Author's Note:
Greetings, Poliwags! Hope everyone is doing well. Just a little note before we get to the chapter. I've recently set up a little Substack blog at (poliwagempire dot substack dot com). I'm using it for things like posting some notes for an original story I'm piecing together, along with some other stuff in the future. Currently, I'm re-posting Gotta Catch That One on there every Monday, Wednesday and Friday for a little re-read/read-along. If you're interested, please check it out. I've been cleaning up the old chapters on there to remove typos and wording issues I was much worse with back in 2016 so it'll hopefully read a little better.
Anyway, as for Bonnie, last time, she had a sparring battle with Anita and Lisia showed up on the scene to ask Bonnie to participate in the Slateport Contest. Not only that, but she'll be participating with Torchic from Professor Birch's lab! Should be crazy, so hope you enjoy!
Chapter 27: Coordinating With a Fiery Charm
Bonnie definitely didn't intend to get herself involved in a Pokemon Contest so quickly. If she had planned on entering one, she would have probably preferred planning to participate a few days before it started so that she and her Pokemon could work on a routine. Of course, that would be assuming she was using a Pokemon that belonged to her.
"Torchic! Torchic tor!"
"Treecko tree!"
"Hey Bonnie! That's not fair!"
"Huh?"
Bonnie blinked curiously as she brought her attention back to the scene in front of her. Immediately, her eyes widened as she noticed Torchic chasing after Clyde's Treecko by firing an Ember attack at his feet as he attempted to get away. It seemed as though Bonnie's Contest partner was a little too eager to get underway with their training session.
"Torchic, stop it!" she called out, hearing the frustration creeping into her voice. She did like Torchic, but she could already tell it was going to be difficult to work with. With the idea of entering this Contest not even being her own, it was a little frustrating not getting to enter with either Dedenne or Wingull, and then having an overly excitable Torchic barely listen to her. Their earlier sparring match with Anita appeared to be a bit of a fluke.
"Chic!" the Chick Pokemon responded cheerily, stopping abruptly and turning to face Bonnie. It hopped over to her a moment later, looking up at her and tilting its head curiously. "Tor?"
The frustration left fairly quickly at that look, and Bonnie felt the urge to squeal. She managed to restrain herself somewhat, and merely giggled. "Aw, Torchic, you're so cute!"
"Zzt! You were just mad at it!" Rotom cried out from next to her.
"I wasn't mad!" Bonnie said indignantly.
"Zzt! Your face looked like this!" Rotom said, flashing a red face on his screen.
"It did not!"
"Yes it did!
"Hey guys! Are you going to get to training? Contests are hard work, you know!"
Bonnie jumped at the overly cheery voice of Lisia. The famous Coordinator didn't look angry at Bonnie's distraction, but she did appear somewhat impatient. Bonnie really had no idea why Lisia had been excited by her brief sparring match with Anita, but it had apparently made her quite motivated to see Bonnie participate in the Slateport City Contest. She'd even offered a private lesson, with Clyde's help, while Anita and May were training elsewhere. Roxanne and Professor Birch had gone to see some more of Slateport City in the meantime.
"Sorry," Bonnie muttered, sighing as she looked over to Clyde, who had just managed to get Treecko settled down. "Ready, Clyde?" she called out.
"I guess," he said, sounding irritated. "Just don't get distracted again and let Torchic attack before we're ready."
Bonnie sighed, but nodded, before glancing at Lisia, who seemed pleased to have things getting started again. She stepped forward and spoke up, making her voice clear. "All right, so what you need to keep in mind with a Contest battle, is that tactics that work in a regular battle may end up costing you here. It's a very short match, so if you're too aggressive and try to tire your opponent out, they can easily avoid your attacks and let the timer, or your points, run out. But also remember that if you're too defensive, you may prevent yourself from showing off your Pokemon's elegance and beauty, which can be a huge game changer in terms of getting your opponent's points down."
"So how do these point systems work, exactly?" Clyde asked, sounding lost already. "It's a five minute battle, and whoever has more points by the end will win, right? But...you don't earn points?"
"Right," Lisia said, as though it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Each Coordinator starts with a full score. By battling and pulling off combinations, you reduce your opponent's score. Most matches end with the time running down, but a skilled Coordinator with a talented Pokemon can run down their opponent's score quickly so that the match ends early. They can also win by making the other Pokemon unable to battle, but that's fairly rare."
"That might be our best chance of winning, Torchic," Bonnie said, feeling somewhat relieved that there was a way she could compete that didn't involve too much in the way of combinations. "We can just overpower our opponents."
"Torrr!" Torchic said happily, hopping up and down in agreement.
Lisia wasn't pleased, though. "No! You can never go into a Contest with that attitude! Coordinators are much too skilled to allow a trainer to win in that way very often when the battle is on their turf. It will be a very different style than you're used to."
"Then how do I win?" Bonnie asked, narrowing her eyes in frustration. "Why did you think I should compete?"
"Because you and Torchic have a connection meant for the Contest stage!" Lisia answered gleefully. "Now, let's begin! Clyde, in order for Bonnie to get into the rhythm of things, we'll need her to start on the offensive. Does Treecko know any defensive moves?"
Clyde scratched his head in embarrassment. "He just knows Bullet Seed and Pound."
"Hmm..." Lisia studied Treecko for a moment, tapping her chin thoughtfully. "We'll make it work. Use Treecko's Bullet Seed to defend long range attacks, and Pound to defend when Torchic gets in close." She then turned to Bonnie and grinned. "Now, we need to figure out a couple of techniques for Torchic to use in battle that can show off its fiery nature, but I think it's cuteness needs to come off as well."
Bonnie didn't think it would be too hard to show off that Torchic was cute, but she wasn't quite sure what moves she was meant to use to do what Lisia seemed to want her to do. "How can we do that in battle?" she asked.
"We'll start with Torchic's Ember," the Coordinator said.
