Author's Note:
Here we are with the next chapter of Bonnie's journey! This will be the final chapter before Bonnie arrives in Rustboro City, so hopefully everyone's looking forward to that. Hopefully you'll enjoy this one first, though. Just a heads up, this chapter involves the characters from the berry shop episode in AG where Brock got his Lotad. I thought it'd make for an interesting chapter, so...I guess we'll see. Let's get to it!
Oh...and "Heroes of Hoenn" is a must for the battle. You'll know when it should kick in.
Chapter 11: Treecko the Gardener
Bonnie's exhilaration from meeting Latias in the Petalburg Woods lasted for about half the journey through the big, dark forest. While she was still a little nervous about whatever Team Archaic was up to, the meeting with the legendary Pokemon had been such an amazing experience. She had many questions of course, unsure of how Latias had called out to her, and what that vision had been all about. However, she was sure that she would find the answers someday. Latias had seemed confident that they would meet again, and Bonnie had that special flute. Their paths were sure to cross again, and that knowledge was invigorating.
At least, it was for awhile. Eventually, the long journey through the forest became quite exhausting. With Bonnie having saved Latias, more Pokemon had been around, and it hadn't been as quiet and eery as when they'd entered. However, it was quite tiring, and Bonnie and her companions were quite eager to reach the end of the forest by the end of the next day.
So, on the third day in the forest, after leaving their camp early in the morning, Bonnie and her friends burst into cheers once they spotted the light through the trees and their exit up ahead. Bonnie led the way out, she and Dedenne jumping into the bright sun outside the forest. And when Clyde, Treecko and Rotom had finally followed them out, they were already at the small river near the path that was Route 104, splashing water on their face, and embracing the freedom of being outside the forest.
"Finally!" Bonnie shouted as Clyde sat down next to her, sighing in relief. "I thought we were going to be in there forever."
"It was long, but don't forget how much more of your journey is left," Clyde told her, taking a drink of water. "There's a lot more walking through places like that."
Bonnie nodded, knowing full well how much more she'd have to do. What she was most excited about, though, was the fact that now that she was through that forest, Rustboro City wouldn't be too far away, and that meant she'd finally be competing in her first gym battle. "How much further to Rustboro City, Rotom?" she asked her PokeDex, pulling out the PokeNav for him.
"Zzt! I will check!" Rotom told her proudly, a loading screen coming on before a map appeared. "Zzt, I think we should be able to arrive by tomorrow!"
"Yes!" Bonnie cheered upon hearing that, Rotom quickly floating down so she could have her PokeNav back. "I can't wait to have my first gym battle! I've been wanting to be in one forever! Are you excited, Dedenne?" she asked as the Antenna Pokemon hopped up onto her shoulder.
"Nenene!" Dedenne chirped excitedly, holding his little fists up to show he was ready to give it his all in his first true test.
As Bonnie envisioned her first battle, imagining Beautifly and Dedenne taking on the most powerful Pokemon she could think of, she heard a sigh to her left and turned her head. Treecko was staring at the water, looking pretty low-spirited. It was pretty apparent that Bonnie and Clyde weren't the only tired ones from the trek through the forest. She quickly pulled out her container of berries, noticing Clyde find his own empty as he shuffled over next to his Pokemon.
"Treecko..." the grass type sighed again, shoulders sagging as his legs dipped in the water. "Treecko tree..."
"Don't worry, Treecko, I've got an Oran-" Bonnie froze as she looked at her container, realizing it only had a couple of berries left. She supposed she hadn't topped it off in Petalburg City, and after going through the forest and the battles with Team Archaic, she didn't have much left. She wasn't going to let Treecko down, though, pulling out her last Oran berry and giving it to him. "Here you go, Treecko," she said kindly. "This should give you a boost."
"Thanks Bonnie," Clyde said in relief, while Treecko looked up gratefully.
"Treecko!" he cried out, reaching for the berry.
"Tad!"
Bonnie fell over as a blast of water hit her in the face, causing her to drop the berry. She quickly shook her head, scrambling to get up while Dedenne frantically wiped his eyes and got up himself. Clyde and Treecko were then hit as well, each falling on their backs while Rotom floated over behind Bonnie in fear. As Bonnie quickly looked for the berry she'd dropped, she noticed a small blue Pokemon with a big, circular leaf on ts back, rushing towards her with its six stubby legs. Its yellow mouth, similar to a bill, opened again and once more, Bonnie was knocked down by a Water Gun, while Dedenne was hit a moment later.
