Author's Note:

Hello my fellow Bonnie fans! I have excellent news for those of you who don't read Lumiose University and have been hating me for not updating this story. Lumiose University is finished! That's right...after four years, it's finally over. So you know what that means. Bonnie becomes my number one priority! So look forward to regular updates of this story, because I'm ready to go full steam ahead with this one.

So, last time Bonnie met Drake at Island Cave. Butch and Cassidy got their Smeargle back and due to events seen in Generation Z – Gotta Catch 'Em All we found out he can talk. Then, they had orders from Team Archaic to fight off Drake, while Team Rocket wanted them to get Drake to find out what had happened with Regice being taken.

This chapter is actually a bit weird. I've got a oneshot being worked on that will go along with it, actually. I had planned to set it before this chapter, but I ended up setting some of it a little after so it won't come just yet. This one, though, doesn't focus too heavily on Bonnie, but actually Butch and Cassidy for much of it. Hope you enjoy!

Chapter 19: Masters of Dragons

Bonnie couldn't quite think straight as she watched Wingull and Peeko soar over the boat, gliding on the soft sea breeze as Briney sailed the group towards Dewford Town. Ever since they had departed Island Cave, her mind had been filled with thoughts of Team Archaic and whatever they were up to, as well as Drake and whatever else he would be discovering. She wished she could've stayed behind. She hated the thought of something big happening as she relaxed on the boat, enjoying the weather.

"Feeling down, Bonnie?"

She glanced up from where she was sitting near the front of the boat, seeing Roxanne having come over to sit next to her. Clyde was at the side, looking over the railing and keeping an eye out for any water types in the water, Rotom next to him, ready to take pictures. Dedenne and Treecko were sleeping on the deck in front of where Briney was steering. They were all so relaxed. It felt wrong.

"I just wish we could've helped Drake. I don't like what's happening with Team Archaic, and I know Island Cave is important for whatever they're up to." Bonnie scowled, looking out front of the boat, watching Wingull and Peeko dip their wings in the water as they flew. Wingull seemed to be quite enjoying being part of their group. Without needing to steal food, he was proving to be quite a playful Pokemon, splashing Peeko a few times before darting back into the sky.

Roxanne watched the two Pokemon a moment, smiling as Peeko gave chase after another splash from Wingull. "I would've liked to help as well, Bonnie, but I don't think there's too much that can be done. Even if Drake finds something, it seems Team Archaic has whatever they need from Island Cave. And if he needs to battle any more of their members, remember he's one of the strongest trainers in the world. It's better for us to be off and growing stronger ourselves so that we're ready when we run into them again and don't have Drake there with us."

"I could've learned from Drake by being there and helping him," Bonnie argued, fiddling with the Zygarde necklace that Mairin had given her. She'd been looking at it a lot since leaving Island Cave. It made her think of Team Flare, and how Team Archaic was appearing just as dangerous.

Roxanne actually laughed a little at Bonnie's point. "You certainly are eager." She paused a moment, ignoring Bonnie's frustrated glance in her direction, before continuing. "Drake will be busy if he's trying to spot signs that Team Archaic attempted to hide. He'll need his space to work effectively, too. This may just be something he needs to do with his own small group." She looked Bonnie in the eyes, speaking seriously a moment later. "There's more to this, Bonnie, but you can help by continuing your journey. Enjoy it. You can fight Team Archaic another time."

For some reason, her firm tone with that point seemed to get through to Bonnie, and she couldn't help but smile. She supposed she was getting a little obsessed with fighting Team Archaic and being nervous about what they were up to. She knew she couldn't forget them, but she did have her journey to focus on, and her Pokemon needed her to help them get stronger. And Roxanne was right. If she did well on her journey, she would be able to grow and deal with Team Archaic when the time came. With how things had gone so far, she was sure their paths would continue to cross.

"Thanks, Roxanne," Bonnie said, smiling at the gym leader. "You must be a really good teacher as well as being an awesome gym leader."

Roxanne chuckled at that, shaking her head in amusement. "I'm just trying to help in whatever small way I can." She looked ahead, squinting as she noticed something in the distance. Bonnie followed her gaze, seeing that she was watching Wingull as he veered off to the side, heading towards a small island to their left. "It appears Wingull wants to help as well. Looks like Peeko is in need of a lunch break. I think I could use one, too."

Bonnie noticed that Roxanne was right about Peeko, the female Wingull turning back to land on the boat while her male counterpart continued on towards the island. Roxanne headed back towards where Briney was steering, getting his attention as he kept the boat moving. Bonnie heard Roxanne mentioning lunch, and Briney seemed to be in agreement, particularly upon seeing Peeko now joining Dedenne and Treecko on the deck. Within moments, the boat was turning towards the island Wingull had spotted, Bonnie's newest Pokemon circling above it as he waited for them.

Unlike the day when they'd had their encounter with Wingull, Briney steered the boat closer into the island, and the group was able to set up their lunch on the beach. It was a little easier to relax that way, and Bonnie supposed the group needed it so they could avoid too much brooding over Team Archaic's plots. She decided she was going to do her best not to dwell on it, and she sat down comfortably with the others as they got their sandwiches out. The Pokemon gathered around Roxanne as she put out their food.

