Author's Note:

Hi all, good to see you again. I know it was another long break between chapters, but I'll be speeding up once again here, so look forward to that. Last time, Bonnie had a 3v3 battle with Max and unfortunately got picked apart with her newer, inexperienced Pokemon unable to match Max's team that looks to be in stride. Furthermore, Torchic, despite showing strength, appears to be a little too eager. Let's see how Bonnie's coping as she finally reaches Mauville City!

Chapter 30: Hungry For a Battle

Bonnie was excited about entering Mauville City, eyeing some of the buildings with interest as she and her friends made their way through the busy streets. She'd heard a great deal about the gym's focus on electric types, and the leader's interest in other cities that focused on them, from Roxanne after hearing mention of it from Max, and she couldn't help but wonder if this city would have similarities to her hometown. She was already noticing a few.

There was no Prism Tower, of course, but compared to most of the cities in Hoenn that they'd been to so far, Mauville City had much more of a big city feel. Bonnie could tell that there had likely been some remodelling done in recent years, too, as many buildings appeared to have a shiny look about them as though they were new or recently fixed up. Roxanne had mentioned that a large indoor mall had been developed in the last few years, too, that was almost like a small city within the larger one.

"It's nice to be in a city again," Roxanne said, sounding relieved as they turned down a road leading towards the Pokemon Centre. "It was a long road here, and our stay in Slateport City was a little hectic."

"Yeah, it'll be nice to rest up here a bit," Clyde murmured, not noticing Bonnie staring at the two in bewilderment.

"Hold on!" she said, glaring at her companions. "We're not here to relax! I need to win my battle at the Mauville Gym first!"

Roxanne chuckled lightly at that, nodding as she turned to Bonnie. "Of course, Bonnie," she said. "But we can still stay a couple days at least, can't we?"

"I guess so..." Bonnie muttered, looking away sheepishly. She was a little surprised at her outburst. That loss to Max is getting to me, she thought, frowning as she glanced back in the direction of Route 110.

"Nenene?"

Bonnie blinked, staring up at Dedenne as he peered at her from her shoulder. Concern filled his gaze, her partner Pokemon clearly sensing her frustration and knowing what she was thinking of with where her eyes had gone. She didn't want him to worry, though, knowing that they still had a job to do. "It's okay, Dedenne," Bonnie said with a smile. She looked around at the buildings again as she continued following Roxanne and Clyde, who were now a little ways ahead. "Does this place remind you of home a little bit?"

Dedenne still appeared somewhat concerned, but he also seemed interested in their new surroundings, gazing up at some of the tall buildings and the shops around them. "Denene!" he said excitedly, pointing out a small cafe that looked very similar to some of the ones in Kalos, including Lumiose City.

"Huh...I guess it's not just the electric gym and the big buildings that are similar," Bonnie murmured, staring around for more things in common. "I wonder what else they've got here."

Her curiosity was put on hold shortly after, however, as up ahead, Roxanne and Clyde called out to her. They had arrived at the Pokemon Centre. Bonnie quickly hurried after them, entering the building lining up behind the front desk. It wasn't long before they were next, and Bonnie, Clyde and Roxanne each set down their pokeballs while Dedenne and Treecko hopped onto the tray next to them.

Once Nurse Joy had taken their Pokemon to be checked on, Roxanne led the way to a couch in the lobby, picking up a small pamphlet that appeared to have a variety of activities listed for visitors to Mauville City to check out. Bonnie wasn't too interested, despite her curiosity about the similarities to Lumiose City, but Roxanne flipped through it with interest.

"Anything good in there?" Clyde asked, leaning over as Roxanne scanned the pamphlet.

"Oh yes, there's lots to do here," Roxanne murmured excitedly. "There's the Game Corner, a famous bike shop, the shopping mall and -"

"Can we think about where we'll go after I have my gym battle?" Bonnie said, feeling somewhat frustrated that her friends had been so focused on looking around the city rather than her upcoming match. She was interested in Mauville City, but her battle was certainly the priority. Ever since her battle with Max, Roxanne in particular had been very strange when her next battle had been brought up.

