POV Shale
A plain, white field. 'No luck this time either.'
I slowly try to loose myself from the vision, but stop as a Hydreigon appears in front of me. 'Drakke?'
The dark dragon grins. "A pleasure to meet you, Shale."
'No.' I grit my teeth and turn around, throwing the illusion away with my tail. "Go away. You don't smell like him. Stop taunting me, whoever you are."
The figure melts while the temperature drops. "Why does the whelp care so much about you? You're strong, but I don't think that's the only reason."
I snarl. "None of your business, right? I..."
A slap wakes me up and I see Rika is looking down at me. "You shouldn't keep in that state for longer than a few minutes. Why do you never listen to me?"
We both sigh and it takes me a moment before I jump onto my feet and hug her. "Rika! Finally up I see. How do you feel?"
The Gardevoir struggles to free herself from my grip and coughs. "I was not dead. Why were you so worried? And please stop pressing me onto you so hard."
I release her and blush. "Sorry, it's just so good to see you're up again."
The psychic type groans. "It was not that much of a big deal."
I shake my head. "Damage at your core and uncontrolled release of shadow energy? We have to thank that rich guy a lot, if he did not help us you would be dead."
Rika grins. "Still a weird guy. And we never found out who that Zweilous was."
"LouLou. Arceus, with another name I would say it could have been Drakke, but I can't believe he would have given up all dignity and call himself like that."
My team mate laughs. "I don't think the Zweilous would have listened if anyone actually called him like that. He even grit his teeth every time someone called him Lou. But Cara said Drakke died, he can't be it anyway."
I let my head hang down. "We talked about this before, haven't we?"
The Gardevoir snickers. "Last time I could only listen, it's nice to be able to talk too."
"You're really fine?"
Rika grins. "I wouldn't stand here otherwise, correct? The doctor almost seemed disappointed as I left though."
I grit my teeth. "He did not experiment on his patience again, right? I'm sure Eve told him not to."
The psychic type sighs. "Calm down. I can imagine even my normal readings were of high interest for him, there aren't..."
I quickly step forward and catch the Gardevoir as she starts shaking and collapses.
After a moment the half shadow recovers and carefully stands up. "Sorry. Like I was about to say, there aren't a lot of Pokemon in a state like this. I hope it will increase the efficiency of future subjects."
I slowly nod and try to relax 'Almost a whole month since the attack of Drakke... no, the attack of some Zweilous and she still hasn't fully recovered yet. On the other hand, it's almost a miracle she can stand on her own already.' "Don't get careless, you said we would hunt that Zweilous and if you don't allow your body to rest we can't do that."
Rika coughs. "To be honest, I'm not sure if I really want to anymore." She spins around and grins. "All in all, it could have been worse. I feel like the dragon loosened my chains and now I can live a bit more freely again. If I actually manage to recover and find him I might think him for draining some of the shadow energy."
I tilt my head. "Really? At least your talkativeness seems to have risen to new heights."
The Gardevoir flinches. "I can finally relax and think of something else than fighting without pain shooting through my mind, sorry if I talk to much."
I quickly shake my head. "I don't mind. When can you start training again?"
The psychic type giggles. "Depends on who you ask. I feel ready to slowly start, but the doctor would say I need an additional week of rest. Too bad I don't feel like listening to him."
I nod and walk to the door, leaving Wynn asleep on the bed. "Did she watch over you all night again?"
Rika sighs and nods. "She won't stop doing that until I'm strong enough to literally throw her out and keep her under control while I'm still asleep I guess."
"If she does not check my sleep instead. Care to join my training?"
The Gardevoir grins and we head to the new training district. 'How could a single Deino destroy the main engine of the old one without even breaking into seat? Why did we waste all his potential? I wish he could come back.'
We reach our destination and I barely avoid getting hit by a frozen glove as I step inside. "Do you really need to keep the anti-dark-dragon-guard on all day?!"
I grind my teeth as I hear the professor laugh. "First of all, shouldn't you have adapted to it by now? Just the fact you can still talks shows you survived, stop mourning. Secondly, you know we want to keep our standards up, if someone steps in and instantly gets knocked out he wouldn't survive the training anyway. It's for your own good. And thirdly, I'm glad you are back, Rika."
The psychic type looks around. "Did you improve the scanner or greet every Gardevoir like that?"
"You truly insult me, friend. Of course we constantly improve the scanner. And to be honest, your energy signature is rather unique, I would avoid calling it colorful though. Reminds me of..."
We hear his assistant through the speaker after something seems to have shattered. "You know Eve will take the repair cost for that monitor of the labor budget. Arceus alone knows why you keep the genetic information of the red spotted freak on the display anyway. Reproduction through scientific means becomes impossible after infusing the energy."
More violent noises follow. "You don't have to remind me, you smart-... Why is this still on? Feel free to start training, I might be busy for a while. Come here, you... !"
The speaker turns off and I shake my head while we walk further in. Rika clears her throat. "Our training options are a bit limited without their assistance, right?"
I step in front of a obelisk with a wide gaping hole and cough. "If some wild Pokemon can have an impact like that without extensive human help we shouldn't have to rely on them either. You should start with something easy. Maybe lifting?"
Psychic power grabs me and I hover several feet in the air while Rika laughs. "I'm weak, but not fully unskilled again, Shale."
The Gardevoir keeps me in the air for a few seconds before she allows me to stand on the ground again. I cough. "You're sense of humor has changed?"
"Not really, but you have the highest resistance against getting lifted. The only other object coming anywhere near yours is the damaged stature, and you seem lighter."
I move to an undamaged figure and launch it away with a swipe of my tail. Rika snickers. "At least one of us did never stop training." She suddenly seems a lot more serious. "So, is it true you are expected in the breeding ground today?"
