Summary: The origin story of Brooklyn Fowler, a tale of overcoming weakness.

Year 895

"Broken Fowl~! Broken Fowl~! Can't fly with wings afoul~!"

Nine-year-old Brooklyn Fowler, a Tranquill, trembled as she had just failed to perform another flying exercise. It was so simple. All she had to do was jump off the roof of her house and fly circles around it. She couldn't make it more than three flaps before plummeting out of the sky. Her face was covered in dirt and stung from the scratches she inflicted on herself.

"Ow…ow, ow." She shakily stood up, trembling at the knees. She tried to adjust herself with her wings out of habit, but they fluttered out of sync and caused her to fumble into the dirt again.

"Broken Foul~! Broken Foul~! Can't fly with wings afoul~!"

She clenched her eyes shut, hiding the tears brought on by her siblings' nefarious taunting. Though the middle child of five birds, her two younger siblings proved to be better flyers on their first attempts. Her first attempt ended with her crashing face first into a tree. The taunts and jabs from her older siblings didn't help ease the pain.

Though, it didn't compare to the disappointment and irritation of her father, a proud Braviary that towered over the rest of his kind.

Brooklyn turned onto her back and looked up at the large, imposing bird as he loomed over her with that face he always seemed to make in her direction. He never looked happy after flying training, specifically with her. She never once saw him make that face with her brothers and sisters. It was reserved strictly for her.

"…Unbelievable."

Brooklyn's eyes widened. "W-What?"

"I tried. I tried, I tried, I tried to instill everything I knew to help you fly. I spent days and weeks coming up with ways to help you, thinking you were just a slow learner. I wanted to have hope in you, Brooklyn, but…it can't be helped. You cannot fly. You'll never fly no matter how many times I teach you."

Tears welled up in her eyes. "D-Dad, please! I don't know why I keep failing! I keep following your instructions—"

"And you still fail to stay in the air!" he shouted. "This isn't the legacy the Fowler family is supposed to lead! We are proud flyers who serve the Umbra Clock Kingdom. We are expected to sail high above the sky to deliver messages expediently and swiftly in times of war, yet you can't even manage to stay in the air for more than ten seconds!"

Tears trickled down Brooklyn's face. "I-I'm sorry! I'm trying, I really am! Please, give me another chance! I'll get it right this time."

Her father shook his head. "There's no hope for a Tranquill that can't fly." He turned his back to her and marched back into the house, leaving the distraught child to lay back in the grass in disbelief.

Her four siblings followed behind their father with another round of, "Broken Fowl~! Broken Fowl~! Can't fly with wings a—"

"That's enough, you four!" their father shouted. "Don't make it worse than it already is."

"Sorry, Dad…"

The backdoor closed.

The dam broke around her eyes, and she collapsed into the grass, sobbing into her useless wings.

Why? Why was she born wrong?

That Night…

"To yell at your own daughter! What is the matter with you?!" the motherly Unfezant snapped, slapping her husband upside the head. She glowered at the rest of her children. "ALL of you should be ashamed of yourselves. Mocking your sister like that."

The three Tranquill and one Rufflet shrank under their mother's wrathful stare. "S-Sorry, Mom…"

The Braviary crossed his wings and huffed. "I gave her every chance I could muster, but none of my lessons stuck."

"And that gave you an excuse to call her worthless?!" Unfezant snapped.

"I never said—"

"Oho, you certainly did! You're useless as a soldier if you think that's how you teach someone!"

"If you think it's so easy, teach her yourself! Nothing I tried worked."

"It doesn't matter if she can fly or not. She's your daughter! That's not the kind of attitude you pull in front of a child! You ignorant, self-righteous dolt!" She slapped him across the head again, and with a Steel Wing that time. "She doesn't have to be a mail carrier for the Umbra Clock Knighthood. Are you really so hung up about one-upping Stuart Lister that you can't muster the strength to show common courtesy to your own child?!"

"…" Braviary looked away.

"You got the entire village calling Brooklyn that terrible nickname because of your boorish attitude. She doesn't have to be better than Lister's kid. All she needs is a loving home that'll accept her, even if she can't fly."

"…"

"Now, you're going to apologize to her right now and bring her downstairs for dinner." Unfezant pointed a wing at the rest of her children. "The same goes for all of you, too."

The children winced. "Yes, Mom…"

"…" Braviary sighed and stood up from his chair. "Right. Right, I will." He lumbered out of the dining room and headed upstairs.

The Unfezant rolled her eyes and marched to the kitchen to grab dinner. "I swear, if King Foirbeis saw that kind of behavior, he'd have him discharged dishonorably from the cannons…"

"Brooklyn?" she and the kids heard through the ceiling. "Brooklyn, it's Dad. Listen, about earlier, I'm…Brooklyn? Brooklyn?! BROOKLYN!"

Unfezant and the kids gasped as the Braviary came swooping back downstairs in a mad charge. He broke int the dining room, jostling the table out of his way. "Dear, what's wrong?!"

"Brooklyn! She's not in her room!"

"WHAT?!"

