Author's Note:

And we are back with another chapter of Bonnie's adventure! This one was pretty fun as it reveals a little more about Butch and Cassidy early on, and then we get to meet a new character, who I think will make things pretty interesting as we move along. So, I hope you enjoy!

Chapter 7: Ralts On In

"What a nasty little brat that girl was! When I see her again..."

"Raaaticate..."

Butch winced, exchanging an uneasy look with Raticate as he watched Cassidy, his companion in a rage that could rival her rants about Jessie, one of their Team Rocket rivals. He was getting a little tired of it, though, her anger not subsiding even after successfully delivering the fossils they'd collected to the base near Oldale Town. He supposed she was probably a little angry about that as well, with Viktor having claimed credit for the partially successful mission in their report to Courtney, and blaming them for the failed part of the mission.

Of course, Butch was fairly certain that Courtney was not particularly fond of the greasy-haired man, having looked quite uninterested in him as he described his "heroic" efforts to avoid disaster at the ruins. She did seem to agree to blame Butch and Cassidy for being unable to take Professor Alden hostage, however, appearing disgusted as they had mentioned the...disturbance in their operation.

"Children," she'd muttered in disgust. "You allowed...children...to defeat...you. Not what I...would expect...from former members...of Team Rocket."

The mention of Team Rocket had put Butch and Cassidy on the defensive, knowing that they were distrusted in Team Archaic because of their ties to the other organization. Of course, Courtney had never really shown any ill will about that fact, having been a Team Magma member prior to receiving her own position. They did need to be careful, however, with Team Archaic members such as Viktor always on the lookout for anything that could be considered treachery. And, of course, he never let them have any acknowledgement for their successes.

"If not for me, they might've been arrested," the man had said, handing over the fossils as Courtney had boarded a helicopter which would be taking her to headquarters, where Darwin was currently conducting tests on the Regice he now held.

"Perhaps...they need...someone else...in charge...of them," Courtney had answered, glaring at the man. It had been some small satisfaction for Butch and Cassidy, although the former Team Magma member had quickly locked her eyes on the pair. "Find out...what these...children...are up to. We don't want...an Ash Ketchum...situation. As for...the Professor...we don't...need him...just yet. The police...will be on...high alert."

And with that, she had left, Viktor crying out about how his orders had been clear and that any failure was Butch and Cassidy's fault. Of course, his cries were either unheard, or simply ignored, and Courtney had soon disappeared into the air with her helicopter. After that, Viktor had been called into the hideout, presumably to make a report to one of the admins there, who would relay the message to Darwin before Courtney arrived.

Butch and Cassidy, however, were ignored, left to wait for their next orders. With little to do, they had gone into the hideout and decided to rest up for whatever mission would be next. It was a far cry from their Team Rocket hideouts, with little to do, and much less respect from the grunts that were supposed to take orders from them. Fortunately, by the next day, Viktor had received his next set of orders and had called upon them for their next mission.

"We're sending you after those kids," he'd said, smirking at the poorly hidden looks of irritation on their faces. "I'm not sure why, but Darwin seems intent on it. Zinnia's been sent to track the older one, who seems to have left their little group, but you'll be responsible for the younger ones."

"We're not babysitters!" Cassidy had almost shrieked, unable to hide her disgust at this order. Butch had a feeling it was less a matter of being insulted about tracking children, and more about their history of failing in defeating them. When Courtney had mentioned Ash Ketchum, it had made their blood boil. Even with this other young trainer, it had been an embarrassing showing.

"You'll follow your orders," Viktor had snapped back. "They're likely on their way to Petalburg City. Keep a close eye on them and update us on anything unusual."

After that, it was a bit of a blur, Butch and Cassidy gathering whatever materials they needed and setting off rather quickly. They weren't exactly sure of what their specific duties would be, but they both had a sneaking suspicion this was to keep them out of the loop on some of the more important operations running in Team Archaic. Butch had just been about to ask Cassidy what she thought about that, when she'd begun her rant as they rested on their way to Route 102, where their "targets" presumably were.

"If it hadn't been for that other brat, we'd have easily beaten her, and then we wouldn't be stuck running silly little babysitting errands!" Cassidy stomped her foot, crushing a berry that had fallen from the tree they were resting under. "What is the boss going to think now?!"

"Shh!" Butch hissed quickly, looking around nervously. He knew they were likely alone, but he did want to be careful about shouting out what they were truly in Hoenn for. "If they hear about what we're doing..."

"Then what?"Cassidy yelled, still not caring apparently. "Our mission for the boss is a failure already. Tracking children! Who do they think we are? Jessie and James? We're out of the loop on everything! All because of that little brat and all because of that greasy-haired fool!"

Butch scratched his neck nervously, exchanging another look with Raticate who simply seemed frozen in fear. "Do you think they figured us out? They could be putting us on this mission to trick the boss into sending more agents."

