Author's Note:
Hello again, everyone, I'm back with another chapter of Generation Z! This one was fun, so hopefully you think so too. It's time for Bonnie to become a Pokemon trainer!
By the way, chapter 3 will be out a bit later, but it will be out today...unless you're in a different time zone. Within a few hours anyways.
Chapter 2: A Pokemon Trainer
When Bonnie and Serena had finished their shopping that afternoon, Bonnie only buying a couple of things that could help for her journey, while Serena spent a long time getting some things at a clothing store, Grace had picked them up after her errands, and the three of them had set off to Bonnie's house to get ready for her party. The party wasn't starting too early, but Grace had said she'd received a call from Meyer that all the various preparations had been completed and that he and Clemont would have things ready once Bonnie and the others showed up.
Once at the house, Bonnie and Serena quickly put their bags in her room, before Serena disappeared to "get something ready," although Bonnie wasn't fooled. Serena was doing a worse job of hiding the fact she had a present than she'd done of hiding her crush on Ash. Bonnie didn't mind, though, instead just getting ready herself into a simple yellow dress with blue flowers scattered along it. It was an early gift from Meyer that had apparently reminded him of Bonnie and Clemont's mother. It suited her well enough, and Bonnie did remember her mother wearing something like it a few years back, so she was quite happy to wear it.
Once she was ready, having brushed her hair and tied it back in a ponytail, Bonnie turned to Dedenne, who looked at her somewhat fearfully. "Now you need to get ready, Dedenne. We're putting that little bow tie on you and you need to take a little bath!"
"Nenene..." Dedenne muttered, sighing in resignation, obviously deciding not to fight since it was Bonnie's birthday.
"Don't worry, Dedenne. It's just so we both look good so we can show everyone we appreciate the party they're throwing for us. It's your party too," Bonnie told him, picking him up and giving him a little hug.
Of course, getting Dedenne cleaned up was simple enough, considering his size. However, even with his cooperation, the bow tie Bonnie had gotten him wasn't going on very easily. After about ten minutes, though, they finally got it on, and the two of them were finally ready to go, Dedenne scurrying up onto Bonnie's shoulder as she grabbed her bag and new PokeNav.
When they entered the living room, both Serena and Grace were dressed up and ready to go, Serena holding a gift bag which she seemed to be trying to hide behind her pink and and blue dress. Grace also had some macarons and pokepuffs, apparently made by her. According to Serena, they were even better than hers, although after trying a macaron, Bonnie secretly disagreed. She enjoyed it nonetheless, and Dedenne definitely liked his pokepuff as well.
"Well then, ladies," Grace said after a moment, "are you two ready to head over to Prism Tower?"
As Bonnie and Serena voiced their agreement, it finally hit Bonnie how excited she was. It wasn't just that she was going to be seeing a bunch of friends, opening some presents and playing with some Pokemon. In a way, it wasn't even that she would officially become a trainer, receive her PokeDex and truly be ready to set off on her Pokemon journey with Dedenne. It was almost something that couldn't be explained. Now she wasn't just following along on someone else's path. It was her own story now. It was a new generation of stories.
The drive to Prism Tower was a little slow, with the work day wrapping up for many people and the traffic slowing the roads down. Bonnie didn't mind, though, taking the chance to listen to a few more stories from Serena about Hoenn. Every time she mentioned an unfamiliar Pokemon, Bonnie wanted to know more and more about them. It was just so exciting for her to know there were so many more that she could meet in the world that she might never see in the Kalos region, and it sounded like there were a lot in Hoenn. Serena showed a few of the Pokemon to Bonnie on her PokeDex and they were definitely impressive.
"Awww! That Aggron is sooo cute!" Bonnie exclaimed as Serena showed her the picture, while her PokeDex explained some of the details about it. "Why didn't you catch one?!"
"Well..." Serena giggled, looking quite amused by Bonnie's enthusiasm, "I guess I just didn't find one that wanted to perform."
"I wanna catch one. And a Salamence, and a Metagross, and a..."
The rest of the drive was essentially Bonnie listing off all the Pokemon she wanted to catch out of the ones Serena had show her. She couldn't help how excited she was about them, though. They were just all so cute! Hoenn definitely seemed like an awesome place to go. And from what Ash had mentioned when he'd talked about his journey there, the Hoenn League was definitely exciting. She was definitely planning on asking Sawyer a few more questions at the party.
When they arrived, parking about a block away and walking the rest of the way, it was still light outside, but the sun wasn't nearly as bright as it was earlier, the night approaching. A few shops and cafes were already putting their lights on, and up ahead, Bonnie could see it was the same with Prism Tower, the top of it lit up. And in front of the tower was a sight that made Bonnie feel like she was lighting up.
"It's Shauna, Trevor and Tierno!" she yelled excitedly, running ahead of Serena and Grace to greet the trio heading to the entrance of Prism Tower. "Guys!"
Tierno was the first to hear her, turning around, smiling upon spotting her, and then quickly getting the attention of Shauna and Trevor. "Bonnie!" they all yelled out, running forward and embracing her in a group hug.