A half hour before the arguing started, Brooklyn had escaped out her bedroom window and fled into the countryside with tears stained across her cheeks. She attempted to fly as she ran, but couldn't keep herself airborne for more than a couple seconds. She settled on tucking her wings back and running the rest of the way.

I promise, Dad, I'll learn how to fly. I won't be a failure the rest of my life! She clenched her eyes shut as fresh tears leaked out. I don't want to be a broken fowl forever! I'll fly. I'll fly better than any Flying-Type in history. I swear!

Two Weeks Later…

Surviving off nothing but the wild berries and fresh river water of the outdoors, Brooklyn dedicated all her time and energy toward flying. Having memorized all her father's lessons, she would climb up the highest elevation she could locate (that being a conveniently placed boulder) and leap off. Each and every time, a part of her thought she could stay suspended in the air.

How delusional she felt.

Each and every time, she would plummet and crash face first into the grass. Undeterred, she raced up the boulder again and leapt off. Again and again, she would careen through the air and tumble through the grass. One time, she ended up crashing into the nearby river and had to flail herself back to the riverbank. She couldn't even swim properly.

She would keep jumping over and over again, trying different methods to keep her wings steady. She increased her airtime to seven seconds, a glimmer of hope she was making progress, but her repeated crashes told her it was just a fluke. Or perhaps she reached her peak.

Was this the best she could do?

She stubbornly held onto the belief she could fly, if only to keep herself from breaking down into tears. Over and over, she braved the repeated falls and crashes. The blood drying into her feathers. The scrapes and cuts that stung. The aches and pains of her body with each painful thud. The nauseating headache from the stress. She pushed through all of it, desperate to prove she could fly.

"Broken Fowl~! Broken Fowl~! Can't fly with wings afoul~!"

"I'm…not broken."

Leap. Hover. Crash. Pain.

"Broken Foul~!"

Leap. Hover. Crash. Pain.

"Broken Foul~!"

Leap. Hover. Crash. Pain.

"Can't fly with wings afoul~!"

"I'm not broken!"

Leap. Hover. Crash.

…Nothing.

Brooklyn lay in the grass, numb to the pain across her body. She reached her limit. The pain was too much, and she could barely keep her eyes open. Worse still, she couldn't stop the tears from running down her face. The pain and stress finally caught up to her, and she couldn't keep her defenses up any longer.

"I'm not…I'm not…I'm not brok…"

Her vision blurred. As the light started to fade around her, she felt movement in the grass. Gleaming up, she saw a pair of Pokémon looming over her, covered head to toe in thick cloaks. They were holding something. Chains? They were saying something, but she couldn't understand as darkness took over her vision.

"I'm…broken…"

She finally passed out.

Slave traders. Because of all the territory disputes between Umbra Clock and New Chariot, it was likely to see New Chariot spies roaming beyond the boundary line to weaken morale and defenses. One such tactic was to scoop up unsuspecting Pokémon and capture them for the slave markets.

Unfortunately for Brooklyn, she was their latest catch.

She sat in the far corner of the caged wagon with a metal collar strapped to her neck and her wings and legs bound tight in chains. There wasn't any point in chaining up her wings, anyway. It's not like they were good for anything.

How could she be so stupid? She was safe at home. Her dad could fend off the biggest, meanest New Chariot soldiers with a single beat of his wings. He was probably furious about her leaving. Though, some part of her hoped he was just as worried as her mother. Maybe that was too much wishful thinking.

Brooklyn looked around at her fellow captives, a range of young adults and children bound in chains. Some were more defiant than others, ramming their bodies against the sturdy prison in hopes of bending the bars back.

They managed to pull the bars open enough for a smaller Pokémon to fit through during the dead of night. A prisoner broke Brooklyn's chains from her wings and ordered her to fly and get help.

She broke down into tears, apologizing to the prisoner for how clueless he was, relying on a broken fowl to save them.

The prisoner was punished, and Brooklyn was bound in chains again. The soldiers didn't reprimand her, even praising her for not escaping. It wasn't like she had any other choice. Running wasn't an option, but the prisoner naturally thought she was a useful bird. How unfortunate of him.

Brooklyn eavesdropped on the soldiers during the carriage ride, listening as they mentioned their numerous stops. Apparently, they were to make some trips to their allies in Great Gate to sell them off. That meant someone would inevitably buy her. How unfortunate for whatever family received her. To receive a useless trinket like her.

Brooklyn hung her head and sighed. Even as a slave, I'll be useless.

Brooklyn didn't know which village she was in, or what the buyers were saying, but she knew she was somewhere in the Great Gate Empire. She stood alongside her fellow captives, front and center on the stage, and presenting herself to prospect buyers. It was better to go along with her captors' demands than fight it.

This was the third village they visited, and no one seemed keen on buying her. Perhaps they sensed how useless she was, or perhaps her age betrayed her. Some of the older children were already taken, no doubt strong and useful. If they had wings, they'd surely fly on their first attempt. They wouldn't crash and burn like a useless Tranquill.

"[Alright, alright, alright! Next item on the table…]" Brooklyn gasped as her Snorlax captor, who had a mighty hammer sheathed on his back, pulled her chain. "[This young lass will make a fine addition to any home. Agile and obedient! She won't fly away the second you take your eyes off her. Observe!]"