"I believe this will be our last lunch stop together," Briney said as they all settled down, looking out across the water. A Sharpedo fin could be seen in the distance, but fortunately it didn't seem interested in them. "We should be arriving in Dewford Town by tomorrow morning."

"It's been really awesome travelling with you, Mr. Briney," Clyde said, smiling as he looked to the old sailor. "You and Peeko have been so nice to us."

"Ah, it's my pleasure," Briney said sheepishly. "I was going to Dewford anyway, and it's been a real treat to get to know you kids. Peeko's loved it, too. And now she's even got a new Wingull friend!"

"They certainly seem to be getting along nicely," Roxanne pointed out, watching the two Seagull Pokemon. Peeko was shuffling some of her leftover food to Wingull, who seemed to have the bigger appetite. He was hesitant to take it, but did so with her urging. It was already quite the change from his actions on the day they'd met.

"Peeko can make friends with just about anyone." Briney looked fondly at the pair. "It's been nice for her to have a friend to keep her safe in the skies. She's a determined one, but fighting isn't quite in her blood."

Bonnie frowned, thinking back to the battle in Island Cave. "She had a pretty strong Quick Attack," she pointed out. She didn't mention that Wingull had needed to protect Peeko in order for that Quick Attack to land.

"Aye, she can use a couple of moves fairly well if need be and with others helping her," Briney said. "Unfortunately it's not so easy when we're off on our own. Sharpedo tries to help, but Peeko's had some issues in the sky or if we get separated. I do worry for her. But we make do."

"She'll get stronger," Bonnie said, looking to Dedenne, who was now joining Treecko near some trees where some berries were growing. He had collected the watering pail from Clyde's bag and was watering a spot where he must've planted some more. "Dedenne needed Ash's Pikachu a lot early on, but now he's getting really strong and can take care of himself a lot more."

Roxanne nodded in agreement. "Bonnie's right. Peeko will learn. She just needs a good training partner."

"Perhaps she'll need to do some training with Sharpedo," Briney murmured, looking thoughtful. "I suppose it's worth a try. It would certainly make me feel better if she could handle the dangers at sea a little better. I remember Drake telling me that it took the heart of a dragon to brave the seas, and perhaps I need to take that more to heart."

That made Bonnie think of the Elite Four member they'd left behind. She was curious to know more about him. "How do you know Drake, Mr. Briney? Did you go to sailing school together or something?" Bonnie didn't know if there was such a thing, but decided it made sense. Briney shook his head, though, laughing.

"Ah, no, we met as youngsters. A long time ago. Even before I met dear Peeko." Briney looked out across the water once more, eyes shining as the memory came to him. "I was just a simple fisherman back then. I hadn't started out on any kind of journey like you kids, but I had been thinking about it. I was always interested in the water and water Pokemon, however, so I would try fishing for them whenever I had the chance."

"So you met Drake while fishing?" Clyde asked. "He was a fisherman, too?"

Briney chuckled once more. "Oh, not quite. He's certainly always had a fondness for water as well, but I believe fishing for him was more of an exercise in meditation and battle preparation. He was simply out exploring, looking for trainers to battle. It wasn't too eventful, really. He was interested in my knowledge of the water, and used some of what I told him in finding some new Pokemon."

"Did you ever travel together after that?" Bonnie asked, curious now about the sailor's friendship with the Elite Four member. "Did you see some really cool battles?"

Briney paused, thinking a moment. "Ah, well, I suppose we did travel a little together. It was really later that we became much better friends, however. There is one battle I remember that was quite the thing to see."

Bonnie and the others all leaned forward in interest. The Pokemon even paused what they were doing to look over. Rotom was most interested, and Bonnie wondered if he was hoping to get some information to add to his data somehow. Finally, she spoke up when Briney didn't say more, his eyes shining as he stared off into the distance.

"So...what was the battle? Who was it with?" she asked, waving her hands in front of his face.

Briney chuckled, shaking his head as he focused on her and the others once more. "Well, it's a bit of a long story. It involves his interest in dragon type Pokemon. In fact...you'll be surprised by what I tell you. At one time, he wasn't considered Hoenn's best dragon trainer. He had to earn that through some hard training and difficult battles. There was one with a Salamence..."

Before long, what was left of the group's lunch was forgotten. None of them noticed, though, listening intently as Briney told them stories of Drake's impressive victories, including a particularly good one, where he defeated a Salamence with his Flygon.

Butch and Cassidy were cold, and it was made worse by the fact their clothes had been soaked after they'd been blasted through the cave by Drake's Salamence. Once they'd scrambled out of the water and gotten into another entrance of the cave, their outfits had started to freeze, so it was like walking around in some kind of cold, wet, awkward armour. It was totally humiliating and extremely uncomfortable.