Cassidy shook her head, calming down a little bit as she seemed to consider this. "Viktor's the only one who might be able to figure out what we're doing, but he's not smart enough. He's more concerned about getting on Darwin's good side, and I doubt that old man cares one bit to even know our names. Courtney could figure us out, but she's been busy with the important operations."

"Too bad we couldn't work for her," Butch muttered, a mystified look coming over his face. "I definitely wouldn't mind- agh!"

"Don't be an idiot!" Cassidy shouted, stepping back after giving Butch a good kick in the side. "We'll never get high enough positions at this point. We may just have to call the boss for reinforcements. Unless that brat is actually a threat to Team Archaic, we're useless here."

Butch sighed, knowing they needed to get some help if they were to succeed in this operation. It was the biggest one Team Rocket had ever given them, so they needed to succeed. At least they'd acquired some information before this...demotion. Perhaps it would be enough for the boss to make a move. If that was the case, they'd be rewarded with the biggest bonus any Team Rocket member had ever received.

"Let's make the call," Cassidy muttered, grabbing her bag and pulling out the transmitter they used to contact the boss.

She clicked a couple of buttons and then a few moments later, a light shone upwards, an image appearing before them as Matori positioned herself in front of the screen. "Agents Boggs and Cassidy? We weren't expecting a report from you for another few weeks."

Butch was about to snap at her for saying his name wrong, but Cassidy spoke up quickly before he could say anything. "We have an important matter to discuss with the boss. It is in regards to our mission and he needs to be updated."

"I certainly hope you haven't failed miserably. Even Jessie, James and Meowth have completed a successful operation recently," Matori said, saying Jessie's name with more venom than even Cassidy would usually use. "I'll put you through."

It only took a few seconds for the screen to shift and for Giovanni's face to appear in front of them. Butch and Cassidy quickly bowed their heads, Raticate joining them as they greeted him. He didn't seem to particularly care, however, waving his hand for them to sit up straighter. Then, he spoke. "Agents," he said, nodding to them. "I assume this is in regards to your mission in Hoenn."

"It is," Cassidy said simply, swallowing as she tried to muster up some courage to give him the update. "There is a bit of a problem, sir. After completing a small operation the other day, we have been given a new task. We...were...um..."

"If this is about your mission to track the children, I am already aware," Giovanni muttered, sounding surprisingly bored...and not upset. "Is there an update on this mission already?"

"Wha- um...no," Cassidy said, looking to Butch in confusion, before returning her gaze to the screen. Giovanni's Persian appeared, poking its head above the desk where the Team Rocket leader sat, staring menacingly at the pair. "We...how did you know?"

"I would be a poor excuse as the leader of the great Team Rocket if I were to trust only two agents on an important mission such as this. We have operatives in high positions within Team Archaic. How else do you think I was able to get you inside?" Giovanni almost seemed amused, enjoying how surprised they were. It was intimidating to Butch, how this man seemed to always be two steps ahead. "You're better off being kept away from this fool that you've been working under...Viktor. You've been held back in your duties."

"But sir...how are we supposed to do anything if we're...tracking kids?" Cassidy asked, shoulders slumping as she fully realized that they were stuck in this task. "We're not even tracking the one that was the real problem. This girl is nothing more than a rookie!"

"She travelled with Ash Ketchum through the Kalos region," Giovanni answered, sitting up a bit straighter. "She may be young, but with what that boy has put our organization and others through, we won't be underestimating what kind of damage she may cause. Even if she is no threat, Ketchum may aid her if she is in danger, which may lead to others getting involved. I'll want to be updated if that is the case."

Cassidy exchanged another look with Butch, actually looking a little more accepting of the mission at this point. He was more interested as well, even if tracking a child was still not the most appealing mission. At least it was important. "In that case, sir, we will be honoured to carry out this mission for you! For the glory of Team Rocket!"

"For the glory of Team Rocket!" Butch echoed, nodding in agreement.

"Raticate!"

"Very well," Giovanni stated, nodding slowly. "And from now on, you'll be sending your reports to Special Agent Lyanna. I have her heading up this operation as I work on another important matter that requires my attention."

"Special Agent Lyanna?" Cassidy and Butch asked in the same moment.

"Our new specialist for undercover operations. She's conducted some of our more...delicate missions," Giovanni said, smirking as he seemed to be thinking of some kind of diabolical thing this woman must've been responsible for. "You will report to her every two to three days. Ensure she is up to date on everything."

"Very well, sir," Cassidy answered. "Of course."

"You are dismissed."

"Professor Alden was so cool, wasn't he? And all those Relicanth! What an awesome place that was!"

Bonnie just laughed as she and Clyde continued on their way towards Petalburg City, Route 102 very calm and peaceful after the events in Oldale Town. She was glad that Clyde had something to be excited about, not wanting to drag him along behind her as she went on her badge quest, even if he seemed to be perfectly fine with following along. She had to agree, though, that the hidden area of the Oldale Ruins had been a spectacular sight.

"Zzt, I would very much like to see more ruins like that!" Rotom cried out in agreement. "It would be very exciting data to analyze! The future is now thanks to analysis!"

