Bonnie's Odyssey: Kanto

by Darren1138

As a little girl on an adventure, Bonnie always dreamed of having her own adventure through the Pokemon world. Now, at the age of ten, she can finally fulfil that dream. As she and Dedenne learn to become a fighting pair, they must now face the trials of Pokemon training, following the path of her friends in her own way.

3. Preparation for the Road Ahead

Chapter 3: Preparations for the Road Ahead

Afternoon brought with it a glowing ray of sunshine that beamed through the porthole in a glorious blast of light. The sunny glow made the oceans below all the more beautiful as the glimmering light swam through the waves, blending reflections of white light into the mixture of blue to create a sparkly blanket of water.

Bonnie could stare at the vast world of nothingness at the surface all day. She rested her head on her fist with her elbow against the porthole, letting the sunlight warm her freezing body. Had she been more prepared, she could have taken out a blanket or worn a jacket to shield her from the constant, chilling air blasted from the air-conditioners.

Thankfully, she had one little fuzzy companion to keep her occupied. Cuddled in her arms, Dedenne was fast asleep, snoring quietly as it spent the entirety of the flight snoozing. The cold had plunged its body into a slow, sleepy state right from the start, forcing it to

"Take a look at all that ocean." Bonnie thought to herself as she continued to stare at the ocean. Then, she laid her eyes at the sky, watching a flock of Wingull being overtaken by the plane; another bunch of Pokemon she spotted amidst her watch of the ocean.

Seeing the birds flying in the sky made Bonnie a little bit impatient. She could already feel the excitement of finding some Pokemon of her own. A flyer would make a great battler for her team. Though, she had to pick something more impressive than a mere Wingull; there were bigger, better birds to catch.

"If we travelled by boat, I could have snatched myself a few Water Pokemon along the way." Looking back at the ocean, she expanded her thoughts onto a possible Water-type Pokemon in her inventory. But a cruise through the ocean was too slow for her liking. She was so excited to get to Kanto that a trip by ship would take too long for her, no matter how prestigious the vessel could be. Besides, a jet was nothing short of bodacious.

Very few times had she been in a plane before this one. The white metal walls curved upwards like a tunnel, lined up with several other passengers on board for the trip to Kanto. Her flight may had been quiet and peaceful, but there was the unsettling sound of the jet's engines going through the interior.

Bonnie swore she heard a baby cry at the back, causing her to think back at the time she had her first ever flight with her family. How she cried relentlessly at the fear

Back then, she was only two, barely able to walk on her own without letting go of her father and brother's hands, how she ended up giving them all sorts of trouble when their hold on her had been lost, leaving her to touch and break things out of curiosity. The memories swirled through her mind like a TV show, making her laugh inside at the misery she caused for Clemont and their father.

However, thinking about them made her miss them even more. It was only two hours since her flight had taken off, but Bonnie was already starting to feel lonely again. The unpreparedness for the journey in Kanto settled in occasionally, leaving her anxious and uncertain that she could make it through the region on her own.

Gently cuddling Dedenne, she thought to herself to calm down, assuring herself that she had the little mouse with her for the ride. She may have felt alone without her brother, but with her starter by her side, there was no way she could possibly be alone.

Peering out at the ocean again, Bonnie tried to replace the worries with the goals she was willing to achieve through this journey in an attempt to distract her from feeling down.

From what she read from the Kanto League, or the Indigo League as they tended to call it more, there were the usual rules; almost the same ones used in the Kalos League. Eight Gym Leaders would stand between her and the League matches, each being a specialist of a certain Pokemon type. Get through them, acquire their badges, and she would be a step closer to becoming a Champion.

Ash used to tell her and the others about how much he had to go through to challenge his very first League Challenge. As a novice barely starting out his journey with only Pikachu and a few other starters, he was put at his greatest stresses yet, constantly beaten and challenged to rethink about how he chose to battle. Surprisingly, there were times when he did earn those badges only after helping some of the Leaders with other issues, like burning fires, Pokemon thefts and, stranger still, getting a Gym Leader out of a scary past by, get this, blowing her up with a Haunter.

It probably would have surprised many of his friends that he had earned badges through rather unorthodox means. Bonnie could hardly imagine an Ash Ketchum being nothing more than inexperienced battle, going through so loss after loss to get him to where he ended up at when he came to Kalos.

However, all Bonnie could feel was pride. She couldn't blame Ash for being such a caring guy, always putting the needs of others and especially Pokemon ahead of his own. If anything, he should be awarded badges for being a true Pokemon Trainer; one who would do anything to ensure that everyone was safe and sound. More importantly, for him to inspire Gym Leaders to be better people

It was also funny that he had a couple of those Leaders to become his first travelling companions, too. Just how many of them did he actually know and how Ash got them to follow him on his training amused her. Clemont definitely got more than he bargained for when he offered to join him on his path.

No doubt that that was one of her big brother's best decisions yet, simply because they got her to come along for the ride. Because of Ash, she got to meet Dedenne; a fateful encounter that would leave many great promises for the new Trainer-Pokemon pair.

Ash had done so much for her and the others that he ended up being her main inspiration. At first, maybe she should try Performing and she would have Serena as her idol. In the end, after growing up learning with Dedenne, she realized that her destiny laid at a much larger place. That of the battlefield. By challenging the Pokemon League, she could get to places further than she could imagine, meet and catch Pokemon all over the world. There were so many ways she could go by being a battler.

And it was at Kanto where she would forge her beginnings.

In the meantime, Bonnie had to sit back and relax. After a while, she was tended to by one of the stewardesses, who treated her to a special serving of spicy sausage curry, crafted with the flair and elegance of Galarian culinary greatness (as it was read in the pamphlet, at least).

Bonnie took a bite out of the meat, savouring the unique pepperiness of the spices used and letting the power of the spicy red Tamato curry singe in her mouth. Having spicy food was something her younger self would never try. She managed to give it a go and started enjoying it after a while and the next thing she knew it; she was out ordering more every time she went out to restaurants. Galarian cuisines were certainly interesting her and it fuelled her curiosity even more of the unknown region. Tales of Pokemon growing in the middle of battle, new variants of creatures and more; the Galar region would be a nice place to explore. maybe, she could give it a try there once she was done with Kanto.

Picking up a slice of an Iapapa berry that was served along with the meal, she then gave it to Dedenne, who was already awoken by the scrumptious smell of Bonnie's food.

"Here, Dedenne." She gently lent the slice of fruit to the small mouse, who happily grabbed onto it. It was ready to have its share of a good lunch when something else caught its nose. Sniffing out, Dedenne moved its head, following the smell of a more aromatic meal being served to the man next to Bonnie. It peeked over, catching the sight of a more tempting offer, recognizing the sweet scent of its favourite berry.

"Here you go, sir." the stewardess gave "Your Pecha-flavoured mashed potatoes. Enjoy!"

"Dene!" Its ears perked up, Dedenne's mouth began to salivate. Not because of the Iapapa berry in its hands, but the sweeter, juicier delight of Pecha berries being given to the man. The middle-aged gentleman, dressed in its suit, tended to his meal neutrally. A small smile was there on his face, suggesting that he was content with his food.

Unfortunately, someone else was being a lot happier with what it saw.

From out of nowhere, just before Bonnie continued to munch on another sausage, Dedenne slipped right past her embrace and jumped onto the seat next to them. The mouse pounced onto the man's lap, snatching the tray right of his table.

"Dedenne!" shouted Bonnie.

"Oh, my!" the man exclaimed, jumping slightly.

"Hey, Dedenne! That's not yours!" Bonnie then unbuckled her seat belt before chasing after Dedenne, with the Pokemon now running across the lane between the rows of seats. The passengers were suddenly treated to a chase as Dedenne ran from its Trainer to the front.

When it saw Bonnie getting closer to it, Dedenne then jumped to the side, suddenly shifting to the right and leaping onto that row of seats. Stopping just there, the girl turned to where the rascal went. To her dismay, Dedenne had jumped right on the lap of a sleeping man, with his eyes covered in a blindfold. The force of the Pokemon's jump startled him, causing him to shout out in utter surprise. The tray of mashed potatoes fell onto the man as Dedenne quickly hopped into a shocked Bonnie's arms.

Flushing red with embarrassment, Bonnie was about to scurry back to her seat when the man lifted his blindfold up and glared angrily at her. His white shirt stained with brown stains of gravy, with blobs of potato on his face and clothes.

"Hey! Keep that little rat under control, will you?!" yelled the man. Having his nap interrupted was clearly a terrible move.

"I'm so sorry, sir!" Bonnie exclaimed, bowing apologetically at the man. The grumpy man then rose up from his seat and stomped to the restroom, leaving her to stare at her Pokemon disapprovingly. Dedenne curled its body, shivering in fear over what Bonnie might do for its antics.

"Ahem!" Suddenly, Bonnie jumped when a strict voice came from behind her. The stewardess looked down at them, hands to her hips as she told them to behave themselves.

"Excuse me, young lady. I would like to advise you to remain seated and keep your Pokemon under control." she told Bonnie, straight to the point.

"Yes, ma'am." Bonnie gulped. The girl then turned around and hurriedly walked back to her seat. The commotion had attracted everyone onboard, staring at her with mix emotions. Annoyance, curiosity and laughter filled the space within. The sudden attention caused Bonnie to pull her hat down in shame as she made her way back to her seat. When they came over to their seats, she laid her eyes on the man, expecting him to be livid that Dedenne had stolen his meal.

"Oh, dear." But to her surprise, the gentleman didn't seem the slightest bit angry. Only a face of curiosity was seen, as if he was more amused than mad at her. Regardless, Bonnie and Dedenne bowed their heads down shamefully.

"We're so sorry, Mister." apologized Bonnie. "My Dedenne just couldn't resist Pecha berries."

"Nene…" Dedenne squeaked sadly.

Bonnie prepared to be rebuked for the mishandling of Dedenne's hunger, when she heard something else entirely. The man chuckled, as if he was enjoying a show. Wiping off the bits of potato of his suit, he looked at the two and gave them a reassuring smile.

"It's quite alright, young one." said the man, calmly and gently as could be. "That meal wasn't really what my cup of tea, anyway."

Confused and amazed that someone of his calibre could muster such patience for the mess, Bonnie just nodded and shifted her way back to her seat, unable to look at the man. Her focus was on Dedenne, who was still ready for whatever Bonnie was going to do.

"Why can't you behave yourself?" she said, crossly. "It's our first day as a team and you're already disobeying me?"

"Dene dene." apologized Dedenne. Its obsessive appetite for Pecha berries had pushed it over the limits. All its life in the wild, it was plucking those sweet purple berries to its heart's content. Other than the competition or the predators, Dedenne had no one to stop it from gorging on whatever Pecha berry it could find. After being captured, however, things began to change. Travelling with its human friends had left it deprived of any chance to gather the fruits from its usual places. Wandering off to different areas where the odds of finding a Pecha berry were increasingly low, it either didn't find any or it didn't have the time or the chance to scout them out. By the time it was ready to train, Clemont had put it on a diet, restricting it from eating Pecha berries on a regular basis.

With a defeated sigh, Bonnie could not stop Dedenne's obsession from taking control of its body. It was always such a glutton when it came to food and no matter how hard it tried to resist, it could not fall for the temptation that was the Pecha berry.

"How can you battle when you always think with your stomach?"

In the end, the pair stayed quiet for a minute, taking the time to relax. Barely a day on their journey and they were already stumbling.

"I see you're a beginning Pokemon Trainer." Suddenly, the man next to Bonnie spoke to her. With his gentle smile, he seemed to want to have a conversation with the girl and her Pokemon, so she complied with his statement.

"Y-yes, sir. That's right."

"You know; I was in the same position you're in when I began my Pokemon journey." stated the man.

"Really?"

"My first flight to another region wasn't my smoothest. My Froakie wasn't the most patient Pokemon when I first got him. He was such a rambunctious little guy; we were nearly kicked out mid-flight." The man chuckled, as if reminiscing a special memory.

Knowing she wasn't the only one with problems with her first day, Bonnie felt her heart melt a bit, thankful that the man was not angry at them for the mess.

"That must make for a good story." she told herself, remembering another certain Froakie she used to know.

"Oh, don't worry too much about that incident." assured the man. "I'm sure that man will forgive you. Give him an hour to cool off. But you might need to be more careful with your Pokemon."

"Yeah."

"Dene…" sighed Dedenne, still upset that it lost control of its hunger. It moped with its head down, feeling bad about itself. Noticing the Pokemon's sadness, the man then rached his hand out to tickle Dedenne under its chin. The Antenna Pokemon cooed with the funny sensation running across its body.

"There, there. We all get a little crazy when our stomachs call for us." said the man gently. After he stopped tickling Dedenne, Bonnie watched the giddy mouse chirp happily from the gesture. Seeing it smile and laugh like that put a soft smile on her face too, enjoying the moment. It was then that she thought to herself;

What Pokemon Trainer would she be if she stayed mad at her cute little friend for the whole flight?

"Come here, you." Regretting her outburst, she then brought Dedenne closer to her face and hugged the little guy, letting her love for the Pokemon pour out. Cooing back, Dedenne carefully nuzzled its cheeks, supressing the flow of its electricity into its antenna-shaped whiskers. "Just promise me you'll behave from now on." she said.

"Dene!" Dedenne squeaked with a nod. With the incident now water under the bridge, the two could finally be at peace again, with only the journey to put in their minds.

"So, tell me. How many Pokemon have you caught so far?" asked the man again.

"Um… actually… Dedenne's my very first Pokemon." answered Bonnie. His willingness to carry on with the conversation was a surprise to be sure, but a welcome one, regardless.

"Dene!" complied Dedenne.

"I just got registered into the Pokemon League and am heading for Kanto to begin our Pokemon journey." added Bonnie.

"Oh… The Pokemon League, I see." With his fingers around his chin, the man took in Bonnie's goals with interest. "Well, it seems you two must really get along."

