Looking for Recruits

A Charmander stepped around the small pond just outside of Grassveil Town. After his recent training session in the Shadowhue Forest, he decided to get back to what he was still looking to do. He had failed to find anybody anywhere that would serve as an appropriate teammate as of yet. Still, though...he wanted to find somebody worthy of creating a team with him. But so far, he'd had no luck simply asking around town or looking in the local dungeons for other training Pokémon. So this was the last place he could hope to find somebody...and he could only hope that he would find some better results. But so far, he was rather unimpressed with what he saw.

All around him were mostly younger Pokémon, play-battling or simply playing games with friends and family. There were even a few Pokémon here for a peaceful picnic. This area of the pond was definitely not what he was looking for. So he let out a frustrated grunt, put his claws behind his head and walked forward, making his way to the less-populous shore on the opposite side. This side of the pond was obscured from the rest by some heavy brush on the side. Sometimes, Pokémon would use the foliage to leap into the water from above...but for now, the area seemed empty enough. Maybe he could find somebody doing some training or practice battling out this way. Or at least somebody who didn't seem to be with a young child or be a young child themselves.

All Hidon could hope for was the presence of one Pokémon...just one! He only needed one Pokémon who could give him a good fight that would be willing to join his team. But was he going to be that lucky?

Pilot the Tailow had been refining his flight skills for what seemed like hours. It was tedious work, yes, but the bird felt that it was necessary to be in the best shape of his life before he joined the Grassveil Guild. He knew that he was good enough to be accepted, but that wasn't enough for him. Pilot didn't just want to join the guild, he wanted to thrive in it.

After practicing his (completely useless and flashy) aerobatics above the dense foliage of the forest, Pilot returned to the ground, intent on practicing the more practical aspects of flying. Maybe I could use these trees to work on my reaction time, the bird thought to himself. He fluttered his wings, and took flight, speeding through the understory of the forest. As he accelerated, Pilot found it increasingly more difficult to dodge the trees.

He weaved his way through the natural obstacle course, only narrowly avoiding a head-on collision with a giant tree. Close call, the bird thought to himself. This break in his concentration caused him to collide head-on with a Charmander which had happened to be in his path. Pilot fell to the forest floor, and tumbled into a tree.

Hidon put his arms behind his head as he continued to walk around, looking for any Pokémon. as he had expected, this side of the pond seemed rather barren. Most people preferred staying out in the open after all. That actually made this area a good spot for training if you didn't want to get interrupted by feral Pokémon attacks. Or at least, that's what his opinion about it was. He supposed that there was always the possibility that he was the only one who thought that way. And the idea that that might be the truth caused him to frown slightly. Would he never find an appropriate-?

SMACK!

Suddenly, out of nowhere, a blue and white bullet busted right out from the treeline in front of him and slammed directly into him from the front, smashing into his chest and easily bowling him right over, throwing him onto his back with a loud grunt of pain. "Wh-what the heck was...!?" he growled angrily, quickly getting back to his feet again and glaring around, trying to find whatever it was that had hit him. Whatever it was, it must be blue, white and...right over there?

The Charmander's eyes fell upon the Taillow laying sprawled out on the ground nearby, body resting up against the tree. And he identified the color scheme immediately. Upon finally laying eyes on his "attacker," he growled and clenched his fists. "Hey you!" he exclaimed, pointing an angry claw at the fallen Taillow. "Why don't you watch where you're flying, huh!?" He then paused, realizing that that might make him sound sort of weak. "N-not that it really hurt or anything, but still...!"

Pilot sprung up, laughing. "That was awesome!" He yelled, dusting himself off. The lucky bird had barely been damaged at all by the crash, only sustaining dizziness from tumbling around. He teetered towards the irate Charmander, still uncontrollably snickering. "Haha, sorry about that," The Tailow said, although his apology didn't sound very genuine. He wore a smug grin, obviously amused by the situation, and to some extent, the fiery lizard's rage.

Once he realized that the hot-headed Charmander might want to fight, Pilot stopped laughing. He started to analyze his potential opponent. I think I could take him, he thought to himself. Just as long as I can stay out of the range of his fire attacks- if he even has any...