Apparently Roxanne could see that Bonnie suspected something, and she put the pamphlet down, giving Bonnie a thoughtful look. "Bonnie, do you think you might be rushing into this battle? Might it not be a good idea to think a little more about a strategy and perhaps work on some of the things you noticed in your battle with Max?"

Bonnie frowned at the question. "How am I rushing? My last gym battle was all the way back in Dewford Town! And besides, I need to give Torchic and Zigzagoon some experience."

"Zzt! They have only experienced losing thus far!" Rotom pointed out, floating away as Bonnie tried to swat at him.

"All I'm trying to say is that you don't necessarily need to have your battle as soon as you enter the city," Roxanne said, smiling reassuringly. "There's always something else you can think of as you wait for your match. Remember, you had some time in both Rustboro City and Dewford Town before your battles."

"She might have a point, Bonnie," Clyde said. "And Torchic and Zigzagoon might not be quite ready to rush into their next battle."

"They're fine!" Bonnie argued, feeling frustrated in her friends' lack of faith in her. She could understand Roxanne being cautious, but Clyde usually supported her in these things. "Zigzagoon has been much more confident in our last few training sessions, and Torchic has been listening to everything I say."

"Zzt! That is not completely accurate," Rotom cut in. "Torchic used Ember to counter Treecko's Bullet Seed in yesterday's training session before you commanded it!"

"That was different," Bonnie muttered, knowing full well it wasn't. "I was still about to order it, so it was fine."

"Bonnie, none of us can stop you from challenging the gym if you think you're ready," Roxanne said gently. "I just want you to know if you're ready. If you feel you are, we'll cheer for you all the way."

"Good!" Bonnie said, holding up her fists in excitement. "Then I want to go to the gym as soon as our Pokemon are ready!"

Roxanne sighed, but nodded nonetheless. "If that's what you wish." She glanced at her pamphlet. "Hmm...it looks as though the popular Mauville Food Court is nearby. Perhaps we can get something to eat there afterwards."

"That would be a good way to celebrate!" Clyde agreed, nodding excitedly.

Bonnie didn't see any issue with that, either. As long as she was able to have her battle, she would be happy enough to join her friends in looking around the city some more. She was just itching to prove herself, though. She knew her Pokemon were strong enough and smart enough to win. They hadn't been sharp against Max, and she could admit that, but she also knew they could be better and that they were better.

And it appeared that she wouldn't have to wait too much longer even for that. Just a few minutes later, Nurse Joy was calling Bonnie and the others up to the desk to collect their Pokemon. As soon as they walked over, Dedenne immediately hopped up onto Bonnie's shoulder, while Nurse Joy's Chansey pushed the cart over so that everyone could collect their pokeballs. As Bonnie was opening her mouth to thank the nurse and say goodbye, however, the latter spoke up first.

"Your Pokemon are all in good health," Nurse Joy said, smiling at the group before glancing at Bonnie. "I'm just curious, though. Are you planning to challenge the Mauville Gym?"

Bonnie nodded, grinning in excitement. "Yeah! Dedenne and I are going for our third badge!"

"Oh, how exciting!" Joy acknowledged with a smile. "Unfortunately, however, I should inform you that the Mauville Gym is closed today. This is Wattson's off day."

Bonnie's face fell in disappointment. "Awww, really?" she said, glancing up to see Dedenne drooping as well. "We really wanted to have our battle!"

"Well, maybe you can use it as an opportunity to train a little more," Nurse Joy suggested. "Wattson is a very tough leader after all. And Mauville City is a wonderful place to loosen up and clear your mind to make sure you're focused when the time comes. Just don't get stuck at the Game Corner! I'd recommend the Food Court as the place to go, however."

"We're ready to battle, now, though, right Dedenne?" Bonnie said to her partner, who actually appeared quite interested at the mention of the Food Court.

"It doesn't look like it's going to happen today, Bonnie," Roxanne murmured. "But why don't we go to the Food Court and see if there are any good foods that can keep your Pokemon in tip top shape?"

"Oh, there are all kinds of foods there," Nurse Joy said with a nod. "And I believe you'll find there will be something there to scratch that battling itch you have."

