Persuading the Pidgeys!

First topic message reminder :

Crash the Tyrogue, a member of the guild, found himself in the Pecha Forest once again on a request from Wurmple. Apparently, according to his cry for help, there were simply too many Pidgey in the area! For him, it must have been scary for a bug-type like him with all of those birds around. It was good for him that there were explorers like Crash around to keep the peace. Usually, a fighting-type going into a job like this would seem like a bad idea, what with brawns over brains. However, this Tyrogue was going to try a "diplomatic" approach before he did anything rash. The pokemon walked through the forest at a brisk pace, trying to find the pokemon who were plaguing this forest.

Varda was quickly hopping after the other Pokémon as she started moving once more, both of them keeping their eye out for those Pidgey there were supposed to find, he was sure! At least the bird did his best, for once actually knowing what they were looking for. He knew what a Pidgey looked like, so it was impossible for him to miss them! ...Unless they were hiding so well, as it seemed like they were. He did notice a small seed on the ground, which he picked up and put in his bag. He was a bird, after all – he quite liked seeds.

The Swablu looked up and noticed that Lumina seemed to have spotted something in the bush as well, ruffling his feathers a bit in excitement as he almost expected it to be a Pidgey. He started following behind her slowly, prepared for anything that would jump out... But the fox just pulled out a small, pink candy and showed it to the blue bird, even offering it for him.
"Oh, yes, I can take it! I think I owe Dawn one Gummi," Varda cooed, already opening his bag as he grabbed the candy with his foot and put it in. His teammate had shared one Gummi with him before, which he found to be a rather nice gesture! It would have been nice to repay her for it one day, too.

"Thank you, Lumina," he chirped happily, flapping his wings before he suddenly stopped, his eyes noticing something else in the bush as well. Something... Pink! His eyes widened and a smile appeared on his face as he got closer to inspect it.
"Look, I think there's another one," the Swablu started as he pushed the branches aside with his wings to reveal what he had hoped was another pink Gummi... Yet in reality, it was one of those strange plant Pokémon they had met earlier with Lumina, during the time when they first met in the forest. Immediately Varda jumped backwards as the Pokémon crawled outside of its bushy hideyhole.


Current Energy: 13 (19 -2 from items -4 from enemy encounter. Got 1 Swift Seed and 1 Pink Gummi.)

((No Pidgey with that roll, but we can roll it once per page so you can roll Mission Dice next page if you want, maybe you'll be luckier.))

The Vulpix glanced around the sky, trying to see if anything was flying in the air, but after a minute this proved fruitless. Instead, she looked up at the tree branches, trying to see if she could spot any Pidgey perched up there. She still had no luck, or maybe they had just camouflaged themselves? It was possible they were hiding among the leaves.

She loosened her grip on the pink gummi as Varda went to take it, turning her attention back to the Swablu. "Not a problem." She responded simply. She wondered who Dawn was, the Pokemon he had said that he owed a gummi. After a moment of considering this, she decided not to ask about it. It was probably nothing.

She was about to continue on when the bird Pokemon seemed to find another gummi. It was the right pink colour, but if she looked closely, it seemed to be the wrong thickness and shape... She moved to stop him, but she was too late. It wasn't a gummi, it was the mouth of another Weepinbell, crawling out of the bushes and glaring at the duo.

"Step back, Varda!" Lumina barked, creating a small vortex of fire, the Weepinbell caught directly in the centre of it. The circle of flames swirled around the plant Pokemon, singing it while also trapping it in the middle of the vortex. The Fox Pokemon backed away, letting the Fire Spin do it's job.

Energy: 22

PhantomSun carried out 1 launched of one Mission Dice :

1

Varda blinked in confusion as he stared the plant Pokémon in its large eyes, perhaps a bit too close for comfort if one asked anyone watching the scene unfold. The two were face to face, and this was where the bird noticed that the other Pokémon certainly had a large mouth... But luckily he wasn't allowed to stay and think about it for too long, as otherwise the Swablu might have continue making such revelations inside the plant's mouth! Lumina's command caused the bird Pokémon to act immediately, spreading his wings as he jumped and flapped, letting his body to be lifted into the air and out of the way of the fox's fire.

A roaring vortex of flame erupted around the Weepinbell, enveloping it completely and trapping it inside as the fierce fire licked the Pokémon's body, leaving behind dark burn marks. Varda gently floated back down, letting his feet touch the ground and land safely. Last time the fox and the bird were fighting a similar enemy, they were in trouble. They were outnumbered, weaker, battered by the blows and quite hurt, in the end. But now, the two of them were much stronger. The plant Pokémon didn't stand a chance, trapped by the fires that soon caused its soot-covered body to fall down as the flames finally died down around it.

