Pine Gap

[Pixel]

A gap in the trees revealed what Silas was looking for. The precarious Pine Gap itself. But reaching the location was only half the battle. Now he had to figure out if the farfetch'd was here and then attempt to catch the annoying birdbrain. With one of the birds in his bag, slung over his shoulder like a sleeping bag he didn't quite feel like rolling up properly—he was ready to find the second so he could dump both at the feet of Sylvester and get that CUT HM. 

"Mercenary. Syndicate. Keep your eyes peeled..." Silas said, Mercenary growled, her mouth salivating with the hunter's drive to grab, rip, shake and tear. To catch that bird in her jaws and shake it to bits. To devour. To burn. But she knew she had to practice restraint. This place. These woods. They reminded her of her home—where her packmates were few and it was too often they had to hunt alone, fighting for every scrap of food against hoards of poocyena. It was not a gentle place, from which she hailed, a dog-eat-dog world quite literally.

As she paced and prowled, those flickering embers building in her mouth, her eyes narrow, she had to remind herself that this bird, wherever it hid, was not food. She clicked her teeth and licked her slips to try to stifle generations of instincts. To obey orders rather than the inferno within that screamed to do whatever it took to survive. 

Above, Syndicate flew same as before, keen eyes cutting through the darkness. Soon enough, he was pretty sure he spotted something and with a caw, swooped down to slam into it with a terrible, sneaky strike. Night Slash was prone to hitting weak spots, so sharp and keep was the blow.

Silas whirled when he spotted the Honchkrow divebombing his prey.

"Find something?" he called out, approaching the bird, curious to if his partner in crime had just blitzed out the farfetched or had once more gotten distracted by a shiny object. It would be just his luck if some camper had left a pot or something and this darn bird decided it was time to go collect a useless shiny object for his hoard. Syn was shameless. Nothing was sacred in his pursuit of shinies: trainers, trash cans, other pokemon. If it was reflective enough, Syn would try to grab it.

—

Word Count: 400 (+400) | OOC: 

Looking for a farfetch'd encounter!
Using night slash x2 on encounter.

Coming from Mahogany Knoll

[Venominon]

As the second runaway Farfetch'd hit the dirt, Shinya grinned down at the injured Flying type with his usual grin, filled with pride in yet another victory for his team. As well as the fact that he got to crush another living creature's dreams, of course. After descending the pine tree he had chosen to climb with Anorith in his bag, the Bug type trainer walked right over to the defeated Wild Duck Pokemon, looked down at it, and spoke in a condescending, yet still somehow sympathetic tone of voice. "Hmph. Believe me, I know just how sweet freedom can be. And I know full well how much it bites havin' to take orders from someone who's weaker than ya are. If the circumstances were different, ya probably would've gotten away with it too."

"Unfortunately for you and your partner in crime, my progress means your capture. Not sorry, but I'm not nearly nice enough to just look the other way and let ya have your fun while I'm stuck searchin' for another way to move on. Too bad, so sad. Well, not for me and the rest of Team Skull, that is." Shinya chuckled after finishing his little put down speech, knowing full well that the Farfetch'd he was belittling was out cold and unable to hear him. Still, that made no difference to the trainer from Alola, having his fun before bending over and picking up the unconscious Farfetch'd by its legs so that it wouldn't be able to run away if it regained consciousness at any point in the near future. All that remained at that point was to head back to the Luminous Vale, pick up the other grounded Flying type, return both of them to Sylvester, and claim his reward for his services on this matter.

"...That's all fine and good, boss...but does this mean I can finally go back to sleep now?...Pretty please with the blood of those who cross us on top?..." Anorith suddenly chimed in, even less awaken than she was a moment ago, very much wishing to go back inside her Pokeball for yet another round of sleep. Her comment made Shinya chuckle a bit more, as he glanced at her, still sticking up out of his bag. "Ya always know just what to say. Ya know that, Anorith? Alright. Have yourself another nap. I can take it from here." With that, the Old Shrimp Pokemon yawned once more before returning to her Pokeball all on her own, while Shinya turned right around and started to make his way out of the Pine Gap. However, before leaving this area of the Ilex Forest, Shinya observed something rather surprising.

