Author's Note:
Ah, yes, quite a long time for this story as well, but for those of you who read LU, you know I've had my struggles with that. I'm really working at consistency, though. Making a push with LU to finish it up soon, and once that's done, I'll be able to really focus on this story. Regardless, it was really fun to get back into this, and actually it was some of the most fun I've ever had in writing a chapter before. It's pretty cool to have Bonnie fighting these battles now. Hope you enjoy it!
Chapter 15: Dedenne's Goal
Butch didn't think it was fair for the mission to be considered a failure, however, he supposed he could see why Viktor and their Team Archaic bosses might have thought so. Having been knocked out, their Pokemon being defeated and not being prepared to use their newest fighter...well, it wasn't the best of looks. Unfortunately for him, Raticate, and their new Smeargle, Cassidy was not taking the accusations of failure very well.
"Our fault! Our fault?!" She stomped her feet almost like a child having a tantrum. "These people will stop at nothing to blame us! We should call the boss for a transfer. I have no time for this kind of disrespect for a high ranking member of Team Rocket."
"Er...we ain't exactly high ranking members," Butch told her, wincing when she rounded on him, her tantrum beginning to make their hot air balloon feel unstable.
"We have a direct line to the boss! He's put us on a special mission to infiltrate the newest and biggest threat to his hold on power throughout the world!" Butch thought that sounded crazy, but stayed silent, deciding he wouldn't mention that Jessie, James and Meowth often thought they were on special missions and that they too had direct lines to the boss.
After a moment of silence, Butch dared to speak again. "You want to check in with the boss and give an update?"
Cassidy shook her head, eyes narrowing as she watched Smeargle watching them in fascination. "We'd better report to Lyanna. The boss won't be happy with this, so it's better he hears it from her."
At that, Butch pulled out their transmitter, placing the call in for Lyanna. A moment later, her image appeared before them, eyeing them suspiciously. Before they could open their mouths, and give whatever excuses they could come up with, she sighed and began to speak.
"I suppose you're calling in to report on your little adventure at Devon Corp. yesterday?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. When they nodded, she sighed again. "We've been informed already. The boss is not happy about this. Neither am I, of course, as this reflects poorly on me as well. Is it true you were able to acquire something of use at least?"
Cassidy nodded, quickly moving into position next to Butch. "Yes ma'am. We were able to collect a new type of pokeball that Devon Corp. is calling a Fossil Ball, along with plans for their fossil restoration technology. Unfortunately..."
"Yes, unfortunately what you did acquire is fully in the hands of your Team Archaic administrators, and after your sound defeat by the girl, you're not very popular with them." Lyanna smiled as she said this, looking amused as she thought for a moment. Butch knew Cassidy would be irritated by that, and just hoped she wouldn't snap. "Well, there isn't too much we can do, other than have you continue with your current orders. I assume you're still trailing after the girl?"
"Smear smeargle!" Butch glanced around in surprise at the noise, noticing Smeargle playing around with his paintbrush tail. He'd taken some useless documents that had been collected from Devon Corp. and left to them to look over, presumably as some sort of joke. As the Painter Pokemon painted away, Butch turned back to Lyanna, seeing her look somewhat curious.
"A new Pokemon?" the Special Agent asked.
Cassidy nodded, looking unimpressed with her latest catch. "I caught it yesterday before...the mission. It doesn't seem particularly strong. I believe it's copied the move Splash from Magikarp."
Lyanna didn't look bothered by that, and typed away at something on a computer she must've had out in front of her. "A Smeargle is still a useful Pokemon if it knows no other moves. You may just have a chance to put yourself back in good standing with the boss."
Butch and Cassidy exchanged an excited glance. "What can we do?" Cassidy asked eagerly, looking much more pleased with Smeargle now as she glanced back at him. He appeared to be finishing up whatever he was painting, but Lyanna started speaking again before they could see what it was.
"The boss is preparing a special mission in another region where a Smeargle may be of use," she said, continuing to type away at her computer. "Are you certain Splash is the only move it has copied?"
Cassidy nodded, turning distractedly as Smeargle placed his painted documents into her hands. Butch was focusing on Lyanna, but a moment later, he heard Cassidy gasp, turning quickly to see what she was so shocked about. "Um...actually, no, that isn't all he has copied."
Butch's eyes widened as he noticed what was in her hands, and he turned to look back at Lyanna, the woman waiting expectantly for what else Cassidy had to say. "Well, I certainly hope it's something better than Splash."
Cassidy smiled, turning the pages around so that Lyanna could see what Smeargle had painted onto them. Smeargle seemed quite pleased as well, clearly happy that he'd done something to impress his new trainer. "I believe the blueprints for the Devon Corp. fossil restoration technology is better than Splash."
Lyanna squinted, adjusting her glasses as she peered at the documents through the transmitted image. "Impressive...if these are, in fact, accurate, you may have saved yourselves quite a bit of trouble from the boss." She then suddenly picked up a phone, briefly muting their transmission as she made her call. A moment later, though, she came back on, looking expectantly at them once more. "Delibird is on its way for the blueprints and Smeargle's pokeball. The mission is classified, so we cannot inform you of what Smeargle will be doing. I cannot guarantee he will be returned to you."
Butch saw the slightest bit of hesitation in Cassidy's eyes at that, but it didn't last long, and she looked away from Smeargle as she answered. "I understand. We will do as required. For the glory of Team Rocket!"
"For the glory of Team Rocket."
