Should she start screening her routes to avoid fire-breathing lizards? She was certainly feeling that way as she watched the Flygon descend into the oasis, flanked by multiple Vibrava.

Wait. She was overreacting. This was a no-fighting zone; there was no reason to worry.

As if to mock her, the Flygons' maw opened wide.

"GON!!!!!!!"

Its roar was accompanied by a gust of sand entering the refuge. Through her peripherals, she could see one of the other groups react promptly.

Talonflame batted its wings, leaping into the sky and releasing a cry before leaving with its Fletchinders and Fletchlings.

She supposed expecting her hide to be saved twice by birds was a bit too much to ask.

Leaving sounded like a good option, one she would have jumped on herself if not for the Flygon already heading right toward them.

She was still close to the shore, so she pushed off the oasis floor and, with a single leap, brought herself and Ralts onto the bank. The latter having been scooped up under her arm.

'Eliminate.'

A sense of loathing came with it, but Tanya had little time for Ralts' antics and prepared for the upcoming conflict.

Mawile was still paddling back, having been caught in the deep end. While Carbink had, thankfully, rushed back after seeing the new arrivals.

"Bin?"

No, they did not look to be interested in making friends. Though she was tempted to order him to try in order to buy time.

The saving grace was Mimikyu's form lying prone on the floor; she'd not taken him out of the bag, which meant he'd deliberately displayed himself like that.

Oh, and she supposed she could count Ralts, who upon closer inspection was trying to kill the newcomers with her eyes.

Was the color too similar? She couldn't tell what had caused such a visceral reaction in the Pokemon.

"Fly, gon, gon!" The Pokemon barked, keeping its position in the air. "On, gon."

Tanya's heart might have skipped a beat after hearing those words, and she looked towards Gabite, who had squared her feet and was snarling at the Flygon.

This…wasn't for her?

Was her luck beginning to turn? Well, losing the guide would be a loss, but she could make do if it meant not being involved in what appeared to be some personal squabble between the dragons.

She was betting it was for some inane reason, like both of them being dual Ground and Dragon types.

Gabite held her ground, and seeing her thigh flex, Tanya expected her to pounce. She didn't, despite her claws digging into the dirt.

For her part, Tanya had made no more movements, wary of attracting any attention.

Which was why she felt aggrieved when Gabite gave her a side glance. It did not go unnoticed, and Flygon craned its head, regarding her for a moment before its wings quivered. Tanya had been prepared for an attack, but all she heard was a strange sound being emitted. It took her a moment to realize what it sounded like—a laugh.

"Gon? Flygon? On!"

The exclamation caused the Vibrava to join in, flapping their wings and sending mocking quips towards Gabite and Tanya.

"Gab, ite!" Gabite corrected the misunderstanding for both of them. Tanya was not this creature's trainer and thus had nothing to do with this interpersonal disagreement. "Ite, Gabite!"

That last part was uncalled for. She'd just rinsed off; there was no chance she still smelled.

"Gon, fly!" The Pokemon provoked, its tail swishing back and forth. "Gon?"

Perfectly fine with her. They could fight all they wanted—just not while she was around.

Fortunately, Mawile finally made it to the shore, wagging a leg to get some of the clay off her. She paced over while regarding the pack of troublemakers.

'Kill. Skin. Profit.'

Tanya considered it for a moment and then rejected the proposal.

From the context, these two Pokemon were rivals of a sort. Which meant Flygon would not be near as old or powerful enough to be able to produce a Dragon Scale.

And that wasn't mentioning her complete ignorance when it came to how to skin the creature. She was liable to make a complete mess of it.

"Maw," Mawile commented and shook her head. Knowing better than to chalk it up to the Pokemon being reasonable, she waited for the continuation. "Wile, ile?"

There it was.

"No, we're not injuring one and then following them to their nest."

Mawile rubbed her chin in thought before turning to Mimikyu.

"Wile, ma, maw."