Pilot stretched his wings out, just to make sure that they were okay from the crash. A twinge of pain went through his right wing, but it wasn't anything too serious. It's nothing that I can't work around...

Hidon scowled slightly when Pilot merely sprung upward, laughing and finding the crash "awesome" instead of embarrassing. He growled slightly when the Taillow merely snickered at him and giving him undoubtedly the least sincere apology he'd ever heard since his own whenever his father had caught him sneaking off into woods in the middle of the night. And to make things worse, he could very clearly read a smug look on that Taillow's face, which only made his own scowl deepen. If Pilot was pleased with the scenario, Hidon was the exact opposite.

"There something funny about this, you little runt?" he growled at the bird Pokémon. "You better wipe that stupid smirk off your beak before I spike it into the dirt and do it for you." He then grunted and crossed his arms, clearly thinking that this smaller bird Pokémon was absolutely no threat to him whatsoever. "And I better be getting a better apology than that while you're at it." He tried his best to sound tough and intimidating...but there was only so much a Charmander can do.

Pilot giggled at the use of the word "runt"; he wasn't very much smaller than the Charmander (at least, in his eyes). Also, considering that the lizard had been bowled over by the bird a few moments prior, it seemed bold to be calling him names and making demands... Okay, this guy obviously wants a fight, He thought to himself. I guess I'll give him one, then!

Pilot was confident, and yet, part of him wanted to remain cautious. He had a strange history of fighting Charmanders, and they had always proved to be formidable opponents. This one looks weak, though, Pilot told himself. Yeah, he's going down!

"Make me!" The Taillow squawked, the smug look still on his face. "I'll just knock you down like before! How does that sound?" After delivering his potentially fight-instigating taunt, the bird spread his wings further out, prepared to take flight if the Charmander charged. By this time, adrenaline was pumping through his veins, and it felt great. Why didn't he do this more often?

Hidon growled as he heard the Taillow before him merely let out a giggle at him. That only served to tick him off even further, making it even harder to resist the temptation of simply rushing him and smashing him into the dirt right now. However, he kept his cool for now. After all, just because he found something amusing about the situation did not mean that he wasn't going to give in to the demands like he was expected to. He smirked slightly himself, expecting the apology to just come spilling right out of the bird's beak.

But what came out instead merely caused his scowl to return. How dare this little pipsqueak talk back to him like that? Well then, he would just have to give him exactly what he wanted, wouldn't he? "It sounds like you're even stupider than I thought." Hidon growled back at the Taillow, starting to actually grow slightly unnerved by the constant smug look. How could he have such a look when facing off against him? Was he any stronger than a normal, average Taillow? Or was he just stupid? Well either way, there was only one way to find out.

"Fine. I'll do more than make you!" he growled at last, finally charging forward. He considered launching into his strongest attack right away for an easy, quick win. In the end, however, he decided to hold off on that and draw this out. So instead of striking in a full-body charge, he raised his claws and brought it down, trying to slash at the bird's body with his claws in a measly and rather unimpressive Scratch attack.

Pilot, anticipating the physical attack, flapped his wings and took flight. He did not leave unscathed, however, as the lizard had been quicker than he had anticipated. The Taillow had taken a shot to the chest while getting in the air. He squawked in distress from the attack, although it hadn't done very much damage.

Once in the air, Pilot perched himself on a nearby branch. He intended to find out whether or not the Charmander had any Fire attacks. If he did, they might pose a problem; if Pilot's wings were to get scorched, he would be forced to stay on the ground. Of course, there was a chance that his Guts ability would get activated, so in a way, it would benefit him.

"Hey, hotshot!" Pilot yelled, looking down at the fiery lizard from his new position. "I bet you can't get me from here!" If the Charmander had any fire attacks, he would surely use them now. Pilot curiously watched Hidon, waiting for a response.

