Zoey was in a pinch. Of all her teammates, Ash just had to pair her with him. With ears like radar dishes, Noivern could tell exactly where she was at all times. He could see her without using his eyes, and he was fast, and he could fly. How was any of that fair?! She had lead him on a merry chase, weaving through the woods and sprinting across meadows, all while dodging beams of pure dragon energy, but now? Now she was really, royally, screwed. She had ducked inside a cave, hoping to lose the flying type, but it just didn't work. So now she was hanging form the ceiling among a group of zubat, hoping beyond hope that her illusion would fool her pursuer. Of all times to get cornered! Ugh, we just have to be in a cave. I can't see anything! I could try… no that would never work. What to do?

"VERN" came a screech. She knew he had to be close, but she just couldn't see. Illusion only affected those that viewed her. She couldn't take on the abilities of those she 'transformed' into, much to her chagrin. And Noivern? He was a veteran of many battles, one that Ash had specifically taught to fight in poor visibility. He had taught it moves like boomburst, dragon pulse, and hurricane. Hurricane was the biggest problem; once Noivern had you cornered he would use it to kick up dust, sand, or snow. Then he would use his speed to get in close and finish you. It was something Zoey had been on the receiving end of a few too many times for her taste.

Maybe I can use dig to get out of here? It's better than waiting here like a sitting ducklett. She mused, slowly making her way down the cave wall, all the while being careful not to wake the resting zubat. Then she paused, halfway down, thinking If I scare the zubat, sure they might swarm the cave, but that's perfect! She grinned, and soon a beam of dark, pulsating energy fired from her maw into the roof of the cave. Not a millisecond later there was a great, clamorous screeching all throughout the cave. Wings beats could be heard and movement felt as the wild pokemon flitted about. Perfect! Not to get out off here.

Zoey dropped down and dove into the soft topsoil of the cave, and not a moment too soon, either. She swore internally as she felt the waves of air collide with the rock that had been right next to her, shattering the boulder and sending fragments flying. Moments later she was outside the cave system. It was a good strategy, but now she had mud in her fur. She hated getting her fur dirty. So she decided to head for a relatively small, nearby pond. Perhaps she could hide there as a magikarp or whiscash? Either one would work. I bet it'll take him forever to realize I'm not in there. Just imagine his face!

Giggling to herself, she 'activated' her illusion ability before dashing forward. What would she be this time? An Ariados? A Mareep? Maybe a Lillipup? No, no, what about a Vaporeon? That would work; she was heading to a pool of water. It would be perfect. As always, her form blurred, before vanishing altogether. In her place sat a vaguely fox like, blue creature with a finned tain. Said creature sprinted through the woods, heading straight for a nearby pond.

Looking back, Zoey regretted tempting fate. She had enjoyed swimming through the cool, clear water. The lake was gorgeous: nestled between craggy cliffs and heavily wooded forest, with small to medium sized boulders jutting from bellow the surface near the cliffside. A waterfall cascaded down into the lake, keeping the water level and temperature nearly constant. The water was absolutely teaming with flora and fauna, much of which was composed of pokemon. There were schools of basculin and magikarp about, while lone whiscash burrowed through the mud in the lakebed, searching for an easy meal. Bird pokemon such as rufflet and even some pikipek flew overhead, and flabebe and cottonee danced through the flowers beneath the trees. And Zoey, disguised as a water type, imagined that she would never be found. How could she? Noivern was fast and hit hard, but it relied heavily on it's sense of sound. So long as she was at least partially submerged, he would never be able to identify her. Water was excellent at breaking up sound waves. Her plan was foolproof! At least until she started floating up through the water and then the air. What's going on? Why am I floating?

Then she saw Noivern, perched upon the cliffside with his eyes closed in concentration.

Since when did he know Psychic? She nearly screamed in aggravation. And that is when Noivern turned, opening it's eyes, to look straight at her. He gently lowered everyone and everything else, keeping only the sole 'vaporeon' afloat. I am soooo going to get Ash back for this, thought Zoey, before she was hit with a boomburst, knocking her out flat.

Well that was certainly entertaining, thought Ash as he retracted his consciousness. Noivern had been using psychic to explain what it had seen, thought, felt, and heard in his mock fight with Zoey. Ash had his suspicions as to why Zoey acted as she had; he had trained with her more diligently than any of the others in the last few weeks. Being the newest and most inexperienced of his pokemon meant that she needed to learn to be crafty if she wanted to keep up with the others. Charizard had his blazing strength. Melmetal was a physical nightmare to deal with. Infernape, Greninja, and Sceptile were all fast and agile, and packed a punch to boot. Noivern could see ever when his eyes could not. And Pikachu? Ash didn't even need to go there; Pikachu was the most powerful of all. So what did Zoey have? She had the ability known as 'Illusion', one that could alter how she appeared to those around her. If she could learn to use it in conjunction with her attacks, she could be nigh unstoppable. But from what Noivern had shown him, all Zoey had done was run away. Ash sighed. Using Illusion to hide was a good move, as was stirring up the wild Zubat. But she should have used that opportunity to get the jump on Noivern instead of fleeing. Had she done that, and not relinquished such a great position, she may have beaten him. Although I suppose she may have been unable to see. Hmm. Could I teach her flash? He checked his pokedex, but too his disappointment, he found that Zoroark could not learn flash. It would be a good strategy. I think Clemont and Heliolisk did something similar during our battle. Wait, maybe Sanpei would know? I could ask him.

Dismissing the thought, Ash shook his head. His pokemon were off doing their own thing if not resting nearby, including Zoey. She had taken quite the hit, something that Noivern seemed almost smug about. Yawning, he decided that it was just about time to turn in for the night. Tomorrow would be a day for individual training with today's losers.