"Happy birthday, Bonnie!" Shauna said, smiling as they all stepped back, just as Serena and Grace arrived. "Hi Ser-"
"Serena!" Tierno shouted, rushing forward and kneeling in front of her. Bonnie could've sworn she saw hearts in his eyes as he stared at the Performer. "It's been so long! I'm-"
Fortunately, Shauna was quick to shut him up, grabbing him by the ear and pulling him back. Bonnie had been tempted to do it herself, but she just laughed along with the others as Shauna scolded Tierno, who chuckled as he quickly apologized. It was good to see them all again, after so long. Much like Ash and Serena, Shauna, Trevor and Tierno had been off on their own adventures as well. Only Shauna had stopped by in Lumiose City once, when Aria was performing a few months back.
They spent a few moments as everyone greeted one another, before Trevor insisted on taking a picture of everyone. Apparently one of his gifts for Bonnie would be some kind of photo album of the party which she was definitely excited to see. He seemed to pull out a tripod out of nowhere and before anyone could even really react, he was quickly setting up his camera on a timer to get a group photo. The group quickly posed, Dedenne giving off a little spark of electricity as the camera flashed, and then Trevor quickly bounded forward to check the picture.
"He came across that tripod when he met some guy named Todd Snap or something," Shauna informed Bonnie as the group started heading inside Prism Tower. "I think he's taken about a million pictures since then."
When they got inside, making their way through the hallway and up to the doors of Clemont's gym, Bonnie was the first through the door, mostly due to Serena and Shauna urging her through for a very obvious reason. She made sure to smile and jump up in surprise, though, even though it wasn't actually a surprise party, as those waiting inside shouted, "Happy birthday, Bonnie!"
As the rest of the group came in, Bonnie took a little look around, admiring what Clemont had done to set the gym up. There were a couple of banners up on each side of the battlefield, each saying, "Happy Birthday, Bonnie!" A large dinner table had also been set up near the side, all set up with different foods and snacks for the night. On the opposite end of the table, were a large group of Pokémon, including all the Pokémon who normally stayed in the gym, along with Clemont's Bunnelby, Luxray and Chespin, who already had a big pile of food. They were joined by a Slurpuff, a Sceptile, a Garchomp, a Smoochum, a Lucario, a Charizard and even...
"Goodra!" Bonnie shouted, Dedenne crying out excitedly as well from her shoulder as they ran forward.
They reached the dragon type in seconds, Bonnie wrapping her arms around his large midsection, while Dedenne hopped up onto his head. "Goo goodra!" Goodra cried out happily, hugging Bonnie back and smiling up at Dedenne atop his head. Next to him, the Florges from the Wetlands was there too, calling out a greeting as well.
"We managed to get a hold of Keanan over at the Wetlands," Meyer announced, coming over to stand next to Bonnie as she stepped back from Goodra. "We were actually talking to Ash the other day and he suggested it, since Goodra and Dedenne are such good friends."
Bonnie couldn't have been happier in that moment, looking around at the people gathered there. There was Sawyer, notebook clutched at his side; Miette, smirking over at Serena, obviously interested to hear about her rival's time as a Coordinator; Nini, gesturing to her Smoochum as Serena called out her Pokemon, including Pancham, who looked mortified at the sight of the Kiss Pokemon; Professor Sycamore, standing with Mairin and Alain, the former with a Quilladin at her side, while Alain seemed to be sporting a new Mega Ring; Korrina, her and her Lucario standing by the food and already eating a few of the snacks; and finally, Clemont, her brother standing proudly underneath one of the birthday banners, a large collection of gifts next to him, along with some kind of red device in his hands, with a rounded top and two extensions on the sides.
"Thank you all so much for being here!" Bonnie told them all. "This is so cool. I can't believe you set all this up for me and Dedenne!"
"Anything for you, Bonnie!" Mairin shouted over, smiling widely alongside her Quilladin. "Without you, Chespie might not have been saved."
"And I need to know if I've got a tough challenger coming up," Korrina joked, holding a fist up in challenge. "Can't let Clemont show me up."
"Who knows, maybe you'll be as tough as Ash," Alain added, shrugging like he was justifying his presence there. "Might be able to have a fun battle in the future."
"No way!" Mairin declared, hands on her hips. "I want Bonnie to be my rival."
"Hey, I want to battle Bonnie one day as well!" Sawyer joined in, laughing along as Bonnie giggled.
"You guys can all battle Bonnie one day," Shauna pointed out, pulling out her pokeballs, "but for now, let's party!"
And with that, the party truly began, with everyone calling out their Pokemon, Tierno putting on some music to dance to and plates being handed out to get some food. As excited as Bonnie was to open some of her presents, though, she didn't even look at them for about two hours as she joined in on the fun. She and Dedenne played with Goodra and the Pokemon awhile, the dragon type creating a strange version of tag where whoever was "it" had a cloud from Rain Dance overtop of them. It ended once Braixen was tagged...for obvious reasons.