"I wonder if there are any other places like that," Bonnie muttered, thinking out loud. "I don't remember Ash mentioning anything else like that."

"When we get to Rustboro City, we might be able to find out from the people at Devon Corp," Clyde suggested, looking up in thought as he picked up his pace to walk alongside Bonnie. "I even heard that the Gym Leader, Roxanne, is a big fan of fossils and ancient Pokemon. Maybe we can ask her when you challenge her."

That thought excited Bonnie, the idea of challenging a Gym Leader before too long finally dawning on her. Of course, Petalburg City was their next destination, and she did want to see if she could beat Norman, despite Wally, and Max, mentioning that he was a particularly tough Gym Leader to beat. She decided to ask Clyde what he thought, hoping he might know a little more. "Do you think I can beat Norman with Dedenne and Silcoon?" she asked, looking up to Dedenne, who watched Clyde for his answer.

Clyde shrugged, looking like he didn't really have any idea. "I can't say, really. I know that all gym leaders are tough, but they do battle new trainers all the time, and they're meant to make the battle on even terms. I do know Wally's not the only trainer to skip it as the first gym, though."

"I guess we'll see when we get there," Bonnie muttered, feeling butterflies in her stomach as they walked along. Her first gym battle was special, regardless of the result. However, she didn't want to be totally embarrassed. If Norman's gym was meant for trainers with a little more experience, then she didn't want to push it. She knew she'd get her chance eventually. Besides, she'd waited this long, and it wouldn't be too much longer till they reached Rustboro City afterwards. She decided that she'd think on it again once they made it there, knowing that once the gym was in front of her, she might not be able to resist.

"Do you think Dedenne and Silcoon are ready for a gym battle?" Clyde asked, looking curiously at the Antenna Pokemon on Bonnie's shoulder. "Dedenne fought pretty well back there in Oldale Town, and Silcoon helped us out of a rough situation before that."

"Zzt, Pokemon trainer Wally was approximately eighty-four percent responsible for defeating those criminals," Rotom said, floating in between Bonnie and Clyde. "Dedenne was still at a much lower level than the Pokemon they controlled."

"Hey!" Bonnie yelled, hitting the PokeDex, causing him to fly back a bit, before approaching them once more, making zzt noises, but keeping a bit of a distance now. Bonnie knew he was right, of course, even if it didn't make her happy, but she wasn't going to let him bring it up all the time.

Clyde was silent a moment as they continued walking, before finally speaking up again while Rotom started scanning the bushes for Pokemon with Treecko's help. "Wally seemed like a pretty strong trainer, didn't he? I wonder how he'll do in the Hoenn League."

Bonnie frowned at that, admittedly still a little intimidated at the prospect of battling such a trainer so early in her career as a Pokemon trainer herself. She would have to train really hard to be able to pull off some of the feats that less experienced trainers like Sawyer had managed in the past. Clyde had mentioned that he'd seen some upsets occur before. I just need to practice some more.

"I need to battle someone," she finally said, after a couple of minutes of silence. "I haven't seen you battle yet, other than fighting off those Taillow. Why don't we have a battle?" Bonnie remembered how Clyde had seemed a little spooked at the ruins against those criminals, so she wondered if he was simply afraid of battling.

"I'm probably not the best one to practice with," he said, rubbing his neck nervously as he answered a moment later. "I just like watching battles."

"Well we could've used your help against Butch and Cassidy," Bonnie muttered, narrowing her eyes as she looked ahead. "Maybe you need the practice yourself."

"I..." Clyde looked a little lost for words as Bonnie looked to him, waiting for an answer. He didn't seem capable of giving one, though, eventually just looking ahead, shoulders slumping.

Bonnie was about to pester him to say whatever he might've been thinking of, but in that moment, Rotom and Treecko suddenly cried out from in front of them. Bonnie and Clyde quickly looked ahead to them, Treecko pointing ahead while Rotom continued making his way forward. Then, they suddenly heard a noise that sounded like a small explosion, followed by a barely audible scream. The two young trainers looked to each other and nodded, quickly breaking into a run to see what was ahead, around the corner that Rotom had gone past already.

However, when they rounded the corner, Bonnie and Clyde quickly came to a stop, Bonnie nearly crashing into her PokeDex as it floated back towards them quite quickly. After narrowly avoiding him, Bonnie looked ahead, realizing that their rush towards potential danger hadn't been needed. At least, it didn't appear as thought it had been.

In front of them, was a girl, probably about the same age as Bonnie, dressed in a purple hoodie and jeans, with ginger hair tied back into a ponytail. She hadn't seemed to notice Bonnie and Clyde just yet, seeming intent on a certain task she was currently involved with. Her blue eyes flashed as she called out to the Pokemon in front of her, a small, blue two-legged Pokemon with grey ridges atop its head. Bonnie recognized it as a Bagon, and it seemed to be a very energetic one, charging straight ahead as it rammed into a Ralts, who seemed to have been the culprit of the explosion earlier, as there still seemed to be smoke just to the left of Bagon where Ralts must've attempted an attack.