The nerves were much crazier this time, and Bonnie really wished they would go away. She'd barely been able to eat in the morning, and it was only thanks to Clyde that she'd managed to get a couple pieces of toast into her. That, and Rotom's data, which may or may not have been accurate, stating that trainers on an empty stomach were ninety-six percent more likely to lose any battle they participated in. She had no idea where his statistics came from sometimes.
She wasn't quite sure why she was more nervous for her rematch with Roxanne than she was for her original battle, but Bonnie supposed it had something to do with their encounter with Team Archaic the day before. The entire morning, and throughout their walk to the Rustboro Gym, Bonnie kept remembering the helicopter flying away, the stolen pokeballs and fossil restoration information going with it. She knew whatever Team Archaic was planning, it was dangerous, and if she wanted to help, she needed to be a far better trainer. It made the stakes for this battle seem way higher.
"Zzt, we are almost there!" Rotom suddenly announced, as Bonnie's mind once again returned to the battle they'd had with Butch and Cassidy at Devon Corp. "According to my analysis, Pokemon trainer Bonnie has a sixty-three point four percent chance of emerging victorious in this match!"
That snapped Bonnie out of her thoughts, and she stared in shock at her PokeDex. "You're actually predicting I'm going to win?"
"Zzt! Error!" Rotom shouted nervously. "Miscalculation! Pokemon trainer Bonnie has a sixty-three point four percent chance of losing!"
Bonnie narrowed her eyes and imagined Dedenne frying Rotom with a well-placed Thunder Shock. She was almost considering having him do it, when Kenny interrupted her thoughts. "I think you're going to win for sure, Bonnie!" he said confidently, his Poliwag nodding in agreement from his shoulder. "You were so close last time, and from what Clyde said, you were really good against Team Archaic yesterday."
"She saved the day!" Clyde said proudly, smiling as Bonnie looked at him in confusion. "Roxanne must know she's in tough today after seeing you yesterday."
"You and Treecko were good, too," Bonnie pointed out, uneasy at the praise. She hadn't thought she'd been that good.
"Well, we couldn't hide forever," Clyde said quietly, looking over his shoulder as though he thought Team Archaic was going to appear right then and there. "Not like we did much, though. They would've taken those scientists hostage if it wasn't for you."
Bonnie thought back to the aftermath of the battle, seeing the relieved looks on the faces of the Devon Corp. employees. Many of them had thanked her personally, some of them even asking Roxanne to give her a gym badge right then and there. She smiled to herself, feeling good at the thought of having been able to help those people. Maybe she didn't need to be nervous. She needed to be ready for another encounter with Team Archaic, but the thought didn't need to scare her, it just needed to help inspire her to be better than them both on the battlefield and off of it.
Just as Rotom had said, they were nearly at their destination, and Bonnie could now see the Rustboro Gym up ahead, its stony exterior looking far less welcoming than those gathered in front of it, waving to them. Once again, it appeared as though Roxanne had invited her students to watch and film the battle. Bonnie hoped that if she won this time, she might be able to send Clemont and her dad the video. She knew they were cheering or on from all the way back in Kalos, and she wanted reward their faith in her.
"Welcome back, Bonnie," Roxanne greeted her, as Bonnie and her friends reached the gym. "Are you ready for our rematch?"
Bonnie took a deep breath, looking up to Dedenne on her shoulder, the Antenna Pokemon looking ahead with a determined gaze upon their opponent. When she turned back to Roxanne, she matched the determined look. "We're more than ready!"
Roxanne smiled, looking as though she expected the answer, but was still quite glad to hear it. "Excellent! Well, then if it's all right with you, why don't we head in and get started right away?"
That idea was definitely all right with Bonnie, and when Roxanne turned to lead her students in, the young trainer turned to look at Dedenne once more. "Ready to win our first gym badge, Dedenne?"
"Nene!" the electric and fairy type answered, holding a fist up in determination. "Nenene!"
With that, Bonnie narrowed her eyes and looked ahead, before following her opponent inside the gym. She could hear Clyde and Kenny following her, the latter sounding quite excited to see the match. Bonnie hoped she could give him a good one. In a way, she felt that winning this battle wouldn't just be good for her and her Pokemon, but him as well. He needed to see that a refusal to give up was going to lead to success.
As Roxanne's students began to set up their cameras, she and Bonnie took their places on opposite ends of the battlefield. They waited a few moments, Bonnie watching Rotom scanning the field, apparently seeing if there was anything new to report since the last battle about what to expect. He didn't seem to find anything, though, and simply floated back to her side while Dedenne hopped off her shoulder and stood next to her.
When the cameras were finished being set up, Bonnie noticed the referee making his way to his position between her and Roxanne. Her heart was beating a little faster now, knowing that her crucial rematch was moments away. She quickly looked towards Clyde and Kenny, seeing them sitting next to the remaining students that were gathered to watch. Both trainers gave her a thumbs up, while Treecko and Poliwag sat comfortably in front of them, looking just as eager to watch the battle.
"Well, Bonnie, this is it," Bonnie heard Roxanne suddenly say, snapping her gaze back to her opponent. She listened as Roxanne continued. "It was a close match last time, but I'll be expecting more from you in this match, as any good teacher would. You'll need to give me everything you've got to earn my badge. I won't make this easy for you. To earn your way to the Hoenn League, you need to prove yourself to be among the strongest trainers in the region. Do you think you can do that?" She looked quite eager to hear Bonnie's answer.
