Author's Note:
Well...the chapter title on this one probably has you wondering. So I think I'll just let you get to it. This one's a long one, folks. Hope you enjoy!
Chapter 25: Bye Bye Beautifly
"For your Pokemon to be calm, you must be calm. Clear your mind of idle thoughts. What do your instincts tell you?"
Bonnie took a deep breath, closing her eyes as Drake's words washed over her. She stood at the very front of the ship, the wide open sea straight ahead and below her. In the salty sea breeze above her, Wingull and Beautifly were soaring along on the currents of wind that rippled through the sails of Drake's ship. Further above them, was Drake's Flygon, gliding along as though he barely noticed the heavy wind.
When Drake had agreed to give Bonnie lessons, at least a version of lessons as they were still on a busy ship and only together until they reached Slateport City, she had not expected this. It wasn't that she was disappointed of course. She knew that almost anything Drake offered her would be useful. It was just that this had been a surprisingly taxing exercise. She'd been at it for only about a half an hour, and she was exhausted. Beautifly and Wingull appeared to be tired as well, with only Dedenne looking a little more energized, as this was an exercise more devoted to air battling.
"Training with dragon types, you find that many of your battles take you to the skies," Drake had explained before they had begun this lesson. "Of course, even if you aren't using dragon type Pokemon, it is wise to understand aerial battling techniques. If using a flying type Pokemon, you will act faster and more precise. If battling against one, you will be able to identify weaknesses and protect your Pokemon from more obvious attacks."
Already, Bonnie felt she understood a great deal more than she had before. Even with just this short lesson, she could see now, looking back on her battle with Brawly, how sloppy she had been at times. If she had understood Wingull and Beautifly's flying manoeuvres better, and ways that they could shift their balance to protect themselves from quick counterattacks, she might've been able to win much faster. It was an exciting thought, however, to know that she was already thinking of ways to improve even on battles that she'd won. She couldn't help but grin at the thought.
If I can master these exercises, Max and Sadie and all the others will have no -
"You are not clearing your mind."
Bonnie jumped at the voice, looking guiltily at Drake. How had he known her mind had drifted? "Sorry," she murmured. "I was just..."
"Getting ahead of yourself." Drake kept his gaze on the sea ahead of them, and Bonnie quickly followed suit, realizing that he was still partially performing the exercise. "You may allow your mind to drift, only once you have achieved clarity. Once you have done this, the drifting of your thoughts will be guided by your finely tuned instincts. Your Pokemon will follow your lead, and you will become one."
Bonnie didn't speak, unsure if she was even supposed to. She was trying to clear her mind, but she also wanted to listen to what Drake was saying. Fortunately, he seemed to sense she was stuck halfway, and asked if she had any questions. She took him up on that offer.
"Why is this exercise so important to do with flying Pokemon?" she asked. "Shouldn't I do it with other Pokemon as well?"
"Of course you should," Drake said, nodding as though it was obvious. "Flying Pokemon are a very good starting point. Many trainers have at least one, and are likely to battle with or against one at various points on their journey. With the unpredictability of the breeze, especially at sea, a flying type can learn a great deal of control over their mind and body, and their trainer can join in on this process."
"But Beautifly and Wingull have been flying over the sea a lot lately and I've watched them," Bonnie said. "Why isn't that good enough?"
Drake laughed, finally turning to Bonnie and raising an eyebrow. "I think you know the answer to that, Bonnie. I can see that your Wingull is practised in gliding on the sea breeze, but does he truly have command of it? And your Beautifly? She has a wonderful sense of herself, but she must embrace the challenge the air currents present to her."
Bonnie stared back out over the sea, thinking through Drake's words. What did he mean by commanding the sea breeze? How could Beautifly embrace the challenge of the air currents? Was Wingull not already using the wind to glide up and down? Was Beautifly not demonstrating her bravery in taking on the rough sea winds?
"It's not something you will be able to accomplish in a single lesson," Drake explained gently. "These are simple exercises to clear your mind. Work on them every day. Work on them before, during and after training sessions with your Pokemon. Not just for air battling, but all battles. You will understand yourself better, and so will your Pokemon. And through that, you will understand each other."
"It's a lot to take in," Bonnie admitted, rubbing her forehead tiredly.
Drake chuckled heartily at that. "Of course it is. You're just starting out on your journey, and these are exercises I generally suggest for experienced trainers. But you wanted my advice, and I'm offering it."
"I'm glad to get your advice!" Bonnie said quickly. "It's amazing! It's just..."
"Exhausting. Yes, well, I suppose it's time for a lunch break." Drake looked up towards Flygon, who was already on his way down. Bonnie watched enviously as the powerful dragon type swiftly darted down, before catching a gust of wind and halting just before reaching the deck. It was an expert display of what they were working on, and it looked so effortless.
She glanced up at the sky and noticed Wingull darting down, apparently trying to copy Flygon. Her eyes widened as she realized what was about to happen a moment too late. "Wingull, look out!"
"Gull!"
"As you can see, even those who live and breathe the sea air don't have quite the sense of the currents as they think," Drake noted, kneeling down to check on Wingull, who shook his head and got to his feet. He looked more embarrassed than anything.
"Don't worry, Wingull," Bonnie told him, giving him a reassuring smile. "You know that you can fly really well, even in tough winds. You'll just need to work on getting even better at it so you can fight like Flygon no matter what the situation is."
"Gull..."
He didn't seem too pleased to realize he wasn't the most impressive flier on the ship, often enjoying Bonnie's and Beautifly's amazement at his abilities. Fortunately, he was apparently too hungry to let it bother him too much at the moment. Bonnie could see Roxanne and Clyde making their way over, and they each had some Pokemon food with them for the hungry Pokemon.
As Wingull moved over to eat, Bonnie looked up towards Beautifly, and was surprised to see the Butterfly Pokemon still struggling away at keeping a steady balance up above. She had definitely improved during their lessons so far, even if she wasn't yet even at Wingull's flying level. Of course, considering she had feared flying types before, it was pretty incredible progress in Bonnie's mind.
"Hey Beautifly!" Bonnie called up to her. "Do you want to come down for some lunch?" She waited a moment, watching for Beautifly to come down, but realized the Butterfly Pokemon didn't seem to be responding. "Beautifly? Beautifly!"
Her third yell seemed to finally get the Butterfly Pokemon's attention, and she looked down in surprise. Bonnie gestured to the food being set out, and Beautifly nodded in response, before focusing carefully and folding her wings. She dove quickly, cutting through the air just as Flygon had. Like Wingull, however, it wasn't quite so expertly done. However, she managed to flap her wings hard enough as she was trying to land, so that she didn't crash, and instead, awkwardly bumped into Bonnie.
"That was a really good try, Beautifly!" Bonnie told her encouragingly, helping Beautifly steady herself. "You really learned a lot that lesson!"
"You certainly did," Drake acknowledged, stepping over and giving Beautifly an appraising look. "You're clearly quite dedicated, aren't you, Beautifly?"
"Beauuutifly!" Beautifly said cheerily, fluttering her wings a little.
Bonnie grinned as Beautifly turned to go and get her food, pleased with her bug type's efforts. Beautifly really had come a long way since being a scared little Wurmple. Bonnie had never truly realized what it must've been like for Ash and the others to have been able to guide their Pokemon through ups and downs to grow stronger. Was this how Ash had felt after Fletchling had battled that Talonflame despite his small size and won, evolving into Fletchinder? Or how Serena had felt when a once mischievous Pancham had helped her win a Princess Key? Or even Clemont, when he'd helped Bunnelby grow so brave?