"Yay!" the girl shouted out excitedly, seemingly noticing Bonnie and Clyde but ignoring them for the moment, which neither of them minded, too interested in watching the small battle in front of them. "Great job, Bagon! Now let's try that Ember attack!"

"Gon! Bagon!" the dragon type cried out, jumping back as Ralts tried to use Teleport to attack him from behind. The quick movement of her Pokemon made Bonnie realize that this girl was a fairly good trainer, despite likely being a rookie or at least fairly new. Its Ember attack only added to it, the fire attack striking Ralts head on and sending it stumbling into the ground.

"Now goooooo pokeball!" the girl shouted, throwing the capture device towards the fallen psychic type. Ralts didn't even move, too tired out, as the pokeball hit it, opened up and pulled it in. The device shook three times before a soft ding was heard, confirming the girl had managed the catch. "Hooray!"

"Wow...not bad, huh?"

Bonnie nodded, about to agree with Clyde before looking over to him, realizing his eyes had glossed over and he was standing there with a dumb, blank expression on his face. "Clyde!" she snapped, nudging him with her elbow, not wanting him to embarrass them.

"Zzt, Pokemon trainer Clyde has a cru-"

"Wha- no! Quiet, Rotom!" Clyde quickly hissed, swatting at the PokeDex as he quickly shook his head.

Bonnie groaned as the two went at it for a few seconds, Treecko attempting to help his trainer make a grab at Rotom, but the PokeDex moving fairly quickly. It gave the girl with the Bagon enough time to collect her pokeball with her newly caught Ralts, before she approached them. Bonnie was the first to notice, silently wishing in that moment it was just her. Her irritation quickly left, however, as she realized the girl looked familiar.

"Hey, I saw you at the Oldale Town Pokemon Centre the other day!" she couldn't help but blurt out, pointing at the redhead.

The girl giggled at that, clipping her new pokeball to her belt as Dedenne scurried down from Bonnie's shoulder to greet Bagon. "Yeah, I recognize you too! You're the ones who ran off at that explosion, right. Good thing you stopped those criminals. It was hard enough helping Nurse Joy to calm people down."

"Wow, you were helping Nurse Joy!" Clyde's voice suddenly joined in, the boy appearing next to Bonnie with a mischievous looking Rotom behind him. "Pretty and helpful...I mean...a good battler and helpful."

Bonnie rolled her eyes at that, looking back to the girl, who simply giggled at Clyde's comment. She was definitely a peppy person, her freckled face constantly smiling. "I'm Bonnie," Bonnie greeted quickly, before Clyde could say anything else. "This is my partner Dedenne," she added, gesturing down to the Antenna Pokemon who had finished his greeting with Bagon. "And this is Clyde, his partner Treecko, and Rotom...who's actually my PokeDex."

"Oh cool! I saw you with it at the Pokemon Centre. I wish I had one!" the girl said excitedly, Rotom appearing quite smug knowing he was so unique...or rather, the device he inhabited was unique. The girl luckily moved on from that, though, turning her attention back to Bonnie. "Well I'm Sadie, and this here is Bagon, my partner. We just started our journey recently. Ralts is our first catch!"

Bonnie's eyes lit up at that, exchanging an excited look with Dedenne. "We just started out too!" she told Sadie, looking back to her. "I'm from Lumiose City in the Kalos region, but I heard a lot about Hoenn so I wanted to see what I could learn here. I plan on challenging the Hoenn League!"

"Me too!" Sadie squeaked out, jumping back and holding her fists up in excitement, Bagon mimicking her. "My sister taught me all about Pokemon and everything I need to know, so I've been ready and waiting for this forever. I'm still training a bit before my first gym battle, though. I want Bagon to be super ready first."

"Zzt, Pokemon trainer Sadie is a much better planner than Pokemon trainer Bonnie," Rotom announced, floating forward to snap a picture of the girl, who giggled and posed as she realized what Rotom was doing. "Bonnie is considering a challenge at the Petalburg City Gym, despite not having won a single official Pokemon battle since her journey began."

Clyde laughed at that, although as Bonnie turned her glare on him, she couldn't tell if he was even paying attention, the dumb look back on his face as he looked at Sadie. Treecko, fortunately, seemed to take pity on her, hitting his trainer with a Pound attack on the shin, causing him to stagger back, clutching where he'd been hit. "Ow! Treecko!"

"Treecko treecko!" the grass type shouted, pointing to the glaring Bonnie.

"Okay okay...uh...yeah, Bonnie's done okay so far. She beat that Team Archaic woman...sort of," he muttered, Sadie's giggles quickly stopping.

"Team Archaic?" she asked suddenly, raising an eyebrow. Bonnie was a little surprised at the name as well, looking over to Clyde as Dedenne returned to her shoulder. "That's what those people from the ruins were from?"