Brooklyn figured out the warrior undid her chains purely to showcase she wasn't going to fly, though that was perhaps why no one seemed interested in her. She flapped her wings as a little demonstration, unsurprised by the stunned looks she got as her wings flapped awkwardly. She sighed and bowed her head.

The Snorlax relocked her chains and gestured to the crowd. "[Let's start the bidding at one hundred gul!]"

No one seemed particularly interested in buying the Tranquill after seeing how her wings moved. She wasn't surprised. The same happened in the last two villages. They were probably thinking she was clumsy and could ruin priceless antiques as she worked. Or maybe her odd wing movements told them she was deranged. Either way, no one jumped at the chance to buy her.

The Snorlax warrior groaned and pinched between his eyes. "Why? Why did we pick up the most useless looking slave possible?"

It hurt that the only other person she could understand wasn't above speaking his mind. Brooklyn turned away from the crowd, hiding the tears trickling over her cheeks. Was she doomed to ride around in a cage the rest of her life? Or did they plan on getting rid of her because there was nothing they could do with her? Somehow, that would make her feel worse than ever.

She can't fly. She can't move her wings properly. She wasn't even a bird. She was just some dumb creature born with useless wings.

Perhaps this was the fate she must accept—

"[One hundred gul!]"

Brooklyn and the Snorlax perked up and looked at the back of the crowd where a hand was raised: a Feraligatr wearing a dark blue, baggy outfit that resembled a robe to the Tranquill. She frowned at him. Was he being serious?

The Snorlax shared her sentiments. "[Uh…are you sure?]"

The Feraligatr glared. "[Are you saying I shouldn't?]"

Seeing this was his chance to get rid of Brooklyn, he wasted no time and announced, "[A hundred gul, it is! Congratulations on your purchase, sir.]"

The Feraligatr approached the stage and handed off a coin bag before directing his gaze down on Brooklyn. She tensed up under his intense stare. It reminded her of her father's, though with a lack of disappointment.

"[I hope she brings you good fortunate, sir,]" the Snorlax said, handing over the other end of her chain.

He grabbed and inspected the chain before looking down at Brooklyn again. She sunk back meekly, raising one leg to scratch under her collar.

"…" He reached over and undid the chains restraining her wings.

Brooklyn extended and stretched them, but gazed up at the man in confusion.

"[Follow.]" He turned and walked back through the crowd.

Brooklyn noticed he had the chain and collar in his hand and realized it wasn't attached to her anymore. Still, sensing his firm command, she followed him diligently.

"[I cannot believe you went to the slave traders.]"

"[I was just browsing, Brother. I had no intention of buying one.]"

"[Then what do you call this?]"

Brooklyn sat awkwardly on a mat beside a really low table. Her buyer took her to his home, a large one-story building composed of wood with sliding doors, different from how homes were made in Umbra Clock. Everything was different, actually, from the clothes to way everyone greeted each other. It all felt formal, like being brought into noble society. Though, even she could tell this wasn't a noble house despite the language barrier and cultural differences.

Once they arrived, her buyer was immediately confronted by a male Milotic who wore a sleeveless robe for his snake-like body and carried a thin, smoking pipe in his teeth. He seemed irate as soon as he saw her being escorted in.

The Milotic shook his head. "[We of the Mochizuki Clan are self-reliant. We have no need for a slave, much less a child slave. What were you thinking spending our gul on her?]"

The Feraligatr glared. "[You didn't see what I saw, Shinsuke. No one seemed to want her. I could tell New Chariot has been trying to sell her for a while. I couldn't subject a poor girl to that kind of treatment.]"

"[But buying her?]"

"[I know this isn't how we do things, but give it a chance. At the very least, I didn't want this poor girl ending up under lesser conditions back in New Chariot. You know what they do to their slaves over there.]"

"…" Shinsuke huffed some smoke and sighed. "[Damn you, Hiraku. Fine, it can't be helped. I better not see you pushing the girl too hard. If she's going to work for her keep, she gets the same number of chores as the kids. No exceptions.]"

"[That's fair.]"

Brooklyn frowned. "W…What's going on?"

The two men glanced at her for a moment. Shinsuke huffed from his pipe. "[I'll have Megumi give her old Johtonian lessons. We'll have to bunk her with your daughters.]"

Brooklyn eased up a bit as the men acknowledged her. Though she had her reservations, the way both men smoke put her mind at ease. Slightly, at least. Still, she was just waiting for one of them to throw her out because of her dysfunctional wings.

It was inevitable.

Some weeks had passed since Brooklyn was purchased into the Mochizuki Clan. For what it was worth, the work they assigned her wasn't too bad. She was tasked with wiping down the floors at the end of the week, hanging the laundry, assisting the matriarch of the clan with shopping, and other chores to keep her busy. There was still a massive language barrier to get through, though she picked up on enough keywords to get by.

The Mochizuki Clan was large. Two whole families living under one roof together. Hiraku and his Haxorus wife, Yasuko, had four children (two Fraxure, an Axew, and a Tododile). Shinsuke and his Greninja wife, Megumi, had two sons who were both Froakie. Brooklyn didn't interact much with the children, sticking closely to her responsibilities.