"Hey Bonnie, do you want a sandwich? We brought some lunch for the trainers, too!" Roxanne called out, bringing Bonnie out of her thoughts. "You too, Captain!"
At that, Bonnie and Drake headed over. Drake had to go and check on how the crew was doing, so he had to take his lunch with him, but he thanked Roxanne and Clyde, and also promised Bonnie another lesson later on, before departing to the other end of the ship. Bonnie and her friends, meanwhile, settled down with their Pokemon to enjoy the view at the front.
"So, how was the lesson?" Roxanne asked, once they were seated and eating. "Looked like you were pretty tired out by the time we got here."
"It's really interesting," Bonnie said, although she couldn't hide the sigh as she looked up towards the sky. "But...it is really tiring. Dedenne's the only one of us that got off easy with that lesson."
"Nenene!" Dedenne argued, glaring at Bonnie a moment, before closing his eyes and attempting to demonstrate his understanding of Drake's lesson.
"Okay fine, Dedenne worked hard, too!" Bonnie said quickly, seeing Dedenne's cheeks spark as he opened an eye to look at her.
"You must feel pretty good, though," Clyde said, looking almost admiringly at Bonnie and her Pokemon. "Lessons with an Elite Four member! That's so cool!"
"That opportunity doesn't come along very often," Roxanne said with a nod.
Bonnie smiled at that, trying to let the whole thing sink in for a moment. It was pretty crazy now that she took a moment to think about it. How many trainers in her position would've given anything to be given the opportunity she was getting. One thing did sort of bother her, though.
"I feel like Drake expects a lot out of me," she murmured, looking out towards an island in the distance. "It's not like we know him that well, but...he seems to think I can learn this stuff and it's tough to focus on it."
"I don't think he necessarily expects too much out of you just yet, Bonnie," Roxanne said. "Hard work, and helping your Pokemon, of course, but succeeding in everything with these lessons will be tough. I think it's just that he sees a lot of potential in you. I do as well. You really seem to have taken in a lot from your time with Ash and your brother, and all the other trainers you met and travelled with."
"Just look at the Pokemon you've raised so far!" Clyde said, turning to look at Wingull and Beautifly, who were finishing up their food. "Beautifly was a scared little Wurmple, and Wingull was stealing our lunch. Now they've won you a gym badge!"
"Wingull!" Wingull said happily, looking quite pleased with Clyde's words.
"Beauuutifly!" Beautifly sang out as well, flying over to land on top of Bonnie's head.
"You guys are the best," Bonnie said, smiling up at her Butterfly Pokemon. "I'm so glad I met you."
"You said Beautifly was bullied back when it was a Wurmple, didn't you?" Roxanne asked, watching the interaction curiously. "It's a wonder they thought its colouring was a bad thing. She truly is beautiful."
Bonnie nodded, looking up as Beautifly took off from her head to do a little more flying. Wingull joined her a moment later, Dedenne hopping on his back to join them. "It seems like the other bug types thought it was a threat to their safety, because flying types would spot them more easily. A Dustox helped fly her away, but they were attacked while flying. That's why Beautifly was afraid of flying types."
"But Beautifly showed them how awesome she was when we met those bug types later on," Clyde pointed out. "She saved the whole group from Biff and Cassidy."
"Butch," Bonnie corrected, before looking up to where her flying types soared in the wind. They seemed to be enjoying themselves. They looked to be flying a little forward, almost as though scouting out the island up ahead. She wondered if any Pokemon would be over there. The thought made her look around. "Hey, where's Rotom?" she asked.
"Zzt! I am right here!" Bonnie and her friends turned as they noticed the PokeDex floating quickly around the corner of the outer deck area. He'd been going off on his own quite a few times to get glimpses of Drake's Pokemon who were helping with various tasks on the ship. His promise to help keep an eye out for Pokemon they might come across off the ship seemed to have been forgotten.
Bonnie frowned at him. "You haven't been bothering Drake's Pokemon have you?" she asked.
"Zzt! No!" Rotom defended himself quickly, although a sweating face appeared on his screen. "Well...I was collecting data on Salamence earlier, but that is not important right now!"
"What's important then?" Clyde asked, in the process of pulling out the fossil Sawyer had given him as he sat back.
"I heard a crew member talking about the island we are currently approaching. He said he had spotted some bug type Pokemon flying in its direction last night." Rotom seemed excited about this news, but Bonnie didn't know why.
"Why is that important?" she asked, looking towards the island that was now of interest to Rotom. She did think she noticed some movement around it, but it didn't seem to be particularly special, other than the fact there weren't any other big ones nearby.
Rotom seemed frustrated by her lack of understanding. "Zzt! We are approaching one of the migration points for travelling bug type Pokemon such as Beautifly and Dustox. We may see Beautifly and Dustox as they are searching for mates and depart towards new lands!"
"Really?" Roxanne asked, leaning forward with interest. "Wow, I didn't think we would be passing by one of their migration points. That could certainly be interesting to see."
"Hey, maybe we'll see some of Beautifly's old...um...acquaintances?" Clyde grimaced.
Bonnie glanced up again towards her Butterfly Pokemon, trying to get a better look at her. It was subtle, but Beautifly seemed to be flying somewhat differently. Bonnie had the sense that she was excited. Perhaps the bug types she had lived with were up ahead. They had made up the last time they'd met, so she supposed it made sense for Beautifly to be excited.
"Ah, so you've heard the news have you?" Bonnie turned, surprised to see Drake having already returned, Fitzwilliam at his side. "I've just been informed about the sightings. I suppose I've been so wrapped up with Team Archaic, I'd forgotten it was migration season for certain bug types. I expect we'll be seeing some Beautifly and Dustox up ahead. Perhaps some Butterfree as well if we're lucky. Sometimes they'll be a part of the group."
"It sounds as though we'll be there in time to see the Pokemon courting their mates," Fitzwilliam said. "It's always a fascinating thing to see with the Butterfly Pokemon such as Butterfree and Beautifly."
"Oh, I've heard it's beautiful!" Roxanne said excitedly. "It's called the courtship dance, isn't it?"
Fitzwilliam nodded, pulling out a pair of binoculars to look ahead. "Yes, the courtship dance is quite famous. The male Pokemon will fly around as impressively as they can near the female. If the female is impressed, she'll perform as well and the two may become mates. Then they'll likely travel together to wherever the migration leads them. That's where they'll have their babies." He peered through his binoculars for a moment, looking towards the island. It was already coming into view much better, and Bonnie could see much more activity. "Oh! I see something!"
It was only a few moments before Bonnie and the others understood what Fitzwilliam was referring to. It started out as something like a large shadow in the sky, but then the shapes began to scatter a bit more. Before they knew it, a large group of Beautifly and Dustox were flying in their direction, with a few Butterfree in their midst as well. At a glance up towards her own Pokemon, Bonnie could see that Beautifly had started to fly ahead, while Wingull was lowering himself back to the ship. As he reached them and landed on Bonnie's shoulder, Dedenne scurried up to her head.
"Are those the bug types Beautifly used to live with up ahead?" Bonnie asked them.
"Nene," Dedenne said with a nod.
"You've encountered these bug types before?" Drake asked, moving forward to stand next to Bonnie.
She nodded, shuffling her feet a little uneasily. Something about all this felt a bit strange. "Beautifly got scared off from the group because of her shiny colouring back when she was a Wurmple but she ended up saving them with us after she evolved. They made up when we left for the Petalburg Woods."
"Hmm." Drake seemed to be lost in thought for a moment, watching the scene unfold up ahead. "It seems they're happy to see her."