"You never mentioned that before," Bonnie said, tilting her head curiously. She supposed it hadn't exactly come up, but they had just been calling them "the criminals" up until now.

Clyde blushed, rubbing his neck uncomfortably. "Guess I thought it was obvious," he muttered. "Team Archaic's been in the news recently. They're...um...some new organization that's been vandalizing things and causing some problems. I heard their uniforms were like the ones Boggs and Cassidy were wearing."

"Butch," Bonnie corrected, before continuing on. "Do you think they're like Team Rocket or Team Flare?"

"I don't know much about those groups," Clyde admitted, shrugging and looking increasingly uncomfortable. "But...I have heard the police are worried they're something like a new Team Magma or Aqua, who put a scare into a lot of people a few years back." The idea seemed to freak Clyde out, his eyes downcast as he spoke. Bonnie felt kind of bad pestering him about it, realizing it was likely why he hadn't done anything the other day when the fighting had started.

"Wow...these people sound pretty creepy," Sadie spoke up again, getting Bonnie and Clyde's attention. "If you beat one of them, you must be pretty tough!" she said to Bonnie. "Do you think we could have a battle?"

Bonnie's eyes lit up at that, but Rotom interrupted before she could accept. "Pokemon trainer Sadie should heal both of her Pokemon before competing in a battle."

"Don't worry, I've got some Oran berries here somewhere," Sadie said, kneeling down as she opened up her backpack. She rummaged in there a few moments before finally pulling out a container that seemed to hold her collection of berries. She handed one to Bagon before pulling out the pokeball that obviously held Ralts and clicking it open.

"Ralts?" it asked when it emerged, looking up at Sadie in surprise.

"Hey there, Ralts," Sadie greeted excitedly, holding out a berry. "How do you feel about joining me on my journey? We've already got a fun challenge together!" she added, pointing to Bonnie.

Ralts took a bite of the berry before glancing back at Bonnie and then returning its gaze to Sadie. As it seemed to get re-energized by the berry, it perked up, looking perfectly willing to get back into a battle. Bonnie kind of wished she had a Ralts, knowing how tough Max's was, and seeing how feisty this one seemed to be. She would worry about that later, though. For now, this Ralts was her opponent, and while Bagon looked strong, Ralts hadn't had an opportunity to get trained. She had the edge against it at least.

Finally, Ralts finished, seemingly ready to go, along with Bagon, and Sadie stood up. "So what do you think of a two on two battle? First one to defeat both of the other's Pokemon wins."

Bonnie nodded, starting to shake with excitement. She needed a test like this. She wanted to prove that she could've taken on Cassidy even if Wally hadn't helped her. Even if she couldn't have done it, she wanted to at least show she was going to get there at some point. "Sure! I'll be using Dedenne and my Silcoon," she declared, calling out her bug type, feeling it was only fair to show who she'd be using, since she knew Sadie's Pokemon already.

"I'll be the referee!" Clyde said, looking to Sadie as though desperately seeking her acknowledgement. It was increasingly irritating to Bonnie, but she ignored it while Sadie simply giggled once more and nodded in agreement.

"And I will aid Pokemon trainer Bonnie so that she does not make any costly mistakes!"

Rotom announced proudly as Sadie started walking back to create space for their battle, Clyde stepping back as well to stay in between the two trainers. Bonnie just decided to go along with Rotom's declaration, leading him over to her own place on the path that would be their battlefield.

When they were both in position, Bonnie with Dedenne, Silcoon and Rotom behind her, and Sadie with Bagon and her new Ralts next to her, Clyde held his arm up to call the rules for the battle. "This will be a two on two battle between Bonnie," he called out, pointing to her, "and the beautiful Sadie!" he added, blushing as he pointed to the other girl, who bowed, giggling again at Clyde's antics. Bonnie simply wanted to kick him in the shin, but she ignored it for now. "The winner will be decided when one trainer has lost both Pokemon. Are you both ready?"

"I'm ready!" Sadie called out excitedly, smirking in Bonnie's direction, looking a little more battle-ready than a few moments ago. "Make sure to give me a good battle, Bonnie!"

"I will," Bonnie answered, although sounding a little less sure of herself, which Dedenne seemed to notice, giving her a comforting pat on the back of her leg. "I choose Silcoon, first. Let's rumble, Silcoon!" she then said, raising her voice a little as she smiled gratefully down at Dedenne and Silcoon shuffled forward. Bonnie wasn't sure for a moment how it was moving, but it seemed to be using String Shot to pull itself forward. She hoped its lack of movement wouldn't hurt it in the battle, but she did have a few ideas.

"Cool! I wonder if a shiny Silcoon is stronger than a regular one!" Sadie called out excitedly, pointing ahead as she called out her Pokemon. "Bagon, you go first!"

"Bagon!" the dragon type shouted challengingly as it stepped forward, eyeing Silcoon. Bonnie was a little nervous to be going up against it, knowing from the brief battle earlier that it was pretty strong, but she knew she needed to battle strong Pokemon to get stronger herself, so she steeled herself and looked at Clyde, Sadie doing the same.

