The trip from the Pokemart back to his clearing was quick.

Fred and Machop weren’t training on the outskirts and the Ranger’s office was still empty. Nothing new had appeared on the bulletin board. Route 7 was quiet at this time of year.

David still had the clearing to himself so he released Pidgey as soon as he arrived. She launched to her feet when she came out, but relaxed after recognising the clearing.

While Pidgey hopped around and inspected the area, David started setting his tent up. Again. He was getting better at it but it was still a pain.

When that was all settled, David sat down and dug into ‘How to wing it!’.

The leaflet was broken into three sections. Biology, Needs and Training of Flying types.

The contents weren’t solely about Pidgeys. Pidgeys were used in the majority of examples but Gastly, Spearow and Zubat came up several times. He was surprised that Gastly was included in the leaflet. Unless things had changed majorly from the game, Gastly had no wings.

Zubat for instance had paragraphs dedicated to it in the navigation part of the Biology section. The leaflet was too small to go into great detail about echolocation but it had a brief description about how the Pokemon navigate using reflected sound instead of its weak eyes.

On the same page was a description of ‘Magnetoreception’. What a word. Pidgey and Spearow used this sense to navigate. They were able to detect magnetic fields and could even learn to use that sense for Pokemon moves like ‘Swift’ or ‘Aerial Ace’.

David let out a sigh of relief. Moves were a thing in this world. Every similarity he found was a comfort.

Pidgey came up beside him at the noise and stared at the leaflet with interest. David considered the Pokemon but shook his head. There was no point trying to discuss ‘Magnetoreception’ with her. Trade was one thing, complex concepts another.

He found out why Gastly was included in the last part of the Biology section. A paragraph explained that it was included due to its ability to float around. It wasn’t true flight - Gastly needed something nearby to anchor off, but it was close enough to fit in this category about the common 11 over any other.

David bookmarked the page on Flying Pokemon’s diet in the Needs section, but carried on to the good stuff. The Training section. It was the largest section and was broken into three further subsections: Conditioning, maneuverability and Moves.

The leaflet recommended structuring training in that order. A Pokemon needed sufficient strength to perform maneuvers or moves. A Flying type without maneuverability was a sitting Psyduck, no matter how strong its moves were.

David snorted at the familiar phrase and when Pidgey chirped he tried to explain. He could tell Pidgey didn’t understand but it felt good to talk about home. He liked that there were similarities between the worlds. It reinforced his idea that he wasn’t the only person to have traveled between them. It made his goals seem possible.

David felt the urge to check out the Moves section, but Pidgey was starting to scratch at the ground beside him. He needed to take advantage of her attention while he had it.

Conditioning for Flying types is centered on two areas. The wings and feet. While the need for strong wings is obvious, many trainers skip training their Pokemon’s feet. This results in weaker Physical moves and on occasion, impact injuries.

A beginner foot exercise is Gripping. Direct your Pokemon to close their talons around a branch or perch and bend both knee and ankle joints. The Pokemon should keep maximum force for a count before relaxing for a count. Repeat and increase the count number as the Pokemon progresses.

When your Pokemon have mastered this ability you can train them to carry packages. Give the Pokemon weaker and weaker materials to hold and practice gripping without crushing.

Hopping is the second beginner exercise. Direct your Pokemon to hop distances and up to set heights without the use of their wings or Type energy. Increase distances and height as the Pokemon progresses.

Flying type Pokemon are notably hesitant and reluctant to train in this way.

The revelation that Pokemon types from the game were actually forms of energy was startling. He’d considered them categories more than anything else, but he’d never really thought about how Pokemon could do the things they could do in game.

David looked down at Pidgey’s sharp talons digging into the ground beside him. He didn’t need to see her crushing branches. He was afraid enough of those sharp points already.

‘Let’s start with the wing exercises. Pidgey will be fine with just hopping for a while’

Taking off is an energy intensive exercise for young Pokemon. Pokemon need to channel large amounts of energy through their wings to power their initial flaps and launch.

This is a doubly beneficial exercise as the Pokemon can practice flight after take off.

Nestling Pokemon are often unable to gather enough Flying Type energy to take off by themselves. While nestlings are unable to perform this exercise, it is recommended to lift them up manually to allow flight practice. Chick stage Pokemon will be able to take off 6-7 times before tiring but being lifted will allow them more flying practice.

This was perfect. David turned to Pidgey.

“Want to practice some flying?”

 

-.-

 

“Great job!” David called from beside the tent. He’d learned to stay back after getting a face full of dirt and dust during Pidgey’s first take off.

Pidgey was able to launch herself above David’s head with a mighty swipe of her wings. She spent the flight down circling the clearing. She’d been a bit unsteady after her launch initially but was starting to smoothen out. David could already see a huge improvement from her flights through the woods yesterday.

Pidgey landed a little too quickly, scratching furrows on the ground.

“One more?” David asked. Pidgey’s wings were starting to shake a little after that last one.