Bonnie could see that he was right. Fitzwilliam offered her his binoculars so that she could get a better look, and as she looked through them, she had a good view of the bug types swarming around her, looking enthusiastic to see her. Many were nudging her playfully, and it seemed as though they were asking her how her journey was going, because she was gesturing happily towards the boat.
As the others took their turn with the binoculars, Bonnie waited silently. It seemed Drake had given the order for the boat to drop anchor near the island so that they could witness the courting and migration. She wasn't sure why, but part of her was irritated by that. She felt somewhat impatient. She knew it was silly, especially since she had been willing to wait in Dewford Town when their ferry trip had been delayed. There was no reason why their journey to Slateport City needed to be sped up now that they were on Drake's boat. But still...it bothered her.
"Look! Beautifly's coming back to the ship!"
She looked up at Roxanne's call, seeing that Beautifly was, indeed, flying back towards them. She was accompanied by a few of the other Beautifly, as well as a few Dustox and some Butterfree. As they neared the ship, Bonnie could see that many of the bug types were looking towards Beautifly with a great deal of respect. Looking closer, she could see that they didn't seem to fly quite so steadily in the ocean air as Beautifly did. It was barely noticeable in the big crowd of them, but there was a small difference.
"Beauutifly!" Beautifly cried out upon reaching the ship, flying towards the railing at the front where their group was gathered. Bonnie felt a little upset Beautifly didn't land on her head as she often did, but shrugged it off as she looked at her Butterfly Pokemon's shining eyes.
"These are the Pokemon you used to live with, right?" she asked, forcing a smile.
"Beautifly!" Beautifly answered happily, looking back to her companions.
"They're not upset by your colouring anymore, are they?" Clyde said, smirking in the direction of a couple of male Beautifly and a male Butterfree, who were all pushing each other so as to get closer to where Beautifly was. "They respect you, don't they?"
Beautifly looked a little embarrassed by this. "Beauuutifly beautifly," she murmured.
"A shiny Wurmple is an unusual sight," Roxanne said matter-of-factly. "A shiny Silcoon is an interesting sight. But a shiny Beautifly is a stunningly beautiful sight. And you're not only a beautiful Pokemon, Beautifly...you're powerful and brave as well!"
"Wingull! Wingull wingull!" Wingull then cried out, flapping his wings a little from Bonnie's shoulder.
"I think Wingull is trying to say Beautifly is also an excellent flier," Drake said, sounding a little amused. Wingull nodded.
"That's Wingull's highest praise, I think," Bonnie pointed out. She tried to sound happy, somewhat frustrated with herself for finding it hard to do so. What's wrong with me? she thought. It's just Beautifly meeting with her old friends.
"I bet all of you must be surprised at how strong Beautifly looks now, huh?" Clyde asked all the other Pokemon hovering in front of the ship. They answered in a chorus of what must have been agreement.
"Well, how about we move the ship in a little closer, and then we can spend some time with Beautifly's friends?" Drake suggested. He gave Bonnie a curious look. "I think she would enjoy that, don't you?"
Bonnie looked at her feet, feeling her friends turn their gazes on her. She wished they would look at something else. "Yeah," she said quietly. "Yeah...I think she would."
Cassidy was in one of her moods again.
"Sit in a balloon and follow a ship! That's the best we got after all we did in Granite Cave? I can't believe I'm saying this, but maybe Zinnia isn't so great after all! Maybe we should just be reporting to Viktor!"
Butch gave her a skeptical look. He knew she didn't really feel that way. No one in their right mind would feel that way. "I think you're forgetting something about where those two stand."
"I'm not forgetting anything!" Cassidy snapped. "Being one of us doesn't change that she's given us lousy orders. Besides, maybe she's working for Team Archaic after all, and just wants us out of the way so we don't report her to the boss."
"We're tracking an Elite Four member!" Butch argued. "What's wrong with that?"
"We're not tracking Drake, we're tracking that brat!" Cassidy pointed out. "She's the one we're being forced to follow around. She's just a child!"
Smeargle laughed quietly from his position at the corner of the carrier in their hot air balloon. He was looking through binoculars to watch the boat in the distance. "In case you aren't aware, Cass, that child has thoroughly trounced you every time you've run into her."
"She has not! She's had far more skilled trainers with her to fight her battles for her!"
"I think you're forgetting-"
"That doesn't matter!" she yelled. "Now, does anyone have Zinnia's last message? Or Viktor's? We need to verify our orders before acting."
Butch sighed and pulled out the bag with the envelope that had Zinnia's last coded message to them. It had taken awhile to decipher it, since she enjoyed complicated ciphers, but they'd managed to work it out eventually. As he pulled out the message, Cassidy, Smeargle and Raticate gathered around him to look at it. He read it aloud.
"Greasy will be in touch if you don't receive new orders by noon from yours truly. Keep all eyes on Shocker and the Kraken. Play with them if the opportunity arises. Greasy will be displeased, but Glasses and Suits want them on their toes. I'll have your back with Bones."
Greasy was Viktor, Shocker and the Kraken were the girl and Drake, Glasses and Suits were Lyanna and the boss, while Bones was none other than Darwin. It had taken a little bit just for Butch and the others to figure out those names, which weren't even part of Zinnia's code. Of course, Butch knew that if Team Archaic figured out who Glasses and Suits were, they would all be in trouble. The extra precaution was likely necessary.
"Our orders from Viktor were nothing new, other than what...you know...Glasses and Sui- I mean Lyanna and the boss want," Butch said. "Seems like we're just supposed to keep an eye on what's going on with the ship until we get our new orders."
"But Lyanna and the boss want us to act in some way," Cassidy pointed out, fortunately sounding a little more calm. Likely because she was hoping to persuade Butch to attack, which he wasn't keen to do just yet. "If we can steal one of Drake's Pokemon..."
"Come on, Cass, how do you expect us to be able to do that?" Smeargle said. "We can't even beat the girl?"
Cassidy glared at the Painter Pokemon. "I think you're forgetting that fancy new move of yours."
"King's Shield is great and all, but I doubt it stops a bloody Elite Four member from stringing me up by the tail and having you two carted off to some prison yard." Smeargle sighed, looking out towards the direction of Drake's ship. It was a pinprick in the distance.
"I don't much like the idea of attacking, either," Butch said. "Zinnia wasn't exactly saying we should do it. She just said if the opportunity came up. Maybe she meant if we were attacked."
"You know she didn't mean that," Cassidy muttered dismissively, folding her arms in frustration.
"We can't just attack them to steal their Pokemon like this," Butch said. "Team Archaic would think we're stupid to attack an Elite Four member after Island Cave."
Smeargle was looking through his binoculars again, studying the ship in the distance as though trying to find some answer for what they should do. "Lots of Beautifly around their ship. Don't suppose Team Archaic would like some of them, do you?"
"They only care about fossils," Cassidy muttered angrily. "The boss would probably like a new batch of bug types, but according to you two we shouldn't attack."
"Looks like the brat girl's friend has one."
"Has what?" Butch asked, pulling out his own pair of binoculars. Team Rocket had supplied them with high quality ones a long time ago, which allowed for them to get a good view even from a great distance to conceal their whereabouts.
"A fossil. At least...I think it's a fossil. Something brown and grey and...rocky is in his hand." Smeargle's tail swished excitedly. "That a good enough excuse for you? We can make bosses in both camps happy."
Cassidy was looking through her own binoculars as well, while Butch was zooming in on the front of the ship, where the brat girl and her friends were standing with Drake and a bunch of the bug types. It did, indeed, look as though the boy was holding something that may have been a fossil. "How did he get that?" he asked in surprise.
"Unbelievable! After all we went through in Granite Cave, that little runt got himself a fossil!" Cassidy's eyes flashed angrily.