"Once the boss allows us to reveal ourselves, my first target is going to be Viktor, and I'm going to relish every moment of making him scream for mercy!" Cassidy was taking things very well, of course. Butch expected no less. "We'll see how he likes being launched through the air, scraped along through an icy cave, before being dumped into freezing water and then having to go right back into that freezing cave! And it won't end there! No, it definitely won't!"

"You really need to calm yourself, Cass." Butch jumped at the still unfamiliar voice. Apparently Smeargle was already comfortable using nicknames. Despite his inability to remember what he'd done in his time at Team Rocket headquarters, he seemed unbothered by his ability to speak, too.

"I will not be calm about this!" Cassidy snapped. "That man will pay for this!"

Smeargle shrugged. "Well, I don't really remember much about the fellow. Perhaps he deserves it." Butch stared at the Painter Pokemon. His accent was a bit different. Somewhat soothing actually, despite how strange it was for him to be speaking. "I believe I was knocked out when he first saw me..."

"Maybe if you would learn something more useful than Splash, you wouldn't have been knocked out," Cassidy muttered, kicking a piece of ice away as she paced around the small passageway they were in. She rubbed her arms, trying to warm herself as much as possible. "Why on earth did you think that was worth copying anyway?"

Smeargle shrugged again. He was apparently not bothered by the cold. He really didn't seem to get bothered by much. Butch felt he would be easy to get along with once he got used to the Painter Pokemon's ability to speak. "I suppose I just found it to be fun. I was living in a box before you so kindly decided to introduce me to that bloody rat of yours, in case you don't remember."

"Raaaticate..." Raticate growled in response.

"Yes...you," Smeargle murmured, eyeing Raticate suspiciously. "I'd copy that nasty little Super Fang of yours, but I don't much like the idea of sinking my teeth into another Pokemon. I'm not sure they all taste very nice. Imagine biting into a Seviper or an Ekans..." He shivered.

Cassidy looked like she was ready to strangle Smeargle, so Butch decided to speak up quickly. "Do you think we should update Viktor about our status here? And Lyanna? We might still be required to do more."

"I suppose we should," Cassidy murmured, looking to Smeargle a moment, before pulling out the transmitter. "I think you need to stay quiet. We can't have it getting around that we have a Pokemon that can speak. Jessie and James might get away with it since Meowth is useless, but Team Archaic might try to steal you if they find out about you."

"I'm so very flattered by your concern for me," Smeargle said with a small bow. "You're such a caring trainer."

"If I have to, I'll lock you in your pokeball," Cassidy warned, tapping the capture device that was at her waist. Smeargle sniffed at that, but stayed quiet. "Now...what exactly are we going to say to Viktor? It's not exactly like we stopped Drake. And considering Team Rocket's orders..."

Before Butch could answer, the transmitter suddenly rang out, signalling a call was coming in. He and Cassidy reacted immediately, positioning themselves in front of it, before clicking to answer the call. A moment later, an image was projected in front of them. Viktor's glare met them, and Butch was glad Smeargle had been told to keep quiet, because he had no doubt that Viktor would've ordered the Painter Pokemon be sent to him immediately if he heard it speak, if only to punish them for existing. He clearly didn't like them.

"Agents." The greasy haired man glared at them a moment longer, nodding only when they saluted him. Then he continued. "I take it you failed to prevent the Elite Four member from advancing into the cave's lower levels?" They didn't answer, which was enough of an answer for him. "Well, I suppose it wasn't likely fools such as you could do much. At the very least, though, he may be cautious about other, more qualified agents being on the way. He would be right to think so, of course."

Cassidy frowned, glancing at Butch in confusion, before looking back to Viktor. "You mean...we have reinforcements coming?"

Viktor rolled his eyes, apparently thinking her question ridiculous. "We're sending one agent. She was reasonably close, with an...efficient means of getting there. I expect she'll arrive soon. She'll find you. She is one of our finest. Your role will be to assist her in identifying where this Elite Four member has searched. We'll at least attempt to discover what he knows."

"Is that all we'll be doing, sir?" Cassidy asked. Butch was surprised by the question. He wondered if she was worried about fighting Drake again. Of course, the more likely answer was that she didn't want to deal with whoever the high level Team Archaic agent was.

"As I said," Viktor growled, narrowing his eyes, "you'll assist our Special Agent in interference with the investigators. Do as she says."

"And the girl, sir? What about her?" Cassidy looked pleased by something, but it seemed subtle enough that Viktor couldn't pick up on it.

"You'll need to track her down afterwards. I assume you can identify where the brat will be heading." When Butch and Cassidy nodded, he waved his hand dismissively. "That will be all, agents. Do as Agent Zinnia requires. You will regret it if you don't."

As his image disappeared, Cassidy turned to Butch, a small grin on her face. "I figured he was trying to hide it..."

"What?" Butch asked, glancing at Smeargle, who watched them curiously.

"This Agent Zinnia is a higher level than him. He didn't want to admit that, because he likes having us as his subordinates." Cassidy chuckled, standing up and putting her hands on her hips. Apparently she wasn't feeling so cold anymore. "We have a chance of moving up in the ranks."

"You think so?" Butch asked, not so sure himself.