The Swablu kept looking at the Pokémon, not wanting to turn his back in case it did get up, silence falling upon them. But no, the feral one didn't even try. It stayed where it had fallen, unmoving. Finally the bird could back away, waddling over to Lumina with sparkling eyes of awe.
"That was so amazing," Varda cooed with a quiet voice.


Current Energy: 14 (+1 from new page)

(Gotta love it when you can't fix typos because you rolled the dice.)

The Vulpix watched closely as the fire gradually died down, readying herself for when the Weepinbell escaped and she would have to fight it. But that time didn't come, for the Fire Spin seemed to be enough to take it down. By the time her attack was finished, the flower-like Pokemon had been defeated, dark burn marks riddling it's body.

She glanced back at Varda, keeping an eye on the grass type while she did so, in case it was just faking it's defeat. He seemed to be awestruck by what she'd just done, and to be honest, the Vulpix was a bit surprised too. "I... Thank you." She muttered, unsure of what else to say.  Perhaps she was more powerful than she thought she was, though even if that was the case, she didn't want to let it go to her head.

Cautiously, she walked over to the Weepinbell, remembering the trouble that one of these things gave her and Varda last time they came to Pecha Forest. She looked past it to find yet another seed, which after a moment, she picked up and put in her bag. It had been slightly burnt by her fire, but it would probably still work. She cleared her throat, continuing to keep an eye on the feral Pokemon, as if she still thought it might try to get back up. "Shall we keep going?"

Varda just nodded to Lumina, as cheerful as ever as she thanked the bird's compliments, seeming a bit less excited herself. Or perhaps she was just dumbstruck and expressed her awe at her own powers that way! The bird was awfully chipper as he hopped closer, just smiling as he followed the fox and most likely forgetting all about the world around them, so carefree and not worrying about any other feral Pokémon attacking them. Being close to Lumina certainly made him feel very safe!

"Yes, let's go! The Swablu chirped in a melodic tweet, using his wings to float to the fox Pokémon's side and then waddling at a brisk enough pace to keep up with the other one's steps. Slowly the awe the little bird had felt was dying down, causing his steps to be slightly less springy and floaty, his eyes more concentrated on their surroundings. The walk was rather uneventful and Varda couldn't see anything... But suddenly, he heard the rustling of leaves above them.

He glanced up, only managing to see the passing silhouette of... Something hidden in the treetops. Varda already spread his cottony wings as if he was prepared to take off, turning his eyes towards Lumina as if asking her for a command of some kind, their next step. He was silent, not letting out even the quietest of coos just in case whatever was up there would leave – or attack – the moment he opened his beak.

The orange vixen looked up quickly, just in time to catch a glimpse of something flying into the cover of the canopy. Was it a Pidgey, maybe? Lumina glanced over at Varda, who was looking over at her expectantly. She kept her voice soft but clear, trying to prevent whatever was up there from hearing them. More likely than not, it was feral.

"Varda, could you go check what's up there?" That probably went without saying, but the Swablu had seemed to be looking to her for directions. She craned her head upwards and looked into the treetops, searching for any hint that a Pidgey was up there, though she struggled to find it next to the similarly coloured tree bark. But something was in that tree, that much she was sure of.

Varda gave a determined nod as the fox gave him the command he had been waiting for softly, seemingly rather natural at following orders. The bird jumped up and flapped his spread wings, the cloud-like feathers quietly lifting him in the air as the wind created by him caused the grass underneath to sway. He beat his wings faster, rising higher and higher as he battled against the gravity to reach the treetops and whatever that had been hiding from their eyes. The branches seemed to be unmoving and the leaves just seemed to be moving due to the wind... Whatever was in there didn't seem to be moving, instead hiding from the two Pokémon.

The Swablu finally disappeared inside the thick foliage, letting his feet rest on the branch and causing it to bend down a bit, only making quiet rustling noises. The noises continued as the bird kept walking along the branch, heading deeper into the maze hidden by the eyes of those who couldn't fly. Now, there clearly was some more movement as he was getting closer to whatever it was that was hiding, the silhouette keeping its distance and avoiding the blue bird. Varda didn't give up, picking up the pace until he could see the brown and cream feathers of a familiar Pokémon species, finally finding what they had been looking for!

Some chirping was heard from the tree as the two birds finally bumped into each other, both most likely a bit frightened by such a sudden meeting. But the Swablu knew he had to act fast! Lumina couldn't get so high up to deal with the mission and he couldn't just let the other bird escape, right? As the Pidgey attempted to get away, Varda quickly grabbed its feet with his own as he let them both fall out of the tree, slowing their fall with strong flaps of his wings. His "prey" ended up tweeting and squirming in his grasp, eventually breaking free before they managed to hit the ground all the way.

