Author's Note:

Hello all, I'm finally back with another Bonnie chapter. Been a rough writing month after a family issue, but things are should be getting back to normal now. Still hoping to finish off the GCTO/LU three part crossover soon and the Ash/Bea two parter. If you missed those, though, the first chapters of each are up on my profile. As for Bonnie, this chapter is one I've looked forward to for awhile. I guess you'll see why. Hope you enjoy!

Chapter 33: Trapped in a Pinch

"Marill, use Ice Punch!"

"Torchic, use Emb– Oh not again!"

Bonnie facepalmed as her Chick Pokemon took off in front of her, beak glowing with the heat from the contained Ember. Vivi and Marill weren't surprised, each having witnessed the overeager attacks from Torchic a few times in their training session. Marill was prepared with a frozen fist as Torchic charged at her, swiftly ducking underneath and striking the fire type in the back.

"Torrr!" Torchic cried out, falling face first into the ground, smoke coming from her beak as she staggered to her feet. She sheepishly looked over at Bonnie. "Torchic tor..."

Bonnie sighed, frustration creeping in. Nothing seemed to be working to stop Torchic from charging in like this. The Chick Pokemon was just too eager. Nonetheless, however, she couldn't be mad at Torchic. She didn't want to lash out at her Pokemon again. Besides, the issue did come from a good place. Torchic wanted to help her. She was simply struggling to hold in that desire so that they could work in tandem.

"When you said Torchic was eager, I didn't realize you meant this eager," Vivi said, chuckling as she moved over to congratulate Marill on her successful Ice Punch. "It is pretty cute, though."

Bonnie couldn't contain the grin that came to her face at that, glancing over at Torchic. "It is. Torchic just loves to help. Don't you, Torchic?"

"Tor!" the Chick Pokemon agreed, lighting up quickly at Bonnie's words.

Deciding that it was probably a good time for a break, Bonnie glanced over to where Wingull was working with Zigzagoon. She was about to call out to them, but decided to watch for a moment, curious how Zigzagoon was doing in responding to Wingull's attacks. The Seagull Pokemon was keeping them light, but early on, Zigzagoon had been fairly fearful. It made Bonnie feel horrible for how out of sync she'd been with the Tiny Raccoon Pokemon in their first two battles. Without proper communication, he'd been beaten up fairly badly, and it had left a lasting impression on him.

"Gull wingull!" Wingull cried out as he hovered above Zigzagoon. The Tiny Raccoon Pokemon looked up, watching closely as Wingull prepared his attack. "Gull!"

Suddenly, blades of air went shooting down as Wingull flapped his wings. They were much smaller than usual, the flying type trying to contain his strength, but appearing strong nonetheless. Zigzagoon braced himself as they descended, shaking a little, but holding strong. Then, at the last moment, he jumped up.

"Zagoon!" he cried out, striking the incoming Air Cutter with a Headbutt. The beginning of the attack was deflected, a blast of air shooting out to where Bonnie and Vivi were standing. Unfortunately, the Headbutt wasn't enough, though, the rest of Air Cutter pushing through and sending Zigzagoon to the ground. "Zigzagoon!"

"Gull!" Wingull cried out in worry and quickly descended to check on his teammate. "Wingull?"

Bonnie quickly headed over as well, instantly relieved as Zigzagoon struggled to his feet. He clearly wasn't hurt too bad from the relatively gentle attack, but he still seemed fairly frightened. Clearly he knew that if it had been a more forceful attack, he would've felt much worse from the impact. Bonnie could understand that fear, but it was still a problem if Zigzagoon was ever going to battle at her side. His speed and smarts made him valuable. He just needed to be braver, and she knew he wanted to be, watching as his eyes went to Wingull.

"You'll get better, Zigzagoon," Bonnie told the Tiny Raccoon Pokemon. "I promise. You've already shown that you can be pretty strong and clever. Remember when you used Baby Doll Eyes and Tail Slap to get away from me and Wingull when we first met?"

"Zagoon..." Zigzagoon looked at her, tilting his head in thought.

"Gull wingull," Wingull said, patting Zigzagoon on the back with his wing.

Bonnie giggled at that, seeing Zigzagoon appearing as though he felt a bit better, even if he seemed slightly embarrassed over the compliments. Even if it was slow going, she was glad she and her Pokemon were finally getting to work on some of their issues. Zigzagoon was fearful, but he certainly seemed committed to trying to gain some confidence, and Torchic was making an effort at containing her energetic bursts, as hard as it was for her so far. Wingull was even getting his chance to help guide them, acting as a perfect example for Zigzagoon.

Turning to spot Dedenne, Bonnie noticed that her partner Pokemon was also hard at work. He was helping Clyde and Treecko do some of their berry planting, but part of the purpose of it was to practice what they had learned under Drake. Bonnie could see him very carefully observing what Clyde and Treecko were doing, before closing his eyes and then sensing their movements with his antennae. It looked just as intense as the physical training the others had been doing.

"All right, guys," Bonnie then called out, gaining her team's attention, including Dedenne, Clyde and Treecko. "You all did a great job. I think we're already improving a lot. Wattson won't stand a chance when we challenge him again!"

Wingull and Dedenne gave the most enthusiastic cheers at that, but Bonnie could see that Torchic and Zigzagoon were pleased that she'd complimented their efforts so far. She was proud of them, even if progress was slow. They were going to try their best, and now it was her job to make sure they achieved the goals they were reaching for.

"Do you still want to head over to the Desert Ruins we were talking about before?" Vivi suddenly asked, getting Bonnie's attention as Clyde headed over with Dedenne and Treecko. "I'd love to go with you guys and show you some of the best areas to find Pokemon. We could even try to check out the ruins if there isn't a bad sandstorm. Sometimes it gets a bit tough to navigate around the desert in that area."

Bonnie could tell Vivi was excited at the prospect of joining them on a part of their journey, even if it was just a small excursion to see if she could find any ground type Pokemon. She hoped her new friend would find the courage to tell her family of her desire to head out at some point, though. Regardless, she played along with Vivi's supposed offer of merely being a guide on their outing.