"Zzt, analyzing Pokemon!" Rotom cried out, while the Pokemon grabbed the berry from a few feet away. "Lotad, the Water Weed Pokemon. Lotad live in ponds and lakes, where they float on the surface. It grows weak if its broad leaf dies. On rare occasions, this Pokemon travels on land in search of clean water."
Bonnie was interested to know about the Pokemon, but she couldn't really care too much at the moment, seeing the Lotad's stubby legs carrying it away towards the river again, the berry on top of its leaf. "Dedenne, use Thunder Shock!" she shouted, glancing over at Clyde who was holding the exhausted Treecko up.
Dedenne wasn't exactly full of energy either, but he did his best, jumping up and unleashing the blast of electricity as quickly as he could. "Deneneee!" he shouted, the electricity shooting towards the Lotad as it was about to hop into the water.
"Counter with Bubble!" a voice suddenly yelled!
Bonnie's jaw dropped as the Lotad quickly pivoted firing out a dozen or so bubbles from its mouth, which quickly formed a shield in front of it, blocking the electricity briefly before it could jump into the water. She looked around for where the voice had come from, seeing nothing. She decided she needed to act regardless, and quickly ordered another attack. "Dedenne, Thunder Shock again! If it's in the water, it'll be even more effective!"
"Bonnie look out!" Clyde suddenly cried out. Bonnie glanced towards him, seeing him pointing to their right, where there was movement in the water.
"LOTAD!"
Water Gun attacks burst out of the water some kind of out of control sprinkler system. Dedenne was struck again, one attack stopping his Thunder Shock, and another few knocking him down and sending him sliding along the ground. Bonnie was hit as well, falling to the ground and leaving Rotom unguarded as he was hit next. Clyde and Treecko were fortunately safe, hiding behind a tree, but Bonnie knew Treecko needed that berry, seeing him breathing heavily after having been hit earlier.
"Beautifly, let's rumble!" she shouted, throwing out her pokeball and releasing the shiny Butterfly Pokemon. "Use Gust on the water!"
"Beedrill, Twineedle attack!"
That was when Bonnie saw it, spotting the boat behind the large group of Lotad that had emerged, the one with the stolen berry now merging with the group. A girl with maroon coloured hair was there, a menacing Beedrill rushing over the water from her direction. Bonnie quickly looked to Beautifly, seeing her starting to flap her wings, but noticing it was too late.
"Flyyy!" Beautifly cried out, hitting the ground hard after Beedrill's stingers struck her in the chest. Bonnie could see a purple tinge coming to her face as she fell, knowing immediately that she was poisoned.
"Beautifly!"
Bonnie ran to her fallen Pokemon immediately, forgetting the attacker. She felt panic inside her as she remembered she didn't have a berry to cure the poisoning, and looked to a worried Clyde as he held up the tired Treecko. Dedenne and Rotom were also at her sides now, the former looking ready to defend Bonnie as he looked back towards the girl in the boat, who seemed to be approaching.
"Just what do you think you're doing?!" the girl shouted as her boat reached the edge of the water. Bonnie glanced towards her, seeing the girl's purple eyes flashing angrily while her Beedrill flew to her side. The Lotad that had taken the berry was also making its way towards her, disengaging from the group of them that was watching nervously. "I'm sick and tired of people stealing our berries, but to attack my Lotad as well-"
"We didn't steal anything!" Bonnie shouted back, getting up as she met the angry girl's eyes. The girl was probably a couple of years older than Max, but Bonnie wasn't intimidated. She was heading to her first gym match, so she was ready for any challenge in her way. "That Lotad stole our berry!"
"He...what?" The girl looked uneasy, glancing to her Lotad who looked both guilty and confused, as though realizing it had made a mistake with something. "Oh no...not again," the girl muttered, her palm hitting her head. "This is the sixth time, Lotad."
"Lotad..." the Water Weed Pokemon murmured, lowering its head.
Bonnie got up, holding Beautifly, while Clyde and Treecko emerged from behind their tree. "Um...what's going on?" Bonnie asked, narrowing her eyes as she stepped forward towards the girl. "Why did you attack us?"
"I...oh great, my sisters are going to be so mad," the girl said, shaking her head. "How about you guys come with me and I can help your Beautifly and Treecko out? We've got lots of berries at our shop." The girl looked like she was dreading something, a scowl on her face, but sympathy was in her eyes as she looked to the Pokemon that needed help.