Tanya took a breath, holding it for several seconds. Releasing it, she continued.

"We do not balance teams." Not only was she dangerously close to revealing Tanya's trump card, but she suggested said card fight on the side of the Flygon. "One of these days you won't be able to back up that mouth of yours."

The Pokemon snapped the set of black jaws in her direction, and Tanya swatted it away.

Mawile did have an issue with overconfidence, but in a pinch, Tanya believed this fight was winnable. The Vibrava came off to her as hangers-on and the Flygon a bully. All she had to do was punch, or stab, the bully in the face, and the rest would lose their courage.

But why take the risk?

As long as she used the sun to dictate her path, she would be more than capable of reaching her destination.

"Maro." A voice came across the oasis. It was soft yet perfectly audible for all those present. "Wak."

It looked expectantly at the other side, and a reluctant Golem nodded.

"Go, lem."

So the peace would be enforced by these two? That would be preferable. Tanya was cognizant that her team did not present the most threatening of appearances. That Marowak, on the other hand, looked both willing and capable of adding a new bone to its collection.

"Gon," Flygon reared its head, the wings vibrating in place. After inspecting the two potential adversaries, it turned back to Gabite. "Fly?"

It asked again, suggesting they change venues.

"Bite," she said, gesturing to Tanya's group. "Gab, ite."

Tanya chewed on the inside of her cheek. Was it using her as an excuse, or did it really consider it her duty to see Tanya's group safely through the badlands?

Did it make a difference?

Flygon snorted, clearly thinking it was the former reason.

"Wak," the Pokemon intoned again, smacking its bone weapon against its palm. "Mar."

Curiously, the Cubone's around her shifted to the side awkwardly.

Tanya wasn't certain what was taking so long; the tide had clearly turned. If it wanted trouble, it would receive that in spades.

It seemed to finally realize this, and after spitting on the ground, it ascended back through the opening, quickly followed by the Vibrava.

There was a moment of silence before a crash was heard and a section of earth was dug up. Gabite's retracted her forelimbs after unleashing whatever attack that was.

Juvenile, but it had waited for the situation to deescalate.

Tanya set Ralts down, having kept her in case she needed to dodge any attacks, and went over to pick up Mimikyu.

She'd only just done so when Gabite padded over. Tanya noticed how she kept an eye on the roof opening.

"Gabit, ite," she dictated.

Staying the whole night? Provided Flygon does not return with reinforcements, this would be a decent camp location. The problem is they'd virtually made no progress.

While staying out of civilization wasn't a bad idea for now, they had limited food stores.

"Maw," Mawile stated dismissively, rolling her eyes. "Ile, ile."

Gabite blinked before disregarding the statement as nonsense. She must not have overheard their previous discussion.

"I appreciate your commitment but do not hold yourself back for us. If you wish to confront the Flygon, I recommend you do so."

Away from them.

"Ite, gab." She denied, citing her duty again. "Gabite, gab."

So it thought the Flygon was waiting outside for it? Likely, and another reason to part ways.

"Bink?"

Carbink, who'd been mercifully silent this whole time, chimed in.

It wasn't a valid question.

Now whole again, Garchomp was in the process of moving to their new nest. Not only would reaching them involve back tracking, but then they'd be stuck waiting until the relocation was complete.

Still, it did remind her that leaving this Pokemon for dead was not the best of solutions. The benefits of having a connection to a pack of dragons were dubious, but it certainly had to hold some value. If only to be able to trade for more scales in the future.

She could see a wonderful future where she peddled them useless crap and, in return, received priceless materials.

Abrtitrage, the practice of purchasing undervalued goods and reselling them at their true value, was a staple of the modern economy. It helped remove inefficiencies in the market.

'Steal march,' Ralts supplied, though the undercurrents of dissatisfaction still wafted off of her.

That idea had merit. Sleep now, and then travel under darkness. Night actions were inherently risky, but they did have a guide.

