A Yellow Morning Comes (Pokemon, rated E for Everyone)

[EmeraldSky]

Episode 5: A Race of Wings

Ash yawned when he woke up the next morning, only to find his hand on something hard. When he looked closer, he noticed that Wings had transformed into a green chrysalis creature. "Wings...you evolved!"

[Tintri inspired me to follow my dream.] Wings explained. [I was so happy, I evolved.]

"Well, you're one step closer to becoming a Butterfree." Ash smiled as he read up on what Wings had become:

"Metapod, the cocoon Pokemon. It prepares for evolution by hardening its shell as much as possible to protect its soft body."

"That means we have to keep Wings away from birds as much as we can." Misty cautioned. "I may fear most bugs, but Butterfrees and their cousins Beautifly and Vivilion are all beautiful."

[You think so?] Wings blushed, flattered that Misty had taken a liking to him.

Ash froze when he saw a flock of small spike headed birds flying past him. After heaving a relieved sigh that the birds were uninterested in Wings, he set Wings on a rock to read about what they were:

"Spearow, the tiny bird Pokemon. Its wings are short, so it can't fly a long distance. If it's not eating, it darts around in a hurry."

Misty spotted the flock of Spearows in a nearby clearing, pecking at a larger brown bird with a red crest, only to be driven back by the larger bird's sharp talons. "They're harassing that Pidgeotto!" she noted as the Spearows fluttered away, then dove in for another attempt at the dead Magikarp the Pidgeotto was guarding.

[We have to help!] Tintri called, starting off towards the clearing as his human companions broke camp.

"I know you want to help, Tintri, but it's also a good idea to know your opponent and your rescuee." Ash cautioned before reading up on the battered Pidgeotto as it sent some Spearows flying by flapping up a wind gust.

"Pidgeotto, the bird Pokemon. Very protective of its sprawling territorial area, this Pokémon will fiercely peck at any intruder.

"I'll say..." Misty started before noticing Ash and Tintri hurrying off to help the Pidgeotto. "I wouldn't just charge into battle like that if I were you!" she called as she hurried to catch up.

She arrived just in time to see Tintri fire a massive Thunderbolt at the flock of Spearows. "Be careful, Tintri!"

[Relax, I've got this.] Tintri replied as he veered out of the way of a Spearow beak, then rammed his attacker to the ground with a Headbutt.

"Are you okay, Mr.--!" Ash started before the Pidgeotto squawked in annoyance at being called a boy. "Um, I mean, Miss Pidgeotto?"

[I think so, but I would be focused on chasing off my foes if I were you.] the Pidgeotto replied.

Ash nodded, then called to Tintri "Find a way to get rid of all the Spearows at once!"

"How's THAT gonna help?" Misty grumbled, annoyed at Ash's vague commands. "If you want a Pokemon to listen to you, you have to tell them EXACTLY what you want them to do!"

"Okay...zap the Spearows with a Thunderbolt!" Ash suggested.

He sighed as Tintri complied, only to have even more Spearows fly to join the battle, making Tintri's task that much harder as every Thundershock he attempted didn't even faze the Spearows. Think, Ash...you can't use Wings...

Just then, both he and Misty watched in awe as a cry of "Pidjoooooooo!" pierced the air, snapping the Spearows to attention. A massive gust came blowing through the clearing soon after, which picked up many of the Spearows and dropped them on the ground.

The Pidgeotto we were trying to save! Ash gasped as the Pidgeotto swooped in on a cluster of Spearows. Angered, the Spearows tried to peck at the crested bird, but the Pidgeotto send one Spearow barreling into the others, making the Spearows flee in terror!

"Well! Maybe you do know what you are doing..." Misty smiled as she watched the Spearows flee into the afternoon sky.

[You may be a young trainer, but I would be honored to join your team, and lend you my wings.] the Pidgeotto agreed as she gave Ash a little bow.

"You mean...you don't wanna battle?" Ash was surprised.

"You have to remember Pokemon are like people--not all of them will want to battle." Misty reminded him.

[Just watching you before was enough to convince me you were worth traveling with.] the Pidgeotto agreed.

Ash just grabbed a Poke Ball, then gently touched the Pidgeotto with it, making her go inside with a flash of light. "Welcome aboard, Mina!"

"Mina...that's a pretty name." Misty smiled as she led the way into the brush.

Tintri, meanwhile, spotted a Berry tree by the forest path. [I'm gonna get myself a snack...]

As he unleashed a spark to hopefully make a Berry drop, some familiar squawks got his attention. [Oh no, not again...]

"Run for it!" Ash motioned for the others to follow him as more Spearows came fluttering from a bush.

---------

"We have to get to Pewter City, and fast!" Misty called as she dashed through the underbrush just outside Viridian Forest.

"Where's a signpost when you need one?" Ash agreed, the screeching Spearows not far behind him.

[All I did was try and shock a Berry out of that tree, and ended up rousing those Spearows!] Tintri protested as he met Ash and Misty by a rocky outcropping.

An idea occurred to Misty. "Say...birds hate thunder...so why don't you try zapping these guys?"

[Got it!] Tintri replied before firing a massive Thunderbolt into the oncoming flock of Spearows. A few fainted right away, but the majority were only stunned.

"Do that again!" Ash urged. Tintri complied, but it seemed that the more Spearows fainted, the more that arrived to help and replace those that had fallen.

Misty seemed unfazed by the massive flock of Spearows that were headed towards them. "Any more bright ideas?" she deadpanned as the Spearows fluttered closer.

Ash was about to answer when he heard the whistle of an arrow flying, followed by the thunk of it landing inches away from where he was standing. "An arrow..."

"Who would be shooting a bow all the way out here?" Misty wondered before she saw a gold-tinged arrow with green fletching fly over her head and land not far from the first one, producing a small cloud of green mist on impact. Oh, I see...the archer's sprayed Repel on the heads, so he's not hurting the Spearows, but warning them away!

Tintri, meanwhile, noticed the Spearows flying away in panic. [Those pointy things are scaring them away!]

"I wonder who could--!" Ash started before he spotted the archer, a brown haired boy with tan skin that appeared to be in his late teens or early twenties, readying another Repel laced shot as a six tailed fox creature looked on.

After a few tense seconds, he fired as the massive flock fluttered away in panic. Once sure the Spearows were gone, he addressed the fox creature. "Hinata, cá bhfuil siad?

"Ka fuel said?" Ash wondered as he watched the fox creature run to retrieve the arrow by his foot.

The archer emerged from his vantage point near some rocks. "I said 'Where are they?' to Hinata in Eire region Gaelic--which she knows is her cue to go retrieve my shots."

"If you can speak a language that obscure, what other languages do you know?" Misty asked as the fox creature obediently dropped the three arrows at her master's feet.

Ash, meanwhile, was reading up on the six tailed fox the archer was petting:

"Vulpix, the fox Pokemon. While young, it has six gorgeous tails. When it grows, several new tails are sprouted."

The lightbulb went off in his mind when he realized who was before him. "No way! It's...it's..."

"The one and only Brock, live and in person." the boy smiled before gathering his archery gear. "Let's get to town before the Spearows return."

"Good idea." Misty agreed as she ran to catch up with the boys...