Bonnie looked to Clyde who seemed to think there was no better option, because he nodded fairly quickly. "We don't have much of a choice. Treecko and Beautifly need something to help them feel better. Seems like it was just a misunderstanding."
"Well...you were invading the Lotads' territory..." the girl muttered, shuffling her feet. It seemed like she was trying to make an excuse, which irritated Bonnie.
"We weren't invading anything!" she growled back. "You-"
"Just leave it, Bonnie," Clyde said quickly, chuckling nervously. "We'd like to see this shop," he said to the girl. "Our Pokemon could definitely use some help and if you've got some berries, we need to fill up our supply. We weren't stealing anything. We just got out of the Petalburg Woods."
The girl nodded, seeming as though that was what she expected after realizing she'd made a mistake in calling them thieves. "You can come with me in the boat. We're just a little further up the river."
Bonnie was a little reluctant to go with the girl, but she supposed Clyde was right that they needed help and that it would be a good opportunity to fill up their berry supply. She just made sure to whisper to him that it was partly because of this girl that they needed help in the first place. He didn't say anything in response to that, and the two were quiet as they got into the boat and the girl started taking them up the river.
"I'm Natalie by the way," the girl said, looking up as her Beedrill started to fly next to the boat, overtop of her Lotad, which was at the head of the larger group of them. "My sisters and I run a berry shop around here, and this group of Lotad helps us with watering the trees to make sure everything grows just right. My Lotad is sort of the guard of group, but sometimes he gets a bit carried away when he sees someone he doesn't know with a berry. I saw you battling him, though, and I thought you were attacking the whole group."
Bonnie could somewhat understand what had happened after hearing that, but she still wasn't happy about the quick rush to judgment. Not to mention Natalie's accusation of invading the Lotads' river. She decided not to say anything about that, though, looking down the river and seeing a house through the trees up ahead. "Is that the shop?" she asked, pointing to it, seeing a couple of people outside, who were presumably Natalie's sisters.
"Yeah, that's it," Natalie said, sounding somewhat smug. "Best berry shop in all of Hoenn, and probably the world. That's why we need my Lotad and Beedrill for protection. We do have lots of thieves who try to steal our plants, but they never succeed because of me."
"Zzt, according to my analysis, there is every kind of berry in the nearby area!" Rotom announced, Natalie looking up at him in surprise. "Indeed, this berry shop is exactly the place that Pokemon trainer Bonnie needed to go to!"
"Shut up, Rotom!" Bonnie hissed, not wanting to seem like she needed Natalie's help after their brief skirmish.
"Pokemon trainer, huh?" Natalie said, smirking. "Is that why you were going after the Lotad? You're trying to get a water and grass type for your Rustboro gym battle?"
"I wasn't going after the Lotad!" Bonnie replied angrily. "You attacked us."
"Yeah, but I was only defending the Lotad, and you were in their territory."
"It was right outside the Petalburg Wo-"
"Natalie! Finally you're back! What took you so long?"
Bonnie glanced up as she noticed the two people that she'd spotted moments before, each going up to the river as they saw the boat approaching. She and Natalie stopped their bickering as they reached land, the whole group getting off as the Lotad also started going onto the land, their leaves all filled with water. They seemed to be looking to Natalie and the older girls for direction as they lined up.
"So you brought some guests," one of them said, smiling at Bonnie and Clyde as she pointed to a row of saplings near the front of what must've been their shop, the Lotad all setting off towards it. Bonnie watched a moment as they each started tilting their heads and pouring water over the plants. It was quite interesting to see them working so smoothly, all lining up and ensuring each plant was watered. Treecko in particular seemed impressed, despite his tiredness, and he slowly wandered over towards Natalie's Lotad as it watched.
"Yeah, these two were...we had a bit of a misunderstanding," Natalie said, bringing Bonnie's attention back to the group. "Lotad thought they were stealing berries, and I thought they were kidnapping some of the others since they were in their territory. I accidentally beat their Pokemon-"
"You didn't beat us," Bonnie interrupted, Dedenne tensing up in irritation alongside her. We never finished our battle."
"Your Beautifly is poisoned," Natalie countered, shrugging as her Beedrill buzzed menacingly next to her.
