Chapter 74:
"Get out now — I'll give you one chance to leave Pidgeotto territory!"
Hayashi Kaede sat astride Pidgeot, enjoying a little borrowed authority, and projected his words outward using the forest's power.
"Pidgeot!"
Pidgeot answered with a timely warning cry.
The flock of Spearow snapped to attention, panic flaring through them. They scattered in every direction; a few panicked Spearow even collided mid-flight and dropped, stunned.
In a short while they vanished without a trace, leaving nothing but feathers on the ground.
Behind Pidgeot, the gathered Pidgey and Pidgeotto — after their momentary shock — erupted into cheers.
"Pidgey!"
Their celebration rolled like thunder. Tears glinted in their eyes as they looked at one another, then fixed on the Pidgeot at the center, swirling around it and calling out in joy.
Kaede could read the meaning of their cries: they accepted this Pidgeot as their true leader.
"Well, that's good~"
Seeing so many Pidgey and Pidgeotto clustered around him, Kaede's thoughts began to race.
Pidgey are hardy and have decent speed in flight. He'd been thinking that if he ever developed a delivery service, Pidgeot would be the obvious courier. But one Pidgeot was overkill for simple deliveries and it couldn't run them day and night alone.
Now, with so many Pidgey and Pidgeotto here… maybe he could "recruit" them to help.
He grinned at the idea.
"Pidgeot, Pidgeot!"
Rather than indulge Kaede's fantasies, Pidgeot was busy barking orders, sounding like a leader after a great victory — giving its own post-battle summary to the surrounding Pidgey and Pidgeotto.
"Pidgeot!" (From now on, as long as my Master and I are here, our territory will never again be occupied!)
The flock answered with fierce zeal.
"Pidgey!" (Leader!)
"Pidgey~!" (Commander!)
"Pidgey!" (Leader…)
Kaede didn't interrupt their celebration; he could feel Pidgeot's spirits were high — not only from driving out the Fearow but also from the new sense of duty it now felt. It knew the local flock would listen to it.
But Pidgeot had only been evolved a day; it still wasn't entirely sure how to handle everything. It turned its gaze to Hayashi Kaede.
"Pidgeot?"
The Trainer was its anchor.
Kaede smiled faintly. "Ask me what to do? You came to the right person. Here's the plan: you've got two days to reclaim those areas the Spearow and other Pokémon stole. Then pick ten clever Pidgey and ten steady Pidgeotto and bring them to the Breeding House. We'll give them a loose organization — just enough help. They can volunteer if they want. What do you think?"
"Pidgeot~" Pidgeot nodded. It suddenly remembered that while it had been away, the Plantation had seemed almost undefended. Even after evolving, it still felt its duty to the Plantation.
Kaede patted its head. "That's fine — Gardevoir is guarding the house."
"Alright, set me down. Now's the time to consolidate the Pidgey and Pidgeotto — don't waste it."
Kaede didn't force anything. He wasn't demanding them to sign away their freedom; driving out the Spearow simply restored the Pidgeot's region. They could still live in the forest. Nature has its balance — mountains, trees, rivers, and every Pokémon are part of it. Humans should only intervene enough to correct ecological problems; too much interference risks upsetting the balance.
After Pidgeot set him down, Kaede looked up. Pidgeot met his gaze with a resolute light.
Pidgeot had decided.
It didn't fully understand what the Trainer wanted the Pidgey and Pidgeotto for, but it would choose the ten best and stand guard for its Trainer.
[System]: Congratulations — Pidgeot's Friendship has risen to 100. Reward: Ho-Oh's Sacred Feather.
(Ho-Oh's Sacred Feather: a holy feather condensed from Ho-Oh's energy. If absorbed by a Pokémon with a pure heart, it greatly boosts aptitude and power.)
"Whoa…"
The system's voice made Kaede catch his breath. He glanced up at Pidgeot. How had it gotten so lucky?
Shrugging, he didn't hand the Sacred Feather to Pidgeot right away. Instead he recalled Servine and headed toward the forest exit.
Out of sight, a Lucario leaning against a tree watched the peaceful aftermath between Pidgey and Spearow and closed its eyes again.
"Lucario…" (Handled well…)
On the walk back:
"Servine…"
Servine trailed behind Kaede with a bored expression, watching a Caterpie quiver in fear between the two clans. It'd hoped for a proper battle this trip, but Pidgeot had solved things on its own.
"You disappointed?" Kaede stopped and, when Servine came up beside him, offered: "Want to go stir up the Beedrill area instead?"
"Servine?"
Servine rolled its eyes. It wanted a fair fight — not to gang up on a Beedrill hive.
Kaede laughed heartily at the expression.
"Servine?" (What are you laughing at?)
"Nothing… I just think your eye-roll looks cute. It reminds me of when you were a Snivy." Kaede said without restraint.
"Servine? Servine!"
Two vine whips shot out, quickly wrapping around Kaede's waist and hands, yanking him off the ground and suspending him in midair.
"Ah? Wait — what are you doing?!"
Dangling suddenly, Kaede blinked. "I was complimenting you, Servine!"
"Servine!" (I don't need that kind of praise!)
Servine bound Kaede behind it and strode toward the forest's edge without looking back.
Being teased about one's childhood — even a Pokémon's — often sparks an embarrassed reaction. Servine claimed it wasn't shy; it was just miffed.
Kaede was left blinking in mild confusion. "Huh?"