Bridging the Gap (Exploration)

Bridging the Gap
"Lending a helping hand!"

This page contains details about the exploration Bridging the Gap, and contains quest spoilers.

To return to the list of Novelty & Rare Pokemon explorations, click here.

Requirements
The user must not currently be embarked on any other exploration, and have at least one slot open in their party to begin the quest line. Additionally, the following requirements are specified: This exploration has a cooldown period of 30 days.
 * 15,000 interactions
 * 150 Pokedex entries
 * 50 achievements
 * 128 point fee

Task 1
"It’s the day you’ve been waiting for this whole semester of trainer school. From the time you went to bed you were so horribly excited, anticipating when you would get on the bus to ride to the nature sanctuary, where you would then view the behavior of the majestic wild Bidoof!

''… is the exact OPPOSITE of how you actually feel about this whole thing. While you’d rather be back at class sparring with your classmates, you’re stuck having to observe practically the most useless Pokémon ever in its natural habitat. You gaze half-heartedly out the window as your bus pulls into the parking lot of the nature sanctuary.''

''You figure, though, that you may as well make the best of the situation. After all, it sure beats having to do homework. When the bus pulls to a stop, it occurs to you that you haven’t double-checked to see if you have everything you’ll need for the day trip. Shrugging, you decide it won’t hurt to double-check, as you open your bag and begin to rummage." These items can be purchased from the Shop. If there are none currently for sale, the Pass Power 'Purchase Power' allows users to buy items not in the shop right now.''
 * Have a Lemonade, an Antidote, and a Repel in your inventory

Task 2
"Shortly after you’ve determined you have everything you need, the teacher begins guiding you and the other students off of the bus. As soon as you step off, you begin to look around, taking in the postcard-pretty woodland scenery. Your teacher shouting instructions to all of your classmates interrupts your train of thought, though. You snap back to reality and begin to march after the rest of the group.

''When you’re ordered to stop, you and your group find yourselves standing in front of a small cabin-like building. Out of it steps what appears to be a ranger all dressed in uniform, likely worn out a bit from their job.''

'Howdy folks!' She says in a cheerful tone, 'My name is Ranger Ellen, and if I’m not mistaken your group is here to see the wild Bidoof, right?' Your teacher quickly nods to assure her.

'''Great! But before we go out into the woods, my friend here is gonna lay down some rules for you all.' She smiles widely, and moves out of the way of the door to make room for what appears to be a man in a costume resembling a giant Bidoof. At this sight, you hide your face in embarrassment.''

'Heya kids!' He says in a goofy voice, 'I'm Jeff the Bidoof, and I’m here to tell you some rules about this reserve! Now, before we do anything, I want to make it clear that you are only allowed to look at the Pokémon. Interaction of any kind, such as feeding or battling, and ESPECIALLY capturing, is frowned upon. So be safe, and give the Bidoof a break, okay?'

You desperately try to distract yourself from the sight before your eyes. In this moment, however, you notice three or four of your classmates chuckling under their breath before using the distraction at hand to slip away into the woods. You wonder to yourself what they could possibly be up to, but the boisterous voice of the ranger distracts you.

'So if y’all are ready, let’s get going!' The ranger begins to lead your group into the woods, and you begin to follow suit."
 * Get 580 interactions

Task 3
"It’s been a few minutes since you began your trek, and there still seems to be no sign of anything but woods. That is, until your eye lands on quite a sight to behold, off in the distance. It appears to be a massive dam smack in the middle of the river, covered in wild Bidoof.

'' 'Well, this here is it! The Bidoof’s dam!' The ranger says, bringing your group to a stop. A couple of your classmates pull out cameras to snap photos of the Bidoof standing proudly atop their creation. 'Now everyone, some quick know-how about this dam. This group of wild Bidoof spent close to a year building this wonderful dam. This river they’ve built it on top of connects directly to the lake nearby…' The ranger seems to drone on and on before you finally get bored of listening and rather just observe. The Bidoof themselves may not be that impressive but the size and structure of the dam sure is.''

''However, you can’t help but notice that, over the sound of the ranger’s talking and the river, you can hear a faint squealing off in the distance. It doesn’t sound like a person, but more like a Pokémon, and whatever Pokémon it could be is in trouble! Without thinking about how much trouble you’ll get into if you leave the group, you bolt off into the woods after the noise."''
 * Get 800 interactions

Task 4
"You find yourself in a clearing in the woods, but what you see before your eyes wrenches your heart. The four classmates from earlier are kicking around what appears to be a Bidoof that got separated from its group!

''“HEY!” You shout at them, “Leave it alone!” Your yelling distracts the kids, but they chuckle snidely and brush your warning off before going back to kicking the helpless creature. In-between kicks you can see the poor thing weakly looking up at you. You can’t just leave it to be tortured. It needs your help!''

