Dee the Dedenne's Story

The young Trainer remained at attention, stiff as a board. "Um, a-a battle!? I would be honored!" She was clearly green and nervous, but still somehow seemed distant all the same. Perhaps it was the timidity shining through as she accepted the autograph with all the glee of a scared and excited fangirl. "Eeeee! Zoltan! I got Touko's autograph! I'm going to battle her! I-I'm so excited!"

At her reply, the Malamar, apparently named, "Zoltan", turned to look at her. "Oh, but Lammy, do remember we have business to finish. I suppose I can allow it for this one time however. I will fight as you see fit; not even someone of her legend can withstand my power. Another victory will be yours!"

Zoltan began glowing with a black psychic energy as it prepared itself to fight. Lammy would stand behind him and try and steady herself. "Zoltan and I h-haven't lost yet since w-we started! Even if it's T-Touko...I'll win!"

--

The three lesser Pokemon, when turning to look at Temperance, earned a stoic glance back. "What are you three looking at? It isn't wise to be so focused. You could lose something you know." Her voice was pretty feminine and flat in her PokeSpeak. Temperance would give an aside glance at a nearby Trainer using his Pokedex. "Just like he is about to."

Temperance would swiftly turn and walk up to the Trainer, tugging at his pants. "Meow? Stistic!" It was clear she had a scheme, but no Trainer would ever realize it, though Dee, Lumi, and Skyball certainly would.

"All right...Zoltan, was it? How about it? Your squid thingy against my Terrakion? Keep it nice and quick-like, you know? But I won't lose...I was Champion once, and darn it, after what happened today I'm totally going to take back that crown. Katsu zo!"

Touko leaped back and got ready to throw down. "Let's go, Dweller! Use Substitute!" The Terrakion closed its eyes and grunted a bit, sparing some of its energy to make a decoy that would take hits for it while Touko fished out her Pokedex. "Ugh...hypnosis powers? Wow, good thing I decided to scout first instead of going right on the attack."

Zoltan channeled more dark energy around himself as he floated, narrowing his eyes at the Substitute being attempted. "I will admit, in any other situation, a Substitute would be advantageous! Bravo! But Lammy knows plenty better, don't you Lammy?"

Lammy seemed unsure at the Substitute, but smiled nervously at Zoltan giving her a look. "U-Um, right! Z-Zoltan! Infiltrate past the Substitute! U-Use your Superpower!"

Zoltan would rush forward, using a sort of falsified double image of himself to strike past the decoy; his fake self attacking the decoy only proved an illusion as the real him appeared before the Terrakion, all the while raising a fin. "Now witness my superior power!" The attack was aimed with force, and intent on striking hard if not true, and it was fast, very much so. If it connected, though Zoltan was quite sure it would, he would seem to grow stronger as his dark aura intensified slightly, and the blow would have a significant impact increase thanks to the nature of the elemental types. Maybe Lammy knew some stuff after all? Or so it seemed until Lammy shielded herself at the level of force Zoltan was putting into the blow, and it was then made clear he wasn't a newly evolved Inkay, but rather, a Pokemon at a Level far beyond what its Trainer should probably be attempting to control, a level that would definitely be limited in a facility like the Battle Institute. It was definitely an incredibly strong and well-trained Pokemon for a novice Trainer to have.

"G-Great strength, Zoltan! Y-You're definitely stronger than, than even T-Touko's Pokemon! Fighting T-Touko... It has just started, and it's s-so exhilarating!"

Praise being given to the Malamar being what it was, Lammy at least also had an idea of the relationships between Pokemon and Trainer.

Touko grunted in surprise as the Malamar got right through, striking hard with a massive blow that left the legendary Musketeer reeling. "Come on, I'm not sure if we can take another hit like that! Dweller! He's wide open, get him with a Sacred Sword!"