Hidon's scowl quickly turned into a smirk when he felt his Scratch attack successfully claw against Pilot's chest. And better yet, the bird Pokémon had let out a squawk at the impact. He knew that the attack wasn't a strong one, but it had still done its damage. And according to his father, scoring the first hit was very important in a fight. It helped to set the rhythm of the battle in the attacker's favor. And now that he had, he was ready to follow the attack up with something else. Perhaps his Growl would do nicely? Make the fight even more one-sided? Or should he go in for a more damaging move next...?

As he considered his options, however, he had not paid much mind to Pilot's own actions. Before he knew it, the bird Pokémon had perched himself on a branch above, completely out of his reach. It was then that he realized it. His opponent could fly, which would make escaping from his attacks and breaking his rhythm all the easier. And now, his opponent had gotten well out of his attacking range. He growled at the realization, scowl returning just as quickly as it had left.

And then he did it. The Taillow began taunting him from his high perch. He growled very audibly and clenched his fists. At this point, he wished he had his Ember attack. he'd love nothing more than to blast that blasted bird right off that tree. But instead, all he had were a bunch of physical attacks...and none of them were going to reach the Taillow where he was perched. However, there was one more option he could turn to....

"Wanna bet!?" he shouted up at the Taillow before turning his attention to the trunk of the tree that Pilot was perched in. He then began running straight at it, draconic aura beginning to pulse around his body. The aura soon took the shape of a small dragon that surrounded his body and he tried to slam a punch at the tree utilizing his egg move, Dragon Rush. He hoped to slam the tree hard enough to at least shake it and cause the Flying-type to lose his balance on his precious branch. And if he could get him down here, beating him would be all the easier.

Pilot chuckled as the Charmander showed obvious signs of frustration. If he could get the lizard worked up enough, it could wear them out, which would make the fight even easier... As soon as he saw Hidon clench his fists, Pilot knew that he didn't have any fire attacks to use. Perfect, He thought. This should be a piece of cake.

And then his foe charged towards the trunk of the tree, surrounded in a strange aura. Before he could even react, the tree shook violently, catching him off balance. Pilot fell towards the ground, just as Hidon had planned, but he spread his wings, propelling himself into the sky. Alright, no more talking, Pilot thought, smirking. It's Brave Bird time.

Once he was at a sufficient altitude, the bird looped, beginning a vertical drop. As he plummeted towards the ground, Pilot accelerated. Just before he would've smashed his face into the forest floor, the Taillow leveled out with the surface. He glided towards Hidon, still retaining the speed he had picked up during the drop. As he got closer, Pilot tensed, knowing that the impact would hurt. He'd better not get up after this...

Hidon grinned as he saw the Taillow fall right out of the tree, just as he had planned! And now all he had to do was catch him and slam him into the ground and this fight would be just as good as his! ...Unfortunately for him, however, it turned out to be not so easy to corner a Bird Pokémon. Before the Taillow had even come close enough for him to strike with any kind of attack, Pilot had spread his wings outward and caught himself mid-fall. This caused the bird Pokémon to take to the sky once more instead of merely crashing to the ground like he had hoped. He growled slightly under his breath, cursing his own luck for a moment while he tried to keep an eye on the flying Pokémon.

Hidon watched the bird carefully, keeping up with his movements easily enough. However, it wasn't long before Pilot had come back toward the ground, willingly coming down to his level. What was he, nuts? Down here, he would definitely have the advantage! Well, if this was how he wanted to do it, then so be it. He'd be ready. He crouched down and readied his next move, watching Pilot as he plummeted. Finally, he began to charge forward, the draconic aura returning for another Dragon Rush attack. However, he had not expected Pilot to pull back up at the last second and come rushing right after him using a new attack of his own.

This did not stop the Charmander, however. Hidon did not flinch and did not hesitate. He thrust his fist forward, using his Dragon Rush at the incoming Taillow, completely convinced that his attack was superior. Unfortunately for him, though, the truth was painful. His attack was not naturally as powerful as the Taillow's, and the Taillow also got a power increase due to the type of attack he was attacking with. Hidon had no such advantage for him. So when he swung his fist forward, it was overpowered almost immediately. His arm was knocked to the side and the Taillow slammed powerfully into his chest. "GAH!" he cried out in pain as the Brave Bird met its target. He was carried backward by the Taillow, unable to resist the overwhelming power of his foe's attack....