Bonnie frowned in confusion, but at that moment, Clyde grabbed her arm, beginning to pull her away. "Come on, Bonnie, let's get going! You'll get your battle tomorrow." He waved to Nurse Joy quickly, "Thanks for healing our Pokemon!"

With that, their group was off once more, Roxanne leading the way towards wherever this Food Court was. Bonnie tried to feel excited, not wanting to allow the disappointment of the delayed gym battle get to her. She'd been fine waiting for her first two when she'd needed to, so this shouldn't really have been any different. It wasn't like she would need to wait that long.

But it was different. Max made it different. The way he'd taken apart her and her team made it different. She so desperately wanted to get back on the right track as quickly as possible. She wanted Torchic and Zigzagoon to see how great battling really was. She wanted Dedenne and Wingull to take the next step into becoming strong and experienced Pokemon. They needed a chance to come together.

"Zzt! There are many Pokemon around here! I must collect some data while we are here!"

Rotom's excited statement brought Bonnie's attention to her friends up ahead. It apparently hadn't been too far to the Food Court, which was just towards the front of the large shopping complex. Taking a quick look around, Bonnie was also pretty sure she could see some signs that presumably directed people towards the Mauville Gym. She made note of that, before taking in the sight of the Food Court. What she saw actually lifted her spirits a little, and she quickly made her way forward to join up with Roxanne and Clyde.

"Looks like you might get a chance to do some battling after all, Bonnie," Roxanne said, grinning to the young trainer.

Bonnie laughed at the remark, staring ahead at the large battlefield in front of them that was in front of a large stand where people appeared to be ordering food from a variety of different menus. To the left and right of the battlefield were groups of seats where people were eating. Bonnie supposed the idea was that people could come here to eat and watch battles. Or, hopefully in her case, eat and participate in some battles.

"Why don't we go and line up?" Clyde suggested, pointing to the small line behind the stand. "It looks like there aren't many seats available."

Bonnie and Roxanne nodded, following Clyde as he led the way to the line. As they did so, Bonnie kept her eye on the battlefield, intrigued as she watched the two trainers there battling it out with a Gulpin and a Kecleon. The trainer with the Kecleon was making good use of its ability to camouflage, but Gulpin had managed to hit it with a Poison Gas attack and seemed to be taking over.

When they lined up, Bonnie noticed the people in front of them seemed to be a group of four. Two of them were about her and Clyde's age, while the others were about Roxanne's age. There wasn't really much else of interest about them, though, so Bonnie was about to turn her attention back to the battle, hearing the sounds of cheering as Gulpin seemed to be finishing the match off. However, just as she was turning towards the field, a bell started ringing up ahead at the order stand.

"Four seats have opened up! It's time for another Food Court SEAT BATTLE!"

"A Food Court what?" Clyde asked, staring as a man in a chef's hat rushed out from behind the order stand and stood between the group in front and Bonnie's own.

"You don't know how this place works?" one of the younger trainers in the other group asked, smirking at Clyde. "This is the biggest place to eat in the whole city, so obviously everyone wants to come here. But you have to earn it."

"That's correct!" the man in the chef's hat said. "When seats open up, the customers in line must battle one another for the available tables!"

"Oh my," Roxanne said, appearing embarrassed as she pulled out the pamphlet she had looked at earlier. "I suppose I missed that..."

Bonnie had no issue with this new development, though, immediately stepping forward. "Sounds good to me!" she said, eyeing the group ahead and locking eyes with the younger trainer that had spoken up. He had spiky red hair, and wore a t-shirt with a Charmander on it. The other younger trainer appeared to be his brother, with green hair and wearing a shirt with a Bulbasaur on it. "So do we have a three on three team battle?" she asked.

"We have a group of four," the trainer in the Charmander shirt said. "Doesn't seem fair that we should lose one of our trainers."

"Well then how about I join this team?"

Everyone jumped in surprise at the new voice, and Bonnie whipped around as an older man with a white beard and yellow jumpsuit approached them. At his side was blue canine Pokemon with a spiky yellow mane on its head that Bonnie recognized as a Manectric, just as Rotom began to excitedly scan it. The man seemed to be quite pleasant, grinning at everyone staring at him, simply waiting for someone to answer.