Megumi was the only one Brooklyn interacted with who spoke English, though that was mostly for language lessons. She was a kind, though stoic woman who had an air of mystery around her. Unlike Yasuko, Megumi wasn't a housewife. She was usually sleeping through most of the day and heading out at night for unknown reasons. Brooklyn never pried, though, wishing not to anger her masters.

Shinsuke seemed to be the master of the house. Brooklyn occasionally saw him having meetings with other clan heads over sake, which she served them. It was kind of amusing watching the stoic clan head roaring with laughter after one too many drinks. Most days, he was as serious and proud as his wife.

Whenever Brooklyn was doing her chores, she would see the children playing out in the backyard or around the house. They really liked playing hide-and-seek for some reason, and they were scarily good at it. She often forgot they were inside the house whenever they played. Other days, they would be stuffed into a room with Yasuko homeschooling. She wished she could interact with them, but she doubted any of them spoke her language.

Regardless of how simple her responsibilities were, she couldn't escape the fact she was a slave. She wasn't allowed to leave without one of her masters' permissions. She didn't think to run away, knowing she'd be caught or sent somewhere worse. They treated her nicely, but…it still felt wrong being seen as just a slave.

Some nights, she did sneak outside to continue with her flying training. She wished that was going better, but it resulted in the same fumbles and crashes. She had to cut down her training time, lest she accumulate unexplainable injuries. She didn't want the Mochizuki Clan knowing about her secret nighttime activities.

At some point, she gave up with the training and just stayed in bed. There was no point chasing a hopeless dream. She resigned herself to a flightless lifestyle and years of servitude.

That's what a caged bird was meant to be, she guessed.

Two months had passed, and Brooklyn was assigned to hang the laundry out to dry. She carried the basket out to the backyard and got to work pinning the clothes on the line. She had a system worked out since she couldn't use her wings. She got a lot better balancing with her legs, hanging off the sides of the pole with one leg and pinning the clothes with the other. It was tedious, but got the work done faster than the alternative.

Brooklyn turned her eyes away from the line for a second and grabbed another robe. When she looked back, she gasped and jumped away from the nine-year-old Froakie in dark blue clothes hanging upside-down on the line.

"[Hello,]" he greeted.

Brooklyn placed a wing over her heart and sighed. "M-Master Shingo. I…forgive me, I didn't see you there. [Sorry.]"

Shingo dropped down and helped her back onto her feet. "[Do you need any help?]"

Brooklyn strained to figure out what he said, so she walked around him and picked through the clothes. "Terribly sorry. I'll get back to work on this."

He frowned. "[I see Mother's lessons have been going well,]" he muttered sarcastically.

"D-Did I do something wrong?" she asked, misunderstanding his tone.

Shingo took a deep breath and sighed. "[Stop looking so jumpy. You're not in trouble.]"

An awkward silence hung between them. Neither could fully understand what the other was saying, nor could they tell what the other was feeling by tone alone. Though, from Brooklyn's perspective, everything sounded the same. She couldn't keep up with Megumi's lessons and had to stick to one-word commands just to get by.

"I should really get back to work," Brooklyn said before resuming her chores. She reached for the next article of clothing, but Shingo beat her to it. She gasped. "Master Shingo, what are you—" She paused as he jumped and pinned the clothing onto the line.

He landed next to her, gave her a look, before picking up one of the robes. He pointed at it. "Haori."

"H…Haori. That's what it's called?"

He nodded and pinned it to the line. Seeing her staring, he gestured to the basket before grabbing another article. Brooklyn stared a moment longer, smiled, and resumed hanging the laundry alongside him.

"[Aaaaaaagh…I drank too much last night,]" the clan matriarch, Megumi, groaned as she lay on the floor. It was close to noon, yet she was the only one still in bed. The Greninja, while sprawled out on the floor in her sleep gown, massaged her temples and stared vacantly at the ceiling. "[Shinsuke! Yasuko! Kids! Anyone?]"

Brooklyn and Shingo poked their heads into her room. "[Mother? Are you alright?]" Shingo asked.

"[Shingo, precious. Can you get my medicine? It should be in the potion cabinet.]"

"[Yes, Mother.]" Shingo gestured Brooklyn to keep an eye on her before leaving to get the medicine.

Brooklyn awkwardly approached the aching woman's side and sat down. "Mistress Megumi?"

Megumi looked up at the Tranquill and chuckled. "I see you and my son are getting along nicely."

"He…is very kind."

"Yeah, he's like that. He didn't want to bother you, but…well, I see his patience reached its limit." She sighed and pinched between her eyes. "Just like I've reached my limit with this stupid headache. That's the last time I drink four bottles of sake in a row."

Brooklyn winced. "You shouldn't drink so much."

"Can't help it. It's a habit. Besides, it numbs the pain."

"What pain?"

"…" Megumi sat herself up and faced Brooklyn. "You've been with us for a while, dear. Ever wonder what I do late at night?"

She frowned. "Uh…"

The frog woman chuckled. "We of the Mochizuki Clan have some…secrets that most lords wouldn't be too keen learning about." She rolled up her left sleeve and showed that her arm was covered in a bloodstained bandage.

