A Twittle Detour

The road leading out of town was little more than a trampled streak of grass stretching out for miles. Indigo waited patiently on a bench with a thickly-packed backpack resting on the ground beneath his feet. He fiddled with a black metal holster hanging from a black strap buckled around his leg. It had six spherical spaces, and one of them was occupied by a single Pokéball, compressed into a smaller size. He absentmindedly detached the capsule with a satisfying click and held it up.

In its compressed form, the ball fit neatly between two fingers. Indigo pressed the white button in the center, and quickly found that the metal sphere had expanded to the size of a baseball. "I'll never get tired of seeing that," he said to himself. He checked his wristwatch, "Almost noon. Almost time."

He stood up and stretched his legs. He was close enough to town that he could grab something from the general store before he left and not lose too much time, but what if Magenta showed up early? He didn't want her to have to wait for him. He looked out toward the hills and the crude path leading out to them. It was mostly clear space with wide swaths of tall brush occasionally rustling with the movements of bug Pokémon. He noticed the red sheen of a Ledyba disappear into the brush nearby. There were some combee in the forest further up the way. The Spring breeze felt cool and gentle on his skin.

"Hey!" Indigo heard Magenta's voice calling from the direction of town. "Thanks for waiting, Indy!" She was still holding her umbrella, but not wearing her dress anymore. Instead, she wore a pink blouse and matching cowboy hat, blue jeans and a neatly-rolled camping backpack. Her Pokéball was locked into a holster along her belt exactly the same as Indigo's. "Sorry if I made you wait, I needed to get into something a little more practical for hiking."

"Hey, you're on time. Let's get going." Indigo slipped on the straps of his backpack and set out toward the path. "Should take us well into the evening but we can make it tonight."
She held on to the straps of her pack and jogged up to where her friend was. "That's gotta be six hours, have you ever walked that much?"

"I used to go camping with my dad when I was little," he explained. "We'd be out in the woods or mountains for days, fishing or hunting wild game. He was a big survivalist."

Magenta shuddered, "I don't think I'd ever be able to eat a Pokémon…"

"Who said Pokémon?" The boy gave a teasing chuckle, "where did you think the meat from the store comes from? There's wild birds, fish, deer." He stopped walking and pulled out his binoculars. "Big wild areas where Pokémon live are good for regular animals too."

"I guess I just never thought about it before. What are you doing?"

"I'm scouting things out," he responded, eyes hidden behind his binoculars. "Professor wants us to catch Pokémon, right? And we're gonna need to build up a team to battle the Gym leaders too, so we have to consider that as soon as possible."

The pink-dressed girl stared down the path, trying to see whatever it was that had caught Indigo's eye. "Well? What did you see?"

Indigo said nothing, but stooped low, signing for his colleague to follow him. He moved quietly off the main path and into the grass where he could hide. As they approached his target, he unclipped a Pokéball from his holster.

"Hey, what is it?" Magenta asked frustratedly. Indigo shushed her. "C'mon! I wanna know. Let me see!" She raised her voice just a little bit too loud, and to the chagrin of her friend the two young trainers watched as a Pokémon flew off into the forest. The girl recognized the species as a Starly, but its coloration was different somehow.

Indigo stood up slowly, and spoke in a hushed tone of barely-contained anger. "That was a rusty Starly. That particular coloration of Starly only is observed in less than four percent of a percent of the population. One in over four-thousand." He wheeled around and started shouting, "What is wrong with you? If someone tells you to shut up it's because there's a perfectly good reason!"

The girl's face practically turned red in response. "What's wrong with me? Why couldn't you just take a second to say something? How was I supposed to know you just found a five-leaf clover?"

"I didn't want to scare it off running my mouth like an idiot!"

The tall grass rustled and shifted with the volume of Pokémon dashing away from the uproar.

"Oh is that it now? You're so great because you caught a lucky peek at a bird and went on walks as a kid and I should just do everything you tell me and never question anything?"

"I wasn't gonna go that far but if you can't handle following simple instructions then maybe you should just shut up and follow my lead!"

"Maybe I don't need your instructions, oh so wise guru!"

"You wouldn't make it through Pinepath Forest without me!"

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah!"

The girl hefted her umbrella over her shoulders and stomped dramatically on along the path toward the forest. "And I'll prove it too!"

"Good luck and good riddance, then!" Indigo shouted at her back as he replaced his Pokéball.

"I'll tell the Professor you're on your way, loser!"