He observed a man, looking to be about thirty, entering the Pine Gap, accompanied by a Houndoom and a Honchkrow. And from the looks of their behavior, they were just as troublesome as Shinya and his Pokemon were. Perhaps even more so, though Shinya would've hated to admit it. The green-haired trainer lost his grin as he eyed the suit-wearing man and his duo of Dark types, not liking the overall vibe he got from him one bit. "What the heck is this? Somebody crowdin' me? This is Team Skull's turf, damn it. I don't know who this suit thinks he is, but if he gets in my way, I'll destroy him too." Shinya said to himself in a displeased tone of voice, turning away from Silas and picking up the pace as he made his exit from the Pine Gap. Ordinarily, Shinya would've challenged this person to a battle without a moment of hesitation, but with one Farfetch'd in hand and another buried under a pile of rocks back in another area, he simply lacked the time to do so. This time.

OOC: Shinya will be heading back to the Mahogany Knoll. Before Silas has a chance to notice him.

[Professor Oak]

The serene hush of the forest enveloped the lone Farfetch'd as it traversed the twisted paths of Ilex's Pine Gap. The air hummed with the sweet melodies of unseen creatures, the gentle rustling of leaves forming an orchestra of nature. Its leek clutched in its wing, a companion more cherished than any treasure, swayed with each measured step.

Unbeknownst to the wandering Farfetch'd, danger prowled in the shadows, masked by the tranquillity of the woodland. Syndicate, a dark apparition in the canopy above, descended upon it with silent grace. Night Slash—swift and vicious—sliced through the serene ambiance like a knife through an onion.

In an instant, the tranquil stroll transformed into a tumultuous clash. The Farfetch'd, startled by the sudden assault, whirled to face the assailant. Its eyes widened with alarm, the glint of determination reflecting in them as it brandished its leek like a valiant sword. The duck launched into the air, meeting Honchkrow's assault head-on.

The forest echoed with the clash of their attacks. The Farfetch'd moved with a fluid grace, its movements a flurry of parries and strikes. Yet, despite its valour, the relentless strike of Night Slash found its mark, a precise and calculated blow that sent shockwaves through the avian fighter.

For a fleeting moment, time seemed suspended. The Farfetch'd faltered, its wings fluttering as it fought to regain composure, a testament to its unwavering resolve. But the Honchkrow's strike had exacted its toll, sapping the last vestiges of strength from the valiant bird. With a graceful yet mournful descent, the Farfetch'd succumbed to the overpowering force, its form collapsing amidst a swirl of fallen leaves.


Note: Farfetch'd attacks with Aerial Ace, Syndicate's health is 65/89 after levelling up!

---

VICTORY

---

the Farfetch'd admits defeat and will reluctantly let Silas take it back.

Syndicate gained +2 level and grew to level 24!

[Pixel]

Silas was too fixed on the battle taking place to notice Shinya slipping out of sight. He didn't especially care to be social, even if he had noticed the younger man. And had he challenged Silas, the older man might have accepted it...and let Houndoom burn, burn, burn the world down. Or he would have just shaken his head and dismissed the hooligan out of hand. The world might never know...

He was also absolutely oblivious to their similar quests. That they both sought canny birds who needed to go home now.

Decidedly not caring about things he didn't know about, he watched Syn hunt. The Nightslash slammed into the shrubbery and then the farfetch'd lurched forth, slicing across Syn's chest with an aerial ace as Syn swiped again with a Night Slash. It was quite the sight. Spectacular even. 

The two foes were locked in combat midair...but of course, Syn proved superior as the farfetch'd was overwhelmed and knocked back down to earth.

"Time to take this one as well." Silas said with a sense of resoluteness. He grabbed the farfetch'd and now in possession of two birds, he made his way back towards the Shady Glen.

—

Word Count: 400 (+400) | OOC: 

Will top off Syndicate's HP with a potion. Self-Updating.

Syndicate HP [ 85/89 ]

Going to Mahogany Knoll