The next morning, after a large breakfast, Ash and Brock set out to help Butterfree while Misty decided to do some more ocean training.
"First," Brock said after Ash let Butterfree out of his pokéball, "let's take care of his coloration." He dug into his bag and pulled out a bright red scarf and tied it around the pokémon's neck.
"Is that really going to be enough?" Ash asked.
"Maybe not," Brock said looking Butterfree over critically. "But it's all we have on hand. Aaron, can you have Butterfree demonstrate his mating dance?"
"Sure," Ash said, turning to his pokémon. "Hey Butterfree, want to show us the mating dance you're going to do?"
Umm… I don't know how to do a mating dance…. Butterfree said, a blush on his purple face.
Oh, come on, Pikachu groaned from by Ash's feet. It should be instinct! Go with the flow!
I'm not sure my instincts are very good, but I'll give it a try! Butterfree replied. He then started to flutter around the observers.
Uh…
"Uh…"
"Uh…"
Ash, Brock, and Pikachu looked at each other, frowning. They had their work cut out for them.
Brock had Ash pull up an example of a butterfree courtship dance on the pokédex. It resembled what Butterfree had done, in the same way a puddle resembled a lake.
The pokémon in the video had much crisper movements. Instead of merely fluttering around the recipient, the dancer was supposed to zip from place to place and hover. Their movements were also supposed to emphasize the strength of their wings and show off the dancer's body.
If the dancer was successful, their audience was supposed to respond with their own dance, though it was a more abbreviated version. This behavior was only documented while mating flocks were gathered, so Ash figured it was completely instinctual.
It certainly explained why they weren't just talking it out like normal creatures, Ash thought to himself. It would be silly for anyone to dance around the issue or have a bunch of weird rituals- In the middle of that thought Ash remembered what little he had seen and read about human romance and decided that he had no room to judge.
After dances had been exchanged the pair would then mate. The pokédex had no further information on what would happen after that for mated pairs in a flock. The entry simply stated that more research was needed. There was even a box that would allow Ash to jot down his own notes, observations, and any recordings to be submitted.
"Huh," Ash said. "I didn't know I could give reports on this thing."
"The professor has been pushing to try and crowdsource research for a while now," Brock explained reading over Ash's shoulder. "I think that's part of how he's justifying giving out pokédexes."
"Hmmm….. should I try and add something?"
"Please do," Brock said. "Any data you can get here will be helpful to pokémon breeders."
"Really?"
Ya think? Pikachu drawled.
"One thing breeders need to know about is pokémon mating behaviors," Brock explained. "It's sort of crucial to the whole thing, if you get what I mean."
"Yeah, yeah," Ash rolled his eyes. "Let's just help Butterfree practice."
They spent the next hour helping Butterfree get his routine down pat. He went from aimless fluttering to a much more coordinated pattern of flitting, hovering, and twisting. Ash and Brock applauded when he finished his final round of practice.
"Good job Butterfree!" Ash said, smiling and giving his pokémon two thumbs up.
"Now let's get him cleaned up," Brock said, reaching into the bag where he kept his grooming supplies.
Brock proceeded to wipe Butterfree down, before getting out a variety of powders, oils, and brushes. He had Butterfree sit on the ground in front of him while he began to brush and polish the pokémon. Ash stood nearby, hunched over with his hands on his knees as he watched.
"How'd you get into this stuff anyway?" Ash asked the former gym leader.
"I dunno" Brock shrugged. "There wasn't really a moment where I said to myself 'I want to be a pokémon breeder'."
"Really?"
"Well, yeah." Brock replied while continuing to groom Butterfree. "Most people don't have a moment where they decide what they want to do with the rest of their lives."
"Uh….." Ash, who could remember the moment when he decided to become a pokémon trainer with crystal clarity, had no response.
"If want to know so badly," Brock went on, "it was probably when I got Onix."
"How'd you get him?"
"He was a present from my d- from Flint," Brock replied, gently brushing Butterfree's antenna.
That feels good, Butterfree said with a pleased hum.
Getting groomed is the best, Pikachu said in agreement.
"Present?" Ash inquired.
"Yeah, I had just woken up on my tenth birthday and who should lean through the window but Onix wearing a ribbon," Brock paused and smiled at the memory. "I hugged him and then he was my pokémon. He was a lot smaller back then."