Her words might've scared Bonnie at the start of her journey, but with what she'd been through so far, she knew it was true. And if she expected to overcome Team Archaic, fight in the Hoenn League, catch more Pokemon and eventually become a Pokemon Master, she was going to have to step up her game every time she battled. She had to expect that of herself as much as Roxanne did, if not more. And I do, she told herself, clenching her fists. "I'll show you everything I've got and more!" she vowed.
"Perfect," Roxanne said, smiling. "Then let's have an A+ battle." With that, she pulled out her first pokeball and looked to the referee. Bonnie did the same, feeling the excitement and desperation to win flare up inside her.
"The battle between the gym leader, Roxanne, and her challenger Bonnie, from Lumiose City, will now begin!" the referee called out, looking to both trainers, as those watching went quiet. "This will be an elimination match, with each trainer using two Pokemon. Only the challenger is allowed to substitute Pokemon during the match." He paused, and Bonnie and Roxanne both tensed up, ready to call out their first Pokemon. "Let the match begin!"
"Geodude, come on out!"
"Beautifly, let's rumble!"
Bright lights flashed at each end of the battlefield as both Pokemon emerged. Bonnie smiled, noticing Beautifly looking particularly stunning with her shiny colouring. Her fierce look of challenge directed towards Geodude was no less menacing, however. The Butterfly Pokemon was as eager as Bonnie to win this rematch, and she knew that if she could beat Geodude this time, it would go a long way towards victory.
Roxanne started things off, apparently deciding she wouldn't wait out Bonnie this time as she had last time. "Geodude, use Rock Throw!"
As the rock type quickly shoved his stony hands into the ground, pulling out big rocks to fire towards Beautifly, Bonnie knew exactly how she needed to counter. "Use String Shot and block it!"
"Dude!" the Rock Pokemon yelled out, his rocky muscles appearing to flex as he threw the first rock towards Beautifly.
"Beauuutifly!" Beautifly cried out, obeying Bonnie's command flawlessly, knowing what she needed to do. She fired out a powerful string of web towards a large rock between her and Geodude and pulled with everything she had. It came up in the air between them just in time, the thrown rock from Geodude smashing into it. Bonnie heard a loud crack, but fortunately, Geodude's rock fell to the ground in front of Beautifly's, doing no harm to the bug type.
"Keep it up!" Roxanne shouted, clearly noticing Beautifly sagging as her web fell to the ground, the rock with it. Bonnie took a deep breath, having expected this, but knowing they needed to execute the next part of their plan perfectly if it was going to work.
"String Shot again!" the young trainer urged, briefly locking eyes with Beautifly as she nodded determinedly.
"Fly!" the bug and flying type cried out again, grabbing ahold of the rock once more as Geodude flung his towards her. And, once more, they collided between the two Pokemon with full force. However, this time, it was more than a crack.
The rock shattered, dozens of pieces exploding into the air between Beautifly and Geodude. They briefly hovered in the air, both Pokemon and their trainers watching a moment, before Bonnie called out her next attack. "Knock those rocks back with Gust!"
"Beauuutifly!" Beautifly called out in answer, flapping her wings ferociously and sending a huge gust of wind blasting forward. It easily picked up the pieces of shattered stone, and Geodude had no chance to block them. He was pummeled by the fragments, crying out in pain as rock hit rock. Bonnie could hear Roxanne call out in concern, and took it as her chance to keep up the assault.
"Now Beautifly, get in there with Absorb!"
"Fly!" Beautifly charged in immediately, flapping her wings hard once more as she rushed towards her stunned opponent. As Geodude wiped at his eyes, wincing from the pain of the barrage of rocks that had hit him, Beautifly hit him again. She glowed green briefly, flapping her wings hard as she hovered in front of him. He staggered again as he glowed green as well, orbs of green rushing out and towards Beautifly as his energy was absorbed.
"We won't let you get away with that so easy, Bonnie!" Roxanne warned. "Geodude, hit them with Mega Punch!"
"Dude!" the Rock Pokemon shouted, sounding angry as he gave his head a shake and rushed forward, striking the vulnerable Beautifly hard in the chest with his heavy fist.
"Flyyy!" Beautifly cried out as she was sent flying back. She was barely able to right herself above the rocks, managing to just avoid crashing into one. As she flew up, Bonnie glanced towards the watching students, noticing them noting things down as they watched the match. She was sure they were making note of Beautifly getting too close to Geodude, but it had been a risk they'd needed to take. Absorb had barely hit in the first match, but this time, Geodude was breathing pretty heavily after being hit by it. They had the advantage.
Roxanne must have been able to see it as well, because there was more desperation in her voice as she called her next attack. "Geodude, use Mega Punch! We'll fight this battle in close!"
Bonnie knew what they needed next, and so did Beautifly, the Butterfly Pokemon already lowering herself slightly as Geodude pulled back his fist and began to rush towards her. Trainer and Pokemon alike were tense as they watched the strong rock type approached, but they were ready all the same when they needed to be. "Fly up now, and use Gust!" Bonnie ordered, just as Geodude was just about in range, thrusting his fist forward.
Beautifly was on the move in an instant. She flapped her wings hard once more and just as Geodude was about to hit her, she slipped out of his reach. Instead of hitting the bug type, Geodude's fist smashed into another large rock. It shattered just as the other had, and Bonnie could see the knowing look in both Geodude's and Roxanne's eyes as they realized they'd been lured into another trap.
With Geodude's momentum already carrying him forward, and his smashing into the rock causing him to lose balance, Beautifly's Gust attack did far more than it normally would have against a tough rock type like him. The powerful gust of wind sent him stumbling hard into the ground, and whatever rocks that were still hovering in the air battered into him just as before. Dust swirled around him as Beautifly edged closer, ready to hit him with another attack on Bonnie's orders.
