"I can help you get revenge."
Grey kept it short.
Six simple words—and they rattled Articuno hard.
That was the very group that had hounded it across the seas. Even if Grey was strong, facing their swarm tactics couldn't be easy.
Yet when Articuno met Grey's eyes, a steady confidence seemed to wel l up from him.
"Liiing." (Th—then how will you prove you can help me take revenge?)
Articuno preened its feathers. The urge to fly away ebbed after that line; it wanted to see what proof he'd give.
"Does casually swatting your move aside not count?"
Grey scratched the back of his head and rolled his shoulders.
Articuno: "…"
Grey: "…"
Man and bird fell into silence. A stray gust slid through the ice hall, mirroring the mood.
"Ahem."
Grey pulled out his phone, opened his gallery, and held up a few photos of busted Team Rocket grunts. "Look—are these the same uniforms as the ones who chased you?"
"Liiing." (They are.)
Articuno studied them carefully, then nodded.
"I've busted crews like this more than a few times—easily into the hundreds."
Grey jiggled the phone in his hand. "So… does that count as 'strong enough to help you get revenge'?"
"Liiing." (It does.)
The pitch got to Articuno; the future Grey painted filled its little bird stomach right up.
And it had to admit—the pitch went down easy.
"Liiing." (But before that, there's something I need.)
Articuno's eyes sharpened; cold gathered on the wind and drew toward Grey.
"Liiing!" (Human!)
Its cry made Green shuffle back half a step in a start.
Grey narrowed his eyes. Beside him, Annihilape stepped forward, heat shedding from its fists in a gentle rain.
"Liiing…" (I'm starving…)
With that, Articuno flopped bonelessly to the floor. Its noble wings tapped the leg of Grey's pants—another inch and the legendary bird would be hugging him and sobbing.
It hadn't had a full meal in days. It had smelled the berries in Grey's pack earlier, but couldn't bring itself to ask.
Now was different.
Grey had promised revenge.
Surely a meal wasn't too much to ask?
How do you avenge anyone on an empty stomach?!
Grey: (￢_￢)
Watching this absurd scene, Grey facepalmed.
There went the elegant, aloof image—shattered.
How was he supposed to look this thing in the eye now?
Lowering your proud head for a snack? Really?
You silly bird!
"Sigh. You've got me. Fine."
Grey fished out a few Wiki Berries and handed them over, then watched Articuno tuck in like a vacuum.
"Liiing!" (Delicious, delicious—best berries I've ever had in my life!)
Days of hunger wiped out any concern for image; it finally let itself eat like it meant it.
Huff, huff, huff…
In three minutes flat, every last berry was gone.
Fed and content, Articuno gave its wings a flap; an ice pillar rose from nothing. It leaned against it, patted its snow-white belly with a wing, and burped.
"…hic~" (Tasty~)
"…"
To Grey, this Articuno was a complete oddball.
Not legendary vibes at all.
Please don't lie around the house all day once you're caught.
"Wuu." (Blessed are the fools.)
Poliwag suddenly piped up to heckle.
"Liiing!" (Excuse me—did a tiny Poliwag just call me a fool?!)
Articuno bristled at once.
What do you mean, "blessed are the fools"?!
"Wuu." (Talking about you. Think you're something hot and that makes you special?)
Poliwag waggled its tail-feather and gave Articuno a full scolding. By the end, the bird had nothing left to say.
"Liiing!" (Whatever. I'll be the bigger legend and let it go. If the other legendaries heard about this, I'd never live it down.)
Red-faced, Articuno huffed and sat. It drummed the ice with its wings and turned its head away so it wouldn't have to look at Poliwag.
"Enough. We're family from here on out, so cut it out."
Grey stepped between them and raised a hand.
"Liiing?!" (Hold on—what do you mean 'family from here on out'?!)
The calm in Articuno's chest flared at Grey's words.
Right now it was the least Ice-like Ice-type going—hot-tempered as a Fire-type.
"Ahem."
Grey coughed, pulled out an empty Poké Ball, and held it to Poliwag. "Well? Want to come with me? Life in the city, battles with all kinds of Pokémon, getting stronger day by day."
"Wuu." (Getting stronger…)
Poliwag swayed, torn.
It hadn't been born on the Seafoam; one thing led to another and it settled here.
Belonging? Not much.
But really leave with this human…?
Poliwag had a dream: to swim the rivers, lakes, and seas of the world under its own power.
If it left with him, maybe—just maybe—that dream would happen.
"Wuu!" (Okay!)
Poliwag bonked its head into the ball and dissolved into red light.
Click!
The ball stilled at once—caught.
Grey picked it up, brushed off a film of frost, then raised a Great Ball toward Articuno. "Be my partner, Articuno!"
"Liiing!" (You've done me a kindness, but I'll say this first: if you want to catch me, make me yield with strength!)
Articuno stood tall, cold spilling free, thawed water refreezing into thick ice.
"Deal."
Grey flipped out Breloom's ball and sent it in.
"Liiing." (If it's just a little mushroom, then don't even—)
Articuno shook its head. Mid-sentence, a wave of sleep crashed over it. Its vision swam.
In the air, a soft green dust drifted down.
The world blurred; Articuno pitched straight into the floor.
"Bre—loom." (This bird sure likes to run its mouth.)
Breloom scratched its head, then puffed a few Leech Seeds from under its cap, binding Articuno up tight.
"True."
Grey nodded and tossed the Great Ball.
Thunk…
Articuno vanished inside. The wobble was a lot fiercer than Poliwag's—
—but at last the ball settled. Quiet.
"All right. Time to head back to the Gym."
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