He roared in pain and anger. "You are strong! But let's see you TAKE a hit!" Terrakion charged forward with glowing horns, but it wasn't a straight on ramming attack. Instead, he did a head fake to try to misdirect Zoltan's guard at the last moment, like a hockey player trying to deke a goalie, before delivering the actual attack which was more like a powerful slash than a stab.

"Come here you little Squirtle!" Screamed Jason, determined to catch it, Floss was watching from behind Jason's back. She didn't want him to catch it, she wanted to be his main priority forever!

"One bump, second bump, third bump!"
"Yay!"

Jason danced around the street, floss had an opposite feeling.

"I will, call you Sali!"

Zoltan would raise a fin to parry the Sacred Sword, though it was not without a bit of a price, he looked like he was actually injured from the act of deflecting the attack, massive cuts now on his fins. "An impressive blow! But it's time I ended this! Your boasts will not save you! Lammy! Say the word, and I'll faint this Musketeer!"

Lammy tried to keep it together. "Z-Zoltan! Use Psycho Cut! I-It should work!"

Zoltan generated several wicked sharp blades out of psychic energy that surrounded the Terrakion before launching in with slicing potential, each blade intended to finish off the Terrakion with a powerful swing of super-effective psychic energy. Each blade however appeared a blackish purple, instead of the usual psychic colors, while a small black and pink glow emanated from Lammy's lower back, around where her fanny pack was placed.

Touko looked up, noticing the sync between the Trainer's pack and the aura of the powerful blades. Dweller grunted, trying to hold it together, but his knees finally buckled. "You...truly are mighty..."

"Kuso... Dweller, return." The irritation was audible in Touko's voice. "Wow, kid. I feel like I should be asking you for an autograph...I've never had a front row seat to that kind of power. And this is after all the crap that happened today. After all I've gone through. You really put a damper on my plans to become Champion again. Lammy, was it? I'm going to have to train extra hard now. If there are Trainers like you about, surely the League must have gotten even stronger than THAT! Now, ah...how much do I owe ya?"

None of the trio of Electric-Pokemon looked away from Temperance when she bounded off to the Trainer staring at his PokeDex. Dee was studying Temperance carefully while Lumi and Skyball's attention turned towards the fight that was about to happen in front of them. There was a bad feeling in Dee's gut as she watched the Meowstic tug on the pant leg of the boy and stare up at him.

"What the hell are you doing?" Dee called out to Temperance, tensing her body in case she tried to do anything shifty. She would be ready to spring into action if the moment chose to arise.

Meanwhile, Lumi and Skyball were fascinated by the exchange of blows between the Malamar and the Terrakion they'd only recently talked to. What was incredible was that despite the girl's lack of authority in her voice, the Malamar carried the instruction across with a mighty power and an incredible aura. Both their eyes went wide when Zoltan finished off Dweller with an incredible beam of power. This...this had been the champion that stood up to Zane, so easily snuffed out by a virtually unknown female.

"Wow..." Lumi couldn't help but murmur, "That's...something..."

Skyball turned to Lumi and raised a quizzical brow, "That girl is very lucky to have that Malamar on her side."

The Pachirisu's brow furrowed, "What do you mean?"

"You didn't notice the separation in body language between the two?"

Lumi shrugged, "Guess not."

Skyball went on to explain, "Well, when a Trainer and a Pokemon are bonded, they tend to fight as one. Notice how much energy and passion was in Touko's voice when she commanded her Terrakion. They worked on a similar mind set...a singular wavelength. They worked with synergy. The Malamar, on the other hand, had done most of the work on the other side of the field. That girl had barely any kind of connection in her voice. In fact, she seems to be a novice to Pokemon battles. She wouldn't have nearly enough authority and practice in her voice to command a Pokemon who could sweep the floor with a former champion."

"So what are you saying?" Lumi asked, to which Skyball glared at the Malamar with a crossed look.

"I'm saying that either we watched the greatest miracle ever performed in a Pokemon battle...or something fishy's going on."