"We sure do! Dedenne and I have been friends for years now, and now that I'm a Trainer, it's my automatic choice." explained Bonnie.

"Ne!" affirmed Dedenne.

"Although, it does have a terrible addiction with food." joked Bonnie, earning her a disapproving look from her partner.

"Nene." huffed the mouse Pokemon with its arms crossed.

Now, it was the man's turn to introduce himself, seeing that the interaction wasn't short enough to be between just mere strangers to forgive and forget. Sitting back to make themselves more comfortable, the two took the time to get to know their new acquaintance more.

"My name's Aldric. I was on a business trip in Kalos and am returning home to Viridian City to tend to a new job." explained the man.

"I'm Bonnie. And you already met Dedenne." introduced Bonnie. Then, she tried to move forward with the usual; ask the man what his job was. It was clear that, from the suit and the briefcase, he must had been some fancy businessman from some rich and popular company. "So, what exactly do you do, Aldric?" However, instead of a clear answer, Aldric gave her a wink and a wiggling finger, as if he was trying to hide something from her.

"It's a secret." he laughed with playful joy. Bonnie couldn't understand why he was being so playful about hiding his occupation. Yes, his field of work might have been something so important that no common folk like her could ever know. Yet, it didn't stop her curiosity from firing up inside of her.

At this point, her mind was being pounded with questions. Could it be a business secret, like a trade deal or a special product underway? Could it be something to do with Pokemon? Is there a special event waiting to happen in Kanto that she absolutely had to know about?

Maybe it was a military secret?! Like a nuclear weapon or-?!

Okay. Maybe she was thinking a little too far there. The man had given her such a vague response that she was left with nothing to work on as to what kind of work Aldric does. As far as she knew, he was just an ordinary businessman.

In the end, though, she decided not to delve too much into his work life. If he needed not to reveal anything that was out of her reach, then it was logical to keep her eyes and ears closed on it.

But the way he was being coy about it like it was a game; that was the part she did not get…

Thankfully, Bonnie didn't have to think about it as Aldric took his turn to talk, allowing her the time and space to talk with her new friend freely.

"Now, tell me more about yourself, Bonnie. I'd like to hear what made you decide to come to Kanto."

---

The conversation felt like it lasted a whole hour, with Bonnie telling Aldric of what her goals were and her dream of being a Pokemon Master like Ash Ketchum was setting out to be. The older gentleman was quite surprised that the girl knew that boy, stating that he watched some of his battles on TV during the World Coronation Series, to which Bonnie conversely found it not surprising that many people would be familiar with her friend's reputation.

She then told him about Clemont and Kalos, that she was the little sister to one of the best Gym Leaders in the world. To this, Aldric would admire just how much she cared for her bumbling big brother before going on about thinking about being in his shoes one day; another puzzling statement that Bonnie found odder still.

From there, it was casual talk about random stuff, particularly Pokemon, the world and exploring every inch of it; that sort of thing…

It then came back to Bonnie's goals to becoming a Pokemon Master, like a child glamouring for a dream that's as high as the sky itself.

"So, that's why…" Bonnie continued on cheerily, all while Dedenne was sound asleep in her arms again. "I'm going to be a Pokemon Master to challenge that world!" Surely, the desire to becoming a top Trainer would be a dime a dozen in this world of Pokemon. It's every kid's dream to reach that goal, stretching throughout the known regions. That's why the Gym Challenge is there for aspiring Trainers like Bonnie; to help them reach the stars and be the best.

"A Pokemon Master?" Yet, Aldric mused, as if her goal was lost to him.

"Y-yeah. To be among the best."

"Hmmmm." With a hand to his chin and a pondering look, Aldric seemed that his curiosity was left undone, like something was missing from Bonnie's words.

"Is there something wrong with my dream?" asked Bonnie.

"No! Of course not!" laughed Aldric. "However, it does leave me with a question. What does it mean to be a Master?" Still, Bonnie could not find the answer he was looking for. Like a CEO talking charts to a five-year-old, she was having a question that seemed too complicated to think about now.

"Um… What else is there than being a strong Trainer and meeting powerful Pokemon?" she uttered, still unsure if she had hit her mark.

"It's like going to college." explained Aldric. "You say you want to succeed in life and make a future for yourself. But to get that future, you're going to need to find something to do."

"I just told you want I wanted to do. To be one of the best Trainers in the world!" defended Boonie, frustration rising slowly in her voice. Surely, she had made her point, but Aldric continued to push her forward. What more could there possibly be than being the best Trainer in the world? It should be that simple…

Right?

"What I'm saying is; what kind of Trainer do you wish to be a master of?"

Bonnie was about to raise her voice to tell Aldric what she wanted.

"I-!"

And then, she stopped. Like a raging herd of Tauros stopping all at once, her defence was faltered in an instant. The man's words were finally able to etch into her head, forcing her to rethink about what he said. Retreating back to her seat, Bonnie stopped to think, realization hitting her suddenly.

She began to look back at what she had learned or what she hoped to achieve from her new journey. But, finally, for the first time since she began this road from home, she realized that her plans to becoming a Pokemon Master were somewhat incomplete.

Yes, she could beat them all. She could challenge the League and emerge victorious. She could stand at the peak of a mountain and shout out that she reached the top for the world to hear.

But after that, what next? She could beat the Champions of the world, but that would leave her with so many different options. Just where would she go from that point on? Was there a path for her at all?

Certainly, she wouldn't go after a Legendary Pokemon; that made the line she was not going to cross for the sake of the world. So, what would she do to feel more accomplished? What else was there to do once she becomes one of the best?

To think; one question was all it took to send Bonnie in a spiralling whirlwind of thoughts, her emotions running wild from the sudden thought of a myriad of destinies she would have to choose from. It left her with sense that she was not fully prepared for the journey ahead. She could go down the path all she wanted, but without a clearer mindset of what kind of accomplishments she could make as a Master, it seemed like that path was nothing but childish foresight.

And for that matter; what would her Pokemon gain from joining her in the void future she could face? Could Dedenne ever like having to become a Champion's Pokemon if the Champion herself wasn't sure of what to do for her future onwards?

The thoughts stabbed at her heart like Scyther blades, piercing through the courageous, yet vulnerable shell that formed her being. Eating herself up inside, Bonnie was left conflicted. She may have had an idea of how to become a Pokemon Master, but now, she had to wonder what she was going to do to as a Master. Once that dream was fulfilled, what more could there be for her to gain?

"Okay. So, you don't really have a detailed vision for your mastery." coughed Aldric, noticing the trouble she was going through in her head. "But I suppose you could tell me this."

"Why do you want to be a Master?" he asked, but the voice seemed to go through her like thin air. "If you want to be a great Trainer, then there must be a reason why you could fight on."

"Well…" Bonnie, still in shock over how blind she apparently was, lingered on in thought. Without a concrete plan on what she would do as a Master, she began to question if her goals were set properly. The path to becoming a Master seemed to be blurred by a waving fog that blinded her from her destiny, to block her from seeing said path to break apart and be split into multiple, bumpier paths. And it was going to keep cracking, even after she climbed the mountain to glory.

Desperate to give Aldric an answer, she continued to beat herself up and shout mentally to get the solid one she needed. She didn't care; she just had to say something, right?

However, then, she realized, having a fake answer was probably worse than having no answer at all.

If she was to become a Pokemon Trainer, anyway, she needed to be honest with herself. There was no point forcing herself to find an answer if she wasn't so sure yet. No one else was going to tell her about her life but her. So, even if her dreams were suddenly made complicated, she'd still have to face it, no matter how hard it'd be.

Clearing her throat and a sigh afterwards, Bonnie told it as it was, just as mature and honest as Clemont often would advise her.

"Honestly, I don't know completely." she confessed. "You're right. Maybe I don't have a plan on what I can do next." She kept her chin on her hand, looking away towards the endless ocean.

Then, her defeated look started to change. Suddenly, there was another glimmer of hope that came into her mind. Something she should have thought of.

"But you know what? I don't think Ash knows what he wants to do with his dream either." Finally, with a smile, she figured out what she could say with confidence. "He may go on about being a Pokemon Master himself. But he used to tell me even he doesn't know just what he wishes to do as one." She continued to think about the dreams of the friends she held dearly. Clemont wants to remain a Gym Leader, but he still had his ambitions as an inventor. Serena was to become a Performing legend and, surely, she had her questions about how to be the queen she always wanted to be.

But for the person she hoped to match up to the most, Ash Ketchum wanted to be a Pokemon master… and that was it. He never delved into what he could do as one, he never sat down and thought about what was there to do. He just took the dream and went with it.

"I'm sure people would tell him that he needs to be more precise about what kind of Pokemon Master he wants to be."

Today, he was still trying to reach the goal. He was still fighting his way to becoming a Pokemon Master, going on the journey with his friends; the Pokemon he's caught and bonded with.

Yes! Perhaps, that was what Bonnie was looking for in the beginning. It wasn't always the goal that she wanted to get; it was the adventure towards that goal that she needed too.

"But I can tell; all that matters to him are the bonds he makes with his Pokemon and with them by his side, he will battle the strongest Trainers out there."

That's right! It was the journey that was just as important as the goals.

"And maybe…" Now that she was finally able to bring herself back up, Bonnie got her confidence back, cheering to Aldric of her newfound hope. "No! That's exactly what I want to do, too!" "I may not know what I'mgoing to do as a Pokemon Master, but for now, I will be friends with the greatest Pokemon in the world and fight the greatest Trainers to reach the top! Together, we will enjoy the adventure and feel proud when it all ends!"

The thrill of making this journey with a team of lovable Pokemon that would be there for her. That was the thing she wanted to experience more than anything. With a full-fledged team of her own, she would be the one to forge the bonds she would make to their fullest and challenge the best Trainers for herself and her team.

It was a basic dream, but a grand dream, it was still…

After her cheerful declaration, Bonnie heard the man chuckle with a wide-open grin on his face. It seemed that, after a brief soul-search and a punch to her heart, she had given to him what he needed.

"Very good. Then, I certainly hope you will find your way." he encouraged. However, she then thought to herself that the answer was not for Aldric.

It was for herself and her Pokemon.

It turned out that Aldric was probably trying to make her surer of herself. Knowing that her goal was vague and needed more refinement, he probably offered to give her a push to set things in motion.

Why Aldric was being so helpful in this situation, she would never know. Maybe, he was just being a kind old man giving the next generation a good start. For that, he more than served his purpose for her.

One day, she would stand at that summit and find out what she would do as a Pokemon Master from there.

"Thanks, Aldric. I still have a long way to go anyway. So, maybe I'll find out what to do on the way."

Content with her answers, Bonnie could finally relax. She was quite surprised Dedenne hadn't been stirred up from all of that talk. For now, she could join in and rest easily. Again, her feet tapped excitedly. She could not wait any longer to set foot on Kanto and begin the journey with high hopes.

And, thankfully, she didn't have to wait long…

BING!

Suddenly, a ping beeped across the interior, followed by the voice of the captain via speakers.

"Attention to all passengers." the man's voice echoed out to the people onboard. "This is your captain speaking. We are about to arrive into Kantonian airspace. Please fast in your seatbelts and switch off all electronic devices. We will begin our descent."

At once, excitement pumped into Bonnie's body like jet fuel, causing her to squeal and spring upwards. The sudden jolt awakened the slumbering Dedenne as it woke up groggily from its nap. Peering through the window for a while before she would have to put up the shutters, Bonnie and Dedenne looked out into the ocean. Finally, after hours of flying, land was coming to view. Before long, the landmass that was the Kanto region was finally within their sights.

"We're here!" cheered Bonnie.

"Dene!" squeaked Dedenne, suddenly out of its sleepy state and joining its Trainer in the excitement.

From there, they could see the bustling seaport that was Vermilion City, built at the very centre of the inwards bay east in the region, with ships cruising all over the sea. They then looked at more of the cities inland, within the lush forests and plains before taking a look at the coastal settlements scattered across the beaches. From remembering the map, she was sure that Cinnabar Island was just below them.

This whole expansive land was going to be the first of many journeys Bonnie and Dedenne were going to take, filling them with even more excitement. Just looking at the land from the air was enough to send them into fits of giggles.

Then, Bonnie caught sight of something far from the mainland. Two large sets of islands stood over the ocean far from the landmass, each with their islands closely packed together. She could see splinters of urban settlements on a few of the larger areas, coupled with some ships going back and forth throughout the archipelagos. This suggested to Bonnie that there was some significant form of civilization within these seemingly isolated islands.

"Hey. What are those islands over there? I don't remember them on the map." asked Bonnie, catching Aldric's attention.

"Oh, those are two sets of islands outside of Kantonian territory." explained Aldric. "The ones closest to the mainland are the Orange Islands. And the others there far on the right are called the Sevii Islands."

Bonnie vaguely recalled Ash mentioning the Orange Islands in one of his many stories; how he became the winner of the local Pokemon League there. If she remembered correctly, even though it was his first ever championship win, he had since begun to feel like it was a little bit of an underwhelming win. The Gyms there were unique for sure, but the boy couldn't help but feel they were a little too unique. Far unorthodox from the usual Gym Battles, they didn't seem to be anything special when he described them to her.

But the Sevii Islands, though… That was a place no one had ever brought up.

"What is there in the Sevii Islands?" she asked again.

"To be honest, I'm not sure." said Aldric, looking rather uninterested. "They say it's just another set of Kantonian islands. Nothing too special, except maybe for a few Johto Pokemon."

With Aldric's statement, Bonnie's interest in the islands had been shut down in an instant. She supposed going to a place where Pokemon from another region was worth checking out, but judging from how neutral Aldric sounded in his description, there wasn't possibly much else she could hope to find there.

These two chains of islands might just have to be cut from the list of places to see in the meantime…

For now, there was the wide-open land that was the Kanto region to be excited for.

