The sky rumbled in the distance. I looked up uneasily, hoping that the rain will hold. It looked dark and threatening in the distance, but otherwise clear on Route 120, where Estelle was trying to learn Energy Ball. She informed me that she was ready to try and learn another move on top of the four moves she already knew.

'I should be able to do it. Teleportation is part of my Psychic ability. Just as Galaxy shouldn't need to know the move Fly to be able to transport you while flying. Or when Yuan is grown, he shouldn't need to know the move Surf to take you across the seas. Flying and swimming are a part of their physical abilities.' Estelle reasoned.

What Estelle said made sense; but excuse me if I didn't immediately jump on Lexy's back and order him to take me to the skies without knowing Fly. Then it hit me. Estelle actually called Lexy by his name, and not 'the lizard'. I wondered when did that shift in attitude occurred.

I enlisted Mari's help. My theory was that Eddie was a grass type. Even if he doesn't know Energy Ball, maybe he'd know how to teach others how to gather energy for a Grass typed move. Besides, she had already learnt Magical Leaf. The theory should be the same, right? Turns out, I was wrong. Well, Eddie knew Energy Ball so I'm glad I'm wrong about that. But the basis of both moves were fundamentally different. Energy Ball drew energy from the surrounding, or at least that's how Eddie performed his attack. That's why we are here, at Route 120 where there are plants for Estelle to draw energy from.

'Ludi! Ludicolo ludi ludiludicolo,' Eddie danced around as he fired off another Energy Ball.

'I am not going to dance about like a fool when I attack,' Estelle stood firmly on the ground, hands out. But no Energy Ball.

Eddie didn't let her comment get to him. He danced again and showed Estelle how to gather energy for another Energy Ball. Eddie reminded me a lot of Bullet, though Eddie was more oblivious while Bullet just doesn't care about other people's opinion. I wished I could be more like Bullet.

'Could you perhaps do it without the prancing?' Estelle sounded exasperated.

'Ludi? Ludicolo!' Eddie blinked at Estelle, as if he couldn't understand why Estelle didn't want to dance.

'Ok, maybe we should take a break for lunch,' I intervened before Estelle could Teleport Eddie on top of a tree.

'Come on Eddie,' Mari pulled Eddie away. 'You can dance later.'

'Estelle,' I started when Mari and Eddie had moved a safe distance away.

'I know. I apologise, Master,' Estelle said before I could finish my sentence. Sometimes I wondered if she lied about not reading my thoughts.

'Come on,' I touched her shoulders. 'Take a break. Eat something. You'll feel better.'

'Just once more.' She held up her arms, closing her eyes for concentration.

The upcoming match against her brother must have really gotten to her. I wondered if it was normal sibling rivalry or something more. Then, there was a soft glow between her outstretched hands, which promptly disappeared.

'I feel it.' Estelle opened her eyes.

She then raised her hands, drawing energy (I presumed) ad fired off an Energy Ball. The ball of energy travelled a while, then flickered off. Not the best, but it was a start. Estelle then agreed to stop for lunch. Unfortunately, it started raining halfway through lunch. We decided to move to the training room in the Pokemon Center. Mostly because we wanted to get out of the rain, but also because Eddie had an inclination to start dancing in the rain. It worked out actually. Now that Estelle had the hang of generating Energy Ball, she could work on it in the training room, where there are targets for her to practice on. We also got challenged a few times there, and Estelle could practice using it in battles. She mastered it at the end of 5 days. She also found out that she could still use Teleport, even during battles, though it takes much more concentration. It gave me hope that I could actually ride Lexy. But not yet. Maybe when I'm confident of Estelle saving me with her Psychic powers.

Estelle Teleported us to the forest in Route 102 where we first met her. Mari and I both arrived with all of our limbs attached and no missing eyebrow, so I guess that Estelle was getting better at using her Psychic powers.

'Wow, memories,' Mari smacked a mosquito on her arm.

Jupiter looked around the forest in disdain. Ah yes, that was where he met Eddie, who had cause him to take a dip into the lake.

'So, are we at the right place?' I asked, brushing a large frond out of my face.

'I am positive,' Estelle looked around. 'My psychic link with my brother does not lie.'

Just then, the leaves in front of us rustled, revealing a green bladed arm as it sliced off the fronds. The arm belongs to a Pokemon that mildy resembled Estelle, though it was a darker shade of green and there was a noticeable absence of a dress. It must be a Gallade, the other evolutionary line of Kirlia. In Hoenn, Gallades were rare as compared to their evolutionary counterpart. I've only ever seen Gallades on TV and in my school textbooks. But I was most surprised by the two boys who stepped out behind the Gallade. I reached out and place a hand on Mari's shoulder when I felt her tensed beside me.