"All right," Bonnie said, turning to the battlefield once more. Clyde nodded to her, signalling that he was ready, so she called the attack. "Torchic, hit Treecko with an Ember!"
"Counter with Bullet Seed!" Clyde countered, getting a nod from Lisia for following her suggestion.
A moment later, both Pokemon fired off their long range attacks. Bonnie watched as Torchic took a deep breath, hopping back as its beak began to glow red, before firing off the small fireballs in Treecko's direction. Meanwhile, the Wood Gecko Pokemon opened his own mouth and unleashed a barrage of seeds the opposite way. The two attacks clashed in the centre of the field, smoke shooting up immediately.
"Now, Bonnie, do you see an opportunity here to show off Torchic's power?' Lisia asked, watching the scene in front of her intently.
"Um..." Bonnie wasn't too sure what the Coordinator meant. If it was a regular battle, she might've had Torchic be ready with another Ember attack, or, if she was confident in navigating through the smoke, have her charge in with a Peck attack. Lisia had mentioned showing off Torchic's fiery nature, though, so maybe the Ember attack was her best chance. "Torchic, use Ember again!" she then ordered, hoping she had it right.
"Torchic!" Torchic nodded, taking a deep breath as she aimed towards the smoke, trying to pinpoint where Treecko would be behind it.
"Wait!"
Bonnie sighed, looking over to Lisia, seeing her now walking over. "What did I do wrong?" she asked, unable to keep a hint of irritation out of her voice.
"Oh, don't worry," Lisia said happily. "Nothing, really. I just thought it would be best if I demonstrated a couple of things. I think I have a couple of ideas for something that can work for your Appeals stage performance that can also be brought in to the battle round." With that, she pulled out a pokeball and threw it upwards. "Altaria, come on out!"
The light from the pokeball flashed brightly, and a moment later, Bonnie felt as though she was watching a cloud fly swiftly around her. She was immediately impressed as she watched Lisia's Altaria circle through the air, its blue body blending with the sky, while its cloud-like wings rippled in the wind. It drew the eye like few other Pokemon, and it was instantly obvious to Bonnie how well cared for it was.
"It's amazing," Clyde whispered, as he made his way over with Treecko, both of them seeming perfectly fine with the quick interruption of the battle. "I've never seen a Pokemon like it."
Lisia giggled at his remark. "Oh, I'm sure you have. We do like to keep ourselves Contest-ready, though, so Altaria is always ready to perform." She then turned to Bonnie and Torchic, grinning excitedly. "Now, how about we show you a couple of tricks. I think Torchic will love the first one..."
The Contest Hall was huge, and from what Lisia had said, the Slateport one paled in comparison to the one in her hometown of Sootopolis City. Nonetheless, it made Bonnie a little nervous knowing that she'd be going up in front of such a large crowd to perform at something she'd had very little practice in doing so far. Even if it had been a regular battle, she probably would've been nervous. As it was, she could feel her hands shaking as she paced the waiting room.
"You doing okay, Bonnie?"
Bonnie turned as she noticed Anita, who had just emerged from the changing rooms, wearing a frilly pink dress that went quite well with her maroon-coloured hair. May had mentioned that Hoenn didn't used to have a requirement for competitors to dress up, but had recently changed after the popularity of doing so in Sinnoh. Bonnie was wearing the blue dress that Miette had given her for her birthday, along with some accessories Serena, Shauna and Nini had provided.
"Yeah," she said, as Anita came over to sit next to her on the bench as they watched the other competitors rushing around. "This is just new for me."
"I know how you feel," Anita said, giving a shaky laugh. "It's only my second Contest, remember? In my first one I could barely make it to the stage."
"How'd you do?" Bonnie asked, curious to know what could reasonably be expected of her.
"Pidgey was pretty good," Anita murmured, looking up as though trying to remember the scene. "She hadn't learned Feather Dance yet, though, so we only had basic attacks to show off. I also made a couple of mistakes. People were nice, and they cheered for us, but we didn't make it to the battling round."
"I hope Torchic and me can get a few cheers. I don't want to let it down." Bonnie stared at the pokeball in her hand that held the Chick Pokemon. Professor Birch had given it to her before the match, as the Pokemon emerging from the pokeball was apparently an exciting part of the entrance. May had also given Bonnie something called a Ball Capsule and a Seal which was supposed to do something flashy.
Anita nudged Bonnie playfully. "Of course you will. You two were in sync without even knowing each other when we were battling. That was really cool. And now Lisia has even given you some tips!"
"I think I might've preferred getting tips from May like you did," Bonnie said truthfully. She liked Lisia, but her ideas did seem a bit out there. "At least she doesn't go too crazy."
"You'd be surprised!" Anita joked. "She had me practising some difficult things. I think she sees this as a competition with Lisia!"
Bonnie groaned at that, not wanting to let either Lisia or May down with a weak showing. "But Torchic and I can't keep up with you."
"You don't know that for sure," Anita said. "You battled us pretty well. Just keep in mind what Lisia helped you with, and then battle like normal. You'll be fine."
"You think so?" Bonnie asked, glancing over at Dedenne, who was sitting quietly next to her, giving her a concerned look.
"Of course. Nobody with two gym badges is going to do poorly here," Anita promised. "You'll be one of the strongest!"
Bonnie smiled gratefully at the young Coordinator. They didn't know each other that well yet, but Anita had been nothing but kind and generous whenever they had spent time together. "Thanks, Anita. We'll make sure to give you a good battle when we face off!"
"That's the spirit!" Anita cheered, before looking over to the TV, where the Contest host, Vivian, was now finally taking the stage to announce the beginning of the Appeals round. There were a few brief shots of the crowd as she began speaking, and Bonnie was pleased to see her friends sitting together, with Rotom appearing to bug Clyde as he continuously took pictures.