Lammy seemed shocked. "I-I won that round?! Y-Yes! Ahh, but it is Touko! Thank you for t-the honorable fight!" She bowed again, stiff as a board.

Zoltan would hover back to Lammy's side, landing on the ground for a change as the aura disappeared. "Lammy, my dear, you truly have nothing to worry about! How about it now? Was it not your father who spoke of you becoming a Champion one day? Together, let us make it so! You and I will be of great renown!"

Lammy looked at Zoltan. "E-Eh?! Me, renowned?! I'm not sure I-I could handle the attention! I o-only just memorized my types..." She sort of wilted, giving away her insecurities, an clearly establishing whom had a bit more command between the two of them.

Zoltan would focus his eyes on Touko. "As for you, Touko, you remind me of a couple of women from long ago. Trainers of great caliber, they fought a long battle against the massive underground empire of Pokemon that belonged to an old friend of mine. Though he is deceased now, slain by one of his own in a cruel twist of fate, his legacy lives on. I wonder if you too will be the one to lead others in a revolt against the more unsavory forces that have bubbled up into the current time. I will tell you right now...your demonstrated prowess will be tested when you encounter these elements."

Lammy gasped. "R-Really?! Touko reminds you of that! Wow! She's so much c-cooler than I imagined if she's reminding you of h-heroes!" She hugged Zoltan afterwards. "Zoltan, you really are s-smart! I never w-would've guessed that Touko was so iconic beyond her legendary record! T-Terrakion respected her too! Ahhhh! I want to be like h-her!"

Zoltan shrugged off Lammy. "Not now, in-Lammy; there are moments when that is okay. Touko may yet have another Pokemon she wishes to use, so do not drop your guard!"

He then turned to the trio of electric rodents. "Listen closely, youngsters, for you associate yourselves with the Crimson Guild. I can only say that such a thing may not be the wisest of choices for your lives. There are many threats simply waiting in the wings, and you no doubt encountered a few already."

He continued, assuming a more confident stance. "As an example, I am aware of an encounter in the desert to the south of our location, wherein, an ugly and disgusting act took place; Pokemon enslaved. The three of you will need to be ready for whatever you will face. Most of all...Quash any who try to destroy who you are, and your identity as a Pokemon. Be proud. We have a level of strength that Humans like to borrow for their own ends, but do not forget who you truly are; if you must aid Humans, then do so as a strong partner and a strong Pokemon! If you can give your all for yourself, then you can give your all for any who demand your aid!"

Lammy nodded. "Z-Zoltan! I'll be strong! I-If I have you, we'll be u-unstoppable, even i-if goons show up! Now!" Lammy was going to reach for another Poke Ball, but then she noticed Touko asking about what she owed. "E-Eh!? Owe me!? I-I should owe you! The battle alone is payment e-enough! I-I don't need to fight more of y-your Pokemon? If you insist, t-then thank you for the win!" She bowed once more.

Zoltan could really lay it on when he had to, his charisma and presence almost heroic and legitimate, no doubt something able to rally a lot of others. Whether any of what he said was bought by Lumi, Skyball, and Dee, as well as Touko, was yet to be seen. He was a confusing mix of a lot of good and bad traits at the moment, and he wanted to keep it that way. Lammy seemed unaware of what she really had at her belt (literally, if not figuratively), but nonetheless had a refreshing level of optimism despite her newness.

--

When the others called out to Temperance, she would quickly bump the Trainer with a Fake Out attack in an adorable mock display of tripping, and took a few Poke while she was at it as she pretended to stand up and dust herself off. It was a swift motion, almost invisible, but no doubt the electric rodents' attentive eyes would catch it if Zoltan didn't catch their attention instead.

The Trainer apologized to Temperance and patted her on the head, which she allowed, keeping her straight face the entire time. She then made a cute meowing noise as she turned and ran away from the group as a whole, giving a single look back at the electric rodent trio as she made her getaway.