Ash heard that most trainers received their pokémon from the local gym. Ash guessed that what happened with Brock wasn't too different from that.
"Onix was still young, so I had to work hard to raise him," Brock went on. "It's not easy to raise an onix. You have to learn to read their mood-"
Or listen to what they're saying, Ash thought to himself.
"-and figure out how to calm them down when they get antsy," Brock went on resuming the grooming of Butterfree. "It can be dangerous. But I loved every minute of it."
"Oh, oh, oh," Ash said excitedly. "Did you learn to cook by making home-made meals for onix?"
"No, why?"
"Ahhhh," Ash sighed. "That would've been cool."
"No, even before I got onix I was helping mom out in the kitchen all the time," Brock said. "I did it so much that mom and I used to compete to see who could make my siblings' favorite foods better." He sighed. "She won most of the time, but I was getting better before she… well, now I'll never be able to settle that score."
"I- uh- I'm sorry," Ash said, unsure of the proper response in the current context.
"It's alright," Brock said with a sad smile. "I miss her, but it's been years."
"Still- uh- er," Ash stammered. "It couldn't have been easy?"
"No, it wasn't," Brock's eyebrows drew into a glare and his tone got darker. "She was in charge of the gym when she got sick. Flint was off on a training trip. A few weeks later I was the one in charge."
"Being a gym leader wasn't fun?" Ash asked, sitting down behind the boy, recalling the way Brock had acted back in Pewter City.
"No, it wasn't," Brock replied bitterly. "At least not for me."
"Then why does Misty want to be a gym leader?"
"Because she's not me," Brock snapped and then he sighed. "She also won't have to take care of nine kids while running the gym."
"She talks like she had to take care of her sisters already."
"They don't take running the gym seriously enough for her," Brock said. "But don't listen to her too much. Believe me, I know how hard her sisters worked to take care of her when she was little."
"Oh."
"Mom and Flint were always making sure to send care packages to them," Brock went on. "Trying to help them a little, you know? I never thought Flint would- I never thought he'd be okay with putting someone else in the same spot as them. Only none of my siblings were old enough to help. I couldn't split the work with anyone. They at least can put on their shows and work on their acting. I had to spend all my time at the gym or taking care of my siblings."
"I'm sorry," Ash said, putting a hand on his shoulder. "That wasn't right."
"Preaching to the choir Aaron, preaching to the choir," Brock sighed. "But thanks. What about you? You're an only child, right?"
"Yeah," Ash nodded.
"Your parents had office jobs, right? I think you said that once."
"They did," Ash lied smoothly. He had taken Erika's advice and worked on practicing some of his lies and making sure his story stayed straight. "They're boring but nice."
"That's good to hear," Brock said. "But you're missing out by being an only child. Younger siblings are great."
"If you say so," Ash shrugged.
"I do," Brock replied with a nod. "Who knows? Maybe life will surprise you with a sibling one of these days."
"I doubt that."
"Argh!" Sabrina clutched her head and growled as she paced back and forth on the gym rooftop. "Everything makes even less sense now!"
"Uh," Torch began, leaning against the entryway, "if you're just venting shouldn't this be Atsushi's job?"
"Oh, be quiet," Sabrina snapped. "I listen to you vent all the time."
"I don't vent!"
"What do you call all that bitching about the price of spell components then?"
"Ummmm….."
"Or when you complain about how your dates don't call you back?"
"Well….."
"Or when you dragged me over to Lavender Town so you could get drunk and cry on my shoulder about that break-up you had with that channeler?"
"Okay, you've got me there," Torch said, wincing.
"Besides, I'm complaining about this farce of an investigation," Sabrina hissed. "Atsushi doesn't have clearance."
"You could've just led with that."
"I just wanted to remind you how much you owe me," Sabrina flashed him an angry smile before the glare returned. "Aoba, the scientist who was targeted by Team Rocket, his mind has been tampered with."
"What?" Torch stood up straight.
"His memory has been altered," Sabrina continued. "Parts of it have been removed."
"What parts?" Torch asked.
"Sections concerning the experiment," Sabrina grit her teeth as she explained. "It was very finely done too, better than anyone I've ever seen."