After that, Bonnie went to get some food, getting a chance to talk to Korrina, Mairin and Alain. Of course, Alain didn't talk much, only perking up when Korrina mentioned a trainer who had recently challenged the latest Kalos League. Apparently he'd actually beaten her and her Lucario quite easily with a Mega Gallade.
"A Mega Gallade, huh?" Mairin asked, smirking at Alain. "Sounds pretty strong!"
"Yeah," Korrina said, sighing as she looked up, almost like she was seeing her battle with this trainer playing out before her. "Too bad I wasn't able to give him a better battle. Do you know if he challenged Clemont, Bonnie?"
Bonnie shrugged at that. She'd made sure not to watch too many of Clemont's gym battles since he started taking on more challenges. It was kind of hard for her to do with her having to wait for her own, and many of the challengers weren't much of a challenge for Clemont. She felt she learned more by only watching a few and spending the rest of her free time exploring nearby forests with Dedenne, or helping Professor Sycamore at the lab. Clemont seemed to agree for the most part, only suggesting Bonnie watch a match when Sycamore was busy, or Meyer was out of town.
"I think I'll go ask him," Korrina announced, moving away from the table and starting to walk towards Clemont.
Bonnie watched her a moment, smirking to herself as Korrina reached Clemont, giving him a little hug and causing him to turn bright red. Had she asked Korrina to take care of Clemont yet? She was wondering about doing that, but was suddenly distracted as Mairin spoke up, asking her a question.
"So Bonnie, where do you think you'll head to first on your journey?" she asked, looking over at Clemont and Korrina as well, apparently thinking Bonnie was looking over there thinking about gym battles. "Ash went to Santalune City for his first gym match in Kalos, right?"
Bonnie nodded, suddenly feeling a sense of nervousness wash over her. Santalune City? Did she have to decide that now? Her eyes drifted over to Serena, who was chatting with Shauna, Miette and Nini. All those other Pokemon...Serena had clearly enjoyed meeting them all. And seeing all those new places. Did it really have to be so simple as to just follow what she saw Ash do?
It was almost like Alain was reading her mind, as he suddenly spoke up, surprising her and Mairin with his words. "Think you might want to try travelling somewhere else? Last time we talked to Steven, he said the Hoenn League was becoming more successful lately. You might even be able to find a Pokemon that could mega evolve there."
"Alain's always thinking about Mega Evolution," Mairin joked, rolling her eyes. "Maybe Bonnie wants to be closer to home, first."
Alain shrugged, as though it didn't really bother him, which, Bonnie supposed, it probably didn't, but she still gave him a smile in thanks. "I'll think about it, Alain. Serena seemed to really like it, so maybe it could be something I try." She then caught sight of Sawyer, walking away from Professor Sycamore as the researcher headed over to speak with Clemont and Trevor. "Actually, maybe I'll go ask Sawyer what he thinks. I'll talk to you guys later, okay?"
Mairin smiled and waved her off, while Alain just nodded, before Bonnie turned and quickly headed over to meet Sawyer as he stopped to look over at Goodra, obviously remembering his battle with Ash. He looked like there was nothing else he'd rather be doing than battling Ash. That made Bonnie think of what Ash would be doing that night. "Did you hear that Ash made the Alola League finals?" she asked, getting Sawyer's attention.
He blinked for a moment, as though not quite hearing the question, but recovered quickly, smiling as he nodded. "Yeah, I saw a bit of his battle yesterday. That Hau guy kind of looks like me, huh?"
Bonnie giggled at that, remembering that being her first thought upon seeing him as well. "Yeah, and he looked like he was almost as strong. He gave Ash a pretty good battle, didn't he?"
Sawyer shrugged, tapping his notebook that was at his side. "Ash wasn't losing that match. You could see it in his eyes. His and Pikachu's. They really wanted to make it to the finals. After Kalos, I don't know if I can see him doing any less."
Bonnie thought about that a moment, glancing back at Alain and Mairin, who were talking once again to Korrina, Meyer joining them as well. "He was so close!" she said, sighing a little as she turned back. She could remember the sinking feeling as they'd watched Greninja fall. She had been so sure Ash would win.
"Well at least we all earned an even more important victory after that," Sawyer pointed out, trying to find the positives. Of course, the thought of their victory over Lysandre and Team Flare just made Bonnie think of Squishy.
There had been no sign of him ever since he'd asked for Greninja's help. Bonnie remembered her promise to him, that she'd find him once becoming a trainer, but was he ready yet? Was she? He was destined to protect Kalos, and was still doing so, along with his fellow Zygarde and Greninja. But Bonnie wasn't so sure her destiny was the same. Not that she didn't want to help Kalos in any way that she could. Of course she did. But...maybe she needed to be stronger...much stronger, before seeking out Squishy once more. That thought made her look at Sawyer once more, remembering why she'd approached him.
"Sorry," he said, looking apologetic. "I know you had to say goodbye to a good friend once all that was over."