"Thoughts?" She asked the group.

After turning a blind eye to the thumbs down from Mawile, there were none.

—

It may not have been a desert, but she found the nighttime air of the badlands to be as cold as one.

Tanya breathed into her hands, rubbing them together for a moment and then placing them under her armpits for warmth.

With Gabite at their front and Mawile taking up the rear, they were making good time. She glanced up at the sky, the countless stars staring back at her.

Her knowledge of constellations was not as comprehensive as she'd prefer, but she had picked up the basics enough to know they were roughly going the right way. It hadn't been as direct as she'd liked, but she presumed the detours they were making were to avoid obstacles. Pokemon or otherwise.

"Thank you again for volunteering to lead us," Tanya said in a friendly tone. If anyone had told her a couple of months ago she'd been attempting to network with a land shark... well, she would have thought it a creative way to avoid the front. Not that the insanity plea would have worked on her. "I'm sure Garchomp is proud of you."

With humans, facial expressions could tell you a lot about what they were thinking. Pokemon were far more difficult to read that way; thankfully, most were fairly expressive.

Case in point, she was now shaking off the dirt that Gabite had 'accidentally' sent her direction. The Pokemon hadn't stopped walking; she had simply dug her foot in a tad too deep and then flung it back.

Tanya could have dodged it, but provoking the beast wasn't in her best interest.

"Bite, ga."

Oh? She'd not expected a response.

"I'm sure she is." If there was one thing she was good at, it was lying through her teeth. "She probably has difficulty expressing how she truly feels. That's a very common issue."

People did not know how to communicate properly. It was a constant in all the worlds she'd been in and had caused her more than a little frustration at times.

Fortunately, she counted it among one of the few skills she truly excelled at.

A rock impacted the back of her head, and she whirled around, knife drawn.

All she found was a Mawile attempting to whistle. Very poorly, she might add, as the Pokemon was just blowing air.

Brat.

Tanya turned back, not rewarding Mawile with any further reaction. Little did the Pokemon know that stunt had just delayed her gift. Though the eventual timing would depend on when or if they got into the city. She was the least deserving of a reward, so it was wrong to give her one before the others.

"Ite, bite, gab?"

The dragon ground out, clearly reluctant. Tanya got the sense the question was a long time coming, and she was only just now working up the nerve to ask.

"Dedication, training, and natural talent. Not necessarily in that order."

Summing up the origin of her strength wasn't easy, but she felt that covered most of the pertinent parts.

"Gabit."

Arrogant, but she probably wasn't too far off the mark. If the Pokemon was as dutiful in guiding as she was in everyday life, then the first two were covered. As for the last, she was a dragon.

That was an easy checkbox to mark.

"Experience then; I've been exposed to many different situations. Most of them were hazardous to my health in some way. To have any hope for survival, I had to continuously develop myself." A thought occurred to her, and she added on. "Along with the others around me."

The 203rd were a mighty force multiplier.

"Ite, gabite, gabite," the Pokemon gave a rebuttal.

Tanya shook her head before responding.

"How many of those were out of Route 13? How far was Garchomp during them?" Gabite bristled at the remark, but Tanya continued. "Did you ever fear for your life? Or were you confident that your pack would make up for any shortcomings?"

The Pokemon jerked her head around, peeling the back of her lips back to display the rows of sharp teeth.

"Am I wrong?"

Perhaps she should have backed off, but she'd dealt with nepotism before, and this was eerily similar.

The Pokemon stopped her march, resting a limb on the ground. Tanya paused as well, meeting the challenging stare.

Hadn't they been through this before?

Mawile, in complete disregard for the tension, passed by Tanya without a care. Gabite released a growl as the Pokemon neared.

"Don't," she warned. The last thing she wanted to do was nurse a dragon back to health. "We're allies."

The Fairy type turned, blinking innocently and pointing at herself in questioning.

Yes, you.

Is what Tanya wanted to say.