"Yeah, it'd be great if you could help us. Training over there might do us some good, but if we can find a ground type Pokemon, that could really help our chances against Wattson," Bonnie said, looking to her team. "Whatever happens, though, we'll be fine. Right guys?"

The team cheered once more, although they stopped short as they heard the familiar sound of Roxanne calling out to them. Everyone turned to see the Rustboro Gym Leader heading over, a bag of supplies for their outing with her. Trailing behind were Vicky and Camerupt.

"How's the training going?" Roxanne asked as she took in the scene in front of her.

"Pretty good," Bonnie said proudly. "All ready for setting out?"

"Sandwiches and emergency supplies are all packed for you kids," Vicky answered as Roxanne nodded. "I even have some goggles for you all right here for the blowing sand." She held up a pair of the goggles, and Bonnie was surprised at the size. She had expected something more like regular glasses. Vicky seemed to notice her look and explained further. "The sandstorms can be quite rough out there, Best to be prepared."

"We'll be okay," Vivi said confidently, clearly happy the trip was a go. "Thanks, grandma!"

"It was no trouble, dear," Vicky murmured, waving her hands dismissively. "Now you kids have fun out there. And good luck with finding a Pokemon to catch, Bonnie. I know there are some strong ones out there."

"Thanks, I hope so," Bonnie said, recalling her Pokemon to their pokeballs other than Dedenne, who scurried up onto her shoulder. "It sounds like it should be good training over there."

"It will be!" Vivi promised. "So let's get going!"

With that, Vivi took off, her Marill crying out happily from her arms. With an awkward goodbye to Vicky, Bonnie and her friends followed after the youngest Winstrate, barely managing to catch her as she crested a hill up ahead. Bonnie could already feel the heat as they left the Winstrate property, no longer near the small bit of plant life around their place. It was back to the rocky and sandy terrain that would lead them to their next destination.

Bonnie wasn't sure how long it took for Vivi to lead them towards the sandy desert area nearby the Desert Ruins they were planning to visit later. It seemed like a very long walk, but Bonnie was pretty sure that the heat made it seem longer. As they neared the deeper sand that signalled they were near where they wanted to be, Roxanne guessed that they'd only been walking for a little over an hour.

"Could've sworn we'd been walking all day," Clyde groaned, taking a drink from his water bottle. As he put it away, he took a deep breath, glancing ahead as a warm gust of wind blew some sand away from them. "I guess that's what we'll need the goggles for?"

Vivi nodded, appearing a little nervous as she noticed a particularly large cloud of sand swirling around even further in the distance. "Hopefully it doesn't get too bad. It's usually worse closer to the ruins, so we might not get to go there."

"That would be a shame," Roxanne said, sounding disappointed. "It sounds as though it would be an interesting place to visit."

"It might clear up a bit soon," Vivi said hopefully, standing a little straighter as she turned to the others. "But first, why don't we see if we can find some Pokemon to try and catch!"

Bonnie grinned at that suggestion, quickly strapping her goggles on and taking a step forward to stand next to Vivi. "That sounds good to me. I just know I can find a strong Pokemon here to help our team!"

Rotom floated forward immediately, sensing he was needed. Bonnie had already equipped him with the PokeNav, so he was quickly able to scan the area and detail just what they should be looking for. "It seems as though the most likely Pokemon that we will be encountering are Sandshrew, Cacnea, Baltoy and, if we are lucky, Gible, Sandile and Dwebble."

"Any of those Pokemon would be quite useful against Wattson," Roxanne said, nodding thoughtfully. "Cacnea and Dwebble aren't ground types like the others, but they would still provide a different angle of attack for you."

"Gible would be a really cool one!" Bonnie said, staring out at the sprawling sandy terrain ahead of them with a dreamy gaze. "It eventually evolves into Garchomp!"

"Sandshrew is a really cute Pokemon, though," Vivi pointed out. "I bet you'd love one of those!"

Bonnie couldn't deny that. Sandshrew were certainly high on the list of cute Pokemon. A Gible would be, too, though. Likely all the Pokemon around here were. But dreaming about what Pokemon she was going to catch wasn't going to do anything. It was time to search! "Let's go find some Pokemon!" she shouted, leading the way as they headed deeper into the desert.

Their first encounter came almost immediately. Bonnie pumped her fist in excitement as she noticed the sand stirring up ahead and immediately Dedenne jumped from her shoulder to engage with the Cacnea that emerged. The grass type wasn't particularly interested in them at first, but after a moment, it noticed Bonnie, already with a pokeball in her hand, and it raised its arms into a defensive stance.

"Cac cacnea!" it cried out, narrowing its eyes. It didn't seem fearful, but rather interested in testing itself against those who had intruded on its territory.

Bonnie was pleased to give it the chance. "Dedenne, Thunder Shock!" she shouted, pointing ahead with the order, Dedenne already in motion.

"Nene!"

The Antenna Pokemon was just as determined as Bonnie, unleashing the attack with full force. Cacnea was shocked, literally and figuratively, staggering back and wincing from the force of the strike. It barely had time to recover before Bonnie was ordering a Play Rough attack, Dedenne moving in once again with his glowing pink fist.

"Caaacnea!" the Cactus Pokemon cried out as it was struck once again, falling on its back as Dedenne dropped and readied himself for the next order. Bonnie was ready to act herself, though, raising her arm to throw her pokeball.

"Pokeball g-"

"Baaagoooon!"

"Traaapinch!"

Boom!

Bonnie and her friends all winced at the sound of an explosion not too far away, some sand being blown upwards by it and shooting over in their direction. The force wasn't too much, but it was enough to cause Bonnie, Vivi and Clyde to look in the direction of the explosion, distracting them all from the task at hand. Roxanne was quick to remind Bonnie.

"Bonnie, don't forget Cacnea!"