"Absorb!" she shouted, knowing it would be far harder for Geodude to land another Mega Punch with the dust all around him. Roxanne's not the only one that can make it hard to see.
"Flyyy!" Beautifly glowed green once again, and through the dust, Bonnie could see Geodude glow as well, orbs of green shooting out from him to her Butterfly Pokemon once more as his energy was absorbed.
"Rock Throw!" Roxanne quickly ordered, clearly sensing that Geodude was struggling now, his laboured breathing heard as the dust began to dissipate around him.
"D-duuude!" the Rock Pokemon cried out. Beautifly was too quick, though, flapping her wings easily and dodging the tossed rock.
Their advantage was clear, and Bonnie was eager to finish things up. "Tackle!" she shouted gleefully, pumping her fist in excitement.
"Zzt! No!" Rotom quickly warned. However, it was too late. Beautifly obeyed instantly, folding her wings slightly as she dove towards Geodude.
"Dude!" There was a bit more energy in the Rock Pokemon's voice as he shouted this time, the dust now cleared away from him, and his target approaching him as he readied another rock. "Geodude!"
"Flyyy!" Beautifly cried out in pain as she was struck, the rock hitting her square in the chest and sending her body arcing through the air before crashing her hard into the ground at the opposite end of the field.
Rushing her attack had been foolish, and Bonnie pleaded soundlessly for it to have not cost her this battle. Fortunately, it appeared as though her absorbed energy from earlier was giving her just enough strength to rise again. As Geodude hovered higher, ready for Roxanne's next order, Beautifly rose to meet his gaze. Both were panting heavily now, and Bonnie could see that this battle was close to being over.
"Rock Throw!" Roxanne ordered, clearly hoping she could prevent Beautifly from using another Absorb by keeping their distance. Bonnie wasn't going to allow it.
"Dodge and use String Shot!"
As Geodude grabbed a large rock out of the ground, taking aim and firing it, Beautifly watched carefully, timing her dodge perfectly as she slipped past the rock before sending out her String Shot. And as unwilling as Bonnie was to have Beautifly hit by Rock Throw, Roxanne wasn't going to allow Geodude to be hit by String Shot. She ordered a swift dodge as well, the Rock Pokemon managing to roll over the attack easily, the string of web taking hold of a rock jutting out of the ground underneath him. That was all they needed.
"Tackle!" Bonnie yelled quickly, Beautifly already on the move.
"FLY!"
Roxanne realized it too late, watching in stunned silence along with Geodude as Beautifly rocketed towards the Rock Pokemon, her String Shot pulling her in at twice the speed. She crashed hard into him, causing him to fall hard into the ground as she rose up to deliver the final blow.
"Finish with Absorb!" Bonnie ordered, punching the air in triumph as Beautifly flapped her wings hard, the green glow surrounding her and Geodude one final time, the last of his energy fading as the Butterfly Pokemon absorbed it.
"Geodude is unable to battle! Beautifly is the winner!" the referee shouted, Roxanne's students murmuring excitedly as the call was made. "Gym Leader Roxanne will now select her final Pokemon!"
Bonnie couldn't help but cheer at the call, her arms going up in the air. Dedenne joined in a moment later, and even Rotom couldn't help but dart around in excitement, while snapping a few pictures. Clyde and Kenny were cheering as well, while many of Roxanne's students were applauding, looking quite impressed. Best of all, was Beautifly's look, though, the Butterfly Pokemon, panting in exhaustion, but excited nonetheless, flew over to Bonnie, eyes shining with happiness.
"You were so awesome, Beautifly!" Bonnie told her bug type. "I knew you could do it!"
"I agree!' Roxanne called out to them both, her Geodude now recalled to its pokeball. "That was very impressive. To defeat a rock type with a bug and flying type Pokemon takes some serious determination and near flawless execution of strategy. You two made a fine team."
"It's not over yet, though," Bonnie pointed out, looking back over to Roxanne.
"Indeed, you still need to defeat one more Pokemon if you want that badge," Roxanne acknowledged, holding out her final pokeball. "I believe you'll remember this one." She threw out the pokeball, a flash of light shining briefly before Nosepass emerged, its expressionless face staring ahead at Bonnie and Beautifly.
Bonnie looked back a moment, before turning to Beautifly again. "Think you can keep going, Beautifly?"
"Beautifly!" the Butterfly Pokemon answered, nodding and turning around immediately, not giving any second thoughts about it. She was on a roll now, and Bonnie knew she wanted to give this battle everything she had left, no matter how tiring her fight with Geodude had been.
Bonnie took the opening move this round, hoping she could use the momentum from winning the first and give Beautifly an early advantage. "Beautifly, start things off with a String Shot!"
"That won't help you this time, Bonnie!" Roxanne warned, smiling as she called her first order. "Nosepass, let's make things a little harder for Beautifly with Sandstorm!"
"Pass!" the Compass Pokemon replied, dust and sand immediately starting to stir up around its feet.
Bonnie knew it would be difficult for Beautifly to manage in the Sandstorm once it started, so they needed to make this moment count. "Go!" she shouted, Beautifly shooting out her web at her call.
It wasn't much, but it was enough to make Nosepass grunt in surprise, the Compass Pokemon even taking a small step back as a string of web struck it in the centre. Bonnie couldn't quite see after that, however, with the sand swirling and rising faster and faster. Before she knew it, the field was covered, both Beautifly and Nosepass out of sight.
