Racing through the
air, Staraptor luxuriated in the wind flowing through his feathers. The
off-Route wilds spread out below him, the Pokémon living below recognizing his
superiority in the air. There were only a few flocks of Starly and Staravia
about, the younger birds avoiding his presence.
The rocky mountains
generated thermals that lifted him high into the sky as he patrolled. He barely
had to flap his wings to keep them aloft, returning to the vicinity of the
mountain range only to rise back into the sky.
It had been some
time since he was able to fly so far. As one of the older ranger partners, he
did not often get the chance to truly fly wild and free. Longer patrols were
often given to the young Ranger Pokémon and their partners. It was seen as a
testing ground for the young Rangers while the older ones fought fiercely for
the few slots remaining.
Not all saw the
multi-day patrols as a punishment.
Besides, it was good
to show some of the young upstarts strutting around that the old guard was
still strong.
Clacking his beak to
dispel the dark thoughts disturbing his good mood, Staraptor shrieked out to
the wilds. He dared some hatchling to challenge him and warned others of his
dominance of the sky.
"Star!"
his shriek pierced the skies and filled the air.
He could hear it
echo down below, the warning cry doing much to lift his mood. There was nothing
outside the city that could contest his superiority in the air. Within the
shining towers of metal and glass, the rules were different and more
constraining. He disdained the mock battles that consumed much of the other
Pokémon in the city, though he begrudgingly recognized the strength that they
obtained.
Nevertheless, there
was nothing compared to the power gained in the Wilds.
"You tell ''em,
Staraptor," his partner called out.
She had to shout to
be heard, the moving air and her flying gear blocking much of her voice. On his
back, he could feel her dig her fingers into his neck to scratch just the way
he liked.
Flapping, he could
not help the rumble of pleasure that escaped. While he was used to a more
seasoned Ranger, even he could admit that his current partner knew how to care
for his feathers. She was diligent like that, often too diligent.
His latest charge,
Staraptor suspected that the Commander paired them for both their sakes. She
was studious and rule bound in a way that made his tail feathers twitch. The
old monster''s methods were not as subtle as he thought.
At the same time he
was meant to help her, she was supposed to rein him in.
Twitching his head
to indicate that she could stop, Staraptor returned his attention back to the
late patrol. This was as much a test as it was a mission for his partner and he
would not allow her to fail. While there was little chance of any excitement,
neither of them could afford to miss the slightest detail.
Otherwise, they
would be forced to wait a while before they could take another long-ranging
mission.
Below, Staraptor
could hear the deathly hunting calls of the Houndoom pack as they awoke. The
howls spread far and wide, as it was picked up by outlying packs. The numerous
roars of the earthbound Pokémon indicated that the hunt would be a lasting one,
meant to feed them for many cycles.
Banking slightly, he
shifted his feathers to cast a wider patrol. Lately, the pack has been riled up
over something and the fiery canines would be further aggravated if they
thought he was going to steal their prey.
"Tor," he
huffed with a chirp.
As if he would
debase himself to eat the char they called food.
"Odd, it''s
rather early for the Houndoom to be hunting," his partner commented from
atop his back.
She was the one to
keep notes of such observations and report them to command. While useful, he
often overhead other Ranger''s complaints about her pages of detailed analysis.
Ruffling his
feathers in an imitation of a human shrug, Staraptor turned his gaze to forest
below in effort to spy the pack''s chosen prey. They would have to be preying
upon a particularly vicious or large Pokémon to need such numbers. Such would
be a bad hunt.
More likely, one of
the pack''s mutts was preyed upon during their celebratory hunt on the past
darkest night. The canines were fiercely protective of their pack mates, and
were now likely taking out their rage on the surroundings. It was a harsh
reminder that the canines were not the top predators in the area.
Still, even
Staraptor could admit that the past moonless night was . . .
Eventful.
Staraptor grinded
his beak at the memory of a Haunter daring to trespass upon his nest.
A few swipes of his
Steel Energy coated wings was all it took to disabuse the foolish ghost of its
conceptions regarding Staraptor''s fragility. Even if he did accidentally carve
apart a wall or two, it was worth it to see the cruel jester''s face.
Others, however,
were not so fortunate as him.
The Rangers were
overwhelmed by the sheer amount of Red Priority missions and were forced to
contract Ace Trainers for assistance. The Commander hated to do it, yet all
recognized that there was no other option. Just like the Houndoom, something
had the Ghosts all riled up. They merely had different methods of expressing
it.
Smoothing his raised
feathers, Staraptor twined Energy towards his eyes. The evening shadows were
beginning to grow, and it was often around the twilight that the patrols became
exciting.