"Oh, right!" Bonnie quickly raised her arm again, turning to where Dedenne and taken Cacnea down. Unfortunately, just in that moment, more sand swirled around them, hiding the Cactus Pokemon just as it managed to get to its feet. Then just as the sand cleared up, Bonnie could see that her would be catch had escaped into the ground. "Aw man!" she cried out, pouting as she stared at her pokeball. "If only I wasn't distracted.

"Don't worry about it," Clyde said, patting her on the back, Treecko doing the same with Dedenne. "We found that Cacnea pretty quick. You'll get another chance."

"Maybe we should check out what was going on over there," Vivi said, pointing to where they'd heard the explosion from. "That could've been a Pokemon."

As if in answer, another small explosion came from the area, followed by two more cries similar to those they heard previously. Bonnie grinned as she saw some more sand swirl up in the area. "Sounds like there might be a couple of Pokemon there. Let's go check it out!"

"Zzt! Error!" Rotom suddenly cried out, briefly distracting everyone once again. "There is another Pokemon that should be in this area! Performing diagnostic scan!"

"You can do your scan while we move!" Clyde snapped, taking hold of the PokeDex as Bonnie moved the group on once more.

As they moved, the sand swirled around them for a moment, causing Bonnie to lose her sense of direction. Even with the goggles, the sand did make it hard to pinpoint where exactly they were going. Fortunately, Vivi kept them on target, and a moment later, Bonnie heard the sounds of the nearby Pokemon once more. And, as they ran through another small gust of sand, the group found what they had heard.

Bonnie's jaw dropped as soon as she realized what they were seeing.

"Sadie!" she said in shock.

The ginger-haired girl didn't seem to hear Bonnie, she and her Bagon engaged in a battle with an orange Pokemon with quite a small body, but very large head and a massive jaw. Bonnie realized now that the sound had likely been Bagon engaging with this Pokemon. Just like the first time she had met Sadie, it appeared as though the girl was attempting to catch a new Pokemon.

"Zzt! This was the other Pokemon I did not include in my analysis!" Rotom quickly informed Bonnie. "Trapinch is another Pokemon found in this area. Trapinch, the Ant Pit Pokemon. Trapinch create conical pits in the desert and lie in wait at the bottom in order to catch their prey."

"Sounds scary," Vivi murmured, glancing nervously at the one across from Bagon as it dodged a Headbutt and dove into the sand.

"They're a fascinating Pokemon, however," Roxanne said, watching in interest as Trapinch struck Bagon with a well timed strike from Dig. "When they evolve, they become Vibrava and learn to fly and gain the dragon typing. Vibrava then evolve into Flygon. And, as we know from Drake, Flygon are very powerful."

Bonnie's eyes shone with excitement upon hearing that. She remembered seeing Drake's Flygon, and getting the chance to battle it was an experience she would never forget. It was one of the most incredible Pokemon she'd ever seen. With a Pokemon like that on her team...

"Bagon, we need to stop fighting in close!" Sadie suddenly called out. "Use Dragon Breath and get some distance!"

"Bagon!" the Rock Head Pokemon cried out in answer, leaping back as it winced from Trapinch's most recent attack. It locked its gaze on the ground type, who stared back with a glare, before opening his mouth wide. "Gooonnnn!" he then roared, the Dragon Breath shooting out across the sand and picking up Trapinch in its wake.

"Traaa!" the Ant Pit Pokemon cried out, flailing in midair before it struck the ground hard.

"Great job, Bagon!" Sadie then shouted, pulling out a pokeball. "Now go pokeball!"

Bonnie watched, surprised at how tense she was as the ball sailed forward. It struck the prone Trapinch and immediately opened up, the red light enveloping the ground type and pulling it within. A moment later, the ball shook, and everyone waited in silence. When it shook a second time, Bonnie could see Sadie loosen a bit, clearly expecting the catch to be a success.

But then, the ball popped open, the bright light causing everyone to shield their eyes. All Bonnie could hear was a mischievous sounding cry of triumph, and then it was silent once more. Looking back towards the scene in front of her, Bonnie could only see the opened pokeball, and a hole where Trapinch had presumably escaped into. The battle appeared to be over, and Sadie had been unable to catch her new Pokemon.

"Aw man," the redhead said, snapping her fingers in disappointment. "We'll have to find it again, Bagon. That Trapinch is strong and we need to make sure we get it."

"Bagon!" her Bagon replied, looking frustrated as it glared at Trapinch's escape path. A moment later, though, its gaze went to Bonnie and her friends. "Gon?"

Sadie turned at his surprised look, eyes widening as she laid her eyes on Bonnie. "Bonnie!" she said happily, smiling and starting to head over. "Wow, it's been so long! And Clyde, good to see you, too!"

"Y-Yeah...great to see you. Always great to see you." Bonnie glanced to her right, seeing that Clyde was staring dreamily at Sadie, just as he had the first time they'd met. Much like last time, however, it merely seemed to amuse the girl.

"So how have you guys been?' Sadie then asked, grinning as she looked to Vivi and Roxanne. "Got some new...wait a minute...Ms. Roxanne?" She blinked in surprise as she stared at the Rustboro Gym Leader.

Roxanne smiled, looking as though she expected Sadie's reaction. "Hello, Sadie. You look well. Your Bagon certainly seems to be quite a bit stronger, too." Bonnie wasn't surprised that Roxanne had met Sadie, having expected that her rival had passed through Rustboro before she had arrived.

"Um, thanks," Sadie murmured. "But, why are you out here? Are you on vacation or something?" She glanced over her shoulder, appearing a little distracted. Bonnie assumed she was still trying to keep an eye out for Trapinch.

"Well, I've taken some time away from the Rustboro Gym," Roxanne explained. "I felt accompanying Bonnie and Clyde on their journey would give me a much better perspective on teaching my students and engaging with my challengers in the future."

"Oh, that sounds interesting," Sadie said, nodding thoughtfully. She then grinned in Bonnie's direction. "I guess that means you won your match against Ms. Roxanne!"

