Beldum was wearing a flower crown on its head.
The Pokémon floated in front of the laboratory window, completely motionless, while several assistants tried to pretend they weren’t staring at it.
The crown was made from small white and blue flowers woven together by their stems.
Daisy had made it the previous afternoon with Lucian’s help, although she had done most of the actual work.
Lucian had limited himself to selecting flowers of the same size and correcting the spacing between them.
According to Daisy, that still counted as helping.
According to Lucian, it had been an unnecessarily complicated task.
Beldum didn’t appear to share his opinion.
Ever since Daisy placed the crown on its metallic body, it hadn’t allowed anyone to remove it.
Growlithe was lying beneath the window.
He was also wearing a crown, although his was made from yellow flowers and several green leaves.
Gary appeared in the doorway.
He looked at both Pokémon.
Then he looked at Lucian.
“Are they stronger with those?”
“No.”
“Do they help them control their moves?”
“No.”
“Then what are they for?”
Lucian opened his mouth.
He couldn’t find an answer he considered reasonable.
Daisy entered behind her brother and placed both hands on his shoulders.
“They make them look pretty.”
Gary looked at Beldum again.
“But it was already shiny.”
“That isn’t the same thing.”
“It looks the same to me.”
Daisy sighed.
“You both need to learn how to appreciate beautiful things.”
“I appreciate useful things,” Lucian replied.
“Yesterday, you spent twenty minutes choosing the blue flowers because you said the first ones didn’t match Beldum.”
Lucian remained silent.
Gary pointed at his sister’s head.
“You aren’t wearing one.”
“Swablu is using mine.”
The blue Pokémon descended from one of the shelves.
A small crown of pink flowers rested between her cloudlike wings.
Swablu circled Daisy once before landing on her shoulder.
Gary crossed his arms.
“I want one for Blastoise.”
“Your Blastoise isn’t a real Pokémon.”
“Not yet.”
The boy ran away before Daisy could answer.
Lucian picked up his notebook from the table.
“Is the assistant who’s accompanying us ready?”
“Mr. Evans is preparing the equipment.”
Daisy looked at the notebook.
“How many are you bringing?”
“One.”
“Only one?”
“Oak established a limit.”
“I’m glad Grandpa can control you.”
“He isn’t controlling me. It’s a measure to reduce the weight of my backpack.”
Daisy smiled in a way that made it clear she didn’t believe him.
That day, they would study the Spearow flock located north of Route 1.
Lucian had prepared a plan with three observation points, scheduled breaks, and escape routes in case the Pokémon became aggressive.
Oak reviewed the document and removed two pages he considered unnecessary.
Then he added four safety instructions.
Neither Beldum nor Growlithe would train during the expedition.
They would only intervene if there was danger.
Swablu, on the other hand, would help observe the flock from the air, provided she remained far from the main territory.
“We should remove their crowns before leaving,” Lucian said.
Beldum moved backward.
Growlithe placed one paw over his own crown.
Daisy concealed a smile.
“I think they want to wear them.”
“The flowers could fall and leave a trail.”
“That could help us find our way back.”
“We have a map.”
“They also look adorable.”
Lucian looked at his Pokémon.
Both avoided his gaze.
“They can wear them until we reach the first observation point.”
Beldum vibrated with satisfaction.
Growlithe wagged his tail.
Daisy leaned toward Lucian.
“You spoil them too much.”
“You gave them the crowns.”
“And you allowed them to keep wearing them.”
Lucian placed the notebook inside his backpack.
“We should leave.”
Assistant Evans was a young man with dark hair who had worked for Professor Oak for a little over two years.
He specialized in Flying-type Pokémon and was accustomed to observing them from long distances.
His partner was a female Fearow named Gale.
The Pokémon remained inside her Poké Ball to prevent the wild flock from interpreting her presence as an invasion.
“Spearow can be territorial,” Evans explained as they walked.
“They become more aggressive in large groups, especially when protecting their nests.”
“How many individuals are in this flock?” Daisy asked.
“The last count recorded twenty-seven Spearow and three Fearow.”
Lucian reviewed Oak’s notes.
“But one of the Fearow was expelled.”
“That seems to be the case. The flock had two adult males and one female. The larger male held the dominant position.”
“Was the other male his rival?”
“Not always. For almost a year, they cooperated to defend the territory.”
Daisy stroked Swablu’s wings as the Pokémon rested in her arms.
“What changed?”
“That’s what we’re trying to determine.”
They left the main path and entered an area filled with short trees.
The ground was covered with feathers, broken branches, and claw marks.
Lucian found several small bones near a fallen trunk.
“Food remains.”
Evans crouched.
“Probably Caterpie or Weedle.”
Daisy grimaced.
“I know it’s part of nature, but it’s still unpleasant.”
