I stand behind Ryan and Daisy as they both scour through there phones
"We probably only need two or three, having multiple Pokemon all out at once will scare it more" Daisy says
"True, so I'm going to send Lucario and Lati back. Elm will start to worry if I have Lati out for too long same goes for Shaymin with you"
"Yeah, I'll send Altaria back too. We probably need someone to guide us through the forest"
"I have that sorted" Ryan says summoning one ball and throwing it up
A small shiny Noctowl pops out cawing before settling down on Ryan shoulder opposite Espeon
"Wow a shiny" I call
"Yeah, this was my first catch in the Johto region, he was causing all kind of trouble in New Bark when I turned up for the first time. He a runt of his family so got thrown out pretty early, that's why he's only about 2 ft tall" He says before turning to Daisy
"Noctowl knows this place pretty well, we trained here before I battled Lance. How about you bring the big guy?"
"I think you're right" Daisy says bring out one of her balls
She throws it up and emerges a hulking Empoleon. It thuds down looking very stoic
"Big guy! Hows it going?" Ryan shouts happily
"Po" It grunts
"Empoleon say hi to Dustin" Daisy says with a big smile
It turns to look at me flanked by Sudowoodo
"Po" It grunts at me
"Hi" I stammer
"Empoleon was my first every Pokemon, he very protective and isn't great at making friends but he will grow on you"
"So you started with Piplup and you started with Eevee Ryan"
"You bet! They say your first partner ends up with the same personality as you" Ryan says with a smirk
"Po" Empoleon growls while Daisy death stares him
Espeon chuckles on Ryan shoulder along with Noctowl
"I feel like a lot of your Pokemon are similar to you Ryan"
He purses he lips and ponders
"Maybe, I have an infectious personality I guess" He says with a laugh
"Lets get back to the important business" Daisy says
"Sorry, uh we best bring some electric types in case things get hairy" Ryan says
"I have that covered"
She throws up another ball and out emerges a shiny Raichu
"Rai Rai" It plops down and immediately spots Daisy rushing up and brushes onto her legs
"Good idea, I'll keep this guy in it ball ready for any unsavoury characters" Ryan says hitching up his backpack
"Lets move out then everyone" Ryan calls
We venture out into the undergrowth, Daisy tasks Empoleon with looking after me at the back, Sudowoodo and Noctowl lead the group as they are the most familiar with the forest, Raichu stays close to Daisy who is scanning the area while Espeon rides Ryan shoulders who strides along confidently. Its interesting to see the two of them together, Daisy very analytical, scanning her phone the local area for Pokemon on the radar. Ryan so the complete opposite, keeping an eye on Noctowl while whistling happily moving through the undergrowth. We move before Ryan comes to a dead stop, staring off to the right before moving his arm up to stop us all, Espeon perks up and ear begin to twitch that way too
"This way" He says confidently as Noctowl lands down on his shoulder
"I'd return Sudowoodo, I think things might get a little scary" Daisy says putting her hand on my shoulder
I nod and return it, Empoleon comes in a little closer while Raichu also moves up to my side, we along with Daisy walk a little behind Ryan, the forest seems to be thinning out as we walk up, Ryan comes to the treeline which opens out and stops putting his arm up to us behind causing us to stop too. He crouches down almost to hide behind the bushes ushering us to do the same, Empoleon groans as it tough for him so Daisy returns him, we slowly move up to see into the break in the forest, the opening is vacant except for one hulking figure
"PIDG!"
A huge Pidgeot, hops its way around the opening. It clearly been bashed up a lot, it has deep marks all over its wings the right which hangs next to its body.