"Nice try, Bonnie," Roxanne called out. "Unfortunately Beautifly can only do so much to prevent Sandstorm from taking over, though. Nosepass has the edge now." She paused briefly, before calling her next attack. "Zap Cannon!"
Bonnie pursed her lips, unsure what to do with the sand swirling all over the place, but she let instinct take over and she made her next order. "Beautifly, stay close to the ground. Use the rocks for cover!"
Even with Beautifly unable to see her, Bonnie heard her call out an answer. She must've successfully made it lower to the ground, too, because a moment later, a massive blast of electricity could be seen lighting up the air above the field, and Beautifly did not sound as though she'd been hit. Now, Bonnie knew she needed to act next, otherwise another Zap Cannon would be on its way.
"Try using Gust to blow away the sand!" she called out, knowing it wasn't the best move, but feeling it was all she had in the moment.
"Flyyy!" Beautifly's answer was heard, along with the muffled sound of her wings flapping. Bonnie could see a brief disturbance in the sand, but it wasn't enough. However, it did give her a small glimpse of the shadow of Nosepass not too far ahead of where she now knew Beautifly must've been.
"Quick, use Absorb! Ahead and to the right!" Bonnie shouted, hearing Roxanne gasp in surprise, clearly realizing Nosepass had been spotted.
"Beautifly!" the Butterfly Pokemon shouted confidently, calling out briefly in pain from being buffeted by the storm, but otherwise ready to attack. A moment later, Bonnie could see a brief glow of green up ahead, followed by a cry of pain from Nosepass as some of his energy was drained.
"Nice move, Bonnie!" Roxanne called out, sounding surprisingly triumphant. "However, it'll be a costly one. Rock Tomb!"
Oh no! Bonnie's eyes widened as she realized what she'd done. She heard Beautifly cry out in fear, presumably trying to get away. Unfortunately, it sounded as though she was lost in the storm, and Bonnie heard her crash into a rock. Bonnie wasn't going to give up on her just yet, though. "Beautifly, aim carefully and use String Shot one more time!"
"Fly!" Beautifly called out in answer, fear, but also determination in her call.
All Bonnie heard next were the sounds of stone grinding against stone as Beautifly was entombed. She gave another brief, muffled cry, before Roxanne ordered the finishing blow. "Zap Cannon!"
The Sandstorm came to an end, just as Beautifly landed unconscious on the field in front of Bonnie. "Beautifly is unable to battle! Nosepass is the winner! The challenger will now select her final Pokemon."
Bonnie immediately rushed forward to her fallen Pokemon, picking her up and checking to make sure she was all right. She smiled, relieved, when Beautifly weakly opened her eyes, looking up to her. "You did so well, Beautifly," Bonnie told her honestly. "Thank you."
"Beautifly," the Butterfly Pokemon whispered, looking satisfied as she rested her eyes again and Bonnie recalled her to her pokeball.
When Bonnie stood, turning around to return to her spot, she saw Dedenne looking back at her, eyes narrowed in determination. He looked more fierce than he ever had before, and she couldn't have been happier to have him at her side for this battle. "Are you ready, Dedenne?" she asked, kneeling down in front of him.
He nodded. "Nene!"
"Then let's win this!"
Losing to Nosepass last time had been tough, but Dedenne was not going to let that battle repeat itself. As he leaped out in front of Bonnie, his trainer retaking her position across from Roxanne, Dedenne vowed to himself that the gym badge that he and Bonnie wanted so badly, would be theirs by the end of this battle. They were only just starting their journey together, but they'd been a team for awhile, and they were the best of friends. This was their moment to take their next big step together, and he wouldn't let his trainer down.
"Are you ready, Bonnie?" Roxanne called out, narrowing her eyes as she looked across the field. Dedenne could see that the gym leader was enjoying herself, relishing the challenge that Bonnie was giving her. It made him proud, and more eager to match the performance Beautifly had given. "Whoever wins this battle, wins the match. If it's you and Dedenne, the Rustboro Gym Badge is yours."
"It will be," Bonnie promised, nodding to Dedenne as he looked back at her. "Right, Dedenne?"
"Nene!" he assured her, pumping his fist confidently.
Roxanne nodded, looking excited to get the battle started. "Well, in that case, let's get this thing started!" She narrowed her eyes and thrust her arm forward. "Nosepass, use Rock Tomb!"
"Dedenne, Thunder Shock on the ground and propel yourself up!" Bonnie countered quickly.
The battle had started suddenly, but Dedenne had been ready for it. He could sense the ground shaking as the stones began to move to encase him, but he responded swiftly to Bonnie's call. His cheeks sparked as he concentrated his energy into them, and then he unleashed the electrical attack into the ground, his body launched upwards by the momentum of the attack.
He was surprised at how narrow the escape was, watching the Rock Tomb rush towards his face as he flew up, his body barely staying ahead of it until it was erected. His own attack ended as well, and Dedenne landed softly on top of the massive stones now erected beneath him. He narrowed his eyes, looking ahead to Nosepass, ready for whatever it sent his way next.
Bonnie wanted to go on the offensive, though, immediately ordering their next attack. "All right, Dedenne, Tackle!"
It was risky, but Dedenne knew they needed to get in close eventually, and he obeyed immediately. He jumped off the stone and darted towards Nosepass, the Compass Pokemon shifting slightly to get better aim for Roxanne's next order.
"Zap Cannon!" the gym leader shouted, clearly hoping to strike Dedenne as he charged towards Nosepass.