“Spearow need to eat,” Lucian said.
“I know. That doesn’t mean I want to see it.”
Swablu looked at the remains and hid her head against Daisy’s neck.
“It seems she doesn’t either,” Daisy added.
Lucian recorded the location.
The first observation point was situated on a hill overlooking part of the territory without bringing them too close.
Evans installed a camera with a long-range lens.
“We need to speak quietly from this point onward.”
Growlithe sniffed the air.
Beldum remained beside Lucian.
Daisy released Swablu from her arms.
“Only fly as high as the tallest branches. If any Spearow approach, come back.”
Swablu chirped and began climbing.
Her blue body partially blended into the sky.
Her white wings resembled small clouds moving between the trees.
Lucian closed his eyes.
He still couldn’t share another Pokémon’s vision, but his psychic sensitivity allowed him to perceive Swablu’s approximate location through her emotional connection with Daisy and the Pokémon’s own concentration.
Through his binoculars, Lucian spotted several Spearow.
Some searched for food on the ground.
Others watched from the branches.
Near the center of the territory were three nests containing chicks.
A large Fearow rested on top of a dead tree.
Several old scars crossed its chest.
“That must be the leader,” Daisy whispered.
Evans adjusted the camera.
“It matches our records.”
“Where is the female?” Lucian asked.
“Probably near the nests.”
Lucian counted the visible Spearow.
Twenty-two.
The others could be hunting or hidden among the branches.
The flock’s structure was more organized than many people believed.
There were sentries, individuals responsible for gathering food, and adults who protected the young.
They didn’t act solely through disorderly instinct.
Each member had a role.
Swablu descended and landed beside Daisy.
“Did you see anything?” she asked.
The Pokémon moved one wing and pointed west.
Then she released three short sounds.
“Three Pokémon,” Daisy interpreted.
Evans unfolded a map.
“The old quarry is west of here.”
Lucian remembered the direction in which the expelled Fearow had disappeared.
“The solitary Fearow flew west after eating.”
“It might be sheltering there,” Evans said.
“But Swablu indicated three presences.”
Daisy stroked her partner.
“Were they Spearow?”
Swablu shook her head.
She spread her wings in an attempt to make herself appear larger and pecked at the air.
“Fearow,” Lucian said.
The Pokémon nodded.
Evans frowned.
“That would mean two unknown Fearow are near the territory.”
A sharp cry echoed above the trees.
The flock’s leader raised its head.
Every Spearow stopped moving.
Another cry answered from the west.
The dominant Fearow spread its wings and abandoned its position.
Four adult Spearow followed it.
“They’re heading toward the quarry,” Daisy said.
Lucian closed his notebook.
“We should observe what happens.”
Evans shook his head.
“We’ll maintain our distance. If a territorial dispute begins, we won’t interfere.”
“Unless it threatens Route 1,” Lucian added.
“Unless it threatens people or Pokémon outside the conflict.”
They left the hill and followed a parallel trail.
They didn’t attempt to catch up with the Pokémon.
They advanced carefully until they found another elevated position overlooking the quarry.
The site had been abandoned years earlier.
Enormous rocks formed irregular walls, and several plants grew from the cracks.
Three Fearow stood in the center.
Lucian recognized the one they had fed.
The other two were thinner.
One had dull feathers, and the other held one wing at an unnatural angle.
“They’re injured,” Daisy said.
Evans raised his binoculars.
“And malnourished.”
The expelled Fearow had brought them some of the food.
Remains of the energy bar were scattered across a nearby rock.
Lucian understood.
“It wasn’t searching for food only for itself.”
The flock’s leader arrived at the quarry.
It landed in front of the three Fearow and released a threatening cry.
The Spearow positioned themselves on the surrounding rocks.
The Fearow Lucian recognized moved forward to protect the two injured Pokémon.
“Are they members of another flock?” Daisy asked.
Evans slowly shook his head.
“Look at their markings.”
All four Fearow possessed a similar dark line across the feathers on their chests.
“They belonged to the same group,” Lucian said.
“The three of them were probably part of the flock before the last count,” Evans confirmed.
“But I don’t understand why they were expelled together.”
The leader released another cry.
The expelled Fearow answered.
The tension increased.
Lucian extended his perception.
The distance made it difficult to recognize specific emotions, but he felt something beyond aggression.
Fear.
It wasn’t coming from the expelled group.
It was coming from the leader.
“It’s afraid of them,” he said.
Daisy looked at him.
“Of the injured Pokémon?”
“Of losing control of the flock.”
The expelled Fearow appeared to have been the second-strongest individual.
However, it was also protecting two members that could no longer hunt.
Perhaps it hadn’t challenged the leader to take control of the territory.
