Seeing Floette's attitude, Skeledirge was exasperated with laughter. You are the audacious one running away from home, so why are you acting like I am the bad guy?
"Kolei~ kolei~" Skeledirge decided to lock up Floette and Flabébé to see how they would run away then!
"Lidi~ lidi~" However, just as it prepared to act, a voice chimed in to stop it.
Following the direction of the voice, everyone watched as a thoroughly emerald-green Pokémon approached them.
This Pokémon featured a crown-like headpiece, a yellow calyx-shaped collar, leaf-formed arms, a tulip-shaped light-green skirt, and golden calyx-shaped feet.
Ange showed a look of surprise. Wasn't this Lilligant?
Lilligant, the Dressage Pokémon and a pure Grass type. The floral ornament on its head could emit a sweet fragrance, healing the minds and soothing the moods of those who smelled it.
This was a Pokémon exclusively of the female gender, most commonly seen in the Unova region.
"Kolei~~" Why are you here?
Upon seeing Lilligant, Skeledirge's imposing aura suddenly deflated.
Whether it was his imagination or not, Ange always felt that Skeledirge, the king of the Allearth Forest and a powerful Pokémon reaching level 95, seemed slightly lacking in confidence when facing Lilligant.
Similarly, upon seeing Lilligant approach, Floette and the Flabébé seemed to have found their backing, immediately flying to Lilligant's side.
"Hula~ hula~" Teacher!
"Labei~ labei~" Teacher, you're finally here!
The four Pokémon chattered all at once, pouring out their grievances to Lilligant.
After listening to what Floette and the others had to say, Lilligant dropped a startling declaration:
"Lidi~ lidi~" I am also going to follow this human into the human world.
At this, not only was Skeledirge dumbfounded, but Ange was also thoroughly startled.
What is going on? What is happening? Is my charm really this strong?
"Kolei~ kolei~" No, absolutely not, it's too dangerous!
Skeledirge naturally opposed the idea with firm determination. It was entirely aware of why Lilligant wanted to go to the human world.
"Lidi~ lidi~" I have the ability to protect myself. If not, let's have a battle!
With those words, Lilligant assumed a battle stance.
Hearing Lilligant's words, Ange instinctively used his Eye of Observation to look at it.
Lilligant Type: Grass Ability: Own Tempo Gender: Female Level: 82 Moves: [Omitted] Individual Values HP: 31 Attack: 21 Defense: 29 Special Attack: 31 Special Defense: 28 Speed: 30
After checking, Ange was even more surprised. This Lilligant's level was actually close to catching up with his Metagross!
Were there really so many high-level Pokémon in the Allearth Forest? No wonder Nurse Joy had mentioned that fewer and fewer people had managed to enter the Allearth Forest over the years.
Hearing Lilligant's statement, Skeledirge immediately wore a conflicted expression. How could it possibly ever fight Lilligant!
"Lidi~ lidi~" I have waited for many years, and now the opportunity is here. I must go out!
Lilligant stated with unyielding resolve.
"Kolei~" I disagree!
Skeledirge objected firmly.
"Lidi~ lidi~" You cannot stop me, nor do you have the right to stop me!
Lilligant retorted.
Thus, the two Pokémon engaged in a fierce argument.
Through their exchange, Ange gradually came to understand Lilligant's identity.
As it turned out, it was Venusaur's apprentice.
When the incident with Venusaur occurred years ago, it had been away providing medical treatment to other Pokémon, which was why it failed to discover Xiaochen's wrongdoing in time.
Over the years, it had harbored deep self-blame, believing that if it had been home at the time, Venusaur's medicinal herbs would never have been stolen, and Venusaur would never have met its fate.
Just like Skeledirge, it had held onto hatred in its heart all these years, driving itself to grow stronger step by step through arduous training.
Yet, it lacked Skeledirge's innate talent for cultivation, preventing its level from ever catching up to the other.
Even so, Lilligant's level was already exceptionally high, making it the strongest Pokémon in the Allearth Forest second only to Skeledirge.
Ange's arrival had given Lilligant a glimmer of hope for revenge, and it intended to go to the human world to find Xiaochen and make him pay the price for causing Venusaur's death!
The reason Skeledirge felt unconfident facing Lilligant was precisely because it believed Venusaur's death was largely its own fault, feeling deeply apologetic toward Lilligant.
Although Lilligant had never blamed it over the years, Skeledirge could simply never cross that hurdle in its own heart.
The argument between Lilligant and Skeledirge grew increasingly heated, reaching the verge of a physical clash.
Under normal circumstances, Skeledirge would never raise its voice at Lilligant and would always concede to it in everything.
Today was different, however; it had failed to protect Venusaur back then, and it absolutely could not let Lilligant take risks now.