Dedenne decided to make it a little harder on them, though, shifting course slightly and darting behind some rocks. He emerged a moment later, darting across diagonally as Nosepass tried to follow along. The Compass Pokemon was too slow, however, failing to aim straight as Dedenne moved. He could see why, too, noticing some of Beautifly's webs at the rock type's feet, keeping it from shifting quick enough to get a good sight. It gave Dedenne just the room he needed to barrel into his opponent, causing Nosepass to grunt in pain before firing its Zap Cannon into the field, hitting nothing but rocks.
"Nene!" Dedenne cried out happily, turning and kicking up dirt as he readied himself for Bonnie's next order.
"Hit him with Thunder Shock!" Bonnie shouted, sounding very pleased with his successful attack, and trusting him to keep it up.
"Denene!" the Antenna Pokemon responded, leaping into the air and unleashing a jet of electricity into Nosepass' back, the Compass Pokemon unable to move in time to even see it coming.
"Paaasss!"
"Quick, Nosepass, use Sandstorm!" Roxanne shouted, clearly sensing that Dedenne had a definite speed advantage if the battle kept up like this.
"Nene!" Dedenne quickly darted back towards Bonnie, hearing her call for him to get out of the way. He hopped over the rocks, zigzagging through them, getting some distance between him and Nosepass. He knew he might've been able to land another attack, but Bonnie clearly wanted him to be careful, knowing that this final battle could be won or lost with just a couple of mistakes.
When he was back in front of Bonnie, the sand was already starting to whip around above the lower rocks, and it was only a few moments later that it was swirling around the whole field, obscuring almost everything from view. Dedenne couldn't help but feel a little nervous, remembering this being difficult to handle the last time, but he had faith in Bonnie to help guide him through it, and he trusted in her plan.
It wasn't going to be easy, though, with sand already buffeting him and scratching at his face. The longer this battle went on, the harder it would be to fight through this. Bonnie wasn't going to have him sit around and take it, though. "Dedenne, you know what to do. Find Nosepass and hit him with another Thunder Shock!"
"I don't think so, Bonnie!" Roxanne called out, sounding confident. "Nosepass, use Zap Cannon!"
Dedenne twitched his ears nervously, but immediately tried his best to focus. He closed his eyes, feeling as though his antennae-like whiskers were sensing objects around him. He could feel the magnetic pull of Nosepass somewhere in the distance. If he could just focus a little harder, he would find the Compass Pokemon.
"Ne..." He winced, the sand scratching at his cheeks messing up his focus and making him lose track of where he was searching. It had been a lot easier at Devon Corp. with only smoke and a few desks between him and his opponents. The sand, wind and bits of rock flying at him made it hard to get a sense of anything around him.
"Paaasss!"
The loud cry alerted Dedenne to the danger he was in well before his antennae could pick anything else up. Unfortunately, that didn't matter, as he had no time to react. He felt his body being carried through the air before he felt the blinding pain of the Zap Cannon sending painful electricity through his body. Although he was an electric type, Dedenne could certainly feel the discomfort of an opposing electrical attack, particularly one like Nosepass' that seemed so...magnetic. It almost seemed to drain his energy further, while also causing excruciating pain. When he crashed hard into a rock on the battlefield, it was the least painful part of the attack.
"Dedenne!" Bonnie called out in concern, her cry rousing him from the dizziness he was feeling. He quickly staggered to his feet, calling out a reply to her to let her know he could keep going. "I knew you'd be okay!" she cheered, making him smile. He loved how much she believed in him, and he was going to reward that faith. "I have an idea, but it's risky and might hurt. Can you handle that?"
He didn't hesitate. "Nene!" he assured her, cheeks sparking as he readied himself. He'd watched Pikachu pull off impossible feats, regardless of risk, and if he ever wanted to be that strong, he'd need to do the same. And he'd always have faith in Bonnie to help guide him through it.
"All right, then get closer to Nosepass, and be ready to move when I tell you!" Bonnie ordered, her voice shaking a little, but still sounding sure enough in her plan to shout, "You can do this!"
"Nene!" Dedenne called out in answer, taking off immediately, shaking off the pain of the sand biting into his skin.
"Ready yourself, Nosepass!" Roxanne called out. "Use Rock Tomb when Dedenne is within range."
Dedenne didn't let that deter him, and he continued to charge forward, closing his eyes and focusing as hard as possible to track some kind of general location of where Nosepass was. As he came to a stop, feeling a sudden magnetic energy, he felt the ground shake, knowing what was about to happen. Fear filled him, but Bonnie must've known it was coming, because she quickly gave his next order.
"Jump!"
Dedenne did as his trainer asked, leaping up as stones burst out of the ground to encase him. As they began to quickly encircle him, he started to realize Bonnie's plan, smiling. He grunted in pain as the rocks tightened around his body, but held strong, focusing on the path ahead with his antennae. Roxanne wouldn't know that he hadn't been fully entombed, and now he had a target.
"Thunder Shock!" Bonnie shouted, fueling Dedenne's energy with her call. His cheeks sparked with all the electricity he could muster, and he unleashed it in a straight line, striking Nosepass with everything he had.
"Paaasss!"
"No way!" Roxanne called in surprise, her shadow now becoming visible as Nosepass' Sandstorm began to die out. Dedenne was relieved by that, the last bit of sand biting into his cheeks. Unfortunately, as the storm dissipated, Roxanne could see how vulnerable he now was. "Quick, use Zap Cannon!"
"Pass!" Nosepass shouted, the yellow glow at its front growing as the attack gained power. Before Dedenne even knew it, he was being sent through the air once more, the pain of the Zap Cannon burning his body once again. When he hit the ground, it was only a few feet from the referee, and he was feeling quite dazed.