Skyball scoffed at the Malamar's words, "Oh, we knew that our lives would be threatened when we joined. We put ourselves on the front line so that other Pokemon don't have to. We do it for them."

"Yeah," Lumi gave the Malamar a knowing smile, "We are members of the Crimson Guild to help others, to explore new places, and to protect the world from troublemakers and evildoers. It may be a dangerous life, but it's a fun one! And I can't say I've enjoyed my time more anywhere else than under Crimson's leadership."

She remembered the day Crimson had revealed himself to the citizens of the Pokemon Village, the day he flew in on Unix. When he told the town the threat the Psychic Rebellion had on this world and his immediate plan of action to stop it, forming the Crimson Guild, many laughed at him. They believed he was claiming rubbish, that the missing Pokemon number that was growing wasn't related at all to the Psychic Rebellion's activities, and mocked him for it. Some said even if his claims were true, there was no way they would unite under the leadership of a Chimchar...no way...

And then Crimson performed what came to be known as the Demonstration...and three weeks later, here his organization stood. Internationally connected and growing by the minute. Lumi was proud to be one of their finest members and have that Elite title by her team name.

Perhaps the Malamar meant well. Perhaps not. But his words of warning would not affect which side of the line she and Skyball fell upon. They were with Crimson till the end. They were with each other till the end. They were Team Volt till the end.

"If it hadn't been for the Crimson Guild, I wouldn't have met Skyball," Lumi turned towards her Emolga partner, who gave a half-witted salute to her. "Or Dee...wait..." she began to look around for the tiny form of Dedenne, but wasn't able to find her, "Where did Dee go?"

---

"Thievery? Not on my watch!" Dee mumbled under her breath as she shot to the side like an arrow. Instead of giving chase as many normal Pokemon would, she kept side by side with Temperance while she tried to make her getaway. One thing was for sure...Dee was much faster. Her tiny form allowed her to dart from place to place as if she was a little flash of orange. She was hard to keep track of and she knew it.

Before long, a building had crossed in between the two Pokemon, separating them. Dee took this as an advantage, scurrying towards an alleyway and crossing through it. At the same time, she began to gain altitude, climbing the walls higher and higher until she was three stories above the ground. She stayed high, but kept low so as not to be spotted. Leaping across to another window sill, she peered down at the Meowstic below with calculation in her gaze. From Temperance's perspective, it would appear that she had gotten away with it.

Dee realigned herself, prepared an attack, made sure she had the angles lined up, and jumped. She flew through the air in a downward arc that was aimed directly at the Meowstic. It was from above, so that she would have the element of surprise on her side. After all, people and Pokemon seldom looked up. She had charged up a Thunder Punch in advance and, upon being within range, would strike at Temperance's head with full force behind it as well as momentum and gravity adding to that. Once contact was made and the Thunder Punch followed through, she would leap off the Meowstic from wherever the momentum took her and would land gracefully across from her, blocking any escape route.

"I not gonna let you get away with this," she growled, her eyes glinting steel despite being an Electric-Type, "You can't take advantage of people like that and think there won't be any consequences."

Temperance was a born runner, and her level of parkour skill was on full display as she easily cleared even large trash bins and made several wall jumps in places, climbing buildings just as easily. She would pose a challenge to keep up with, and when Dee leapt down to make the attack, Temperance would stop short of Dee's intended contact point as she uncovered her ears. "Try me, little mouse."

Temperance focused psychic energy on tossing a large nearby trash bin, the kind found behind big businesses, towards the small mouse, a Fake Out attack attempted to delay and deter the rodent from effectively attacking her as she took off running again, once more scaling a building with three well placed leaps and some wall jumps (if not wall running for short periods).

Reaching into her pack, she pulled out her Smoke Ball, ready to activate it if she needed the extra help.

"Woah!" Dee cried out as she zipped to the right, narrowly avoiding the massive dumpster as it flew past, crashing into one of the buildings. Luckily the structure held, although that would be a nasty surprise for the occupant to open their door to. But Dee wasn't worried about that. Dee was focused on the Meowstic running alongside the walls and reaching the rooftops.

