Dee and Ryun left Pewter City far behind them the next day. They had made some good progress before they had set up for the night. Dee was fast asleep after dinner, which Dee prepared herself for them. Ryun couldn't sleep that night. He crawled out of his sleeping bag next to Dee and quietly unzipped the tent. He followed the scent of water to a small creek and sat down next to it. He began thinking about a lot of things, until he finally ended up thinking about his feeling about Dee. He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't even notice that Dee had walked up behind him.

Dee sat down next to Ryun and said, "You have a crush on me, don't you?"

Ryun looked up, startled and said, "Yes. It's not like I can be what you want me to be though…"

"What do you mean by that, Ryun?" Dee asked.

"Her… your lover from the orphanage," Ryun said sadly.

"How did you know?" Dee asked.

"Riolu are tuned to the emotions of others. We can sense the troubles that others have and all that stuff… I don't really know too much about it myself, but I can sense that you miss her," Ryun said.

"Oh… well… I don't really know what to say except… You're you, Ryun. Don't try to be someone else because that would just make life miserable for you. Just be you, Ryun, I'm sure you'll find someone for you," Dee said as she gave him a hug, "Let's get back to bed."

Ryun sat there for a moment, then agreed and followed Dee back to the tent.

The next day, they packed up their campsite and started to head out for Mount Moon again. Along the way, they met up with a familiar trainer a few miles away from the Pokèmon Center. It was the same trainer that Dee had met when she had first started out on her journey. He looked at Dee with something akin to hatred in his eyes.

"So. It's you again," He said.

"Yes, I guess we have to battle now," Dee said, preparing for the fight.

"Yes, That's how it goes, Hybrid," He said scornfully, "I guess you're not as stupid as you look."

Dee shrugged off the trainer's comment and said, "I'll surprise you in other ways too."

The trainer didn't answer, but instead looked back at his Raichu, which jumped forward and tried to attack with Thunder. Ryun went in also and attacked with Bone Rush, bringing his bone staff out for a quick slap to the side of the head. Raichu rolled away at the last moment as its trainer threw out another two Pokèballs to join in the fight.

"That's not allowed! This was a one on one fight, you know it!" Dee said angrily as the Beedrill and Cubone materialized.

"Hmpf. Like I care, you pathetic Hybrid," the trainer said, his hate overriding everything he knew about Pokèmon battles. Dee took off her ball cap, which she picked up in Pewter City, and her pack and set them aside. Then she joined Ryun in his battle against three different Pokèmon. She took her three breaths as she dodged a Bonemerang from Cubone, a Thundershock from Raichu, and a Pin Missile from Beedrill. Her Flamethrower took out the Beedrill in a single hit, but it didn't even scratch the Cubone. Raichu attacked Dee with Quick Attack, completely bypassing Ryun, who spun to attack a little too late. He watched as the Raichu slammed into Dee's stomach and sent her to her knees. Ryun got more angry than he'd ever been in his life. He rushed in to attack Raichu with Bone Rush, but was stopped by Cubone, who had done the same attack and was being blocked at every turn.
Dee, meanwhile, was getting the short end of the stick, so to speak, and was barely managing to hold her ground against Raichu. It was too fast for her to hit physically and her fire attacks didn't do too much damage to it. Dee was beginning to get a little frustrated when she remembered something that a Raichu Hybrid back at the orphanage said, "Some Raichu have a short temper. You can use that to your advantage when you battle one."

She decided to start taunting the Raichu, making it angrier at her. Eventually, the Raichu messed up and tripped on its own tail. Dee took that opportunity and hit the electric mouse with Flame Wheel, finally knocking it out.
Ryun was having other problems as the Cubone was matching him blow for blow. He wasn't making any headway, but neither was Cubone. The trainer was getting pissed at the proceedings, looking at the unconscious forms of his Beedrill and Raichu. He stepped in front of Dee and attempted to hit her. Ryun saw this and moved in to take the hit. He was sent flying into a tree where he fell like a rag doll. Dee ran over to him and crouched next to him, worry etched over her face.

"Ryun! Ryun, get up, please!" Dee said frantically. The small jackal lifted his head a little and said, "Are you alright?"

Dee nodded, then looked back at the trainer, who was advancing with his Cubone in tow.
"You're pathetic," he said coldly, "You might have our shape, but you're still the same as the Pokèmon you train. Even less because of the fact that you're a hybrid."

Ryun got back up on his feet and stood between Dee and the trainer. The trainer looked at Ryun with disgust in his eyes and said, "Back up again? I'll have to fix that..." He motioned to Cubone to keep Dee busy while he took care of Ryun. "You let this... Half-breed train you? Hmpf, you're worse than it is!" He struck out at Ryun with his leg. Ryun caught the kick and sent the trainer to the dirt. The trainer landed on his face, busting open his lip. He got back up on his feet, wiping the blood that was streaming from his face off and said, "Hmpf..." as he kicked at Ryun again. Dee stepped in the way this time, taking the kick for her Pokèmon.

"How noble of you," He said spitefully, " I hate that... you're willingness to sacrifice yourself for others... It's disgusting."

Ryun looked at Dee, then back at the trainer. He switched over to the unconscious forms of the other Pokèmon; Dee had knocked out the Cubone with a well placed Fire Spin before taking the kick. Ryun looked back at Dee again and said, "You didn't have to do that..."

Dee looked back at Ryun and said, "I care too much about you to let this fucking bastard hurt you..."

"How touching," The trainer said, "You should get married! ... I'll take care of you now..."

The trainer reached into his pack and drew out a jet black Pokèball. There was only a single decoration on it and that was a blood read tear drop over the center button. "This'll make you nothing but a mindless slave... which is what you should've been from the start," The trainer said, "It was a gift from my father... before Ash took him out and that stupid air head of a step mom took over his business.

Dee looked at the ball in apprehension and tried to back away before the trainer kicked her in the stomach. Ryun tried to get to her before something happened, but he stopped as a light blue ball of energy destroyed the ball in the trainer's hand.

"Silver, back off," Someone said from between the trees.

Silver held his hand in pain as a Lucario and a black haired trainer stepped from the trees. The trainer was male and he had a ball cap on with a red Pokèball on the front of it. He had a Pikachu on his shoulder and the Lucario was advancing towards Silver with a menacing growl growing in his throat. Silver stepped back and recalled all of his Pokèmon to their balls. Then he turned to Dee and tossed half of his money in her face and said, "Take it, half-breed!" Silver stalked off with a look of hatred in his eye and disappeared into the trees.