"I hope you're all looking forward to today's Slateport City Contest!" Vivian called out, as the camera returned to her. "We have many competitors today, and rumour has it that some high level Coordinators have even helped prepare some of them. But before we meet those competing today for the Slateport Ribbon, I'd like to introduce you to today's judges!" Here, the camera went to a panel of four, and a spotlight shone on each individual as Vivian introduced them. "First, we have Mr. Contesta of the Contest Committee. Next, we have Mr. Sukizo, the President of the Pokemon Fan Club. Third, we have Slateport City's very own Nurse Joy. And, finally, we have a very special guest...star Coordinator, and winner of not only Hoenn's, but also Sinnoh's and Kanto's Grand Festivals, Lisia!"
"Lisia's judging?!" Bonnie asked, staring open-mouthed at the screen as the judges waved to the crowd.
"I've heard they sometimes do that in the bigger cities," Anita murmured. "They bring in successful Top Coordinators to help judge and add a bit of a buzz to the whole thing. But this will be fun! I can't wait to show Lisia what I'm capable of."
"Yeah..." Bonnie said, grimacing as she watched Vivian describe the rules of the Appeals round and introduce the first Coordinator.
As the first few performances began, Bonnie became increasingly nervous. Each one seemed quite good. The first was a boy with an Ursaring, who displayed its strength by lifting a variety of heavy objects. It wasn't flashy, but it was certainly effective at showing off his Pokemon. After him, a girl came out with an Azurill, that showed off its playful side quite well, firing off Bubble Beam and using Bounce to hop around in impressive fashion. There were a couple of less than stellar performances as well, but nothing that was particularly poor.
Finally, after about a dozen performances, Vivian's voice announced the next Coordinator to head out on stage, just as an attendant came over and tapped on Anita's shoulder. "And ladies and gentlemen, please welcome our next Coordinator...Anita, from Rustboro City!"
"Good luck!" Bonnie called, as Anita waved in thanks and ran out to go on stage. A moment later, she appeared on the screen, and Bonnie leaned forward, smiling as her nerves left her. She was too excited for Anita to worry about her own performance.
Anita did show a bit of nervousness as she stopped at the centre of the stage, her eyes drifting to where Lisia was seated, but a moment later, she managed to steel herself and quickly pulled out her pokeball. "Okay, Pidgey, take flight!" she shouted, throwing the pokeball upwards, and grinning widely as bright, pink feathers burst outwards from the Ball Capsule and its Seal, with Pidgey shooting out from the feathers in a brilliant spin.
"An amazing entrance by Pidgey!" Vivian called out, the crowd cheering as Pidgey hovered in front of Anita. "This doesn't look like just an ordinary little Pidgey!"
"Remarkable!" Mr. Sukizo added, just as Anita began her routine.
"Pidgey, use Gust!" Anita yelled, throwing her frisbee up into the air, just as she'd done when showing her routine to Bonnie and the others. As before, Pidgey flapped her wings, but this time, it was just to send the frisbee out over the audience. Bonnie was surprised, thinking they had made a mistake, before Anita quickly called the next order. "Now, catch up to it with Quick Attack and send it back with Wing Attack!"
"Pidgawww!" Pidgey cried out, flapping her wings once more and shooting out to catch up to the frisbee. The crowd gasped in awe, amazed by her speed, and cheered loudly as she sent the frisbee flying back with Wing Attack.
"Wow, Anita and Pidgey were prepared with a few different ideas," Bonnie said to Dedenne, grinning as Pidgey caught back up to the frisbee and sent it down to Anita with another Wing Attack, before firing off a Feather Dance. "I guess she was able to make things work a little better after working with May some more."
She remembered what May had told Anita after her small demonstration, about making sure to show off Pidgey a little more, and not just the moves she was capable of. Bonnie could see that Anita had taken the advice to heart, brilliantly displaying Pidgey's precise attack with Gust, but also showing off her speed and flying ability to catch the frisbee, and her beauty with Feather Dance, which she was now darting through with Quick Attack, making her almost glow in a white light.
"Now, Pidgey finish with Wing Attack!" Anita yelled, the crowd roaring in admiration as the performance was concluding, Pidgey striking down her own Feather Dance and sending the glowing feathers down to the stage as she landed upon it, making it appear as though a light snow was drifting down.
"Incredible job by Anita and Pidgey!" Vivian called out. "The crowd sure loved it, but let's see what the judges think!"
Bonnie crossed her fingers as the camera went to Mr. Contesta, who spoke clearly. "Pidgey may not seem like an obvious choice for a Pokemon Contest, but Anita was in perfect sync with it, displaying their bond very well, and showing off an unexpected beauty."
"Yes, remarkable!" Mr. Sukizo said happily.
"It was truly splendid," Nurse Joy agreed. "Pidgey has clearly been very well cared for, and the bond between trainer and Pokemon is clear."
"I loved every moment of it!" Lisia finished off. "Pidgey showed the heart of a fully grown Pidgeot, and Anita was dazzling as well!"
A moment later, the judges showed their scores, and Bonnie was amazed to see all four judges giving Anita a nine out of ten! It was the highest score of the day so far. Even Anita seemed to be surprised, staring blankly at the judges, before bowing her head and thanking them. Bonnie was looking forward to congratulating her, but then, as she headed off the stage, an attendant called Bonnie from the waiting room.
"Bonnie, you're up next!"
Bonnie couldn't help but groan slightly at the call, tensing up, but Dedenne quickly patted her hand gently, giving her a comforting smile as she glanced down at him. "Nenene!" he said, nodding encouragingly. Bonnie grinned back.
"You're right. We can do this!" she said, standing up. "Thanks, Dedenne."
With that, she made her way to the stage, and just as she was heading out the door, she passed Anita, who still looked surprised by her strong performance. "Good luck, Bonnie," she whispered, seeing Bonnie passing her. "I'll cheer you on with Dedenne and Pidgey!"