Brooklyn's eyes widened. "What the?!"

Megumi laughed. "That's what happens when you don't stake out a house properly. Young lords here like to prepare for the worst, and those traps can be killer."

"…" Brooklyn stared at her in disbelief. "What even are you people?"

Megumi smiled and cupped the Tranquill's cheek. "Forgive me if I don't reveal all our secrets. Still, you're cute as a button, so maybe you'll know in time." She rolled her sleeve back up. "What about you?"

"W-What do you mean?"

"Well, how come you stopped practicing to fly?" She smirked at Brooklyn's horrified expression. "Dear, trust me, you were not as stealthy as you think you were. We all knew. We even watched you."

"W-Watched?"

"You dive very gracefully, by the way."

"Ugh…" Brooklyn shielded her shameful face.

"Why did you stop practicing?"

"…" She lowered her wings and sighed. "I don't know how to fly."

"Hmm?"

"I…I can't fly." She raised her wings and flapped them. Megumi watched them flap out of sync and awkwardly. "No matter how hard I try, I can't keep my wings straight. I'm…broken."

"Ah. So, that's why Hiraku took pity on you." Megumi smirked. "And were you practicing in secret so you could escape us?"

Brooklyn gasped. "W-Well, I—"

"It's okay, dear. We're not going to kill you over it. Actually, I was quite proud of your determination. Takes a lot of guts to go through grueling training like that over and over. It's a shame you stopped practicing."

She frowned and looked away. "It was pointless. No matter how many times I tried, I couldn't stay in the air."

"Hmm…" Megumi closed her eyes. "[Shingo, you can stop hiding.]"

"Eh?!" Brooklyn spun around and saw the young Froakie stepping out of hiding with his mother's medicine and an awkward smile.

"[Sorry, Mother. I was curious.]"

She waved it off. "[Forget that. I have a special job for you. Two, actually.]"

Shingo approached Brooklyn's side and shared a look with her. "[Oh?]"

Megumi took her medicine from him and said, "[I'm taking time off from work this week before I stakeout the Takigawa Clan. Before I leave, I'm going to give you English lessons. You'll be able to communicate with Brooklyn better.]"

Shingo perked up. "[Oh. Okay.]"

"[And secondly, I want you to teach her how to fly.]"

His eyes widened. "[Teach her how to fly?]"

Megumi winked. "[Think you can do that for me?]"

He glared and saluted her. "[Yes, ma'am!]"

"[That's my boy~!]" Megumi sipped her potion bottle and handed it back to him. "[Now, if you'll excuse me, Momma needs her—]" She fell back and instantly passed out on the floor.

Brooklyn blinked at the snoring Greninja in bewilderment before facing Shingo. "Uh, what were you two talking about?"

For the next several weeks, Shingo and Brooklyn dedicated their time teaching the flightless Tranquill how to achieve flight. With his brother and cousins, they assembled a makeshift crash pad in the backyard, covering just enough space to minimize any inevitable hard landings. With that, they were set to begin the exercise.

Brooklyn wasn't sure how much help Shingo could provide since he wasn't a bird, but she was too demotivated to push the subject. She went through the motions as usual and dove from the roof, attempting to beat her wings in sync. In resulted in the same crash landing, though with a much softer surface this time.

Shingo didn't provide much in the way of tips or tricks, instead telling her to do what comes naturally while he observed. It wasn't the most motivating pep talk, but she supposed it was better than failing at his instructions. She did as told and changed up her flying style with each leap, none of which kept her in the air for too long.

Again and again, she kept plummeting out of the air. Again and again, she would climb back onto the roof and repeat the process over. They got some weird looks from neighboring houses, but the Mochizuki more or less ignored them. The staring made Brooklyn feel self-conscious about her poor performance.

They would attempt a hundred or two hundred jumps in a row before taking a lunch break. They would continue practicing up until the sunset, earning Brooklyn a well-deserve sleep. She wanted to say it was for her hard work, but she didn't see the merit of flailing in the air like a wingless Drilbur and landing on her head repeatedly. It didn't help that Shingo's younger cousins started laughing after the repeated fumbles. She didn't have the heart to tear up over it, or maybe she was too dizzy to register their laughter.

Even still, Shingo put up with the exercises without complaint. He meticulously studied Brooklyn's movements throughout the training days and spent just as much time at night working out a solution. She even caught him reading up on the anatomy of avian Pokémon for more information. It was touching, though she couldn't place why he was going through this much effort. Was it to carry out his mother's request? Or something else?

Why were the Mochizuki so invested in helping a poor Tranquill they picked out from some slave traders?

One day, as Brooklyn was taking a break from training and doing her chores, she stumbled upon a most unusual sight that left her flabbergasted.

She walked by the patio out to the backyard where she spotted Shingo's older cousins, the two Fraxure, standing under the large sakura tree. To her horror, she saw Shingo bound tight in rope and flailing like a madman trying to get loose. He was screaming and kicking with what little room his legs had, and his cousins did nothing but watch and laugh.