Lumina watched carefully, unable to tell what was going on as the leaves rustled, hiding what was going on between Varda and what she presumed was a Pidgey. She squinted, occasionally catching a flash of blue, white or cream from the tree tops, but otherwise she couldn't be certain what was going on. The Vulpix waited patiently, and after roughly a minute, the two bird Pokemon emerged from the branches.

As the Pokemon, which she could clearly see as a Pidgey now, tried to fly off as it broke free from Varda's grip. Seeing her chance, the Vulpix formed a small, purple-black orb an inch or two away from her chest, focusing on the Pidgey. The tiny sphere floated towards the bird Pokemon in a zigzagging pattern before hitting it's back, and with a puzzled chirp from the Pidgey, it started to change directions randomly. It flew left, right and diagonally before it accidently hit a tree and fell out of the sky, obviously dazed.

It wasn't knocked out yet, but it seemed momentarily disoriented, and she doubted it would have much success if it tried to run away again. Lumina stayed ready to strike if it tried to fly off, she could probably hit it with Quick Attack before it left the ground if she needed to. She walked towards it, silently watching to see what it would do next.

Varda quickly straightened himself as the Pidgey broke free from his claws, both still in the air and doing their best to actually stay airborne, forced in a rather awkward position by their little fight. The white, cloudy wings were flapped a bit clumsily as the blue bird somehow managed to not crash to the ground and land on his feathery behind. He extended his feet and he plopped to the ground, having just enough time to quickly look up at the other bird Pokémon. The Pidgey had managed to straighten itself in the air as well, but instead of landing, it seemed to be planning to fly away. The Swablu already was quickly opening his wings as he prepared to take off again, but luckily he had a partner to back him up.

Lumina had spat out a strange, shadowy orb that floated towards the feral Pokémon, hitting it but seemingly not causing any damage even though the bird did let out a little chirp as the sphere made contact. But it certainly had an effect despite that! The Pidgey no longer seemed to be able to fly in a straight pattern – and perhaps it didn't even know where it was anymore! With a splat, the little bird even flew into a tree accidentally, falling down to the ground. The confused Pokémon seemed to be very dazed, both from Lumina's attack and the hit it had just suffered, just sitting on the soft grass as it tried to make some sense of its surroundings.

Varda walked over to the fox as he kept glancing at the feral Pokémon, though it didn't seem to be making a move yet. Lumina herself seemed to be prepared for the Pidgey's escape as she approached it with the Swablu right behind her.
"Oh... What did the client want to do with them...?" The bird asked quietly, a bit unsure how to continue with this.

The vixen paused, glancing at Varda. "Well..." Truth be told, she hadn't thought that far ahead. The mission request said they just had to defeat it, right? "... I think we're supposed to knock it out." She offered. She couldn't be sure how that would solve the problem, since there was no promise that making it faint would convince the Pidgey to move out of Pecha Forest, and she wasn't about to kill it, either. With a small shrug, she looked back at the feral Pokémon.

"Oh," Varda just said blankly, looking back at the Pidgey. The small bird was still sitting on the ground, looking quite helpless in its confused state as it stared with large eyes, seemingly not able to make heads or tails of anything going around it. He was feeling like such a bully if he was supposed to attack the poor little thing. It was a feral Pokémon and surely it had attacked other explorers before, perhaps it meant attacking it was justified... But it just didn't feel right. Besides, how would it even fix the problem? The Pidgey would eventually wake up and probably stay in the forest and their mission would just be useless – unless the client had decided to keep doing this until the bird Pokémon he disliked left!

The Pidgey slowly started to get on its feet, stumbling down a couple of times as its legs were wobbling and it was still quite disoriented due to flying into the tree. The Swablu tried to think quick, looking at Lumina.
"What if we bring them elsewhere? Maybe they wouldn't come back," he suggested, feeling that his idea had slightly better chance of actually working. While that most likely still included knocking the Pidgey out to transport it out of the forest safely, Varda still tried another tactic. Stepping forward, he started to sing a peaceful melody of beautiful, bird-like tweets, trying to lull the other bird to sleep.

(Sorry for the delay in posting. I had some trouble finding the site through google and it took some digging to find it again.)

The Vulpix dug her feet a bit more firmly into the ground, trying to shake off a feeling of tiredness as she heard the Swablu's song. It took her a moment, but she realized he was using Sing. It wasn't too difficult for her to avoid drifting off to sleep herself, since the attack hadn't been aimed at her, but it still took a bit of willpower to resist it. After a few seconds, he had stopped singing, and the Pidgey seemed to be fast asleep.

Lumina watched it closely, observing the soft rise and fall of it's chest. It didn't seem to be faking it's slumber, unless it was a really good actor. She was still facing the bird Pokémon as she spoke to Varda, voicing her concerns. "It isn't too bad of an idea to bring it elsewhere. Just knocking it out and hoping it will move away didn't seem like a very solid plan, frankly." She began, halfway turning her head back towards the Swablu so she could keep him and the Pidgey in her sights at the same time. "But where do you think we could move them?"