"Thanks," Bonnie said with a smile. "And great job! We'll make sure to do well so we can battle again!"
And then, as if she had teleported, Bonnie was on the stage, and Vivian was announcing her entrance. "And now, ladies and gentlemen, please welcome, all the way from the Kalos region, Bonnie from Lumiose City!"
"WOOO! Go Bonnie!" came a cheer from where Bonnie's friends were grouped. It appeared to be May leading the cheers, with Clyde joining in a moment later. Even Rotom seemed supportive, flashing a thumbs up sign on his screen.
"All right," Bonnie whispered to herself as she pulled out Torchic's pokeball. "Let's rumble, Torchic!" she then shouted, throwing the pokeball upwards, and watching in amazement as flames erupted out of the Ball Capsule and Torchic emerged with an happy squeak of excitement, shooting off an additional Ember attack into the air.
"An impressive entrance by Bonnie's Torchic!" Vivian called out as the crowd cheered. "It looks like we'll be seeing a mixture of Torchic's cuteness, but also its fiery power on display!"
Taking another deep breath, Bonnie remembered what she had realized about Anita listening to May's advice, and she knew she would need to do the same with what Lisia had told her. Show off Torchic's fiery nature and match it with my battling spirit. She then smiled and looked to Torchic, forgetting the nerves as she embraced this new challenge like a new opponent in battle.
"Torchic, let's go! Jump and use Ember!" she yelled, pointing forward as Torchic ran to the front of the stage.
"Torrr!" Torchic cried out, appearing further energized by the enthusiasm it sensed in Bonnie's voice. "Torchic!"
The crowd seemed to instantly become engrossed, laughing and cheering as Torchic hopped happily and fired off the Ember high into the air. The little fireballs illuminated her in a soft, orange glow, and Bonnie was pleased to hear Vivian commenting on it, and the judges sounding impressed.
"Dazzling!" Lisia said happily, clearly pleased that one of her suggestions had been used. It hadn't been her idea exactly, but she had been insistent on showing off Torchic's fiery nature, and Bonnie had come up with the idea of using fire to light her up.
"Now, jump and use Scratch on those fireballs as they fall!" Bonnie ordered next, smiling as Torchic cheered in response, before backing up and jumping once more.
"Chic! Torchic chic!" the Chick Pokemon cried out, swiping at the plummeting remains of the Ember attack. The effect was exactly as Bonnie and Torchic had been aiming for. The fireballs seemed to pop on contact, shooting out little sparks of red and orange. It almost seemed to make Torchic appear as though it was in the centre of a fireworks show.
"Great job, Torchic!" Bonnie called out, finding that she was having more and more fun as things continued. "You're doing amazing!" No wonder Serena enjoys performing so much, Bonnie realized, finding that she was able to command the situation much like a battle as she focused on Torchic's moves.
"It looks like both trainer and Pokemon are having a lot of fun here today!" Vivian called out, sounding pleased as well. "There's nothing quite like a Coordinator taking the moment to show their love for their Pokemon!"
"Now, Torchic, use Ember once more, but hold it off and add in Peck!" Bonnie then called out, ready for the finisher that she and Torchic had spent the most time preparing.
"Torchic!" Torchic answered, darting once more to the centre of the stage and aiming its beak up. "Torrr!"
Bonnie pumped her fist excitedly as Torchic's beak began to glow in a bright red, and she couldn't help but look over to see Lisa watching intently. The Top Coordinator looked quite pleased, clearly remembering their practice session where they'd identified Torchic's tendency to build up the heat in its beak. It made for quite the Ember and Peck combo, and now the excited crowd was seeing it on full display.
"Oh wow!" Vivian exclaimed. "What an incredible buildup of power in Torchic's beak! That's one hot attack!"
"Torrr!" Torchic then cried out, unleashing the Ember attack finally, and sending one large fireball high up into the air. With its beak still glowing red, the Chick Pokemon launched itself into the air, meeting the fireball as it plummeted back down. The two attacks connected, and the flames shot out in a wide arc around Torchic, illuminating it once more as it landed on stage, finishing with one last happy hop.
"And finished!" Bonnie said happily, running up to Torchic and giving it a hug. "Great job, Torchic!" she said. "You were so amazing. I can't believe we did so well."
"Torchic!" Torchic cheered happily from her arms, tilting its head as it looked up at Bonnie. "Tor!"
"And there we have it, folks! Quite the debut for young Bonnie," Vivian then announced, bringing Bonnie's attention to her and the judges as the panel was lit up. "Let's hear what the judges have to say!"
"An excellent job!" Mr. Contesta said, nodding approvingly. "Torchic had the full support of Bonnie, and it was on display as its fiery nature gave us quite the show."
"Remarkable!" Mr. Sukizo added.
"Truly impressive," Nurse Joy said next. "Torchic is quite the cute Pokemon, but it definitely displayed a strength I didn't expect."
"Agreed!" Lisa said, bringing Bonnie's full attention onto her. "Bonnie and Torchic came in here with a plan and it was executed beautifully. I could sense some nerves as they came onto the stage, but they trusted each other and took hold of the opportunity. Absolutely dazzling!"
"High praise from the judges!" Vivian called out. "Now let's see what they give as their scores."
Bonnie held her breath for a moment, waiting as the screens lit up, before finally the scores were shown. Two eights from Mr. Contesta and Nurse Joy, and two nines from Mr. Sukizo and Lisia appeared before her. It wasn't as high as Anita, but Bonnie was ecstatic at the score.
"Yay!" she cried out, hugging Torchic once more. "You did so great, Torchic!"
"Torchic!"
Bonnie quickly thanked the judges, and began to head off the stage. Before she left completely, though, she quickly looked over to her friends, waving to them as they gave her one last cheer. She was surprised to see Professor Birch looking the most enthusiastic. Clearly he was quite pleased with Torchic's abilities. It made Bonnie wonder if he was getting any ideas about what to do with getting Torchic a trainer. As she headed back to the waiting room, she couldn't help but feel a little pang of worry at the thought for some reason.