"That seems a little too simple if you ask me," Smeargle stated, looking bored as he folded his arms and leaned against the icy wall of the cave. "It's not like we've had a great success against Drake."

"All we need to do is impress this other woman, and at least we won't have to deal with that idiot," Cassidy snapped back, glaring down the empty passageway behind them. A moment later, she gasped.

Butch looked up, wondering what it was. "What is it? Drake?" he asked worriedly, fumbling for his pokeball.

Steps echoed in the passageway a moment later. Then, Butch saw a shape emerging from the shadows. He couldn't help but stand up, alert at the sight of the woman approaching them. She exuded authority as she gazed at him and Cassidy with her red eyes. Her black hair and her white cape blew up slightly as a light breeze passed through the cave, chilling the air further. A small Whismur stood at the woman's side, right next to where a blue anklet was secured at her leg.

"Butch and Cassidy?" the woman asked, looking to each. She paused a moment, staring at Butch. "Er...or was it Biff?"

Butch stiffened, but managed to contain himself. "Butch," he muttered. "At your service, Special Agent Zinnia."

She smirked at his response. "Just call me Zinnia." She looked to her Whismur. "This is Aster by the way." Her demeanour was a bit surprising, but Butch was glad she wasn't like Viktor. She didn't seem to think he and Cassidy were useless grunts at least. She was beginning to look around the passageway they were in, eyes finally going to Smeargle and Raticate. "Hello," she then said, nodding to each.

Cassidy winced as Smeargle nodded back, avoiding eye contact. Raticate just looked nervous. Neither made a sound. Apparently, though, something about the exchange amused Zinnia. Her gaze snapped back to Butch and Cassidy, a smirk on her face.

"Doesn't talk to strangers, does he?"

Butch's jaw dropped, while Cassidy simply stared, eyes wide. "Wh...What do you mean?" she then managed to squeak out. "T-Talk?"

Zinnia rolled her eyes. "Give me a break. For the glory of Team Rocket, okay? I'm one of you. Lyanna sent me. Or at least...she had me casually mention to Courtney I was close by, which of course was great news to her and the others. Hmm...might've saved that idiot Viktor his job. That one is...unpleasant."

Butch and Cassidy exchanged a glance. For all they knew, this could be a test of some sort. Of course, if Zinnia knew about Smeargle, perhaps it was true. Cassidy decided to be sure. Even if it was risking insulting a higher level agent, blowing their cover was the more dangerous alternative. "Might we...make a call? To headquarters?"

Zinnia smirked again, and held up her arm. A watch of some sort was on her wrist, and she clicked a button on it. After a moment with a small green light blinking, an image popped up above the watch. Lyanna's image. "Hello Special Agent Lyanna," Zinnia said. "I've made contact with our undercover agents in Island Cave."

"Excellent," Lyanna said, looking dismissively at Butch and Cassidy as Zinnia positioned herself so they could be seen. "What are your orders from Team Archaic."

Zinnia shrugged. "Vague orders, really. They seem to feel it's a lost cause getting an Elite Four member off of their trail, so they want to test our strength against his. Hopefully pressure him out of here, perhaps. Maybe figure out what he's discovered."

Lyanna frowned, looking displeased. "So we'll have the Pokemon League involved in this soon enough. I imagine Team Archaic will wish to move forward with their larger projects quite soon then."

"It seems that may be the case," Zinnia murmured, glancing at Butch and Cassidy. They stayed silent. Butch could tell this was well beyond their clearance, despite the snippets of information they were getting. "Not the worst thing. There's still a great deal of preparation they need to do, and rushing certain missions will make it easier for Team Rocket to step in and destroy them, before making off with whatever discoveries they've made."

Lyanna nodded, adjusting her glasses as she peered at a note in her hand. "Very well," she murmured, almost distractedly. "I'll leave you to your mission. I assume you're prepared to battle Drake?"

"Of course," Zinnia said, shrugging. "Dragons are my specialty after all."

With that, Lyanna simply raised an eyebrow in response, before tapping something in front of her and ending the call. Zinnia lowered her wrist, turning to Butch and Cassidy. Clearly that was proof enough of her true station, and she wanted it acknowledged. They bowed their heads.

"We're at your service, Special Agent Zinnia!"

"That's not necessary," Zinnia muttered, turning away from the two of them, glancing over to Smeargle and Raticate. "Gather your Pokemon. We're due to meet Drake soon."

Zinnia didn't wait for them, and Butch and Cassidy quickly gathered their things and had Raticate and Smeargle follow. As they headed deeper into the cave, Cassidy moving ahead to ask Zinnia further questions about the mission, Smeargle scurried forward to walk beside Butch. He was eyeing Zinnia curiously as they walked.

"That woman she called," the Painter Pokemon said, looking thoughtful. "She looked familiar to me."

Butch glanced at the talking Pokemon, still thinking it bizarre. He answered, however. "You probably saw her at headquarters. Or maybe you remember her from when we called her after the Rustboro mission."

"Hmm...perhaps. Everything has been a bit of a blur lately." Smeargle looked at his paintbrush-like tail, frowning. "How does one gain such an ability without even remembering what happened?"