If he hadn't heard the referee take his one step forward to check on him, he might've passed out, but Dedenne managed to steel himself and rise. Bonnie's cheer made it all worth it, and he knew he wasn't going to fail her. He could still do this. He could be just like Pikachu and beat the odds.
"Still fighting?" Roxanne asked in surprise, watching Dedenne breathing heavily. "Well, it won't be for much longer! Nosepass, use Rock Tomb!"
Dedenne didn't have the energy to get out of the way, not if he was going to be able to land a finishing blow on Nosepass. He could tell that Bonnie knew it as well, the two exchanging a quick look and both nodding. She had faith in him that he could handle this, and if she believed in him, Dedenne knew he could do it.
The ground shook once more as the rocks began to emerge from the ground. Dedenne tensed up, ready to take it as they sped up, jutting out and striking him, encasing him roughly, and blocking his view of anything from the outside. He could barely stay focused on the sound of Bonnie's voice, but he could just make it out, and he heard her next order.
"Thunder Shock!"
Dedenne took a deep breath, and he charged his cheeks with all the electricity he could muster once more. He focused on Bonnie's belief in him, and it gave him the extra boost he needed as he unleashed it all at once. Electricity exploded around him, shattering the Rock Tomb into tiny pieces. Dedenne was panting, but he couldn't help but feel a little bit energized by the shocked look on Roxanne's face.
"Now, use Nuzzle!"
"Zap Cannon!"
If Nosepass hadn't been hit by Beautifly's String Shot, it might've been able to charge its attack in time to hit the exhausted Dedenne, but the Antenna Pokemon could see the webs interfering with its movement. Already tired by the two battles, Nosepass couldn't fight its way through the interference, struggling to focus on Dedenne, before being struck by his sparking cheeks.
"Nene!" Dedenne cried out, flipping back after landing his attack, watching as Nosepass stumbled, body sparking in electricity, paralysis taking hold.
"Nosepass!" Roxanne called out in concern, seeing her Pokemon losing the edge in battle. "Try to use Rock Tomb!"
Bonnie could see this was their moment as well, though, quickly ordering their next attack, too. "Thunder Shock!"
Nosepass did its best to follow Roxanne's orders, but it grunted in pain and stumbled to the ground as electricity sparked along its body. The paralysis gave Dedenne all the room he needed to leap on top of the Compass Pokemon. As he grabbed ahold of it, keeping a tight grip, he locked eyes with Bonnie, both of their eyes shining. They knew what this moment was, and it meant the world to each of them.
"Let's rumble, Dedenne!"
"DENENEEE!"
As exhausted as Dedenne was, he was sure it was his most powerful Thunder Shock ever. He could feel Nosepass shaking beneath him, unable to take the attack as it fell hard to the ground. Dedenne rolled off, feeling exhaustion almost overcome him, but managing to stay alert enough to turn and stare at his smoking opponent.
"Nosepass is unable to battle! Dedenne is the winner! The match goes to Bonnie, from Lumiose City!"
Silence followed the referee's call.
Well, not quite, as Bonnie was aware of Rotom crying out in excitement, Clyde and Kenny cheering for her from the stands, and Roxanne's students murmuring to each other. To Bonnie, though, everything was quiet. A ringing did enter her ears at one point, but all she could do was stare ahead in shock. It was an unbelievable moment.
She knew she had to be dreaming. There was no way this had actually happened. She couldn't possibly have been staring at the mighty gym leader of Rustboro City, Roxanne, walking up to her smoking and knocked out Nosepass. She couldn't possibly have been staring at her own loyal partner in Dedenne looking upon the Pokemon he had just defeated. Or...could she have been. Had it actually happened?
"Did I...did we...?" She blinked, feeling tears in her eyes as she started to smile, the realization hitting her. "Dedenne!"
She ran to him, reaching him as he slowly turned to her, a dazed look on his face as well. He seemed unsure of the reality of the situation as well. "Nene?" he asked, blinking slowly, before looking over to Roxanne as she comforted Nosepass and recalled it to its pokeball.
"Yeah...we did it, Dedenne," Bonnie assured her best friend. "You did it! Just like Pikachu!" He smiled at that, and Bonnie realized just how much Dedenne wanted to be like his old electric type mentor and friend. He had definitely taken a huge step towards that goal today.
"Bonnie!" She turned at the sound of Clyde's voice, seeing him and Kenny approaching her, the latter looking in awe at her. "Wow, that was so great! You were awesome!"
"That was just as good as Max and Tommy!" Kenny told her, sounding as in awe as he looked. "I didn't know you were that good, Bonnie."
"I...uh..." She blushed, looking to Dedenne and laughed in embarrassment.
"Zzt! Pokemon trainer Bonnie statistics updated!" Rotom suddenly chimed in. "Zzt! Pokemon trainer Bonnie is very powerful! Her Pokemon Dedenne is a legendary Dedenne!"
Bonnie laughed again at that, almost feeling as though it was true. She was so proud of Dedenne, and knew he had given it all he had to win this battle. She would be forever grateful to him for that, and knew that they were going to go very far together if they kept fighting like this.
"Well, he certainly did fight with the heart of a legendary Pokemon," Roxanne's voice then broke in, bringing Bonnie's attention to her, while Rotom started taking pictures. "That was very impressive, Bonnie. You, Dedenne and Beautifly displayed great teamwork and determination today. There's no doubt in my mind that you deserve this."