Continuing to follow, Dee kept pace from below. Despite this, she found the task rather difficult. Temperance was very fast herself and it was taking everything she had to keep up with her. Dee knew that in a long haul, Temperance would win. She just couldn't maintain top speed for this long. She'd have to take a different approach.

The Dedenne found a rather large gap in between buildings...a gap so huge nothing but a Flying-Type could make the jump from rooftop to rooftop. Temperance was running out or road to run and she'd have to redirect her path of travel soon. Dee kept careful eye of where she'd move next, knowing the strategy she'd set for each path she'd take.

Temperance activated the Smoke Ball when she reached the edge of the building, creating a large and distracting plume of smoke that was quite expansive, no doubt an attention grabber, even if seeing into it was nigh impossible for most Pokemon species. Inside of the plume, which served as great cover, Temperance would stop moving to toss a few Poke off the building in the direction of the large leap. The pieces would strike the floor, a signal indicating she leapt off the building and possibly dropped it on landing. The sly cat Pokemon would then begin running the way she originally came, using the smoke plume as cover while Dee no doubt headed towards the Poke coins, at least in Temperance's mind.

The expansive plume of smoke would keep expanding as Temperance recollected the orb and stopped it from emitting more smoke; she had more than enough in the area to serve as cover, cover she could exploit in hopes of her little deception working as intended. In her mind, she plotted. "I need to reach a fashion shop, or get to the entertainment area. I can blend in easier there while getting a new outfit."

Her speed remained as swift as ever, and she kept as low a profile as she could as she proceeded, hopefully staying out of Dee's sight, and thus losing the small mouse.

"Actually...I didn't really get your name. But I gotta thank you. Nothing like the occasional loss to motivate you to get back to training hard and getting stronger. And I'm sure Dweller feels the same way." Touko turned towards Team Volt, not registering the fat one of the group. "I know an Emolga when I see one, and I've heard tell of a Pachirisu from the cold wastes of Sinnoh, but...what the heck are you? More importantly, what was that thing that just took me to school? You're going to have to show me where Pokemon go to get stronger around here...I'm sure Dweller knows, but he needs to rest for now after taking a beating like that!"

Dee watched as the edge of the roof has suddenly shrouded in purple, wispy smoke that masked the mischievous cat Pokemon movements. Thinking quickly, Dee kept her vision in her peripherals while running back the way she came so as to keep an eye on where she left the smoke cloud. She began scurrying back into the alley...when the soft clinking of coins caught the Dedenne's attention. Whirling around, she spotted the shiny lustrous quality of the Poke that had been stolen. Sighing in relief, Dee ran over to it and pocketed the Poke before anyone else could do so, stealing a glance back at the plume of smoke that was beginning to dissipate. Temperance was long gone.

Next time, Dee thought as she began to make her way back towards Lumi and Skyball, Next time I'll get her...

The scurry back to the front of the baseball stadiums didn't take that long. By the time she arrived, the battle between Touko and the Malamar had ceased. Luckily, the boy Temperance stole the Poke from hadn't strayed too far from the location and the Dedenne was able to quickly swing by and leave the Poke in a suitable location so that the boy would spot it and pocket it.

"Sweet! Free Poke!" came the call from the boy as Dee rejoined Lumi and Skyball once more.

"Hey thanks for helping me chase down the Meowstic, by the way," Dee's words couldn't be laced with any more sarcasm. Lumi reared back from the sudden spitefulness of her tone.

"Dee, we didn't see you leave!" the Pachirisu protested, "One second you were there...the next, poof!"

"Well, maybe if you'd pay attention and stay on guard, you would've noticed that Meowstic steal a kid's money!"

Skyball just shrugged, "Hey, the past is the past, Dee. What happened happened, so it's best not to gripe about it. Did you at least catch her?"