She stopped cleaning the floors and raced outside, yelling, "What are you two doing?!" she yelled. "How can you treat your own cousin so poorly?!"

The cousins recoiled from the irate bird despite not having any English-speaking skills. Before she could think of ripping into them, Shingo dropped down from the tree with the rope untethered from his body.

"[Freed myself! What was…my time?]" he asked in between breaths. He blinked and realized Brooklyn had her talons pointed at his cousins. "[Did I miss something?]"

"[This crazy bird tried to claw our throats out!]" the male Fraxure exclaimed.

Brooklyn frowned at the complete lack of concern on Shingo's face. "Did I…miss something?"

Shingo sighed and shewed his cousins away. "[You two head back inside.]" They nodded and carefully scooted around Brooklyn before bolting back into the house. Shingo sat down in front of the tree and patted the spot next to him. As Brooklyn took her spot, he explained, "Okay, long story short, I asked them to tie me up."

"What?!" she gasped. "Why would you do that? I thought they were bullying you!"

He waved it off. "Nah. They know I can kick their butts. And if I didn't, Mother would."

Brooklyn shuddered. The less she knew about Mistress Megumi, the more terrified of the unknown she became. "Fair enough, but why would you ask them to tie you up like that? You looked terrified."

He raised his finger pointedly and stated, "That's because I was terrified. In fact, that was perhaps one of the single most torturous things I've ever endured, and I swear on the Great Ho-Oh's name that I'll burn any rope I come across for the rest of my life if it so much as coils around my body—" He stopped upon seeing her baffled expression. He cleared his throat and said, "Uh, yeah. Point is, I am terrified of enclosed spaces or being bound up in something. In your language, it's called, um…"

"Claustrophobia?"

"Yes, that's the word."

"That…just raises more questions. Why would you willingly have yourself tied up if you're afraid of tight spaces?"

He sighed and leaned his head back against the tree. "Ever had a morbid fascination with death? That's what I feel with my fears. Last year, I saw some bullies picking on my brother, so I attacked them. They got the jump on me and decided it would be funny to bury me alive. They packed me inside a crate and dumped me down a hole two meters under."

She gasped. "That's…That's horrible!"

"Oh, it was. Because he ran away after I saved him, Daiki didn't know where they buried me. I was trapped underground for six hours. I was panicking and freaking out, afraid I would die underground." Shingo sighed. "Kids are cruel. It's a fact of life."

Brooklyn frowned. "Then how did you escape? Did he eventually find you?"

"No. I escaped all on my own."

"Huh?"

He nodded. "I was so terrified that…something primal awoke inside of me. That feeling of being trapped brought out the fear inside me, and the only way I could quell that fear was to find the way out. So, I kept trying everything I could until I manifested my Cut. I wedged the crate open enough spray Bubble out and soften the dirt around me. I swam out through the mud just as Daiki found where I was."

"…" Brooklyn stared at him in awe. "That's…incredible."

"Ever since that day, I've had this intense fear of being closed in, but it fascinated me that I managed to escape under such dire circumstances. So, against my better judgment, I kept putting myself in controlled situations to test my limits. I want to become a master escape artist and become the most elusive of the Mochizuki Clan. Someone unbound by the shackles of oppression."

"I see." She frowned at the ground. "You use your fear as a motivator so you don't feel trapped. You turned a horrible situation into an opportunity to improve yourself."

"Why else do you think I've been so interested in helping you?"

Her eyes widened. "Huh?"

Shingo smiled. "You and I aren't so different. We both fear something, yet we still push to improve ourselves despite that fear. I wanted to help you achieve your dreams, even if they seem impossible."

Her cheeks warmed with appreciation, but then she turned away sadly. "You're wasting your time. I can't fly no matter how hard I try. I was born broken, just like my siblings said. A broken fowl born with wings afoul."

Shingo frowned. "I don't think you're broken. You were just born different."

"Is there a difference?"

"I've noticed the way you move your wings. Whenever you subconsciously flutter them, they move out of sync. You can't properly coordinate them. I don't think it's something wrong with you physically. I think it's something mental."

"M…Mental?"

Shingo sighed. "Medical science focuses on the physical over the mental. Some don't see that there are injuries not of scars or bruises, but ones of the brain. I think your brain was simply made different. It affects your coordination. You can move your wings just fine if you consciously move them, but flying is a secondary habit to birds like you. It's like not knowing how to breathe automatically."

"…" Brooklyn frowned. "You mean…it's not my wings that are broken? It's just something about how I was born?"

"It's nothing to be ashamed of." He glared ahead. "People are cruel, treating handicaps like defects, but we are not so limited that we can't think of a way to overcome our weaknesses. Once I figured out what was going on with you, it meant there was a way to teach you how to fly. Instead of teaching you the normal way, we need to figure out what makes you tick and learn to work with it than against it."

"…" She closed her eyes and shuddered.

"Hey. Are you okay?"

"I…I'm fine. I…" She sniffled and smiled sadly at the ground. "It's just…a part of me feels relieved. Like a burden has been lifted off my back. I thought I was just a hopeless case, but…I'm not broken. I'm just me. It's kind of nice knowing why I haven't been able to fly for so long. If you're right, then…maybe there is a chance I'll figure out how to fly."