The question made Butch a little uncomfortable. He was a loyal member of Team Rocket. He always would be. That didn't mean he wasn't a little freaked out by whatever Giovanni might've done to Smeargle. Even Cassidy had been hesitant to send him, even if she'd barely shown it. Clearly something very strange had happened.

"What is it that I've gotten into with you lot?" Smeargle asked. Butch jumped a little, realizing the Pokemon was staring at him with narrowed eyes. "I was quite content in my box in Rustboro City. Well...mostly."

"We're members of a great organization," Butch said, shrugging. "Team Rocket has power all over the world, and our role is to neutralize threats and expand that power. Team Archaic is a rival group that we need to defeat, and they may have knowledge that we can bring back to our boss so we're undercover to steal it and defeat them."

Smeargle stayed silent for a couple of minutes, walking quietly alongside Butch as they followed the others deeper into the cave. It got colder and colder as they walked. Butch wished he could've been on one of Hoenn's many beaches right now. Why did he have to be stuck in the coldest place in the entire region on this mission? He shuddered to think of what Regice would've done to the temperature in the cave.

"I suppose that despite my lack of memory for the last little while, I do find myself in quite an interesting position," Smeargle then said, bringing Butch's attention back to him. "Despite what you say, and despite Cassidy's temper, you don't seem too bad. And this human speech ability I've acquired seems quite useful."

"You know, you're not the first Pokemon we've met that can speak," Butch then said, pausing as Zinnia stood still up ahead, before turning down a new passageway. "Another member of Team Rocket is a Meowth, and he can speak as well. He's with a couple of losers named Jessie and James. Not that great himself, either."

Smeargle hesitated a moment, before nodding slowly. "Hmm...sounds like they're rivals of some sort. And now you have me to balance things out with this Meowth. Perhaps this was meant to be!"

Butch couldn't help but smirk at that. "Yeah...maybe." He was about to say more, but just then, Cassidy moved back to wait with him a moment, Zinnia rushing ahead to an open area of the cave.

"She says she picked something up on a radar she's got. Apparently there are two people up ahead." Cassidy looked somewhat excited. Clearly she felt Zinnia could get them higher positions with Team Rocket, or at least with Team Archaic for their mission. "This should be interesting."

"You don't think she's actually strong enough to beat Drake, do you?" Butch asked, remembering what Zinnia had said when presented the plan to battle. "The boss recruits strong trainers, but to be at the level of an Elite Four member..."

Cassidy sniffed dismissively at that. "Don't be ridiculous. The boss has power everywhere. We've only seen a sample of what Team Rocket is capable of and there's no doubt the boss has trainers that can fight someone like Drake. Team Archaic must've seen something in her as well."

Butch supposed Cassidy did have a point. He didn't have a chance to say more, though, with Zinnia returning to them a moment later, tense with anticipation for the approaching confrontation. "It's Drake and some companion of his from his ship. I believe I heard him saying the name Fitzwilliam. Anything I should know about him from your previous encounter?"

Cassidy shook her head. "It seems he was just accompanying Drake and the others. I don't think he's a trainer, and if he is, likely not someone to worry about."

"Drake is confident enough in his own abilities," Zinnia murmured, glancing back. "With good reason. Well, we won't push this. We'll try to find out if he's spotted any sign of Regice. We'll let him know Team Archaic has weapons such as myself and my Pokemon, and that should fulfill our mission for Lyanna, while Team Archaic will believe we were forced to engage. You two will back me up if it goes south. At least to give me a chance to get us out of here."

Butch frowned. "So we won't fight?"

"I don't want you in the way. Be ready, though. There's still a good chance you'll be needed." She eyed the two Team Rocket agents, before glancing to Smeargle and Raticate. "Are we clear?"

"Yes ma'am!" they all said, with Raticate adding in a cry of his own.

"Whismur?" Aster then said, looking up at Zinnia.

"You stay back as well, Aster. This could be dangerous." Zinnia looked once more to Butch and Cassidy, and then led the way forward.

Within moments of heading down the passageway towards another open area of the cave, Butch began hearing voices. He quickly recognized Drake's commanding voice, and assumed the other was Fitzwilliam. They seemed to be quite animated in their discussion.

"...no way they could've hid it perfectly. Officer Jenny likely didn't even stretch the investigation that far down. If she did, it would have been a small crew." It was Drake speaking. Butch could tell the Elite Four member was somewhat excited.

"At least we know, now. The Pokemon down there were very upset. I imagine Regice offered some protection for them," the other voice said. It was likely Fitzwilliam.

"Indeed. Unfortunately it appears as though there's no sign of where they've taken Regice. We'll need a way to properly scout out potential hiding locations..."

Zinnia paused as their group reached a corner at the edge of the cavern where Drake and Fitzwilliam were talking. She smirked, glancing back at Butch and Cassidy. "They know. This makes our job easier. As long as Drake is pushed a bit, he'll be more urgent in his pursuit. Team Archaic will think we had no choice." They nodded, hands going to their pokeballs just in case they were needed. Then, they stepped around the corner.