As she entered the waiting room, however, Bonnie was instantly distracted as Anita and Dedenne rushed up to her. Anita seemed ready to leap into the air, much like Torchic had done. "You were great out there, Bonnie! I can't believe they didn't give you all tens!"
"Well...we tried our best," Bonnie said with a laugh, smiling down at Dedenne as he scurried up to her shoulder. "Torchic made it all possible."
"You were both great," Anita said, but she seemed perfectly happy to heap praise on Torchic as she looked down at the Chick Pokemon. "Who would've thought you were so great on stage, Torchic? From what Professor Birch said, you were supposed to be nervous around people. It seemed like you enjoyed having a crowd."
"Torchic tor!" Torchic said happily, ruffling its feathers and looking up at Bonnie.
"I guess we just made a good team, right Torchic?" Bonnie asked, getting a nod from the fire type, before looking up at the TV as Vivian's voice rang out.
"All right, folks, with that, we're now finished with the Appeals round of the Slateport City Contest. There were some stunning performances all around, but you know how this goes. We need to narrow things down to the final eight Coordinators to battle it out for the Slateport Ribbon that's on the line. Now, please pay attention as we announce the final eight!"
Bonnie noticed the entire room going quiet as eight slots appeared on the screen. She could sense Anita holding her breath, but it was fairly quick that she was able to exhale, because immediately, her picture filled the first slot. After her, the next five were filled, and Bonnie could hear the gasps of relief from the various trainers in the room that had qualified. Then, the seventh was chosen, and it all came down to the last one to see if she would be joining Anita in the Battle round.
Ding! came the final sound, as the last slot was filled with none other than Bonnie's picture.
"Yes!" Anita cried out happily, hugging Bonnie. "I knew you would make it. Now we find out who we battle against."
Vivian pointed this out a moment later as the screen briefly returned to her. "All right, with out final eight Coordinators chosen, they'll now be randomly shuffled to determine the battling matchups. Good luck!"
The screen then went back to the pictures of the eight finalists, and Bonnie watched silently as the images flipped over and began shuffling rapidly around. Then, they split off into four pairs, presumably for each matchup. The entire waiting room was silent as each card flipped over once again. As the last pair flipped over, Bonnie and Anita both gasped.
Their first round match...was against each other.
"Wow, so Bonnie and Anita get to battle!" Roxanne said excitedly. "I'm looking forward to seeing how Anita has improved on her journey. We didn't quite get the full effect with their training battle."
Clyde nodded, leaning forward as he watched the stage as Vivian got the crowd prepared for Bonnie and Anita to come out. It would be the final match of the first round. The other matches had been okay, but clearly Clyde and the others were most eager to see their friends battle. He was curious to see if Bonnie would do as well as she'd done in the Appeals round.
"Who do you think will win?" Clyde asked, looking to Roxanne and May. "Bonnie's got more battle experience, but she's using Torchic, so even though they did a good job with the Appeals round, this should be pretty tough for her, right?"
"That's true," May said, nodding. "Although this is Anita's first time in the Battle round. She and Pidgey have trained together, but they haven't experienced a real battle like this. Bonnie might be able to keep Torchic a little steadier in this situation."
"Those two are certainly looking like quite the pair, aren't they?" Professor Birch asked, getting the group's attention. "I'm very impressed with how Bonnie seems to have captured Torchic's trust so quickly."
"Zzt! Torchic liked Pokemon Trainer Bonnie way back in Littleroot Town!" Rotom spoke up, floating over to Professor Birch. "Torchic wanted to battle for Bonnie against Pokemon Trainer Max in their first ever battle!"
Birch appeared to be taken aback by this statement, but a moment later, he tapped his chin in thought, chuckling lightly. "You know...I do remember that, now. How interesting..."
"Zzt! I think that Torchic-"
"Shh!" May suddenly snapped. "It's starting!"
Clyde and the others quickly went quiet, along with the audience, as Vivian gestured to the two sides of the stage. "All right, ladies and gentlemen," she called out, "it's time for the fourth match of the first round of battles. We have two lovely young Coordinators competing here. It's Anita, from Rustboro City! And Bonnie, from Lumiose City!"
"Yeah! Go Bonnie!" Clyde called out. "And Anita, good luck as well!"
"Now," Vivian said, as both Anita and Bonnie took their places, "just as in the first three battles, the clock will be set for five minutes. Throughout the battle, both trainers will attempt to perform flashy attacks, but also wear down their opponent. If a trainer's points run down to zero or their Pokemon is unable to battle, they will lose the match. Are both trainers ready?" Both Bonnie and Anita nodded. "Then let the battle begin!"
"Pidgey, take flight!"
"Torchic, let's rumble!"
Ding!
With that, the timer began to count down, and a screen popped up at the back of the stage showing both trainers with a circle that was lit up full to show their point totals. Clyde could already see that it would take quite a lot of effort to reduce one another's points. He hoped Bonnie would be able to keep Torchic focused for long enough. Anita was clearly motivated to test her, though, quickly ordering the first move.
"Pidgey, start things off with Quick Attack!" she shouted, thrusting her arm forward, looking more determined than Clyde had ever seen her.
"Pidgawww!" Pidgey cried out in response, kicking off of the ground and flapping her wings hard. Bonnie and Torchic had no time to respond, each taken aback by the quick move, and Torchic was immediately knocked off of its feet.
"Oh wow!" Vivian said, as Bonnie's points dropped by about five percent. "That speed of Pidgey's will be tough to match up against. Let's see if Bonnie and Torchic can respond."
"Torchic, get in there with Peck!" Bonnie ordered, narrowing her eyes as Torchic managed to get to its feet, looking frustrated with having been hit so quickly.