Shingo smiled back. "No one's hopeless. Just because you were born different doesn't mean you are different. Everyone's different in their own way, but we shouldn't treat irregularities like defects. With enough patience and understanding, you may be able to accomplish your dreams after all."

Brooklyn lifted her wing (which fluttered irregularly for a moment) and wiped her eyes. She laughed into them, chocked up with tears, and smiled at Shingo. "I think…I think I'm more motivated than ever to keep practicing."

"That's the spirit!"

With her spirit renewed, Brooklyn put all her effort into learning how to fly. She and Shingo would train into the dead of night if they had to, forcibly dragged back to their rooms by either Shinsuke or Hiraku. Sometimes they would pass out in the backyard sound asleep, which was an amusing sight for Megumi to come home to in the morning.

No matter how many times she failed, Brooklyn's fire to learn never wavered. She meant what she said. Now that she knew why she was having so much trouble flying, she felt better about herself. She thought she was the one failing and not learning, but knowing there was more to her inability to learn helped her understand more about herself. For her entire life, she felt stupid or inept for not doing the most basic thing of her species. The village children never let her live it down, and she felt worse about herself.

But understanding why helped her cope with her failures. She may not be learning as fast as her own siblings, but that didn't mean she was unteachable. With proper patience and determination, perhaps she'll finally be able to soar.

"[Go, Brooklyn! Go, Brooklyn! Go, Brooklyn!]" All of the Mochizuki children joined atop the roof, cheering the Tranquill on as she proceeded with her latest jump. The autumn season rolled up on the village, bringing with it a chilling breeze, but that didn't deter them from watching her achieve greatness.

Brooklyn climbed back onto the roof and paused to catch her breath. She was tired and her feathered crest was a matted mess, yet she didn't stop. She looked out over the edge of the roof, huffing through her nostrils, and took her position.

Shingo sat on the backyard tree, still taking note of Brooklyn's performance. After a couple hours of remaining mostly silent, he said, "Alright Brooklyn, let's give it one more try. I think you're getting closer."

Brooklyn shook herself down to her tailfeathers and asked, "Are you sure?"

He nodded. "Whenever you fall out of the sky, you sometimes naturally fall into a spiral formation. If I'm correct, by creating lift with your Gust, you might be able to control your speed and direction. If this works…"

She took a deep breath and nodded. "Alright. I can do this."

"[You can do it, Brooklyn!]" one of the Fraxure exclaimed.

"[You're so close! Just a little more!]" Daiki yelled.

"[Go, Brooklyn!]" the rest cheered.

Though their exact meaning was unclear to the Tranquill, her heart swelled with pride at their encouraging tones. Brooklyn glared down at the edge of the roof and charged toward it. She closed her eyes, focusing on keeping her wings straight. No unnecessary movements, no flapping, and no hesitating. She will fly. She will fly this time.

"I can do this. I can do this!"

She leapt off the edge of the roof and dove toward the ground. As Shingo correctly observed, she started spinning out of subconscious habit. It felt unnatural to dive in such a fashion, but she endured this kind of sensation so many times that she had gotten use to the dizzying experience. As she opened her eyes, she saw the spinning earth drawing closer.

"Now! Do it now!" Shingo ordered.

Brooklyn focused her energy through her wings and channeled a controlled Gust. She held her breath as she consciously adjusted her wings and attempted to avoid hitting the ground. I can do this, I can do this, I can do this!

She released the burst of wind and…

She slammed into the backyard tree.

At the last second before hitting the ground, she created enough lift to redirect and soared parallel to the ground for a second before crashing into the tree. She crumbled on impact and fell onto her back.

"Brooklyn!" Shingo jumped down and held her up in his arms. "Are you okay?"

She weakly opened her eyes and groaned. "W…What happened?"

"You…You crashed into the tree."

"I…what?"

Shingo smiled. "Brooklyn, you did it. It was brief, but you did it! You didn't hit the ground this time!"

"I…didn't?" Her eyes widened in realization, and a beaming smile stretched out over her beak. "I…I didn't crash into the ground. I crashed into the tree. I flew. Oh my Arceus, I flew! I flew, I flew, I flew!"

Shingo gasped as she wrapped her wings around him. His entire body froze up, and his eyes shrunk to the size of pinpricks. "Oh no…"

"I did, I did, I did! Thank you, Shingo! I actually flew!" Sensing his rigidity, she gasped and pulled way. "Oh, I'm so sorry. Too close?"

He gulped and forced a smile. "Just this once, I'll put up with it."

She smiled and resumed hugging him, to which he stiffly patted her back. However, he soon found himself surrounded by a whole cluster of arms as Daiki and his cousins joined in with a group hug, jumping up and down with the Tranquill.

"[You did it, Brooklyn! Congrats!]" the Axew cheered.

"[It's a start, at least!]" the female Fraxure exclaimed.

"[Celebration!]" Daiki cheered.

Shingo trembled in place. "[I didn't agree to this!]"

17th Winter Moon, 895

"[Happy Birthday, Brooklyn!]"