He winged his way
around the forest below, keeping from straying past the mountains. The wilds
between the range and the coast were dangerous, even for him. With his partner
on his back, the risk was far too high.
Once more, the raspy
howls of the Houndoom pack rang out. Their deep-throated roars were scared by
the gas and flame they breathed out, giving the Pokémon their signature howl.
The canines were warning others to not interfere. Fire and smoke blazed beneath
him as they started to guide their prey.
Cocking his head,
Staraptor felt both insulted and amused by the warning given by the hunting
Pokémon. It was far too early in the evening for the hatchlings to be
threatening one such as him.
"Raptor!"
he shrieked back.
Staraptor circled
over the area they claimed as their own several times before tilting a wing to
soar away. It would not do for the Dark-Types to assume that he easily gave
into their demands. Even if this was off-Route, it was important for Rangers to
maintain a certain level of hierarchy.
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Swerving away from
the city, Staraptor idly wondered how far he could push before his partner
turned them back.
Of the two of them,
she was most certainly the more abiding of the Ranger''s Guide than him. He was
aware of the rules of course, considering his history and training. But more
importantly, one needed to know how they could stretch and bend.
Staraptor was
violently torn from his thoughts as he felt a powerful presence brush across
his mind. The rough touch heralded with it the sickly-sweet scent of rotting
decay and blooming life.
Jerking in alarm, he
let out an undignified squawk as he instinctively tucked in his wings and
dropped in the air. He heard his partner cry out in surprise at the unexpected
fall. Fortunately, being a stickler for rules, she was fully strapped in unlike
some of the other young Rangers.
He recovered
quickly, spreading out his wings as he agitated the pool of Energy within his
body. It would do little to completely prevent a psychic attack, but it would
help him resist the attacker''s mental effects.
To alert his
partner, Staraptor purposefully puffed up the feathers along his skull to
indicate to her an approaching hostile. Only when he felt her acknowledgement
with a quick series of taps did he respond to the mental touch.
Easing on the Energy
protecting his mind, he forced his thoughts to the forefront, where the other
Pokémon could easily pick them up.
<Who soars the
hidden skies?> he questioned with authority.
Pokémon capable of
touching the minds of others were few and far between. Those that could
typically knew better than to do so with a Ranger. If this was one that
remained unaware of such rules, then he would gladly assist with its
instruction.
In response to his
thoughts, Staraptor felt the connection form again. The scent of rot and growth
returned, making him want to hack up a bile of pellets. Worse, he was better
able to sense the strength of the other Pokémon. Before he could grasp at the implications,
the Vengeful Warden overwhelmed his mind with foreign senses.
<i>Barks and whines of Houndoom and their lesser
brethren. A pup struck low before it could first breathe flame. A forbidden
hunt, with the promise of restoration.</i>
The scene abruptly
shifted, causing Staraptor''s flight to become more uneven. Only his spread
wings and affinity for the skies kept the two of the aloft as he struggled to
comprehend the sendings of the powerful Pokémon.
<i>A Human, lost and touched by death. Energy filled the
seedling-child. Smoke and embers clung to the boy''s form as he fled hunting
predators. </i>
The other mind
withdrew, allowing Staraptor to regain control of himself. He beat his wings to
regain the height he lost, using the time to formulate a response. The Vengeful
Warden''s intentions were clear, even if the Ranger was not already duty bound to
rescue the human child.
However, it was more
than a little odd for the Warden to be interested in a human trespassing in its
territory, hatchling or not.
Smoothing his raised
crest, Staraptor pumped his wings to better angle his body. As he did so, he
screeched a low warning to his Ranger partner, alerting her to prepare for
harsh maneuvers. While he waited for her to follow protocol, Staraptor
communicated with the Warden still connected to his mind.
As a longtime
companion to humans, he was better able to communicate as they did. Only wild
and untrained Pokémon used pure emotion and senses when psychically
communicating. It was testament to the Vengeful Warden''s skill and strength
that it was able to be understood at such a distance from its nest.
<Warden, it is
not often you intervene on the behalf of human trespassers,> he sent in an
open question. The Warden''s hostility to humans was known even in the city,
with Command ordering a no-fly perimeter around its known territory.
A mental chuff
preceded the powerful Pokémon''s reply. For Staraptor, it was a near physical
sensation, one he was physically incapable of making.
<Interest,>
the Warden sent simply before showing Staraptor scenes of the human hatchling.
<i>An alarming arrival, a Ghost powerful enough to make
even him wary. Care freely given to a seedling destined to become one with the
forest. Acknowledgment of wrongs inflicted on the land. Assistance offered and
received in healing a Roselia''s glade. </i>
<i>Energy that pervaded the human''s body in a
not-unfamiliar manner</i>.