"Including you?"
"Including me," Sabrina nodded. "But they were inexperienced. They cleaned up after themselves too well. It was- It was like going into a room that was supposed to have been sealed for years and not finding any dust."
"Wait, are they good or not?" Torch asked.
"I said that they were inexperienced," Sabrina repeated. "Not that they were bad. They're scarily good. Who knows what they could be doing with that power, that skill?" She turned away to look out over the city.
"They could pick and replace memories easier than you could rearrange a desk," she went on, "read thoughts through some of the best defenses, implant ideas and urges so subtly that no one would ever be able to tell that they were artificial, or even find ways to naturally inspire those whims." The gym leader shuddered. "Their inexperience is temporary. They're going to need to be dealt with soon."
There was a silent moment as the two thought about the implications.
"So, not only does Team Rocket have a strong psychic or psychic-type, in the end they also did manage to silence the scientist," Torch sighed.
"That's the thing," Sabrina said, shaking her head. "I'm not sure it was them."
"Why not?"
"If they had the opportunity to alter his memory they could have just as easily killed him," Sabrina explained. "It would have been child's play to pinch a nerve or blood vessel."
"Maybe Team Rocket wiped his memory a while ago, but were worried that they missed something?" Torch suggested, stroking his chin as he thought.
"No, it was recent," Sabrina said, shaking her head again. "It was probably while Team Rocket was hunting him."
"Do you think it could have been another cell?" Torch asked. "Maybe the left hand didn't know what the right hand was up to?"
"That's one possibility," Sabrina acknowledged. "But with a telepath that good, they should have had no problem communicating."
"So, what, do you think a third party's involved?" Torch asked and then grimaced. "Oh, no wonder you're going crazy."
"Thank you!" Sabrina cried out, throwing up her arms. "I don't know if there's a third party or a fourth party, or if Team Rocket decided to invite all the criminal teams from the other regions to throw a big party! There's just too much that doesn't make sense with the evidence I have!"
"I'm glad that I'm not in your shoes."
"Oh, piss me off too much and I'll assign this investigation to you," Sabrina sighed. "I think I just need one big piece of evidence to blow this case wide open. Everything will make sense then."
"Or it will make everything even more confusing."
"Please don't tempt fate."
Butterfree soared off the cliff's edge and towards the cloud of butterfrees above. Sunlight glittered off the ocean below and off the scaled wings of the flock above. A current-warmed breeze carried the taste of salt from the waters below. The chattering and flapping of wings clashed with the crashing of waves and the rush of the ocean.
Buttefree felt like he had butterfrees in his stomach, to borrow the human phrase. He felt too big and too small for his skin. He felt jittery, ornery, and too full of energy. And then there was the new feeling stirring within him and the, well, parts that were, ah, well, stirring too. Butterfree would have been perfectly happy if those parts had stayed quiet.
He soared into the flock and immediately became annoyed by the constantly moving press of bodies around him. Butterfree had to duck, dodge, dive, roll, bank and weave through oblivious fliers to avoid collisions. Many butterfrees didn't bother and he could see that there were several small fights breaking out.
Butterfree began to peruse the female butterfrees and in turn was perused by several other butterfrees. A couple interested butterfrees actually began to dance at him until they realized that he wasn't interested.
Butterfree felt bad for them as they slunk away; felt bad that the target of their interest hadn't been interested in return. But at the end of the day he hadn't found them any more enticing than any of the other butterfrees also fluttering around.
He wanted to growl at himself. Why did he have to be picky? He just wanted all these feelings gone!
The day wore on and Butterfree continued to move through the flock. He saw Ash and Brock watching below, giving him thumbs up whenever they caught him looking at them. Butterfree was growing more and more frustrated. By the looks of things, he wasn't the only pokémon doing so. Many of the other butterfree were becoming obviously ornerier as the day wore on and they hadn't found any mate. Several small fights had broken out.
Finally, in the final hours before the winter sunset would begin in earnest, Butterfree found something interesting. Amongst the glittering white and the fuzzy blue, there was a splash of vivid pink. It was an off-color butterfree; a shiny butterfree.
The emotions that had been the source of his woes, plus the associated parts, seemed interested in that butterfree.