"Oh dear," one of the sisters said. She looked like the oldest, her long blue hair blowing a bit in the light breeze from the river. "I'll get you a Pecha berry." She rummaged in her bag a moment, before handing Bonnie a berry, looking a little frustrated as she glanced at Natalie. "Natalie, you need to be more careful. You've already scared off some customers and you could've really hurt this girl's Pokemon."
The other sister, who had shorter dark green hair, shook her head, sighing. "Remember what I said, Nicole. We let her catch that Lotad too early. She just wasn't ready for it."
"Hey! I was ready-"
"Enough," the sister named Nicole said quickly. "Rita, you know we can't control everything she does. She's allowed to become a trainer if she wishes."
"Not if she hopes to help with this shop full time," Rita replied, sighing as she looked at Natalie. "You promised us you'd stop this."
"I didn't...oh never mind," Natalie muttered, lowering her head in shame. Bonnie actually felt kind of bad, thinking of all the times she'd been talked down to just for being the youngest of the family. She knew her family loved her, but it was hard when they got upset even when she was doing her best to help.
"Anyways, it doesn't matter now. We'll help your Pokemon out, and give you some free berries on the house," Nicole said after a moment of silence. "You look awfully tired. Would you like to join us for some pie. Rita just finished baking a whole batch of them!"
"Um.." Bonnie was a little unsure, having only just met these people, and seeing that there was some tension with Natalie, but it appeared they wanted to make up for what had happened, and she and her companions were clearly tired and hungry. She exchanged a look with Clyde, who nodded. "Sure, that would be great. Thank you...um...Ms. Nicole?"
"Oh yes, sorry," Nicole replied, smiling as she gestured to herself and then her sisters. "I'm Nicole, and these are my sisters Rita and Natalie."
"Nice to meet you," Rita said, while Natalie remained silent.
Bonnie smiled back, glad to have the proper introduction, and feeling relieved as Beautifly perked up in her arms after the berry and flew up, getting a better look herself at their surroundings. "I'm Bonnie, and this is my partner Dedenne," the young trainer finally said. "And this is Rotom, Clyde, and over there is Treecko," she added, pointing each of them out. "And up there is my Beautifly."
"We just got out of the Petalburg Woods," Clyde explained, smiling as he noticed Natalie's Lotad showing Treecko how to water the plants and giving him an Oran berry. "We're on our way to Rustboro City."
"Oh yes, I assumed you were," Nicole said, nodding as she looked them over. "We have many trainers come through here on their way to the Rustboro Gym. We always try to supply them with the best berries so that they're prepared for the tough battles ahead. Are you both battling?"
"Just me," Bonnie answered, feeling a sense of pride in talking about her upcoming challenge. "It'll be my first gym battle. I left Kalos pretty recently and started my journey here."
Natalie looked up at that, interest in her eyes. Although, it was short lived as she made a little taunt next. "Just starting out, huh? I guess that's why I beat you so easily."
Rita sighed at that, shaking her head in her sister's direction before looking back to the fuming Bonnie. "Don't mind her. She gets jealous of trainers starting their journeys."
"I do not," Natalie muttered, narrowing her eyes. "I'm just better than most of them."
Bonnie's irritation was replaced with curiosity at that. "If you think so, why don't you-"
"It doesn't matter," Natalie said quickly, turning around and heading up towards the shop. "Let's just show them the shop and then eat."
Rita looked a little sadly towards her younger sister, but followed shortly after, gesturing for Bonnie and the others to come, while Nicole fell into step beside them.
"As Natalie probably told you, we've run this berry shop for many years," the eldest sister said as they walked, gesturing to the house. "Rita and I do much of the gardening and baking work, while Natalie has taken on a guardian role to protect the plants and the Lotad that help water them." She paused as she looked up towards her younger sister. "I think she secretly wants to go on a journey to be honest with you, but she feels she has a duty here. I worry it may be counterproductive, however. She does a good job training the Lotad, but then she acts too hastily as she did with you."
Bonnie, as much as she didn't like Natalie so far from their first interaction, could understand that. She'd had her own doubts about leaving home for her journey, knowing how busy her dad and brother got with things. If she'd had something else holding her back while she'd tried to train Pokemon, she'd probably look for excuses to battle as well. "Why don't you tell her she should go on a journey then?"
"Well...I think it needs to be her choice," Nicole answered, smiling sadly. "Natalie still thinks of herself as our little sister that needs to be told what to do. We don't want her to always think that's the case. If she wants to go on a journey, she should tell us and follow her dreams."