Dee growled at the Emolga's easy nature, "No, she got away. But she at least dropped the Poke."

"Then no harm no foul," Skyball reasoned, "Everyone's happy, nothing's changed. The wrong was righted and we can carry on."

"Arceus, I hate the way you two act sometimes," Dee lamented as the two members of Team Volt gathered around her, "It's like you don't take this job seriously."

"We do," Skyball patted her shoulder, "We just don't show it."

"Yeah, sometimes there's more to life than stressing about every mission," Lumi added, "Do you know how many lines I would have on my face if I followed your path every day? I'd be a toddler's art project!"

Dee sighed, "I'm really glad I'm on Team Vitality. I don't know how Rubira puts up with you guys."

"Oh come on," Lumi said defiantly, "Rubira loves us! AND I LOVE MY RAPIDASH!"

This inspired a fit of laughter from Skyball as Touko walked up to the three of them and asked them to show her a place where she could make her Pokemon stronger. Dee turned to Lumi as her eyes represented deep focus, her mind in a sea of thoughts and idea. She knew a place.

Dee knew what she was thinking. "Absolutely not!" she cried, "We are not taking her to Crimson!"

"Well, she does want to get stronger," Lumi turned to stare at Dee, "And Crimson's the strongest Pokemon we know. Maybe he could train her. He does know Touko after all."

"But then we'd have to get her through the Pokemon Village!" Dee flustered, "They don't like humans! Also, isn't the Crimson Guild not supposed to be involved with any human affairs? In any way?"

"Just think for a moment," Skyball added, "What would Crimson say to Touko's request if he were here?"

Dee placed a palm on her tiny head and sighed, "I don't know...I guess, he would allow it and try to push us to be okay with the idea as well."

Lumi nodded, "Then it's settled. We're taking her to Crimson." She stood in front of the former Champion and motioned for her to follow. "Let's take her to the rendezvous point. At least there, she can follow Unix instead of trying to find her own way to the headquarters." she called back to Dee and Skyball.

Dee muttered something before darting towards the direction of the makeshift base they were leading Touko to. Skyball immediately took to the skies and flew ahead of them, scouting out the area in front of them. Lumi did the actual leading, keeping just far enough ahead for Touko to always be within sight as they rounded corner and traversed the streets.

"Huh. Guess that's a yes, then. Thanks, everyone. I have to get stronger if there are more Trainers like the one with that...Malamar, apparently," Touko nodded as she checked her Pokedex. "Hopefully once I become Champion again, Unova won't have to worry as much about what just happened. I'm not the naive little girl that set out from Nuvema anymore...I know they're going to happen now that we're no longer alone out in the darkness of space. But if, as Champion, I can use my influence and authority to prevent a similar incident from breaking out..." She sighed. N and Alder were right. Sometimes you had to be realistic.

"Damn it all. I hope I don't have to blindfold myself for this trip. But think of it this way...you guys get to talk with Zekrom himself, how cool does that sound? Let's get to the training grounds!"

A few minutes later, the building was in sight again, the familiar looking red egg painted onto the abandoned warehouse coming into full view for Touko as she followed. From the outside, it would be clear to the human that this building was abandoned for quite some time, maybe a few years. The walls were a dull grey, the paint having faded a while ago. The pavement became more jagged and cracked as they left the smooth asphalt of the street and entered the building grounds. Dee was already there, pulling open the tiny grate and squeezing through to make her way to the top. Skyball would be the next to arrive, flying straight to the roof of the building and onto it, disappearing from view. Lumi stayed with Touko as the Pachirisu made her way to the front of the building. She pointed towards the sky, a signal for the former Champion to make her way to the roof as well. Lumi would find a grate and begin scaling the building to reach the top.

Meanwhile, the Togetic's curiosity would get the better of him as he peered out of the hole in the roof to see what the commotion was. He grinned as he saw the Emolga land properly on the top. "Heyo, Sky! How's it going?"