Maybe it had questioned the leader’s decision to abandon the injured.
The first attack came without warning.
The leader spread its wings and released a powerful gust of wind.
The expelled Fearow moved in front of its companions and received the attack.
“We must not interfere,” Evans reminded them.
Daisy clenched her fists.
“They’re going to get hurt.”
“It’s an internal dispute within the flock.”
The two Fearow collided in midair.
Energy covered their beaks as they struck each other with force.
The expelled Fearow was faster, but it was tired and had an injured foot.
The leader possessed greater strength.
The Spearow cried out from the rocks.
One of the injured Fearow attempted to stand.
Its damaged wing gave way, and it fell.
Daisy took a step forward.
“It can’t defend itself.”
Lucian observed the scene.
Intervening directly could cause the entire flock to attack them.
It could also destroy the hierarchy without providing a stable alternative.
But if they did nothing, the two injured Pokémon could die.
The solution wasn’t to win the fight for them.
It was to remove those who couldn’t participate in the conflict.
“Evans, can Gale remove the injured Fearow without fighting the flock?”
The assistant hesitated.
“She’s fast, but the Spearow may pursue her.”
“Swablu can create a screen using Mist.”
Daisy understood his idea.
“And Beldum can block attacks without hurting anyone.”
“That still counts as interfering,” Evans said.
“We’ll only evacuate the injured Pokémon,” Lucian replied.
“The two adults can settle their dispute without dragging them into the battle.”
Another attack struck close to one of the weakened Fearow.
Evans made a decision.
“All right. But you’ll follow every instruction I give. If the flock turns toward us, we retreat.”
He released Gale.
Evans’s Fearow appeared with her wings extended.
She was smaller than the wild leader, but her body was healthy, and her movements were precise.
Her arrival caught the flock’s attention.
“Now!” Evans ordered.
“Gale, Agility!”
The Pokémon became a blur.
She descended into the quarry and grabbed the Fearow with the injured wing in her talons.
Several Spearow left the rocks.
“Swablu, Mist!” Daisy ordered.
Swablu exhaled a white cloud that spread between the quarry walls.
The Spearow lost sight of Gale.
One flew through the mist and headed toward Swablu.
Daisy didn’t retreat.
“Fairy Wind, upward curve!”
Swablu flapped her wings.
The current struck beneath the Spearow and lifted it without throwing it against the rocks.
The Pokémon lost its balance but managed to retreat without injury.
“Beldum, protect Swablu.”
Beldum positioned itself in front of her.
Two Spearow used Peck.
Their attacks collided with its metallic body without moving it.
Beldum vibrated.
It wanted to retaliate.
“Don’t attack.”
The Pokémon held its position.
Growlithe watched beside Lucian, his legs prepared to run.
The boy kept one hand against his back.
“Wait.”
Gale carried the first injured Fearow to the hill.
Evans used an empty Poké Ball to transport it temporarily.
Then he sent his partner back.
The second weakened Fearow tried to move away when she approached.
“It’s frightened,” Daisy said.
Lucian extended his perception.
“It doesn’t trust humans.”
“It doesn’t have to trust us,” Evans replied.
“It only needs to understand that Gale wants to help.”
The trained Fearow descended without grabbing it.
Then she opened her wings and moved toward the hill.
The wild Fearow watched her.
Behind it, the confrontation between the two males continued.
A gust struck the ground.
The injured Pokémon made its decision.
It followed Gale.
It couldn’t fly properly, but it advanced through short jumps and glides.
Beldum moved beneath it whenever it began to lose altitude.
They eventually reached the safe area.
Evans examined the Pokémon.
“It has several old injuries and an infection in its foot. It needs immediate treatment.”
Fearow tried to peck him.
Growlithe growled.
“Calm down,” Lucian told them both.
He took out an Oran Berry and placed it on the ground.
Fearow observed it without approaching.
“We won’t try to keep you once you can fly,” he said, although he didn’t know how much the Pokémon understood.
“But if you return now, you won’t be able to defend yourself.”
Fearow looked toward the quarry.
The battle was over.
The leader stood on a rock, breathing heavily.
It had several new injuries but remained on its feet.
The expelled Fearow lay on the ground.
The Spearow descended around it.
Daisy paled.
“Are they going to kill it?”
Lucian concentrated.
The leader approached the defeated Pokémon.
It observed it for several seconds.
Then it turned its head and cried out to the rest of the flock.
The Spearow moved aside.
The expelled Fearow stood with difficulty.
It hadn’t recovered its place in the flock.
But it wouldn’t be pursued.
“The leader is allowing it to leave,” Evans said.
Lucian watched it fly west, staying low due to its exhaustion.
It had lost the battle.
However, the two Pokémon it had protected were safe.
Daisy lifted Swablu into her arms.