"It's okay," Bonnie said, quickly shaking her head and smiling. "I know I'll see Squishy again one day. And when I do..." She paused, not quite sure what she was planning, but knowing that she wanted to see Squishy again when she was at her best. "When I do see him again, I want to be a really strong trainer. Like Ash, like you, like Alain, like Serena and like my brother. But...maybe I'm not really ready for that just yet."
Sawyer furrowed his eyebrows at that, seemingly unsure of what Bonnie was saying, although he seemed to pick up on one thing. "You want to be more experienced? You're sounding a bit like me, Bonnie."
They both laughed at that a moment, before Bonnie continued, glancing at Sawyer's notebook, thinking of all the information he must have in there on the Pokemon she'd never seen before. She then took a deep breath before continuing. "I was talking to Serena about her journey in Hoenn," she started, glancing over at the Performer again, seeing her demonstrating something with Braixen. "It sounds like she had a lot of fun, and met some really cool Pokemon. I was...I was just wondering what you could tell me about it, since that's where you're from."
Sawyer's eyes lit up, looking excited to have a chance to talk about his home region. "Well Hoenn's a great place!" he said excitedly, hands shaking as he pulled out his notebook and flipped it open to a map he'd sketched out. He held it up so Bonnie could see. "There are a lot of places to go in Hoenn, and the Pokemon are amazing. I actually want to go back and challenge the Hoenn League one day, but I decided to try out some other regions before I try heading back."
That quickly got Bonnie's attention, and she quickly spoke up, wondering exactly what Sawyer meant. "You mean...you didn't want to try travelling your own region first? Why not?"
Sawyer shrugged, and it almost seemed like he didn't really have an answer, but after a few moments, he attempted one. "I guess...recently, there's just been so much information about all the different regions that has been made available world-wide. I knew there were so many more experiences out there that I could have. There's never anything quite like home, and I want to go back one day, but I know that I can grow a lot by being away from home before returning. I think I'm already off to a great start."
His answer was somewhat expected, in part due to the fact that it was almost the way Bonnie was feeling about her own future, but regardless, she couldn't help but run forward and give Sawyer a hug. "Thanks Sawyer!"
He seemed a little confused by her reaction, but smiled as she stepped back. "No problem, I guess. I'm sure you'll be a great trainer someday too, Bonnie. Wherever your journey takes you, it'll be a lot of fun for you and Dedenne."
Bonnie nodded, turning around quickly to try and spot her partner Pokemon, but unable to see him near Goodra and the other Pokemon. As she turned back to Sawyer, about to ask him if he'd seen Dedenne, though, she suddenly noticed Clemont approaching the stack of gifts, a pokeball in one hand, and that strange contraption from earlier in his other.
"Excuse me, everyone, can I have your attention?" he called out a little nervously, clearly uncomfortable with speaking to the large crowd.
Bonnie didn't realize how noisy the party had actually gotten until that moment, the sudden stop in activity making things go very quiet. It almost seemed to make Clemont grow a little more nervous, but fortunately for him, he was joined by Professor Sycamore and Meyer who joined him where he stood. Professor Sycamore spoke up next, his attention focusing on Bonnie as everyone at the party gathered near where she and Sawyer stood.
"As we all know, we're here celebrating a special day for our young friend, Bonnie, who turned ten today and is celebrating the beginning of her very own Pokemon journey," Sycamore began, as everyone there applauded, Serena giving Bonnie a little hug as the Performer moved over to stand next to her. "I can see that we've all brought quite a few gifts for her," Sycamore laughed out, looking at Meyer, who chuckled, clearly wondering where they would find space for all that stuff. There was definitely no way Bonnie would be able to take all of it with her when she left. "Before Bonnie gets to opening these gifts, though, I think we should begin with something that she's been waiting a long time for."
"It's time for my sister to officially become a Pokemon trainer!" Clemont finished, a little more confidently as he stepped forward. He looked towards Bonnie, smiling as he gestured for her to come over and join him. She looked around again, wondering where Dedenne was, but everyone was watching her, and she wasn't sure if she'd ruin the moment by wanting to go and get him, expecting he was wandering around with Chespin, who seemed to be missing as well.
When she stood in front of Clemont, her brother held up the pokeball in his hands and turned to look at Professor Sycamore, who came around to his side and took the strange, red device from Clemont's other hand. "Bonnie," Sycamore said, kneeling to look Bonnie in the eye, "Meyer tells me you've been watching Ash battle at the Alola League. I'm wondering if you've seen the PokeDex that Ash has been using there."
Bonnie thought for a moment, unsure of what he meant, until remembering some strange, floating device that looked almost like it was alive. "Was it the floating thing?" she asked, not sure if she sounded stupid or not.
Sycamore nodded, though, smiling as he handed Bonnie the device in his hands. "I contacted Professor Kukui recently. He's one of the leading researchers in the Alola region, and the one who designed that PokeDex. I told him that there was a very special trainer here in Kalos that was about to set off on her journey, and, well, he offered to send me one. The only other one he had on hand, actually. It seems Ash has spoken quite highly of you over in Alola."