Bonnie nodded, thumping her chest proudly. "Yeah, I've got my first two badges. I beat Brawly as well."

"Not Wattson?" Sadie asked, looking puzzled. "Me and Bagon beat him a few days ago. It was tough, but we managed to handle his Manectric in the end."

"Zzt! Pokemon Trainer Bonnie lost to Gym Leader Wattson in her first challenge," Rotom explained. "She is here to find a ground type Pokemon to aid her in her rematch."

Bonnie sighed, deciding not to bother hiding her defeat. "It's true," she murmured, before gesturing to Vivi, who was watching the whole interaction with great interest. "This is our friend, Vivi. She offered to help us explore this area to find some Pokemon to try and catch."

"Nice to meet you!" Vivi then said, shaking Sadie's hand briefly. "Bonnie was actually close to catching a Cacnea before we got a little distracted by your battle."

"Oh, right..." Sadie rubbed her neck sheepishly, giggling lightly. "Yeah, we were getting a bit loud, sorry. That Trapinch was just really strong. I've been after it all day."

"Zzt! Trapinch would be an ideal Pokemon for Pokemon Trainer Bonnie to target," Rotom then said, bringing everyone's attention onto him. Bonnie couldn't help but notice a slight twitch in Sadie's eye as she locked her gaze onto the PokeDex. "Trapinch is a powerful ground type that would help against Gym Leader Wattson's electric type Pokemon."

"That is true," Roxanne said thoughtfully. "Especially a fierce fighter like that one."

"It even has a stubborn streak like Bonnie," Clyde added, losing his dazed look for a moment.

"It certainly looked pretty strong," Vivi murmured as well, her Marill nodding in agreement.

Bonnie stared at the four of them in surprise, but the more she thought about it, the more she realized they were right. While she would've loved to catch that Cacnea earlier, she couldn't help but admit that Trapinch seemed to have an extra level of fight in it. The way it had used Dig against Bagon had been quite impressive, and Bonnie could already envision Trapinch putting it to use in Wattson's gym. And then there was one other thing that Roxanne had mentioned earlier...about what Trapinch could become in the future.

Bonnie was just about to open her mouth to answer when she realized the others had gone quiet. She glanced up, seeing that they were looking towards Sadie, who was once again looking over her shoulder. The ginger-haired girl appeared somewhat tense, and Bonnie supposed she was probably a little frustrated at the idea of someone else going after the Pokemon she was aiming to catch. Of course, Bonnie couldn't help but feel that if it was still wild, it was fair game.

"Sadie..." she said slowly, trying to look the other girl in the eyes.

Sadie finally turned, her gaze briefly going to Bagon before meeting Bonnie's. Then, she grinned, although Bonnie wasn't sure it quite reached her eyes. "We'll make this our second battle, then. We won round one, so we'll see if you can win round two. Whoever gets Trapinch wins!"

Bonnie took a deep breath, exchanging a glance with Dedenne before turning back to Sadie. She narrowed her eyes in challenge. "You're on!"

Roxanne stepped forward at that, pulling a pokeball out and looking to the two trainers. "How about you two meet back here in an hour. That way we can avoid having one of you looking for Trapinch if the other has already caught it. Onix should be visible enough through the sand."

"Okay, and I'll go with Bonnie to make sure she has a guide," Vivi said suddenly, eagerly looking to Bonnie, who nodded in agreement.

"Then I should help Sadie!" Clyde then jumped in, face going red as he sidled up next to the girl, who once again simply giggled in response.

"Zzt! Since I am equipped with the PokeNav, I should accompany Pokemon Trainer Sadie and Clyde," Rotom said. Clyde looking a little irritated at his statement, although Sadie agreed. Before they began to move off, though, Rotom quickly floated over to Bonnie's ear. "Zzt! Do not worry. I will not aid Pokemon Trainer Sadie in her quest to catch Trapinch. I will only ensure she and Clyde do not get lost!"

Bonnie smirked at the PokeDex, glad for his support. "Thanks, Rotom. Good luck out there."

"Unfortunately I must inform you," Rotom said, "you only have a thirty-three point four percent chance of victory in this competition. Pokemon Trainer Sadie is much more-"

"Goodbye, Rotom!" Bonnie snapped, turning away with Vivi. They quickly said goodbye to Roxanne, wished Sadie and Clyde good luck, and then took off into a new section of the desert.

"So...know any good places to check out?" Bonnie asked after a couple of minutes.

"Well," Vivi murmured, "I haven't been here that much. My brother took me a couple times, though, and there is an area up ahead that Pokemon seem to flock to. My brother thought there was probably a food source hidden nearby that they can access."

"Seems like a good place to start," Bonnie said, grinning as she got a spring in her step. There was something about this challenge that was quite invigorating. That Trapinch really would help her chances against Wattson, and it looked like it would be an awesome Pokemon to get to know. And just like Sadie said, it was a chance for the two of them to go up against one another once more. This was part of a what a rivalry needed to be!

Surprisingly, it wasn't that long before they had their first sign of activity. Vivi was the first to spot the pit up ahead as they neared the area she had discussed. Once they'd identified that it appeared to be something like what Rotom had described, the two of them began to crawl towards the edge, hoping to peer down. Vivi recalled her Marill to its pokeball to keep it out of the fighting if something happened. Dedenne stayed on Bonnie's back as she glanced over the edge, down into the pit to try and spot anything.

A moment later, Bonnie noticed the twinkling eyes staring back up at her, and the orange head poking up out of the sand. "There it is!" she cried out excitedly, startling Vivi somewhat as she leaned forward over the edge of the pit. She was careful as she stood up, though, grinning as she pulled out Wingull's pokeball. "I know exactly how we can beat it. Wingull, let's rumble!"

"Gull!" the Seagull Pokemon cried out, emerging with a flash of light and flapping his wings. He immediately winced, however, as a gust of sand blew into his face.