"Let the battle begin!" he shouted, waving his arm and pointing to the centre of the field.

Sadie was quick to act, she and Bagon clearly very close and ready to get into action. "Bagon, start this off with Headbutt!"

Bonnie was a little surprised by the quick attack, but she managed to call her own order as the Rock Head Pokemon charged towards Silcoon, head bowed low as he prepared to strike. "Silcoon, use Harden and hold on tight!" she shouted, hoping it could hang in there.

"Coon!" Silcoon cried out, body glowing briefly before Bagon reached it, slamming his hard head into it with full force. Surprisingly, though, Silcoon seemed to hold on fairly well, sliding back a few feet, but otherwise not looking hurt from the attack. Meanwhile, Bagon gave its head a quick shake, looking a little surprised as it stared ahead at Silcoon.

Sadie was no different, narrowing her eyes as she looked up at Bonnie. "Clever move," she said, before quickly calling her next attack. "Use Dragon Breath!" she shouted, watching the field closely, almost as though she was waiting for a move Bonnie had yet to make.

"Zzt! Dragon Breath has a chance of paralyzing the opposing Pokemon!" Rotom cried out quickly. "If Silcoon gets paralyzed-"

"It'll be even slower," Bonnie finished, nodding in thanks to her PokeDex. "Silcoon, use String Shot and aim for the trees above you!"

She was proud of the order, thinking it was something that Ash would've thought of in the same situation, making use of their surroundings. It was even more satisfying as the blue wave of energy hit the ground where Silcoon had been, the bug type shooting into the air as a white rope of web pulled it into the air just in time. Unfortunately, it was just what Sadie had wanted.

"Ember, and then use Headbutt!" the redhead shouted, blue eyes flashing as she smirked at Bonnie, knowing she had her trapped.

"Gon bagooonnn!" the Rock Head Pokemon shouted, aiming quickly and sending out the fireballs in quick succession, burning the String Shot that held Silcoon up in the air and hitting it once. Silcoon cried out in surprise, Bonnie only able to watch on in shock as her bug type fell back towards the ground, Bagon already breaking out into a run to intercept. Before she could even think about calling for another Harden attack, Bagon was slamming his head into Silcoon's underside, sending the Cocoon Pokemon back into the air, its body sailing over Bonnie's head, before it landed hard on the ground behind her, a muffled groan heard as it lay there.

"Silcoon is unable to battle! Bagon wins!" Clyde called out, sounding like he was too surprised to continue in his praise of Sadie.

Bonnie just gritted her teeth, turning around and quickly running up to her bug type. That was fast, she thought, glancing back to Sadie, who was now congratulating her Bagon, the dragon type nuzzling her affectionately. I didn't think she was that strong. She knelt down to Silcoon, reaching out and picking it up gently, hearing it murmur out something tiredly. "I'm sorry, Silcoon. I shouldn't have put you into a battle like that. That Bagon is really tough."

"Sil silcoon," the Cocoon Pokemon murmured, blinking up at her, apparently trying to tell her otherwise. "Silcoon."

"Zzt, Pokemon trainer Bonnie should be careful in the next battle," Rotom said, actually sounding concerned as he floated down to examine Silcoon. "Pokemon trainer Sadie is not as friendly in battle as she is outside of it."

Bonnie nodded, glancing back once more at her opponent, who was waiting patiently, smiling. It kind of rubbed Bonnie the wrong way, but she supposed that losing could do that to a person. She still had a chance, though, and she needed to prove that she could fight. "Dedenne," she said, looking to the Antenna Pokemon, "are you ready to go?"

"Nene!" her electric and fairy type answered, pumping his little fist.

"Good," Bonnie said, smiling back at him, before looking back down to Silcoon. "Thank you, Silcoon. You did a great job. At least we know a little more about how Sadie battles." The bug type seemed content with that, closing its eyes as Bonnie recalled it into its pokeball, clipping it onto her belt as she stood up. "Let's do this, Dedenne."

When she returned to her place opposite Sadie, Clyde looking a little concerned, Sadie called out to her. "Is Silcoon okay?" she asked, frowning as she looked down at Bagon, almost as though she was guilty, even though Bonnie was sure the girl knew very well there was no reason for it. She'd won the first round fair and square. Now it was time for round two.

"Silcoon will be okay," Bonnie assured her, Dedenne running forward to prepare for the next battle. "Dedenne will take it from here."

"Are you sure?" Sadie asked, tilting her head as she looked to her two Pokemon. "I don't mind stopping if you want to." The comment irritated Bonnie, but she did her best not to show it, shaking her head and waiting for Sadie to send out her Pokemon.

"Bagon will be unable to use its Dragon Breath on Dedenne," Rotom informed her as Sadie knelt down next to her Ralts. "I expect Pokemon trainer Sadie does not want to risk the type disadvantage."