"Well. It's not like we were really going after them," Smeargle murmured.
"We might've been able to nab a few for the boss," Cassidy said, but she waved her hand dismissively, apparently deciding to move along. "Nonetheless, this is our chance. We attack, and we get the fossil, and maybe some of those Beautifly, Dustox and Butterfree. Maybe one of Drake's Pokemon as well. Team Archaic and Team Rocket are happy, and it keeps Drake on the alert for Team Archaic. What do you say?"
Butch had no argument, and looked to Smeargle and Raticate. "Seems like a plan."
"Let's get to work!"
Roxanne was amazed by the sight of the many flying bug types around the ship and the island they were now anchored nearby. It seemed that most of those who were migrating had already arrived, but some were still arriving by the time the ship had stopped. Drake's crew had gathered a few more binoculars and telescopes so that everyone could get a better look at some of the courtship dances already in progress.
"Oh look at those Butterfree over there!" Roxanne called out as she noticed a male Butterfree darting through the air in a rhythmic way. The female Butterfree was clearly impressed, and the two were flying happily together a few moments later.
"It seems like we arrived just in time for the most exciting part of it all," Fitzwilliam said, watching through a telescope as a large group of male Beautifly were performing the courtship dance for a lone female.
"It's not that exciting," Roxanne heard Bonnie mumbled quietly next to her. The Rustboro Gym Leader glanced at her in surprise. It seemed nobody else but her Pokemon had heard her, but Roxanne could see the concern in the eyes of both Dedenne and Wingull.
"Bonnie, are you okay?" Roxanne whispered to her, moving closer to the young trainer as a few more crew members gathered near the front to watch the bug types.
Bonnie looked at her, and Roxanne was sure she noticed a flash of what looked like worry on the girl's face, but it was gone very quickly. She forced a smile. "No...I'm fine."
Roxanne frowned, but didn't say anything as Bonnie shuffled away. She didn't stray too far, still watching the various displays by the bug types around them, but she certainly wasn't nearly as enthusiastic as everyone else. Roxanne could see Bonnie's gaze continually going to Beautifly, however, and she had a sneaking suspicion as to what was on her mind.
As Roxanne followed Bonnie's gaze towards Beautifly, however, she noticed the Butterfly Pokemon excitedly greeting a green and purple moth-like Pokemon. She couldn't help but smile at the sight of the Dustox, remembering Bonnie mentioning that one had saved Beautifly when she was a Wurmple. This must've been the one.
Glancing once more towards Bonnie to make sure she was okay, Roxanne headed over to join Clyde, who was watching Beautifly greeting the Dustox. He turned as she approached, his gaze darting towards Bonnie briefly. He seemed to have noticed the strange mood of their companion as well.
"Do you think Bonnie's okay?" he asked. "She seems kind of...sad?"
Roxanne sighed, watching Beautifly and Dustox happily flying around with their friends. It was strange to think that Beautifly had once been ostracized by these bug types that now seemed to admire her greatly. "I think she's worried about what she sees."
"Worried?" Clyde asked, looking to his Treecko in confusion. "Why would she be worried? It's just some bug Pokemon dancing and flying around, right?"
Roxanne smiled at the innocence in his eyes. "Clyde...you do know what these Pokemon are preparing to do, don't you?"
"Migrating, right? So they're flying somewhere?" Clyde scratched his head in confusion. "I've never really studied much about bug types. Are they going for long, then?"
"They're likely flying to another region," Roxanne explained. "And when they arrive, those who have found mates will have babies and grow a family."
"Oh..." Clyde frowned, his gaze going to the bug types around the ship, slowly drifting towards Bonnie's Beautifly. "Oh..."
Roxanne nodded. "I think Bonnie can see where this is going."
"But maybe Beautifly wants to stay with Bonnie," Clyde suggested hopefully. "I mean...these guys kicked her out. Why would she want to go with them anyway? Bonnie's the one who made her strong!"
"It may be more complicated than that," Roxanne said, looking towards Beautifly herself now. The Butterfly Pokemon looked happy to be a part of her old group...especially with that Dustox at her side. "Beautifly may want to go with a specific member of the group."
Clyde looked as moody as Bonnie for a moment, glaring at Beautifly's companions. "I don't think it's fair. They treated Beautifly badly, and that Dustox didn't stay with her after everything happened."
"Didn't Bonnie mention there was an attack?" Roxanne asked, deciding to ignore for a moment how they'd figured that out. That still confused her.
"Well...I guess." Clyde gestured to the other bug types that Beautifly was with. "The other ones weren't fair to her, though."
Roxanne nodded, seeing where he was coming from. "Pokemon think differently from us, Clyde. They didn't understand. It wasn't right, though, I agree with you. But they seem to want to make amends, and Beautifly seems to want to give them the opportunity. And above all, she seems to enjoy the company of that Dustox, who seems to have cared for her even at her lowest point."
"That Dustox was pretty helpful back when we saw it on the way to Rustboro City," Clyde acknowledged. "I guess he's pretty cool."
It was as though Dustox could sense he was being praised, because in that moment, Roxanne noticed him fly up next to Beautifly once more, getting her attention. For a moment, nothing happened as the Butterfly Pokemon looked to him, but then, he made his bold move. He began a courtship dance, and the surrounding Beautifly, Butterfree and Dustox gathered around to watch.
"Zzt! Dustox wants to be Beautifly's mate!" Rotom called out, stating the obvious as he quickly snapped a few pictures of Dustox flying around as impressively as it could.
"Hey Bonnie, do you see this?!" a crew member called out a moment later, eyes shining with excitement, clearly thinking Bonnie would see this as a great honour.
Roxanne was surprised not to hear an answer, and as Dustox was finishing up, she glanced around to look at Bonnie. She noticed, however, that Bonnie was no longer where she had been sitting before. Dedenne and Wingull were still there, each looking worried, but their trainer was nowhere in sight.
Murmuring to Clyde that she would be back in a moment, Roxanne quickly made her way over to where Dedenne and Wingull were. She passed by Drake on the way, and she noticed him looking over curiously. He appeared to decide it wasn't his place to interfere, however, and simply nodded to Roxanne and turned his attention back to the bug types.
"Hey, is Bonnie coming back?" Roxanne asked, looking down at Dedenne as she reached the pair of Pokemon.
"Nene..." Dedenne muttered in response, looking gloomily towards the bug types. Beautifly and Dustox were hidden by the crew and the other bug types so it was hard to see what the response to the courtship dance was.
"She's worried about Beautifly leaving, isn't she?" Roxanne asked, smiling sadly down at the Antenna Pokemon.
Dedenne stared at the ground, but Wingull murmured an answer. "Gull..." he said, nodding as he also looked towards Beautifly's group.
Roxanne could see that Bonnie wasn't the only one who was down. Of course, Dedenne and Wingull were probably more worried about their trainer than anything else. We're going to have to talk about this, she decided, turning around for one last look, before straightening up and making to head towards the cabins.
"I'll make sure she's okay," she promised Dedenne and Wingull. "You two should go and support Beautifly in whatever her decision is."
This seemed to lighten them up a bit, and Dedenne smiled at her, while Wingull nodded and flapped his wings to fly over to the front of the deck. As they departed to the front of the ship, Roxanne headed the opposite way. Even though it was a big ship, there was really only one place where Bonnie could've been hiding.
As she reached the cabin that Drake had given their group, Roxanne paused a moment before the door. It was quiet, so she knocked and waited for an answer. If she hadn't been listening carefully, she probably wouldn't have heard the soft murmur for her to come in. The sadness in Bonnie's voice was quite evident.