"Wingull, use Rain Dance to try and minimize the sand flying around you. We can't give that Trapinch down there any advantage," Bonnie commanded, her fierce flying type nodding in response and flapping his wings. Seconds later, a light rain began to fall over them, including over the pit that Trapinch was in.

"Pinch! Trapinch pinch!" the Ant Pit Pokemon cried out in irritation, scrambling out of the sand it had buried itself in and glaring up at Bonnie and Wingull. "Trapinch!"

"Let's make a deal, Trapinch," Bonnie called down to it. "We'll stop the Rain Dance if you can beat us in a battle. Otherwise, I'm gonna catch you!"

"Pinch trapinch!" the ground type called up angrily. It narrowed its eyes, though, clearly ready to battle, and a moment later, a globule of mud was fired upwards, narrowly missing Wingull as the Seagull Pokemon dodged out of the way.

"That was close," Vivi said in awe. "Are you sure you can win this?"

Bonnie grinned, watching as Trapinch studied Wingull's movements. "Of course we can. Wingull, fly in there and use Air Cutter!"

"Gull!" Wingull answered quickly, darting down as the rain fell on him, invigorating him even further. He aimed carefully as he closed in on Trapinch, and then flapped his wings quickly, firing off the blades of air at close range.

"Pinch!" Trapinch cried out in response, quickly burrowing underground and avoiding the attack. Bonnie clenched her fists nervously at that, knowing already that Trapinch could be tricky. She was right to worry, too, with the Ant Pit Pokemon emerging partway up the pit only a moment later, opening its big jaws and firing three more globules of mud. This time, they hit their target.

"Wingull!" Wingull faltered in midair. Bonnie could tell the attack hadn't done much damage, but it was certainly enough of a distraction for whatever Trapinch was truly planning. The ground type was already on the move again, underground for a few moments before emerging behind Wingull again. The Seagull Pokemon had no time to turn.

"Traaapinch!" Trapinch then roared, bringing his front legs up and slamming them down. Suddenly, the sand around the pit began to swirl, zeroing in on Wingull within seconds and battering at him as he tried to move.

"Oh, it's like Roxanne's Nosepass!" Vivi said, sounding stunned. "It's Sandstorm, but Trapinch seems able to control it with the sand already around here. That Trapinch is really clever. Sandstorm will make it really hard for Wingull to take advantage of his flying."

Bonnie could see that, biting her lip nervously as Wingull tried to get away, looking unable to make his way through the sand that battered at him. And unfortunately, Trapinch seemed well aware of that. The tricky ground type even looked up at Bonnie and appeared to smirk, before burrowing underground once more. Then, it appeared further up the pit, just near the edge opposite the side where Bonnie and Vivi stood.

"Trapinch!" the Ant Pit Pokemon cried out in amusement as Wingull managed to barely work his way a little higher, the storm subsiding somewhat. "Pinch!" Suddenly, another barrage from its Mud Shot attack went blasting out, three globules striking Wingull and sending him into Bonnie's chest, before three more went towards her, Vivi and Dedenne where they stood.

When they finally managed to get to their feet, rubbing mud from their faces and trying to dust themselves off, Trapinch was already gone. Wingull appeared dejected, clearly unhappy with his performance. Bonnie didn't blame him at all, although she understood how he was feeling. She could see now why Sadie had been having so much trouble.

"I don't know," Vivi murmured, coughing a bit as she picked mud from her hair, "maybe it isn't worth catching that Trapinch."

Bonnie shook her head. "No way!" she said, surprised by her excitement. "That's the exact kind of Pokemon a Trainer needs on their team. Strong and smart! Don't you think so, Dedenne and Wingull?"

"Nene..."

"Gull..."

"Oh come on!" Bonnie said, looking pointedly at Wingull. "Don't you remember the mess you caused before you joined up with us?"

"Wingull!" Wingull said shortly, turning away, ruffling his feathers in embarrassment.

Vivi giggled as she watched, catching Bonnie's attention as her eyes went between the two Pokemon. "It must be so cool finding all these different Pokemon out in the world. You guys must have some really fun adventures."

"We sure do," Bonnie said, thinking of all that had happened so far on her journey, and even before when she and Clemont travelled with Ash and Serena. "There's nothing like going out and meeting all kinds of Pokemon and their trainers. That's why I'm excited about Trapinch! He seems like he'd be really fun to get to know!"

Vivi nodded thoughtfully, staring at the pit where Trapinch had hidden. "Maybe he's just testing you and Sadie. Maybe he just wants to see what kind of trainers you are."

"There's only one way to find out!" Bonnie said, standing back up. "We need to find him again!"

They were both motivated after that, and they searched thoroughly for about half an hour afterwards. They stayed fairly close to where they'd found Trapinch for a few minutes, but it became clear that he'd moved on when there was no sign of activity so Vivi suggested another spot where Pokemon were known to move through with less harsh conditions from the sand. They searched another few minutes there with little luck, however. Disappointment began to sink in at that point.

"Aw man, and we had such a good start, too," Bonnie muttered, kicking some sand as she turned around. "I guess we'd better head back to our meeting place. Maybe Sadie caught Trapinch after all."

"Maybe..." Vivi said sadly. "Oh well, at least you gave it your best-"

"Traaapinch!"

"Oof!"

Before she knew it, Bonnie was on her back, rubbing another layer of mud off of her face. When she managed to gather herself, she lifted her head, noticing the mischievous little ground type they'd been searching for just a few feet away. His head was poking out of the ground, and he appeared to be laughing, his large jaws opening and closing rapidly.

"Pinch pinch pinch," he continued, looking quite amused as Bonnie narrowed her eyes at him. Wingull was even more irritated, however, quickly shooting into the air and launching a Water Gun down at Trapinch.

"Guuuulll!" the Seagull Pokemon cried out, the water blasting down towards Trapinch, who was too amused with his antics to dodge.

