No one had been allowed to leave the previous evening, of course. The Ranger Team that had been dispatched to Diglett’s cave had shown up only minutes after the fighting finished. Even if they hadn’t arrived in time to help with the conflict, they had done a stellar job in the aftermath. They’d seen to the various wounded pokémon, both wild and trained, as well as corralled the trainers and gotten everyone settled down.
Between no truly critical injuries having been sustained, and the lateness of the hour by the time everyone was treated, it had been decided that trying to move the group out of the Forest would be a bad idea. At least one of the Beedrill Hives had been stirred up, and there was too great of a chance that they would attack pokémon attempting to fly people out. In fact, such attacks on their ride pokémon had been exactly what had delayed the Ranger team from reaching the cave in the first place. Thankfully, between the Rangers and 2B being absurdly well prepared with extras of nearly everything, it hadn’t been an uncomfortable night for even those Trainers who hadn’t been prepared for more than a day trip.
Of course, now that morning was upon them again, it was time to decide their path forward. The Rangers had, once most people were awake and taking advantage of a free breakfast brought in by a new set of Rangers just after dawn, explained that the worst of the disruption to the Forest had been handled by multiple teams working overnight. They were still strongly encouraging newer Trainers to accept a teleport out to Pewter or Viridian, something they promised would be available that afternoon when a League Alakazam arrived.
Zoey and 2B, however, had found themselves included on the list of those who weren’t being pressured to take that option. While it would be available to them, their performance, combined with Zoey’s still-active Johto badges and 2B’s status as a Research Assistant, had led to the Rangers simply warning them that the Forest would still be some level of disrupted if they chose to continue on. Which meant they needed to decide if they should move forward through the Forest, wait for the offered Teleport, or even choose to take Diglett’s tunnel toward Vermillion City as some trainers were choosing to do. With its Alpha Pokémon calmed down by the rangers, the tunnel was already safe to traverse again, Diglett and Dugtrio not normally being terribly aggressive pokémon by basic nature.
So it was that, after packing up their gear, Zoey put the question to 2B.
“So, which way do you want to go, 2B? I admit there isn’t really any particular pokémon that I was interested in here in the Forest, yet it still being somewhat stirred up likely does mean opportunities for wild battles will be somewhat frequent. It could be a good opportunity to train our newer team members.”
2B nodded, even as she returned Jigglypuff and Chinchou to their pokéballs. Neither liked being out overly much while traveling, since it was a slight struggle for them to keep up with human walking speed over long distances. Vulpix remained out, having already developed a preference for seeing as many new places as possible.
“I desire to continue through the Forest, to make sure no one else is in need of aid, human or pokémon. The Rangers have not been able to fully account for everyone. While I trust them to keep looking, it wouldn’t hurt to keep an eye out ourselves, and they will have little time to spare for injured pokémon until they locate all missing Trainers.”
Zoey blinked, pursed her lips as she considered that, then nodded.
“I hadn’t thought of that. I’m confident the Rangers will track down any Trainers quickly, but they’ll focus on that first and foremost. Any injured pokémon will come second…and humans are at fault for this one, so it doesn’t feel right to leave it.”
2B nodded. It was a pokémon eat pokémon world out there, of course. Saving a Butterfree from a Spinarak often meant the Spinarak starving. There were more normal animals in the world, particularly insects and fish, both of which reproduced in large enough numbers not to be completely wiped out by pokémon populations. But pokémon preying on each other was still part of the natural order. Yet, in this specific case, the disruption of the Forest had been caused by human greed and stupidity. Which made it a very different case compared to simply letting nature run its course.
“I have plenty of berries and potions, in case we run into wounded pokémon. If you wish to wait for the teleporter, however, I can simply meet you in Pewter.”
Zoey shook her head immediately, smiling brightly.
“Nope! You’re stuck with me! And I’m with you on wanting to help any pokémon that were hurt by yesterday’s mess!”
Giving a smaller, but no-less-genuine smile back, 2B made a pleased hum as she consulted her map. The official paths weren’t any safer than most of the rest of the Forest, at the moment. So long as they stayed away from the Hives territories, they could cut through the Forest a bit more to save some time off the trip. Besides, they were more likely to run across pokémon in need of help, if they left the main path…
… … …
Zoey shook her head in awe as, once again, 2B managed to get close to a wounded pokémon without it making a threat display or flinching away. The fact that it was an Oddish this time, a pokémon that was naturally skittish even when they weren’t injured, just made it more surreal. Seriously, the ability to project her intent through her aura was so broken that Zoey was legitimately trying to figure out how to ask if it was an ability you could learn. She didn’t know nearly enough about aura to guess if that was possible, but heck if she wouldn’t cheerfully put in hundreds of hours of work if it meant being able to do even just that one trick.
