@Scytherwolf; @Soups;

Episode 12a: A Staravia is Born! (part 1)

The wind rustled as Estrella dove down into a clearing somewhere in a forest. "Estrella, use Aerial Ace!" Ash's voice echoed as the small bird Pokemon trained her eyes on a target hanging from a tree.

"Eh-streh-yah!" came Brock's voice, breaking Estrella's concentration on the attack!

[Uh oh!] Estrella cried when she realized she was too low to hit the target.

"Pull up, Estrella!" Ash called, hoping all the while his Starly would have time to avoid a crash.

"Eh-streh-yah!" Brock corrected him as Estrella crash-landed in the brush.

Dawn was first to arrive, with the boys not far behind. "You were lucky Estrella didn't crash into that tree." Dawn assured Ash.

[Yes, better the brush than that tree.] Estrella agreed as she eased herself to her feet. [But now my left leg hurts...]

Brock examined the tiny gash on Estrella's left leg. "The good news is, it's a minor injury. A little medicine on the wound and a Band-Aid and we're good to go."

"I've got the first aid kit!" Dawn volunteered as she set down a white box and set out some ointment and the Band-Aids.

"We still need to do some more practice on Aerial Ace." Ash mused as Brock cleaned and dressed Estrella's wound.

"Once her wound heals, you can do all the practicing you want." Brock replied. "Preferably away from thorns and burs."

Some rustling in the brush snapped Ash to attention. "Who's there? Friend or foe?"

A lavender haired girl in the familiar red garb and wide brimmed hat of a ranger stepped from the bush. "Friend, traveler." she assured Ash. "Is everything all right?"

"Uh, yeah--my Starly and I were practicing Aerial Ace and she went at the target too low." Ash explained. "I'm Ash, by the way, and my companions, Dawn and Brock."

"Hi!" Dawn smiled. "Nice to meet you."

Ash facepalmed as Brock approached the girl, guitar in hand. "Judging from your attire, you must be a ranger!" he smiled before playing an expectant D chord. "Allow me to sing a little ditty chronicling your exploits!"

[Save it for the stage, Mr. Teen Idol!] Kage scolded after jabbing Brock in the sensitive areas.

The girl laughed at Brock's pained look. "While it would be nice to have a sing-along, it can wait for the campfire at the end of the day."

Then it occurred to her she had not introduced herself. "Oh, listen to me chattering on like a Starly and forgetting my manners! My name's Rosebay, of the Midori Forest Research Corps. Part of our job is to observe, document, and research Pokemon activity in the forest.

"So, what are you researching now?" Dawn wondered.

"At the moment, I'm documenting nest activity." Rosebay explained as she motioned for the group to follow her. If you need any pocket money for your travels, you're welcome to volunteer!"

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"Right there..." Rosebay pointed out a Swablu nest in the distance. "...is a nest I've been observing. A pair of Swablus made that nest a few weeks ago. Since Swablu are non-native Pokemon, it is in our best interest to observe them."

"That makes sense--wouldn't want to damage the natural ecosystem." Ash grinned.

"That's right." Rosebay agreed before offering Ash a pair of binoculars. "Here--you may have a look at the nest."

"Let's see..." Ash took the binoculars. "I think I see five eggs in there, but no mama or daddy Swablu."

"Let me see!" Dawn pleaded.

After accepting the binoculars from Ash, she too observed the nest. "Well made, five eggs, but no mom or dad anywhere!"

"That's strange...usually one or both parents are at the nest by now." Rosebay mused. "This may tie into the missing Hoothoot colony last week, and an alarming decrease in overall activity..."

"If you want, we can help solve this mystery for you." Ash offered.

"Of course--maybe an outside pair of eyes may catch a clue we missed." Rosebay suggested. "I'll give you all some pocket money as a reward."

Ash heaved a Poke Ball skyward. "Come on out, Estrella!"

"Eh-streh-yah!" Brock corrected Ash as the Starly flitted on Ash's shoulder.

"Can you do a flyover of the area and see what bird Pokemon you can find?" Ash asked Estrella. "Or any clues about why they're disappearing?"

[You got it!] Estrella chirped as she fluttered off into the sky.

When Estrella returned some time later, she reported. [No sign of any birds anywhere! Or who could be taking them!]

Ash sighed. "You leg holding up okay?" he asked, aware of the bandage on Estrella's left leg.

[Yeah...] Estrella replied.

"Could you do a second flyover to be sure you didn't miss anything?" Dawn requested.

[Okay!] With that, Estrella fluttered away again...

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Meanwhile, four Swellow squawked in surprise as they flew into a large net. "It was a good idea to put a trap here, as all the bird Pokémon in the forest come through the valley." Jupiter mused. She studied the two admins' latest catch for a moment. "Okay, these will do." With that, the net deposited the captured blue, red, and white bird Pokemon into some cages.

"Remind me how this can help Team Galactic?" Mars asked, unimpressed. "What does collecting bird Pokemon have to do with creating another world?"

"It's as Lord Cyrus says--we need a lot of energy to form a new world, and many bird Pokemon have a lot of energy." Jupiter explained. "So every Pokemon helps. The ones we can use, we keep, and we let the rest go."

"Makes sense..." Mars mused as three more Swellow and Estrella landed in the net.

She noticed the bandage on Estrella. "You sure you want to keep this one? It's been wounded..."

"Yes, I want to keep it." Jupiter replied as she analyzed the energy counts of their latest catch. "Wound or not, its energy level is through the roof!"

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"What's taking so long?" Ash wondered as he paced the grass. "Estrella should've been back by now..."

"Maybe she got lost?" Brock suggested.

All the bird Pokémon use the valley path, so it's possible that your Starly and the other Pokemon are there." Rosebay suggested.

"Come on!" Ash led the way down the hill. "Estrella might be in trouble!"

To Be Continued...