As they walked up the steps towards the berry shop, Bonnie looked back to Clyde, who was now with Treecko, who was patting the earth around one of the saplings while Lotad poured some water on it. Remembering how much the two of them had gone through in just the little amount of time they'd known each other made Bonnie realize just what Natalie was missing out on. "Is there any way we could encourage her to be honest with you guys?"
"Oh I don't know," Nicole said, shrugging as they stopped, each watching Treecko as he was helping with the plants. "She sees so many trainers come through here and each time she gets moodier. Maybe if she got a chance to have a proper..." She paused, smiling as Treecko excitedly admired his work, before moving onto another plant that Lotad was watering, while Clyde left him to head up the steps. "She needs a nudge, just like those saplings need water." She looked to Bonnie. "I might have an idea."
Bonnie ended up being quite pleased with their decision to join the berry shop sisters for some food. She hadn't realized she was so hungry until she was smelling all the different flavours of pie in the house. By the time they were finished, she and Clyde were completely stuffed, and Dedenne and Beautifly weren't much different. Treecko had mostly stayed outside, however, appearing to quite enjoy the gardening with Lotad.
Seeing the two of them having made up so easily did make Bonnie a little more motivated to help Nicole with her idea of nudging Natalie along on a decision, but she did get irritated as the girl made a few more remarks about "beating her" at the river. It did seem she wanted to prove that she was more capable than someone who was setting off for a gym battle soon, though, which Bonnie expected was the case.
"Your Treecko seems to be a natural, Clyde," Rita said as they all watched the Pokemon outside. "I guess grass types have a knack for this kind of thing."
"Maybe I can give you guys some extra berries and a watering pail and you can plant some saplings throughout your journey," Nicole suggested. "We've always thought about doing that as a way of advertising our shop, and it would help the trainers that aren't able to make it here from further away in the region. We just haven't been able to get out to do it, and haven't met someone like your Treecko who appears to be a natural gardener."
"That would be awesome!" Clyde said gratefully, nodding excitedly. Bonnie was glad as well, thinking it could give Clyde and Treecko something extra to do while she trained for her various gym battles.
"Great!" Nicole looked to Natalie, who appeared interested in the idea, although Bonnie wondered if she was wondering about herself for a task like that. "Natalie, why don't you make a list like the one you made for Brock way back? Remember how Max told us how useful it was for them on their journey?"
Natalie appeared to blush at that, but Bonnie spoke up before she could speak. "Did you say you know Max? And Brock? Ash's friend?."
Natalie's eyes widened. "You know Brock?"
"I don't know him, but Ash definitely mentioned him a lot. I do know Max, though." Bonnie couldn't hide the little grimace, but fortunately the others didn't notice. "I travelled with Ash through Kalos, and then I met Max when I started out here."
"No wonder you seem to know so much about berries," Rita said, laughing. "Brock must've taught Ash with Natalie's list and then Ash probably knew what to tell you."
Bonnie smiled, thinking of all the little things she'd learned from Ash throughout their journey, never imagining she'd meet some of the people that taught him, or his friends, about those things. "Yeah, he sure taught me a lot."
"Well, in case you don't remember everything, Natalie can set up that list for you, and then Clyde can use it for planting some trees throughout your journey," Nicole told her, looking pleased as Clyde nodded. "How about it Natalie?"
Bonnie looked to the maroon-haired girl, frowning as she noticed Natalie narrowing her eyes before returning the gaze. "Did you battle with Max?"
"Yeah, Dedenne battled against his Ralts," Bonnie answered, biting her lip as she remembered losing her first battle. "He won, but it'll be different next time."
"Figures," Natalie muttered, looking away. "I bet I would've beat him, but I never got the chance."
"You seem pretty sure of yourself for someone who doesn't seem to actually battle," Bonnie retorted, narrowing her own eyes. "All you do is attack people without them knowing you're there!"
"Easy, girls," Rita whispered, looking nervously towards Nicole, although the older girl was looking pointedly towards Bonnie.
Natalie then stood up, holding her pokeball that held her Beedrill. "Why don't we have a battle then? A real one. If you win, I'll make your list so you can plant your berries. If I win, you give back all the berries we gave you."
"Fine!" Bonnie answered loudly, standing up as Dedenne hopped up on her shoulder, cheeks sparking. Clyde didn't seem to happy about the deal, but it was obvious that was the way it was going to be. "We each have two Pokemon, so two against two."
"Sure, but we'll have a Hoenn twist to it," Natalie said, smirking, while her sisters sighed. "A double battle. We use both Pokemon at the same time."