Bonnie stared at the device in her hands. It sounded like it was supposed to be very special, and she was happy that she'd apparently received it because Ash and this Professor Kukui thought she could use it, but...it didn't seem to be doing anything. "Um...how does it work?" she finally asked.
Sycamore laughed at that, looking back at Clemont, who held up the pokeball in his hand once again. "The device in your hand is very complex, Bonnie," he said, as Clemont knelt down next to Bonnie. "However...it is useless without a very special energy supply. Clemont…"
"Rotom, come on out!" Clemont shouted, suddenly clicking open his pokeball.
Bonnie's eyes widened as the light from the pokeball dimmed, and she looked upon the lightning rod shaped Pokemon before her, its red body hovering in front of her, two light blue appendages extended out at its sides. It smiled at her, its blue eyes watching curiously. She remembered the Rotom they'd met during their journey, and how it almost seemed to fuse with the different electronic devices it had at its disposal. Did that mean…?
"This is the Rotom that's been causing some problems at the gym," Clemont explained, as the Rotom looked over at the inventor. "Apparently it seems to have been interested in Dedenne. Sycamore brought another one over earlier today, and we managed to catch Rotom by luring it over. When I told Rotom all about you and Dedenne, though, it seemed really excited about helping you guys out."
"Rotototo!" Rotom exclaimed excitedly, looking at the device...or, PokeDex, in Bonnie's hands.
"Rotom, how about you introduce yourself?" Clemont suggested, while he and Sycamore quickly stepped back.
That made Bonnie a little nervous, and a moment later, she realized she was completely justified in feeling that way. The electric and ghost type suddenly started darting around rapidly, filled with excitement as it sparked a few times. Then, it darted straight down, hitting the PokeDex in Bonnie's hands and instantly screeching in glee as the PokeDex lit up. For a moment, Bonnie just stared at the device in her hands as it lay there, still, but then, a moment later, it started to float, and she instantly let go and scrambled backwards.
"I...AM...ROTOM!"
"It...it talks…" Sawyer said in awe, instantly pulling out his notebook.
Everyone else seemed just as amazed, including Clemont and Sycamore. Trevor suddenly grabbed at his camera and started taking a few pictures, but before anyone could react, Rotom was in front of him, a lens on his back flashing as he seemed to take pictures as well. All of a sudden the Plasma Pokemon...or PokeDex Pokemon (Bonnie wasn't sure yet), was taking pictures of everyone, introducing himself as Rotom each time.
"Hello, I'm Rotom!" he shouted, hovering in front of Shauna, taking a picture and then shooting off to take a picture of Alain as well, introducing himself again. He finished up fairly quickly, but seemed about ready to analyze all the Pokemon, before Clemont and Sycamore started calling him back.
"Rotom, can you wait to analyze the Pokemon until after you properly meet Bonnie?" Clemont pleaded, sounding like he was asking Chespin to not eat a snack.
"Yes, Clemont sir!" Rotom quickly shouted, darting back over and hovering between Bonnie and her brother.
She finally got a good look at him now, and with him staying still, Bonnie could finally appreciate what an incredible invention this seemed to be. No wonder Clemont had been so involved! Like before, it was a red device, with a rounded top, a screen and two extensions on the side, but now, the black holes over the screen were lit up blue...and blinking! The arms were also moving, as Rotom waved them around excitedly. The screen even displayed a happy face, with Rotom clearly trying to display how excited he was.
"I am pleased to meet you, Pokemon trainer Bonnie!" Rotom suddenly said, holding out one of his arms, which she hesitantly shook like a hand before he continued. "I am Rotom! I will be your companion on your Pokemon journey, and I will act as your PokeDex, giving you all the data on every Pokemon that you meet!"
Bonnie wasn't exactly sure how to react, but she looked over to Clemont, wondering if he had anything to say that could clarify things further. "Now that Rotom has connected with the PokeDex, he has all the information on most of the known Pokemon that you will be encountering. He'll even act as your trainer's license whenever you want to register for something like Pokemon leagues, contests or performances." He paused here, smiling as he looked around at everyone else there, most of them smirking like they knew what this meant. "Essentially, Rotom here has just made you an official trainer."
Bonnie's eyes widened, and she quickly looked at Rotom again, the PokeDex flashing a thumbs up image and another smiley face on his screen. "Is that true Rotom? I'm an official trainer? And you'll help me?"
Rotom straightened up at that, looking proud of himself like he was accepting the most important responsibility in the world. "Indeed Pokemon trainer Bonnie! The future is now, thanks to analysis!"
"Uh oh," Clemont muttered, eyes widening.
"Seems Rotom picked up a few...Clemontisms while he was here," Meyer laughed out. "Interesting..."
Bonnie didn't mind that, as long as Rotom didn't blow things up all the time while on their journey. She did have one problem about all this, though. "It's really cool to meet you, Rotom, but...Dedenne should be part of this moment too."
"Well, actually Bonnie," Meyer said, smiling as the doors of the gym opened up, Chespin entering with a pokeball held up with his vines, Clembot behind him, pushing some kind of device, "a person becoming a trainer doesn't just involve them receiving a PokeDex or licence. It involves receiving their starter Pokemon as well."