Making a mental note to try bringing the topic up with her new friend at some point, Zoey looked around the half-wrecked clearing where they’d found the small group of Oddish. They’d clearly been attempting to hide when a fight of some sort had rolled right over them, the one 2B was treating having taken a pretty nasty gash that severed one of its leaves and nearly cost it an eye.
Plant pokémon were even more resilient than most, so it would likely have recovered even without 2B’s help, but it would certainly do so a heck of a lot faster with the potion 2B was applying. The leaf would have to regrow on its own, but the weeping wound started sealing almost immediately after being sprayed with the potion, closing up entirely after a couple of careful applications.
“O-oodish! Od-dish!”
The pokémon, obviously quite young, perked up excitedly as the pain went away. Then it seemed to gather itself and said something else.
“Oddish! Od, Odd, Dish!”
Huh, it seemed…distressed about something? 2B was nodding along and reached out to gently pat the Pokémon’s head.
“I’ll look for your protector, I promise.”
Zoey blinked as not just the one Oddish, but the whole group, seemed to relax. They gathered together, shuffling off after a few more of what Zoey thought were ‘thank yous’ directed at 2B. Her friend stood and turned to face her.
“They were attacked by a group of Pinsir, but another pokémon ended up defending them. In truth, I’m not sure if it meant to, or if it was just attacking the Pinsir for being in its territory. But the Oddish were worried about it, given that it was outnumbered. It was moving so fast, though, that they aren’t sure what exactly it was.”
Zoey blinked. That…wouldn’t too unusual with a human. But for another pokémon to not be able to track a fight meant it had been either very fast or using some sort of psychic ability. Something like Agility, which was technically a psychic ability even if that seemed counterintuitive.
“A Pikachu or Scyther?”
2B nodded.
“Most likely. Nothing else in the Forest is likely to have been fast enough for them not to be able to identify it. Not unless it was a Ranger or other Trainer pokémon, at least.”
It wasn’t exactly difficult to see where the fight had gone from the small clearing. There was a fair bit of damage to various trees, bushes, and the ground all three. Of particular note were a couple of extremely clean cuts which most likely confirmed it had been a Scyther.
Zoey noted 2B perk up at that, though she also clearly remained intent on helping first instead of possible recruiting opportunities. They made it quite some distance through the forest before they began to hear a droning sound that made them both instantly pause. 2B grimaced, obviously seeing something on her ‘tactical visor’ as she spoke up a moment later.
“We’re right on the edge of the buffer zone for one of the Hives. That droning is almost certainly Beedrill. It might be better for you to stay here. They can’t really be reasoned with when angry…”
Zoey instantly shook her head, even as she released Purugly from his ball.
“Nope. Not a chance. If we’re going forward at all, we’ll go together and be ready to release our full teams.”
2B looked reluctant for a moment, before nodding slowly and releasing Jigglypuff and Vulpix. She’d recalled all of her pokémon previously to seem less threatening to the Oddish group, just as she’d done for the half dozen or so other small encounters they’d had. Both pokémon had clearly been listening, though, as they came out looking a bit unhappy but resigned. They knew their Trainer wouldn’t leave this alone either, despite how dangerous groups of Beedrill could be.
Without a word, 2B moved forward, and the rest of them followed…
… … …
The tense scene when they breached into another clearing wasn’t quite what they’d expected, but it was certainly bad enough. Five Beedrill had the Scyther they’d been following hemmed in. Only a pair of stout trees and a small ridge with a shallow bowl of a pseudo-cave set into it was keeping the Beedrill from all coming at it at once. That much, along with the fact that the Scyther was visibly battered, wasn’t too much of a surprise. What was a surprise is that the Scyther was actively protecting a Pinsir that was clearly unconscious. One that bore all the signs of having been defeated by the very same Scyther.
The surprise of that, along with the simple need to assess the situation, caused them to halt at the edge of the clearing, still partially inside the line of trees. Impressively, it was obvious from the way that the Scyther briefly glanced their way that it had spotted them, despite the fact that the more numerous Beedrill had not. Though, to be fair, they were rather intently focused on dive bombing the Scyther with attempted Bug Bites and Poison Stings.
Despite the fact it was clearly exhausted, as well as limited in how it could move by the fact it was protecting the fallen Pinsir, the Scyther was doing an impressive job of fending them off. Though it was a situation doomed to end poorly if they didn’t intervene. Much to Zoey’s surprise, 2B didn’t even attempt diplomacy this time. Instead, she took in the scene with a glance, released Chinchou, and snaped out orders.
