Noivern flew ahead happily and Luna ran on the ground just as happily, trying to keep up with Noivern's speed. Talonflame flew way ahead in hopes that it could find a lucario nearby. "Wow, you look like you have a lot of fun," Ash commented when Luna finally had to stop, half squeaking when she exhaled.

Luna nodded. "Well yeah, your Noivern is still so young. He needs to get a lot of energy out."

"Really?" Ash looked up at Noivern, who still flew high above them. He didn't appear tired. "But Noivern looks all grown up."

Luna nodded. "Evolution isn't about age. It's more about level and condition. Pikachu, for example," she rubbed Pikachu's cheeks and he squeaked happily at the affection, "is older than the rest of the pokemon that travel with you. Noivern is the youngest. That's why Hawlucha looks after him. Hawlucha is younger than Pikachu but older than Greninja. Not by many years, though. And Talonflame is about Hawlucha's age."

When Ash looked back up into the sky he saw that the canopy of the trees blocked their sight of Noivern.

Clemont stared at her with his mouth gaped. "How did you find out all of that?"

Luna stared at him with a blank stare, as if it should be common knowledge. "Well, it's just easy to tell by the way they act. Like how Bunnelby looks after Chespin. That tells me Bunnelby is older." Luna stopped so suddenly that Bonnie bumped into her.

"Luna?"

Luna's eyes darted around the forest for something. What was it that she sensed? "The forest has gotten darker," Luna took a sharp rock from the ground and marked the tree. "And I haven't seen Noivern for a few minutes," she added while she carved an X onto the tree. Then, she ran ahead.

"Hey wait!" Ash ran after her followed by Serena, Bonnie, and then Clemont. Luna was fast. She led the way until she stopped at the X. He couldn't believe it. "Is that the same tree we marked back there?"

Luna nodded and closed her eyes. "It's a ghost type…possibly a grass also? No, no the grass type is different…" Finally she opened her eyes. "Two pokemon nearby. One is a ghost-type and one ghost-grass."

Pikachu's cheeks stung Ash from the electricity and he jumped down from his shoulder confirming what Luna just said. "You sense it too, Pikachu?" Pikachu nodded. Ash wanted to ask how Luna knew the pokemon's types without knowing the pokemon themselves but even he knew this wouldn't be the time to ask.

"There!" In one swift motion Luna threw the bone at her back. It hit nothing but Pikachu understood and used a thunderbolt in the direction she threw the bone. Only a tree was charred.

"I don't see anything," Clemont mused.

Luna still seemed certain that there was something there and so did Pikachu. So then, where were these pokemon?

Pikachu caught some movement from the corner of his eye and used thunderbolt again, still hitting a tree. "I don't think…" Ash started but soon Luna attacked it too and went straight through the tree! "What kind of pokemon does that?" It looked familiar to him but he pointed his pokedex at the tree anyway. The picture showed a trevenant!

Luna growled at the pokemon and spoke to it in its language. The trevenant answered but it didn't sound nice in the least. "Pikachu, use electro ball!"

"No, don't!" Luna snapped. "Ash, I told you, there's another ghost type. Find it!"

Clemont nodded. "She's right. Serena's Fennekin will be much more effective."

Serena nodded and called out Fennekin. Ash turned to Pikachu. "Well, buddy? Do you sense anything?"

Pikachu nodded.

"Great, then point the way using thunderbolt!"

Pikachu's thunderbolt struck another tree but, by Pikachu's half shocked look, Ash knew the pokemon must've dodged. "How did Fennekin miss?" He heard Serena from beside her.

"Remember, Trevenant can control the trees. It's probably using them to protect itself. And it looks like it has Luna trapped too." How could Clemont be so calm? Before Ash could ask Clemont threw out a pokeball. "Bunnelby, use dig and help out Luna!" Without hesitating Bunnelby dug straight into the ground.