Drake turned immediately, while Fitzwilliam was a little slower, only turning when he realized Drake had gone quiet. It took a moment for Drake to speak, studying the newest member of Butch and Cassidy's group. "You're a Draco-"

"I'm a member of Team Archaic," Zinnia said quickly, cutting him off. Butch got the sense she was pleased about something, though. From where he was, just a little behind her and to the left, he could just see a hint of a smirk on her face. "I hear you've caused some trouble for my associates here."

Drake narrowed his eyes. "Your criminal associates. They interfered with an important investigation, and it appears you wish to join them in doing so. What is it you're hiding here?"

Zinnia laughed, pulling out a pokeball and stepping forward. "We're hiding nothing. We simply don't like our members attacked so rudely."

"I believe we were the ones attacked." Drake chuckled, looking to Fitzwilliam. "Of course, our young companion at the time, along with her friends, made quick work of your associates."

"I heard..." Zinnia murmured, casting a glance back at Butch and Cassidy as though disappointed in them. Butch wasn't sure if it was real or not. She was putting on quite the act. "Nonetheless," she said, turning back to Drake. "We won't be made fools of. What have you discovered here, old man?"

Drake took a deep breath, shaking his head at her words. "Is there something you wish for us to not discover here, miss?"

"We're always interested to know what an Elite Four member may be looking for," Zinnia answered carefully, tapping her pokeball, as if impatient to call out her Pokemon. Butch was pretty sure she was impatient to do that.

"It's none of your business what we've been doing here," Fitzwilliam then snapped, looking furiously at Zinnia, and then Butch and Cassidy.

"Everything is our business," Zinnia said calmly. She then smiled, holding up her pokeball and clicking it open. "Salamence, let's show these fools what Team Archaic is all about."

Drake stepped forward, holding his arm out to stop Fitzwilliam from responding. "Very well." He pulled out a pokeball of his own, eyeing Zinnia's Salamence. "An interesting choice, a Salamence. In my experience, a Salamence trainer can often be...arrogant."

"Rumour has it that you use a Salamence," Zinnia said, actually sounding offended by Drake's words. "Are you arrogant?"

Drake didn't answer, but held up his pokeball. "Many Pokemon struggle against the power of a Salamence, but I find there is one Pokemon above all others that loves to test its strength against one of the mightiest of dragon types. It's a natural rivalry, really. Two fierce dragons. One considered almost as powerful as legendary Pokemon if trained the right way. The other ignored as stories of its powerful rival are told throughout the world. It should not be ignored, though. It's determination is great." Drake smiled and threw the pokeaball upwards.

"Flyyygoooon!" the Pokemon emerging from the pokeball cried out. Butch's eyes widened as it landed on the icy floor of the cave. It wasn't quite like Zinnia's Salamence, but it was menacing in its own right. It was a large, green dragonfly-like Pokemon with rhombus-shaped wings with a red outline. Its eyes appeared to be encased by red covers. Its tail was striped with dark and light shades of green. It was a stunning sight in the blandness of the white and blue of the cave.

"You think a Flygon can match the power of a Salamence?" Zinnia laughed out, not looking bothered. "I very much doubt that."

Drake laughed as well. "All things being equal, I will often bet on a Flygon giving a Salamence a run for its money. It's a stubborn and determined Pokemon. One that fits me well." The Elite Four member narrowed his eyes. "Boomburst!"

"Flamethrower!"

Butch and the others jumped back as the two attacks clashed in the centre of the cave, steam exploding outward as the ice melted and cracked. As it cleared, Butch could see that Drake was a little surprised by the strength of Zinnia's Salamence, but he didn't let it slow him down. He quickly ordered a follow up attack, deciding to fight in close.

"Flygon, move in with Dragon Claw!"

"Counter with Dragon Tail!" Zinnia shouted back. Butch could tell she was enjoying this, as though she was relishing this chance to test her skills.

As the two Pokemon rushed towards each other, Butch noticed Cassidy grabbing ahold of Smeargle, looking urgent. "Why don't you copy one of their moves? Look how powerful they are!"

The Painter Pokemon didn't seem too interested, though, shrugging despite Cassidy's tight grip. "Hmm...they don't quite appeal to me to be honest. I like something a little simpler. There is an artistic beauty to a simple attack."

Butch winced, both from seeing another clash of Boomburst and Flamethrower from Flygon and Salamence, and from seeing Cassidy's enraged face. "Um...is this really the time for this?" he asked nervously, seeing the two dragons up ahead preparing to rush towards each other once more.

"Of course!" Cassidy snapped, although she released Smeargle. "If we could copy one of these attacks, it would be another powerful weapon to use. Who knows when we might need it?!"

Smeargle waited a moment to answer, the three of them, along with Raticate and Aster, ducking as a chunk of ice was sent flying their way from a Dragon Claw striking the ground. "In case you weren't aware, Cass, Sketch doesn't copy the power of a move, but rather teaches me how to perform it with my own strength. I fear I'm not quite up to the standard these Pokemon are setting. You would be disappointed."