Varda's song ended eventually and the confused Pidgey was no longer desperately looking around or trying to get up. It had fallen asleep, slumbering peacefully under the tree it had bumped into in its confusion. His little plan had seemed to be working – up until now at least. The other bird was currently harmless, though they would have to be careful not to wake it up. The Swablu did motion Lumina to keep her voice down, just in case the Pidgey's sleep wasn't as deep as it seemed, not wanting to wake it up now and go through it all again...

The blue bird nodded at the fox as she commented on his idea of moving the feral birds somewhere else, finding the earlier plan of just knocking them out a bit silly herself as well. That honestly seemed like it would only solve half of the required puzzle in this case! But there was something Lumina brought up that the Swablu hadn't really thought about yet: where would they move them?
"Oh, well" Varda cooed quietly, deep in thought. It was a good question.
"I'm not entirely sure. Maybe... The edge of the forest? Or maybe deeper in the forest and hope they don't go where our client is after that?" He turned his head to the side as he tried to figure something out, looking at the fox-like Pokémon.

"Should we maybe tie it up? It's not going to stay asleep forever," the Swablu asked suddenly as his gaze turned back to the sleeping bird, letting his eyes stay there for a moment. It didn't seem to be showing any signs of waking up or escaping yet... But they were hardly finished and there were many opportunities for the Pidgey to wake up!
"I do have this ribbon I could use..."


((I noticed the site disappearing from Google searches as well. Pretty strange, but at least I have this place bookmarked now. Don't worry about it though, I just hope no one else managed to lose the link to this site...))

This plan didn't exactly seem as bulletproof as the Vulpix would've liked, if she was being honest with herself. The client had wanted the bird Pokemon out of the forest completely, hadn't he? Then again, that was a lot to ask, she couldn't exactly force the Pidgey to move. They had just as much a right to live here as the Wurmple did, didn't they? Lumina, Lumina... I thought you swore off morally questionable jobs after what happened with the Solrock and Lunatone. Her own thoughts lightly scolded her.

She considered what Varda was saying about tying it up, and she slowly nodded. "That's not a bad idea... I've got a ribbon we could use, too, in case we run into another one." She lifted her forepaw slightly, showing the midnight blue ribbon she had wrapped around her lower foreleg. Some part of her was already dreading the prospect of trying to put it back on afterwards, it was a pain to get this ribbon on every morning without hands. Sometimes she envied Noel, for the Riolu's aura sensing and opposable thumbs, but she was getting sidetracked. The Vulpix focused back on Varda, her eyes slightly narrowed.

"We might have to make two trips, though, since we'd only have enough ribbons to deal with two Pidgey at a time. Are you alright with that?" She asked, fairly sure that she could predict the Swablu's answer, but it would be good to make sure. It would've been easier to just knock out these Pidgey and pray to Arceus that solved the problem, but something told her that wouldn't help much. She was satisfied that they had come up with what would hopefully be a more permanent solution to the Wurmple's problem.

Varda looked quite happy when when his idea of tying up the Pidgey was complimented, nodding as the fox showed him her own. Indeed, she did have a strap of blue cloth trapped around one of her legs, a similar one to the one he had gotten from the Guild when he had signed up – just a different color. It was better to have two things to tie the birds up with than one, certainly. That way they wouldn't run out of "rope" after the first one!

Using his beak to untie the pink Guild ribbon from his bag's strap, he gently held it in his mouth as he waddled over to the sleeping Pidgey, still trying to be quiet. Waking it up right would have been rather annoying, but luckily it had just been put to sleep so hopefully that meant the sleep was still deeper. The Swablu placed the ribbon on top of the smaller brown bird as he started to manipulate his temporary rope with his little feet, pulling the ribbon over and under.
"Yes," Varda chirped quietly, almost whispering when Lumina brought up that they would have to make more than one round as they only had two ribbons to tie up two birds, asking him if he was fine with it. The ribbon was being secured around the Pidgey's wings and feet, trying to disable its only methods of escaping.

"They are rather large and heavy, too... I don't think we could even carry too many of them at the same time," he continued with a small, chirping laugh. Of course, he was a rather small and light bird himself, a similarly sized Pidgey was a lot heavier to him than it would be for many other Pokémon. For Varda, carrying even one Pidgey was most likely a rather daunting task!
"There," the Swablu said, pulling on the ribbon with his beak for one last time to tighten it up and secure it in place. The Pidgey had ended up being a rather neat package wrapped in a pretty little pink ribbon, still looking like it was asleep.

"Now we just have to lift it up and start finding a good place for them, right?" Varda turned towards Lumina as he asked his question, tilting his head to the side.