Indigo stood there, fuming, while his coworker went on through the forest without him. "Yeah, like you'd get there before me. Enjoy your head start, Maggie." He looked around at the spots where the wild Pokémon had been before their argument and scowled at the empty field. "So much for catching anything here, I guess. Looks like it's just me and Otis for now."

There was enough natural light coming through the foliage roof of the forest to illuminate the dirt path very clearly. Pools of sunlight covered exposed tree roots and moss-covered rocks along the way under little clouds of insects. "Honestly," Magenta complained as she swatted a gnat away from her face, "how helpless does he think I am? They practically have signs posted all the way to Oliveburg." She huffed and angrily kicked a rock off the pathway and into a patch of grass. It began rustling.

"Well if that's how that jerk thinks of me, then I'll just show him what I'm made of. I'll make it to Oliveburg first and never let him live it down!"

She twirled her umbrella with renewed confidence and continued her way through the forest, never taking her eyes off the dirt path, determined to make it through the canopy of leaves before her rival. "This really isn't all that hard, and who loses their cool over a bird with shiny feathers?" She smiled and unclipped Fletcher's Pokéball. She enlarged it to its normal size and smiled. "Well, I guess I get that part. But nothing can surpass my darling boy!" She felt the ball vibrate happily in her hands.

She stepped on a twig and felt it snap loudly, the noise echoing much further than she felt it should have. She stopped for a moment and took in the eerie silence that seemed to surround her, like a blanket of fog falling around the woods. "Okay, so maybe this place can be a little creepy, but that's nothing!" She noticed a set of footprints in a neat line veering off the path and into a tall grassy hallway between rows of bushes and trees. "You know, I have a little time to catch something on my way. Maybe the Professor will congratulate me if I find the mythical rust-colored rat!" She gripped her Pokéball tightly and ventured into the grass.

Indigo's trek through the forest was rather slow, as he had spent the majority of his time watching the back trails for tracks or evidence of large predators. Some of the trees he had passed were berry trees. He jotted down in his notebook what they looked like. He mentally scolded himself for not bringing his field guide. The boy was mostly sure that the majority of the trees were Cheri and Pecha, but he wouldn't take from them unless he was certain. The first rule of survivalism was to never consume an unknown plant.

As he waded through the tall patches of grass, he noticed a line of Pokémon passing through the dirt path beside him. He ducked down to keep himself out of sight and pulled out his Pokédex. He aligned the camera with the creatures he saw, making sure to get a good look himself while it scanned them. They were bug-type, he was certain; they had six thin segmented legs, and their bodies were sleek and chitinous. There was a large back section and a small middle connecting to their heads. On their faces they had small mandibles and red eyes. Their heads were shaped with a curved top, like a bucket helmet, and their bodies all had patterns reminiscent of the military camouflage that Rangers sometimes wore. The Pokédex finished scanning the specimen in the scope and beeped to get Indigo's attention.

"Antvader: the Army Ant Pokémon," began the robotic voice of his digital assistant. He took note of their perfect single-file formation as they marched. "Their nests are dominated by a Queen Monarkant, and they gather food for the nest day and night." A chart appeared on the screen, displaying an in-depth catalogue of information that the Professor had compiled, as well as a menu for adding new information. Indigo noticed that the picture he had taken had been added to a folder of specimen photos.

"Looks like you can find these guys in just about every forest in Allidos." Indigo let the procession pass by as he quietly familiarized himself with information about them. "So they're taking leaves and berries back to their Queen. I guess I'd better avoid them if I don't wanna make them mad." He put away the Pokédex and waited to move forward until the bugs had safely passed through. "This thing really comes in handy," he remarked. "Thanks professor!"

He left the safety of the tall grass and continued down the general path, picking off burs and ticks from his clothes as he did. "Not gonna catch one of those, that's for sure, but if this forest has a lot of bugs, I could probably use a Flying-Type." He scowled, "Like that absolutely beautiful Starly. Who does Mag even think she is? Unova's all big buildings and flashing lights and the sooner she learns that this isn't the big city the better!" He sighed. "Whatever, I'm getting nowhere thinking about her. Let's just hope she doesn't do anything stupid."

The tracks led into a burrow in the ground, nearly a foot wide, from which a Pokémon had just emerged. Its body was covered in brilliantly-shining chitin, specks of sparkling purple glitter caught the sunlight beautifully. It unfolded its golden gossamer cape into wings and let them flap, as if to stretch them and shake off weeks of disuse. Its body had the traditional three antlike segments, the middle part a little larger. Its head was shaped like a brilliant crown with six tall points, the chitin shining almost like gold and inset with facsimiles of amethyst inlays.