"What good are you if you aren't going to copy something beyond Splash?!" Cassidy growled, barely noticing Flygon and Salamence locked in combat with Dragon Claw slashing into Dragon Tail.

"I don't believe you quite understand the value of a Pokemon that can translate for you. To me, that seems like quite the advantage." Smeargle shrugged as Cassidy sniffed in frustration. "Simple logic, really."

Their discussion was cut off there, the battle between Zinnia and Drake heating up further. In fact, it was literally heating up. Butch was surprised at the heat emanating from where the dragons fought. The Flamethrower and Boomburst collisions had sent heat throughout the cavern and ice was melting and cracking all over. It looked to be even more unstable as Salamence was sent flying into a wall, large chunks of ice falling as he bounced off, before Flygon was sent the opposite way with the same result after taking a Dragon Tail to the chest.

"Whismur..." Aster murmured nervously, sensing the instability in the area they were in, looking nervously at the melting and cracking walls.

"Indeed," Smeargle answered, looking nervous himself. "I believe Miss Zinnia has made her point, and perhaps succeeded in forcing Drake out of the cave for the time being."

Unfortunately, Zinnia seemed too into the battle, and even though Drake looked like he wanted to be out of there, she kept the heat on him and Flygon. "Salamence, Crunch!"

"This has gone too far!" Drake yelled back as Flygon ducked away from the attack. "We must evacuate this area of the cave!"

"Feel free to flee," Zinnia answered calmly, ignoring a chunk of ice crashing to the ground right next to her. "I intend to finish what I started."

Drake narrowed his eyes. "Don't be a fool. You're endangering yourself and your companions. We can finish this another time."

At that, Zinnia did cast a glance back towards where Butch and the others were cowering. Her eyes quickly went to Aster, who was hiding behind Smeargle and Raticate as more ice fell. The dragon trainer looked frustrated seeing the mess around them and turned back, quickly pulling out a pokeball. "Very well, Drake of the Elite Four. I look forward to our next meeting."

Suddenly, Salamence struck the ice in front of him with a massive Flamethrower. Butch was quickly blinded as smoke and steam burst outwards, filling the cavern up. Even though Cassidy was next to him, he couldn't find her at all. However, before he knew it, someone was shoving him away, and he was forced to keep his feet moving.

Fortunately, whoever was keeping Butch moving, and he presumed the others based off of a few complaints from Cassidy, could apparently see well enough. They seemed to be moving down a passageway without much trouble. It seemed as though they turned a few times, but Butch couldn't be too sure. After a few of minutes of rushing away, Butch barely noticed the smoke had disappeared and he'd been running without being pushed the last couple of minutes.

Eventually, their group came to a stop at the edge of an exit to Island Cave, sunlight streaming through the passageway they'd come out of. Butch, Cassidy and the Pokemon were panting heavily. Zinnia, who was the one that had somehow gotten them out of the mess in the cave, was apparently unaffected by the run. Her Salamence was gone, apparently inside its pokeball by now.

"What...what happened?" Butch finally managed to ask, still breathing heavily.

Zinnia shrugged. "Got a little carried away, I suppose. Anyway, the mission appears to have been a success. We know he found out about Regice, and we've alerted him to Team Archaic's threat, while likely forcing him to abandon the cave for the time being. Pretty efficient work if you ask me." She smiled, looking back through the passageway, clearly quite pleased.

"She's completely mad," Smeargle muttered, shaking his head as he looked to the woman. "Brilliant...but mad as a hatter."

"I'm quite all right, actually, Smeargle," Zinnia said, glancing at the Painter Pokemon briefly. "So...are we all pleased with the mission? Ready to move on? I can inform Viktor of your work. You did well."

"We didn't do anything..." Cassidy couldn't help but say, looking at Butch in confusion.

Zinnia waved her hand dismissively. "You helped my image. I don't dress in those ridiculous Team Archaic uniforms you folks wear. Now Drake will know a higher up was summoned to assist you."

"If you say so," Butch said, still shocked by the events. He was only just now fully taking in how strong Zinnia was. She'd matched an Elite Four member blow for blow and she hadn't broken a sweat. "So...is this it?"

"I suppose for now," Zinnia said, glancing back into the passageway once more. I doubt the cave is too damaged, but Drake won't want to push it. I expect he'll assume more was done elsewhere. We'll probably have another visit from Officer Jenny here in the next few days. Team Archaic will be pleased he's out of there, even if he does know about Regice. As for Team Rocket, we've ensured Pokemon League scrutiny of Team Archaic's plot. That will make things much more difficult for them, and much easier for us to dismantle their organization in the end."

"As I said," Smeargle whispered to Butch, "she's bloody brilliant."

It was a calm night as the group settled down for the last time before they would reach their destination the next morning. They'd made some good progress after their lunch break that had extended a little longer than expected with Briney's stories. According to the old sailor, they would only need to sail about a little over an hour in the morning to reach Dewford Town. Bonnie could barely contain her excitement.