---

After the long flight from Kalos, Bonnie and Dedenne were finally here. In Kanto, the region where dreams could begin for Trainers. After exiting the airport and checking herself out, with the help of Aldric along the way, the Trainer and her Pokemon were finally out into the quiet, little city that was Viridian. Bonnie joyously hopped through the city from the airport, her spirits at an all-time high. She could practically feel her feet tingle for stepping into the Kanto region for the first time. Meanwhile, Dedenne was perched nicely atop the yellow fedora, hanging on as its Trainer bumped up and down. Behind them, watching the pair take in the view, Aldric slowly followed along, willing to help Bonnie find her way to the Pokemon Centre.

The city itself was nothing like the high rise of Lumiose City or any of the major cities back home in Kalos. Houses and other buildings were fairly common, but in between, there were stretches of greenery found here and there; neatly trimmed grass along the roads or leftover wild growth that was kept within secured metal fences like mini-parks. If anything, Viridian City was more akin to that of something like Cyllage City; well-developed but not too urban, allowing some elements of nature to grow.

As she skipped happily through the streets, Bonnie took in the sights, taking note of every Pokemon she encountered. From her cruise through the city, every Pokemon she had seen were immediately recognized.

Flocks of Pidgey would fly above the city, filling the blue skies with life. Two Nidorans, both of different genders, affectionately playing around in a garden, while a Bellsprout clumsily waddled its way to a lake for a drink.

A tamed Chansey here, a couple of scurrying wild Rattata there…

After what seemed to be an hour of a stroll, Bonnie had already picked out what the potential list of Pokemon would be. Kanto may had been a prime location for Pokemon training, but the Pokemon they found were mainly the ones she knew were local to this very region. She spotted a few that she remembered hailed from the Johto region and even a rarer case of Hoenn natives. From Sinnoh and beyond, however, it didn't seem there were any Pokemon from those other places within sight.

Most striking still was the absence of any Kalosian Pokemon other than her own Dedenne. She began to feel a little lost without the menagerie of familiar Pokemon that she had known for all her life back home.

A sigh left her mouth. Barely a day in Kanto and she felt like she was already well out of her comfort zone.

Alas, eventually, Bonnie didn't care. No matter how limited the diversity would be in Kanto, there were still tons of Pokemon she could see and catch. One hundred over species were still out there, just waiting to be caught and to join the ever-growing team to get her and Dedenne to the top.

Following close behind, Aldric offered to lead Bonnie to the Pokemon Centre, allowing the youthful, joyful kid to run freely along the way to enjoy the scene.

The Viridian air was fresher than that of Lumiose; with the soothing air from the plants helping to dispel whatever foul urban stench that could be emanating from the city's buildings. Feeling the breeze made Bonnie feel very comfortable as she followed Aldric towards the Pokemon Centre.

Eventually, the group arrived at the location of their choice. Bonnie and Dedenne soon found themselves bending their heads back to get a good view of the giant building before them. The whole building resembled a giant tunnel of white marble walls, emerging from the ground as the entrance to the centre's lobby poked out of the end. A huge red dome was placed on top of the protruding entranceway, which was also complete with the red signature 'P' logo above the glass doors.

Bonnie could hardly believe that such a towering marvel could ever be the Pokemon Centre. Most of the centres she went to in Kalos ranged from reasonably small, as most clinics should be, to as big as a medium-sized shophouse. This one could very well be a hospital with all the space in the world to heal many more Pokemon.

"This is a Pokemon Centre?!" gawked Bonnie, in awe of the sheer size of the Centre. "This place's big enough to be a supermarket!"

"Indeed. The Viridian City Pokemon Centre is one of the most prominent around. It serves as the central hub for all medical operations throughout Kanto." explained Aldric. "Now, how about we take a look inside?"

"Don't have to tell us twice!" Bonnie skipped along as Dedenne hung onto her fedora. They entered into the vast open hall of the centre. The room was so wide that the reception desk at the very middle could have taken up almost an eighth of the room.

Standing at the desk was the Nurse Joy of the Centre, as was expected. What Bonnie didn't expect, however, was how different she was compared to the Joys of Kalos. Most of the basics were there; a fairly young woman with brilliant pink hair tied into two ponytails that were then hooked into the shape of hoops, dressed in a pink dress. However, the Joy in the Viridian Centre was also wearing a white apron over the dress. A puffy roll of her hair stuck over her forehead, much like Bonnie's own.

Next to Nurse Joy was the easily unmistakeable form of a Chansey. With a nurse's cap on top of its head, Bonnie easily deduced that the species fulfilled the role of the main Nurse Joys' assistant Pokemon, much like how Wigglytuff filled that spot in Kalos.

The lady was tending to the computer when Aldric came over to the desk, putting her focus onto him. A bright smile came to her face, recognizing the man before her.

"Oh, hello, Mr. Vern!" she greeted. "Welcome home!"

"Chansey!" chirped the Egg Pokemon.

"Ah, yes! Nurse Joy!" greeted Aldric. "It's certainly good to be back." He then turned to Bonnie behind him, gesturing the girl to come forward. "Now, this young lady needs to sign up for the Indigo League. Would you mind helping her with the essentials?"

"Hello, Nurse Joy!" greeted Bonnie. "My name's Bonnie! And this is Dedenne!"

"Denene!"

"It's nice to meet you both!" laughed Nurse Joy with her welcoming smile. "Right this way." As requested, Bonnie followed the kind young lady to the terminal at the other end of the room. The process of registration was simple enough. All the Trainer had to do was slide her PokeDex into the computer and allow the machine to do the rest. The computer took in the details and transferred data to and from the device inside, eventually showing the progress as complete after a few seconds.

Within the screen, Bonnie saw a portrait she had taken a few days ago, plastered within the completed list of information about her; her Trainer ID, Pokemon used and League Status to name a few.

Once the process was done, the PokeDex slid back out the slot of the terminal before it was handed back to Bonnie.

"Alright. You're all set for the Pokemon League." announced Nurse Joy.

"Yes!" Bonnie cheered as she grabbed hold of her PokeDex. "This is it, Dedenne! Once we get those badges, we'll be ready for the greatest challenge yet!"

"Denene!" cheered Dedenne.

They could see it now; they would be ready to venture out into the wilderness, looking for the Pokemon they'd need to win the League and get one step closer to becoming a Pokemon Master. Just outside of Viridian City, there was a plethora of choices for them to work on.

But first; they would need to stop by a certain place before they would begin…

Bonnie and Dedenne followed Nurse Joy back to the reception desk. The Trainer figured it wouldn't hurt to give Dedenne a proper check-up before they headed off on their journey. You can't be too sure about your Pokemon's status and they didn't want to have the case of Pokerus at the very start.

Before she went to the desk, she saw Aldric coming up to them, ready to say goodbye now that Bonnie was all set.

"Now, if you will excuse me, I must be off." he stated. He extended his hand out to shake Bonnie's. "It's been a pleasure meeting you, Bonnie and Dedenne."

"Likewise!" Bonnie clapped her hand on Aldric's, shaking it as she bid the man farewell. "I don't know if we'll ever bump into each other again, so good luck in whatever business you're doing."

"Indeed." Aldric nodded. "Farewell, you two."

"Goodbye, Aldric!" Bonnie said as she waved her hand. Dedenne mimicked the gesture.

"Denene!"

Waving his hand back, the man turned around and headed for the exit. However, he stopped after a few steps, his head turning a little so that Bonnie could see a bit of his face.

"And don't worry. I'm very sure we'll meet again soon."

"Huh?" Unfortunately, before Bonnie could ask what he meant, the man simply continued walking away, not bothering to answer anything to her. He then faded from her sights, disappearing as the doors shut closed. The curious girl was left alone to ponder about his statement. Was it a marketing stun, like in some advertisement? Maybe they will meet again at a city for an event?

Nothing was for sure; Bonnie was barely in Kanto for only twenty minutes and she was already having a premonition of some sort, like a side quest in a video game. She had to wonder why Aldric seem so interested in her. First, it was the secrecy of his job from her. And then, it was his insistence on helping Bonnie through the day without being asked. Finally, the last message he gave her, vowing to meet her again.

Whatever Aldric wanted with her seemed too much for a simple business deal. Something about him gave her a strange feeling. What could he be thinking of down the line?

In the end, she decided such questions would have to wait. It was too soon to know what Aldric had in mind for her. Perhaps, he wanted her to train up a little more before they would end up meeting each other again.

For now, she had to focus on the beginning of her journey, and that should start with another man they had to meet first.

---

After getting Dedenne a check-up, Bonnie exited the Pokemon Centre and went out into the city to find their next contact. After some pointers from Nurse Joy, the pair were off to the nearby park just a few blocks away from the Pokemon Centre; a large open space of greenery with a dirt path stretching throughout. They entered the park and began to search for the person they were meant to meet.

"Okay. Professor Sycamore said he would be here." mused Bonnie, scanning the park for signs of the man. The man who would give her a small start to her pursuit to know more about Pokemon.

She'd be the first of the Kalosian gang to have met the Professor Samuel Oak in the flesh. Well, at least she would be fully acquainted, given that it had been years since Serena went to his summer camp.

Although she could start and make her move right away, Clemont figured it would be nice if she could stop by and be more familiar with Kanto by stopping by at Pallet Town. After all, not only was it where Professor Oak's lab was, it also happened to be the hometown of her idol. Perhaps a visit there could give her the energy she needed to build up her spirits.

So, Bonnie and Dedenne walked along the dirt path in search of Professor Oak. Their trek led them to a lone bench under a tree in the middle of the park, where they found an elderly man in a lab coat reading a book. His wrinkly face and slightly aging white hair was unmissable from recognition, still strong despite his age.

"There he is!"

"Dedenne!"

Immediately, Bonnie ran for the Professor, eager to finally get a move on. She stopped right in front of the man, interrupting his reading session to look at the approaching Trainer.

"Professor Oak!" called Bonnie.

"Ah! So, you must be Bonnie and Dedenne!" the professor greeted back with his friendly smile. "It's so good to finally meet you both. I received the call from Professor Sycamore and he told me you were coming over to see me. Is that correct?"

"Um… I wouldn't be here if he didn't, right?" Bonnie laughed awkwardly, assuming Professor Oak's elderly mannerisms.

"Oh, yes! Well, I'm happy to be accompanying you to Pallet Town. It is a real pleasure to assist one of Ash's friends in her own Pokemon adventure." laughed Professor Oak. Mentioning her as one of her hero's friends, Bonnie made a big smile to her face.

"Thank you, sir!"

Suddenly, Bonnie picked up a funny scent coming from what looked like a sack next to the Professor's feet. Wondering what it was, she asked him about the contents inside.

"Um… if I may ask, Professor… What's with the sack?" she asked, pointing her finger at the white sack with a green leaf symbol imprinted on it.

"Oh! It's a very special formula an old friend of mine from Sinnoh made to help improve the growth of Grass-type Pokemon."

Curiously, Bonnie then came close towards the sack, wanting to see what special stuff was made for Grass-type Pokemon to eat. Untying the knot that was holding the opening shut, she was then hit with the biggest surprise she was to have yet in this region.

A powerful, awful odour struck Bonnie and Dedenne's noses with the force of a thousand bullets. Like a hundred Trubbish throwing their Gunk Shots at once, the brown dirt-like stuff inside the sack was the most revolting thing they have ever smelt. The little mouse was hit so hard by the disgusting smell, it couldn't hold onto Bonnie's hat and fell to the ground, crashing head first onto the dirt.

"Dene!"

"Yuck!" shouted Bonnie as she pinched her nose. "Pokemon like this stuff?!"

"Why, yes!" Unfazed by the toxic smell, Professor Oak didn't seem the slightest bit revolted by it, smiling brightly as if he was in a garden of Roselia. "It's a specially-made mix of Pokemon defecation that, when mixed, becomes a special treat for other Grass-types. Isn't that fascinating?!"

"Try disgusting… I think I'm going to be sick." muttered Bonnie with her nasally thinned voice, close to vomiting.

"Dene…" Dedenne cursed as it rubbed his head from the fall.

"Oh! Would you look at the time?" stated Professor Oak after he checked his watch. It was well into the opening hour of evening time, so that meant they should make a move. It was going to be a ten-minute drive from Viridian City to Pallet Town and he figured Bonnie could use as much time as she could to visit his laboratory. "We better make haste and head home."

"Anything to get that icky stuff away from us." Bonnie whispered as Professor Oak closed the sack back, freeing them of the foul smell.

---

A bumpy ride between Viridian and Pallet Town ended with the sun still high in the sky; the perfect time for Bonnie to spend for a visit to the Professor's laboratory. As far as she went into the town, she could see very few houses along the way, none of them even close to where she eventually stopped at. The Professor parked his vehicle next to a peaceful river next to the road, opposite a set of green grass hills. Exiting the vehicle, Bonnie and Dedenne laid their eyes on the very place of Professor Oak's work.

Atop the steep hill, there stood a quaint yellow house, where the left half was larger than the other, complete with a pair of purple roofs shielding the place from above. The only way to reach the building was a flight of stone steps that travelled up the side of the hill, flanked by two rows of round bushes leading up to the front of the lab. On the left side of the path, the hill was completely covered in lush vegetation, split by said path from the right side which was nothing but trimmed grass. Behind the house, there was a tall, metal windmill, towering above the rest of this small, quiet town.

"Whoa…" Bonnie cooed as she took in the marvellous sight of the premises.

"Not bad, right?" laughed the Professor. "Very soon, my grandson will take over this place someday and I can finally retire a tropical island. Maybe Melemele Island? Ooh, that sounds perfect!"

Bonnie remembered Ash mentioning the younger Oak on one occasion; a small part of her even wondering if Serena had met the boy during her summer camp days. Nothing else was brought up after that, so she was left with no thought whatsoever. The only Oak that mattered for now was the old man in front of her.