She was sitting on her bed, staring glumly at a pokeball in her hand and fiddling with the wooden figure on her necklace that apparently resembled a Pokemon she had met in Kalos. She didn't look up as Roxanne made her way over, sitting on the bed next to hers. Roxanne didn't say anything immediately, wondering if Bonnie would speak. She did, after a few moments of silence.
"I thought I wouldn't have to do it again," she whispered, her voice shaking.
"Do what?" Roxanne asked gently, giving Bonnie a kind smile even though she wasn't looking up.
"Say goodbye." Bonnie's hand shook as she set the pokeball down next to her. Roxanne assumed it must've been Beautifly's. "I've met other Pokemon that have become my friends," she said slowly. "I played with them, and helped them, and I even thought I might've been able to keep them, but they had to leave in the end no matter what. I thought it would be different now."
Roxanne wasn't quite sure what to say to this. Bonnie had mentioned some of her adventures with Ash in Kalos, but the only Pokemon Roxanne knew of that Bonnie had befriended and been separated from was the one she had named Squishy. She decided to try and bring out Bonnie's fonder memories.
"What were these Pokemon like?" she asked.
"There was a Flabebe," Bonnie answered, sniffing briefly before continuing. "She had lost her flower, and I had a clip in my hair she got attached to. She belonged to someone else. I helped her get a new flower, but it was really hard saying goodbye to her. I had asked Clemont to catch her for me before we found out she had a trainer already."
"I've heard Flabebe are very beautiful," Roxanne said. Being from Hoenn, she'd never seen one before. "Was the other Pokemon, Squishy?"
"He was one of them," Bonnie answered, "but Tyrantrum was the third. He had somehow gotten out of a prehistoric Pokemon conservatory." She actually smiled at this part, glancing up briefly. "Clyde would've thought it was really cool. Anyway, I found him when he was a Tyrunt. I helped him learn manners, I cleaned him and we played with him all day. But again, Clemont couldn't catch him because he belonged to someone. I hope they're taking care of him..."
"I'm sure they are," Roxanne assured her, taking a deep breath. She was pretty sure she understood what was making Bonnie particularly upset. "So you thought that once you became a trainer, and once you had Pokemon of your own, you wouldn't have to say goodbye to them like these other Pokemon. You only had to say goodbye to them because they had to be with the people they already belonged to."
Bonnie stared at the ground. "Squishy didn't belong to anyone," she said. "He had to protect Kalos."
"Do you think Beautifly has a bad reason for leaving?" Roxanne asked, looking Bonnie in the eyes as she glanced up. It was surprising to see her looking so young. She had been so brave and confident in the short time Roxanne had known her, that her youth hadn't really showed. It was actually somewhat refreshing to see that she hadn't lost the kid in her just yet.
"I don't mean that," Bonnie finally said after a few more moments of silence. "I want her to be happy. It's just..."
"Hard."
"Yeah."
"She was your first catch. She'll always be special to you."
Bonnie was silent for a moment, before looking up slowly, sniffing once more and rubbing her eyes. "I always looked forward to catching a Pokemon and getting to travel with it and battle with it. It felt really special to win against Brawly with Beautifly. And now she's...now she's g-g-going to l-leave."
The tears came now, and Roxanne moved to sit next to Bonnie. She didn't say anything for a few minutes, and waited for Bonnie to let it all out. She understood how Bonnie felt. There was nothing quite like catching your first Pokemon and training it into a powerful battler. And for Bonnie, who had needed to say goodbye to Pokemon because they belonged to someone else, having to say goodbye to her own Pokemon was clearly a difficult new step.
When there was silence once more, Roxanne patted Bonnie gently on the back. "You know...I think you should be proud, Bonnie."
"Why?" Bonnie asked, her voice extremely quiet.
"You've trained an incredible Pokemon who has earned the respect of her peers who once pushed her away." She smiled, looking Bonnie in the eyes as the young trainer glanced up at her. "Because of the way you two trained together, Beautifly will be able to not only protect herself, but also her entire family and all of her friends as well. A trainer who can bring out that in a Pokemon is someone very special."
Bonnie managed a weak smile at that. 'Thanks, Roxanne."
"Now what do you think about going out there and spending some time with Beautifly?" Roxanne asked. "I'm sure she'd love to enjoy this last night with you."
Bonnie nodded, seeming agreeable to that. As they made their way to the door of the cabin, Roxanne was glad to see her young companion looking a little steadier. Sometimes, it was good to let it all out with something like this. She understood Bonnie's pain. To see any Pokemon leave like this would be hard, but Beautifly was her first catch after all her dreams of catching a Pokemon over the years. To face this, she needed a different kind of strength than she'd shown against Team Archaic or in her gym battles.
"I hope we didn't miss too many courtship dances," Bonnie said as they began to make their way out the door. "I wasn't really paying attention to them before..."
Roxanned grinned, impressed by her friend's willingness to move forward. "I'm sure we'll see some more."
"Maybe Beau-"
"Beauuutifly!"
"Beautifly? Hey, what's wrong?"
Roxanne and Bonnie jumped in surprise at the Butterfly Pokemon's sudden arrival. They were just in the process of heading to the stairs up to the deck as she barrelled down and nearly right into Bonnie's chest. She looked quite worried, immediately causing Roxanne to feel a sense of dread.
"Did something..." Bonnie trailed off as she tilted her head, listening intently for a moment before her eyes widened. "Do you hear that?" she asked, looking to Roxanne.
Roxanne moved a little closer to the steps, listening closely as well. She didn't hear anything for a moment, but then the faint sounds came to her. There were quite a few voices. She was sure they were the crew, and they sounded angry and upset. There were also the muffled cries of some Pokemon. She was pretty sure Dedenne and Treecko could be heard among them, but the loudest were the cries of the many bug types. As she and Bonnie edged their way up the steps, the noise became much clearer.
"Team Archaic..." Bonnie whispered. "Of course they would attack the bug types. How did you escape, Beautifly?" she asked her Butterfly Pokemon.
"Beautifly..." Beautifly said almost shyly, hanging her head a bit as she looked at Bonnie and gestured down below to the cabins. "Beauuutifly beautifly."
Bonnie blushed, looking a little ashamed. "Y-You were coming to check on me?" she asked, lifting her gaze a little bit to look her bug type in the eyes.
"Beautifly," Beautifly answered, hovering forward and nuzzling Bonnie affectionately.
Roxanne smiled, appreciating the heartfelt moment, but turned her attention back to the noises a second later. "So you noticed what was happening as you were coming to see Bonnie?" she asked, Beautifly nodding in response. "Have all the Pokemon been captured? By a net or something like that?"
Beautifly nodded again, gesturing in a way that seemed to indicate the clear discomfort she had seen in her fellow bug types. "Beautifly!" she cried sadly, looking up as they heard more sounds.
"Don't worry, Beautifly," Bonnie said confidently. "We'll save them. Are Drake and Clyde captured, too?"
Beautifly nodded, although she tilted her head, looking somewhat confused. "Beautifly?"
Roxanne didn't understand what she was asking, but Bonnie seemed to. "Yeah...Drake must be nervous about his crew getting hurt. We need to attack in a way to keep everyone safe. Can you free his Flygon?"
"Beautifly!" Beautifly said, nodding. "Beauuutifly!" She seemed to indicate charging forward, as though using Aerial Ace.
"All right...let's make a plan."