"Torrr!" the Chick Pokemon cried out, its beak glowing as it ran right back at Pidgey. Anita and the Tiny Bird Pokemon were a little more prepared to counter than Bonnie had been, however.
"Wing Attack, and then follow up with Feather Dance!" Anita said quickly, the crowd murmuring excitedly at her quick orders. It was clear she had come into the match with a plan.
"Bonnie's going to need to understand she can't charge right in like this," May said, wincing as Torchic was slammed back by Pidgey's wing, before being doused in glowing with feathers, which made the crowd gasp in excitement and caused Bonnie's points to drop even more. "Charging in after a hit in a gym battle might be a good way to get momentum back, but you can find yourself behind very quickly doing that in a Contest battle."
"That's true," Roxanne said, looking as though she was torn between being worried for Bonnie and impressed with her former student. "Bonnie has been pretty good at analyzing her opponent's styles, but in a battle with a time limit, it will be harder to get a better gauge on how Anita battles. She probably wanted to rush Anita into countering her attack, but now she's putting herself further behind."
Clyde clenched his fists nervously, noticing Treecko shifting uncomfortably as well from his lap. They could see already that this wasn't looking too good, and as Anita called a follow up attack, it was looking even worse. As Pidgey rushed towards Torchic with another Wing Attack, Clyde was sure it was going to hit and bring Bonnie's points even further down.
"Torchic, use Ember and hold it!" Bonnie then shouted, sounding nervous, but still commanding.
"Tor!" Torchic answered, nodding quickly and focusing on Pidgey as the Tiny Bird Pokemon rushed at it. As Pidgey neared Torchic, Clyde was surprised to see the latter's beak glowing brightly, just as it had during the Appeals round. He wasn't sure how Bonnie would use it for a battle move, however. She revealed that a moment later, though.
"Pidgaw!" Pidgey cried out, slamming its wing hard into Torchic and bringing Bonnie's points further down. However, Torchic had managed to keep its footing better this time, and it was in perfect range as Bonnie called her counter.
"Burning Peck attack!" she shouted, smiling as she called the attack.
"No! Pidgey!" Anita cried out in worry, the crowd gasping as Pidgey was struck in the chest, the place where it was hit appearing to be smoking.
"Now, unleash your Ember!" Bonnie followed up, looking triumphant as Dedenne cheered from his place next to her.
"Torrr!" Torchic cried out loudly, unleashing the fireballs, which exploded against Pidgey and sent the Tiny Bird Pokemon high into the air with what appeared to be a display of mini fireworks as the subsequent fireballs struck it midair.
"Incredible counter by Bonnie to catch up in points!" Vivian called out to the crowd as they cheered for Bonnie and Torchic. "Flashy and powerful! Anita and Pidgey will need to watch out.
"Zzt! Updating data!" Rotom said excitedly. "Ember can be charged up for fireworks!"
"Nice move, Bonnie!" Anita praised, as Pidgey managed to right itself and retreat backwards. "I didn't expect you to be able to use that charged up Ember like that."
Bonnie grinned, appearing pleased as she exchanged a look with Torchic. "Torchic likes to show off its fiery spirit, so it looks like its one of our best moves."
Clyde was surprised to hear Professor Birch chuckling next to him, and looked over at the researcher, wondering what was amusing. He spoke a moment later. "I think I've found the answer to Torchic's problems. I'm not sure how we could've missed this back then..."
"What do you-" Clyde started to say, before snapping his gaze back to the stage as both trainers down below ordered their next attacks.
"Pidgey, use Gust!"
"Torchic, use Scratch!"
The crowd was getting even more into it now, cheering as Pidgey flapped its wings, generating a powerful wind as Torchic ran towards it. It appeared as though Pidgey was still a little winded by Torchic's last attack, so it didn't look as though its attack was strong enough. Torchic managed to fight its way through the wind, before leaping up at the Tiny Bird Pokemon and kicking out at it, ready to use its Scratch attack.
"Now, full power, Pidgey!" Anita shouted, smiling as Torchic was approaching her flying type. That's when Clyde realized they'd drawn Bonnie into a trap. Pidgey immediately began flapping its wings harder, catching Torchic in a faster wind, which suddenly began spinning around the Chick Pokemon, before picking it up in what seemed to be a tornado.
"Oh dear!" Vivian called out, just as Bonnie's points dropped down to about the halfway point, the timer reaching the halfway mark as well. "It looks as though Anita's drawn Bonnie and Torchic into a tough spot, and I don't see an easy way out if it!"
Clyde could see that Bonnie wasn't sure what to do, either, clenching her fists at her sides and staring with wide eyes as Torchic was whipped around in the tornado. "What can she do?" Clyde asked, looking to May in worry.
"She can still fight through this, but she needs to stay calm. Pidgey can't keep up that Gust forever," May pointed out, watching the flying type for a moment.
"Torchic, use Ember!" Bonnie ordered. "And keep it going as long as you can!"
"Torchic!" Torchic answered, sounding a little disoriented, but managing to unleash the attack regardless. Before too long, the tornado it was trapped in began to turn red and orange and smoke began billowing out from the top as it turned into a fiery vortex. Clyde could see that a strong heat was emanating from it, as the front rows of the crowd cried out, and Anita and Bonnie appeared uncomfortable as well. Then, a moment later, Pidgey stopped its attack, and Torchic managed to drop out of the tornado as it spun around a few seconds more, before fading away. Anita's points dropped a bit more, and Bonnie was once again in reach of tying the match.
"Another good counter by Bonnie and Torchic," Vivian said, "but do they have enough time to catch up?"
Clyde could see that it was, indeed, getting tight. There was only about a minute remaining, and clearly Bonnie could see that she and Torchic needed to act quickly. "Torchic, get in there with Peck!" she then ordered, pointing ahead to the panting Pidgey.
"Torrr!"
