Week 17 Quest: BEES!

    [What’s that smell?] Pepper asked her friend Haze as the two of them wandered the streets as the Firebird Festival went on around them. Dancers and fire jugglers littered the streets as festival goers watched from a safe distance. Guitar strings could still be heard being plucked above the din of roaring flames and chattering townsfolk and visitors alike.

    [You get one week off from the forge to come to this festival and the first thing you ask is what smells?] the gastly asked as he floated down in front of her. [Haven’t you taken a look around you? We are in a city wide party! Of course you are going to smell something weird. Whether it is the charcoal smell of the torches burning, something I bet you’re used to by now, or the sweet deciduous aroma of sweets being baked and serve fresh from the oven. Shoot, given the event, I wouldn’t be surprised that what you are smell is the plenty of teas being brewed at this very moment.]

    [Well it is something sweet that I smell,] the cyndaquil commented, [but it’s more of a natural smell. Like honey.]

    [Meh,] he replied as he shrugged the comment off, [someone is probably selling honey cookies or adding it to their teas. Now that I think about it, honeyed tea does sound good.]

    [No I smell too much of it for it to be just an additive,] she replied sticking her nose into the air and taking a whiff.

    Looking around she pointed toward an alleyway that lead to another park ground. [It’s coming from this way!] she barked before breaking into a full sprint, leaving her gastly friend behind. Rolling his eyes though, he quickly followed hoping to put an end to his friend’s suspicions.

    But the closer they got to source of the smell, the more his suspicions about the honey smell rose. Rounding the corner, they were greeted by a swarm of bees. Towns people and unprepared Pokémon alike fled the scene with great haste as the swarming combees and beedrills descended on them. Deep in the heart of the swarm stood an intimidating Vespiquen Chimera directing her swarm in the grace of her position in the hive.

    “AHH! They’re going for my eyes,” one forgeborn screamed, covering his face as a beedrill corralled him into a wall. He slammed face first before falling on his back, exposing his belly for the powerful stringer to strike.

    Luckily for the man, it was swatted away by one of the city’s Guards-Pokémon. As he helped the man get up, the defending Pokémon spotted Pepper and Haze watching.

    [Hey!] it shouted grabbing their attention, [Help this man get to safety!] he didn’t give them a chance to replied before diving back into the swarm to fight off the rouge bees.

    [Let’s go Haze,] Pepper shouted as they ran over to the man who was this rubbing the lump on his forehead. It took them a couple of tries using gestures and cries to convince the man to follow them back through the alley they entered from.

    “A-alright, led on,” he said lowering his head in vain hope of not getting spotted again.

    He was spotted though, this time by a combee that had finished eating sweets left behind. Leaving the plate of snacks behind, it took off after them.

    Glancing back, Haze spotted the following bee Pokémon and shouted, [We’ve got company!] It only took one look back before the forgeborn sprinted down the alley leaving the two Pokémon alone with their foe.

    [What do we do now?] Haze asked as he watched their charge flee. [We’ve kind of did help the guy get to safety.

    Snorting, Pepper stepped forward. Igniting the flames on her back, the fire mouse Pokémon spat out, [Now we can get dirty.]

    [Are you mad?] Haze said lowering himself down to her leave as the combee rushed forward. [We don’t know what it can do or how strong it is. We could seriously get hurt.]

    [I didn’t know you were such a scaredy meowth?] she countered with a smirk. Haze was only left speechless as he stared at her as she stepped up to meet the oncoming attacker.

    With a deep breath, she broke into a full sprint down the alley. Her opponent lowered itself to the ground and began to whip up a wad of mud.

    When she was about three feet away from her target, Pepper launched herself into the air. [This is for ruining my first vacation!] she howled as she angled her descent toward the low flying bug Pokémon. Not expecting this, the combee’s mud-slap flew wildly though still managed to splatter the cyndaquil. But her momentum was already put forward with the attack as she crashed into the bee Pokémon. Carried by the double-edge tackle, both Pokémon went rolling into a nearby barrel shattering it completely.

    [Pepper!] Haze yelled flying over to the shattered barrel. Among the Cheri berries that it once contained laid Pepper on top of the combee, both covered in the spicy fruit juices. Grabbing a piece of broken lumber in his mouth, Haze assisted his friend back to her feet.

    [Hare hyou hokay?] he asked through the wood.

    [I can barely understand you,] she asked once she was back on feet.

    Taking the piece of wood out of his mouth, Haze asked again, [Are you okay?]

    She glared back up at him, [Physically? No, I’m not. I think I hurt my hip with that attack, I’m covered in berry juice which is burning my eyes and on top of that I’ve got the taste of mud stuck in my mouth, probably for the rest of the day. Mentally? I’ve never been better.]

    [Huh?] the gastly asked as the two walked away from the combee that was starting to wake itself back up.

    [That was the funnest thing I’ve ever done!] Pepper shouted, glee written all over her face. [Oh the rush of wind as I was dropping that bee was so awesome. I can still feel the blood running through me, asking for another go at it.]

    [If you use that move again, you might knock yourself out!] Haze protested.

    She scoffed as she spotted the combee trying to return to its swarm. [So what if I miss the festival because me being reckless. It’s worth it. Now before you try to convince me otherwise. Let’s finish it off.] True to her word, she left Haze with his retort still on his lips.

    Sighing, he rolled his eyes once more and followed after her and the fleeing combee.