"Traaa!" he shouted out in surprise as he was struck, the Water Gun striking his large jaws and carrying him out of the sand. He hit the ground a few feet away, wincing from the super effective attack. Bonnie didn't waste her chance.

"Great job, Wingull!" she shouted happily, pulling out a pokeball. "Now, pokeball go!"

Bonnie was confident as the ball sailed forth, hitting the prone Trapinch perfectly and opening immediately. Just as with Sadie's attempt, Trapinch was engulfed in the red energy and pulled inside, the ball closing quickly afterwards. Then, Bonnie clenched her fists in anticipation, watching as the ball shook. Back and forth it went. Once...twice...

"Pinch!" the light exploded outwards as the ball opened, Trapinch evading capture yet again. He was quick to make his escape, too, firing off a Mud Shot at Wingull and burrowing underground as the Seagull Pokemon dodged.

"Argh! So close!" Bonnie muttered, staring at the opened pokeball up ahead.

"That was really cool, though!" Vivi said excitedly. "Wingull, you're so cool!"

"Wingull," Wingull murmured in response, smirking in appreciation.

"Yeah, thanks Wingull," Bonnie told him. "Just don't tell Torchic that you attacked on your own." The circumstances were different of course, but Bonnie didn't want Torchic to be tempted.

Deciding that Trapinch had likely fled for the time being once more, Bonnie and Vivi agreed it was best to head to the meeting spot. The sand was swirling a little more, making it a little difficult even for Vivi to get their bearings, but fortunately it wasn't too long before they were on the right track. Then, after only a couple of minutes, Bonnie noticed Roxanne and Onix up ahead, Roxanne atop a small hill and peering out as though watching for something.

When Bonnie and Vivi approached, the Rustboro Gym Leader looked back, smiling in amusement at their muddy appearance. "I see you two must have run into your target. Any luck?"

Bonnie shook her head. "We saw Trapinch two times. I almost caught him the second time, but he got out of the pokeball."

"Same thing with us." Bonnie turned at the voice, seeing Sadie, Clyde and Rotom making their way over from the opposite direction she and Vivi had come from. They were all muddy as well, Rotom appearing quite flustered by it. "I even had Trapinch confused for a moment, but he still got away. He beat my Ralts a few minutes ago, too.

"That was probably my fault," Clyde murmured, he and Treecko both blushing in embarrassment.

"Don't be silly!" Sadie said, patting his arm. "You guys were just trying to spot where he was going with Dig. Ralts just thought you were on the right track."

"We weren't," Clyde said, picking a piece of mud off of his shirt. "Not even close."

"Well, do you guys want to keep searching?" Roxanne said. "I think I saw another trainer head up that way." She pointed in the direction Bonnie had seen her looking before. "We might have company in trying to get that Trapinch soon."

Sadie frowned, glancing in the direction Roxanne had looked. "That's probably just someone visiting the Desert Ruins. It's too sandy around there, though. They'll probably leave soon."

"We can't give up!" Bonnie said, looking around in case Trapinch somehow happened to be nearby. "One of us has to catch it, right Sadie?"

Her rival grinned at that, her eyes going to Wingull for a moment before looking to Bonnie once more. "Right!" she said. "And it's going to be me!"

"Well...it looks like one of you is going to get your chance," Vivi murmured. Bonnie and Sadie turned to her curiously, before she pointed in the direction Sadie and Clyde had come from. Bonnie squinted, trying to see past the swirling sand. If she didn't have the goggles, there was no way she would've noticed. However, she was just able to spot the telltale sign of orange.

"Who gets first chance?" Sadie asked, glancing at Bonnie.

Bonnie obviously wanted it, and she knew Sadie did, too. She knew it was only fair the other girl got it, though. Sadie had been there earlier and had found Trapinch in the first place. It was fair game for Bonnie to try as long as it was wild, but she couldn't deny Sadie the first opportunity. "You go ahead," she said. "Good luck."

Sadie nodded, stepping forward and pulling out a pokeball. "All right, Trapinch," she called out to the ground type. "Let's see how you like this Pokemon. "Roselia, let's go!"

"Roselia!"

Bonnie blinked in surprise at the new Pokemon, surprised Sadie wasn't going with her best Pokemon in Bagon. Rotom quickly explained the likely logic, however, pointing out that the grass and poison type would potentially be able to inflict a status condition on Trapinch and make it easier to catch. Bonnie wondered if that was the case, though, surprised to see the ferocity in Roselia's posture, the roses in each hand held up in an aggressive stance and the thorns on its head aimed forward as though ready to charge. It didn't look ready to battle in a manner where status conditions would be its main form of attack.

Sadie was quick to begin, and immediately, Bonnie realized she wasn't far off in her estimation. "Roselia, Magical Leaf!"

"Roseliaaa!" the Thorn Pokemon cried out, body glowing in a red aura briefly, before firing off a barrage of leaves that seemed to zero in on Trapinch.

Trapinch was ready, however, immediately burrowing underground as the leaves reached him. They bombarded the sand he disappeared under, but Bonnie was sure he'd avoided the attack. And, sure enough, the Ant Pit Pokemon emerged a moment later, just a few feet from Roselia. He opened his mouth, presumably to fire off a Mud Shot.

Sadie was ready, though, thrusting an arm forward and calling her order quickly. "Poison Sting, now!"

"Seliaaa!" Roselia shifted her aim and fired quickly, purple darts appearing to shoot out from her roses. Trapinch's attack was stopped immediately and he stumbled back from where he had emerged, wincing as he tried to get away from the Poison Sting.

"Now, Magical Leaf again!" Sadie shouted, grinning as she sensed momentum going in her favour.

"Clever," Roxanne said. "Pulling Trapinch in close with a false sense of security and striking with a weaker attack to keep him still so that the stronger attack can hit with full force. Sadie's certainly improved from when she challenged my gym."

"Looks like she's stronger than when we battled, too," Bonnie said, watching as Trapinch was lifted off of the ground by Magical Leaf.

