The Chase

"Skitty?"

Startled by the mournful cry, Teddiursa stared at the Taillow that had suddenly called out. Teddiursa even forgot to go teach Nana and Scheming Bear a lesson.

Nana and Scheming Bear were startled too. The cry sounded so miserable that anyone who heard it could feel its pain.

Nana, especially, felt a wave of sorrow when she thought of how hard the Electabuzz Team worked, only to fail to win the championship year after year.

Scheming Bear guiltily hid the paw that had struck Taillow. Had she really hit that hard?

She didn't think she'd used much force. That cry was a bit much, wasn't it?

The forest fell silent, as though everything around them had stopped. In truth, a crowd of uninvited guests had surrounded the place. Some Pokémon had already fled at the first sign of trouble. Of course they had—who would stick around to be pecked by a flock of Taillow?

"Sba! Sba!"

"Sba!! Sba!!"

"Sba! Sba! Sba!"

Blue-and-black shapes suddenly filled the surrounding branches. A closer look revealed Taillow, their eyes razor-sharp.

"Skitty..."

Scheming Bear had a sudden, terrible feeling. She was inside the flock's encirclement too. More precisely, Taillow surrounded Teddiursa's den on every side.

"Sba!!"

Once the Taillow who had been slapped saw her own kind arrive, she immediately set about making herself look as pitiful as possible.

Scheming Bear was speechless. She edged toward the entrance to Teddiursa's den, then darted inside. As for Nana and Elekid outside? Hmph. She didn't know them.

Nana immediately recalled Elekid into his Poké Ball. Then she raised her little megaphone without a trace of fear. "Hey! You're breaking the rules! Only one pitcher can take the field at a time!"

"Sba?!"

The Taillow exchanged looks, baffled. They had always fought for territory and food according