Bonnie gaped at the item that Roxanne held out to her. Once again, she wasn't quite able to believe what was happening. She glanced up at the Rustboro Gym Leader, almost as though she needed to make sure she was real, and that she was serious about what she was doing. It appeared she was real, and that the item in her hand really was meant for Bonnie.
"Congratulations on defeating the Rustboro City Gym, Bonnie," Roxanne said, holding her hand out closer to the young trainer. "I am proud to present you with the Stone Badge."
Bonnie's hand shook a little as she reached out to take the golden badge, noticing the unique shape of it. It was beautiful, the two sideways triangles shining a bright gold on either side. When Bonnie finally took hold of it, she held it up to the light, vaguely aware of Rotom taking a picture. She then looked to Dedenne, the Antenna Pokemon smiling widely at her.
"Dedenne!" Bonnie then called out excitedly, standing up and calling out Beautifly to join in the celebration. "We got the Stone Badge!" she cheered, jumping up in excitement, her two tired Pokemon cheering alongside her.
When they were finished, Bonnie carefully pulled out her special badge case that Korrina had given her, excited to tell her that it was finally being put to use. It fit nicely inside, leaving plenty of room for the next seven that she needed. She couldn't wait to see it all filled up. She turned her attention back to Roxanne as she put the badge case away.
"Thank you for a really good battle, Roxanne," Bonnie told her, holding out her hand. The Rustboro Gym Leader happily shook her hand, looking pleased, but also slightly uneasy for some reason. "I'll never forget this."
"Neither will I," Roxanne assured her, looking to Dedenne, Beautifly and then back to Bonnie. "In fact, Bonnie, I think I've learned a great deal from you these past few days. You've been somewhat of a teacher yourself."
Bonnie was surprised at that. "I have?"
"Oh yes," Roxanne said, the slight nervousness returning to her. "And, well, I believe you have a lot more you could teach me. You see, you've got a unique way of battling, just like Ash had back when he came here, but I can see that you're still learning a great deal." She paused, taking a deep breath. "I often wonder what I and my students miss in learning so much from classrooms. Perhaps a journey would teach me a few more things, and perhaps I can prepare my students better if I were to understand more of what they were getting into."
"A journey is really fun," Bonnie told her, thinking of all the fun she'd had with Ash, Clemont and Serena back in Kalos, and how amazing this journey had already been. "We get to have all kinds of adventures.
"I'm sure you do," Roxanne said, nodding at Bonnie's reply. "I was wondering, Bonnie, if you'd be willing to let me come along with you while you travel Hoenn? I believe both of us could learn from travelling together."
Her question shocked Bonnie, and her eyes went to Roxanne's students. They seemed to have heard about this already, not looking shocked. "Wh-what? Would your school be okay?" she had to ask.
"Oh yes, I've arranged for various teachers already here to deal with the basics, and Mr. Stone has promised to have Steven to have guest trainers come in and help out while I'm gone." Roxanne laughed nervously. "That is...if you'd like me to come along."
"Of course we would!" Clyde suddenly blurted out. "It'd be amazing if you came along!"
"Zzt! Yes! I can't teach Bonnie everything!" Rotom added in, hovering away from Bonnie as she reached out to grab him.
She couldn't disagree with their eagerness to have Roxanne join, though, and when she looked to Dedenne, he nodded and smiled, clearly on board as well. "The more the merrier!" Bonnie said, suddenly excited by the prospect of travelling with another new companion. This would be fun.
"Great!" Roxanne said excitedly, looking grateful. "I'm sure it will be a lot of fun." She then turned to Kenny. "As for you Kenny, I'm sure you'll want to have your gym battle. I suppose we could have it before we leave for Bonnie's next location."
"Um..." Kenny looked uneasy, clearly wanting to say something, but unsure how to say it. His Poliwag gave him an encouraging pat with his tail, though, and he managed to speak. "I think I'd like to wait. I...I want to battle you when I'm truly ready, Ms. Roxanne. A battle with you means more than a battle with the other gym leaders. I'll get stronger, and when I'm ready, then I want to have our battle. If that's okay."
Roxanne looked surprised by that, but she seemed to understand. "Of course, Kenny. If that's what you want, I'd be happy to wait. I expect a good battle when you're ready, though."
"You'll have it!" Kenny promised her, sounding more confident.
"And how about your next battle, Bonnie," Clyde said, nudging her. "Now we've got to figure out where we go next."
"I believe Dewford Town is where most trainers go after challenging my gym," Roxanne said, looking back to Bonnie. "Max will have gone there."
Bonnie narrowed her eyes at that, imagining her next battle with Max. She'd show him she was just as strong as him. She had a gym badge now after all. She was no pushover. "Then our next stop is Dewford Town. And my next gym badge is at the Dewford Gym!"
Author's Note:
So there we have it! Bonnie has earned her first ever gym badge! I loved writing that. It was a lot of fun to finally have Bonnie at that level. Let me know if you liked the decision to have the final battle in Dedenne's POV. I thought it was kind of interesting to do, so hopefully it came out well.
As for Roxanne...new travel companion! Yes, we're doing the whole gym leader travelling with the protagonist thing, and I thought Roxanne was the perfect choice. Hopefully her reasoning made sense, and hopefully she'll fit in nicely. I think it'll be a pretty good group.
Anyway, next stop is Dewford, although Bonnie and co. need to get there first. How might they do that? And perhaps Bonnie might catch a new Pokemon in the next couple of chapters...I wonder. I guess we'll see. Hope you enjoyed this one, and I'll see you next time.