The mental sending
broke off quickly, but not before Staraptor sensed the Warden''s increased
interest in the hatchling. There was no threat, not yet at least, but the
powerful Pokémon clearly had a reason for the human''s eventual safety.
Nevertheless, rescue
was one of a Ranger''s many duties. Turning his mind away from the mental
connection, he felt it fade slowly as the Warden''s power left him. The sense of
fury and rage left with it, leaving Staraptor feeling the need to groom
himself.
Setting aside the
sensation, Staraptor gathered his Energy as he waited for his partner to signal
her readiness. She tapped quickly on his crest and he could faintly feel her
grip the harness tighter.
Performing a tight
spin, he re-orientated himself on the rising smoke. Flames licked at the forest
below, struggling to burn the green wood without the canine''s assistance. With
Energy channeled into his keen eyes, he was able to pick out the ruffling of
the trees as creatures moved beneath. The desperate howls of the Houndoom pack
further guided him as he searched for their prey.
Staraptor pulled on
his affinity for the skies, gathering the air underneath his wings. Energy
flooded his body, reinforcing muscle and bone. When he was ready, Staraptor
burst forward with a stream of wind speeding him along.
His partner leaned
forward, smoothing their passage through the air and forcing him to add minute
corrections. He could sense her confusion at his actions but, like a good
partner, she did not question him. She would understand either way when they
found the endangered human hatchling and respond appropriately.
Even with the Energy
reinforcing his body, each beat of Staraptor''s wings strained his joints as he
propelled the two of them across the sky. An expertly controlled Tailwind was
throwing them forwards, moving the two as fast as safely possible. If the situation
grew dire enough, he would be able to speed them along further, but not without
lasting injury.
Already, he knew
that he would be confined to several cycles of rest to recover.
Arriving near the
edge of the hunt, Staraptor angled his feathers to turn their forward flight
into a harsh spiral with minimal loss of momentum. If they had more time, he
would have avoided subjecting his partner to such forces. However, they needed
to rapidly search the area to find the hatchling before the pack did.
Circling the area,
his sharp eyes picked out movement below, dismissing any that he deemed
unlikely to be from the human. To help aid his search, Staraptor flicked his
impressive crest of feathers out of his eye to keep it from impeding his view.
No matter how much he detested the careless rearrangement of his crown, losing
the human, and a hatchling at that, would be just as severe, if not more so.
Houndoom were not
known for their mercy.
"Staraptor,
there!" his partner shouted, the screaming wind tearing away at her words.
She risked herself to point and arm towards a section of the forest.
"Right wing!"
Grumbling internally
at his partner having spotted their quarry first, he directed his gaze along
her outstretched limb.
Below, flickers of
fire bloomed as dark shapes moved between the trees. Flashes of sparkling gold
captured his attention, leading his eyes to spot the fast moving human. A
construction of wood and silk was strapped to the boy''s back, hunching the
hatchling over as he desperately ran.
Chirping to indicate
that he saw, Staraptor tucked in his wings and dove. He gathered Energy around
his body to shield himself as they fell, preparing to transform the Tailwind.
While he did so, his
mind quickly processed the details.
The smoke was thin
and the fire faint, indicating that the forerunners were younger Houndour
instead of their more aggressive evolved forms. While Staraptor was confident
that he could deal with the weaker canines, the enraged howls that picked up
told him he would not be given the time to do so. That the pack was so intent
on hunting a human, prey that they have long learned to avoid, was worrying.
Close to the
treetops, enough that his feather brushed the upper leaves, Staraptor spread
his wings to slow their descent. At the same time, he channeled the powerful
wind behind him into a strong Whirlwind that blew apart the tree limbs blocking
their path. Smoke and noxious gas was dispersed, as were the faint embers that
still clung to life.
The young human was
left exposed and Staraptor quickly dropped to the forest floor with his Ranger
partner.
As they neared the
ground, she freed herself with the ease of long practice and leapt the
remaining distance. Her strong body absorbed the force of landing, not even
stumbling in place. With one hand, she whipped out her Ranger styler while the
other splayed outwards to shield the hatchling behind her.
Staraptor flapped to
the ground in front of her, hiding the aches brought on by their rough arrival.
He lifted his head to glare down at the young Houndour that leapt out of the
forest to surround them.
The small canines
were sooty and covered in straps of bone to protect their bodies while a mask
of it covered their skull.
Staraptor wanted to
snap his beak with annoyance, knowing that the ash from the young Pokémon were
going to stain his feathers.