"Pikachu, go with Bunnelby. Help out Luna." Ash commanded. Pikachu nodded and he jumped into the hole, following the tunnels. He hoped that Luna would be okay.

The Trevenant had her surrounded by trees before she could get a sense of what was happening and why. She'd asked the pokemon but she refused to move. Why? What was going on?

Luna attacked Trevenant again but something grabbed her and threw her against one of the trees. Her head hit the branch hard and the air was ripped from her lungs when she fell onto her chest. When she looked up, big eyes and a mean smile stared at her. She was familiar with the move scary face, being a victim to it more than a few times, and it appeared that it still worked well. She hardly heard anything except her heartbeat and it froze her. From the darkness of the trees she could make out the silhouette of Cofargrigus.

Around Trevenant's head appeared brown-gold balls and slowly they floated around Luna's head and soon they popped. Everything became fuzzy. It wasn't too much of a sleep as it was a daze. Her vision became fuzzy and her head felt full, forcing her to lay it down. She could hear the two pokemon argue between each other but whatever was being said she didn't understand.

Soon she heard two new voices but she couldn't concentrate on their auras enough. Luna closed her eyes. Behind her eyelids she saw Alpha. He was bigger than most Lucario but in this dream-like state he looked smaller. He smiled at her and reached out but he was just out of her reach. She yelled out for him and reached out her hand toward him but he pulled back his paw. He didn't hear her. He turned his back toward her and walked away.

Luna sat up quickly and her head burst into a brilliant pain. "Ow," she held her forehead and she heard Noivern groan as well. Noivern's groan made her scramble to sit on her knees and inspect his head. Noivern tried to convince her that he was okay but she waved his wings away and held his head in her hand until she was sure he was okay.

Finally, she threw her arms around his neck.

"Luna, you're okay!" Ash exclaimed from behind her. The others were smiling and now she started to take in her surroundings. She was in some strange box-like place that was made of metal and wood. Humans and pokemon both mingled here. She had been lying on something soft and rectangular. Is this what father called a…couch? He'd met many humans who had one. They also had a square thing called a bed.

"Where are we?" Luna looked around curiously.

"We're in a pokemon center." Ash answered and sat next to her when she finally moved her feet. "It's a place where trainers take their pokemon and heal them after battle or when they're sick."

She'd never heard of one of these. It was lit by an artificial sun-by many of them, actually-and it was quiet as if not to disturb some sleeping pokemon. It appeared that trainers came and went as they pleased but they didn't appear frantic about their sick pokemon. Some trainers snoozed in a corner. There were many puffy chairs and couches that hugged trainers who sat or slept on them.

Noivern chatted happily and growled affectionately so she returned the growl and she bumped her forehead against his. Ash laughed. "He sure seems to like you," he noted.

Luna nodded and smiled from ear to ear. "Of course he does! We're practically the same age." Noivern also exclaimed happily. "He agreed," she translated.

"So, how can you understand Noivern?" Bonnie asked while Noivern ate with his friends.

"I've lived with pokemon my entire life. We all speak the same language so if you can understand one wild pokemon then every pokemon is easier."

Ash asked, "Then how did you learn to talk like us?"

"My father taught me. Some Lucario know telepathy and he knew your language better than anyone in our pack so he taught me and Alpha because he thought it might come in handy. He also taught us an ancient language most pokemon no longer use. We call them the footprint language."

Clemont nodded and scratched his chin. Bonnie smiled, "Wow! That's so cool! So, you can understand Dedenne?"

Luna nodded. "Yes. He enjoys your company very much, Bonnie."

This made Bonnie's smile even bigger.

"Oh before I forget," Ash started, his back straighter than Luna thought possible and he leaned forward slightly, "how did you know the pokemon's types when you couldn't see them?"

Luna shrugged, "I can sense auras like the other Lucario. Father says some humans can, not all but some. Can't you guys?"

Everyone shook their heads. Humans were so interesting.