Brooklyn stared at the Mochizuki Clan in awe as they presented a large spread of delicious meals across the table. She wasn't sure how, but Shingo managed to figure out today was her birthday and told the family in secret. She wasn't expecting to wake up to a glorious breakfast first thing in the morning.

It had been a couple of months since she managed her first flight, and she was steadily learning and adapting from that experience. Though she wasn't remotely close to soaring through the skies, she was consistently learning to control her movements. It was a far cry to her repeated failures several months ago, and the whole clan celebrated her small accomplishments.

Tears welled up in her eyes as she examined the glorious spread of food. "I…I don't know what to say. Th-Thank you."

Megumi laughed and raised her sake. "Don't look so weepy, kid. As far as we're concerned, you're part of the family."

Brooklyn's eyes widened. "R-Really?"

Megumi elbowed her brother-in-law and laughed. "Of course! We Mochizuki never needed a servant or anything like that, but we kept you around because you needed somewhere to stay. I think we've grown attached to you after so long, even if we don't always show it."

Hiraku cleared his throat and attempted to say, "We…wish you nothing but…happy times."

Shinsuke nodded. "[What he said, yeah.]"

"[We wanted to make your stay here as comfortable as possible,]" the female Fraxure said. "[We've always looked out for each other, and you're practically one of us.]"

"[Anyone that stubborn to master a skill is definitely a Mochizuki,]" the male Fraxure added.

Daiki grinned. "[We were all rooting for you to fly ever since you started practicing here. We're so happy about the progress you've made!]"

"[Yeah!]" the Axew and Totodile cheered.

Yasuko giggled. "[You should be proud of your achievements, Brooklyn.]"

Though she was nowhere skilled enough to speak their language, Brooklyn could feel what they were all saying. The tears trickled down her face, but this time she was smiling. Though the circumstances were unusual, she was glad to have met the Mochizuki Clan. They have given her the chance of a lifetime when others thought she was a lost cause.

Megumi cleared her throat and continued, "Now, there is one thing we were all talking about."

Brooklyn wiped her tears and frowned. "Oh?"

"Well, our relations with the Umbra Clock Kingdom aren't exactly…good, as you can imagine. It may take some time, but we may try and find a way to get you back to your real family."

Her real family.

That's right, they were probably worried sick about her, or at least that's what she was hoping. Though she didn't have the best relationship with her father, she imagined he was devasted by her running away. She remembered the last words they exchanged with each other and the hurt she felt that he gave up on her. It hurt a lot, but…

A part of her did miss them.

And that's why she wasn't ready to face them again.

Brooklyn hung her head and sighed. "If…it's alright with the rest of you, I was actually thinking I could stay here."

Megumi raised her brow. "[Oh? Stay here with us?]" The Mochizuki gasped in surprise.

She nodded and looked them with wet eyes. "I made a promise to myself that I wouldn't return home until I became the best flyer in Virdis. The next time I see my family, especially my dad, I want to show them what I accomplished. I still have a long way to go until I become a true flyer. I want my dad to recognize my strengths the next time he sees me. I want to become a beacon of hope to those like me who feel like outcasts because of a weakness they can't control. I want to prove to everyone who doubted me that I can surpass my limitations. If you'll allow me, I want to stay with the Mochizuki Clan until I've become the best flyer ever."

After Megumi gave a paraphrased version of Brooklyn's speech to the others, the Mochizuki looked among each other in stunned silence. Brooklyn felt a little self-conscious about their stunned reactions.

Thankfully, her best friend was the first to speak. "[I say let her stay!]" Shingo exclaimed. "[If she wants to be the best at flying, we'll show her how the Mochizuki way! That's our family motto: turning our weaknesses into unstoppable weapons!]"

Shinsuke gasped at his son before laughing through his teeth. "[Well, how can I refuse an offer like that? I suppose we owe it to our honorary Mochizuki to help her fulfil her dream.]"

Hiraku nodded. "[Agreed. There's no one better for the job than us!]"

Yasuko smiled. "[Well, that's a relief. I was almost against letting her leave. She's such a big help around the house.]"

"[Welcome to the family, Brooklyn!]" Daiki cheered.

"[Yeah!]" the cousins joined in.

Megumi giggled. "Well, I think it's unanimous. You're free to stay with us as long as you want, Brooklyn."

She smiled gratefully at the family. "Thank you, everyone. I promise I'll do all I can to help the Mochizuki Clan. I'm honored to be a part of it."

"And we're honored to have you with us." Megumi took a swig of her sake and sighed. "But enough of that! [Let's eat!]"

"[Thank you for the meal!]" the Mochizuki exclaimed before grabbing their bowls.

Brooklyn smiled. "Thank you for the meal." She reached out and started picking from the dishes, ready to celebrate her tenth birthday.

Life had a funny way of guiding those lost in a sea of doubt. Sometimes they find themselves unable to contend with the rogue winds throwing the ship back-to-back, and sometimes it's easier to give in to the rough weather. However, if one were to persevere enough, perhaps they'll achieve something greater than they could imagine.

Brooklyn will never be known as the Broken Fowl ever again. She will master the art of flying and tame the skies to her will. That was the Mochizuki way, and that was her destiny.