"But that's not fair!" the red-haired trainer shouted. "He's-"

"We can take him, Chuck," one of the older trainers said. He seemed bored, as though this was a minor inconvenience before he could have his meal. He had long, blue hair that draped over his eyes until he brushed it away. "We'll do two tag battles. Rachel and I will battle him and the lady. You and Bobby can have the kiddie battle." The other older trainer, a tall woman with orange hair shrugged as if it wasn't a big deal to her, either.

Bonnie could see that Chuck didn't like it being put that way, but he turned to Bonnie nonetheless. "Fine, me and my bro against you and this guy!" he shouted, pointing at Bonnie and then Clyde.

Bonnie supposed they didn't have much of a choice, but she glanced at Roxanne, who was staring at the old man in surprise. "Are you okay with this, Roxanne?"

"Huh? Oh...yes, I suppose." She smiled at her new tag partner. "Let's do our best!"

"Of course!" the man said, excitedly. "I'm counting on you so that we can have a nice meal!" He then turned to Bonnie and Clyde. "Good luck out there, you two. I want to see you give it everything you've got as well!"

"Got it!" Bonnie said confidently, dragging Clyde along behind her as he mumbled a much less enthusiastic affirmation of their desire to win. Unfortunately for him, he was stuck battling now whether he wanted to or not, as the man in the chef's hat was already leading everyone to their places, while an announcer was informing the crowd of the agreed upon rules for the next two battles.

"All right, folks, we have four seats available, and we have two groups of four that want their meal!" the announcer called out, as Chuck and Bobby took their places across the field from Bonnie and Clyde. "The two groups have agreed to two tag team battles, and the winners will be claiming the available spots! Starting things off, we have Chuck and Bobby taking on Bonnie and Clyde!"

Bonnie wasn't sure how the announcer had gotten their names, but she supposed the man from the order stand had asked Roxanne, who was now standing at the sidelines with her new partner. They seemed to be hitting it off, and Bonnie almost got the feeling that Roxanne knew who the man was. She supposed it didn't matter, though since her own battle was about to start.

"Are you ready, Clyde?" she asked her friend, noticing his uneasiness with the watching crowd. "We can do this, right?"

He shook his head quickly before turning to Treecko. "Right! Let's go, Treecko!"

"Treecko!" his partner Pokemon cried out, jumping forward and taking his battle stance.

Bonnie grinned, grabbing a pokeball from her side as Dedenne hopped down to stand next to her. "Torchic, let's rumble!" she shouted, the Chick Pokemon emerging and immediately hopping up in excitement. "Torchic, this is a tag battle," Bonnie quickly explained. "So you need to work with Treecko, okay?"

"Tor!" Torchic chirped back happily, looking to Treecko and hopping up and down once more.

"Treecko!" Treecko answered back, holding up a fist, before the two looked across to their opponents.

"Well this should be interesting," Chuck said, smirking. "Charmander, you're up!"

"You too, Bulbasaur!" Bobby followed up.

A moment later, two flashes of light revealed the two Kanto starter Pokemon. Charmander looked like the fiercer of the two, raising its flaming tail high behind it and glaring menacingly at Torchic and Treecko, while Bulbasaur merely narrowed its eyes, ready for battle. The appearance of the two teams of Pokemon seemed to have generated even more interest from the crowd, with people appearing to be curious to see how two Kanto starters matched up against two Hoenn starters.

"All right," the referee then called out, getting the attention of the trainers, "this will be a tag team battle between the team of Chuck and Bobby against Bonnie and Clyde. The winning team will be declared when one team has lost both of their Pokemon." He paused as he glanced at the two sides, ensuring they were ready. Then, he waved his arm. "Let the battle begin!"

It became clear fairly quickly who the more experienced battlers were of the four, as Bonnie and Chuck called their orders first. "Ember!" they both shouted, with Charmander and Torchic both hopping forward to unleash the fire type attacks. The small fireballs shot forward quickly, colliding in the centre of the battlefield, smoke billowing upwards upon impact.

Bonnie wasn't going to let the smoke stop them, though, quickly ordering a follow up attack, which Torchic was ready for as she bent low in preparation to run. "Go, use Peck!" she shouted, grinning as Torchic took off at full speed.