Bonnie remembered Ash's battle with Olympia at the Anistar Gym, and how much concentration it had required. She wasn't sure she was ready for something like that, but Natalie had said it was a Hoenn twist. "What do you mean Hoenn twist?"
"Double battles are quite common in Hoenn," Nicole explained, while Rotom, who had been awfully quiet, floated down next to Bonnie. "They're even an important stage early in the Hoenn League."
"Zzt, in the Hoenn League, trainers may compete in up to three double battles," Rotom added on, various images of two Pokemon battling against another pair appearing on his screen. "If you do not win these double battles, you will fail to qualify for the full battle rounds."
Bonnie felt a little nervous hearing that, but she could sense Dedenne's eagerness to fight, and noticed Beautifly looking to her in determination. If she had to do it in the league, she might as well learn now. Besides, maybe it would be pretty fun. "All right then, let's do it!"
With that, the whole group headed outside, Rita suggesting that the battle be fought next to the river so that nobody ruined the berry trees. Bonnie and Natalie agreed to that, and the former rushed towards the river, calling her Pokemon and Clyde after her. Clyde attempted to get Treecko to watch, but the grass type seemed content to continue working away with the plants, while Lotad left him to it to join Natalie, who was now calling out her Beedrill.
As Bonnie got in position, she looked ahead to her two Pokemon while they got into position in front of her. She knew she hadn't been too successful in her battles so far, losing to Max and Sadie, relying on Wally and May against Team Archaic and then, as much as she didn't want to say it, essentially losing earlier to Natalie. She needed to start winning. She needed to prove that she could beat other trainers before she could defeat the Rustboro Gym. This one would be a different challenge with it being a double battle, but maybe that was what she needed.
"Zzt! Bonnie!" Rotom said to her, floating to her side. "Pokemon trainer Natalie has a Beedrill and a Lotad. Beedrill will be weak Beautifly's Gust. Lotad will also be weak to Gust, but it's grass typing will protect its water typing's weakness to Dedenne's electrical attacks. You will need to rely on Beautifly to win this battle."
Bonnie nodded, although she knew that she'd need Dedenne. He was still her main partner no matter what, and that made him special. "Anything else?" she asked, hoping there was some extra advantage she could get.
"Zzt, Pokemon trainer Bonnie has approximately a twenty-two point-"
"Never mind," Bonnie muttered, not wanting to hear her low chances. "Let's rumble, Beautifly and Dedenne!"
"Nene!"
"Beauuutifly!"
"Ready to teach this berry thief a lesson, you two?" Natalie called out to her Pokemon, making Bonnie tense up in anger. She wanted to win more than ever now.
"All right, I'll be the referee," Nicole called out, while Rita joined Clyde at the sidelines. Nicole made her way over to stand at the midway point, looking to both trainers and their Pokemon. "This will be a double battle between Natalie and Bonnie. When both Pokemon for one trainer are unable to battle, the other will be declared the winner. Are you both ready?" Bonnie and Natalie both nodded, each narrowing their eyes as their Pokemon readied themselves. "Then let the battle begin!"
Natalie was the first to act, clearly ready to prove herself the strong battler she claimed to be. "Lotad, Water Gun on Beautifly! Beedrill, Twineedle on Dedenne! Go!"
"Lotad!" the Water Weed Pokemon cried out first, firing of the small jet of water. Bonnie could barely react, watching as Beautifly tried to evade, but was struck in the wing, causing her to drop down a bit, wincing.
"Nene!"
Bonnie shook her head, scolding herself for her lack of attention, seeing Dedenne struck by Beedrill's stingers, the Antenna Pokemon falling back. This whole double battle thing was already going badly for her, and it had only just started. How did Ash manage to focus so well? Bonnie could barely focus on Beautifly before Dedenne had been hit. Snap out of it! she told herself, knowing she was losing focus again.
"Fury Attack, now!" Natalie cried out, continuing her assault on Dedenne, with Beedrill now in close. Bonnie was relieved to see that Dedenne hadn't been poisoned by the previous attack, but clearly he needed help.
"Thunder Shock!" she ordered, hoping to get her Pokemon some space. Unfortunately, as Dedenne attempted to store the electricity, he was hit by Beedrill's stingers once more, followed by a barrage of swipes towards his face, sending him further and further back towards the river, where many of the Lotad were now gathered to watch.