This novel's true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.

She withheld her comment as Gabite had shaken her snout and resumed her pace, evidently thinking the words were directed at her.

Tanya was in no rush to correct the assumption. Neither was Mawile if the grin was any indication.

That was more of Mimikyu's thing. Were the two close? Although she had displayed similar behavior against the Slowbro. Was this a Fairy thing?

Her thought was broken off when she witnessed both of Mawile's jaws open, the Pokemon releasing a long yawn.

It was a genuine one, and Tanya felt some vindication. She had told the Pokemon to stop playing in the water and get some sleep, but Mawile thought she knew better.

Some lessons were better learned the hard way.

The hike continued for another half hour before something changed. It started with Gabite's neck arching, straining to see something in the distance.

Tanya's eyes glowed, and on the horizon, she saw a cloud rapidly approaching. She bit back a curse.

While it could have been a natural occurrence, she was betting the culprit was that Flygon.

"Gab, bit, bit." The Pokemon spoke resolutely, a hardened gaze pointed at the upcoming storm. "Gabite."

Was it stupid?

Turning and running would see them swallowed up in the sandstorm. If they didn't take a stand now, they were liable to be picked off.

Tanya went for her belt.

"Bink?"

Carbink rotated around, adjusting to the change of scenery.

"Battle prep, both of you."

Both started using their respective buffing moves without complaint.

"Bite!" Gabite urged again with a solemn tone. "Ite."

The Pokemon really wanted them to leave. Did it truly want to cover their escape? It did seem the dragon thing to do, but the Pokemon could just as easily tunnel away and use them as a distraction.

Regardless, Gabite's thoughts did not factor into the equation.

"We're taking them head-on."

It had the largest chance of success.

The dragon's head snapped in her direction, tilting to the side before snarling.

"Gabite!!!"

She stomped, trying to get their attention.

Tanya ignored it, settling her bags down and rifling through her pack. She pulled Mimikyu free with a sense of satisfaction.

"Bite???"

She really didn't have time for it.

"Reflect now, wide as you can go. I want to force them to approach." That line favored physical attacks, so she hoped the move would prove annoying enough to force their advance. "Mawile, the second you have eyes on that Flygon, I want it down."

A lazy salute was sent her way, indicating the level of seriousness the Pokemon was taking this with.

Buzzing was soon heard, becoming louder and louder until it was near deafening. That was going to make it hard to give orders.

She didn't let that halt her preparations, and she released Ralts. Pink eyes locked onto the cloud. The sheer anticipation rolling off of the diminutive Pokemon was so great that for a moment Tanya confused it for her own.

Shaking off the feeling, she opened her jacket and had Ralts hop inside. Taking a belt, she secured the Pokemon against her chest. The position of her head directly under Tanya's meant her field of vision would be slightly obscured, but that was an acceptable trade-off.

Ralts was their most vulnerable member, so keeping her close was best practice.

Carbink's Reflect popped up, being erected in a semi-circle ahead of them.

Gabite seemed to abandon trying to convince them, and there was a moment of stillness before the blanket of sand impacted them.

It crashed against the rainbow barrier; grains of sand passed through only to lose most of their momentum and fall to the ground harmlessly.

Knife in her right hand and Mimikyu in her left; her head swiveled as she tried to pick out shapes through the cloud. From her side, a blue beam was launched, disappearing into the storm.

It was a waste of a Dragon Breath.

Her nose crinkled at the sickening, sweet smell that wafted over. Mawile was bouncing from one leg to another. She mimed a few punches before raising her arms in victory, slowly rotating as to address all of the surroundings. Her flashy coat flapped in the wind.

Even knowing the Taunt was being used, Tanya could not help but want to hit the Pokemon.

She was not the only one, and several figures burst onto the scene.

'Five.'

Mawile needed to save herself for Flygon, which meant these extras were for the rest of them to deal with.