“We have to find it.”
“We will,” Evans assured her.
“Gale can follow its trail.”
They returned to the laboratory before nightfall.
The two injured Fearow were transferred to the recovery area.
Oak ordered the staff to keep them in a large, partially covered enclosure to reduce their stress.
The expelled Fearow appeared an hour later.
It didn’t allow the assistants to approach.
It remained on the roof of the recovery building, watching the windows behind which its companions were resting.
Lucian placed food and water on an outside platform.
Fearow waited until everyone moved away before descending.
Oak watched from another window.
“Now we know why it attacked the Rattata.”
“It needed to feed the two injured Fearow,” Daisy replied.
“That explains its behavior, but we still need a long-term solution.”
Lucian opened his notebook.
He had recorded the number of individuals, the flock’s organization, their territory, available resources, and the internal conflict.
“The main group won’t accept the three Fearow while the current leader remains in control.”
“And returning them by force would only cause another dispute,” Evans added.
Oak nodded.
“What do you propose?”
Lucian spread a map across the table.
“The quarry doesn’t have enough food, but there’s a cliffside area near the river to the west. It’s far from the flock and Route 1.”
Evans examined the location.
“There are small Pokémon, fruit trees, and access to water.”
“We can also establish a temporary feeding point while the two injured Pokémon recover,” Lucian continued.
“We shouldn’t feed them indefinitely. Only until they’re capable of hunting for themselves.”
“What if they establish a new flock?” Daisy asked.
“We’ll need to monitor their population. If it grows too large, it could affect the smaller species in the area.”
Oak smiled.
“A reasonable solution. Not perfect, but it considers more than one consequence.”
The system screen appeared.
Population Registry Completed: 1/3
Population: Route 1 Spearow Flock.
Social Structure: Hierarchy led by a dominant Fearow.
Basic division between sentries, hunters, and caretakers of the young.
Primary Resources: Small Pokémon, wild Berries, water, and nesting areas.
Identified Threats: Leadership conflicts, seasonal scarcity, and expansion toward human routes.
Proposed Measure: Controlled relocation of expelled individuals and monitoring of a possible secondary population.
Evaluation: Excellent.
Partial Reward: Territorial Analysis function improved.
The map in front of Lucian changed.
For an instant, he could see invisible lines dividing the territories.
They weren’t exact borders, but estimates based on the tracks, resources, and movements he had observed.
The new function didn’t replace fieldwork.
It organized the information he had obtained.
That made it far more valuable.
Lucian closed the screen.
“I want to participate in the monitoring.”
Oak raised an eyebrow.
“You’ll return to the island in a little over three weeks.”
“I can prepare the record system and continue receiving reports.”
“That will require working with other people.”
“I know.”
“And accepting that they may change your method.”
Lucian remained silent.
Daisy smiled.
“That will be more difficult for him than facing the Fearow.”
“I can accept reasonable suggestions.”
“Who decides which suggestions are reasonable?”
“I do.”
Oak began to laugh.
“We’ll definitely have to work on that.”
An assistant entered carrying a sealed package.
“Professor, a transmission arrived from Celestia Island. It includes several documents from the Starfall archives.”
Lucian looked toward the package.
A message written by his grandfather was attached to the top.
Oak read it aloud.
“Do not allow Lucian to review these documents without supervision. If he claims he only needs five minutes, it means he plans to remain awake all night.”
Daisy extended her hand.
“I can keep them.”
Lucian took the package before she could reach it.
“That won’t be necessary.”
“Your grandfather said you need supervision.”
“You aren’t a researcher.”
“But I know how to read a clock.”
Oak took the package from Lucian’s hands.
“We’ll review them tomorrow.”
“It’s still early.”
“You just returned from an expedition.”
“I’m not tired.”
Growlithe yawned.
Beldum descended until it rested against his shoulder.
Daisy pointed at them both.
“They are.”
Lucian looked at his partners.
Growlithe had dirt on his paws, and several flowers had fallen from his crown.
Beldum’s crown was crooked, but it remained on its head.
“All right,” he agreed.
“Tomorrow.”
Daisy took his hand.
“Come on. We need to repair the crowns.”
Lucian frowned.
“I don’t think that’s necessary.”
Beldum vibrated.
Growlithe wagged his tail.
Daisy smiled.
“The majority has voted.”
Lucian allowed her to lead him toward the garden.
Behind them, Oak looked at the package of documents.
The amusement slowly vanished from his face.
One of the envelopes bore a symbol drawn in silver ink: a star surrounded by six connected lines.
It was the same pattern the sensors had recorded across the surface of the fragment.
The Starfall family’s past wasn’t merely a collection of legends.
And without realizing it, Lucian had just awakened something that had been waiting for decades.
End of Chapter 18