"That Trapinch doesn't back down, though," Vivi murmured, watching excitedly as the battle continued, Trapinch managing to get back on his feet and dodge past another Poison Sting. "It's too smart to let Sadie do that trick twice."

Bonnie nodded, seeing that Vivi was right. Trapinch was now playing things very cautiously. He was apparently willing to participate in the battle, but he wasn't going to do so on Sadie's terms. She tried to lull him in a couple more times, having Roselia use Sweet Scent a couple times, but it wasn't going to work after her early successful strike.

Then, for the first time, Bonnie saw Sadie let frustration take over.

"Roselia, get after Trapinch with Poison Jab!" she ordered, watching as Trapinch popped his head out of the ground after using Dig to dodge past another Poison Sting.

"Roselia!" the grass and poison type shouted, darting forward with as much speed as she could muster. She charged at Trapinch, who appeared somewhat surprised by the sudden attempt to battle in close. Unfortunately for Roselia, this terrain suited Trapinch much better.

"Traaapinch!" Trapinch cried out, immediately throwing Roselia off target by forcing her to dodge past a Mud Shot. A moment later, he burrowed underground once again. Roselia did the worst thing she could have done in that moment and froze, looking around in a panic. Then, Trapinch struck, hitting her from underground and sending her high into the air.

Sadie's instincts were good, though, and she still had one last attempt ready. "Aim down with Magical Leaf, now!"

"Roseliaaa!" Roselia answered, pushing through the pain of Trapinch's attack and firing down with Magical Leaf.

"Pinch!" Trapinch managed to dodge the worst of it, but he was still knocked off his feet as he tried to dart away, the leaves exploding the ground around him. Hitting the ground, he winced, turning his head to see Roselia staggering to her feet. Sadie decided to take her chance in that moment.

"Pokeball go!" she shouted, throwing the capture device at Trapinch, who looked up in surprise as it sailed towards him.

Bonnie held her breath as she watched. She was curious to see if Sadie would be successful, wondering just how far this Trapinch could go. Of course, part of her still wanted to have her chance as well. She felt a bit bad about that, but she couldn't deny it. It was hard to resist a Pokemon that fought this hard and refused to give in.

When the pokeball hit and pulled Trapinch inside, Sadie and Roselia each took a step forward. They were ready for Trapinch to emerge, both tense in case it attacked. The ball shook once. Sadie twitched, clearly not ready to celebrate. It shook a second time. Roselia glanced at her trainer, seeming to wonder if this was it. Then, it started to shake a third time. Sadie began to smile, relaxing just a little.

"Traaa!"

The ball exploded in bright light, Sadie and Roselia both staggering back in alarm. Unfortunately for them, it only got worse as Trapinch took full advantage of how close Roselia had gotten. He slammed the ground in front of him, sand immediately swirling more ferociously than it already was. It whipped towards Roselia and then encircled her, battering at her as she tried to step back.

"No, Roselia!" Sadie called out in alarm. Bonnie could see Trapinch wasn't done, though, immediately burrowing underground once more. Before Sadie could react, he was already emerging from underneath Roselia, slamming into her and sending her into the air once more. And, with the sand from Sandstorm battering at her, there was little she could do. She hit the ground hard and didn't rise.

"Ro...sel...ia..."

Sadie sighed, raising Roselia's pokeball and recalling her. "Thanks, Roselia. You tried your best." She turned, looking to Bonnie. "I guess it's your turn, now. Good luck."

Bonnie nodded, giving Sadie a sympathetic smile. "You guys were really strong. It was a good try."

"Seems like pokeballs don't work on that Trapinch, though," Vivi said, shaking her head. "It's escaped a bunch of times now."

"Yeah, it's a tough one," Sadie said, folding her arms. "I don't know what else can be done." She slowly made her way over to stand by Clyde, who surprisingly didn't look as misty-eyed, focused on the task at hand.

"I hope you have a plan, Bonnie," he said, watching Trapinch as the ground type turned in their group's direction. "He doesn't seem so playful anymore."

Bonnie could see that Clyde was right. She had a feeling Trapinch was a little tired of the battling, and ready to end things once and for all. She was fine with that, though. If she had it her way, Trapinch was going to be caught by the end of this next fight.

She glanced at Dedenne on her shoulder, her partner Pokemon nodding at her in determination. He would be at a disadvantage against Trapinch, so he knew she was going to go with someone else, but he was giving her his full support nonetheless. She smiled, and then turned to Wingull. "Let's rumble, Wingull!" she said, before clicking open a pokeball at her belt, Zigzagoon emerging next to her. "Zigzagoon," she said. "Make sure to watch this battle. Wingull's going up against another Pokemon that refuses to give in. I think you can learn from both of them!"

"Zagoon!" Zigzagoon said enthusiastically, nodding as he sat down next to Bonnie. "Zigzagoon!" he cheered, watching as Wingull moved forward, flapping his wings.

"Gull!" Wingull answered, grinning back at his teammate. Bonnie could see the determination in his eyes. He was ready to end this. And so was she.

"All right, Wingull use Water Gun!" she shouted, kicking the battle off.

"Wingull!" the Seagull answered immediately, darting forward and quickly launching the spray of water. Not surprisingly, Trapinch burrowed underground before the attack hit. Bonnie and Wingull were both ready for that, though.

"Up and then use Air Cutter as soon as Trapinch emerges!" Bonnie shouted.

Her timing was perfect. Just as Trapinch had tended to do in his previous battles, he emerged closer to Wingull and fired off a Mud Shot. With Wingull already in motion, it was easy to dodge, and Trapinch was wide open as the Air Cutter rained down upon him.

"Guuuullll!"

"Piiinch!"

The Ant Pit Pokemon was lifted into the air as the ground around him was ripped into by the blades of air. Bonnie and Wingull weren't done, however, Bonnie immediately ordering a Water Gun as Trapinch desperately scrambled to his feet upon hitting the ground. He was fast enough to avoid the worst of it, but once more, he was struck around the feet, falling forward as the sand around him became sloppier with the water striking it.