''Your teeth grit as you reach for your Pokéballs. 'I warned you…' You say angrily as you call out your Pokémon." The Aggron must be obtained after the start of this task. An Aggron adopted from the Safari Zone, as either eggs or hatched Pokemon, IS able to be used for this task.''
 * Obtain an Aggron

Task 5
"Your Aggron emerges from its ball, releasing a mighty roar! Seems he’s done his job since the trainers are now fleeing for their lives back in the direction of the group. You thank your trusty Pokémon before turning your attention to the poor Bidoof. On top of all the bruises and other injuries it got from the trainers kicking it about, it seems to be malnourished… almost as if it hadn’t eaten in days. The poor thing looks up at you with such a longing, hopeful look on its face. It knows you’re here to help.

'' 'Hm. What do I do about you…' You think to yourself. Perhaps it would be best if you brought him to the ranger and told them what happened. Once you finish musing to yourself, it seems your little friend had something else in mind. You hear the sound of your supply bag rustling, and it seems as if the Bidoof smelled the berries you brought in your bag, because when he pulls his head out his cheeks are stuffed to the brim with berries! Now that you think about it, there is something you could do for him…"''
 * Feed the Wild Bidoof 75 berries

Task 6
"Looking much happier and plumper than it did before, your new-found friend gives you a big smile. Hey, the little guy’s kinda cute actually! You figure that the whole 'no interacting with the Bidoof' rule doesn’t really apply anymore because if it weren’t for you, the poor thing would have probably been dead by the end of the day.  'I think that you can come with me!' You tell it, grabbing it and placing it on your shoulder. Happy with your new companion, you, Bidoof and Aggron begin to walk back to the group!

''Or at least, you’d like to think you’re walking back to the group. It doesn’t take long for you and your companions to realize you’re hopelessly lost.''

''On top of that, you realize you’re kind of hungry as well. The Bidoof had eaten all of the food you brought with you, so you begin to think of alternatives. You were near a lake, according to the park ranger, so there might be a spot to fish nearby! Now, if only you could find it…"''
 * Get 360 interactions

Task 7
"You’re finally at the edge of the woods. Sprawling out before you is a beautiful lake with a quiet shoreline. This looks like a perfect spot to fish! You remove Bidoof from your shoulder and place it on the ground beside you, as Aggron trudges a few feet away and plops down to rest. You feel bad for making it walk all that way, but you figure that it deserves to rest, especially with such lovely scenery! Seems your first order of business is to make your own fishing pole. You send Bidoof off to fetch a big, sturdy stick, while you scrounge the shoreline for any abandoned fishing line. It doesn’t take you long to find what you’re looking for, as Bidoof comes back with a decent-sized branch, which was likely freshly-chewed off of a nearby tree.

'' 'Good work!' You praise it, quickly tying the line on the end of the branch. Luckily for you this line also had a hook and a plastic lure still attached to it. Satisfied with your work, you cast the line off!''

Yes, any second now you’ll catch something… at least, that's what you thought before you realize you’ve been sitting there for at least a half hour without even a nibble.

'' 'What could I be doing wrong?' You think. However, seeing the line just sitting there out on the water, it hits you. Perhaps if you attached sinkers of some kind it would get more attention. Reeling in the line, you scavenge the lakeshore once more…" Hard Stones can be purchased from the Shop. If there are none currently for sale, the Pass Power 'Purchase Power' allows users to buy items not in the shop right now.''
 * Have 5 Hard Stones in your inventory

Task 8
"You carefully tie the line around each stone, before casting off once more. It only takes a few minutes for you to get your first bite. However, this first bite suddenly tugs with immense strength, sending you flying into the water about six feet off from the shore. Bidoof, fearing for your safety, dives in after you, dragging you back to dry land. Suddenly, the water begins to bulge, as an enormous blue and beige creature emerges. The creature then releases a deafening roar that wakes your Aggron up.

'' 'It’s a Gyarados!' You scream. Your Aggron immediately springs into action, attacking the Gyarados with a powerful Hyper Beam attack. The Gyarados is hardly fazed, and quickly lashes its tail up and out of the water, knocking your Aggron back into a nearby tree, before it turns its attention away and begins rampaging towards… the river! Oh no, that’s where your group is!'' ''You have to do something, but the only Pokémon you brought with you has been knocked out! Oh what to do, what to… Bidoof once again interrupts your thoughts by tugging on your pant leg. You back up as he begins to make wild motions with his arms, his face now hosting a very frantic expression.''

 'I don’t have time to play charades,' You say, 'I need to find a way to stop that Gyarados!' Bidoof seems disappointed, motions you to follow it, and runs off into the woods.