The group ascended the stairway up to the lab, Bonnie and Dedenne watching the scene around them as she walked on. This little settlement within the plains seemed quieter than Vanivelle Town, which seemed a lot more of a town than Pallet, no more than a speck in the map of Kanto. The town could have not been anymore a village, let alone a town, with the houses being spread apart from each other, despite being told that it was a tight community.

And yet, here, this was where a growing legend was born.

They finally reached up the wooden platform before entering into the building through the automatic glass sliding doors. Bonnie and Dedenne were then led to the second floor, where all the magic happened.

The main room was what Bonnie expected; a large open room with both sides being occupied by two big machines that were hooked against the walls; a huge computer to the left and an even huger scientific thingy (as Bonnie would put it bluntly) to the right. At the other end of the room, halfway up the wall, a walkway that could be climbed up via a flight of stairs, hung there, providing a good view of the land outside the tall windows. In the middle was the lounge area, with a poorly-made couch, an office desk and a whiteboard, taking up a small space for Professor Oak's thought processes.

If Clemont joined her on her quest, he would been dropping dead with envy, salivating at the sight of such sophisticated technology. It would be a nerdy inventor's dream to be graced within such technology; whatever these thingamajigs could do.

Bonnie was busy scanning the room while Professor Oak was getting his computer ready for her. As she looked on, however, she heard some crunching noises coming from the couch. The speed of the nibbling immediately told her who was going around scuffing on food behind her back.

"Dedenne…" With a cross look, she turned to the couch and, as expected, caught Dedenne munching on a potato chip from an unfinished packet in a bowl. Caught red-handed, the Pokemon stopped awkwardly, chuckling sheepishly. Disappointed, Bonnie then delivered a threat towards the gluttonous mouse. "I suppose you want me get some of Professor Oak's fertilizer soufflé for dessert?"

Dedenne's ears shot up in shock, afraid of going through the nauseous stench of that disgusting stuff. Immediately, it dropped the unfinished potato chip, bending to Bonnie's threat. No one, not even the hungriest of Snorlax, could ever stomach a whiff of that dirty mess.

"Good. I'm glad you learn your lesson." Bonnie smirked victoriously.

Then, Dedenne's ears perked up again, sensing something looming behind it. As it looked behind, it spotted a pair of eyes staring into it, causing it and Bonnie to jolt up in shock.

"DENE!"

"AAAAH!" The two screamed simultaneously, with the former jumping into its Trainer's arms from the unknown presence. From behind the couch, they got a clearer picture of the person stalking Dedenne.

"Wow! So, that is what a Dedenne really looks like!" the man jumped out with a face of amazement, marvelling Dedenne as if it was a supermodel. His dark green spiky hair was hanging down the sides of his head, draping slightly over a thick red headband wrapped around his forehead. He wore a green, short-sleeved shirt and a pair of red shorts, presenting himself a kind young man, despite what had happened. In his hands was a medium-sized notepad and a pencil, positioned to draw something on the paper.

"Uh… yeah…" Awkwardly, Bonnie tried to keep a straight face. "Pretty impressive, isn't it?"

"I must make a sketch of this!" The man then began to draw as fast as Clemont would fix his inventions. Bonnie was about to ask who the heck this guy was, but Professor Oak came by to do her the favour.

"Tracey is my lab assistant. He too used to travel with Ash for a time before coming here." Knowing that Tracey was a friend and assistant to the professor, Bonnie and Dedenne could ease themselves a bit, though they could use some courtesy before he would be allowed to take a sketch of Dedenne.

"Nice to meet you, Tracey. I'm Bonnie. And… you already know Dedenne."

"Dene!" barked Dedenne, not appreciating the surprise.

"Pleased to meet you, too!" greeted Tracey with a friendly smile. "Sorry about scaring you guys, but Ash always returns home with new Pokemon to study. I just have to make sure I get my first-hand experience with them."

With the introductions done, Professor Oak then interjected to give Bonnie what she needed.

"Okay. First things first. I need your PokeDex so that I can add a little more features and data. Let me see your identification and we'll get you started."

Complying with his request, Bonnie then reached her hand into her pocket to take out the PokeDex, which was fresh from her registration into the Indigo League. The very tool that had all the information and details needed for her to pass through her journey and learn about the world around her.

The very tool… that was not in her pocket…

"Ah!" squealed Bonnie, panicked that she couldn't find her PokeDex anywhere. She had the device barely an hour ago and she ended up losing it. "Where's my PokeDex?! I had it with me!"

"Dene!" Then, Bonnie heard Dedenne shouting out to her. From there, she saw it holding up the PokeDex in its hands while it looked at her with a deadpanned stare.

"Oh. Hehehe…" Bonnie giggled sheepishly. "Thanks, Dedenne. Must have left it in the car."

Tracey snickered a bit while Professor Oak just closed his eyes and frowned, shaking his head. This is the kind of recklessness he remembered coming from Ash when he went to get his first Pokemon. Despite his lateness eventually getting him to pair up with the Pikachu he cherished the most, and no doubt they wouldn't have it otherwise, he still had some work to do with his punctuality. Yep, that boy seems to be rubbing off on Bonnie a little too much.

With the PokeDex problem assured, the elderly researcher then took the device and loaded it into the computer; the same way as the Pokemon Centre. As he keyed in with his keyboard, the Professor started to implement all sorts of stuff into the Dex until a progress bar began to show. The bar didn't fill up for the next few seconds, so it would take a while to load everything in.

"Once the download is complete, your PokeDex will give you more extensive information on the local Pokemon here in Kanto." stated Professor Oak.

"Thank you, Professor."

As Bonnie waited idly by, thinking about resting on the couch, she then saw a silhouette flying outside the window. Taking a look, she then peered through to see a vast open field of wilderness just outside the backyard, with a forest of trees growing at the other end of it. On that field, Bonnie could see the grand scene of Pokemon living peacefully down in the area. A wide-open ring of wooden fences surrounded the entire field, creating a ranch that kept the Pokemon safely within.

Bonnie's heart fluttered immensely. Being this close to so many Pokemon more than excited her. She could almost reach out and grab them all, taking in the ultimate source of cuteness from every single one of them.

"EEK! So many cute Pokemon!" she squealed like a little girl in a candy store. Her fingers were itching to touch them all, arms shaking with exhilaration and ready to hug as many as she could. It wasn't everyday she would get to see so many Pokemon in one place, amazing her still that Professor Oak had a special ranch just for them.

"My, my… You must really love Pokemon." chuckled the Professor. "How about you take a walk through the ranch and meet a few of them?" Bonnie's eyes shot right open, glittering with absolute glee. Getting Professor Oak's permission to explore the ranch was like winning tickets to an amusement park; a once-in-a-lifetime chance to see and meet every Pokemon down there.

"Really?!" cheered Bonnie.

"Of course! You have come here to get a good learning experience, haven't you?" assured Professor Oak. With that, Bonnie's heart skipped a beat, barely believing she was going to have the chance to meet tons of Pokemon. Her feet were tipping up and down, the urge to jump for joy resisted by her need to be polite.

"Be sure to meet some of Ash's Pokemon. I'm sure they'll love to meet you." reminded Tracey.

"And I'm sure his Kalos team would be thrilled to see you again." Bonnie and Dedenne's hearts fluttered at the mention of the squad of Ash's Kalos teammates; the few Pokemon they actually knew by heart. It would certainly be a great pleasure to be reunited with them after so long, bringing them memories of their past interactions together.

"Here's a list. Go on ahead." Professor Oak then handed Bonnie a list of the entire collection of Ash's Pokemon, giving her a sure-fire way to recognize every one of them. Like a speeding Dodrio, the girl quickly thanked the Professor and ran out to go see the ranch, ready to bask in the glow of Ash's grand force of Pokemon.

---

The ranch was almost a hundred times larger than Professor Sycamore's greenhouse, free from the constraints of city development and free to expand into the wilderness. This was the perfect place for Pokemon, both wild and tamed, to live and thrive in. A little patch of heaven within the safety of wooden fences.

Bonnie ran out into the ranch, basking in the glow of the evening sun, getting ready for the mini safari she was about to have. She looked around for the Pokemon she memorized from the list she was given and, after some searching, found one of them.

"There. That's one of them." she called out, pointing towards the Pokemon she spotted. "Bulbasaur!"

The small green Pokemon was strolling along the bushes, its face gazing left and right like it was on patrol for any signs of trouble.

Reminiscing the old days, Bonnie fondly remembered the shy, anti-social Bulbasaur that belonged to Shauna; how cute it was as it performed on stage with its Trainer in Performances. The Bulbasaur that belonged to Ash, though, seemed bulkier and tougher. It had a similar 'tough-guy' attitude that Shauna's had, standing strong and unshaken.

However, as it turned to look at Bonnie, the little guy pulled out a vine from underneath its onion-shaped bulb and waved at her, giving the newcomers a welcome smile. It didn't know what to make of the two strangers to the ranch, but Bulbasaur had a feeling these two were somewhat connected to its own Trainer in some way. It sensed no trouble coming from them, so it was content to welcome them to the premises.

Excited, Bonnie and Dedenne waved back, greeting the small Grass-type. After just one encounter, they just had to keep looking for more friends to make.

Bonnie and Dedenne took their time to scan and meet every single one of Ash's Pokemon, getting to know more about them and briefly playing with them for a while. When Bonnie said she was thrilled to have the chance to see these powerhouses, she wasn't prepared for how jubilant she felt when seeing them all up close.

One-by-one, they got to meet them all. Among them, Bonnie found the Noctowl perched on top of a tree. But this one wasn't like any other Noctowl she had seen before. Instead of a bleak coat of brown and dark brown colouring of its feathers, this one had a coat of golden feathers that shined magnificently as it opened its wings, accompanied by a shade of reddish-brown feathers on its back. Just when she thought she had seen it all; Bonnie couldn't believe that Ash had actually got his hands on a Pokemon with a special colour.

A shiny to coin the phrase.

Somewhere down the line, they got to see the large dust cloud made by the stampeding herd of Tauros running far away into the horizon. The story of how Ash got them amused Bonnie to no end. How someone could be that unlucky to capture all of those Tauros in a single Safari Zone running was one of the weirdest things she had ever heard. Then again, knowing Ash, he may have used that to his advantage. Thankfully, though, the herd was too far to be of any threat to Bonnie and Dedenne's survival, safe from being squashed to death.

Afterwards, she and Dedenne headed over to a large lake, the clear blue water serving as a home for the myriads of Water Pokemon. Among them were the few that Ash had caught; all coming to greet and play with the two. They interacted with a rather hyperactive but prideful Oshawott who couldn't stop putting on a victorious pose, a squad of shades-wearing Squirtles; one of them standing out as a leader with an even more striking pair of sunglasses, and more.

As the two sat by the riverbank, looking for another water dweller to play with, Dedenne spotted a mere ripple in the water, accompanied by a few bubbles surfacing. Noticing it too, Bonnie bent down to see the bubbles popping at the surface. Then, a silhouette emerged from underneath the calm, blue water, moving closer as they watched on, waiting to see what was in there. After a while, the figure then jumped out of the water, splashing a ton of it over Bonnie and Dedenne.

"AAAAH!"

"Dene!"

Emerging from the shallow depths, the tall figure stood over them, menacingly glaring at them with its blank, dead eyes. Its large toothy jaws, looking as hard as steel, gaped wide open, letting out a low growl. The Pokemon they were looking at was something like an abomination; a mutation of two different creatures. Its head was the front half of a large, silver bony fish with its dragon-like jaws and the fins hanging on both sides of the lower. This giant head was loosely attached to the tail of a slender, green bipedal dinosaur-like body with two hind legs. Because its head was on the tail, it had to stand upright to reach the basic body proportions. This monstrous fusion of two body parts seemed like something out of a mad scientist's laboratory, causing Bonnie…

To squeal in awe.

"Omigosh! You're Ash's Dracovish!" she squeaked, jumped onto the Dracovish's head and hug it. The force of her landing on its head caused it to dangle as it looked on in confusion.

"Draco?"

"You're so much cuter up close!" giggled Bonnie. Dedenne soon joined in and jumped on the Dracovish's head with her. The fossil Pokemon didn't seem to mind as it let the two stay on it for a few moments. Who knew that a clumsily-recreated fossil would be called cute?

Afterwards, the day went by as Bonnie said her hellos to the rest of Ash's team, all except a few she decided to save for last. Everyone she has met, from the rather affectionate Bayleef to the cool Krookodile with its own pair of shades, were a joy to interact with. After watching that tournament match Ash had on TV a few days before, Bonnie remembered the five Pokemon, other than Pikachu, that were nowhere to be found, assumingly still under his care. Those were his Charizard, Gengar, Dragonite, Lucario and Sceptile. Yet, she was wishing graciously that they were here.

Her final trek through the ranch led her to a hilltop, where she hoped to find the last few Pokemon on the list; the few she and Dedenne knew themselves. Suddenly, Dedenne spotted something in the sky, pointing its tiny paw towards the direction.

"Dene!" Its excited call caused Bonnie to turn in that direction, where she found the Pokemon her partner saw. Soaring in the sky, a large falcon-like Pokemon with burning orange at the front part of its body and grey at the back, while the tips of the feathers at the wings and back were black. Its sharp, pointed crest flapped along with the wind as the Pokemon circled around for a little exercise.

Delighted to see it, Bonnie called out as loud as she could.

"Hey! Talonflame! It's us! Bonnie and Dedenne!"

Picking up the call, Talonflame looked at the ground to find the girl and her Pokemon. It cawed happily after spotting them, swooping down to the ground before landing with its two sharp talons. Bonnie ran towards the bird Pokemon, wrapping her arms around its fuzzy neck as she embraced it.

"It's so good to see you again!" laughed the girl.