Bonnie expected it as well, taking a deep breath as Sadie confirmed Rotom's thoughts by sending out her Ralts. Bonnie felt a little more confident about this one, knowing Ralts was new and that Sadie barely knew any more about it than she did. If she was going to make this battle close, this was Bonnie's chance to do it.

As both girls signalled to Clyde they were ready, he was quick to make the signal for them to resume the battle. "Let the next battle begin!"

This time, Bonnie made the first move, deciding she could at least test out this Ralts to see if it moved at all like Max's did. "Dedenne, use Thunder Shock!" she shouted, pointing ahead at the Feeling Pokemon, desperately wanting the quick strike.

"Nenene!" Dedenne chirped out, charging up his cheeks quickly before leaping into the air and unleashing the bolt of electricity towards his target.

Surprisingly, Sadie didn't even move, simply watching as the attack rocketed towards her new Pokemon, striking it head on, causing it to cry out. "Raaallltttsss!" it shouted, straining against the electric attack that completely engulfed it. It surprised Bonnie, but she supposed that Sadie wouldn't have had nearly as much knowledge about her Ralts as Max did about his. Even though her Bagon was well trained, this Ralts was brand new and she was just learning about it. Bonnie and Dedenne on the other hand, were best friends.

"Keep it up with a Tackle attack!" Bonnie ordered next, knowing she could keep the pressure on with Ralts staggering from the Thunder Shock. If they kept this up, they might just have a chance against Bagon. Bonnie knew they could avoid that Ember attack, and Dragon Breath wouldn't be able to do a thing.

Dedenne seemed just as confident as her, darting forward at full speed, Ralts only just righting itself as the Antenna Pokemon reached it. "Nene!" he shouted as he slammed into the Feeling Pokemon, sending it flying back, sliding along the ground from the impact. Dedenne jumped back as Ralts rolled along the ground, barely getting to its feet as Dedenne stood up straight, ready for his next order.

"Not bad, Bonnie!" Clyde cheered, surprising her a little as he actually managed to get his eyes off Sadie for the moment. "Dedenne's looking really strong!"

"Zzt, it must be those training tips I gave you the other day!" Rotom muttered, although he had a big smiley face on his screen, clearly excited with how this battle seemed to be going.

Bonnie noticed that Sadie was remaining quiet, though, her eyes narrowed as she watched her Ralts, the Feeling Pokemon breathing heavily as it stood back up. Why isn't she attacking back? Bonnie asked herself, Dedenne tensing up in front of her as he seemed to be realizing the same thing. Bonnie knew she had to keep up the offensive, though, knowing that if she gave Sadie the chance, the other girl could definitely end the match quickly. "Use Thunder Shock again!"

"Neee neee NEEE!" Dedenne cried out loudly, charging the electricity up as much as he could before leaping high into the air once again, the electricity rocketing forward as soon as he reached as high as he could. Again, Sadie and Ralts simply watched on as the attack sailed towards the Feeling Pokemon, hitting it and causing it to cry out in pain yet again. And when the attack ended, Ralts was left sitting on the ground, already looking exhausted, its body smoking.

Then, finally, Sadie made her move. "Heal Pulse," she ordered calmly.

The order surprised Bonnie a bit, and this time, it was her turn to watch, staring blankly as Ralts straightened up a little, a pink glow surrounding its body. Suddenly, the smoke coming from its body seemed to disappear, along with the scrapes from the first three attacks. Then, even the exhaustion seemed to leave the psychic type's body, the small Pokemon standing up straight once again, looking totally energized.

"Now use Double Team!" Sadie ordered next, a little more into it as she clearly seemed to be coming up with a plan.

"Ralts!" the psychic type cried out excitedly, suddenly splitting off into multiple copies, surrounding Dedenne, the electric type looking around in confusion.

"Don't worry about it, Dedenne!" Bonnie encouraged, knowing they needed to get rid of this distraction as soon as possible. "Just use Thunder Shock in a circle!"

"Combine Double Team with Teleport!" Sadie countered, smirking as Bonnie looked up at her in shock, wondering just what the redhead was up to now.

She saw a moment later, jaw dropping as Dedenne's bolts of electricity fired out, hitting a few copies, but overall, missing most of them. It was a complete mess on the battlefield, copies of Ralts appearing and then disappearing, the combination of Double Team and Teleport creating one of the most bizarre illusions Bonnie had ever seen, as though Ralts was moving around in rapid succession. Then, the copies circled Dedenne once more, the Antenna Pokemon quickly tiring out from his successive Thunder Shocks and constant turning to spot the real Ralts. Each copy seemed to appear and disappear a few feet away from him, then behind him, then next to him. It was clearly too much for him and he was quickly becoming overwhelmed.

"Use Disarming Voice!"

Bonnie clenched her fists, remembering Max using that move and how it had done lots of damage. Fortunately, though, Dedenne hadn't been hit by a Confusion attack here. As confusing as the Teleport and Double Team combination seemed to be, Dedenne was still aware. "Dedenne, get out of that circle and use Tackle!"