"Its been beat up pretty badly" I murmur
"Thats way more than some weird turf war too" Daisy adds
"Its an alpha" Ryan says sternly
"An alpha?" I question
"Its a leader of sorts for the surrounding wild Pokemon, even ones that aren't part of it species. It coincides that they're normally a lot bigger than a normal size of their species. That Pidgeot got to be at least 8 and a half feet tall" Daisy says
"Stay here okay?" Ryan says coldly standing up before moving through the bushes
"You okay there big guy" He calls out
Pidgeot turns to it immediately, it brings it wings out to as full a span as it can shrieking and cawing aggressively, Ryan stops dead while Espeon jumps to the floor ahead of him staring up at Pidgeot. It gem glow bright red as a mist of the same colour appear around Pidgeot head
"Whats it doing?" I question in hushed tone
"Espeon telepathy, its talking to Pidgeot, it can translate for Ryan directly to Pidgeot too and the other way"
"I promise I am not here to hurt you, I want to help, that wing is pretty busted up bud, we need to look at it."
It continues to scowl and caw, after a few minutes of talking it finally lowers it wings down to its side
"My friends are going to come out from the bushes very slowly okay, I promise they are here to help too"
"Pid!" It caws still on guard but understanding
"Come on Dustin" Daisy says patting me
We move out together, I can feel a rush of nerves over come me. Daisy and Ryan begin to work quickly to help Pidgeot. Daisy send Empoleon out again to help wet the wounds aswell as summoning some ice to help the swelling. Raichu and Noctowl go off into the forest to scavenge some berries to help with the healing. I kind of just stand off at the back not really partaking at all
"Can I help at all" I stammer out
Ryan looks up to me with a smile
"Come and hold his wing up so I can wrap it"
I move forward nervously as Pidgeot glares at me. I take a hold of the wing and Pidgeot flutters a little
"Hey!" Ryan calls sternly
"Dustin is helping you" He says glaring directly into Pidgeot eyes
Pidgeot scoffs before going still
We quickly wrap its wings, rubbing on some of the berries scavenge onto the wounds as well as packing on the ice
"Right we best call on the agency, I'll get some guys to come and take Pidgeot"
As she finishes Espeon darts forward tail glowing bright white slamming into an oncoming attack. Ryan immediately jumps up to the front of us all as some shadowy figures come into the clearing
"I see you found our little play thing"
I turn to look, there a short women dressed fully in Green and a taller man dressed in all pink venture from out from the undergrowth. Ryan immediately jumps up and moves in front of me as daisy continue to treat Pidgeot who is growing more restless
"Play thing?" Ryan barks
They both chuckles
"Thank you for finding it, we've been searching for a while. Now hand it over please" The lady in yellow says
"And what do you need Pidgeot for?" Ryan questions
"I don't think that's any of your business" The man in pink shouts as a Wigglytuff floats out next to him
"I think I'm making it my business. So what are you two exactly? Someone tell you a colour suited you when you were a teenager and you've made that your personality?"
"Oh Mr Pink this man bores me, lets deal with him quickly" The lady says pulling one of the balls from her pocket
"Yes Miss Green, Wigglytuff go!" He responds
"Daisy help me out please" Ryan says
Daisy quickly jumps up and whispers to me
"Raichu and you look after Pidgeot, don't let anything get near it" She says before moving past me
"Empoleon!"
"Espeon let someone else handle this" Ryan says as Espeon jumps to his shoulder as Empoleon touches down
"Gengar go!" Ryan shouts
"Tyranitar come out" The lady known as Miss Green shouts
The huge hulking dinosaur like Pokemon touches down while Ryan's Gengar zip around diving into the floor and popping out
"Hmmm these might not be that much of a pushover, Tyranitar, Stone Edge!"
It slams the floor causing rock to fly up out of the ground
"Flash Cannon!" Daisy shouts
Empoleon summons a ball of white light and flashes it forward cutting the rocks in half and slamming into Tyranitar
"Gengar lets deal with Wigglytuff, Sludge Wave!"
"Gen Gen!"
Gengar rises up and opens its mouth wide before spinning in the air firing off a flowing river of thick purple sludge, Wigglytuff attempt to avoid it by bouncing up into the air but its hit fully and enveloped while Tyranitar is stung by it too. Wigglytuff pulls itself up groggily
"Wigglytuff come on they aren't that strong!" Mr Pink shouts
Tyranitar is sent flying backward by a Hydro Pump by Empoleon too
"Tyranitar stop this nonsense"
"Gengar grab them all with Psychic!"