'Well, well, well' Axel said. It was clear he was going for a cliché villain line, but he mostly sounded stupid. He probably knew it too because he cleared his throat and quickly added. 'My Leonidas will kick your Gardevoir's butt.'

Ugh. Classy. And I bet he named the Gallade after the movie character, not the actual King of Sparta. I was more worried about the boy next to him. Or specifically, how Mari might react to seeing him again. I'm willing to bet they haven't talked since the incident in Sootopolis City. To his credit, Tony only looked at Mari, an apologetic expression on his face. He looked like he was about to say something, but Mari was adamantly ignoring him, staring fixatedly at Leonidas. Estelle gave Leonidas a nod, which he ignored, regarding Estelle with a cool expression on his face. Given Estelle's expression in retaliation, I concluded that they had a telepathic conversation

'Leonidas! Go, attack!' Axel shouted.

'We weren't supposed to get involved,' I reminded, then quickly realizing it was futile.

Rolling her eyes and muttering something that sound very similar to 'ducking toys', Mari pulled me over to a fallen log so we could sit down, far away from the battle but near enough to watch. Though humans weren't 'allowed to interfere', Leonidas heeded his Trainer's command. He raced towards Estelle without preamble (to us). Just as Leonidas almost reached her, Estelle Teleported right behind him, sending off a psychic attack that send Leonidas sprawling onto the forest floor. He crashed through a log before coming to a halt. I winced. No wonder Estelle warned me about interfering. It was brutal. Leonidas got up almost immediately, cuts and scratches dotting his body. He charged at Estelle again. I was briefly distracted by Tony who had left Axel where he was, yelling and shaking his fist at the two Psychic Pokemon now lock in battle. As he made his way towards us in a wide circle around the battle, I nudged Mari in warning.

'Say the word and I will Apparate you out of here,' I whispered.

'The word,' She said in an equally low tone.

'I don't have my wand!' I said in aghast.

I hadn't truly believed Mari wanted to disappear from the forest. I thought that it was a minor disagreement and Mari would have calmed down enough. Maybe even enough to talk to him. I wondered if she had really downplayed their fight. Tony whispered something in her ear. Mari glanced over at me.

'Go,' I nudged her and she walked off out of earshot with Tony.

It was clear Mari still liked Tony. I wondered if that's what Mari see in my situation. I made sure Jupiter followed them because I wasn't going to chance my best friend going out alone into the woods with a boy. And I didn't exactly want to get into the middle of them. I mean, I'm all for emotional support but there are some things she needed to do alone. With Jupiter's protection. Besides, my Pokemon was still in battle. Though I wasn't allowed to interfere, I wanted to be there for her.

As I watched the match unfold, I realized there was something off about the Gallade. He stumbled over roots and branches, yet he had quick and relatively good reflexes. He definitely wasn't overtrained. If anything, it was more like he undertrained. Because Psychic moves were invisible to humans, I couldn't exactly tell. But he looked like he was using strong Psychic moves but without much of an effect. His arm blades would glow before releasing blades of energy, much like Abraxion's Psycho Cut. But his attacks were easily dissipated by Estelle with a single thought. He also moved awkwardly, almost like he had the grace of a Kirlia but he was still getting used to the movements of a much larger Gallade who used more psychical moves. All in all, I was pretty sure he was forced to evolve before he was ready and given TMs to learn so that he would have stronger attacks. I looked at Axel. Surely even he couldn't be that cruel to his own Pokemon?

Estelle ducked under the arms of Leonidas, who had come at her with dark energy surrounding his hands. Throat Chop, I was sure. A dark move that might had been extremely devastating, except the Gallade was clumsy in his execution. Estelle fired off a close-range Energy Ball with almost no effort, given that there were many plants in her surroundings. Leonidas stumbled backwards and fell. Estelle hovered over him, arms crackling with electricity. They appeared to have another mental conversation.

'Stop,' Estelle said, this time projecting her voice to all our heads. 'You have lost. Admit it.'

The Gallade glared at Estelle for a long moment. Then he turned his head to the side, his face the epitome of displeasure. He must have said something telepathically to Estelle, because she backed off.

'What the hell Axel?' I demanded.

'What?' He narrowed his eyes, clearing not happy about the results of the battle.

'What the bloody hell are you doing to your Pokemon?' I wasn't sure when I caught on to bloody hell, but it was certainly effective. 'Do you even care about them at all?'

'I do!' He clenched his fist.

At the same time, Leonidas rushed between Axel and I, his blades up in a threatening manner. 'My Master cares for all. Do not speak of things you do not understand, M'orath.'

I had no idea what M'orath means but I took it as a derogatory term because Estelle did. She Teleported in front of me, speaking to her brother in a stern voice, her eyes blazing with fury. 'You will take that back, K'aen. My Master is right. How could you subject yourself to such repulsive methods of training, if it could be even called that.'