"Monarkant, the Royalty Pokémon. This female evolution of Brigantier commands entire nests and only leaves the comfort of her underground hills once every month." Magenta smirked and stowed her Pokédex. She had been following the trail for hours, and the sunlights coming down through the trees no longer came down in golden-hued columns. But her detour had yielded a beautiful result. "Go figure, Indy's rare find is a bird with fancy feathers, and I get to bag a bug fit for a queen!" She let out a triumphant giggle. "Fairy and Bug, huh? Well it looks like a Fire-type is all I need! Professor Beech is gonna be totally stoked to see this!"

The girl leapt from her hiding spot behind the brush and tossed out her Pokéball, shouting "Go, Fletcher!" The Pokéball burst open, and the shining light that spewed forth coalesced into the sleek Fire Shrike Pokémon, Ashrike. Fletcher let out a fierce cry that got the attention of the Monarkant. "Use Ember!" On Magenta's orders, her faithful partner flapped his wings, sending out a small shower of sparklike flames that peppered uselessly against the insect's metallic armor. Her smile fell.

The Monarkant turned toward its attacker and let out a piercing screech. The ground beneath their feet began to rumble as hidden tunnels into the nest below spilled over with buglike Pokémon, enraged and ready to defend their queen. "Fletcher, come back!" Fletcher's body dissolved into red light that shot in a beam back into the Pokéball his trainer was holding. As soon as she was certain he was safe she turned and ran away from the army of angry bugs out for her blood.

She caught her foot on a root and tripped face-first into the dirt. She straightened her hat and picked herself off only to find that she was surrounded by angry Antvaders. "Nice buggies," she nervously laughed, backing up against the tree whose roots had tripped her. "I don't suppose I could just have a slap on the wrist?" One of the closer Antvaders gnashed its mandibles angrily and, or so Magenta feared, hungrily. "I guess not!" She booted away the nearest insect and hugged the tree, climbing with impressive speed. The army followed closely behind.

The sunset was nearly over by the time Indigo had made it safely through the maze of winding paths. "Too bad I couldn't catch anything," he muttered. "But at least I made it safe." He checked his watch and frowned. "Man, I got here a lot slower than I thought. Maggie's probably waiting at the Center to rub it in by now." Before he could take another step, Indigo saw a glinting light out of the corner of his vision and stopped. It was a deep and iridescent blue.

There was a feather sitting on the ground, practically glowing in the light of the moon. He picked it up, and it felt warm and comfortable in his hand. "This is a Twittle feather," he said to himself. A quick scan of the area showed a rustling in the branches above him. Another feather dropped down, gently swaying in the spring breeze on its way toward the earth. Indigo pulled out a Pokéball, ready to catch the bird when it appeared. He didn't need to wait for very long. A small, round bird dropped down from the branch and onto the grassy floor. Its back was the same iridescent blue as the feathers that had fallen, and its belly and face were a soft creamy white. It had marks on its face, green ones, that looked a bit like a long mustache, or maybe clock hands, the boy thought.

It chirped aggressively and went in to peck the boy. He rolled out of the way and tossed out his Pokéball, "Let's do this, Otis!" The capsule broke open, and the herb-covered Mewsil spilled out in a flash of light, growling at the bird in defense of his partner. Without hesitation, he pounced at the Twittle and knocked it away. The bird rolled in the dirt and clambered back to its feet. It shook its head and fixed its orange eyes on the cat. It flapped its wings, hopped backwards into the air, and dove quickly into Otis, forcing him backwards. He held his ground, dragging his claws in the dirt to slow his unwanted retreat. The cat grimaced and yowled angrily.

"Let's change it up, Otis!"

The catlike Pokémon nodded wearing a determined look and began a running charge directly toward the Twittle. The bird smirked and jumped over its attacker. "Now!" shouted Indigo, and Otis jumped directly upward, catching the flying foe in his paws and slamming it into the ground. He jumped away and hurried back to his partner, purring happily as he rubbed up against Indigo's leg. The Twittle staggered to its feet, dizzily trying to get its bearings.