Judging by the crowd around her, he wasn't the only one who's attention had been caught. A swarm within the flock surrounded her, jostling each other as they tried to dance around her. She didn't seem too interested in any of the dancers though.
Butterfree figured that she probably wouldn't be interested in him either.
Ash's pokémon gulped. And then he fluttered into what he assumed was the back of the queue, or rather, just the back of the crowd. The least he could do was try. Just like all the other butterfrees who were giving her their best efforts, just like the butterfrees who had given him their best effort.
More butterfrees danced and were rejected, slinking off a sad flapping of wings and low hanging heads. Butterfree fidgeted as he hovered while the group thinned.
When the group before him thinned enough for Butterfree to be able to see the pink individual again, something hit him between the wings, shoving him out of the way.
Hey! Butterfree shouted as another butterfree moved past him. What was that for!
You were in the way pipsqueak, the other butterfree yelled back. They looked at Butterfree for a moment, long enough for both of them to realize that Butterfree was actually the larger of the two, and then they corrected themself. You were in the way you miserable oaf!
The other members of the flock had vacated the immediate area and formed a sphere around them. The butterfree who had shoved him was now glaring at Butterfree.
Get out of the way, they growled.
Butterfree wanted to growl back and maybe slap the interloper out of the sky for good measure. But he was also sick of having to deal with his current set of emotions and didn't feel listening to them anymore than he had to. He wanted to act like his normal, day to day, self.
And that meant trying to avoid a pointless, unfun, fight.
I'm sorry, but I was here first, Butterfree said levelly. If you would please wait your turn-
The other butterfree just huffed and tried to tackle Butterfree. Butterfree was able to spin out of the way and his attacker barely caught themself before crashing into the watching crowd.
Can we please not do this? Butterfree pleaded as his opponent whirled around. I just want to get this day over with so that-
His opponent charged again. Butterfree sighed and let gravity pull him out of the way at the last second. This time the attacking butterfree didn't stop in time and tackled several onlookers.
Butterfree winced as a general brawl ensued, frustrated bug types attacking each other in a general melee that drew in more and more of the surrounding butterfrees, either to fight or to watch. He just had to sigh at the sight.
That was clever, someone said behind him.
It was an accident, Butterfree groaned.
Really? It seems like you got them and everyone else out of the way.
But that's not fair to everyone who was in front of me, Butterfree whined, before something struck him. Wait, what do you mean?
He turned around and looked. The butterfrees who had been previously waiting for their turn to dance at the shiny butterfree had either left, been pulled into the fight, or were part of a new sphere of watchers forming around the fight. The only butterfree left was the one talking to him.
Which was the pink butterfree.
Which was now talking to him.
Butterfree felt a blush creep over his face. His wings faltered for a moment and he nearly fell before he caught himself.
Oh, ummm…. Uh…. Hi? He managed to stammer out.
You really didn't plan for that? The pink butterfree squinted at him.
No, honest! Butterfree swore. I just didn't want to fight!
You didn't?
No! I mean, I did, but I didn't want to, and since I didn't want to want to, I tried not to, but it didn't work, but everyone was as frustrated as him so I guess it did, but not in a good way, but at least it's over and- and- and, Butterfree's babble trailed off and he looked down. He could feel that the blush had consumed his whole face by now.
Well, then if you ever get a trainer, they should take you gambling, the pink butterfree said, giving the brawl a glance out of the corner of her eye.
Uh, actually, I've already got a trainer, Butterfree managed to say, fidgeting in midair. He shut his eyes hard, hunching up. Umm… as long as I can talk to you now, I'm actually planning on going back to him after, uh, well, mating I guess. If that's a problem then I can just go away.
That's not a problem, the pink butterfree said.
Okay, Buttefree gulped.
It's not a problem for me at least, the pink butterfree continued. I'm tempted to say that it might be a problem for you.
It- I- It just feels like I'd be abandoning the eggs, Butterfree said, opening his eyes again. I just keep thinking about them being snatched up by predators.
You've never even heard of flocking before, have you? The pink butterfree asked. We're going somewhere in the Orange Islands where we aren't any predators. For us or our hatchlings.
Really?