"Now, Bobby!" Chuck then yelled, his brother coughing in surprise, but shouting an order in response.

"Vine Whip, straight ahead!" he ordered.

"Bulba!" his Bulbasaur cried out, still not visible past the smoke. Bonnie expected that vines were shooting forward at that very moment, though.

"Jump, Torchic!" she shouted, the Chick Pokemon chirping happily in response and doing so. The smoke was clearing just enough that Bonnie could see the vines missing as Torchic jumped above the small cloud.

"Go, Charmander, use Ember!" Chuck then shouted, apparently hoping to take advantage of Torchic's vulnerable position in midair.

Bonnie grinned. "Torchic-"

Torchic was acting first, though. Her beak suddenly glowing red as she turned her descent into a dive, straight for Charmander who had positioned itself beneath her. She barrelled through his Ember attack, her heated up body receiving little to no damage from the fireballs. Then, she slammed into Charmander with full force, smoke shooting up as it was sent flying back.

"Charrr!"

"My, that's one clever Torchic!" the man that was Roxanne's partner suddenly noted. "Raising its body temperature like that to avoid the worst effects of an opposing fire attack. Although..."

Bonnie didn't hear the rest of what he was saying, interrupted as Clyde finally joined the fray, taking advantage of Charmander's vulnerable position. "Treecko, use Pound!" he shouted, surprisingly willing to battle in close against the fire type.

Treecko's speed had improved greatly, though, having benefited from the training sessions with Bonnie's Pokemon, especially Torchic. He darted forward well before Bobby and Bulbasaur could react. And, with Charmander staggering from Torchic's attack, he wasn't able to respond, either.

"Tree!" the grass type's tail slammed hard into Charmander's chest, sending it flying into the air, making it an easy target once more. This time for Torchic.

"Torchic, jump and use your Burning Peck!" she shouted, knowing it was likely what Torchic wanted to do, the Chick Pokemon already bracing for the leap. She had a feeling it was going to work for a couple of reasons.

"Oh no!" Bobby shouted nervously. "Bulbasaur, use Vine Whip!"

"No! Bobby, wai-" Chuck started to shout, but it was too late.

"Bulba!" The vines shot out, aiming straight for Torchic as she leaped into the air. Bobby and Bulbasaur seemed to realize in the last moment that it was a trap, however, and Bonnie grinned as the vines wrapped around her partner. "SAURRR!"

The vines smoked and Bulbasaur cried out in pain from Torchic's once again increased body heat. And, in his pain, he whipped Torchic around, striking the airborne Charmander with the fired up Chick Pokemon and sending it crashing to the ground. When he let go, whimpering from his burned vines, Torchic and Treecko had him cornered.

"Nice one, Bonnie!" Clyde shouted. "Now, Treecko, get in there with Pound again!"

"And Torchic-"

"Tor!"

Eager as ever, Torchic took off, following after Treecko as fast as she could, startling him as he began to swing forward with his tail. They struck Bulbasaur at the same instant as Torchic jumped ahead, her body smoking from another Burning Peck attack. A small explosion occurred on impact, and all three Pokemon were sent flying back.

Fortunately for Bonnie and Clyde, Torchic was pretty much unharmed, and Treecko managed to stand despite some burn marks on his body. Bulbasaur was on its back, however, and Charmander already appeared down for the count. The call for the referee was easy.

"Charmander and Bulbasaur are both unable to battle! This means the winner is the team of Bonnie and Clyde, along with their Torchic and Treecko!"

"Torrr!" Torchic cried out happily, turning back and running up to Bonnie. "Torchic tor!"

"Yay! Great job, out there, Torchic!" Bonnie said happily, ignoring a slightly perplexed look from Dedenne as she grinned back at him as well. "They couldn't even touch you!"

"Tor!"

"Treecko tree..."

"Hey, it's all right, Treecko," Clyde murmured, casting an uneasy glance in Bonnie's direction. "It was...an accident."

"Tor?"

Bonnie frowned, seeing Treecko's burn marks once more. Torchic had certainly been quite fired up on that last move. If she'd waited a moment for Treecko to hit Bulbasaur with Pound, she would've easily still been able to finish the match off with her Peck and Ember combo. Bonnie supposed it was a little reckless.

