Chapter 43

"I can't believe I'm back here..." Ash says as he looks at the Lumiose Tower. Alice, Serena, Mark, and Elline are by his side as Alice says, "The Gym Leader Clemont is also one of your past travel companions in the Kalos Region, right?"

"Along with his sister Bonnie." Ash says. "We still have to do this, it is for my fifth badge."

As they enter the tower, they reach the top and they hear a voice, "Welcome to Lumiose City Gym, how many badges do you have right now?"

"There is a badge limit for the gym?" Mark asks in surprise.

"Yeah. Apparently, Clemont wants to battle those who have 4 badges." Elline says. "Maybe I could add something like that in my gym as well, considering I am going to be an Electric-type leader."

After showing the four badges, the door opens and the group walks in. Clemont is standing in front of them and he says with a nervous tone. "Ash...it has been a while."

"Likewise, Clemont. How are your inventions doing?" Ash asks. "Without me, your inventions are going smoothly, I assume?"

Clemont frowns a little as he remembers what he has said under Team Rocket's control. Clemont says, "The thing is, some of my inventions still explode, but I assure you that it wasn't your fault."

"I will be the judge of the words you have spoken. By the way, where is Bonnie?" Ash asks.

Clemont says, "She is not the same Bonnie you used to know, she has matured and she is now hanging out with a friend."

"I see...you know why I am here." Ash says as he picks the Poke Ball, and Clemont nods, also preparing his Poke Ball.


Back in Meyer's house, a boy is helping the old man with some machines. Bonnie was beside the boy, and she says, "Wow, David, not even my brother is capable of fixing that. You really are good at this."

"Thank you, Bonnie. Fixing those machines is quite an easy task for me." The boy named David replies.

Meyer says, "You know, I don't think I have seen those kinds of skills before. How did you learn them?"

David says, "Well, with my mom's reputation, he found me the best mechanics teacher at Kalos University to tutor me. And this is also the reason I know about this stuff, some of the techniques are actually confidential, so I can't reveal any secrets."

But then, David gets a phone call as he says, "Ah, it is from my sister. Sorry, but I have to take this call."

As David walks away for a while, Bonnie looks at the boy with a dreamy face. Meyer says, "Looks like you have found yourself a keeper, Bonnie."

Bonnie blushes and says, "Papa! What are you talking about? David and I are just normal friends!"

"Maybe." Meyer says. "Your face just reveals everything, so I don't think it will be a good idea to hide. After all, you have been trying to find your brother a keeper, haven't you?"

Bonnie sighs and she remembers how she met David. After finally becoming a trainer, Bonnie chose Froakie as her starter because she wants to be like Ash, who probably hates her for what she said in the news. Ash and Serena are like family to her, and she is a shipper for both Ash and Serena. But 3 years ago, Ash has dated a girl named Alice, who is the daughter of Valerie and Wulfric, two gym leaders of Kalos, and that broke Serena's heart. But some time after, Bonnie can't bring herself to hate Alice, she admits that Alice is not only good-looking but her past, her passion for Pokemon, her battle style...all of them remind her of Ash.

Bonnie tries to take part in the Kalos League, and she manages to get into the Top 16 of the League, but her Greninja suddenly stops listening to her and she has to forfeit the battle. She was alone and didn't know what to do, at first she was thinking Ash, Serena, and Clemont could help her. But Ash hated her, Serena was a performer, and she couldn't help her, as for Clemont, he would probably say something like "The Future is now thanks to Science." And then make a machine which will explode in the end.

That is when David came into her life, he is capable of using aura, like Ash and Alice, and he helped her open Greninja's heart so that the two of them can trust each other again. David is also an inventor like her brother, and this is also why the two of them have worked on projects together. David could easily spot some screw losses or other things that Clemont missed, and those inventions didn't explode in the end. Bonnie would not let Clemont hog David all day, so she would drag him to walk around Lumiose city so that they can talk about their family. But all she learns about David's family is that he has a sister and both of them were usually alone since their parents weren't at home every time.

David walks back into the room and he says, "Bonnie, my sister just told me that Clemont is having a Gym Battle with Ash. Do you want to meet him?"

Bonnie is surprised a little, and she frowns, "But what if Ash..."

"Hates you because of what you said to him? Then shouldn't you try to apologize to him?" David asks, and Dedenne also agrees with David's words.

"But it is not that easy..." Bonnie frowns. "It was not just Team Rocket's control, I was at first against him dating his girlfriend for Serena's sake..."

Dedeene sighs as he tries to nuzzle Bonnie, who angrily asks, "Hey, Dedenne! What was that for?"

"Dedenne wants you to stop running away from the whole situation." David says as he grabs Bonnie's hands. "Let's go."