"Denene!" Dedenne chirped as it landed on the bird's head. Talonflame returned the embrace by wrapping its wings around. They could feel the warmth coming out of its feathers like a giant hot pack. Not surprising at all, considering it was a Fire-type that could launch a Flame Charge to send its foes reeling back with a nasty burn.

Then, Bonnie and Dedenne heard a couple more cries coming from behind them. Turning around, they saw two more Pokemon flying towards them. One of them being a large bat-dragon Pokemon that had long claws at the tips of its wings and two oval ears that were shaped like speakers. The other was a smaller red bipedal bird with a muscular body and a face that was painted like a luchador's mask, cyan with orange eyeholes and three orange feathers on its head.

"Noivern! Hawlucha!" "You're here, too!"

Like a family reunion, they hung on to their old friends as hard as they could. The Pokemon remembered how loving Bonnie was during the entirety of their journey with Ash, always making sure to shower them with her care and brushing them on occasion when they needed breaks. She was almost like the babysitter all of the other Trainers could ask for when they needed to leave them behind for a while. Dedenne was also quite the playmate, always jumping around and running in catching games with each other. Bonnie and Dedenne would always cheer the loudest for each and every one of them in their battles, and the energy they gave out was contagiously joyful.

"Look how much you've grown! Ash must have really taken care of you guys since we last saw each other." Bonnie praised. She and Dedenne continued to interact with the three flyers, they shared what happened so far since Ash left Kalos, telling them what she was going to do in Kanto. As she did so, she began to think about the absentees in the squad.

Ash did mention that he released some of his Pokemon on various situations, mainly to let them live the lives they wanted. Two of the Kalos gang had the distinction of being among those who were left behind in her home region.

Goodra was at home in the Wetlands, where it lived to protect its friends and maintain the peace of the Kalosian wilderness. Greninja, the bipedal ninja frog-like Pokemon, considered to be the ace of Ash's Kalos team, had to be released to protect Kalos alongside…

Bonnie's thoughts stopped. When the name of the Pokemon she wanted to think about came to mind, her heart wrenched with a pang of sadness. The little squishy blob of living cells whom they met by complete accident after a team of evil crooks tried to use him for their wicked ways. The little companion to Dedenne that shared a home in Bonnie's old knapsack. It had been so long since they last saw the Zygarde who ended up being one of the most important Pokemon in their lives. Now, it should be with another of its own kind, helping Greninja restore balance to the region.

Though, after years being Kalos, Bonnie secretly wished she could have made an effort to visit, or vice versa. Peace had been restored in the region for quite some time, even if there was a ragtag group of idiots running around vandalizing things. The threat didn't seem too major to warrant Greninja and Zygardes' aid. If things were going smoothly, then Squishy should have visited them.

No… Bonnie had to stop herself from thinking the worst. Protecting Kalos was no walk in the park and Squishy probably needed to stick to his duty with his companions. It was hard enough for her dad to watch over Lumiose City; imagine just how astronomical the task of safeguarding an entire region would be.

Squishy… How Bonnie and Dedenne missed him so…

For now, Bonnie and Dedenne had to hope for the best that they would still meet Squishy again one day. That was a promise and promises were not meant to be broken between good friends. Being reunited with Ash's Pokemon was a good start of things to come.

After a round of playing and catching up, the sun was finally about to set, painting the air in a gradual orange tint. Bonnie and Dedenne decided that it was time to head back to the lab. They bid their old friends farewell, hoping to meet up again after Bonnie would win the League.

"Well, guys. We better head back. Wish us luck for the League!" Bonnie cheered with a thumbs up and a wink. As expected, Dedenne followed its Trainer's actions like a pair of best friends should.

"Denene!"

The three Pokemon roared their support for Bonnie and Dedenne, wishing them all the best for her very first Gym Challenge. Encouraged by their cheers, they all shared one last group hug, vowing to see each other again. The two youngsters soon left the trio to return to their usual businesses and headed back to the building. They have taken the joy of having to meet all of Ash's other Pokemon and the special reunion she wanted with the familiar friends they had, fuelling their excitement for their own dream team of Pokemon. Seeing how many Ash had captured gave Bonnie the motivation she needed to find the right Pokemon, not just by their strength, but also by their future bond with her. If she trained them the way he did his, she would be unstoppable.

With their visit around the ranch done, Bonnie and Dedenne arrived at the back door of the ranch to meet up with the Professor. Whatever he was doing with her PokeDex; she was sure it would have been done a while ago, but she was too busy with her safari tour to think about coming back.

Suddenly, within a short distance from the doors, they heard some crashing sounds coming from inside, followed by a couple of men shouting around.

"Oh dear! Don't let that Rotom loose!" Bonnie recognized the shout coming from Professor Oak, alarming her of something wrong in the lab. She reached out for the door and slid it right open, racing into the main room to witness the commotion.

When they arrived at the hall, the pair saw a grand chase happening, with two grown men running around chasing a lightning-fast projectile. The tiny orange orb began zooming around faster than a Yanma on a sugar rush, zapping at all directions within the blink of an eye, leaving behind a trail of bright shocking energy like a bolt of lightning.

"What in the world?! What's going on?!" Bonnie began darting her eyes all around, keeping her sights on the speeding orb.

"Apparently, Rotom has been given too much of a charge!" urged Professor Oak before he jumped to snag the Pokemon with a rubber net. For a few blink-and-you-miss-it moments, Bonnie and Dedenne were able to get a very brief glimpse of the Ghost-Electric-type, jittering madly as it cackled mischievously.

It did a few runs around the two, causing Bonnie and Dedenne to duck for cover as Rotom continued to zip and zap around them. It then zoomed away, heading for Tracey, who tried to snatch it with another rubber net. Bonnie stood back up, adjusting her fedora back in the right position. Fuming inside, she was just about done being toyed around by a tiny Pokemon.

The hairs on their skins to spike up in anger, their tempers flaring hot from being pestered by a Rotom. There was a good reason Clemont told Bonnie to be careful with these Pokemon. Not because it was to be feared, but it was going to be an annoyance. Take it from someone who specialized in Electric-types; Rotom are a pain in the… ahem…

Determination was searing hot in her veins, ready to snatch a Rotom like any sibling of the Lumiose Gym Leader would. The Rotom floated still above the couch, grinning like a madman at her. Its bolt-shaped wings blinked up and down as it cackled madly, goading anyone to make their move. An irritated Bonnie was the first to bolt into action, running up to the couch to try and snatch the Rotom. Her foot stepped onto the couch before she kicked herself up to try and catch it.

"I got it!" Her hand was about to reach the Rotom, her fingers almost ready to wrap around the mischievous Pokemon. By the time she was going to touch it, the Rotom quickly spotted her and decided to give her a little taste of its power.

"YYYOOOWWW!" A rapid strike across her body, surging through and violently storming through her nerves. Bonnie jolted and jittered, body rocking out to the sudden voltage sent through her. She then let go, falling into the couch, slumping weakly and singed from the shock.

"I don't got it…" she coughed up weakly. Shaking herself up, she then refocused on the Rotom, who dodged a joint effort from Professor Oak and Tracey. The two men crashed into each other before they could catch the Rotom, causing the Pokemon to giggle at their fall.

Bonnie paused for a moment, having to use her head to figure out another solution. When she looked at her Pokemon, who came over to see if she was alright, an idea popped in her head.

"Dedenne! Use your antennae! Try and tell that Rotom to stop!" suggested Bonnie. Using Dedenne's amazing ability to communicate via electricity could come in handy. It worked many times before, serving as a great tool to help find Pikachu when he was separated from the gang. It could work; Bonnie had to give it a try.

Complying to its Trainer's command, Dedenne hopped onto the table and gave its antennae a little charge, sending electricity into its whiskers. It then gave it a small spark, calling on the Rotom. The Pokemon picked up the signal and spun towards Dedenne's spot.

"Dene! Denene dene!" Dedenne barked at the Rotom, demanding that it stop its comedic rampage. Rotom, however, was not going to finish having its fun. In fact, sensing the rush of electricity from Dedenne's whiskers, it decided to have a good feel of the energy. So, as it always did, it zapped its way towards the mouse and gave it a nasty shock of its own.

"NENENEN!" Dedenne screamed as it fidgeted like crazy, causing Bonnie to gasp in shock. She then ran to its aid, just as Dedenne fell flat on the table like an overcooked piece of meat.

"Dedenne!" she called worriedly. "You okay?!"

"Nenene…" coughed Dedenne, a bit of soot hacked out of its mouth. Bonnie looked up fiercely at the little prankster, still flying around like a Beedrill madly in love; an annoying pest that needed to be swatted down.

If using brawns was not going to cut it, then perhaps, using brains will. She had to find a way to slow the Rotom down. With its rapid-firing speed, getting it to slow down was not going to be an easy task, let alone stopping it.

If there was a way to coax it somehow, it would be the best way to either calm it down or slow it long enough to catch the Pokemon.

Then, she heard a beeping noise from the computer where her PokeDex was being worked on. From out of the insertion slot, her device slid out, fresh from downloading and looking brand new.

Suddenly, the Rotom also heard the device slide out, tempted by the juicy taste of electric goodness inside the sophisticated piece of tech. Bonnie saw the interest in its eyes, immediately alarmed by what it might do to her new tool. She had just gotten that Dex from home and nearly lost it if it weren't for Dedenne. Now, it was about to be a Rotom's toy. Knowing the havoc that it ensued, this was one toy that she could not afford to lose permanently.

"No! Not my PokeDex!" she shouted, but it was of no use. Rotom was charged to make more havoc, racing towards the PokeDex in the blink of an eye. Unable to move on time, Bonnie was helpless as it reached the computer and zapped itself into the PokeDex. Alarmed, she and the other humans watched on as the device was shot out of the computer like a bullet, flinging itself onto the wall at the other side before it landed onto the floor.

The group watched on in silence and caution, keeping their distance as the PokeDex remained motionless, the Rotom seemingly stuck inside. Then, the device vibrated with electricity fizzing out. A second later, it shook again. After a while, it moved again. Time after time, the PokeDex shook even more frequently, causing everyone to duck for cover like it was about to explode. It shook and shook until it was rocking wildly and could potentially blow up. It soon reached its peak after a few more seconds until it brightened up in a flash. The light lit the whole room until, finally…

It stopped.

There was no loud explosion or any violent force whatsoever. The PokeDex remained as it was; still shiny new and unbroken. It laid there with no sign of a defect, but everyone knew the Rotom was still in there, possibly waiting for the right time to spring up and attack when at the right opportune time.

By the time they were about a few metres away, the Dex suddenly vibrated, causing everyone to step back and brace themselves again. The device began to fidget out of control soon after, vibrating heavily before the screen began to flash a bright light. Then, the whole flat exterior of the Dex was enveloped in a plain sheet of white light that brightened up the whole room, blinding everyone in the brilliant flash.

When the light faded, everyone opened their eyes to see what happened to the device. On the floor, the Dex stayed in place again. However, there was a huge difference this time.

Where there was once a PokeDex coloured red and black, now laid one with a new coat of white and pink, with some black highlights in other areas. The screen was now on, but was blank without a single option or text.

Bonnie stayed perfectly still, stunned to do anything but watch. Uncertain of what to make of the sudden event, she could not inch any closer to her new PokeDex, fearing that Rotom could jump out at any time.

"Professor…" uttered Bonnie, frightened to budge. Seeing the girl unable to move, Professor Oak walked over to a table and grabbed a pair of rubber gloves, handing them over to her.

"Here. These might come in handy."

Strapping the gloves over her hands, Bonnie then moved forward, still cautious about any surprises. Creeping towards the Dex on the floor, her hands then came closer at it, ready to grab them before anything happened.

Only a few more steps away, Bonnie was close to taking the Dex and put it at wherever was safe. Counting down in her head, she then sprang forward, swooped down and grabbed it fast, running to the Professor soon afterwards.

After holding the Dex, waiting for something to happen, she then handed it over to Professor Oak, who took it to examine what had happened.

From out of nowhere, a pair of blue eyes, shaped like Rotom's, sprang wide open on top of the screen, surprising Bonnie with the first signs of the Pokemon's life since it absorbed itself into the device. To show for its sentience, the eyes then blinked, confirming to the Professor of his suspicions.

"Aha!" he cheered.

"What is it, Professor?" asked Bonnie, unsure of what he had come across.

"Well, it looks like you've got your very own Rotom Phone!"

Excitement and anxiety were mixed into Bonnie's system; more anxiety than excitement, actually. Anxiety, because she could not make anything out of this situation. Sure, it always was her desire to have a Rotom phone of her own. Her Dad, being the typical type to enforce responsibility, wasn't too keen on giving her such a sophisticated phone until she was at the right age. Her PokeDex, before it got zapped; that is, did have a call function, but Bonnie wanted more than just scan Pokemon and keep phone calls.

However, as much as she wanted a Rotom phone, she apparently didn't think about what having a living phone would be like. More worrisome was the fact that the Rotom that adapted into the device was the same one that shocked her and Dedenne into a crisp.

The Professor then handed the phone to Bonnie, as if he was giving her the all-clear that it was safe to use. She managed to grab the new device into her hands, albeit being a bit shaky from doubt and caution. Her body began to freeze stiff as she stared into the eyes; the very eyes from the same Pokemon that relished in her misery not too long ago. The two orbs may seem peaceful and harmless, but Bonnie could not shake the fact that they were from a rather naughty Pokemon.

"What do I do?" she asked again while keeping her eyes onto the phone.

"Why not say a few words to it?" suggested Professor Oak. The thought of speaking to the Rotom-possessed device worried Bonnie a little. One look at the dormant phone was enough to send chills down her spine. What were the chances that the rascal could jump out and make some more chaos? She could already tell that the Rotom was ready to jolt out and continue to mess the place up with its antics.

Finally, the girl swallowed one last time, taking up the courage to face the Rotom. Moving the phone carefully closer to her lips, she then spoke, quiet as an Abra could speak and as cautious as a Deerling.