“Ice Burst Barrage, split them up! Fairy Gatling Left, Bubble Beam Right!”
2B’s team reacted with remarkable smoothness, causing Zoey to hesitate as she wasn’t sure where to contribute best. As Vulpix fired three ‘Ice Bursts’ that shattered in among the Beedrill like anti-aircraft flak, damaging three of them and causing them to split up, Zoey decided simply to release the rest of her team in case help was required.
It proved almost unneeded as the three Beedrill that duked left were taken under fire and knocked out of the air by Jigglypuff’s Fairy Gatling. The two that went right did both get nailed by a wide Bubble Beam, but one of them managed to stay airborne and tried to dart away. Knowing how bad it would be if they managed to alert the rest of their Hive, Zoey quickly snapped her own order to Purugly, who quickly downed that one with Aerial Ace. 2B’s team had quickly wrapped up the others, using their being downed and injured to finish them fast.
Then it was just the tense and exhausted looking Scyther and them who were still on their feet. 2B surprised Zoey again by ignoring the Scyther for the moment, to check on the Beedrill, administering small amounts of potion. Without a Revive, they wouldn’t be getting back up quickly, but the potion would make sure that when they did, they would be fine. The Scyther, shockingly, looked like it approved. When 2B finally approached it, it had already turned remarkably non-hostile and accepted a Pecha Berry from her without hesitation.
“Will you let me look at the Pinsir? He likely needs more treatment than you.”
The Scyther studied 2B intently for a moment, before nodding…and eagerly accepting another Berry, this one an energy-restoring Leppa Berry. It stepped aside, watching intently as 2B kneeled to treat the Pinsir, nomming the Berry and looking increasingly alert as she poked and prodded. 2B ended up injecting an Antidote, along with applying some potion. Only when she seemed satisfied did she turn to address the Scyther. As she did so, she produced yet a third Berry, this one a simple Oran Berry, which the Scyther gratefully accepted.
“It was brave of you to protect your former opponent. Thank you for looking after him.”
The Scyther perked up, looking almost more energized by the praise than the Berries.
“Syct-sy er Syth, Scyther! Scy, ‘yther, Scyth!”
2B nodded, a small smile forming on her face from…whatever she’d gotten out of that exchange.
“Ah, you’re a Knight, whose duty is to protect, and it wasn’t the Pinsir’s fault that they were driven into a rage by their…egg-making plans…being interrupted?”
Zoey watched in not a little awe as the Scyther nodded firmly, puffing out its chest and crossing its arm in a sort of salute, expression prideful and serious. She knew, intellectually, that 2B wasn’t exactly translating. Not in the way a psychic, either a human or pokémon psychic, might learn to do in time. It was more accurate to say she was putting words to the impressions carried by the Scyther’s aura. Nearly every Trainer could do that with their own pokémon, given enough time and a strong enough bond. The ability to do it with a random wild pokémon that someone had never met before, though?
Not a chance.
The closest she’d ever seen to that level of general comprehension was Ketchum. Who, of course, was an aura user himself, or at least had the talent for it. Even he didn’t get this level of fine resolution without some work, though. Not from what she’d seen, at least. 2B really was a ridiculous existence, even if Zoey was becoming increasingly aware just how unaware of that fact the other girl was.
Before the conversation could go any farther, 2B and Scyther’s heads both snapped around, as did those of Vulpix and Purugly. Her own starter hissed a warning moments before she heard what had drawn their attention herself. Buzzing. The buzzing of many wings.
Far more than just those of five Beedrill.
In an instant, 2B had returned every member of her team save Jigglypuff, who had bounced onto her shoulder and was gripping tight. The white-haired girl darted to the Pinsir and scooped it up. The bug pokémon wasn’t exactly small, nor light, but it was a solid 8 inches shorter than Zoey and likely didn’t weigh much more. Given that 2B had easily carried her at a run, Zoey didn’t question it, balling Ponyta and Teddiursa as she moved to join her friend.
The Scyther was already moving, pointing in a certain direction, and 2B didn’t hesitate to follow it. Soon, they were running close to full tilt, with Zoey only able to keep up because the Scyther was exhausted and 2B was significantly weighed down. Thankfully, despite moving at merely human speeds, they had already been near the edge of the normal ‘buffer zone,’ and the Scyther clearly knew the Hive’s grounds even better than the Rangers. They left the buzzing behind before the swarming Beedrill even found their fallen comrades…