Gardevoir had travelled with Lina and Rob for a good few hours. It was getting into the early morning now and the time the group made was easier since most trainers had fallen asleep. They had passed through Route 121 and Route 120 until they arrived to a very heavy area of trees. "So… how did Aggron die?" Rob didn't want to be insensitive, but he wanted to know how, at least, since he partially grew up with her deceased steel type. "He was older than we knew. He just refused to evolve for a while," Lina answered. When she had caught her Pokémon before it evolved, it was a lot older than they thought, that which did surprise Rob, but he knew some Pokémon were persistent and just refused to evolve sometimes for various reasons.
Gardevoir didn't pay much mind to the conversation. She was taking another painkiller. Her leg had refused to stop hurting now. It was either a slight tingling pain like a force was sending an electric shock through her in small waves. Otherwise, it would just throb like she had just lost use of the appendage. There wasn't much middle ground in the pain. At last, they arrived to Fortree City, a somewhat small village which was calmer, known as the treetop city that frolics with nature. The homes were in the trees, most of them aside from the Pokémon Center and Gym.
They had climbed the walkways in the trees to get to the Pokémon Center, where they planned to rest for a short time. Inside, there weren't any other trainers. The group didn't pay it much mind, as they stepped inside and sat down at a table. Rob was still aware of the pain Gardevoir had been in. "Hope you don't mind meeting my Pokémon," Lina said, hoping neither would mind. "Garde," the psychic nodded. "I haven't seen them in a while," Rob reassured, thinking it was time for a full meeting between their Pokémon, Rob letting Surskit out of its Pokéball. The berry farmer didn't want to admit that Gardevoir wasn't really his Pokémon.
Lina pulled out three various Pokéballs and opened them up. In the bright flashes of light, Gardevoir saw a blue Pokémon with yellow fur appear known as a Manectric, an electric type wolf Pokémon. The second to appear was a short red Pokémon known as a Magby. It looked barely hatched which did strike a minor nerve in the psychic's mind. She didn't see the third Pokémon anywhere though, that was until Lina began giggling like something had started tickling her on her shoulder. Gardevoir could see a bug ground type known as a Nincada that was clearly fond of its trainer.
"I didn't know you had a Magby," Rob commented, watching her pick up the fire type and rub its back. The baby seemed to enjoy the feeling well. "Manectric found its egg a few weeks ago. He just hatched the other day," Lina explained. Surskit was trying to converse with the Nincada while Manectric just lay down.
Gardevoir didn't care much for the conversation, and she doubted their lunch would be ready soon. She stood up, knowing the two wanted to catch up on what one another had been doing. "You going for a walk?" Rob asked. "Voir…" she nodded, before leaving the table to exit the Pokémon Center. Unbeknownst to her, the worried Surskit stopped talking to the Nincada and scurried off to follow her out of worry, since it had noticed her odd behaviour last time.
Gardevoir was wandering the walkway of Fortree City, hoping that the nice view of the forest would keep her mind distracted, but something else had her attention halfway across the walkway. She could see the gym below, where a lot of trainers appeared to be gathered to view whatever was going on inside. The psychic wanted to know what it was, looking at a nearby ladder. Before she could begin to climb it, she felt something poke at her arm. Surskit was behind her, balancing on the rope of the bridge. "Sur-surskit?" he was worried for her. Gardevoir, looked at the tiny bug-water type and rubbed its head. "Garde," she pointed to where a lot of people were gathered, using it as an excuse for why she left. She picked up the Surskit and let it hold onto her back before beginning to scale down the ladder.
The two Pokémon doubted that they could get anywhere close to the front door of the Gym, just due to how many wanted to be at least inside to view it, so they were going to take the left side of the building to view from one of the smaller windows. No one was there, thankfully. Gardevoir let Surskit off her back and stand in her hands to see what was going on. Inside one peek could show what it was.
Inside the Gym, a big red bipedal chicken Pokémon stood in a fighting stance, known as a Blaziken. Across from it was a Skarmory, a steel bird that was flying around. The Gym Leader, Winona, was in possession of the Skarmory. She was in her usual outfit, a blue skydiver jumpsuit, and wearing a matching helmet, her long purple hair stuck out from underneath it. The challenger was a teenager with an orange and black shirt and a green headband, with a Pokémon emblem on it, he had white hair being the trainer of the Blaziken, he seemed relaxed for battling a major gym leader.
The Skarmory was circling around the Blaziken, having been using one ability to try and lower its defence. "Blaze Kick!" the trainer yelled, watching his Blaziken crouch down and glare before jumping up, its feet catching fire. It spun around, slamming its flaming feet at the side of Skarmory, knocking it clean out of the air and chucking it into the ground. It was long unconscious before it had even hit the ground. The trainers were in awe as Blaziken stretched. "Great work, Blaziken!" his trainer cheered. Winona seemed angered as she recalled Skarmory and sent out her last Pokémon which was a Tropius.
The trainer grinned, thinking he could win it easily. "Sorry, Blaziken, but the others need training, too," he said, his Pokémon nodding and letting him recall it to his Pokéball. The trainer reached into his side and pulled out a Great Ball. He threw it, and in a bright light appeared a Kirlia that had blue hair and the orange horns on her head. Gardevoir was frozen, and her eyes were widened. She dropped Surskit on the ground, the bug-water type shaking it off easily and looking up to his friend, seeing her expression which made him more confused than before.