"Nice job, Bonnie!" Vivi called out encouragingly. "You and Wingull are in perfect sync!"

"A couple more effective hits like that, and you should be able to win this!" Roxanne added, sounding equally impressed.

Bonnie wasn't going to get carried away, though, knowing just how tricky Trapinch could be. Unfortunately, she and Wingull found out another of his tricks a moment later, the ground type remaining still long enough for Wingull to lower himself into a vulnerable enough position for him to counter.

"Piiinch!"

"No, Wingull!" Bonnie winced, watching as the sand swirled up around Wingull, just as it had the first time he'd fought Trapinch. The Ant Pit Pokemon took the opportunity to burrow underground, allowing the Sandstorm attack to do its damage. Bonnie had an idea to get out of it, however. "Quick, use Rain Dance, and then use Endure!"

"Gull!" Wingull answered, closing his eyes a moment before clouds formed above him, a light rain starting to fall over him and the sand where Trapinch was presumably hiding. Bonnie smirked, seeing the sand becoming wet, looking thicker just like the area where Wingull's Water Gun had hit.

Sandstorm continued to batter at Wingull, but Bonnie could see the red glow of Endure around the Seagull Pokemon, along with the increased strength his ability offered him from Rain Dance, which also dampened the strength of the sand. Trapinch was expecting him to be weakened, but Bonnie and Wingull had a surprise of their own for the tricky ground type.

"Zzt! Sandstorm is fading from Rain Dance!" Rotom cried out excitedly after a few more moments of Wingull fending off the swirling sand. Then, just as the ground beneath him stirred, the storm did indeed fade.

"Trapinch!"

Bonnie grinned as Trapinch emerged, she and Wingull already prepared as his Mud Shot fired upwards. The Seagull Pokemon easily dodged to the side of it before flying straight down, ready to unleash his own attack. Trapinch thought he was going to be able to dodge easily as well, of course.

He was wrong.

"Pinch..."

"Now, Air Cutter!" Bonnie shouted, "and then Water Gun!"

"Wingull!" Wingull cried out, flapping his wings ferociously, cheered on by Zigzagoon at Bonnie's side. Trapinch, unable to properly use Dig in the wet sand, was vulnerable as the blades of air battered at him, flipping him over onto his back and leaving him exposed for the finishing blow. "Wiiiinnnnguuuullll!"

The Water Gun struck Trapinch in the exposed underside. He cried out in alarm, once again being sent into the air by the attack. He hit the ground hard, sinking into the wet sand somewhat. He attempted to shuffle away, but exhaustion and the difficulty in navigating the sand made it impossible. This was Bonnie's chance, and she knew exactly what she needed to do.

Vivi was right, Bonnie realized with a smirk, her hand going to her belt. Pokeballs aren't working on Trapinch. That's why I need something else. She raised her hand, holding up her secret weapon, hearing Roxanne and Clyde gasp behind her.

"Trapinch, you're mine!" she shouted. "Ultra Ball, go!"

When Mr. Stone had given Bonnie the Ultra Ball back in Rustboro City, she'd had all kinds of thoughts about what kind of Pokemon she might catch with it. Right now, though, Bonnie knew it in her heart that this was the right move. An Ultra Ball needed to be used on a strong Pokemon. Trapinch was strong in battle, but Bonnie could tell that he was strong in something even more important. He was strong in spirit. That was the kind of Pokemon she wanted. That was the kind of Pokemon she wanted to befriend.

The Ultra Ball struck true, opening just as the pokeballs before it had done and pulling Trapinch inside. It dropped to the ground a moment later, and for a moment, it lay still. Wingull hovered lower, watching in anticipation as the ball finally shook once. Next to Bonnie, Zigzagoon got to his feet his own excitement emanating forth as the ball shook again. On Bonnie's shoulder, Dedenne's cheeks sparked, willing the capture to finish just like his trainer. Then, as though it was a dream, the ball shook one last time, rolling onto its side. Then, there was a soft ding, before all went silent.

For a moment, everyone stared ahead, almost as though they expected the ball to open with the stubborn Trapinch refusing capture once more. But it remained closed. And, finally, Bonnie couldn't contain herself, and neither could her Pokemon.

"Hooray!"

"Nene!"

"Zagoon!"

"Gull!"

Bonnie rushed forward, hearing her friends murmuring excitedly behind her. When she reached the now still Ultra Bull, she picked it up, holding it in her hand a moment as her Pokemon joined her. "All right, guys!" she said happily, raising the Ultra Ball high into the air. "We caught Trapinch!"

They cheered once again, and this time, Bonnie's friends joined in. They all came over as well, Rotom taking the lead as he excitedly snapped some pictures. "Zzt! This Trapinch will be quite valuable for my data!" he said. "It appears to be unique among its kind!"

"It does seem special," Roxanne agreed. "Congratulations, Bonnie."

"Great job!" Vivi added. "That was so fun to see!"

"You earned it!" Clyde finished.

That was when Bonnie realized something. She looked up, staring at her group of friends, turning around curiously to see if what she had noticed was actually the case. Her friends seemed to realize it, too, each looking around in surprise. Bonnie immediately felt a pit in her stomach as she stared at her Ultra Ball and then looked up.

Not everyone was celebrating with her.

Sadie was gone.

Author's Note:

And Bonnie catches a Trapinch! How awesome is that? And, it looks like a particularly tough one with Bonnie and Sadie failing to catch it a few times and Bonnie needing an Ultra Ball to finish the job. Hope you liked what Trapinch seems to be like. He'll be quite the character as things go on. Also, hopefully Sadie and Vivi's roles played out well. More on Vivi in chapters to come, but obviously Sadie will be of more interest right now. All I'll say is...don't call her a sore loser just yet. Something might be coming...

Anyway, hope you all enjoyed, and I'll see you with the crossover and Bea stories soon. Then we'll see where Bonnie's going in Chapter 34: The Titan of the Rocks. See you then!