"Hello?" she whispered.

All of a sudden, the phone began to vibrate, causing Bonnie to nearly drop it out of shock. The phone rattled lively in her hand before the screen lighted up with a pair of small blue orbs, blinking as if they were eyes. As she looked bewilderedly, Bonnie recognized the orbs as those of the exact same eyes of a Rotom. What would catch her by surprise more still was what it had to say.

"Oh my! I'm online…" Out of the speaker, an electronic female voice sounded out. It spoke as it was waking up from a long slumber, slowly realizing that it was finally conscious to see the world around it. A little while after it had been activated, the phone began to shake again before it flew right out of Bonnie's hands, spinning upwards and floating above the rest.

"I LIVE!" it shouted as it flew. Everyone stared at the peculiar occurrence, watching the phone literally come to life as it joyfully announced its activation to the lab. Its wide eyes then scanned the blonde trainer who was holding it not too long ago. Upon seeing her, the Dex then flew towards her, startling her.

"Greetings, Trainer Bonnie Edison! Rotomi Dex here! Ready to learn, talk and educate!" cheered the Dex as it zoomed around the girl like a Beedrill stalking a helpless Fletchling. Its movement matched well with the apparent excitement in its voice, teeming with non-stop joy over its new life. "Anything you need me to do? Come on, come on! Give me something to scan! Something to learn!"

"Um…" Bonnie struggled to process the request made by the now-sentient device, distressed by the sudden burst of energy that the new phone was giving out. It took her a few seconds to be ready for a response, but the phone soon found itself something else to gawk about. Standing at the table, looking just as in disbelief as the others, Dedenne was suddenly in for a surprise when the Rotom-possessed phone swoop towards it and stared obsessively at the Pokemon, causing it to jitter in fright.

"Oh, here! Lemme!" Overjoyed to be seeing a Pokemon for the first time since its activation, the phone then proceeded to use its camera to fire a ray of electronic light that shined over the little mouse. Feeling the tingling of the ray, Dedenne couldn't stop itself from giggling, tiny sparks channelling down its antenna whiskers.

After scanning Dedenne, the phone then returned to Bonnie with a screen filled with useful information to share, joyfully reading out what was registered in the database.

Dedenne. The Antenna Pokemon. Its whiskers are used to communicate with others of its kind over vast distances. A network of Dedenne is able to locate food or electricity within a kilometre-wide radius.

"And he is one total cute-ay!" the Rotom phone spun as it finished its report.

Bonnie lingered on in amazement, surprised at the amount of information the phone had shared and with such enthusiasm. The Rotom inside seemed to have behaved rather harmlessly as it wanted nothing more than to apparently learn, not being a mischievous little runt that not just tried to fry them all.

More surprising, however, was the tiny detail that she noticed from the reading.

"Oh yeah… I forgot Dedenne's a boy…" she pondered aloud, and her comment did not go unheard.

"Nene!" chattered Dedenne angrily, baffled that Bonnie had not been aware of his gender. No wonder she had kept referring to him as an 'it'. Now, that hurt…

"Hey! Don't even think about telling me how I could have known! And why does it even matter?" argued Bonnie.

"Nenene!"

"I dunno! Ask the writer maybe?"

"See? I scan, I learn, I tell! Simple steps to a well-educated fleshbag!" cheered the Rotom Phone again, pleased that her research had yielded results for what looked like an interaction between Trainer and Pokemon.

With the phone now alive and booming with energy, the question now was; what was Bonnie going to do with this development? Was she ready to accept having a living PokeDex flying around her, gawking at every Pokemon it could find? The way it was scanning Dedenne gave off an obsessive vibe that worried her.

"Well! Now isn't this an insightful phenomenon?" Professor Oak marvelled at the development. His amazement towards the Rotom phone had spurred Bonnie to ask about what she could do with the change in her equipment. Suddenly, the Rotom phone began to fly towards the old man, overexcited as it spoke like it was on a field trip.

"Can I accompany Trainer Bonnie on her adventure?! Can I? There is so much I can learn!" Processing what the living device wanted; Professor Oak did not hesitate to tell Bonnie what the phone wanted. The prospects of its curious nature and its eagerness to study the world of Pokemon could be something Bonnie could benefit from.

"It seems Rotom here is going to be your new travelling friend." stated the professor.

"Really?" asked Bonnie, still not liking how the idea was going. "Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"Well, Rotom tend to be mischievous when on their own. But once it starts taking control of a device, it might adapt itself into it, transforming its personality and emotions based on the functions of said device." explained Professor Oak. "But this Rotom…" He gently held onto the two bolt-shaped limbs that floated on both sides of the phone. "A rather strange occurrence, indeed. It decides to take the form of the Rotomi devices usually seen in other places, especially the Galar region."

Irritated by the Professor's grip on its arm, the Rotom phone slapped his fingers off. The slap sent a small shock throughout his body.

"Hey! My arms are highly volatile! Keep off!"

Rubbing his hand from the shock, he then tried to assure Bonnie that the phone could be a useful tool to have.

"Don't worry, Bonnie. Rotom-infected technology are a real help to beginning Trainers of this generation. I'm certain our new friend will take you far and beyond! After all, you do need some studying on the fly."

While Bonnie did contemplate the benefits, she did still have her worries. Even if the Rotom phone's personality had been changed for good, she still wondered if having one obsessed with knowledge was worth doing. It could be great to have a living, moving encyclopaedia around her at all times, with a variety of other cool features that she could enjoy.

On the other hand, her nature was a little more than she could tolerate. It was bad enough that her older brother was the tech geek, but the Rotom phone was on a whole new level of nerdy noise. No one knew how much of a hassle would it be to watch her phone as it zoomed left and right, scanning without care.

Then again, it all came down to what she would have if she rejected the Rotom phone. As it was a living Pokemon, no way was it going to be an easy task to separate it from the device it possessed. As leverage, the Rotom had her ID and all the essentials to confirm her status as a Trainer. She had to have a PokeDex or she was going nowhere.

However, Bonnie felt she could give the Rotom a shot at being helpful to her cause. Perhaps, with the information she could get, it could help in the long run. After all, she was all about giving people and Pokemon a chance to prove themselves to the world. Thus, she came to the conclusion that she would bring the Rotom with her.

"Well, Rotomi Dex…?" she looked to the phone. However, it quickly interrupted her with its quick chatter.

"Please, Trainer Bonnie. Call me Rotomi." giggled the Dex. "Oh! Actually, make it Rotomise! Or Rotomara? Take your pick!"

"I'll go for Rotomi." said an exasperated Bonnie. "You wanna come with me on our journey?"

"Of course! Considering I have your ID and everything. It'll be one wicked experience!" Despite the sudden, disruptive cheers, Bonnie was at least glad to confirm that the Rotomi was on board with her without displaying any intentional mischief. It was going to be of great use to her on the road to becoming one of the best Pokemon Trainers out there. With an eager mind to obtain data about all kinds of Pokemon, she'd be a fool to not have the information and learn more about them.

Could Rotomi prove to be a good friend too? Who could tell? Maybe that should be a challenge too!

"Well, that settles it. Rotomi, welcome to the team!" As Bonnie was about to shake Rotomi's little arm, the phone flew excitedly again, moving away from her as it spun around in pure joy.

"Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy!" cheered Rotomi, saluting to its new owner. "Rotomi, reporting for duty!"

"Okay…" sighed Bonnie, still in the process of understanding what she was about to get herself into.

"Look on the bright side! With a living PokeDex, you won't have any trouble leaving it behind!" joked the Professor, not helping with the awkward feeling. In fact, it did seem to give Rotomi something to be concerned about.

"Leaving me… behind? Okay. Now, I'm worried…"

Suddenly, Bonnie felt sudden drowsiness coursing her body, slowly falling tired and letting out a yawn. Her eyes were drooping slightly as her impulses were soon telling her to find a nice, comfy bed to lie down on. The wise professor caught the signs all too clearly, nodding his head as he knew Bonnie's time for rest had come. After flying across the ocean, venturing around and chasing a mad Rotom for the entire day, it would begin to knock anyone out, even the most energetic of Trainers.

"Oh, would you look at the time?" he laughed. "I believe we should get you a place to stay for the night."

"But where can I sleep in tonight?" asked Bonnie, her voice bringing out the slightest hint of tiredness. "There's no Pokemon Centre as far as I can see."

"That's okay. I have just the place."

Bidding Tracey farewell, the girl and her Pokemon followed the Professor out of the lab and off to wherever she may rest.

"So, I take it that you have seen all of Ash's Pokemon?" asked Professor Oak.

"I've seen them all, alright." said Bonnie, beaming with satisfaction before she realized something was missing. "All except one…"

"MUK!"

From out of the blue, a large purple blob of gunk rose up like a tidal wave, gobbling up the elderly man. The overbearing stench of the sentient mass of goo shot up like a terrible meal, striking Bonnie and Dedenne's noses, causing them to gag in response.

"AAAH!" Overcome with the happy Muk's loving embrace, Professor Oak found himself wrestled to the ground. It was hard not to be disgusted by the awful smell, but Bonnie found the hilarious spectacle was too good to ignore.

"Ah, there it is." giggled Bonnie, with a nasally voice.

"Muk! My aging body can't possibly handle your weight any longer! YAAH!"

---

Coming face-to-face with the dimming evening sky, Bonnie yawned again, Dedenne sitting nicely on top of her head, also overcome with drowsiness. Her new Rotomi device floated gleefully around the group, scanning the area as if it was looking for something.

Another yawn escaped her, her body sinking a little more. No wonder she was feeling so sleepy, Bonnie thought to herself as she looked at the orange tinge being painted across the sky. The flight from Kalos had already taken its toll on her energy, leaving the rest to be used up messing about at the laboratory. There was only so much a young Trainer like her could take after a long day. The time came to rest; to gather the energy for tomorrow…

As they walked towards their destination, Bonnie laid her eyes on a lone path just beyond the town. The dirt clearing speared right between two groves of trees and out into the vast open grassland. A wooden sign shaped like an arrow placed nearby pointed straight towards the direction of the path, reading "To Viridian City". Unlike the road she took before, this one was thinner, meant for on-foot travelling than a speeding car.

Deep within, Bonnie had the rising feeling that this very path would be the one she would eventually take the next morning. This was indeed the first route; the first for her to pass before her first big challenge. She could feel her heart set on taking the route. She could probably insist on starting, if she wasn't too tired to try.

Alas, she followed the Professor to her resting spot. Just ten minutes away from the lab, over the small hills, they soon arrived at a lone house with a red roof, built right beside the dirt path and surrounded by a frame of wooden fences. The front door had a smaller roof above it, with a wooden patio right next to it that led into a sliding glass door. A small garden of berries and flowers blossomed at the right side of the house, filling the scene with lush colours.

"And here we are!" announced Professor Oak.

Why would the man send her to a random house, Bonnie wondered. Knowing how small this town was and its unsung significance, one answer came to mind; it wasn't just any house in Pallet Town.

"Is this where I think it is?" she gasped.

"That's right! Welcome to the Ketchum residence!"

Once again, Bonnie's idolism of the resident of this house kicked in, exciting her beyond belief. She was about to set her feet into the home of Ash Ketchum!

She knew Ash's mother lived in there, along with a Mr. Mime he had caught and allowed to take care of the house. What would they be like? Other than a few glimpses of 's power on TV, how good was it with housekeeping? Bonnie was almost ready to jump for joy!

However, she couldn't shake the fact that Professor Oak was leading there to spend the night in. As much as she would love to check Ash's place, she had her reservations on overextending her visit here.

"Come! We better make ourselves known. I'm sure Ash's mother, Delia, will be more than happy to have you stay for the night."

"Are you sure, Professor?" said Bonnie uncertainly. "I really don't want to intrude."

"Oh, but she might insist! After all, a dear friend of Ash is a friend of hers." assured Professor Oak. With the wise man's words, Bonnie felt a little more relieved. Surely, there was no real harm in being in the company of someone so loving, especially when that very person raised her hero.

"Well, then let's not keep her waiting!" cheered Bonnie.

"Nenene!" agreed Dedenne, who couldn't wait to get a good night's sleep.

"I could use a good recharging!" added Rotomi. "You think their sockets are right for Kalosian devices?"

"But you're a Rotom." said Bonnie. "Don't you do your own charging?"

"Yeah, but having to take the energy from an electric source is like a buffet! Tons of watts of sweet, sweet electricity!" explained Rotomi.

"In that case, Dedenne can be your chaperone for tonight." offered Bonnie; an offer that didn't thrill said 'chaperone'.

"Dene?!"

"Oh, goody! All-natural energy!" Rotomi clapped its appendages together, giggling like Bonnie would.

"Nene…" groaned Dedenne. After the shenanigans at the lab, he did not want to go through another escapade with that Rotom ever again.

Bonnie walked down the road with Professor Oak, unable to hold her excitement any longer. Soon, she would be meeting Delia Ketchum, the mother who groomed one of her closest friends to becoming a Pokemon Trainer. From what she was told, she was a master cook with some of the tastiest meals he had ever had. Could they better than Clemont's cooking? The way Ash boasted definitely sounded like she must be really, really good.

They arrived at the white front door, standing underneath the small red roof. Professor Oak stood at front while the rest waited at the back. With the press of the button on the side, the two beats of the doorbell echoed out. Shortly after, the quiet sound of footsteps came closer to the door before it opened up.

The resident of the house stood at the door to greet her guests. The woman had auburn hair with a small ponytail tied behind her head, wearing a pink cardigan over a yellow blouse, and a long, knee-length blue skirt. With very faint signs of wrinkles on her face, one might think she would be in her late twenties.

Her warm, sweet grin stretched from cheek to cheek, delighted to see the old man outside.

"Hello, Samuel!" greeted the woman with enthusiasm. "What brings you here?"