With tempers flaring, Skeledirge lost control of its emotions and roared:
"Kolei~~ kolei~~~" Go on then, go! Once you leave, don't ever come back! I'll just pretend I never had a friend like you.
Finishing those words, Skeledirge froze, a jolt of shock running through its heart as it found it hard to believe it had actually uttered such things.
Lilligant also stunned into silence. A look of sorrow flashed across its face before being instantly masked by anger.
"Lidi~ lidi~" If I don't come back, I don't come back! I hate you, and I never want to see you again!
With that, it looked toward Ange and said, "Lidi~ lidi~" Human, aren't you leaving?
"Huh? Oh, right, I am leaving!" Ange asked, startled. Realizing that he indeed needed to depart and could no longer afford to watch the drama unfold, he nimbly climbed onto Latios's back and patted its neck. "Latios, Latias, let's go!"
"Woo~"
"Woo~"
The sibling pair let out soft cries before soaring straight up into the sky.
Seeing this, Lilligant told Floette and the Flabébé, "Lidi~ lidi~" We are going too!
Floette and the three Flabébé looked back and forth between Skeledirge and Lilligant, feeling momentarily at a loss.
What should they do? The king and their teacher were quarreling; whose orders should they follow?
As it turned out, Floette and the Flabébé were indeed Lilligant's apprentices, serving as successors to both Lilligant and Venusaur.
Just as the four Pokémon hesitated, Lilligant's urging voice rang out:
"Lidi~ lidi~" What are you still standing around for? Hurry up and come over!
"Hula~"
"Labei~"
After a moment of hesitation, Floette and the Flabébé ultimately decided to follow their teacher. While they respected the king, they were naturally closer to their teacher.
Thus, under Lilligant's instructions, Floette and the Flabébé used Vine Whip to bind Lilligant's body, lifting it up into the air as they flew to chase after Ange.
Skeledirge watched the receding figures of Lilligant, Floette, and the Flabébé, its mouth opening slightly, but it ultimately failed to call out to them, a fleeting trace of regret flashing across its face.
After hesitating for a good while, it quietly followed behind Lilligant and the group.
As Ange, Latios, and Latias were on the verge of flying out of the forest, a call rang out from behind.
He looked back and saw that it was none other than Lilligant, Floette, and the Flabébé catching up to them.
Once they flew close, Ange asked, "You guys are..."
"Lidi~ lidi~" We are coming with you!
"But..." Ange wore a hesitant expression. "Didn't Skeledirge disapprove of you leaving?"
A flicker of sadness crossed Lilligant's face, but it quickly vanished as it stated angrily,
"Lidi~ lidi~" My business is none of its concern.
Thinking about it, Ange realized that was true. Unlike Floette and the Flabébé, who required protection, Lilligant was a powerful Pokémon with its own code of conduct. Naturally, it did not need anyone else's permission to do as it pleased.
Still, was it really okay for it to part ways with Skeledirge on such bad terms?
Seeing Ange in a daze, Lilligant assumed he was unwilling to take it along, prompting it to quickly add:
"Lidi~ lidi~" You won't regret bringing me along. I am proficient in medicinal herbs and can definitely help you!
"Hula~ hula~" That's right, that's right! Our teacher is amazing!
"Labei~ labei~" And we can help you too! We are very skilled at cultivating flowers and plants!
Floette and the Flabébé chimed in eagerly to speak on Lilligant's behalf.
"Lidi~ lidi~" Take me with you, I won't cause you any trouble!
Lilligant stared unblinkingly at Ange as it spoke. Those big, watery eyes made it impossible for Ange to utter a refusal.
"But what about you and Skeledirge..." Ange remained hesitant.
"Lidi~ lidi~" That is our affair, leave it be.
"Alright... fine then." Ange ultimately failed to resist Lilligant's charm. "Then you guys can ride on Latias's back."
His relationship with Lilligant certainly wasn't close enough for him to meddle in its personal matters.
"Lidi~"
"Hula~"
"Labei~"
Upon hearing this, Lilligant, Floette, and the Flabébé cheered, then hopped together onto Latias's back.
"Let's go!"
With Ange's command, Latias and Latios accelerated and flew right out of the boundaries of the Allearth Forest.
As their figures vanished into the horizon, Skeledirge quietly emerged from behind a large tree deeper in the forest below.
It raised its head to gaze in the direction where Lilligant had departed, its expression filled with profound loneliness.
If only... if only I hadn't said those angry words!
While Ange was on his way back to Anistar City, a major incident unfolded at the Anistar City Pokémon Center.
During the afternoon rush at the Pokémon Center, Nurse Joy and Wigglytuff were busily and anxiously tending to patients.
Suddenly, a group of individuals clad in red uniforms rushed inside all at once, startling the patrons of the Pokémon Center.
