Kricketot and Kricktune

A multitude of chimes and chirps filled the grassy meadow. Most everything was still colored with summer's greens, but spots of yellow-green and red hinted at fall's approach. While a few flowers continued to bloom, within a month they would begin to succumb to the approaching cold. Even if one ignored all those signs, the calls of the Kricketots only began after mid-summer.

"Whirrrr luuu laaaa," a Kricketune called, getting a few answering chimes. But nothing quite like the sophisticated cry she had.

With her were a man and a boy. Her Trainer listened carefully. "Haven't got one yet," he stated quietly. "But they'll be around."

The boy tugged at his sleeve. "Dad, can I catch a Kricketot?"

He smiled and patted his son's head. "You're not old enough to have a Trainer's license."

"But Billy says he's going to enter the Junior Kricketot Contest of the Thanksgiving Day Festival. I'm going to be nine in four months, so it won't be that long until I can have a license."

"Weeeeeh zii kahhh," Kricketune sang, in a mournful tone for exaggerated effect.

"Oh yes, that will happen too soon," the father joked. "Still, I brought you along to show you how things are done. If you just happen to catch a Pokemon during the demonstration, I could register it under my name until you get your own license."

He grinned. "Great! So how do we find them?"

"Hold on, Derek," he said, holding his son's shoulder. "When you want to go catching Pokemon, you can't just go out and find them. You have to let them come to you."

"Why's that?"

"You remember the stories your grandmother would tell? About why Pokemon come with humans and why we need to respect them?"

Derek nodded. "Yeah. Pokemon want to be stronger, so they go with Trainers, but then you have to respect them and not hurt them badly, or they'll tell other Pokemon to avoid you and not help you out. And Pokemon do a lot of things that we don't notice until they're not done anymore, like keep forests safe and clear paths of rubble."

"Yes, and also that if you take a Pokemon away from its home when it doesn't want to, it will be depressed and dislike you for that. So you have to go into the tall grass and see which ones come looking for you."

"But Mom says to stay out of the tall grass or wild Pokemon will attack me."

"That's true, which is why almost no one catches their first Pokemon themselves."

"But I can be different, right?" he asked hopefully.

"Tika zeee," Kricketune noted.

"We'll see," his father translated.

They walked through the meadow in silence for a few minutes. Derek watched anxiously for a Kricketot to approach them. Although they could hear the xylophone-like calls as the young Bugs chatted with each other, they couldn't see a single one of them. They climbed over a natural stair formation to reach a higher part of the meadow just in front of Oreburgh Gate.

"Krrrriririririririri," Kricketune called out. More calls answered her, but none like her.

"Why are you looking for a wild one anyhow?" Derek asked in a loud whisper. "She's good enough for the Festival Kricketune Contest."

"Yes, she is," he answered. "But I want to enter the nearly-wild category this year and prove that I'm still one of the top Bug Trainers."

The boy snickered. "Aw, come on Dad. You've been in the Elite Four for two decades now with Bugs. I don't think anybody would doubt that you're the best."

"I guess so. Still, I've never been in that nearly-wild group and I've heard rumors that Bugsy will be coming over for this year's competition. I don't want to have just one Kricketune if he shows up. If things go well, I might even get her and another to perform a duet."

"What song are you gonna do?"

"Dueling Banjos, of course."

"Tzsi si," Kricketune chimed proudly. "Durri," then she went into a scale of notes effectively mimicking a banjo.

"Chong," a Kricketot answered, rustling through the grass. He found his way to the group, then shook his head to make his antennae clatter together. "Chi-chi-chi-chi-chong," they sounded.

The father passed over a Pokeball. "Okay, you give it a try." He looked to his Kricketune and mouthed, 'Be nice to him.'

"Wurrriii," Kricketune replied, hopping over to in front of Derek.

The boy thought over battles where he'd watched his Dad use this Pokemon. "Okay, use Sing."

"Cho-chong," the Kricketot said, scrunching in defensively.

Kricketune rubbed her limbs together, causing a clear mellow tune to play. However, it seemed to have no effect. The Kricketot stayed as he was, eyeing her.

"What's it doing?" Derek asked.

"Using Bide. Remember that move?"

"Oh yeah. Sing again, Kricketune."

Without a comment, she continued her soothing lullaby. This time, the Kricketot relaxed for a second. That was a mistake, as he fell asleep soon after.

"Good," Derek said with a smile. "Now use Slash."

Kricketune flicked her antennae, glancing back to her Trainer. He nodded slightly. With that assurance, she gracefully flew at the Kricketot and landed a full force blow with her arm. It had a sharp edge, both for creating music and for strong attacks. The little one didn't stand a chance; he was knocked unconscious.

"A Pokeball won't capture an unconscious Pokemon," the father reminded his son gently.

His eyes were wide with disbelief. "What? What happened? Why'd it faint?"

"My Kricketune is too powerful for them. You should have asked for False Swipe. It's a special move that has her hold back just enough to leave the Pokemon conscious no matter what state it's in."

"Oh." His ears turned pink in embarrassment. "I'm sorry."

"His kin will take care of him. Are you going to try again?"

Derek watched as another Kricketot came out to pull the unconscious one away. "Um…" he looked up at Kricketune.

She put her fore limb to her chest. "Kuu wen," she sang, in a forgiving tone.

"Ye-yeah. If another one comes up to us, I'll try again."

...

Kricketot Pearl entry: It chats with others using the sounds of its colliding antennae. These sounds are fall hallmarks.

Kricketune Platinum entry: There is a village that hosts a contest based on the amazingly variable cries of this Pokemon.

It started as a random pair of humans, but then Aaron snuck in there. A much older Aaron, obviously.