Coming over the shield, a Virbava swooped down. Gabite lurched forward, leaping into the air and coming down with a Vibrava in her jaws. She swung it back and forth like an abused dog toy.

That one in hand, Tanya sprung towards one approaching from their flank. Her right shoulder rammed into the Pokemon. Blade glowing, she swung her knife out. The Cut clipped the Vibrava's wing as it was knocked back.

A boulder soared through the air, heading for Mawile. One of them must have gone around them.

It broke against a newly formed hexagonal shield, Carbink's Protect taking the hit with ease.

The one she'd first attacked rose back into the air, its tail radiating a light blue.

Dragon Tail?

Tanya stepped forward, sending a Double Team to meet the Pokemon head-on while her actual body ducked to the side. Her illusion faded as the tail impacted, and she didn't give it a chance to recover, slamming her knife down on the small of its back where the wings met.

She didn't pierce skin, but she did hold it down long enough for pink hearts to come from beneath her head and push the Pokemon further into the dirt.

As loathe as she was to be associated with it, Fairy moves were their best bet against these things.

Its struggles increased, and she was straining to keep it down when something impacted her side, knocking her off her feet.

She rolled, stopping at a crouch and seeing another Vibrava twitch its wings before a red beam was sent her way. The dirt in its path was parted as it neared her. She watched it with contempt as she sidestepped the blast.

'Below!'

Despite it being conveyed, Tanya was unable to escape the jaw clamping around her foot. It dug into her leg, and she withheld a wince as she was pulled into the earth.

Another red beam raced toward her and she held a hand up. The Protect broke under the attack but seemed to blunt it enough so that her extended arm was able to take it without complaint.

The original Vibrava's tail glowed again, and it flew toward her for a second chance. A glance to the side showed Mawile beginning to turn in her direction when a green mass dropped from the sky, slamming into the Pokemon and sending them both into the storm.

Finally.

Now it was only a matter of time before they broke. Carbink looked to be engaged with a single Vibrava. Or it looked to be trying its best to minimal effect.

The other two were on Gabite, boulders and dirt being exchanged liberally as the Pokemon made their Ground typings known. She noticed orange shackles on Gabite's legs.

Trapinch, which was probably what was pulling her further down.

She supposed that should be rectified. But first, she had to deal with the charging Dragon Tail.

Tanya chucked the doll toward the Pokemon, who dipped lower to avoid the projectile. In spite of the pain, a grin split her face as shadowy tendrils wrapped around the Pokemon, causing it to veer off course into the storm.

She did not anticipate that to take long.

With the various Vibrava now engaged, the sound approached a level where she could once again hear herself think.

"Disable on the bastard chewing on my leg."

She stated simply and felt Ralts pulse against her chest. Her downward momentum was halted.

Buried close to her midriff, she braced her arms against the earth and pushed herself up, slowly extracting herself.

Far too slow for her liking, and the Vibrava that was left with sought to use her as target practice. Its legs hit the ground, causing the dirt to split in her direction.

Upturned earth burrowed toward her, and her mind raced with solutions.

Why was the best one it could come up with to grit her teeth and take it?

The hold on her leg tightened, indicating the Disable had run its course. She was about to order Ralts to Teleport away when something brushed against her mind.

The presence was clearly Ralts, but it wasn't a message or feeling like usual. It felt like her metaphorical hand was grabbed and then led to another.

For an instant, she felt what could only be described as pure optimism. That no matter what occurred, everything would work out.

It passed, and in its place, power flooded her. She twisted her body, sheltering Ralts. The earth met her skin and was found wanting.

The jaw around her leg a mere irritant now; she hauled herself out. The Trapinch came with her, and her knife slammed into its eye, earning a shriek and causing it to finally release her.

Something hit her back, and shattered bits of rock rained down around her.

She'd barely felt that.

What the hell was happening?

Not being the only one confused, the Vibrava blinked at her. Tanya broke out into a sprint, sending Double Teams to further confound the Pokemon.