"Who are you people, and what do you want?" Nurse Joy demanded sternly upon noticing their hostile demeanor.
The leader sneered upon seeing Nurse Joy. "Nurse Joy? Perfect!"
With that, he commanded the Spiritomb beside him, "Capture her for me!"
Spiritomb immediately moved to execute the order.
"If you want to lay a hand on Nurse Joy, you'll have to get through us first!"
"What kind of people are you? To dare lay a hand on Nurse Joy, you've completely lost your minds!"
...
Seeing someone attempt to harm Nurse Joy, the trainers resting in the Pokémon Center stepped forward one after another, commanding their Pokémon to form a protective barrier in front of her.
The leader snorted dismissively. "How foolish. Spiritomb, take care of all of them!"
"Kaka~ kaka~"
Spiritomb let out a malicious grin as a wave of Dark Pulse swept outward. In an instant, rows of Pokémon collapsed to the ground.
The trainers were dumbfounded, not expecting the intruder before them to be so formidable.
Seeing that the trainers hesitated out of fear, the leader instructed his subordinates, "Tie them all up."
Thus, a fierce battle broke out within the Pokémon Center, and within moments, all the trainers were subdued by the uninvited guests.
Meanwhile, a large contingent of police officers appeared outside the Pokémon Center, surrounding the building completely. Leading the forces were Officer Jenny and Diantha.
As it turned out, the intruders who forced their way into the Pokémon Center were members of Team Flare, who maintained a secret base within Anistar City.
After tracking down the location of the secret base, Diantha had immediately launched a raid.
To her surprise, the base featured a secret escape tunnel, allowing a faction of Team Flare members to escape through it.
Diantha and Officer Jenny had pursued them relentlessly, and realizing they had no hope of escaping, the Team Flare members had barged directly into the Pokémon Center.
Using a megaphone, Officer Jenny shouted toward the Pokémon Center, "Listen up, Team Flare members inside! You are surrounded and have nowhere to run. I advise you to surrender immediately. Continuing to resist will do you no good!"
Hearing this, a Team Flare executive inside the Pokémon Center wore a cruel smile. He glanced around before fixing his gaze on a little girl.
The little girl trembled under his stare, clutching her Fennekin as she stepped backward.
Noticing her trainer in distress, Fennekin leaped from her arms and barked furiously at the Team Flare executive.
"Fenneko~ fenneko~"
With a swift kick, however, the Team Flare executive sent Fennekin flying. The Pokémon whimpered as it collided with a table and collapsed unconscious.
Witnessing this scene, Nurse Joy could no longer hold back her anger.
"Wigglytuff, Dazzling Gleam!"
"Pudding~~" Wigglytuff let out a cry, its body erupting in colorful radiance as it charged straight at the Team Flare executive.
Suddenly, a Psychic attack struck Wigglytuff squarely, hurling it hard against the wall in the next instant.
Spiritomb had made its move.
Wigglytuff was merely a medical assistant and unaccustomed to combat, making it no match for Spiritomb.
"Wigglytuff!" Nurse Joy gasped in shock, moving instantly to run toward her partner.
At that moment, the Team Flare executive commanded, "Spiritomb, capture them both!"
"Kaka~~" Spiritomb acknowledged the order as its eyes flashed with a bizarre glow. Releasing Psychic power, it seized both Nurse Joy and the young girl.
The Team Flare executive walked straight toward the exit, with Spiritomb following closely while holding Nurse Joy and the child.
Reaching the doors, the Team Flare executive grinned at Diantha and Officer Jenny.
"Officer Jenny, and our esteemed Champion, I advise you not to make any rash moves. Otherwise, I cannot guarantee what might happen to Nurse Joy and this adorable little girl."
"You..." Officer Jenny raged, "Despicable!"
"Despicable?" The Team Flare executive sneered. "I'm a villain, remember? What's wrong with a little trickery?"
Despite his words, the Team Flare executive didn't truly view himself as a villain; in his mind, they were striving to create a brand-new world, making necessary sacrifices entirely understandable.
"If you surrender now, I can intercede for a more lenient sentence! Otherwise..." Diantha stated coldly.
"Lenient sentence?" The Team Flare executive scoffed. "Do you think I care?" He was fully prepared to sacrifice himself for Team Flare's grand cause; did they really think they could intimidate him?
With that, the Team Flare executive turned back into the Pokémon Center, tossing out a final warning: "Don't try any tricks, or you won't like seeing the consequences!"
Inside the Pokémon Center, the recuperating Glaceon twitched its ears lightly before turning to Double-Edged Sword—err, Doublade and asking,
"Did you hear something?"
Resting after its training, Doublade listened carefully for a moment.
"Something seems to be happening out front. You stay here, I'll go check it out!"