The thing is tho:
1. Pikasha begrudgingly agreed with Uryu that he needs training. Leaving Pikasha 'at home' was not a part of the trial, but a part of Uryu's training regimen.
2. The herb mission was supposed to be smooth sailing, right until the moment it all went haywire.
3. IMO that (helping people with requests) became a priority mission not just for the heck of it, but to deepen the relationships between the species, partly because humans were acting estranged. Because, remember, for players it's just a game, while for loongs it is a diplomatic gesture of opening their borders for the people of their neighboring country and engaging in international exchange.