Anita wasn't going to be outdone, though, and she smiled as Torchic ran at Pidgey. Clyde heard May gasp, apparently aware of something he wasn't picking up on. Then, Anita gave her order. "Pidgey, hide yourself with Feather Dance, and then use Gust!"
"Pidgaw!" Pidgey cried out, suddenly glowing and flapping its wings again, sending a wave of glowing white feathers in front of itself and causing Torchic to slow down. That appeared to be just what Anita wanted, as a moment later, Pidgey appeared behind the feathers once more, flapping its wings hard to send the attack straight at Torchic, the glowing Feather Dance appearing to do just as the name suggested as they spun elegantly towards their target.
"Torchic, dodge, and then use Ember!" Bonnie quickly countered, pumping her fist excitedly as Torchic managed to flip backwards, managing to avoid being hit by the Feather Dance, although appearing somewhat mesmerized as the feathers continued to swirl around.
"Torrr!" the Chick Pokemon then cried out, firing off the Ember.
"Pidgaw!" Pidgey cried out, looking surprised as the fire attack launched towards it, striking its wing as it attempted to dodge to the side. For some reason, though, it smiled, looking pleased as Torchic prepared another attack.
BZZZ!
"And that's the timer!" Vivian announced, as the buzzing rang out and the screen showed the clock having run down. "After a fierce back and forth at the end, we'll see how the points came out. And the winner is..."
Clyde clenched his fists, watching intently as the screen began to flash. He could hear May murmuring something next to him, though, and glanced at her to listen. "Anita's last move was all about showing off Pidgey, and she managed to draw Bonnie into attacking like it was a normal battle. That might've been the difference in the end."
And, just as she finished, the screen on the stage showed the picture of the winner, and Vivian announced it officially. "Anita takes the match! She and Pidgey were perfectly in sync, and the two of them will be moving on to the next round!"
As the crowd cheered, Clyde watched on in disappointment as Bonnie and Anita shook hands. It looked like Bonnie wasn't too disappointed, but Torchic looked quite down, clearly having desperately been trying to get the win in the end. Clyde could see that it was looking at Bonnie as though thinking she would be upset with it. After congratulating Anita, though, she picked the Chick Pokemon up and hugged it, smiling widely.
"Too bad Torchic wasn't joining Bonnie in a regular battle," Roxanne murmured. "I wonder how they might've done in a setting Bonnie was more used to. I hope this doesn't change how it might've felt about Contests."
Professor Birch chuckled as he watched, getting everyone's attention as Bonnie and Anita departed the stage for the next Coordinators. "I don't think Torchic was particularly worried about whether this was a Contest, or anything else, really. Torchic found what it wanted."
May laughed as well, apparently seeming to pick up on what Birch was saying. "I think you might be right, Professor."
"Zzt! If my analysis is correct, I believe you are correct as well!" Rotom said, flashing an image of Torchic onto his screen. "Pokemon Trainer Bonnie's data may need to be updated very soon!"
BZZZ!
"And the winner of the final battle of the Slateport City Contest is...Anita!" Vivian shouted out to the crowd. "Anita and Pidgey pulled off a stunning Feather Dance and Quick Attack combo just as the timer was running out, and it clinches them their first ribbon!"
"Wow, I can't believe Anita actually won!" Clyde cheered from next to Bonnie. "She seems really good at this."
"I'm so proud of her," Roxanne said, her eyes shining as she watched Anita celebrate with Pidgey. "She's come a long way since her days at the Trainer's School."
"She and Pidgey have an excellent bond," Professor Birch noted. "It will carry them far. A Pokemon and its trainer can do a great deal together with that much trust." He smiled, glancing down at Torchic, who was in Bonnie's lap, next to Dedenne. "Isn't that right, Torchic?"
"Torrr!"
"So Anita only has to win four more ribbons now, right?" Bonnie asked, turning to May curiously. "And then she can compete in the Grand Festival?"
"That's right!" May said. "If she can earn five, she'll have a spot. And winning the Slateport City Contest is a big deal. A lot of Coordinators come here to compete, so she did very well."
Bonnie grinned at that, smiling down at Torchic and Dedenne. "Well, if we were going to lose to anyone, I'm glad it was to Anita. She deserves it."
As Anita and her opponent shook hands and the victory ceremony began for presenting Anita her ribbon, Bonnie thought back to their battle, and she realized how true it was that Anita deserved the win. It had been fun entering her first ever Pokemon Contest, but Bonnie knew it in that moment that right now, her interest lay with competing in the Hoenn League and battling her way through the various gyms. She'd even somewhat been lost in that mindset during the Contest battle.
"I'm sorry that we couldn't win together, Torchic," Bonnie told the Chick Pokemon as they applauded Anita receiving her ribbon. "I was really impressed with you, though. You're really strong!"
"Tor!" Torchic answered, smiling up and looking pleased as she turned her gaze to Professor Birch. "Torchic tor!" The Hoenn researcher merely laughed, but he also seemed to nod slightly, which confused Bonnie. She didn't say anything, though, and simply watched as the celebrations on the stage wrapped up. Once they were over, their group began to make their way out of the seats so that they could meet Anita outside.
"This ended up being really fun," Roxanne said, as they were stepping outside the Contest Hall a few minutes later. "I never expected to get the chance to meet Lisia in person, and then get to see such an exciting Pokemon Contest. And Anita and Bonnie made it that much better, too!"
"It certainly was fun," May agreed, looking to Bonnie. "What did you think of your first Contest, Bonnie?"
"Well, it was fun, but I think I'm more interested in gyms right now," Bonnie admitted. "At least for now."
"Well there's nothing wrong with that," Professor Birch said. "We all connect with our Pokemon in different ways, don't we?"
Bonnie nodded, and she was about to answer, but just then, Anita emerged from the Contest Hall, beaming as she held up her ribbon. "Hey guys!" she said excitedly. "Look at this!"