The boy smiled. "First catch of the journey," he said as he pulled out a Pokéball from his bag. "You're mine!" He threw the capsule with all the force he could muster. The moment it made contact with the Twittle, it opened up, and sucked the Pokémon inside in a flash of red light. It fell to the ground and shook once, twice, thrice, and stopped. Indigo heard a click, and then it was over. He strode confidently over to the capsule and picked it up. It felt warm. "Lullabye," he named the captured Twittle. "Nice job Otis. Now let's get to the Pokémon Center."

The professor sat typing on his laptop, enjoying a thermos full of soup as he worked. He straightened his glasses as he read small writing off a clipboard, being careful to type up the number correctly the first time, rather than having to come back and fix it later. An alert popped up in the corner of the screen. He clicked on the flashing button, and a window popped up, featuring a familiar face.

"Hey, professor! I made it safe."

Beech smiled. "That's good to hear, I was getting worried."

Indigo frowned. "Aww man, just how long did she beat me by?"

"What do you mean? I thought Magenta was with you?"

Indigo's face turned pale. "No," he said. "We got separated. I thought she'd beaten me here."

The professor slammed down his thermos, "You what?"

Some noise came from off camera, a shrill scream that stole the boy's attention. "I have to go!" The window closed on its own, indicating the end of the call.

"Somebody help me! Please! Indigo? Anyone!" Magenta's voice carried across the forest from the top of a tall tree. Antvaders swarmed the trunk under the angry and watchful eye of their Monarkant. "I don't wanna be bug food!" She frantically booted another insect off the tree, only for more to clamber up, gnashing their mandibles in a cacophony of blind rage.

Footsteps came through the forest. Pokéballs sailed through the air. "Otis, Lullabye! Let's get to work!" White light flashed, and the Antvaders turned their attention to the newcomers. Lullabye wasted no time in charging directly into one of them, knocking it off the tree. Otis crouched low and pounced, jumping from bug to bug, using them as stepping stones as he kicked them off the tree.

"Indigo! I never thought I'd be so happy to see you!" Magenta shouted through tears. "They took out Fletcher! I can't defend myself alone!"

"I can't handle these things either!" Indigo called out in between throwing rocks in a mostly fruitless attempt to assist his friend. "But that's why I called for help."

More capsules jumped into the fray, unleashing more Pokémon. A group of three Rangers stepped out from the trees, flanked by an Arcanine, Skarmory, and Golem. "You kids need to run along," one of them said. "It's gonna take up a little while to calm down the Queen!"

Magenta jumped down into the arms of one of the other rangers, a tall and heavily muscled man. He set her down roughly and returned to his battle without a word. She felt something grab her hand and turned to see Indigo holding her wrist. The Twittle she had seen arrive with him was returning to its capsule. "Come on, we gotta get moving! Do you have Fletcher?"

She held up a Pokéball. "He's right here, but he's hurt!"

Indigo took off running with his friend in tow. "We can rest up at the Pokémon Center. Lullabye's had a rough hour or so, and Otis wasn't exactly in top form either."

"Why'd you come for me then?"

"Can't we do this later?"

Magenta laid on her back on a comfy round sofa next to an open fireplace inside the cozy white and red walls of the Pokémon Center. Indigo stepped into view and practically collapsed into a sitting position. "Nurses have our boys now, we should have them back in a couple hours. Thankfully, we get free restoration services with our League challangership."

"Why'd you come back?" Her eyes stayed fixed on the ceiling. "I screwed up your perfect catch, I called you mean names, and then I ran off and did exactly what you said I'd do. I'm a failure as a Trainer, so why'd you come back?"

"Everybody screws up sometimes. Did I ever tell you about my first camping trip?"

"No," she said sheepishly, "I guess not."

"I was five, and I decided I knew better than everybody else, and I ran off into the woods with no tools, no Pokémon, and no clue how to get home." He smiled softly. "It took Dad almost four hours to find me, already neck deep in trouble with a wild pack of Poochyena."

"It's a wonder he ever let you out of the house again."

"When he realized I was never gonna stop trying, he figured the best thing to do was teach me how to adventure right. So he picked me up, dusted me off, and started showing me how to survive in the wild like him."

Magenta sat up and wiped her sleepy eyes. "So what?"

Indigo sighed. "If you're gonna do this, I can't let you run off on your own. You have a lot to learn about surviving, and I'd never forgive myself if you got hurt just because I lost my patience." He stood up and offered Magenta his hand. "How about this: I'll try to be a bit more patient if you promise me you'll at least listen to my advice."

Magenta smiled, and grasped his hand. "Deal."