Bonnie had a clear view of the imprisoned people and Pokemon at the front of the deck. It seemed as though the bug types had been captured in a net that was much more secure than the one they had used last time, likely due to the fact that Beautifly had managed to overpower it before. The crew members, along with Clyde and Drake were were all bound in some kind of device similar to what Team Rocket had used a variety of times back in Kalos, with some kind of electrical energy pinning their arms to their backs. Dedenne, Wingull, Treecko, Rotom and Flygon were all held in some kind of glass box, with the first three punching at it in an attempt to free themselves, while Flygon sat in frustration, eyes locked on to Drake, who appeared very calm.
There was a cackle like a witch from above, and Bonnie glanced up to see Cassidy, with Butch, Smeargle and Raticate in their hot air balloon. They looked surprised to have managed to restrain so many people and Pokemon, but pleased nonetheless. Cassidy was clearly overjoyed.
"Maybe Zinnia should have just left Granite Cave to us," she said, smirking down at everyone below. "We've grabbed an army of Pokemon, imprisoned an Elite Four member, captured his Pokemon and even have a fossil to add to it as well!"
This caused Bonnie to gasp in surprise. A fossil? How could they have gotten a fossil? Her gaze immediately went to Clyde, who looked on the verge of tears. The sight infuriated Bonnie. Clyde had been so excited to receive that fossil, and he had earned it through hard work. She was not going to let Team Archaic get their disgusting hands on it. And she was going to save every one of those innocent bug types in the process, as well as free the entire crew.
She looked behind her, seeing Beautifly on the ground next to her, and Roxanne a few feet behind with her Geodude out. Beautifly looked quite distressed, having spotted that Dustox in the net moments before, but she also appeared very determined. Roxanne and Geodude looked ready as well.
"Ready to act?" Roxanne whispered, ignoring Cassidy as she continued to taunt Clyde and everyone else down below. It was lucky she hadn't noticed Bonnie and Roxanne weren't trapped. Apparently the size of the crew disguised their absence.
Bonnie nodded, turning back to the scene ahead. "Beautifly's going to use Aerial Ace on the rope connecting the net to their hot air balloon," she said, going over the plan once more. "Then Geodude is going to try and break that case holding Dedenne and the others. Once all the Pokemon are free, it should be easy to get rid of Team Archaic."
"That box isn't going to be easy to open," Roxanne said, studying it a moment longer. "Are you sure this will work? Maybe we need to try something else."
Bonnie looked between Drake and Flygon, seeing the calm, determined gaze they seemed to have directed at one another. Clear your mind of idle thoughts. Sense the very air around you. "I think we'll be able to do it." Bonnie said. "I don't think it'll just be Geodude breaking the case."
Roxanne was following her gaze, having shuffled forward. She grinned as she looked towards Flygon. "Maybe you're right."
"Then let's rumble!" Bonnie said confidently. With that, she jumped around the corner, just as Cassidy was telling Smeargle to raise the net with the bug types in it. "Beautifly, Aerial Ace!"
"Beauuuutiflyyy!"
The Butterfly Pokemon was off like a bullet, the white aura around her shining brightly as she struck the long line of rope connecting the net with the hot air balloon. On the first strike, it surprisingly didn't snap, but fortunately, Team Archaic were too stunned by Bonnie's sudden arrival, that they didn't act in time as Beautifly circled back, with extra determination thanks to the cries of support from her fellow bug types.
"Go Beautifly!" Bonnie yelled encouragingly, grinning as Roxanne and Geodude rushed towards the case holding Dedenne and the others.
"Flyyy!" Beautifly cried out once more, slashing across the net with her Aerial Ace and snapping the cord. The net had been in the process of rising up, and it crashed back to the ship, just before the bug types inside burst out of the opening at the top with the cord loosening the top.
"Bwee ee eeee!"
"Toooxxx!"
"Flyyy!"
The bug types emerged in a cloud, and Bonnie grinned as she looked up to see Cassidy staring down in horror. The Team Archaic member's eyes went to her, and the horror turned to rage. She grabbed Smeargle and shoved him in front of her so that he was barely hanging on to the edge of their carrier. "Stop them!" she shouted at him, just as Dustox began to lead a charge of the bug types towards the balloon.
"On it!" Smeargle cried out, aiming his tail outwards, before a translucent barrier shot up in front of the balloon.
"Watch out!" Bonnie shouted quickly, realizing what it was. "Smeargle copied an Aegislash's King's Shield!"
It was too late, though, and the bug types began to bounce off the barrier roughly, falling back towards the ship. Some managed to right themselves before hitting the deck or water, but others hit hard and winced as they struggled to get back up. Bonnie noticed Beautifly rushing up to help steady Dustox, who was wincing and flying pretty awkwardly after leading the charge.
"You may have freed your little bugs, but we've still got that Flygon and your little Dedenne!" Cassidy yelled down at Bonnie. Suddenly, a mechanical arm began to extend out of the balloon carrier, rushing towards the case that held the other Pokemon. Unfortunately for Team Archaic, Roxanne had been busy, along with Drake's Flygon.
"Geodude, Mega Punch from above!"
"Duuude!"
Bonnie jumped back as the case shattered, Geodude's fist cracking it from above, but an attack from below finishing the job. "Flyyygooonnn!" Drake's dragon type roared loudly as he fired off a Boomburst, shielding Dedenne and the others with his wings as he sent the glass flying away so that it didn't hit anyone. As soon as he finished, Dedenne, Wingull and Rotom rushed towards Bonnie, while Treecko darted towards Clyde to try and free him.
"Cassidy, I think we should get out of here!" Butch yelled in fear. Bonnie could see that he was controlling the mechanical arm, and it had halted just a few feet from Flygon.
"Nonsense!" Cassidy yelled back. "We still have Smeargle's King's Shield.
"You know that doesn't work too many times in a row, don't you?" Smeargle said indignantly.
"Make it work!"
Bonnie narrowed her eyes as she looked up at the trio, their Raticate behind them appearing to be the only one that was uninterested in doing much, simply looking anxiously down below. Cassidy appeared to have Clyde's fossil in her hands, and Bonnie was sure that she intended to make it the one thing they got away with now that the Pokemon were free. I'm not letting them get away with this.
"Beauuutifly!" Beautifly then called out, getting Bonnie's attention. She had helped Dustox down to the deck, but she looked ready to fight. There was an intensity in her gaze that Bonnie hadn't even seen in her gym battles. She realized why that was. This was their last battle together. Their last chance as trainer and Pokemon to be as one and win a battle together.
"Let's rumble, Beautifly!" she shouted, stepping forward.
"Bonnie, wait!" Clyde shouted from where Treecko was anxiously trying to get him loose. "Don't worry about my fossil. It's not worth it to fight for it. Just get us out of these restraints."
"Nonsense!" Drake called out, remaining calm in his own restraints. "Flygon, you know what to do. Bonnie," he added, looking to her, "remember to clear your mind. You can do this."
"Right!" Bonnie said, smirking as she glared up at Butch and Cassidy.
"Bring it on, brat girl!" Cassidy snapped, calling out her Sableye, who perched on the edge of the carrier. "Dazzling Gleam, now!"
"Fly with the wind, Beautifly!" Bonnie shouted, pointing in the air as she took a deep breath. "We'll do it together!" And with that, she closed her eyes as Beautifly shot upwards towards the shining lights firing back at her.
For a moment, it was hard. The wind rushed in Bonnie's ears, and the shouts of the people and Pokemon on the ship were nearly deafening. But suddenly, with a deep breath and a calming sense of faith in Beautifly, Bonnie managed to let her mind relax. It emptied, much like a candlelight blowing out.
It was a similar sensation to when Beautifly was still a Silcoon, and Bonnie had somehow seen flashes of her past, flying through the air with Dustox and being attacked. This time, however, there was no stabbing pain in her head. There was...peace. The images didn't come as they did last time, but Bonnie could feel what was right. She could feel the wind and the sea around her, and she could feel the attack rushing towards Beautifly through the air above them.