"Sorry about that, Clyde," she said quietly, the two of them picking up their Pokemon as they headed over to where Roxanne and her new teammate were waiting. Torchic appeared confused as Bonnie glanced at her, but seemed to shake it off fairly quickly as Clyde tried to reassure them.

"It's okay. We're just not used to battling," he said, before grinning and giving a thumbs up. "But that was cool to get the win there. Even if it was pretty quick."

"You two certainly looked strong out there," Roxanne said, smiling at the pair. "I guess it's up to us to win now, so that we can join you for lunch!"

"That's right!" the old man said, smiling at Bonnie. "We need to match that fiery spirit of your Torchic and win this battle!"

"Good luck," Bonnie said, grinning back in response as he and Roxanne headed off to the battlefield while their opponents swapped places with Chuck and Bobby who were now coming over.

"Congratulations," Chuck said, shaking Clyde's hand and then Bonnie's as the two teams on the battlefield ent out their Pokemon. Roxanne was using her Onix, while her teammate was using his Manectric. In response, the other pair had sent out a Blastoise and Raichu.

"You guys were really strong," Bobby said, looking at Bonnie in particular. "Your Torchic's Ember and Peck combo is really something.

"Thanks." Bonnie could see Torchic perking up at that, although she was sure she heard an annoyed huff from Dedenne, who was now back on her shoulder. Rotom, who appeared largely distracted by all the other Pokemon around, also decided to make a noise of derision for some reason. "Torchic is a hard worker," Bonnie added, glaring at her PokeDex, and also giving Dedenne a sharp look.

"Tor!"

"Well, I gotta admit," Chuck said, shrugging as he turned to the battle, where the referee was now stepping forward, "I kind of hope your friends beat our cousins. It'd suck knowing they got to eat here while we have to go somewhere else. But since you've got Wattson on your side, you should be in good shape."

Bonnie stared at him in shock at that statement, before her attention was brought back to the referee, who was now speaking up. "This will be a tag team battle between the teams of Benny and Rachel against Roxanne and Wattson. The winning team will be declared when one team has lost both of their Pokemon. Let the battle begin!"

"Wattson..." Clyde whispered, as Roxanne ordered Onix to use Dig. "Isn't he..."

"He's the Mauville Gym Leader," Chuck said with a laugh. "Didn't you know? One of the strongest in Hoenn, too. Especially with that Manectric of his."

"Your cousins are in trouble, then," Clyde said. "Roxanne is the Rustboro Gym Leader."

"A tag team of gym leaders," Bobby murmured in surprise, watching in awe as Blastoise tried to hit Manectric with Hydro Pump, but got struck from below by Onix's Dig.

"Benny will have some excuse for it I bet," Chuck muttered with a laugh. "He thinks he's one of the best trainers out there, but he's not doing too well since travelling Hoenn. He's only got two badges."

"Zzt! That is the same-"

Bonnie swatted at her PokeDex to keep him quiet, face turning slightly red at Chuck's comment. She kept her focus on the match instead of responding, however, too interested in watching Wattson in action now that she had the chance. It would be good for her to try and spot any weaknesses in his strategy for their upcoming match. Unfortunately, there didn't seem to be many.

"Manectric, use Quick Attack! Catch that Raichu off guard!" the Mauville Gym Leader shouted, his electric type taking off in an instant, just as Rachel had ordered a Focus Punch from her Raichu. There was no chance for the opposing electric type, with Manectric driving his head hard into Raichu's chest. It slid along the ground, leaving it vulnerable as Onix dove straight for it with a vicious Tackle to send it rolling even further.

Onix did seem vulnerable itself, however, with Benny's Blastoise immediately locking on to the rock type. "Use Hydro Pump, let's go!" he shouted, smiling wickedly at the opportunity for a super effective it.

"I don't think so!" Wattson shouted, pointing ahead as his Manectric took off once more. "Thunder!"

"MANEC!" Manectric cried out, leaping into the air, using Onix's tail to propel himself higher. His body was engulfed in electricity, and Bonnie could feel Dedenne tensing as he sensed the power of it. Then, a moment later, it shot straight down at Blastoise, seeming to vaporize its Hydro Pump and then strike the water type with full force.