Leonidas and Estelle had a brief mental conversation before Leonidas took a swipe at Estelle and took off deeper into the woods.

'I will have to pursue him. I will return, Master.' That was all the warning I get before Estelle ran after him.

Axel stared at them, his mouth wide open. Then he turned his glare on me.

'What do your creature mean?' He demanded. 'That my training was repulsive?'

'What exactly did you do with Leonidas?' I asked, because I had been dying to find out the cause of his condition.

'I bought him a Dawn Stone and a bunch of TMs,' Axel said. 'Isn't that the point of training? To make them stronger by any means.'

'No!' I stared at him, too horrified to say anything else.

I thought this was covered in Pokemon Training Class. How ever did he pass his Trainer Evaluation? It almost made me glad I didn't buy Dawn a Fire Stone. I closed my eyes against the flood of memories coming back.

'Bitch what do you mean no?' He looked at me.

'Look,' I said as I sat down. 'Pokemon training isn't a competition.'

'What do you mean? Of course it's a competition! We battle against all other trainers all the time,' He interjected, still standing up.

'What I meant was, you can't just race through Pokemon Training. You have to make sure your Pokemon are developing well,' I told him.

'Developing well?' He seemed to have got over his anger over his training methods being called repulsive. He sat down in front of me, seemingly like a child being scolded.

'Yes. Look at your Gallade. He has a bunch of great moves, but he doesn't know how to use them.' I told him. 'You should have made sure that Leonidas was ready to evolve before giving him the Dawn Stone.' I didn't want to add that he probably had stunted the Gallade's Psychic growth in favour of his Physical growth. However, he seemed to have got it.

'So I evolved him too early?' He scratched his head. 'What am I supposed to do now?'

'Nothing,' I told him. 'Except maybe training him. Gallade is a Fighting type. He needs drills to work on his coordination. Probably running or combat training. Look, your Pokemon is obviously devoted to you, so you must have done something right there.' I sincerely hoped. While he was cocky and arrogant, I don't believe he was the sort to abuse his Pokemon. 'Just watch out for his growth. Power and level isn't everything.'

I left him there to stew on his thoughts as I went in search of Estelle. I found her by the lake, the one that I suspected Jupiter had fallen into. My Pokemons seemed to have a penchant for bodies of water when they wanted to think.

'I spoke with my brother,' Estelle told me as I sat beside her.

I waited for her to continue.

'When we were younger, he believed that there was a way where he could get stronger.' Estelle said.

'He doesn't like training?'

'No. He does not dislike training. He merely thinks that was not all. He does not see what the human has done to him.'

'Does he see it now?'

Estelle gave a mental shrug.

'I would like to follow him, Master.'

My mind raced at her statement. Follow him? Does that mean she will be leaving me?

'I am not leaving you, Master,' Estelle said, once again proving that she read my mind. Unless she really did know me that well. 'I merely want to check on Leonidas. I may disagree with him, but after all, he was my brother. And after what I've seen today, I need time to… Think.'

I understood. After all, I have siblings too. I still want to know what the hell had Ariel got herself into. I'd gotten sidetracked. I made a mental note to ask Ronnie. If I talked to her…

'Do not fret, Master. I will follow him at a distance.' Estelle made another attempt to convince me, incorrectly reading my silence. Perhaps she didn't read my mind after all. 'Besides, I have a psychic link with you. I will be able to find you anytime.'

'I... wait you do?'

I supposed I should have expected that. She had said she was able to trace Neo. Her powers who have grown since then. And we did grow closer.

At Estelle's nod, I replied her. 'Please be careful.'

As we left the lake, another thought occurred to me. Ronnie didn't have to be my only source of information.

'Estelle, when you're following him, could you keep an eye out for Ariel? If you hear anyone talk about her, or anything at all?' I requested. 'But don't do anything dangerous.'

'Of course, Master.'

When we returned to the site, Mari and Tony had returned. They were standing side by side, shoulders touching. Ah, they have made up. Go me! I know what you're thinking but come on, I deserved some credit for that at least. Axel was talking to Leonidas, a lot of arm waving and hair pulling. I guessed they still needed to sort things out.

'I am leaving,' Axel announced, before stalking off into the forest.

He must have not gotten over the fact that I gave him a lecture, because he pointedly ignored me. Tony gave Mari a look before going after Axel. It was one that I couldn't decipher but it must have meant something to Mari because her face had a faint blush and she nodded. Ah, straight people! Estelle stayed by my side until they were out of sight. Then she Teleported away. Oh, I hadn't thought that 'following at a distance' meant that she was being discrete. I wondered what Leonidas' reaction to that would be.