After searching for the egg for a while, Ash grew tired and sat on the ground in frustration. "Where is the egg?" he muttered.
Pikachu hopped beside him saying "Pika pi!"
As Ash sat and looked up at the sky, the late afternoon sun cast long shadows and painted the clouds in shades of orange and pink. He noticed several Pidgeys flying in formation before descending to peck at the ground for seeds and insects.
One landed nearby and a thought drifted through Ash's mind. He already knew about Pidgey; he'd seen plenty of them, while training Pikachu.
But he recalled Professor Oak's words from the past. The Professor had told him the Pokédex would be an essential tool.
He explained that it doesn't just identify Pokémon it records their cries, habitats and even movesets.
For a trainer, this data is useful; it can reveal a Pokémon's potential strength, its evolution path and how to care for it properly.
That's why it was so important to scan every Pokémon he encountered, even already recorded ones.
"Remember, Ash," the Professor had said, his voice warm but serious. "The knowledge you gather doesn't just serve you. It contributes to a greater understanding for all trainers. Each entry you complete brings us one step closer to unraveling the many mysteries of Pokémon."
Well, at least I can do that, he thought. He was bored anyway and even if it didn't help him directly, maybe it would matter to someone else someday.
He pulled out his Pokédex and aimed it at the Pidgey. The red light on the front glowed softly as it activated.
Beep. Scan initiated.
A digital outline of Pidgey appeared on the Pokédex screen as it quickly analyzed the Pokémon. Lines of data scrolled rapidly…
Scan complete.
A cheerful chime sounded and the familiar digital voice of the Pokédex began to speak:
"Pidgey. The Tiny Bird Pokémon. It is very docile and will usually try to avoid fights. If it is attacked, however, it will fight back by furiously pecking and kicking up sand. Its small wings can carry it over long distances."
Ash watched as the Pokédex registered the data. The screen now simply showed a picture of a Pidgey alongside its name and some other Texts.
He smiled slightly. At least he'd done one, helpful thing today.
He sighed and seeing a Pidgey nearby he suddenly had an idea.
Then, he grinned. "Pikachu, use Thunder Shock!"
Pikachu, hearing Ash's command, instantly went into action. Its cheeks sparked with energy as it quickly unleashed a swift, crackling bolt of electricity. The Thunder Shock struck the Pidgey directly before it could even react.
The small Bird Pokémon shook violently from the electric shock. It let out a weak cry "Piii~~~"before finally collapsing onto the grass.
Ash threw a Pokéball. It shook once, twice, three times then clicked.
A message flashed across Ash's vision.
[ Mission: Abandon the Pidgey or transform Pidgey into a female (10 days)
Reward: None
Punishment: Unknown ]
Ash's eyes narrowed for a fraction of a second before he swiped the notification away, ignoring it completely. He had no intention of keeping pidgey for long anyway.
He picked up the Pokéball and released the Pidgey. It materialized on the grass, looking up at him slightly dazed. A few of its feathers were lightly burned from Pikachu's attack, but it was not seriously injured.
"Sorry about that, little guy," Ash said softly. He concentrated for a moment and his backpack materialized in his hands. Unzipping it, he pulled out a small box of Pokémon food and poured a handful onto the ground in front of the dazed Pidgey.
Next, he took out a small bowl, filled it with fresh water from his bottle and placed it carefully beside the food.
The Pidgey watched him warily for a moment, letting out a weak, confused cry "Pid...gey?" before its hunger finally overcame its caution.
It hopped forward, its cry becoming suddenly bright and energetic. "Pidgey! Pidgey!" it cried happily as it began to eagerly peck at the food.
It paused to drink from the bowl, shaking its head and letting out a cheerful "Pidgey!", all traces of its previous daze completely forgotten.
Ash knelt down, looking at the Pidgey. The small bird had finished eating and was now sitting lazily as completely full and satisfied.
"Do you know where I can find the abandoned eggs of your group?" he asked.
The Pidgey tilted its head thoughtfully before giving a quick, understanding nod. It let out a series of encouraging chirps, "Pidgey! Pidgey!" as it flew into the air, circling before flying toward the tree. It kept looking back, calling out "Pidgey!" clearly urging Ash to follow.
Ash understood quickly and hurried with Pikachu followed after the small bird. Pidgey soon led him toward a more secluded part of the forest.
After about ten minutes, they arrived at a small, hidden area surrounded by a large tree. Dozens of abandoned eggs lay scattered across it.
Some had fine cracks on their shells, others were partially broken with dried residue around the openings and a few looked discolored or odd. They had clearly been left behind, deemed imperfect or unviable by the group.
Using his gender identification skill, Ash carefully picked up and examined each egg that identifies as female.
He soon noticed a slightly odd-colored egg set apart from the others. It had no cracks or flaws, yet it had been abandoned. It was also noticeably larger than the other eggs.
At first, he avoided it, thinking it might belong to a different Pokémon species. But after checking every other good egg without the mission completion message appearing, he returned to the unusual one.
Hesitantly, he picked it up. The moment his fingers made contact, a soft chime echoed in his mind. A blue screen materialized before his eyes:
---
[ Mission: Find abandoned royal Pidgeot egg (Complete)
Reward: 1 Heartball has been added to your Inventory ]
---
Exhausted but satisfied, Ash looked at the egg he'd found. He turned to the Pidgey. "Do you know why this egg was abandoned? It looks fine to me."
The Pidgey chirped but Ash couldn't understand. Pikachu stepped in, using a series of gestures and "Pika-pi" sounds, pointing at the egg's color and shaking his head as if to say, "They didn't like that it looked different."
"Oh… so it's a different color," Ash realized. "That means it's shiny! And they abandoned it just because it looked different?"
A soft sigh escaped Ash's lips. "The Pokémon world sure is cruel. Is this why shiny Pokémon are so rare? Because they're abandoned before they even get a chance to hatch?"
What he didn't notice was that this entire scene was being watched by a female Pidgeotto who kept her anxious eyes fixed on him and the egg in his hands. She was the queen of this flock, but her authority meant nothing against nature's cruel play. Her mate, the king, had refused to accept the oddly colored egg as his own, demanding it be cast out.
Her heart had broken as she'd been secretly visiting every day, hoping that it would hatch. She had watched over it, as a silent guardian for a child she could not claim.
Now, as she saw the human carefully holding her egg, a new, fragile hope bloomed in her chest. Humans took Pokémon away, yes, but they also raised them.
Where her own kind had rejected her offspring, this human might save it. With a final look, she turned and left silently into the forest, her heart in motherly pain yet lighter than it had been in weeks.
He took out the Heartball, wondering if it would even work on an egg. To his surprise, as he touched it to the egg's shell, the egg vanished into the ball with a soft glow.
Smiling, Ash gave the helpful Pidgey some more food before releasing it. Then, he pulled out Misty's bike and hurried toward Viridian City. It was getting late, he'd likely arrive by nighttime.