"Blaaast!" it cried out, body smoking once the attack ended and staggering back.

"Now, Roxanne, if you would be so kind as to take care of that Blastoise for us," Wattson then said, smiling to his fellow gym leader.

"It would be my pleasure," she said. "Onix, use Bind and hold on tight!"

"Oawww!" the Rock Snake Pokemon roared in response, sliding along the field quickly, despite its bulky form. He wrapped around the struggling Blastoise well before it could recover from the Thunder.

"Raichu, take care of that Onix with Body Slam!" Rachel then shouted, her Raichu now having righted itself from the combo attack from Manectric and Onix.

Bonnie heard Chuck and Bobby gasp at that, and she assumed Raichu's Body Slam was probably quite strong. But Roxanne didn't appear worried, and Wattson even looked excited as he and Manectric watched the Mouse Pokemon take off.

"Now, Manectric, use Charge and get ready to finish this match off!" he ordered, the Discharge Pokemon nodding quickly and immediately becoming engulfed in electricity. Dedenne perked up in interest at the move.

"No way..." Chuck muttered as he watched things unfolding. "He's planning on supercharging that Thunder attack, but Roxanne's Onix will be vulnerable if Raichu frees Blastoise."

At that moment Raichu leaped high into the air, aiming to strike Onix right in the middle of its body, where he was currently doing his best to hold Blastoise. "Raiii!" the Mouse Pokemon shouted out as it descended, gravity sending it quickly towards Onix.

"Keep fighting Blastoise. Fire off Hydro Pump whenever you can!" Benny sounded desperate. He was no longer the calm and confident trainer that had dismissed Chuck's worries about having to battle Wattson.

Then came Raichu's Body Slam, the Mouse Pokemon striking the rock type with everything it had. Bonnie winced as she watched it, seeing Onix sinking lower into the dirt field from the impact. But Onix hadn't been a guardian in Granite Cave for nothing. He took the hit and didn't even cry out, even grinning as he continued to hold tight to Blastoise.

"Now, finish it, Manectric!" Wattson then shouted. "Thunder!"

"MANEEEC!" the Discharge Pokemon cried out, electricity seeming to explode off of him and rushing towards the other three Pokemon.

"He's attacking his own teammate!" Bobby shouted in surprise.

"He wants all the glory for himself!" Chuck added, although he didn't seem to think there was anything wrong with that.

Bonnie knew better, though, grinning as the electricity struck. Raichu, despite its electric typing, was hit hard immediately. Already stunned by Onix's refusal to budge, it was wide open as the Thunder hit it, sending it flying into the air. Weakened already by the initial attacks on it, the Mouse Pokemon stood no chance.

As for Onix and Blastoise, the Thunder attack struck them both. However, only Blastoise suffered the true power of the assault. The Shellfish Pokemon could be heard crying out from within Onix's hold, its last weak attempts at Hydro Pump quickly put to a halt as it desperately tried to wriggle its way free once more. At the last moment, Onix even released it, the electricity running along his body and down into the ground with no ill effects for him.

Blastoise stood motionless as Onix slid away. Then, a moment later, it fell, and with Raichu down as well, the call was easy.

"Blastoise and Raichu are unable to battle. This means the winners are Roxanne and Wattson!"

"Oh, of course!" Chuck said, nodding as he watched his cousins recalling their Pokemon. Rachel seemed to be accepting the defeat a little better than Benny, but they both were accepting Roxanne's and Wattson's handshakes. "Onix is part ground type. That Thunder had no effect, but Blastoise still felt it while held in Bind. Man...that Wattson knows every trick in the book."

"I know I wouldn't want to battle him if I was doing a gym challenge," Bobby muttered. "It'd be much easier challenging a weaker gym."

Bonnie wasn't intimidated one bit by their remarks, although she supposed they didn't know she intended to challenge Wattson as soon as possible. She smiled as she glanced down at Torchic in her arms, and then up to Dedenne on her shoulder. Both of them seemed to be of the same mindset as her. They wanted to beat Wattson. And they wanted to beat him because he was strong.