With that, Bonnie turned around as Sycamore, Meyer and Clemont led her over to the machine Clembot had wheeled in. Bonnie now noticed three pokeballs on it, spread out and each resting on a little tray. Overtop of the pokeballs was some kind of sphere with two arrows on it, while two cylinders extended from its sides, each pointing down to two open spots where presumably a pokeball would fit.
"So, Bonnie," Sycamore called out to her, as he stood next to the machine, "it is my responsibility to give new trainers their first ever Pokemon in the Kalos region, and as you are a new trainer, it is time for you to choose. The three pokeballs here," he gestured to the three on the machine, "each hold one of the Kalos starter Pokemon. You can choose Froakie, the water type; Fennekin, the fire type; or Chespin, the grass type."
"Chespin!" Clemont's Chespin exclaimed happily, almost dropping the pokeball he held.
"Quilladin!" Mairin's Chespie also added.
Everyone looked at her expectantly, but Bonnie was starting to feel nervous. Why were they doing this? Wasn't her partner supposed to be...?
"Of course," Sycamore finally said, smiling as he knelt down next to Chespin, "you do have one other option." At that, Chespin extended his vines upwards, placing the pokeball he held at the centre of the machine, in between all the others. "Clemont has donated a very fine young Dedenne that may very well interest you as your new partner Pokemon."
Bonnie didn't even hesitate, tears of joy coming to her eyes as she rushed forward and grabbed the pokeball, hugging it close to her chest. "Dedenne! I choose Dedenne!" She could feel the pokeball shake next to her heart, and knew her best friend had heard her.
It was obvious to everyone there, but Bonnie realized what it was all about. It made this moment even more special. Sycamore stepped forward and Bonnie handed the pokeball to him as he made his way over to stand on one side of the machine. "Your dad has been fixing up this old pokeball transfer machine," he explained to Bonnie as he placed the pokeball under the cylinder. "Rotom, would you please connect to the other end?" he asked the PokeDex, while Clemont stood next to Sycamore, swiping some kind of Gym Leader identification card on a card reader.
"Yes Professor Sycamore sir!" Rotom agreed happily. "Zzt!" He quickly shot over to the opposite side of the machine, "plugging" himself into a slot that was presumably for a PokeDex.
Nothing happened for a moment, but then Professor Sycamore clicked a few buttons on the machine and a computerized voice started to speak. "Initiating pokeball transfer. Transferring the Pokemon Dedenne from Clemont, leader of the Lumiose City Gym, to Pokemon trainer Bonnie."
Bonnie's eyes widened as Dedenne's pokeball was suddenly sucked inside the cylinder by some kind of light as the machine lit up. On a screen, Bonnie could see two pictures on either side, one being Clemont's and one being hers (a bad one from Rotom's picture taking earlier) and between them a picture of Dedenne. Dedenne's image appeared to be moving slowly from Clemont's side to Bonnie's, and as it slowed to a stop near Bonnie's image, the light appeared again, this time under the cylinder near Bonnie, a pokeball appearing in front of her.
"Transfer complete," the machine spoke. "The Pokemon Dedenne is now registered with Pokemon trainer Bonnie."
There was a brief moment of silence after that, as Bonnie and the others stared at the pokeball, while Rotom backed away from the machine, hovering next to Bonnie. "Pokemon trainer Bonnie is now an official trainer, owning one Pokemon," he explained quietly.
"Bonnie," Serena spoke up next, taking a step forward and placing a hand on her shoulder, "why don't you let Dedenne out now?" She smiled, noticing the excitement on Bonnie's face as she slowly nodded.
"Right," she said, reaching forward and taking the pokeball carefully. Her hands shook a little, but she managed to steady them as she finally clicked open the pokeball, calling out her official, first Pokemon.
The pokeball flashed brightly a moment, but as it dimmed, and Dedenne became visible, Bonnie rushed forward in joy as all her friends started clapping for her. "Nenenene!" Dedenne cheered happily, nuzzling Bonnie's face as she pulled him close.
Of course, this resulted in Bonnie suddenly feeling a jolt of electricity and she fell back, twitching as Rotom rushed forward, flashing some pictures. "Zzt! Fascinating! I am very much interested in Dedenne! He appears to know the Nuzzle attack, which paralyzes opponents and deals damage as well." He then hovered over to Bonnie, as Meyer quickly handed her a Cheri Berry. "It appears Nuzzle can be used on Pokemon trainers as well. I will add this to my data! The future is now, thanks to analysis!"
"Nenene," Dedenne apologized, running forward to Bonnie, who sat up, instantly feeling better from the Cheri Berry, and giggling as she held Dedenne up once again.
"It's okay, Dedenne! It was your first Nuzzle attack as my official partner Pokemon! I'm glad to have been a part of it!" Bonnie then stood up, holding Dedenne up high, Rotom moving in front of her to take a picture. "I'm a Pokemon trainer!"