Sky was the nickname only Gambit used and he hated it. However, it wasn't changing anytime soon, so he let it slide, "Hey, Gambit. Don't be alarmed, but we have a guest with us."

This perked Gambit curiosity even more, "A guest? Who?"

"I don't want you two to be alarmed, buuuuuut..." Skyball would gesture at this moment as Lumi appeared at the top, Touko likely following behind her.

"So you guys never did recover her, huh?" Siena shouted over the wind rushing past her ears.

"No," Skyball called back from the back of Unix, "I had to leave her and rescue Lumi."

"And you're sure these aren't Psychic Rebellion members that you ran into?"

"Pretty sure," Lumi answered as she shifted her position, "They didn't seem to know who I was or who I represented. They looked like a gang of Pokemon."

"That's a great cover for the Nidorina," Gambit hovered closer to them, "She's already bad in nature. It'd be best to gravitate towards that, I'd think."

Below them, the ground was moving, showcasing everything the Kalos region had to offer. From the fall-ridden woods to the murky swamps, it was a pleasant mix of greens and blues from lakes and rivers and waterfalls of unique designs. In the distance, the massive tower that lay in the center of Lumiose City and the gleaming crystal from Anistar City were visible as well as the Pokemon Chateau where trainers could climb in rank and train their team up. Even the snow covered peaks of the mountain overshadowing Dendemille Town seemed to gleam towards the the beings flying in the sky. Gambit and Siena were flying right beside Unix, the Dragonite who ran the Dragonite Transportation Service. On her back rested Skyball, Lumi, Dee, and the captured Sandslash named Sabre. They knew Rubira would catch up to them soon and would likely be taking Lorena to do so. Some Pokemon were just too big to take to the skies on the back of a Dragonite.

"It's a good thing that lookout we chose had some supplies in them," Skyball added, "Otherwise, I don't know if we would've made it."

"Yeah, about that," Dee began to narrow her eyes at the two of them, "You do realize you were in someone else's home, right?"

Lumi just shrugged, "It looked abandoned from our view. There was even a hole in the roof. Who would live in a building that didn't have a roof?"

"This is why being observant is important," Dee growled, "You should've known how organized the supplies were when you landed and put two and two together."

"We were in Nimbasa for two days, Dee," Skyball shot back, "No one came in during that time."

"Dee, let it go," Gambit reassured the ticked off Dedenne, who was almost sparking in anger, "No need to start a fight. There's always next time. We should be grateful for that."

Dee placed a paw on her head, sighing as she peeked behind them, "How's the girl holding up?"

The Guild Members all turned back to see Emiko Touko following behind them, riding on the infamous dragon Zekrom. "She's doing great, from the looks of it," Lumi smiled, "Though she is riding the Dragon of Ideals. I wouldn't expect anything less."

Gambit eyes were as big as saucers just seeing the massive thing flying behind them, "I can't believe I got to meet Zekrom today. That's so cool!"

Siena looked across to the Togetic, smiling. Gambit's naive nature was something refreshing to witness. He was a fairly rare creature himself, yet he still got excited when he saw other rare creatures. Even when he'd first met Siena, he still gushed about how awesome it was to be on the same team as a Shaymin rather than try to prove himself as an equal. It was so humbling to experience.

And suddenly they were flying over the Pokemon Village, heading west of the private town where the Crimson Guild was located. With each passing moment, more apprehension built up on their faces. Even Lumi, who'd pushed for this idea, seemed tense. She was sure as to how Crimson would act, but what about the others? What about the Village? They were passing over it for a reason, seeing how many found the place as a solace from Pokemon Trainers...a safe place to roam freely without the risk of capture. They would go ballistic with fear if Touko landed among them.

This was why they were heading straight for the Crimson Guild HQ.

