Chapter 1: House Wren

Finally...freedom...

This was what Pidgeottwo was thinking as he soared through the nighttime air. Across the skies of Johto, he flew, all the while wondering how the psychic power that was holding him was still working, despite the distance away from its user. But, he eventually just wrote it off as Mewtwo's incredible, artificial strength. Artificial...Pidgeottwo would have to try to use that word as little as possible. After all, he wasn't any different from naturally born Pokémon. Besides how he was born, of course. And his unnatural strength. Shoot, he thought, hopefully adjusting to wild life won't be too difficult...

Pidgeottwo continued to fly high, not entirely sure where he was going. He supposed he was just waiting for the psychic energy to run out, after which he would soar on his own wings. Well, I guess I better find some place to rest, he thought. It wouldn't be wise to just fly around all night. So finally, after what felt like hours, he flew down into a peaceful looking forest he had found. As soon as he landed, the psychic power enveloping him let up, and the blue aura surrounding him disappeared. Pidgeottwo then looked around and saw a few Pokémon wandering about. They looked like they had just woken up. Huh...Pidgeottwo wondered to himself...I guess I was flying all night, huh?

Well, no time like the present to start life in the wild.

Pidgeottwo flew to the ground and began to wonder: How exactly do I start a life in the wild from here? Where do I start?

Right as he began to wonder how to get started with his second chance, he heard a voice behind him yell: "Hey! Not often we see a Pidgeot around here, or even a Pidgey or a Pidgeotto." Pidgeottwo looked behind him and saw a Pokémon completely strange to him. It had a red head and back, with a grey belly and black wings tipped with yellow. On its tail feathers, it had two white stripes. She flew down to the ground to properly greet Pidgettwo. "Guess you're new here! Hi," she greatly cheerfully, "I'm Fletchinder!" Pidgeottwo had never seen Fletchinder before.

"Um, h-hi..." Pidgeottwo greeted nervously, "I'm Pidgeottw-" he quickly stopped himself before he said something stupid. "u-uh-um...Pidgeot."Wow, that was weird, saying it out loud, he thought.

Fletchinder looked at him with a curious expression. She had heard him stammer a bit on his name, but she decided that it probably wasn't important and that he was just nervous. Though, what he could have been nervous about was anyone's guess. Maybe he hasn't seen a Fletchinder before? It would make sense, considering he seemed to be new to the area.

"So..." she looked at him curiously, "am I correct in assuming that you're new to these parts?"

"Pidgeot" looked at her and nodded without a word. Well, this is certainly some start to my new life, he thought.

Fletchinder then flapped her wings and hovered just above the ground. "Well, since you're new here," she said as she beckoned him to follow, "I'll show you around. There are lots of great trees around here, and I'll even show you some good places to get berries from!" Pidgeot nodded and with a flap of his great wings, he followed her. Might as well take her up on her offer, ain't like I have any better ideas right now.

So the two flew off, and as they were flying Fletchinder continued the conversation. "The humans call these woods 'Santalune Forest,'" she explained. "A lot of Pokémon live here, mostly bugs like Caterpie and Weedle." Pidgeottwo was familiar with those Pokémon, as he'd seen some on Mt. Quena. She then landed on a tree branch and pointed to a pond with some berry trees on the other end, "Here is where a lot of us come for water, and those berry trees on the other side always yield really ripe and juicy berries!"

Pidgeottwo examined the area. I doubt this water is as pure as the water from the mountain. He then flew down and tried some for himself. "Hmm...it is good..." he said quietly. "What berries usually grow around here?" He asked curiously. Fletchinder flew down and took a sip herself before answering.

"Well, there's an abundance of the blue and pink ones. And also, some that look like bananas and raspberries." She flew over to grab some and brought them to Pidgeottwo. "That's usually what grow around here, anyway." She dropped two Oran Berries and a Nanab berry in front of Pidgeottwo. "Try them." He picked one of the Oran Berries and gave it a peck before grabbing the rest of it and finishing it.

"That was good." He then took the other two berries and ate them.

"Glad you liked them!" Fletchinder then grabbed a couple for herself and ate them. Pidgeottwo then looked at her and spoke.

"I have a question," Pidgeottwo said without thinking, "am I still in the Johto region?"

Fletchinder then looked at him as if he were a fool and began to laugh. "No, silly!" She said as she calmed to a giggle. "This is the Kalos region!" Pidgeottwo was surprised.

"The Kalos region?" He'd never heard of this place but he imagined it must have been farther from Johto than he had thought, if her looking at him like he was stupid was any indication.

"Yep. That's what the humans know it as, anyway." She chirped, "a lot of them pass through these woods so you learn a little more about them every time."

Pidgeottwo suddenly got a funny feeling in his stomach. Humans come through here? Shoot...he thought as he looked around. "Are, uh..." he was about to ask a bit of an uneasy question for himself. "I-wh-what are these humans like?"

Fletchinder looked at him and shrugged her shoulders. "Well, they usually keep to themselves. Some of them are trainers and occasionally, they camp out here and they treat their Pokémon well." She then took another sip of water and then asked, "why?"

Pidgeottwo shuffled his feet in slight unease. "I, uh...just wanted to know. Thanks." He hoped she was right. He hoped that there really were good humans out here that loved and cared for Pokémon, like those that helped him and the other clones on Mt. Quena. Hopefully, there were no more Giovannis out here.

Then, he was hit by a sudden realization: why was Fletchinder so nice to him? Especially right away? "Hey, Fletchinder?" He began to ask, "why did you decide to help me? Especially since we just met?"

Now it was her turn to get nervous. "Uhhh...no special reason, really." She started to look a little sad, then said quietly, "I just...wanted to help..." she looked like she was thinking about something, possibly remembering something.

Pidgeottwo put his wing on her shoulder and spoke gently, "hey, it's ok. I appreciate your help, really I do. It just seemed kind of sudden to me because of...reasons..." No, no, don't blow it! She mustn't know! He couldn't give her any leads onto what he really was...

"Oh..." she said, "did you, um...have a poor experience with a trainer?" She hoped she wasn't prying to much.

Pidgeottwo closed his eyes and sighed. "I suppose you could say that." He then smiled. "But, hey! It's ok! It's in the past now. I'm here now and I'm ready to live!"

Fletchinder giggled. "You say that as if you haven't been living up until now!"

Oh, Fletchinder...Pidgeottwo thought, you have no idea how right you are. "Well, I kinda haven't, heheh..."

"Well, come on!" Fletchinder chirped merrily, "I'll introduce you to some of my other friends and maybe we can find you a place to stay!"

"Awesome!" Pidgeottwo said, "Let's go!"

Finally, a chance to really start living. Finally, a chance to really be a Pokémon... Pidgeottwo thought as he and his new friend flew off. Yes, this was looking the start of a great new life! He was just hoping that the other clones would find good lives, too.