"Well," Chuck then said, bringing Bonnie's attention back to him. He gave her and Clyde a mock salute as Bobby grinned and gave a small wave. "Nice meeting you guys. Have a nice lunch." He sighed, looking over to a sulking Benny. "Wonder where we're gonna go..."

Bonnie and Clyde said goodbye to the pair, and shortly after, they were joined by Roxanne and Wattson. Before they could congratulate the pair on their victory, though, the four of them were then escorted to their won seats, the man in the chef's hat from earlier offering to bring them his best meal for the amazing battles they had given the crowd.

Once they were settled and waiting for their food, they managed to finally have a proper introduction to Wattson as Roxanne introduced them. "Well, even though we didn't get to go to the Mauville Gym today, at least we get to hang out with the leader! Bonnie and Clyde, this is Wattson. And Wattson, these are my friends, Bonnie and Clyde."

"Nice to meet you," Clyde said. "Your Manectric is really cool!"

"Yeah!" Bonnie added, glancing at the electric type, who was sitting at the side of the table with Dedenne, Torchic and Treecko. It was currently staring curiously at Rotom as the PokeDex scanned it, now for the second time. "I can't wait to battle it at the gym!"

Wattson grinned at that. "Well it's nice to meet you two as well!" he said jovially. "I was quite impressed with your aggressive battling against those brothers. What was that move your Torchic was using? Burning Peck?"

Bonnie nodded, looking over to her excitable Chick Pokemon. "Yeah, we came up with it when we first teamed up for a Contest in Slateport City. Torchic builds up heat in its beak from Ember and then uses Peck. It's really powerful."

"Fascinating!" Wattson murmured, tapping his chin in thought. "I would've never thought of such a tactic. Kids these days think of the most interesting things."

"Yes, well, it's a clever move," Roxanne said, giggling slightly from Wattson's enthusiasm, "but I do hope Torchic learns to use the move when told to use it."

Bonnie pouted at that, but didn't get a chance to respond as Clyde spoke up a moment later. "So Wattson, is your gym open tomorrow?"

"Indeed it is!" Wattson said, glancing over to Bonnie with a twinkle in his eye. "And I expect I'll have a challenger first thing in the morning!"

"You bet!" Bonnie said, holding up a fist. "I'm going for my third badge and I'll be giving it everything I've got!"

Wattson clapped his hands together at that, looking pleased with Bonnie's excitement. "Excellent! I do enjoy having these fired up challengers. I had a boy here just yesterday who won his third badge from me. It was quite the heated battle!"

Roxanne was much more enthused by that comment than Bonnie was. "Oh, was that Max?"

"Yes! He and his Kirlia were quite impressive!" Wattson said. "But I must say, that Taillow of his was trickiest of all. Our electric moves didn't seem to faze it in the slightest!"

They continued on the topic of Max for another few minutes, and Bonnie couldn't help but clench her fists in frustration as she listened to them. Max had already won his third badge! It was hard enough keeping up with him when they had the same amount of badges, but now he was once again in the lead on that front. And Wattson seemed to be quite impressed with Max's battling skills. And he'd singled out the one Pokemon that Max hadn't even used against Bonnie. What if she wasn't ready?

No, of course I'm ready, she thought, glancing towards Dedenne and Torchic. She had strong Pokemon as well, and while they had lost to Max, they'd been training hard the last few days. There was no way they would lose to Wattson.

Bonnie smiled to herself, looking towards the Mauville Gym Leader as he was speaking once more, this time about the meal that was now on the way towards their table. She just needed to remember to have confidence in herself and in her team. Torchic might be eager, but she was proving to be quite strong. And Dedenne was always reliable. Together, they could beat Wattson and his Manectric.

They had to.

Author's Note:

And so, Bonnie finally meets Wattson and his Manectric and she got a little view of how strong they can be in battle. And Bonnie is certainly looking quite anxious to get into her battle with him. As for Torchic, once again she seems to be quite eager, although she is proving to be a heavy hitter in battle.

Also, just a quick note for those interested. I posted the first rough draft chapter of my original story on my blog a few weeks ago. If you want to check that out, it's on poliwagempire dot substack dot come.

Hope you all enjoyed, and I'll see you next time when Bonnie takes on Wattson for badge number 3!