Everyone cheered at that, many of the Pokemon there firing off their attacks into the air. Bonnie had always known her friends and family had cared for her, but to see them cheering her on and supporting her, excited for her to begin her journey, it made her want to be even better than she'd wished to be before. She would be the best trainer in the world, because of all the support she had, and by achieving her goals, it would be one of the best ways to thank everyone.
With Bonnie's big moment done, it was finally time for everyone to sit down for some cake, and for her to open up the rest of her presents. She found out that Grace's "errand" from earlier had been to go out and get a big Dedenne-styled cake, that the Antenna Pokemon seemed to have mixed feelings about, particularly when Alain's Charizard ate his piece in one big gulp. Of course, Dedenne eventually enjoyed his as well.
When everyone had finished singing, "Happy Birthday" to her, they all watched as Bonnie blew out her candles. She knew they were all wondering what she was wishing for, and she supposed they probably all thought she was wishing to become a Pokemon Master, or to catch all kinds of Pokemon. But, she didn't wish for either of those things, believing that those would be earned on her own with hard work. Much like when she'd wished on that star so long ago when she, Ash, Serena and Clemont had been travelling together, she wished for something simple. It came to her mind easily as she exchanged a look with Dedenne. I wish...to be friends with all my future Pokemon.
Next up, it was present time, and it almost seemed like Bonnie was getting bombarded with them. Tierno was first, giving her a little music player, which he said he had used in first learning his dancing style for battling, hoping it might help her win an important battle one day. After him, was Trevor, who promised to give her a photo album once his pictures were ready, but also gave her something called a Dowsing Machine, which was a little device with a small screen, and two antennae, which apparently could be used to find valuable items lost in places like caves.
"I always like to have mine with me when I'm in an out of the way place looking for rare Pokemon to photograph," Trevor explained, holding his own Dowsing Machine up.
After Trevor, Nini handed Bonnie her gift, looking quite pleased with her choice. It wasn't even that surprising when it turned out to be a makeup kit, considering what Nini had looked like during the Masterclass. After her, it was Shauna, who got Bonnie a different kind of fashion kit, this one being one with various Pokemon accessories, which Serena pointed out would be good for things like performances or contests. Next, Miette handed over her gift, a pretty blue dress, that she had seen when visiting Laverre City at Valerie's fashion store.
"If you ever try out performances, the judges will love a dress from Valerie," Miette explained, smiling in Serena's direction as the honey-blonde nodded in agreement.
Mairin was next, sliding her gift bag forward for Bonnie, smiling excitedly. It turned out to be a necklace, a wood carving of Zygarde in its "Squishy" form dangling down from it. Bonnie instantly put it on, hugging Mairin in thanks before continuing onto Sawyer's gift, which turned out to be a notebook. He explained that even if she didn't take as many notes as him, it was always helpful to record a few things. Rotom seemed insulted, but fortunately Sawyer didn't notice the red face the PokeDex displayed on his screen.
When Alain reached over with a gift, Bonnie was almost too stunned to take it, but she managed to recover quickly, taking the gift and thanking him. She wanted to both laugh and cry when she opened it, finding it both hilarious and heartwarming when she saw the blue scarf in the gift bag. He seemed to look quite proud of his choice, and Bonnie made sure to wear it right away, thinking it actually looked okay with her yellow dress.
Korrina was next, proudly handing over her gift and sitting up straight as Bonnie opened it. It looked to be some kind of personalized badge case, the cover being the picture that they'd taken in Geosenge Town when looking for the Lucarionite. Bonnie couldn't wait to put her first badge in there, promising Korrina that one day, she'd be putting the Shalour badge in the case as well.
Serena, after holding onto her gift for so long, finally handed it to Bonnie, who made sure to comment that she hadn't even noticed Serena had a gift for her. When Bonnie saw it, it further confirmed her belief that Serena was the best when it came to fashion. It was all very clear now why Serena had been spending so much time in those clothing stores at the mall, and what she'd been doing when they were all getting ready at Bonnie's house. It was a brand new outfit, and it was perfect for travelling. It wasn't exactly flashy, but for Bonnie, it was very much her. The outfit included a pink t-shirt, covered by a light green sweater, which could be zipped up, and had a white trim at the collar and on the bottom. It also included greyish-blue shorts, black leggings and pink boots to match the shirt. Bonnie would've tried it on right away, but she didn't want to hold everyone up, and just decided to show Serena afterwards.
With Serena done, Clemont quickly pulled out his gift, proudly handing it to Bonnie and giving her a hug before she opened it. "I promise you, Bonnie," he said to her as she started to open it, "it won't blow up. I tested it a million times."
"Indeed," Rotom confirmed, apparently remembering from when he was in Pokemon form. "I saw him blow it up many times, but it will no longer do so."
"The future is now, thanks to science!" they both shouted, causing everyone to laugh as Clemont looked at Rotom accusingly for stealing his catchphrase.
With that, Bonnie finally opened it up, revealing a brand new backpack, that looked much like the one Clemont normally used. Of course, she knew very well that it was no ordinary backpack. "Clemont...is this…?"
