the wind had pushed them off target.

A giant paw reached out from the side of the house and hauled them in. Tracy and Scizor were set down along with the rest of the collective party that didn't fit in the trenches. Kingler, Muk, Glalie, Donphan, Sceptile, Bayleaf and Azumarill leaned against the barriers that encircled the house, occasionally glancing past him to look at winds tearing through the field.

A dull groan made Tracy glance up. The windmill spun faster than he had ever seen it go. Planks of wood from the fence were being sucked out of the soil with every gust. The air beyond their cover became a wall of earth, leaves, and water, and it wasn't long before Tracy started to see entire trees tumbling down the field.

Tracy's ears eventually popped as he watched the chaos unfold; the sound of the rushing wind became all-encompassing noise. His only comfort was that Mimey's barriers were still holding against what was essentially a tempest of hurricane proportions. As if to test his faith the top of the windmill spun itself to pieces and was carried into the distance.

This went on for a few minutes until eventually the moments of calm between each blast of wind grew longer and longer. A sea of leaves and snapped branches blanketed the once barren field. Not a single post from the fence remained and the debris had obscured enough of the trench to make Team Rocket proud. Tracy was about to give the order to fan out until a squawk from above told him it was too late.

A "gentle" push from Scizor sent Tracy flying away from the house. He let himself tumble, then took the momentum to roll back onto his feet. Several beaks plunged into the earth where he once stood. Snorlax grabbed one of the fearow by the wings and effortlessly yanked them out of their sockets.

Tracy felt the ground around him darken and glanced up to see another fearow swooping down towards him. It was halfway to him when a thread of water sliced through its brain. Sheer adrenaline let him witness the light dim in its eyes, the strength behind its wings beginning to falter. Tracy sidestepped, barely evading the eighty pounds of feather and meat that crunched onto the floor.

The normally quiet metallic mantis roared, crushing the windpipe of the unfortunate fearow whose gangly neck was in his crimson claw. Scizor's other claw became a scarlet cloud, another fearow's breast rippling beneath a flurry of invisible blows.

Glalie's Ice Beam fired frantically at anyone threatening to interrupt Scizor's work, but with his attention focused elsewhere, he never saw the fearow descend from behind and stab him through the eye with its beak. The Face pokémon howled, forgoing a point-blank Ice Beam to instead gore the fearow with his horn.

Tracy was about to run back into the fray when he noticed the fearow gathered atop Oak's home. They hopped into the gaping hole left by the windmill's shaft and entered the house.