"Flyyy!" Beautifly cried out suddenly, and Bonnie smiled as she sensed her bug type drifting on a gust of wind to the left, narrowly avoiding the first barrage from Dazzling Gleam. A second was approaching, though, and a large gust of wind rushed from below.
"Up!" Bonnie commanded quickly, the calm sensation in her making her voice assertive, but even and controlled.
"Fly!" Beautifly answered, and Bonnie was sure she could feel the devotion of her Pokemon in that call, and she grinned once more as she heard her soar past the next attack. Now Sableye and Smeargle were above, and waiting for Beautifly as she neared them.
"Shadow Claw, Sableye, but Smeargle, use that King's Shield first!" Cassidy's voice rang out, a minor disturbance in the calm void holding Bonnie and Beautifly.
"I'll try, but it doesn't seem to work so quickly after another," Smeargle cried out nervously.
"Pick up your speed with Gust!" Bonnie ordered. "And then strike with Aerial Ace! You're a flier, Beautifly! Command the sky!"
"Beauuutiiiflyyy!"
And Bonnie finally opened her eyes, clenching her fists as she looked up towards the hot air balloon. Butch, Cassidy, Smeargle, Raticate and Sableye were staring in stunned silence as Beautifly unleashed a ferocious Gust that she immediately launched herself into. The bug types below cheered her on, along with Drake's crew. She shot upwards with speed Bonnie had never seen in her before.
"FLYYY!"
"Sableye?"
"Oh dear!"
The Shadow Claw from Sableye had nowhere to go, and even if Smeargle's King's Shield had appeared, there was no Beautifly to be seen rushing towards it. The group in the carrier of the balloon looked around wildly, clearly terrified as they shook around from Beautifly's still active Gust, before suddenly, a shape appeared behind them. Another cheer came from the ship as the stunning, shiny Butterfly Pokemon unleashed her assault, bursting through the group and causing Smeargle and Sableye to collapse immediately.
"Now, Flygon!" Drake then called, his dragon type roaring in response.
Bonnie's eyes quickly darted to Flygon and saw that he had grabbed ahold of the mechanical arm that still hovered nearby. He pulled on it with all his strength, causing Team Archaic's balloon to lurch downwards. A moment later, though, he ripped the arm right off by sending a Boomburst right through the middle of it. Then, he fired the piece he was holding right up towards the group up above. It hit Butch and Cassidy square in the chest, knocking something from the latter's hands.
"Everyone!" Bonnie shouted, sensing their chance. "Send them flying!"
"BEAUTIFLYYY!" Beautifly shouted in answer from above, calling for her old companions to follow her.
And they did, the entire group of bug types launching themselves up despite any discomfort from their previous failed attack. Within moments, a massive tornado formed above the bug types as they combined their Gust attacks. It looked like one of the most menacing storms Bonnie had ever seen. Beautifly charged right towards it as it slammed into Team Archaic's hot air balloon. As Beautifly disappeared for a moment, Bonnie could hear the yells as the villains were sent flying away.
"Zzt! Where is Beautifly?!" Rotom called out worriedly from next to Bonnie, finally speaking after watching in stunned silence during the battle.
Bonnie wasn't worried, though, knowing Beautifly would be fine. She and the others watched a moment, the swirling Gust storm above quickly dwindling, before it revealed a lone shape. Then, Beautifly began to descend, two items dangling below her with a String Shot holding them up. Bonnie grinned at the effective use of her favourite move.
"Beauuutifly!" the Butterfly Pokemon cried out happily as she reached the deck, dropping one item in front of Clyde, and the other in Bonnie's hands.
"My fossil!" Clyde said in surprise, still bound in his restraints but looking at Beautifly with shining eyes. "Thank you so much, Beautifly!"
Bonnie looked at the item Beautifly had given her, and noticed it was some kind of remote with a button on it. She clicked it, looking towards the Clyde and the crew as she did so. Immediately, their restraints all fell off, releasing them all, and causing them to all exhale with relieved sighs.
"You did very well, Bonnie," a voice said from behind Bonnie, as she was heading over to make sure Clyde was all right. He seemed to be examining his fossil for any signs of damage.
Bonnie turned, looking to Drake, who appeared very nonchalant about the fact his ship had been attacked. "Thanks," she said, sighing as she realized how tired she was. "I don't think I did it perfectly, but I tried to do what you've been teaching us."
"You connected very well with Beautifly," Drake said, smiling as he looked over to where the Butterfly Pokemon was. Bonnie followed his gaze, and saw Beautifly and Dustox were very close, comforting each other. "I believe you both sensed something deep within yourselves in order to achieve what you did. Accepting your different futures likely played a role."
Bonnie looked away, ignoring Dedenne's look of concern as he stared up at her. "So it's just because she's leaving that we managed to fight well?"
"You know that isn't what I mean." Drake took a deep breath, sighing as he looked around the ship. He seemed to now be realizing the mess on board, but he looked relieved to see his crew looking more excited by the battle than fearful of what had occurred. "Sometimes, a trainer and a Pokemon must know how they are different in order to truly be one. That isn't to say that you and Beautifly are different, but you do appear to have different paths and different futures ahead of you. Perhaps it is these different futures that highlight how you are similar, and perhaps that is what brought about your clear mind in your battle."
"How does being different make us similar?" Bonnie asked, frowning in confusion. Drake's lessons were interesting, but he said some very confusing things sometimes.
He laughed shortly, shaking his head. "It is something you will need to understand yourself, I suppose. It's not something that can really be said in words, but more so with a feeling." He paused, looking Bonnie in the eyes. "Just remember this, Bonnie. You've done a great thing in training Beautifly. You've helped her become strong and to overcome her fears. By doing so, you've not only helped her, but an entire community of Pokemon. And that growth goes both ways. You may not fully understand just yet what you have gained from your time with Beautifly, but it will help you a great deal in the future."
"I know one thing I gained from Beautifly," Bonnie said confidently, smiling as she looked at the first Pokemon that she had ever captured. "I gained a really good friend."
And with that, she made her way towards Beautifly, to spend one last evening with her first friend from Hoenn.
As the sun rose into the sky on the horizon the next day, Bonnie watched Beautifly and Wingull, with Dedenne on his back, fly together for the last time. The emotions from the day before could still be felt. The pain of knowing Beautifly would be going was like a dull ache in her heart, while the excitement of knowing how well they had connected was something of a weight off her shoulders. In a way, Bonnie felt that their ability to connect so well in that battle was like a sign that they would never truly be apart.
She heard footsteps behind her, and she turned, seeing Roxanne and Clyde approaching, Rotom floating between them. They each gave her a sympathetic look, including Rotom flashing a sad face on his screen. They had gone to check on the preparations to leave, and it appeared as though they had an update.
"Drake says we'll be setting sail in a few minutes," Roxanne finally said, her tone quite delicate as she glanced towards Beautifly and Wingull in the distance. They had noticed the arrival of Bonnie's friends and were flying back. "It...looks like the bug Pokemon are preparing to leave as well."
Bonnie took a deep breath, looking towards the island where she could see that, indeed, the bug types were moving about. It appeared as though the moment was finally arriving where she would have to say goodbye. "Thanks," she whispered, barely audible. She hoped her friends knew that she was thanking them for more than just updating her. She was grateful they were there for her.
"Beauuutifly!"
They all watched the final stretch of flying as Beautifly and Wingull soared through the light, morning sea breeze. Dedenne was excitedly cheering from Wingull's back. Bonnie was glad to see the joy in the eyes of her three Pokemon. They had become a close team in their time together. Nothing would ever change that.