"Now, Lotad, hit Beautifly with Energy Ball!" Natalie shouted out gleefully, clearly sensing she had quite the edge.
Once again, Bonnie scolded herself for not paying attention, wincing as Dedenne was hit again while she looked to Beautifly, and seeing her Butterfly Pokemon flying down to avoid the Energy Ball, only to be hit by a quick follow up Water Gun. She needed to be faster! This was way too easy for Natalie.
She couldn't help but look to Nicole, Clyde and Rita, seeing them all watching as though they each knew that this battle was going to be an easy win for Natalie. It frustrated Bonnie to no end, but she could see they weren't wrong to think so. She was way too slow. She just couldn't keep up.
But then her eyes drifted up, watching Treecko a brief moment as he worked away at the berry trees, picking up a small watering pail and watering one tree, before moving onto another and patting the earth at its base. He was so calm despite the battle raging at the river. He was so methodical. How could he be so focused.
That's it. I'll think like a gardener! We don't need to win this battle with speed.
"Beedrill, turn around and use Aerial Ace on Beautifly! And Lotad, aim your Energy Ball at Dedenne!" Natalie's voice brought Bonnie's attention back to the battle, eyes widening as she saw Beedrill zip through the air and strike Beautifly in the chest, sending her down towards Dedenne as the green sphere of energy exploded against him, dust shooting up around the two Pokemon. Bonnie gritted her teeth. Was she too late to act?
Nicole stepped forward, her arm twitching as though read to make the call. The group of Lotad started to cheer, happy for their friend's success. Clyde gave Bonnie a sympathetic look. Rotom started to mutter some kind of advice for the next battle. Natalie began to celebrate.
But it wasn't done just yet. Bonnie believed in her Pokemon, and she was ready to get into this match.
"Ne...ne...neeeeee!"
"Thunder Shock, Dedenne! And Beautifly, use Gust!"
Everyone watching gasped as the burst of electricity emerged from the gust, followed by the rush of intense wind. Bonnie couldn't help but smile, though, knowing that this match had only just started, and now she was ready to fight. She pumped her fist as the Thunder Shock hit its mark, the electricity striking both Beedrill and Lotad, causing both to cry out, before Beautifly's Gust swirled around them, lifting them into the air and whipping them around relentlessly. Seed planted! Bonnie thought, looking again to Treecko, seeing him planting one of his own, while Natalie cried out in surprise.
"Now, Dedenne, use Nuzzle on Lotad! Beautifly, String Shot on Beedrill!"
"Bubble, Lotad! And Beedrill, defend with Fury Attack!"
As Treecko noticed a rock in the ground, getting in the way of his gardening, Bonnie smiled, seeing this as her own barrier. Dedenne, cheeks sparking as he charged towards Lotad, crashed through the bubbles in his way, narrowly missing Lotad as he slid away. Meanwhile, Beedrill frantically slashed at the webs directed its way, deflecting Beautifly's attack and avoiding getting trapped. Bonnie still had a plan, though.
"Now, String Shot again, now on Lotad!" Bonnie yelled, Beautifly changing course immediately, while Dedenne smirked, looking back to Bonnie as his cheeks sparked. "Nuzzle on Beedrill!"
"Treecko!" Bonnie heard the happy cheer of the reptilian grass type as he removed the rock in his way and started to cover the spot with earth, successfully planting the berry in the ground. As he continued his work, Dedenne and Beautifly continued theirs, shocking Natalie with their change of targets and striking their opponents perfectly, Beedrill twitching as it nearly fell to the ground, electricity sparking around it. Lotad wasn't much better, webs covering him as he struggled to move.
"Now, both of you use Tackle!" Bonnie ordered, pumping her fist as each of her Pokemon circled back before charging forward. As Treecko patted the earth around where he'd planted the berry, Beautifly and Dedenne hit their marks, Beedrill hitting the ground from Beautifly's strike and Lotad flying into it after Dedenne's. "Finish with Thunder Shock and Gust!"
"Neneneeee!"
"Flyyyy!"
"Treecko!"
As Treecko's poured water, finishing his work in planting a berry tree, Dedenne's and Beautifly's final attacks hit, sending the opposing Pokemon up into the air, before they were engulfed in electricity. Bonnie tensed up as she watched them fall to the ground, knowing that she couldn't let her guard down just in case, but she could see the defeat already in Natalie's face, although there was a little excitement still there. And then, as the dust settled, Nicole stepped forward for real this time.