"Evening, Delia. We have a guest today and we were hoping you would accompany her until tomorrow morning." The professor moved to the side, introducing the blonde girl behind him. Stepping forward, Bonnie then took a polite bow before flashing her trademark cheery smile.

"Hello! I'm Bonnie."

"Denene!" the orange mouse Pokemon followed as he waved.

"Oh my! You're one of Ash's friends!" gasped Delia Ketchum as she clasped her cheeks, surprising Bonnie to the fact the older woman recognized her. "Oh, my goodness! You're such a cutie!"

"Uhhhh, thanks." Bonnie muttered sheepishly, unprepared for the excited reaction. "I hope I'm not intruding or anything."

"Oh, nonsense!" laughed Delia. "I treat all of Ash's friends as if they were my own flesh and blood." With Delia's calming voice, Bonnie's hesitations were gone, feeling a little better about visiting on such short notice. Excitement also built up inside of her, making her eager to take a look inside the house.

"See? I told you Delia would be welcoming." chuckled Professor Oak.

As the final signs of daylight faded away for the night, it was time to leave Bonnie and Dedenne to finally settle in before her eventual departure for the bigger world.

"Now, you take a good night's sleep and be ready for tomorrow, Bonnie." said Professor Oak as he turned around and started to walk back to his laboratory. "I shall meet you at the exit first thing in the morning."

"Alright, Professor! Thank you so much!" cheered Bonnie, waving towards the old man.

"Denene!" Dedenne waved his stubby arm as well.

After the professor left, Bonnie turned back towards the house, being led into the house by Delia. Within the house, she walked into the small hallway before turning left into the spacious living room.

With only the living room being so wide, she could imagine just how big the rest of the house was. Living in the floor above her father's shop can only keep so much in. Not that she complained or anything; it still was a great place to live in.

It's just that having a whole building to yourself in such a quiet place feels so much more liberating, free to move around and laugh without having to bother the neighbours. It did feel a little like Serena's house, which Bonnie visited once in a while, except that there were still other houses close by.

Here, she could frolic with her Pokemon all day and not be such a bother to anyone else.

Once Bonnie was ready to settle in, Delia stopped behind her.

"So, tell me, sweetie." she mused. "How do you like some waffles for tonight?"

---

"And that's our dream!" chanted Bonnie, boldly cheering her dreams to Delia as she devoured another chunk of the Ketchum's homemade waffles.

One bite after another, she scoffed down each large piece of her waffle with absolute amazement, blowing her away after every bite. She never tasted waffles so amazing as Delia's; not even the Lumiose specialty of gaufres de pure passion could rival the homemade glory of Delia Ketchum.

Sharing the fun, Dedenne was below the table, munching on freshly picked Pecha berries. No flavourings or additives; just the way he liked it. He too expressed and squeaked along Bonnie as she told her stories to Delia.

As the organics were eating away, Rotomi floated alone at the glass window, watching a flock of Murkrow fly by. The sentient device could not hold its excitement in as it wished to open the door and fly out to study on and on.

Delia smiled gleefully, watching another sweet youthful Trainer enjoy her cooked meal and telling her about her previous journey with her son and her own dreams of becoming a Pokemon Master.

Remembering just how much of a fan the girl was of her son's Pokemon, she also giggled whenever Bonnie would squeal at the presence of Mimey, the faithful Ketchum housekeeper. Yes, the maid of the house too had his fair share of battling under the boy's command, and it was certainly enough for Bonnie to be giddy about.

"I can tell how much of an influence my son has been on you." mused Delia. "I'm so proud!"

"And I can tell where he got his optimism." laughed Bonnie.

"Oh, stop! You're making me blush!" laughed Delia, getting up to tend to the dishes. "Ash has inspired so many of his friends that it's not surprising someone would eventually follow in his footsteps. My son's a mentor!"

"I wouldn't say 'mentor', really. That honour goes to my big bro." confessed Bonnie. Ash may be her idol, but even he couldn't rival the love and devotion Clemont had for her.

"Nene!" Dedenne agreed.

"Oh, yes! That's what family's all about." said Delia, scrubbing the plate smudged by Bonnie's eating. She was glad that Bonnie hadn't sacrificed her family for her own son; it would be very selfish if she did otherwise.

Then, Delia had another brewing question in her head.

"Speaking of which, how's that other girl who travelled with you?" she asked. "Serena, was it?"

Bonnie blinked her eyes once. Though it was within Ash's character to talk about his adventures and, of course, the friends he's made, hearing Serena's name intrigued her. Being the love matchmaker she was, she couldn't help but wonder about the things Ash would say about his biggest admirer. Did he speak like he would about the other friends, or could there be something special?

"Oh, she's good. She's in Sinnoh right now doing Pokemon Contests." explained Bonnie, remembering the birthday message she got from Serena not too long ago.

"Hmmm…" murmured Delia, her mind up there thinking about the girl. "From what Ash has told me, she sounds like a sweet young lady." Bonnie couldn't let her meddling habits die out, listening attentively to Delia's description of what Ash said about her friend. "All of the girls Ash travelled with are nice; some feistier than others."

However, as Delia described on and on, Bonnie found the older woman's voice being muffled by the sound of gluttonous chewing. Bending down below the table, she saw her greedy partner munching loudly on his meal. She gave the Pokemon a nice kick at the backside, knocking Dedenne into his plate. Angrily, the mouse Pokemon threatened to shock Bonnie for the rude kick, but was quickly silenced when the girl put her finger on her lips.

"But when he came back home after his Kalos journey, he wouldn't stop talking about her for days." continued Delia.

"Really?" Bonnie mused, intrigued by what Ash said about Serena. "What did he say about her?"

"Oh, about how nice she was, how she loved Performing, helping him through his trips…"

However, Bonnie was unable to focus as she felt a sharp pain on her foot. Barely catching herself from shrieking, she shot her sights down at the table to see Dedenne using his tail to whack her foot. The little munchkin snickered, only to receive another kick to the butt by Bonnie.

After the mouse was kicked, Bonnie stuck her tongue out before returning to Delia.

"And do you know what surprised me the most?" asked Delia, unaware of the feud between Trainer and Pokemon happening behind her. "He told me she was beautiful!"

Nearly shouting herself, Bonnie was floored by what Ash had said. In his own words, he actually thought Serena was beautiful; a word no one ever thought he would say to other girls!

"When I heard my boy complimenting a girl like that, it made me feel like the happiest Mom ever!" Delia sung with a happy melody.

No other person ever got such a high remark from the boy who loved his Pokemon more than anyone else, except his mother, of course.

Not to mention; Ash was probably the densest boy she ever met, totally oblivious to Serena's feelings for him, even after the kiss at the airport. At least Clemont was able to break out of his shell and started things with Korrina.

Could that kiss have been the spark? Did Serena somehow manage to break him, after all?

Unfortunately, it's been years since they last saw each other, and Ash had not done much to get in touch with Serena apart from a few video calls from time to time. Still, no one wanted to question his motives for becoming a Pokemon Master. They all respected his choice to continue his training without interruptions or personal feelings getting in the way.

Still, it was a start. It wasn't too late for Ash to finally turn things around and understand how others felt about him. As for Serena, Bonnie could only wonder what she was going to do about her own feelings.

"Well, Ash Ketchum. You're not as dense as we all thought you were."

As the dinner came to an end, Delia looked at the clock, noticing the little handle pointing at eight.

"It's getting late." she said as she wiped her hands dry with a rag. "I know you want to stay up a little more, but you might need to get a nice long rest before you head off for tomorrow." The last time someone tried to prolong his night up, he was late for his first day.

Then again, it was because of his unruly timing that got him his greatest partner yet.

Still, no one can be like anyone else; nothing will always happen the same way. Bonnie already had her first Pokemon – she didn't need to wake up late for another.

"Actually, I am getting a little sleepy after the plane ride." said Bonnie, letting a yawn out. Much like the Pokemon move of the same name, Dedenne yawned along, also tired by the long day.

"I'll be ready for the couch." Bonnie assured as she hopped from the chair. She figured she should take a nice shower before settling down in the living room. As much as she wanted to sleep in a nice comfy bed, she knew she had to be humble about how she slept once she started venturing out into the wilderness. Thankfully, she had her own experiences with a sleeping bag before, so a night on the couch wouldn't be any biggie.

However, Delia turned around and stopped her, smiling as always.

"Oh, that's okay! You can use Ash's room tonight!" she insisted, taking Bonnie by surprise.

"N-no!" Bonnie hiccupped, not wanting to sound rude. "I mean, no thanks! Clemont always told me not to barge in on other people's rooms."

"But Ash is not the boss of this household. And your brother isn't here." joked Delia, her hands to her hips. "So, as long as I'm the one in charge, I will allow anyone to sleep wherever I see fit."

"Mime mime." Mimey agreed with a nod.

"Besides, I'm sure my boy won't mind."

After some hesitation, Bonnie decided to go along with the arrangement. Delia may be a sweet mother, but she wasn't one to mess with either. Besides, it wouldn't hurt to have a better excuse to check out Ash's room. Now that Clemont was no longer there to boss her around, she might as well have had all the freedom in the world!

"Okay… If you say so."

With Delia's blessing, Bonnie, Dedenne and Rotomi followed her upstairs with their belongings, ready to settle in for the night.

---

Bonnie took a few minutes to wash herself up and changed into her pyjamas, giving Dedenne a nice bath as well. Afterwards, they followed Delia to Ash's bedroom.

Upon being led into the room, Bonnie and Dedenne cooed in awe seeing the bedroom. It was no different from any other bedroom she'd seen before, but was filled to the brim with Pokemon memorabilia and posters.

"And here we are!" Delia sing-sung. "This is Ash's room."

"Wow…" Bonnie scanned the room with more vigilance than Rotomi's own application. Judging by how much everything about Pokemon filled his room, she could already tell that Ash practically loved Pokemon since he was born.

"Now, make yourself at home and get to bed as soon as you can. You've got a big road ahead for tomorrow." said Delia, ready to close the door and leave the youngsters off to bed.

"Will do! Thanks, Delia!" thanked Bonnie.

"Nenene!" added Dedenne.

"Yes, thank you very much!" beeped Rotomi.

"Have a good night!" Delia wished before she shut the door, giving the trio the time and space to doze off.

Once on their own, Bonnie and Dedenne walked right in, taking a deeper look around the Pokemon-themed bedroom.

The mattress that made up the behemoth of a bed was abnormally tall, almost at Bonnie's own body height, with a huge Pokeball-patterned blanket covering the entire surface. A set of wooden stairs was the only way up for her to reach.

Right next to the bed was a study desk, fixed with a wooden shelf that rest nicely against the bed behind it. Lots of books were fitted inside, along with another extra stack of reading material and papers on the desk. Having a look at the books on the desk, Bonnie found everything about Pokemon, as per usual. There were some paperwork and forms, with graphs, stats and all of that science mumbo-jumbo that she could care less about unless she could have the chance to ask Ash herself. She fancied more of the guidebooks, gamer guides and everything that had pictures of Pokemon on them.

A small TV here and a Snorlax bean bag there, Bonnie felt the room was fit for a Trainer who was just as passionate about Pokemon as he was with his battles.

"Plugging in!" Meanwhile, Rotomi found a power socket near the television, immediately grabbing the cable and connecting herself to the power source. She could feel her first taste of pure electricity refreshing her circuits as it coursed through her wiring. "Aaahhh… Sweet, sweet voltage…" she swooned satisfyingly.

Bonnie giggled at the little device being nourished by the house's power supply. Rotomi wouldn't have to worry about finding a power socket when Dedenne was around – she just had to convince the little tyke to donate his power to her.

Yep, she could never guess why she hadn't thought about Dedenne's gender after all this time. Pikachu was clearly a male and everyone started saying 'him' and 'his' every time, which showed just how much Ash cared for him. She could only feel a little guilty she hadn't asked Dedenne about his gender, only because it was not important in the end. She could care less if her partner was a 'he' or a 'she'.

Thankfully, her mind was distracted by the sight of a cupboard next to the door, complete a set of awards and trophies on top.

"Look at all of these trophies!" Bonnie cheered, calling Dedenne forth to check out all the major accomplishments Ash had won.

Badge cases, filled with all eight badges of each regional Gym Challenge, lined the table, all standing upright for all to see. The biggest case of them all, however, had seven golden coin-like symbols formed into an arch over a peculiar insignia. The text written below stated,

ASH KETCHUM – BATTLE FRONTIER VICTOR, A TRUE POKEMON TRAINER

Bonnie had only small peeks about the Battle Frontier online; how it was on a more elite level compared to the Pokemon League. For Ash to beat an entire Frontier, that was certainly an ultimate milestone on its own. She only wished she got to know more of this special series of battle facilities, and it was certainly something she hoped to ask Ash about.

A set of golden trophies, arranged almost neatly, gleamed brightly from the night light; each commemorating a position in Ash's previous leagues. The one she knew all too well was the one he won after coming only second in the Kalos League.

The golden trophy made her head linger with memories of that intense final battle with Alain and his Mega Charizard; how Ash nearly won despite unlocking a power greater than Mega Evolution itself. How he lost was still something that stayed in her mind 'till this very day. After everything Ash had done to master his bond with Greninja, he only came short of a Blast Burn; a Fire-type move that should have been extinguished by the Water Shuriken.

Still, it was amazing to see Ash come so far, and the other trophies she saw were further proof of that, Other than the runner-up cup, the others also showed how close her idol came to winning it all.

Top 16 in the Indigo League…

Top 8 in the Johto League…

Top 8 in the Hoenn League…

Top 4 in the Sinnoh League…

Top 8 in the Unova League…

However, the one that stood out the most was the golden one in the middle. The one prize that proved that Ash was able to top it all off.

The golden trophy was placed proudest among the others, right at the centre for all to see Ash's finest victory yet. A pair of golden wings swirled around the Pokeball statue like a ballet duo of Milotics, dancing around in a beautiful embrace.