'' 'Hey, wait!' You yell after it. You recall Aggron and begin to chase it. It seems to be looking for something, and if it seemed this desperate to get your attention, this might just be important!" This item can be found randomly on the site, with higher chances the more time passes. The Pass Power Search Power will increase the chances on encountering the item.''
 * Find the Special Exploration Item

Task 9
"You finally find your troublesome little friend. He appears to be bent over a tree root, looking at something.

'' 'Don’t run off like that. I’ve been looking everywhere for yo-… what is that you’ve got there?' You now notice Bidoof is hoisting something up and over the root, clasping it in its front paws and holding it up for you to see. 'It’s… it’s a sword!' You take hold of the small object. As you’re examining it, you notice the Bidoof is now holding a shield against its chest. Where on earth could he have gotten these items from? Before you can think about it any longer, Bidoof leaps up with nimble movements, takes the sword back, and lands back on the ground in an obvious battle stance.'' '' 'I see. So you have these weapons in the event your comrades are in danger?' You ask. The Bidoof, or should you say, the Bidofo standing before you nods, a determined look on his face. 'Well, in that case, I’m sorry I ever doubted you.' You turn your attention back to what little view of the lakefront you have left, the Gyarados is a tiny speck in the distance, headed towards the river mouth.''

'' 'We’ve got no time to lose. Come on!'"''
 * Get 2300 interactions

Task 10
"The part of the river the Gyarados has managed to travel up is in ruin. Trees are now mangled, splintered messes, and the once neat bank of the river has been replaced with mud, which is thrashed every which way. You and your friend rush to catch up to the monster before it’s too late.

''You finally reach the Gyarados with mere minutes to spare. The dam is just barely in sight, the poor Bidoof scrambling every which way in a desperate attempt to get inside or flee for their lives.''

'' 'Hey ugly!' You scream at the top of your lungs. Just as you were hoping, the Gyarados turns around, only for it to receive a sword-stab to the nose. It yells in agony as the Bidofo attacks it with lightning-fast movements. You take this opportunity to rush ahead, warning the others of the impending danger. Everyone except the ranger rushes away, as she calls out her own Pokémon. When the light from within her Pokéball dies down, a gold-tinted Bibarel appears before her.''

'' 'Bibbs, use Hyper Fang!' She yells. The Bibarel complies, rushing at the Gyarados and biting down hard. 'Quickly, while it’s distracted, enlist help from the other Bidoof!' She then says to you. You don’t have time to argue, so you approach the dam, calling the small little beavers to yours, the ranger’s, and the Bidofo’s aid."''
 * Obtain three Bidoof from the Safari Zone

Task 11
"You rush back to the ranger’s side, with your three little comrades in tow. They do their best to yell menacingly at the Gyarados, but just as they do so, it knocks the Bidofo and Bibarel off of its face and slams them onto the riverbank. The Gyarados then faces the three Bidoof, before slamming its tail against the riverbank in front of them, sending them flying back. Weakly, they all get up, releasing a powerful cry, and beginning to glow brightly.

'' 'M-my goodness. They’re evolving!' The ranger says enthusiastically. She really, REALLY loves these Pokémon doesn’t she…"''
 * Obtain three Bibarel at level 55 or higher

Ending
"Once the glowing finally dies down, three very angry Bibarel now stand where the Bidoof were. The ranger’s Bibarel and the Bidofo appear to have ear-to-ear grins seeing what just happened. They give the three Bibarel a nod as they too, rise to their feet, ready to fight.

'' 'Everybody, use Rollout!' The ranger calls. The four Bibarel curl up into balls and rush past you one-by-one, ramming into the Gyarados full-force, then sending it flying backwards.''

'' 'Finish him!' You yell at Bidofo, who VERY happily answers by rushing towards the Gyarados and plunging its sword into the dragon’s back, puncturing its hard scales. Yelping in pain, the Gyarados retreats back down the river, the Bidofo’s sword still stuck in its back. Your friend seems a little sad, seeing how he lost his sword, but he knows that his comrades and their home are safe now.'' As your group lines up to get back on the bus, the ranger singles you out, placing her hand on your shoulder.

'' 'Kid, you have a way with these creatures. Feel free to come back any time you like!' She says, smiling and walking away with her Bibarel by her side. Looking towards the front of the line, you can see the kids from earlier shrinking away from your gaze as they scurry onto the bus. It’s then that you feel that familiar tug on your pant leg. Looking down, you see your friend, minus his trusty weapon. Next to him, sits what appears to be a regular Bidoof egg.''

''He stands up, seems to salute you, then shyly scurries back into the woods. Confused, you pick the egg up and examine it.''

 'But… this is just a normal Bidoof egg… right?'"

Reward
Your reward will be added to your party upon completion of the exploration.
 * Bidofo Egg