Bonnie tries to struggle free, but Dedenne is not going to let the girl go, so she sighs as she follows David to Lumiose Gym.


"Heliolisk is unable to battle! The victory goes to Ash Ketchum!" Clembot says, and Ash just recalls Hawlucha. Ash walks toward him and says, "Nice battle. Clemont."

"Thank you, Ash..." Clemont says as they shake hands. "I guess I'm still not at your level yet. Anyway, here is the Voltage Badge."

Ash takes the badge and puts it in his badge case. Alice rushes toward Ash and gives him a hug. "You did it, Ash. You got your fifth badge."

"Thank you, Alice." Ash smirks, "But that means your mother is next. I wonder who you're going to cheer with? Your mother, or your boyfriend?"

"Can't I cheer the both of them?" Alice asks with a small pout.

Mark also comes and says, "The battle was really intense, brother. I mean, I was worried if Hawlucha would be knocked out by Heliolisk's Parabolic Charge."

Elline says, "The timing and the power are also the keys. I think I have learned a lot from this battle."

Clemont turns to Serena and asks, "So Serena. Did you and Ash..."

"Oh, I already moved on." Serena says. "I'm dating Mark, and he is actually similar to Ash. Not just the looks, but also the kindness and love."

"I see...I'm glad it works out for you." Clemont says. "But I'm still worried about Bonnie."

"What about her?" Ash asks. "I mean, did something happen to her?"

"Let's say she had changed, ever since she challenged her first Kalos League." Clemont frowns a little. "She looks up to you a lot, that's why she picks Froakie as the official starter Pokemon from Professor Sycamore. After it evolves into Greninja...let's say that it refuses to listen to Bonnie. To make matters worse, it is also the reason why she has to forfeit the match in the Top 16 of the Kalos League."

Ash widens his eyes in shock, Serena asks, "Is she doing alright? Why didn't she tell us about it?"

"She is doing fine, she manages to open Greninja's heart a few months ago, that's also when she met her keeper." Clemont says the last one with a smirk.

"Bonnie with a keeper? That doesn't seem right since she was trying to find you a keeper." Ash says.

"She hasn't been doing that to me for a lot of years, ever since Team Rocket happened." Clemont frowns a little. "Once again, I am sorry about what Team Rocket forced us to say...even though we didn't mean it..."

"It is fine, the crime of yours wasn't that big compared to Serena or May in that matter." Ash sighs.

"Looks like the battle has ended already..." Then they see David walking into the tower while dragging Bonnie. Bonnie flinches as she sees Ash and Clemont looking at her.

Elline says, "Brother? What were you doing?"

"Oh, hey, Elline. Sorry that we're late, I have to drag Bonnie here because for some reason she refused to come here." David says with a small chuckle.

Bonnie looks at Ash and she frowns, "Ash...I..."

"Bonnie." Ash sighs as he walks toward the girl. "As I was saying to Clemont, you were just being controlled by Team Rocket to say mean things to me, you didn't really mean to do it."

Bonnie frowns, "But it is not just that...I said some mean things...like how you belonged to Serena and not Alice..."

Ash sighs, "Bonnie, you were young back then, and you were bound to make mistakes that can be forgiven. I know that during our travel, you have imprinted me and Serena as a couple. Maybe that would happen if it wasn't for Team Rocket, but it doesn't matter what you thought about it. Let me ask you, do you think Alice and I aren't meant to be a couple?"

Bonnie shakes her head and says, "No, I watched the news, and I felt that she really is the best choice for you. Both of you are really similar."

Serena says, "And my feelings for Ash were just from a childhood crush. I have also moved on already since I'm dating his brother Mark."

Bonnie is surprised to learn Ash has a brother, and Mark also introduces himself to her. Even though they are different people, Bonnie can still feel that Mark is similar to Ash in some way.

"Bonnie, I have also heard about what happened to you in the Kalos League. You lost because Greninja refused to listen to you, right? I have a similar experience to you had. Because of my Charizard refusing to listen to me, I lost the League where my mother was the Champion: Kanto. But remember, never give up until it's over."

Bonnie gasps a little as Ash is trying to motivate her, she hugs Ash with tears in her eyes and says, "Thank you, Ash. I really need it..."

Clemont smiles at the scene in front of him, he is glad that Ash isn't truly fallen into the darkness. Once he breaks the hug, Ash says, "However, I want to learn about your relationship with my cousin."

This causes the whole room to be silent, and Bonnie can only mutter a word, "What?"


And there you have it, another forgiveness, and David is in the story. I have decided to give Bonnie a past similar to Ash, because why not? And we're going to be in the Steel-type disguises in the next chapter, you can all guess what the job they are going to do. I hope you like this chapter.