The Headquarter grounds were fairly unique. Various stands were set up around a center hub with Pokemon inside selling goods to those that were buying. The amount of Pokemon in one place was staggering to any human eye. There were more Pokemon about here than likely anywhere else in Ruula, from every Region and of every type. The whole scene would be colorful, vibrant, and...just bizarre to the former Champion's eyes, likely. Among all these stands stood a rather large building made out of wooden planks. It was massive in size, yet not too noticeable from above, especially how it almost seemed to blend in with it's surroundings. However, they were flying low enough to make out the differences.

"Oh neat, they finished building the place while we were gone," Skyball muttered as they flew by. Unix was aiming for a small clearing just north of their current position so as not to just drop in among the hustle and bustle with a human to surprise the ever living daylights out of them. They'd have to break her presence in slowly.

Touko's eyes were full of the wonder they had when she first started out. "Wow...the Kalos Region, huh? I've never been, but this place looks absolutely incredible! I can't wait to explore it after I'm done training with you guys!" The Electric-types looked about as charged up as she was from meeting the legendary Deep Black Pokemon. The sights and sounds of a new region and its fantastic scenery...and Lumiose in particular looked absolutely HUGE!

"Hey, you guys think that I could explore this new place after I'm done? A little extra training can't hurt, and who knows, maybe I'll find a bunch of new and powerful Pokemon to round out my team!"

They landed in the clearing, a few hundred feet behind the Crimson Guild HQ and out of sight from any Pokemon other than the seven of them. Unix landed softly as she was accustomed to doing and her three passengers hopped onto the stable ground once more. There were no unsteady after effects of such a flight, at least not for these three. They had taken the Dragonite Transportation System on more than one occasion and were accustomed to flight almost as any standard Flying-Type would be. Only the Sandslash, who had never ridden on the back of any Flying-Type before, had a sense of dizzyness as he stepped onto the ground. The fact that he was tied up prevented him from stopping his fall and he hit the earth with a hard thud. Lumi and Siena were quick to pick him back up, but not without laughing in the process. Sabre gave the two a dirty look.

"Hey, it's not my fault you're the bad guy," Lumi responded through chuckles.

"Alright, thanks Unix!" Skyball made a twirl as he hopped onto the ground.

"Wait, you told me you had an injured shoulder!" Unix protested the acrobatic move the Emolga had made. Skyball gave her a thumbs up in response.

"I probably did at one point in my life," he grinned. Unix shot daggers for eyes in his direction.

"Don't play games with me," Unix lifted herself off the ground and began flying towards her next destination, "Unless you don't want to be given any more rides."

Everyone else waved their goodbyes as Unix disappeared among the clouds. They then turned towards Touko.

"So, how do you wanna go about this?" Dee gave Lumi an inquisitor's look as the Pachirisu, who was thinking it through.

"Hmm, well we can't just let her into the Village. Too many Pokemon would freak out. And we still have to place numnuts over there in a cell where he can't hurt any more Pokemon...so let's split this into three groups. Gambit and Skyball, you two stay here and keep Touko entertained while I go and get Crimson. Dee and Siena, you two wanna take care of the Sandslash since he's your prize?"

Dee immediately grabbed the rope and began dragging the Sandslash towards the Crimson Guild HQ, Siena casually walking behind him in Land Form. Lumi then addressed Touko directly.

"Stay here. There's someone I want you to meet," Lumi held her hand outward to express what she wanted before disappearing into the trees, heading towards the building herself. Meanwhile, Skyball and Gambit stared at Touko before glancing at each other.

"So...wanna put on a little show for our guest?" Skyball suggested to the Togetic, who gave him a shrug.

"Sure, why not?" Gambit replied nonchalantly, "What did you have in mind?"

"A spar between you and me? This way, Touko can watch us in action and maybe learn a few things from it. After all, that's why she's here, isn't it?"

The two Pokemon spread themselves onto either side of the clearing. Both took a respective stance, Emolga's seemingly offensive and from the ground while Gambit's seemed more relaxed while he hovered in the air. They were eyeing each other down, a smug grin on both of their faces.