She jumped, gaining some air, and at the apex of her jump, she formed a Protect.

Her legs pushed off it, one of them screaming in protest.

The Vibrava was a tad slow, only being able to widen her eyes when Tanya landed on it knife first.

Her lips twitched. The blow was still shallow, looking far worse than it was.

She felt invincible, so why were her attacks still lacking? It was almost as if her defense…

Tanya's head whipped to the side. Her eyes passed over Gabite, who was being dogpiled, and zoned in on Carbink.

One of the gems on his body had been cracked.

Guard Split.

That idiot!

Tanya abandoned her current quarry, rushing to Carbink. Leaping over sections of upturned earth, she made her way to him as fast as possible.

Her frustration grew as she saw him fall for repeated Feint Attacks. Each one left him more battered. They weren't even well executed!

The only silver lining was that the Vibrava was having such a good time using her subordinate as a punching bag that it failed to notice her approach.

Her fingers curled around a wing, yanking it back. Her knife, glowing purple, plunged into the membrane, and she Cut across its length.

It parted like butter, leaving her wondering if this one was that much weaker than the others. A grating screech came from it, loosening her hold enough for it to wiggle away.

The Pokemon was not her current concern, and rather than chase, she inspected Carbink. It was more than a single jewel. Several chunks had broken off, and his fluffy scarf was torn in places. Coated in clay, he must have suffered more than those Feint attacks.

"Bin?"

His cheery voice sounded.

"Yes, you were a lot of help."

In giving her a headache. She could have handled the situation herself. Now she had to deal with his injuries.

His eyelids sagged downward, along with his ears. Tanya returned him promptly.

The effects of the Guard Split left with him, proving the hasty assumptions she'd drawn on its mechanics. It was a shame, she had been hoping to keep it in play, but she'd be a poor manager if she pushed him any further.

She'd see to his care after.

"GABITE!"

A roar sounded, bringing her back to the present. The dragon had seen better days; lacerations coated her body. Trapinchs still gnawed at her feet while she dealt with repeated blows from a pair of dive-bombing Vibrava.

Just when she was about to go assist her nominal ally, a thump sounded in front of her.

Flygon landed, its six-foot stature causing her to be the tallest among all of them.

The battlefield froze; all eyes were on the dragon.

Had…had Mawile lost?!?

Sure, she wanted the Pokemon humbled somewhat, but not right now!

This was horrible. How was she expected to fight a dragon on her lonesome?

'Mama.'

Okay, how was she supposed to fight a dragon with herself and an adolescent Pokemon?

Why did she throw away Mimikyu?

No, this was still fine. She refused to believe the tricky Ghost type to fall to a Vibrava. She just needed to stall until he could rejoin her.

With grim determination, she met the dragon's eyes. They seemed to tremble behind the red lenses.

Rage over its gang's casualties? This could have been avoided had it not been so stupidly aggressive.

It moved suddenly, and she barely managed to step back when its head hit the ground.

Headbutt? But it hadn't even been close to hitting her.

"Gon, Gon, Gon!"

What?

Where those tears? What happened to the proud dragon?

It refused to look up, begging for forgiveness.

From the dying sandstorm, a figure emerged. Mawile walked forward with a steady stride, one of the sleeves of her coat hanging loose. Tanya thought her eyes looked strained, as if she was forcing herself.

She spat sand out of her mouth, and Tanya could tell her breathing was more ragged than usual.

Gripped under her arms was a slightly refurbished Pikachu doll.

Mimikyu?

He was supposed to guard her. Did he decide to help Mawile after taking out Vibrava?

Under the eyes of everyone present, she walked up to Tanya. Stopping right in front of the young girl, the Pokemon balled her fist and held it in front of her mouth, stifling a yawn.

After that was done her hand grabbed Tanya's.

She was yanked slightly forward as her palm was placed on Mawile's forehead, being moved up and down methodolically.

Were headpats non-negotiable now?