There was also a bust of some weird masked man (maybe a wrestler?) alongside the Alolan trophy, marking yet another amazing victory of Ash beating one of the island deities. Ash was certainly no stranger to encounters of legendary Pokemon, a feat that made her admire him even more. To win against this Tapu Koko, there was no doubt that he was capable of being the Pokemon Master he always wanted to be.

Ash was a Champion, after all.

And yet, with all of his achievements and victories, he was not done with his quest to be the greatest.

A lone silver plaque was also on the cupboard, with an embossed single digit embedded at the centre of the shield-shaped emblem.

Rank 2 - that was his highest achievement in the current Pokemon World Tournament Series. And while he may have been toppled before, he stayed well within the Master Ball Rank to this very day.

In the years following his first ever World Tournament Series run, Ash had tried again and again to topple the champion that was Leon. Bonnie was there in front of the TV, watching his Pokemon take on the Galar monarch's Gigantamaxed Charizard with all of his being, only to wipe out at every opportunity.

But every single time she watched him, no matter the outcome, she grew even more inspired until the boy became something of a hero to her. He was already awesome when they first met, but over time, Ash became such a more profound role model; someone for Bonnie to idolize and shape her desires for the future.

He never gave up; he still wouldn't…

After viewing all of the awards, she then saw a couple of other mementos – a Clefairy doll and a Teddiursa doll with what looked like half of a Contest Ribbon leaning against the latter's tummy. The Clefairy doll also had a small tag attached to its leg, reading,

"Thank You, Ash! Sincerely, Lillie." Bonnie read. No doubt about it; Ash really had a lot of admirers. Whoever this Lillie person was; Bonnie thought she must have had the same admiration for Ash as all of his friends, including herself.

Speaking of which, she then heard Dedenne calling her from the bed, having somehow jumped on the high mattress as Bonnie reminisced. Coming up to join him, she saw another shelf just behind the pillow, showing a corkboard of several pictures; all of them included Ash and Pikachu.

As Bonnie scanned the photos, she made guesses that the various people seen with them were all of his previous travelling companions.

She found herself amazed upon recognizing some of them, including the Top Coordinators, May and Dawn; both who would face off against Serena in a few Contests.

Next to May was a small boy with glasses, seemingly around her age when she travelled with Ash. Whoever this kid was, Bonnie was sure he would be ready for his own Pokemon journey soon.

Out of them all, however, she was even more surprised to find Cilan in one of them. She would have never guessed the green-haired Connoisseur she and Clemont met in Kalos shortly after Ash left was actually one of his prior travelling companions! And flanking Ash to the left in that same photo was the unmistakable younger form of the Unovan Champion, Iris. Her unusually large purple hair was a stand-out feature that Bonnie saw in her matches with Ash in the Tournament series, once again allowing the surprise of knowing that she was also actually a friend of Ash's. Though, Bonnie chuckled at the sight of a cute little Axew poking out of her hair.

Finally, after looking at Ash's friends, she finally stumbled upon the most important one; the very photo she hoped to see.

"Hey, look!" she called, pointing at the picture at the very middle. "That's us!"

Bonnie and Dedenne laid their eyes on a photo of Ash, grouped together with themselves, Serena and Clemont. She remembered this scene fondly, as it was taken a few days after the Lumiose Conference.

Looking at her younger self, Bonnie could hardly believe how small and meek she looked at the age of eight. Jovial as she was now, she jumped for the photo with Dedenne mimicking her cheers on her shoulder. She was held down by her equally happy brother with his two hands on her shoulders, looking at the camera with his usual goofy smile.

Ash was at the centre, proudly bringing Clemont and Serena into his arms while flashing his own cheeky grin. Naturally, that caused Bonnie to look at the honey-blonde girl, where she quickly caught the predictable redness on the girl's cheeks.

Nevertheless, everyone looked the happiest they had ever been. Runner-up or not, Ash was a Master to the end.

Closing her eyes, Bonnie sighed happily, wondering if there will be a time to reunite with the gang. Praying to Arceus, she promised that she would return to her older companions stronger than she ever was.

She would make them all proud.

"You think we'll be together again, Dedenne?" she asked her faithful partner.

"Nenene." Dedenne chirped with a paw up in the air. Bonnie held the tiny paw gently, vowing that they would become the greatest duo out there to challenge Ash and join him in the pedestal of greatness.

"I hope so too." she giggled.

Right now, she was barely in square one. Tomorrow, it would be the start to her journey as a Pokemon Trainer.

As the trip down memory lane ended, a sudden shock rose in Bonnie's head.

"Omigosh! That reminds me!" she squeaked. "We have to call the folks back home!" Hopping out of bed and sitting herself close to Rotomi, she called the still-charging device over. The sentient device floated towards Bonnie and Dedenne, cable still attached to her port.

"Rotomi. Give a call to Clemont." Bonnie commanded. All she got from Rotomi was silence, finished off with a question mark on her screen.

"Uh… Username 'Clemont' is not recognized." uttered Rotomi.

"Oh, right. Forgot you were just a Dex." Bonnie laughed sheepishly, rubbing the back of her head. "Come here. Let's get the contacts ready." Grabbing Rotomi, she then accessed the contacts page, where there was only the phone number for Professor Oak. She added the number meant for her family back home, as well as the personal ones for her two family members. Once registered, Bonnie then proceeded to call home.

After a moment of ringing, the call was received. On the screen, Bonnie and Dedenne could see the face of Clemont, whose face was slightly charred, presumably from tinkering in his lab again.

"Bonnie!" Clemont exclaimed surprisingly. The slight delay in reaction was understandable. It was quite likely he was receiving a call via an unknown number and took some time before he knew it was Bonnie who called.

Immediately, Clemont fell into a panicked state. Here we go again, Bonnie groaned mentally.

"Are you okay?! Did you get lost?! Are you in Saffron City by any chance?! I better get Uncle Thaddeus on the line!"

"Calm down, bro!" shouted Bonnie, stopping her brother from getting into another one of his overprotective frenzies. She then answered calmly, "We're fine. Dedenne and I just reached Pallet Town and got ourselves prepared with the Professor."

"Oh… That's a relief." sighed Clemont, thankful that Bonnie hadn't screwed up her trip. From his reaction, the little sister shook her head, disappointed that her brother didn't even pretend to trust her. "Wait… Where are you exactly?" he then asked.

"Oh, you won't believe where we're at!" giggled Bonnie. "We're at Ash's house!"

"Nenene!" squeaked Dedenne.

"Really?!" gasped Clemont.

"And before you give me another one of your boring lectures about house intrusion, big brother, I can assure you that I have permission to reside in the humble abode of our dear friend." Bonnie cleared, arms crossed together as she spoke like she was teaching a class.

"Did you really have to act like some city official?" said Clemont, deadpanned at Bonnie's playful demeanour.

"Only if it stops you from being a bossy killjoy." Bonnie and Clemont then shared a hearty laugh. The elder brother was thankful that Bonnie and Dedenne were able to make the trip successfully.

"By the way, how did you call me? Whose phone are you using?" he then asked.

"Oh! I'm so glad you asked, dearest brother. I have a new, snazzy tool." Bonnie gloated, wanting to peek her geeky brother's interest. "I have a new Rotomi phone! Say hi, Rotomi."

"Hello, Trainer Clemont!" buzzed the Rotomi, surprising Clemont as a new voice rang through the call. "I am Rotomi! Pleased to meet Trainer Bonnie's brother!" Bonnie hissed to herself, once again finding it awkward to be called 'Trainer Bonnie'.

"A Rotomi phone?" Clemont pondered. "But I thought Rotomi technology are only applicable with computer terminals. You managed to get one to turn into a phone?"

"Ummm… More like the Rotom did all the work." uttered Bonnie, not wanting to recount the havoc she and Dedenne had to go through.

"Interesting." Clemont commented with his finger on his chin. Of course something this new could catch his attention. Bonnie always knew he was such a tech-addict. "Well, if that means you can call us every day, I will be happy with it."

"Uh, no. I am not calling you every day." Bonnie said, sticking her tongue out. Clemont shook his head, still wishing she would stop acting like her old self.

Afterwards, the siblings and Dedenne engaged in a phone call in what felt like hours. As tired as Bonnie was, she could talk to Clemont all night long. For all of his brotherly intrusions and goofy antics, it was already not the same without him. Once again, she felt the homesickness kick in, missing everything and everyone she knew at home. This talk with Clemont was what she needed to get herself back in the game. As they continued, she felt the worries and anxieties fade away.

"So, Cilan knew Ash, too? How did we not see that coming?" said Clemont, remembering the subway shenanigans that happened in Kalos.

"That's why Ash is special. I wouldn't be surprised if the next Trainer I meet on the way is an acquaintance." joked Bonnie.

"Well, it must be really late over there. You'll need plenty of rest before tomorrow."

To that, Bonnie yawned, complying with Clemont's statement.

"You're right about that." said Bonnie, smacking her lips. The siblings gave each other another knowing glance, wanting to say more but knowing their time was up.

"Take care, Bonnie. You have a long road ahead from tomorrow onwards." wished Clemont.

"Just make sure the Gym's up and ready when I get there." challenged Bonnie.

"Nenene…" said Dedenne, also drowsy from sleep.

"Say hi to Dad for us." Bonnie waved her hand.

"Make sure to call me again once you get to Viridian City again." reminded Clemont.

"I will keep in touch, but after that, I am still not calling you every time I reach a Pokemon Centre." urged Bonnie, before sending her farewell. "Love you, bro."

"Denenene."

"Love you guys too." Clemont said before the screen went off.

After a good amount of time charging, Rotomi unplugged herself from the cable and drifted to the desk, resting after the first hours of her new life.

Bonnie and Dedenne then rolled to bed, tucking themselves in for the night. As Dedenne nested next to Bonnie, the Trainer gave the rodent a small peck on the head.

"Sleep tight, Dedenne." she hushed, her voice fading away. "Tomorrow, our journey begins."

---

Morning came as the Sun rose for a new day.

Once Bonnie was freshened up and had her breakfast, she wished Delia and Mimey farewell; the motherly woman telling Bonnie to send her regards to Ash for her if they ever see him.

Bonnie, Dedenne and Rotomi all made their way to the Professor's lab, where the old man led them towards the path that led them to Viridian City again.

They laid her eyes on the dirt path that pierced into the clearing ahead, taking them to the vast open fields of Route 1.

As they looked on, Bonnie and Dedenne could hardly keep their excitement in check. Ahead of them was not just that plain old route. It was all of Kanto and the rest of the Pokemon world waiting for them. New sights to see, new Pokemon to catch and new battles to be won. Everything was there on the road to becoming one of the greatest.

"Take a good look, young lady." remarked Professor Oak. "Once you step out there, you will be facing your first obstacles. Make sure to make good use of your experiences in the past and become a great Trainer."

Bonnie nodded, barely paying attention to the professor. The man then looked towards the little rodent hanging on to his Trainer's hat.

"And you, little Dedenne. You will be accompanying your Trainer on a very long road. Be sure to give the world all you got and be the partner Bonnie can rely on." he advised as he rubbed the top of Dedenne's head.

"Denene!" chirped Dedenne, vowing to protect Bonnie with all his being.

"And you got me, Trainer Bonnie!" exclaimed Rotomi. "Just stick with Rotomi, and your cerebral cortex will expand to the size of a Rampardos' dome! Although, Rampardos' dome is all bone and very little brain…"

Barely ignoring the last bit, Bonnie acknowledged Rotomi's support. With a loyal partner and an insightful device by her side, she was already feeling like she had companions to travel with from the start.

"Thank you, Professor." she thanked. "And don't worry. Dedenne, Rotomi and I will be sure to look out for each other along the way."

"Nenene!"

"Oh! I feel so happy to be included!" Rotomi gushed, glad that she was going to serve a prominent role after being a chattering Rotom all her life.

With a deep breath and a look ahead, Bonnie, Dedenne and Rotomi were off, taking the first steps into a larger world.

A world of Pokemon…

"Have a safe trip, everyone!" cheered the Professor.

"See you, Professor!" Bonnie and Dedenne waved back, hoping to see Pallet Town once more.

"Denene!"

As the trio were getting further and further away, Professor Oak watched from behind. He had a feeling the quiet town was a whole lot more special than he thought. For many years, it was here that he watched many Trainers leave home to start their new journey. He was reminded of how his grandson so hurriedly left on his car to challenge the world in a show of arrogance and cockiness. He remembered the time a certain raven-haired boy who was late for his first Pokemon dragged his eventual partner off to a rough start.

But if there is one thing he knew for sure, those two boys ended up being the best Trainers they could be. And now, here he was, hoping for a new chapter of another special Trainer.

"And so, another promising Trainer leaves old Pallet Town…"

---

Bonnie's first steps into Route 1, the first steps into the unknown, were light as she skipped with glee and hope, despite having a heavier backpack for her essentials. Dedenne perched on top of her hat, eagerly waiting for the chance to help her fulfil her dreams. The two best friends eyed the scene around them, never once looking back. As they continued on, their excitements built up, already itching for their first ever battle.

It was then that Bonnie decided to start her game plan. It was now time for the first step to become a Pokemon Trainer.

She was going to get her first catch of the day.

"Okay, Rotomi." she called. "Boot up the Dex. Let's see what we got for our first route!"

"Right away! Time to get our booties on!" Rotomi then launched the Dex app for Bonnie before noticing an awkward glance from both the Trainer and her Pokemon. "Not remotely what I meant!"

As they studied on, Bonnie was already waiting to grab her Poke Ball and catch her next member of the team. It was going to be a long list of Pokemon she would have to look through, but the first one must be special. Dedenne charged his whiskers up, ready to finally give himself an easy challenge for starters.

Both youngsters continued to anticipate their successes in the upcoming challenges ahead. Soon enough, they would have their full team ready for the League.

The tale of Bonnie and Dedenne would start as the journey begins…