"The Clemontic Gear Mark Two!" he announced proudly, clicking a button on one of the straps, causing a mechanical arm to stick out of the backpack, with some kind of hand on the end of it. "As you can see, it has the Aipom Arm attached to it, but it also includes cooking gear, camp gear, and all the materials you need to build any of my inventions, along with a guide for building them.
Bonnie wasn't sure if she'd be building any inventions on her journey, but she was definitely glad to have the Clemontic Gear. She was sure it would come in handy. As much as her brother could struggle with inventions at times, this was definitely one of his better ones. "Thank you so much, Clemont!" Bonnie told him, slipping the backpack over her shoulder to see how it looked.
When she was finished looking at her new backpack, Meyer and Professor Sycamore leaned forward, as Meyer handed Bonnie a little box. "Bonnie, this is a little gift from both Professor Sycamore and me," he told her, sounding surprisingly serious. "You may not be able to use it for quite some time, but we both believe that you are the kind of person who could make very good use of it, and earn the responsibility that comes with it.
This definitely made Bonnie curious, and she stared down at the little box, wondering what was inside. She carefully opened it, moving away the wrapping on the inside and revealing a watch, the face being that of a Dedenne. As cool as it was, and as well as the watch seemed to fit her, Bonnie was a little confused. Her dad made it seem like a little more. Of course, that's when the face of the watch suddenly flipped over as Meyer leaned over and clicked a little button on the side of the watch.
On the other side, was a glass case, holding something on the inside. Meyer gestured for Bonnie to hit the button again, and when she did, the case slid open, revealing clearly what was on the inside. "A KEY STONE?!" she shouted, jumping up in surprise. "I...dad...Professor Sycamore...do you really think…?"
"Yes, Bonnie. I do," Meyer said, as Sycamore nodded in agreement. "And the watch is nice, too. Made it myself!"
Bonnie really had no idea what to say. A Key Stone! I could use Mega Evolution! It was an incredibly valuable gift, and something that Bonnie would value forever. There was just no way to properly thank Sycamore and her father. No...I can thank them by putting it to good use, just like they asked me to. She knew it might not be right away that she could use it, but one day, she would make sure to use it like a trainer who deserved to have it.
And with that, the gift-giving was finished. The party continued to go on, though, for a little while longer, with people continuing to eat cake, or other snacks, or chat, or play with the Pokemon. Bonnie made sure to go around to everyone, thanking them all for their gifts. Serena was most excited, as Bonnie quickly rushed off to change into her new travel outfit, showing off that it fit perfectly, and suited her very well. She did feel as though something was missing from it, though, but she loved it nonetheless, and Serena was ecstatic that it had worked out.
One thought continued to nag at Bonnie, though, as she started to approach Clemont and Meyer, her gaze shifting back to Serena and Sawyer, who were now talking to one another. Bonnie was sure they were talking about the place that was on her mind. The place I want to go...she finally admitted to herself, frowning as she looked up at her brother and father.
"Something on your mind, Bonnie?" Meyer asked, quickly looking up at a commotion, as Rotom seemed to be causing one by taking pictures of all the Pokemon and shouting, "the future is now, thanks to analysis!"
Bonnie wasn't sure if there was really any way to approach this properly, and she felt bad about it, considering the timing wasn't exactly very good, but she decided to just get to the point. "I've decided that I don't want to travel Kalos again. I mean...not yet."
Meyer and Clemont stared at her for a moment, neither saying anything for what seemed like hours, the two of them exchanging a look, before returning their gazes to her. "What did I tell you, Clemont?" Meyer asked, laughing. "I knew she'd change her mind after hearing all of Serena's stories! What did I say, three hours? A little off, but still pretty close!"
Clemont shrugged, giving Bonnie a sheepish look as she looked at him in confusion. "Dad kind of expected this."
"Expected what?" Bonnie asked, frowning and putting her hands on her hips, feeling a little irritated. "I haven't even said where I want to go yet!"
"Is this where you want to go?" Meyer asked, holding an envelope out to her, instantly making her go quiet, a blush coming to her face. There was no way...was she actually that predictable? "One last gift from your dad. Happy birthday, Bonnie."
She slowly reached forward, hand shaking as she took the envelope. She took a deep breath as she started to open it, steadying her breathing and trying to keep her heart from pounding. This was so sudden...but it was also so exciting. And when she finally pulled out what was in the envelope, she told herself that she really did have the best father in the world. It was a ticket to Littleroot Town in Hoenn, leaving from Lumiose City the next day.
"Hoenn," she breathed out, holding the ticket up, smiling as she embraced the reality of the adventure she was soon to be taking.
"Hoenn," Meyer confirmed.
Author's Note:
Convenient for Meyer to guess Hoenn...yes, but hopefully believable enough, given Serena's recent journey. And he does know his daughter...at least I'd hope so.
Things are about to get going now. Bonnie's officially a trainer, she's got Dedenne, and she's even got a RotomDex. Hopefully you're ready for a big time adventure. See you soon with Chapter 3: The First Rival.