Pilot wasn't so lucky this time around. The impact of the attack probably caused as much harm to him as it did to Hidon; he took a direct hit to the abdomen. After plowing through the Charmander, Pilot was going to squawk in pain, but the wind had been knocked out of him. When he opened his beak to scream, no sound exited. The bird threw himself off of his foe, tumbling several meters away. When he finally came to a stop, Pilot was on his back, desperately gasping for air.

It took a few seconds for the Tiny Swallow Pokemon to recover from the hit. As he struggled to his feet, Pilot searched for his foe, perhaps to follow up with another attack. However, in his disoriented haze, he couldn't locate Hidon. To get a better view, Pilot spread his wings, preparing to take off...

Hidon was thrown backward and up against a nearby tree. He grunted loudly in pain as his back was thrown up against it, causing him to fall forward and collapse to the ground at its trunk. He groaned, having sustained some serious damage from that attack. But it would take more than that to keep him down...or so he was determined to convince this Taillow of anyway. He pushed his hands against the ground next to his chest, heaving his body from the ground. He then tried to look around for his foe, wanting to see what had become of him. Thankfully, it was not a hard find, given the blue and white coloration on the green background. It seemed like his own blow had landed a solid enough hit after all. Well, that was perfect. Now all he needed to do was capitalize on the damage and be the first to inflict some more.

However, by the time he was up, he could see that Pilot was also getting back to his feet again. His eyes widened slightly when the Taillow spread his wings. The Charmander didn't need another demonstration to know what that meant. He needed to charge now and charge hard. He did not hesitate. He dashed forward, trying to ignore the exhaustion that was already starting to build in his body and causing him to be shorter on breath than usual. Flames sparked to life around his body as he picked up speed, and he attempted to slam a Flame Charge attack directly into Pilot's body as hard as he could, hoping that he could smash into him before he was able to take wing.

However, should Pilot be successful in taking off before he could get close enough to strike, he would find himself running head-first into a tree thanks to the lack of resistance.

Despite being rather dazed, Pilot was able to get into the air long before the Charmander could have even hoped to have reached him. Ironically, he was completely oblivious to the threat as he took wing. It was only when he looked down that he noticed Hidon charging at the spot he had been occupying moments ago. He didn't, however, notice that the lizard was heading right for a tree.

That was close, Pilot thought to himself. I can tell that would've hurt... He landed on a branch, his body aching in pain. While he wasn't necessarily winded, the bird had sustained some serious damage, particularly to his wings and ribcage. He wasn't used to that kind of abuse. I need a new plan... I can't just keep crashing into this guy.

For a few seconds, Pilot completely zoned out, trying to come up with some sort of strategy. The only technique he could use in the air would hurt him, but he would also have a disadvantage if he took a ground approach. When the bird zoned back in, he focused his attention on Hidon.

Hidon's eyes widened with surprise when he charged directly underneath where the Taillow was now flying. He hadn't been able to stop him after all. Well, he'd just have to deal with it. But unfortunately for him, the dodge meant more than he would get no damage off. Due to his carelessness, a tree was directly in his path and his body unexpectedly smacked directly into it. He grunted from he impact and stumbled back. He himself was dazed for a couple of seconds, but at least he hadn't suffered any real damage.

He needed to refocus on the Taillow again. If he didn't, then the bird Pokémon would probably take advantage of the situation and strike him again while he wasn't paying attention. He shook his head to try to stop it from spinning and to shake off the small amount of exhaustion he was starting to feel creep up in his system and looked around for the Tiny Swallow Pokémon as best he could. He figured he wouldn't find him on he ground, so he scanned the trees around him. And sure enough, there he was, perched on a high branch like before. But even better...he seemed to be zoned out himself.

And that ticked Hidon off. "Grrr...pay attention, you little runt!" he shouted. One thing he didn't like was to feel like he was being ignored. And with that look on the Taillow's face, that seemed to be happening. However, he didn't make any advances just yet. Last time he had tried to knock the Taillow from the tree, it had gotten him smashed by that last powerful attack. And he certainly didn't want to feel another one of those.