"Wow, it's so cool!" Clyde said, as everyone gathered around for a closer look. "Congratulations, Anita!"
"You were certainly very good out there, today," Roxanne said, smiling at her old student. "I was very impressed with how you commanded Pidgey."
"It was dazzling, wasn't it?!"
Everyone jumped in surprise at the new voice, looking up to see none other than Lisia emerging from the door Anita had just come from. She seemed quite unbothered by the many stares she was receiving from people still gathered around the Contest Hall, and made her way over to the group, facing Anita immediately.
"You were very impressive out there, indeed, Anita. I wanted to congratulate you personally." Lisia then clapped her hands together excitedly. "Oh, I can see it now. You and I, Top Coordinators and worldwide stars! Won't it be amazing?!"
"Um...sure," Anita said, giving May an awkward glance.
"Oh yes!" Lisia said, her attention going to May. "Of course the Princess of Hoenn will join us as well! Besides, you helped Anita prepare, and look at how well that turned out!"
"I...um..." May looked even more awkward than Anita, staring blankly at the eccentric Coordinator. "Right..."
"But I also want to congratulate you, Bonnie," Lisia said, whipping around to face the young trainer, causing her to jump back a step. "I was very motivated to see you compete today, and you did a wonderful job despite your limited experience. And with a Pokemon you'd never battled with before, no less! Dazzling!"
Bonnie blushed at the praise, before glancing at Clyde as he seemed to stifle a laugh. She gave him a quick glare, before turning back to Lisia. "Thanks...although I think I'm going to stick with gym battling."
"We'll see about that!" Lisia said, a hint of challenge in her voice. "But nonetheless, I need to be off! Altaria and I have places to be!" She stepped away and turned to the whole group. "Best of luck to you all! And keep dazzling!" She looked to Torchic as she began to turn away. "Keep that fire burning inside, Torchic! I know you'll do great! Farewell!"
With that, Lisia turned away and before Bonnie knew it, she had disappeared down the road. She was a bit strange, but Bonnie couldn't help but miss her somewhat already. She had been quite helpful in getting her through this Contest. And because of Lisia, she'd even learned some ideas she could make use of in battle if she ever caught a fire type.
"Well, speaking of places to be," Professor Birch said, bringing everyone's attention to him, "where do you guys head off to, next? I know Max is going to Mauville City to challenge Wattson, so is that where you're heading for your next badge, Bonnie?"
"I think that's the plan for now," Bonnie said, turning to Roxanne and Clyde, who both nodded.
"It should be a good challenge for you," May said, appearing thoughtful. "Wattson uses electric type Pokemon, so it should be an interesting matchup considering your brother's gym."
Bonnie's eyes lit up at that. "That's awesome! We'll need to make Clemont proud and win it for sure, right Dedenne?" she said, looking to her partner Pokemon.
"Nene!" Dedenne answered, nodding confidently.
"Torchic! Torchic tor!"
"Ouch!"
Bonnie winced as she felt something jabbing her foot, and she stumbled backwards as she looked down. Her eyes widened in confusion as she noticed Torchic staring at her, apparently having just pecked her. It didn't appear angry, but rather impatient about something. It tilted its head as it looked at her, its eyes turning almost...hopeful.
"Tor?"
"What is it, Torchic?" Bonnie asked, frowning at the Chick Pokemon.
"Zzt! Isn't it obvious?" Rotom said, floating down between Bonnie and Torchic.
"What's obvious?" Bonnie asked.
Professor Birch laughed lightly as he walked towards her, pulling something out of his pocket and handing it to Bonnie. "I think Torchic has found its new trainer," he said, placing something in Bonnie's hand. It was a pokeball.
"Its new..." Bonnie's eyes widened, and she stared at Professor Birch, and then Torchic. "You mean Torchic wants to come with me? Is that okay?"
"Tor!" Torchic cried out happily, leaping up and pecking the pokeball in Bonnie's hand. Immediately, a red light enveloped it, pulling the Chick Pokemon inside, the pokeball immediately going still in Bonnie's hand.
"Of course it's okay," Professor Birch said, grinning at the pokeball. "Sometimes the Pokemon needs to choose the trainer. I think you and Torchic proved that you could be quite the team. In fact, when you two started battling like it was a regular battle today, that's what made it the most clear to me."
"You and I will need to have a battle next time we meet!" May said happily. "My Blaziken will need to see how it matches up against Torchic once its trained up!"
"And we can have a rematch when we meet again!" Anita added. "Pidgey will be ready for it."
Bonnie was still surprised by how quick this had happened, but she couldn't help the large smile coming to her face. The moment she'd met Torchic, she'd had a soft spot for the Chick Pokemon. And now it appeared as though Torchic had felt the same. It had even refused to meet with trainers so that it could have the chance to be with her.
"All right!" she then cried out, holding up Torchic's pokeball. "We got a Torchic!"
"Denene!"
"Zzt! Data updated!"
Bonnie grinned once more as she looked at Torchic's pokeball. There was still a long way to go before she reached the Hoenn League, and she was going to need Pokemon like Torchic to help her get there. They would need to train hard, but she had no doubt in her mind that this was the beginning of a wonderful friendship.
Author's Note
And Torchic joins the team! I'm sure everyone expected it, and probably from way back in the earlier chapters when Bonnie first met Torchic. It only makes sense, though. It's cute, and that's what Bonnie loves, and also, Meyer has his Blaziken so they can be fire chicken buddies later on.
As for Anita winning the Contest, well, why not? For her, it was her second Contest, and I've made the Trainer School kids a little more experienced here. I think it fits for her. And also, she didn't beat Bonnie in terms of strength, but rather by drawing her into battling in a way that didn't fit Contests.
Anyway, hopefully you enjoyed. It certainly feels good to give Bonnie a new catch, especially after Beautifly's departure. Hopefully more are to come very soon. See you next time!