"Lotad and Beedrill are unable to battle! Dedenne and Beautifly are the winners!" she called out, raising her arm to Bonnie. "The match goes to Bonnie!"
"Zzt! Pokemon trainer Bonnie actually won?!"
"You bet I did, Rotom!" Bonnie cheered out, smiling as she looked to him, and then to her Pokemon who were rushing towards her. "Great job, you two!" she cried out as they reached her. She took them into a hug, laughing as they happily cheered along with her. "You guys were so awesome! You're totally ready for your gym battle!"
"Bonnie! Congrats!" She looked up as Clyde ran over to her, looking as stunned as Rotom did. "I thought you'd lost it there to start with. What a comeback!"
"Thanks," Bonnie said, feeling a rush of pride as she noticed the look of awe on Clyde's face. She knew she must've really done a good job. "I kind of won with Treecko's help. His gardening made me realize I needed to focus and not worry about all the distractions and then take things step by step."
"That's a pretty good way of looking at it." Bonnie did a double take as she noticed Natalie standing in front of them, her two tired Pokemon at her sides. "I just tried to throw everything at you and win as fast as I could. I guess you are a pretty good trainer."
Bonnie smiled at that, happy enough to make peace with the girl if she was willing. "You're pretty good, too. I bet you could...um..." She paused, not sure if she should say it, noticing Nicole and Rita coming up as well.
"I think what Bonnie is trying to say, Natalie," Nicole said softly, "is that you could be a pretty good Pokemon trainer if you wanted to be."
Natalie looked surprised, but smiled a moment later. "You think so?" she asked, looking excitedly to Bonnie, who nodded, before looking to her sisters. "It's something I've thought of for a long time, actually," she murmured, bowing her head a bit. "I know we're busy at the shop, though."
"Natalie..." Rita chuckled a little, shaking her head. "We do most of the work around here anyways."
Nicole laughed as well. "Might be easier if it was just the two of us."
"Hey!" Natalie said indignantly, hands on her hips. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"We're just kidding, sis," Nicole laughed again. "Natalie, we want you to be happy. Do what you believe in, and we'll be just fine. And you know...we'll need more than just Clyde and Treecko to help plant berries around..."
Natalie's eyes widened, and Bonnie could see the excitement in her Pokemon's eyes as well. "You mean...I can go on a journey?"
"If that's what you want to do," Rita told her, exchanging a smile with Nicole.
"Then that's what I'll do!" Natalie announced, turning to face Bonnie and Clyde. "Next time we meet, Bonnie, I'm gonna win!" She held her hand out. "We'll battle again, right?"
"For sure!" Bonnie agreed, smiling and taking the hand, while Dedenne and Beautifly nodded to Natalie's Pokemon. "But...do you want to come along with us to Rustboro City? Maybe we can challenge gyms together."
Natalie shook her head. "I'm going to take my own path. I want to see more of the world, just like you're doing. Maybe I'll go to Kanto and see how Brock's doing," she murmured to herself, her sisters laughing. She then shook her head. "I don't know yet, but I want to see everything. And I'm going to be the best trainer ever!"
"You'll have to get through me," Bonnie warned, smirking in challenge.
"I can't wait to try!"
Bonnie smiled, glad to have a new rival. They might not have started on the best terms, but through a common goal, they could see they weren't that much different. When they met again, they would be sure to have a great battle, and Bonnie looked forward to it. She had plenty of great battles to look forward to.
And as she looked to Treecko, working away at his gardening, she thought of all the journeys ahead, ready to work her way through each step, just as he was doing. Much like the berry trees, she had some growing to do, but she knew that she would get there. She just needed to be like Treecko the gardener.
Author's Note:
And there we have it! Sort of a new rival for Bonnie, but Natalie will not be competing in the Hoenn League like Max, Sadie, Wally, etc. I figured she didn't quite fit as much for that, but that inspiring her to go on her journey was a more interesting thing for Bonnie to do. And in another region...maybe we'll see her again.
As for the rest, I'm sure the title made you think it was going to really be focused on Clyde's Treecko. It was somewhat, but I figured it was most important to get Bonnie another battle in before she reached her first gym battle. And get her a win to boot. Nonetheless, Treecko's role here was important I think, and now he has something extra to accomplish with Clyde.
So...next up is Rustboro City! Bonnie's official battle record (not including Team Archaic battles) stands at one win and two losses now. We'll see how she does against Roxanne fairly soon. See you then!