Gengar rises into the air and eyes glow a deep red freezing the Pokemon in place but unable to grab the two trainers
"I see, I knew there was something off with you too"
"Hohoho! The bosses technology is working, now just give us the Pidgeot!" Mr green taunts
"Gengar, slam them down"
Gengar throws its arms down releasing the two Pokemon who are slammed into the floor unconscious
"Wow….so strong" I mumble under my breath
"The boss? Tell me about them?" Ryan says striding forward confidently
"AH! They're down, how did they beat them so fast!" Miss Green shrieks
"Use the transporter we have to get out of here" Mr Pink says
Miss Green nods and pulls a small remote from her pocket
"Keep that piece of filth" he barks before the four of them disappear
It all goes quite silent, Pidgeot caws before Daisy returns to it to heal it. I just stand there and stare at Ryan. I had read he had only caught Gengar a year before he became world champion, to see its power up close in person was awe inspiring and slightly scary
"Get anything from them?" He questions aloud
"Nothing sorry" comes a quiet feminine voice
"What was that?" I question
"What was what?" Daisy asks
"that voice?"
Ryan turns immediately and smiles widely
"You heard that?!" He shouts excitedly running up to me
"I think so? What was it?"
He turns to Espeon
"Say hello"
Espeon looks to me and smiles
"Hello Dustin"
"Wait what?" I say baulking
"I wondered when you would sync up with her kiddo, welcome to the inner circle" He says with a trademark raucous laugh
"So that's Espeon I can hear?"
"Yep, she's has telepathy but you have to have been in her vicinity for a while, we've not really figured it out at all. Generally Pokemon either speak to one or a group but for Espeon it more related to how close or how long they spend with someone"
"You get used to it" Espeon says jumping to my shoulder rubbing her head into my cheek
"It helps with this too" Ryan says moving to Pidgeot
"So these are the guys that did this to you?" He questions
"Angry, trying to hurt us" Pidgeot squawks
"Oh cool" I mumble before moving to Ryans side
"Us? Who is us?" Daisy questions
"Flock, my flock"
"Your family?" Ryan asks
"No, just protector, they're gone now"
"Did they kill them"
"Took them, not kill, gone now like them"
"They made them disappear?" I ask
"yes" I grunts angrily flapping its wings
"Did they say where?" Ryan asks crouching down to its level
"No, couldn't protect them" It grunts sadly
"Hey, I'm sure you did everything you could"
"Stronger, need to be stronger" It mumbles
"Come with me" Ryan says sternly
"You not bad but human" it croaks
"Me and my friends are strong, we can help you get stronger"
"You help me find flock"
"Of course if that's what you want"
It glares hard at Ryan in the eyes, it feels like an internity before it nods in confirmation. Ryan smiles and pull a Pokeball out confirming the capture. He retains it on his belt
"Well, that was eventful. We need to speak to Anabel and Looker about those two"
"I see, more colours. This is distressing" Looker says solemnly
"We got Pink Green and Black now" Ryan says
"Black?" I question
"One of the guys, he got caught breaking into Silph Co to steal some transporting technology. Thats probably how they are disappearing and reappearing" Daisy retorts
"Oh I see"
"Well we achieved our goal, you helped Pidgeot and we had more information then we did at the start so I thank you all" Anabel says reassuringly
"Ryan and Daisy, when you can we will have to have another meeting to discuss things but lets break for now, if anything urgent comes up we will be in contact" she continues
"No worries, let us know if you need us for anything" Daisy says before the call clicks off
"Well then, its late again. We should probably camp again for tonight, we will fly you off to Goldenrod tomorrow Dustin" Ryan says
"Uh yeah okay sure"
"Sir, we succeeded in getting the probe to the target" Miss Green says looking up to the screen
On the screen is wisping form of black with two glowing red eyes
"Is it attached?" comes a deep booming voice
"It is, we have it tracking" Mr Pink answers
"Excellent, now we just have to wait for it to take hold"