"Dene!" the Antenna Pokemon cried out in confirmation, breaking out into a run as the Ralts copies began to sing out in their eery voices, the pink hearts converging at the centre of their circle. Fortunately, Dedenne seemed to break through, hit slightly by the real attack, but getting outside of the worst of it, before turning around, the real target within his sights.

"Thunder Shock!"

"Disarming Voice again!"

Bonnie's eyes widened, watching as Dedenne was suddenly encircled once more, the copies teleporting rapidly around him again. He looked around in shock, own eyes wide as the singing grew louder around him. "Nene!" he cried out, unable to do anything as the hearts swirled around him, battering relentlessly at him. Some were not real, but without knowing where to go, he continued to stumble into the attacks that did damage, crying out louder each time, before finally the copies disappeared, revealing the lone Ralts in front of Sadie, and a dizzy looking Dedenne opposite to it.

Bonnie wasn't sure what to do, knowing that she'd fallen into a pretty costly trap by letting her guard down and trying to end the match as quickly as possible. That Heal Pulse had really messed with her head! "Dedenne?" she called out, her voice shaking with nervousness.

"Ne...ne...ne," the Antenna Pokemon tried to answer, almost seeming to right himself a moment, before finally falling backwards, lying still.

"Dedenne is unable to battle! Ralts is the winner!" Clyde declared, although sounding a little less happy about it than the first one. "Sadie has defeated both of Bonnie's Pokemon, and thus she is the winner!"

"Dedenne!" Bonnie reached her partner Pokemon in an instant, kneeling down next to him and leaning close as he opened his eyes up, lying there in disappointment as he realized he'd lost. "Dedenne, are you okay?" She hated that she had to ask it...again. She hated that she'd lost...again. She hated that she'd been completely outclassed...again.

"Nene," he answered quietly, looking up at her and giving her a sad smile. "Denene."

"I really thought we were going to win that one," Bonnie admitted, almost wanting to cry at how she'd been embarrassed like that, and how she'd allowed both of her Pokemon to be crushed by one simple strategy each. "I'm a lousy trainer."

"Zzt! Pokemon trainer Bonnie is a beginner!" Rotom suddenly said, appearing next to her. "You must keep improving yourself! You and Dedenne could have still won if you had been a little more careful."

"Rotom's right." Bonnie looked up in surprise as she noticed Sadie approaching her, Clyde having come up as well. "You and Dedenne took it to us pretty good there!" the girl said in her once again peppy tone. "I didn't really know what strategy to use with Ralts so I had to think it through, but you and Dedenne could've beaten me if I'd thought any slower."

"Yeah, you guys were looking pretty fierce for a bit there," Clyde told her, giving her an encouraging smile.

"I bet the next time we battle, you and Dedenne will be even tougher!" Sadie added excitedly, holding up her fists and doing a little jump, Bagon joining her, while Ralts cried out in agreement. "And then we'll meet at the Hoenn League in the finals!"

"Haha, I'd like to see that," Clyde said, nodding as he looked to Sadie. "But wow, Sadie, you were really able to come up with some good strategies there. How do you know how to battle like that?"

The question seemed to catch her off guard and Sadie's smile dropped a second as she looked to him. "Oh, well my sister's helped me train since before I can remember. I know all kinds of battle strategies from her, and my goal is to beat her one day!" she finished, her smile returning. "Until then, though, Bonnie will be my number one rival!"

"Rival?" Bonnie asked, mouth opening in surprise.

"Yeah," Sadie said, shouldering her backpack and recalling Ralts into its pokeball. "I know you'll give me an even better battle next time, so you're the kind of rival I want! What do you say?"

"Um...I guess so," Bonnie said, still unsure about how peppy this girl was after her somewhat ferocious battling.

"Zzt, Bonnie now has two rivals!" Rotom said excitedly, snapping another picture of Sadie. "This will be very good for Pokemon trainer Bonnie's growth!"

"Yeah, and I can't wait to see it!" Sadie said, reaching her hand out to Bonnie. "So I'll see you around, okay? And next time we meet, we'll battle again!"

Bonnie hesitated a moment, checking on Dedenne once more, relieved to see he was alert and looking up at the other girl in interest. She supposed she couldn't deny Sadie, and if she was to get better, she needed strong rivals, just as Ash had. So Bonnie finally looked back to the other girl, nodding and reaching out with her own hand. "Sure. And next time, I'll be ready."

"So will I!"

And Bonnie didn't doubt that one bit.

Author's Note:

And so, we have officially met Sadie, Bonnie's newest rival. She's quite peppy outside of battle, but definitely tough when in battle. Just who is this girl? Hopefully you all find her interesting enough so far, and hopefully she'll be a good character down the road.

As for Butch and Cassidy...yes, they are still working for Team Rocket! But of course, they are undercover, and Giovanni actually wants them to trail Bonnie. Is it silly they're going after a 10 year old rookie trainer? Maybe, but hopefully the reasoning fits well enough...and I mean...Bonnie's a legendary badass that essentially saved all of Kalos.

See you next time!