Pidgey turned and let out a shrill call before scrunching up and preparing for another take off. With a big whoosh she launched up, but only made it to David’s eye level before faltering.

David walked towards her as she circled down.

“Huh. So you aren’t a nestling but you’re not quite at the chick stage.” David said. Pidgey had taken off four times before getting tired. She had managed three flights yesterday too.

Pidgey tried to fluff herself up but she was still shaking with effort.

Maybe Beth would know how old she was. Did people celebrate Pokemon's birthdays?

David considered Pidgey. The leaflet said that lifting them up helped Chicks practice flight. But Pidgey’s wings were trembling. And her talons were clenching and digging into the ground.

David shuddered and turned back to the leaflet. He could read the subsection on Moves instead.

 

The leaflet had a section on several different moves but David focused on two. Tackle and Peck. Two staples of the start of any Pokemon adventure.

Tackle is one of the first moves learned by any Pokemon capable of channeling Normal Type energy. Direct your Pokemon to channel Normal Type energy throughout its body.

Step one is complete when the Pokemon is able to maintain this energy while staying still.

Step two involves channeling the energy while moving.

Step three is maintaining that energy during impact.

Warning: Young Flying types' hollow or pneumatized bones are frail. It is not recommended for them to use Tackle for contact or in battle until they have a firm grasp of Normal Type energy.

David looked at Pidgey who had settled into a roosting position beside him. Maybe he should hold off on Tackle until he finds out how old Pidgey is. His dreams of a fortune earned through battling were looking further and further away.

The instructions for Peck were quite simple.

Direct your Pokemon to channel Flying Type energy to their beaks and peck/ strike at objects with their beaks.

Peck was apparently easier for Spearow to learn. Their beaks were scrunched and edgy when born. They needed to channel Flying type energy into their beaks to tear up their prey. Only when they evolved to Fearow would their beaks straighten out and form their signature sword-like edge.

A Pidgey’s beak on the other hand didn't change all that much. It was sharp and triangular from birth which meant wild Pidgeys rarely felt the need to channel Flying energy into their beaks.

“Alright. So how do I get you to Peck?” David mused as Pidgey fluffed herself beside him.

 

-.-

 

Five minutes later David had given up. Pidgey just wasn't interested in trying Peck on the sticks, stones or even bits of paper he’d laid out before her. She might have changed her mind if he had a berry but he was all out.

David sat down in front of her. Pidgey had shown no signs of any 'Energy' when eating before.

"Christ why do I even try. It's a bird for god's sake," David complained, rubbing his forehead.

Pidgey squawked, causing David to look at her again. He felt an icy chill as she stared at him.

Had she understood that? She kind of looked offended. She was intelligent enough to trade yesterday.

The trade.

David pushed up onto his knees and scooted closer to the Pokemon.

"Let's make a deal."

Pidgey turned her head away. She definitely understood what he had said.

"You liked that berry yesterday, yeah? You try this - and I mean properly try and you can have the first pick of the berries."

Pidgey fixed him with her gaze and David shifted a little. Sometimes her gaze became unnerving.

Pidgey stood and tried to Peck the stick.

 

-.-

 

When he called it half an hour later, Pidgey hadn’t managed any of the effects the leaflet described with her Peck. She was very happy with the idea of stopping for a berry search instead.

Today they were going to try the southern side of the clearing. He had no desire to run into that plant Pokemon from yesterday again. They would explore the woods between the clearing and the route path.

As David walked to the edge of the clearing Pidgey hopped after him. But a minute or two into the woods she started making the ‘I’m tired’ chirp.

“Huh, I guess all that work tired you out more than I expected. Want to go back in the ball?” David held her pokeball up. Pidgey pecked forward and David clicked the button.

He spent a second examining the slightly heavier pokeball. Then he set off again. If Pidgey was going to put her all into it, he would need to do the same and find her some berries to choose between.

 

-.-

 

The woods south of the clearing was a lot quieter than to the north. The only Pokemon David saw were Meowth darting through the trees.

David searched for about two hours but didn’t have much luck. All he found were more of the leafy herbs and another Touga, the red carrot he had found on the first day.

A little defeated, he returned back to the clearing. Hopefully Pidgey wouldn’t be too upset at having a choice of only one berry.

He laid the berry and herbs out on a mat and released Pidgey. She let out a tired trill before spotting the selection.

“I know it’s not a lot. I wasn’t able to-” David began but Pidgey didn’t wait. She shot forward and dug into the Touga.

‘Huh,’ David thought. The Touga he’d eaten had nearly burnt his mouth off.

He gathered up the remaining herbs and made himself a plain salad.

They were having dinner a little earlier than the day before, and while the sun was starting to set there was still time to burn. Pidgey was still tired from training. Which meant Berry hunting.

David looked off to the north and then at the roosting Pidgey beside him.

“Want to go for a search?” He asked.

Pidgey chirped happily. They got moving.