She stared out over the water at the edge of the boat, arms folded over the railing, Dedenne on her shoulder. Briney had dropped down an anchor by another small island, and they'd decided to sleep on the boat for the night, instead of setting up a camp. It would make their departure in the morning much easier. Briney was putting up a covering over the deck to keep the night's chill out. Bonnie was glad to stay outside a little longer, though. She was too excited about her coming gym battle to sleep, and Briney's stories about Drake had her pumped up as well.

"Do you think we're ready for the next gym, Dedenne?" Bonnie asked her partner Pokemon after a few minutes of silence. She felt pretty confident for the most part, especially after defeating Roxanne and also catching Wingull, but she knew that each gym would have it's own challenges to contend with.

"Nene!" Dedenne was obviously confident himself, though, eyes shining as he looked back at Bonnie. She supposed he had good reason to feel confident, considering the courage and strength he'd displayed against Nosepass.

"Roxanne says that the gym in Dewford Town uses fighting type Pokemon," Bonnie said, thinking about the matchup possibilities for a moment. "We're in a much better position for this battle. Fighting moves are less effective against you, because of your fairy typing." She paused, remembering her issues with the type disadvantages against Roxanne. "Both Wingull and Beautifly will be strong against fighting types with their flying attacks, too. We'll need to make sure their flying moves are sharp before the battle."

"Nenene," Dedenne murmured in response. He liked it when they had a quiet moment like this to think of what was to come. Bonnie enjoyed it as well. There was something special about just talking about her journey with her partner Pokemon, thinking of the possibilities their next battles would bring.

"When we win this gym battle, we'll have two badges!" Bonnie then said, smiling in excitement as she looked back out over the water. "Maybe it doesn't seem like much, but we'll already be a quarter of the way towards reaching the Hoenn League. We're really doing it, Dedenne! It's so exciting!"

Dedenne voiced his own excitement in response, and then the two were silent for a few minutes, enjoying the ocean view. Their friends were busy setting up their sleeping arrangements, so nobody bothered them. It allowed Bonnie's mind to wander, and she found herself thinking back to Briney's stories about Drake once again.

It was amazing to think about the powerful trainer she had met in Island Cave having had his own struggles in the past. Of course, she knew everyone had struggles at one time or another. It was just hard to imagine Drake struggling. He was so intimidating! He looked like he could just stare trouble in the face and have it run away.

The story that continued to stay on Bonnie's mind as she watched the ocean was the one Briney had told them about Drake and his encounter with a trainer using a Salamence. It had seemed strange to Bonnie that Drake, who had seemed quite capable with his own Salamence, had actually had issues with one in the past. In fact, it had almost seemed like he didn't like them from what Briney had said. Apparently he had been quite fond of another dragon type. A Flygon.

What interested Bonnie most about the story was how Briney had described Drake's stubborn determination. It was something Bonnie felt she had as well, and obviously had seen in Ash, and apparently it was something Drake admired about his Flygon. That stubborn determination had encouraged him in what had sounded like a very tough fight, pushing him onward to victory over what had appeared to be a much stronger Salamence. Bonnie couldn't wait to end up in battles like that, where no matter the odds, she pulled out the win.

She looked up at the night sky, the stars glittering above her and the ocean. There were so many of them. In her mind, they each represented the possibilities of all the battles that were to come. One star seemed to be shining brighter than the others. It brought a smile to Bonnie's face. She quickly decided what that one represented to her. Her next gym battle would be something special. Of course, they all would be.

Bonnie was about to point out the star to Dedenne, but in that moment, she felt the Antenna Pokemon tense up on her shoulder, his tiny paws suddenly grabbing tightly onto her. She frowned, glancing at him, and seeing his eyes widened as he looked up towards a cloudy area of the sky. "Nene..." he murmured, slowly raising a paw.

Bonnie followed his gaze, still only seeing clouds. However, a moment later, she did see movement. It was hard to see, but she did see a shape appearing to slither through the clouds, almost like a snake. Even though it was dark, Bonnie was almost sure it was green with glowing yellow lines along it. Was it...a Pokemon?

Her eyes widened. "Dedenne," she whispered, suddenly realizing what it was. As it disappeared into the clouds again, the air seemed to shimmer, and Bonnie knew she wouldn't see it again. That didn't matter, though. Seeing it once was cool enough.

"Nene?" Dedenne asked, meeting Bonnie's eyes once more. He looked as excited as she felt. Bonnie grinned back at him, amazed by their good fortune at seeing something so rare.

"Dedenne...that was Rayquaza!"

This journey just kept getting better and better.

Author's Note:

So...Zinnia is actually a member of Team Rocket?! What on earth could I be up to with that? I guess we'll see in good time. Hopefully it was interesting enough, though. I didn't really want to get too much into a battle between Zinnia and Drake yet, which is why it was a bit more background. This was more about Zinnia being set up as...a piece in the game. As Smeargle said..."she's brilliant".

As for Bonnie, she didn't get too much here, I know. But...Rayquaza. Now why would Rayquaza have an appearance in this chapter of all things? Just a coincidence I'm sure.

Anyway, hope you enjoyed. Dewford Town is coming up next.