Yes! The pink pokémon nodded. And don't worry about the journey there either. We travel as a flock for protection! We can pool our strength and as long as we stick together no predator can touch us!
So, I won't be leaving anyone in danger if mate and leave? Butterfree perked up.
You won't be the first, the pink bug-type said dryly. But you're the only one I've seen who was so… conflicted about it.
I'm sorry, Butterfree said, wincing. It's just… I want to mate, but I don't want to want to mate. I just want to get rid of this feeling and go back to normal. I feel guilty because I'm just trying to use some other butterfree-
I mean, that's what I'm doing too, the pink one replied. I just intend to use one of you males to get some eggs of my own.
Huh? Butterfree blinked in confusion. That sounds like- nevermind.
Like I'm not experiencing the same urges that you are? The other butterfree asked. Well I'm not.
Lucky, Butterfree said without thinking.
Lucky? Lucky that I've got something else to mark me as a freak? His conversation partner replied acidly. It's not enough that I've got to be a 'shiny', but I've also got to put up with everyone bothering me about mating and finding a partner even though I don't care about those things? Having to put up with-
Sorry, Butterfree said hurriedly. I didn't- I just really don't like feeling like this. I didn't think-
That's correct, the pink butterfree said in her previous tone.
I didn't think anyone would care about that- in someone else I mean, Butterfree continued. I- I wasn't really close to other pokémon back after I left my parents, not like that. I'm sorry.
Apology accepted, the pink one sighed. What was your name again?
It's Butterfree, Butterfree answered. What's yours?
I'm Sky Painter, the other answered.
There was a moment of awkward silence before Butterfree spoke again.
So, you're just looking to get some eggs? Butterfree said.
Why does that surprise you?
It doesn't. I'm just- I'm just trying to understand you, Butterfree said.
It's because I've always been an 'Aunt Sky Painter', Sky Painter replied. Always helping others with their young. I want to try having some of my own for once.
You don't mind- wait, does the flock help with raising the eggs too? Butterfree asked, starting to drift to the side.
Yes. Sky Painter nodded again. We all work together until the hatchlings are independent.
So, I really wouldn't be needed, Butterfree mused. That's- well, it's-
A burden off your mind?
Yeah! Butterfree nodded, bobbing up and down and fluttering about excitedly. Now I've just got to find a mate!
Uh….. I thought you were going to try and mate with me? Sky Painter asked, looking slightly down and to the side.
Of course, but you've got so many options I figure that I won't be good enough, Butterfree said, still fluttering about excitedly, looking around. But at least I know that the next butterfree I want to dance for will probably be okay with what I'm planning to do!
Um… okay then, Sky Painter said, looking down. But, maybe, you should dance before deciding on anything?
Okay! Butterfree trilled. He began to fly as he had practiced earlier. He darted from place to place, hovering, spinning, and presenting, before darting off again. He wove threads of flight all around Sky Painter, making sure to keep his form crisp and his wingbeats regular.
He wasn't even breathing hard when he finished, turning back to look at Sky painter.
Ta da! He crowed.
You've been practicing, Sky Painter said, looking him over with a critical eye. You're also well fed, but that's because you're a trained pokémon. I guess I have to come out and ask then.
Ask what? Butterfree inquired, tilting his head to the side.
Were you sick a lot when you were younger?
No, Butterfree replied, head still titled.
Do you know if your parents were sickly?
They were fine.
Were they big?
I guess, Butterfree, whose memories of his parents were of him as a caterpie being around a pair of butterfrees.
Hmmmm….. Sky Painter slowly circled him, looking him over. I think- Well, I think I should try and be fair.
And with that she began to flutter around Butterfree, giving him her own dance. Her movements were slower than his, but had an edge of grace that his own had lacked. She finished by coming to a stop right in front of him.
That was great! Butterfree cheered. You're really good at flying!
I try to live up to my name, Sky Painter replied, a smirk in her voice, and the butterfree equivalent on her face. Now, are you ready to get down to business?
Business? What- Ooooohhhh….Butterfree blushed again, face completely covered by the heat. Um, yes we should-
It was at that point that butterfrees began to fall out of the sky around them.
AN: I'd like to thank Amationary for beta reading.
Felt like doing something a little bit different in this version.
Thanks for reading and don't forget to review!