I was about to split another statue in half with dragon claw and barely manage to renew the focus and dragon energy in my claw before the impact. "Who told you that?"
The psychic type grins. "What do you think? Maybe one of our extremely talkative shadow team mates?"
I groan. "Be careful with that sarcasm, you might hit harder with it than you expected. Wynn. But why?"
Rika scratches her head and drops two statues she mindlessly picked up. "I don't know. She likes to talk and almost a month of being unconscious or trapped in a bed does not help finding something to talk about." She shakes her head. "I neither knew what time it is nor how the weather outside was. So she talked about her own worries instead. And we share the top spot on the list of things she seems to be worried about. So, why does she even consider you wouldn't follow the order of going to the breeding grounds?"
I grind my teeth. "She knows I won't accept someone weak as my mate."
Suddenly Rika snickers. "So your mate should be stronger than you are? Or … ?"
I growl. "Or what?"
"Or stronger than that Drakke is supposed to be?"
I blink in confusion. "I knew him less than a week. He was more of a cute whelp than an option for being my mate. Why should I even consider him?!"
The strange smile of the Gardevoir clearly tells me I should have avoided that topic completely. "A whelp? If he was strong enough to demolish the last training facility as a whelp his strength shouldn't be too small when full grown. What was his species by the way?"
I can't suppress a smirk. "You were talking about my possible love and Wynn didn't even tell you his species?"
The smile of the psychic type vanishes for the blink of an eye. "How about a small tip? Is he a pure dragon type?"
My smirk grows. "Not exactly."
To my surprise her smile grows. "Not even a real dragon. Shame on you, Shale."
I snarl and split another statue, only leaving the already damaged one intact, more or less. "He is a real dragon!"
Not exactly the smartest behavior. "No pure dragon as a whelp, but still a dragon? Wynn did not remember the name of the species, so it can't be common around here... Gible? Nah. Give me a second or two to think about it."
I turn away and walk, to be honest, I run, to the exit, but psychic energy grabs me before I can get out of sight.
"Come on, just one more guess. Is he possibly from Unova?"
I slowly nod while hanging in the air. 'Lying would be useless anyway.'
Rika drops me and sighs. "So, Drakke was, or is, a Deino. It's awfully difficult to chatter about the most trivial things with you. Deino evolve to Zweilous, right? He might have been a worthy opponent for the one I fought."
I notice how the Gardevoir slowly starts shuddering and rush back to catch her. I manage to grab her as she is about to hit the floor. I shake my head. "Not ready for an interrogation, huh? I will get you to your bed, thorn."
I receive no response and slowly walk back to the door, Rika lying on my arms.
"We missed you in the breeding grounds today, Shaley."
I carefully set down the Gardevoir before turning to the Dragonite standing in my way. "That was today? Oh, I'm so sorry, I thought my appointment was tomorrow. Get out of my way, moron."
The male dragon shakes his head. "It should be an honor fr you to bear my eggs. You won't find any living dragon stronger than me."
I snarl. "Really? Funny, I believe it has been ages since you last trained. You're stupid and overweight. I would love to put you in your place, but I'm busy and you're not worth getting in trouble. Move aside."
The winged dragon steps forward and puts a claw under my chin. "You hide behind the excuse of not being allowed to attack me? Cute."
I push him away and growl. "If you don't get out of my way in the next ten seconds I will wipe the floor with you, pet."
He grins. "We will see who ends up on the floor, Shaley."
The orange dragon dashes forward, but I easily step left and run after him. 'he has potential, but it simply rots beneath all that fat.'
I hop forward, landing on my hands and slam my tail on his head. Eve's dragon grins. "Flexible and fast. I will enjoy you."
The moron flaps with his wings, trying to throw me off balance, then rams his head forward. I duck and steady my stance before slashing at his throat.
I only take mere seconds to enjoy the blood pouring onto me, stepping back as the Dragonite falls forward onto his stomach, most likely in a pathetic attempt to pin me. I quickly spin and guide dragon energy in my tail before hitting his head with it.
Giving him no time to recover I shred open his right side with dragon claw and slowly take a step back while licking his blood off my claw with a grin. "I finally found an use for you. You're a great punching bag."
The male coughs and spits blood. "I will get you for this."
I turn away and walk to Rika still cleaning his blood off my arms. "Really? You will tell Eve how you failed knocking me to the floor? Because you did not train in ages? Somehow I doubt that."
I carefully remove the last bits of blood before picking up the Gardevoir and head to Rika's room.
After resting the psychic type on her bed I walk to the baths. 'It's not like I don't enjoy the feeling of blood on my scales, but Cara keeps telling me she won't accept the odor of dry blood. It's easier to do as she commands than continuously argue with her.'
I sigh as hot water slowly washes dirt and blood off my back while my muscles relax. 'And as long as we have warm water washing isn't too bad.'
I take my time cleaning everything off, this gives me a nice excuse to keep hot water running down my side. 'Warmth. Like a heat source in a blizzard. I miss you, Drakke.'
I shake my head and turn the water off. 'He is gone, the dream could not be true.'
After sating my hunger I carefully step into Wynn's and my room and see the Flygon is still asleep. Or maybe again. I grin and lie down on the coach, she has earned herself some rest. I slowly nod off. 'Might not have been the smartest idea to leave Eve's pet bleeding on the floor. But I can't accept any mate. Or can't I accept any other mate?'
End of chapter 36. To be honest, I have no idea if any female would actually act like Shale. Don't believe I understand any female... Anyway, I felt like I should shed some light on Drakke's other old team (and his possible romantic interest, if he ever figures out what that means), so... uhm, yeah, there you have it.
Kinda feel like a a moron for not even considering asking any friend for help. I still hope you enjoyed the chapter though.