Wingull landed on the railing of the deck, and Dedenne quickly hopped off his back to perch next to him. Beautifly, however, flew over to land atop Bonnie's head. She fluttered her wings happily, and nuzzled Bonnie's head as she leaned down somewhat awkwardly. "Beauuutifly!" she cried out once more, clearly trying to convey all her love in her call.
"You're the best, Beautifly," Bonnie told her, looking up at her and smiling widely. "I'm so glad we got to have this time together."
"You two became such an awesome team," Clyde said, stepping forward and lightly petting Beautifly. "I'll never forget how you evolved to defeat Team Archaic and used that super strong String Shot against them!"
"And you were amazing in your gym battles!" Roxanne added. "You even beat Brawly's Machop! That's no easy feat!"
"Flyyy!" Beautifly sang out softly, looking somewhat embarrassed, but also pleased.
"They're right, Beautifly," Bonnie said. "You've been amazing. But what I'll remember most about you, is how you helped me do something I dreamed about for what seems like forever." At Beautifly's confused look, Bonnie grinned and pointed at her. "You became my first friend in Hoenn. My first friend on my first journey after becoming a Pokemon Trainer. That's pretty special, don't you think?"
"Beauuutifly!" At that, the Butterfly Pokemon began to tear up, nuzzling Bonnie once more. She flapped her wings and turned so that she hovered in front of Bonnie, looking sadly at her. "Beautifly?"
"I'll be okay," Bonnie promised her, making sure to keep her smile. She pulled out her badge case and showed it to Beautifly. "I'm always going to remember you when I look at these badges, Beautifly. They wouldn't be mine without your help. You've become so strong. You used to be scared of flying Pokemon, but now look at you! You're the one who can command the sky just like Drake talked about. And you'll be leading all your friends to new lands, and you'll be keeping them safe."
"Fly..." Beautifly looked overwhelmed with emotion, but she nodded gratefully at her trainer's words, and she moved forward and touched her head lightly against Bonnie's. "Beautifly."
"Good luck out there," Bonnie whispered. "I love you, Beautifly."
The ship's sails were unfurling now, and Bonnie could hear the crew preparing to move. In the distance, she could see the bug types beginning to take to the air. Many appeared to be veering towards the ship. A lone Dustox was at the front of the group.
"Beautifly..."
"I'm glad that you'll be with someone else who cares about you," Bonnie said truthfully. "Make sure you keep each other safe, okay? And...grow a strong family. Teach them to be brave...and strong...and..." Bonnie sniffed, wiping her eyes. "Teach them to be like you."
"Nenene!"
"Wingull!"
Dedenne and Wingull didn't seem capable of holding in their emotions any longer, the two of them rushing forwards to say their goodbyes. Beautifly lowered herself to the ground to nuzzle Dedenne, being careful to avoid his cheeks, before hovering a little and nuzzling Wingull as well. Then, she moved to Roxanne and Clyde, before stopping in front of Rotom.
"Zzt! I have something to say!" Rotom shouted suddenly, a nervous face appearing on his screen.
"What is it?" Roxanne asked him, the Rustboro Gym Leader wiping a tear from her eye after Beautifly's goodbye to her.
"Zzt!" Rotom looked straight at Beautifly. "According to my calculations, Beautifly's chances of growing a strong and healthy family on her new journey is...one-hundred percent!"
Bonnie and the others stared blankly at the PokeDex for a moment, before finally, Beautifly broke the silence. She darted forward and nuzzled Rotom, just as she had done with everyone else. Rotom seemed thoroughly embarrassed by it, but as Beautifly turned away from him, Bonnie thought she heard what must've been his version of a sob.
With one final nuzzle for Bonnie, Beautifly flew out over the water in front of the ship, pausing and turning to look at her friends one last time. Bonnie could hear Rotom snapping pictures, but everyone else stayed silent. She knew they were waiting for her to say something.
"Beautifly!" she called out, suddenly getting an idea. "Show us your very best String Shot!"
Beautifly instantly seemed to light up at the idea, and immediately she darted higher into the air. She fired off not one, but three String Shot attacks, and a moment later, Bonnie realized they were in the shape of something. Dedenne seemed to realize what it was for before she did, immediately darting forward and jumping into the air.
"NENENEEE!"
Suddenly, a Thunder Shock burst into the air, striking Beautifly's String Shot with full force. Immediately sparks began to dance all along it, and the image became clear. It was almost like something Serena and her Pokemon might've come up with for a performance. It was a lightning bolt, and the meaning behind it was clear.
"That's right, Beautifly!" Bonnie yelled happily. "Let's rumble!"
She and her friends ran to the railing at the front of the deck, the ship beginning to move as Drake's voice carried across it. A moment later, Dustox and the other bug types reached Beautifly, and the Poison Moth Pokemon moved up to fly at her side. They stayed where they were a moment, watching the ship as it began to move through the water. Behind them, the other bug types began to fly, heading towards a location none but them knew for now.
Finally, with one last call towards Bonnie, Beautifly and her mate turned to join their companions.
As the ship and the bug types grew further apart, Bonnie felt Dedenne scurry up to her shoulder, while Wingull landed on her other. Dedenne lightly touched her cheek with a paw, while Wingull brushed his beak against the other. They each murmured a noise of comfort.
"We're gonna miss you, Beautifly..." Clyde whispered.
"Zzt...the first Pokemon I registered as a capture for Pokemon Trainer Bonnie," Rotom said sadly. "Zzt...goodbye."
"That was very brave of you, Bonnie," Roxanne said, after murmuring her own goodbye. "You truly are a great trainer."
Bonnie didn't answer, instead focusing on the small shape in the distance that was Beautifly. She was grateful for Dedenne and Wingull being with her to comfort her. It was hard watching Beautifly go. But deep down, Bonnie was also very proud.
Beautifly had a new dream to follow. In a way, it was very similar to Bonnie's, even though they were going their separate ways. Beautifly would grow a family, and they would grow strong together and help one another, and they would take on new challenges together. In her own way, Bonnie would do the same. She would capture more Pokemon, and train them, and they would all grow together into a powerful team. A powerful family.
But no matter which Pokemon Bonnie caught in the future, Beautifly would always have a special place in her heart. If Dedenne had made Bonnie a Pokemon Trainer when he had become her starting Pokemon, Beautifly had done something almost as important. Beautifly had started her journey towards her dream. Bonnie could hardly ask for anything more, and she sighed in contentment as she watched Beautifly disappear into the distance.
"Bye bye...Beautifly."
Author's Note:
The emotion! The pain! The tears! I hope you're all okay after that. I know I'm not. Bonnie's not the only one that's grown attached to Beautifly, you know. As the author, I really grew to like her. But alas...I felt in the planning stages long ago that this was the right move. Yes, it is meant to be similar to Ash and Butterfree, but I did want this for Bonnie for reasons specific to her.
Something that Bonnie's had to do a bit of during her travels is say goodbye to Pokemon she's grown attached to. I felt that doing this with a Pokemon she had actually caught and trained herself would be a huge growth moment for her. Knowing that her own Pokemon may end up needing to move on to something else is a bit of a different experience for her. I kind of feel like her other experiences would make her somewhat think that catching one herself would at least make this less likely to occur. But, as we know with Ash, these things can and do happen. As a beginner trainer, Bonnie's got to learn to let the Pokemon she loves do what they're meant to do. Even if it's away from her.
Anyway, enough of the emotional stuff. We're on to the good stuff now! Slateport City is next, and oh boy...stuff is about to happen!