Chapter Two

~ New Bonds ~

A young girl in dirty pink clothes grumpily walked through the front door of her house. "I'm done for today, mom," she said. Her name was Serena, and she had lived in Vaniville town ever since she had moved from the Kanto region.

Her mother, Grace, sighed and said, "Serena, you need to learn to persevere a little bit more. You can't just give up when the going gets rough."

Serena slumped onto the couch. "But mom, it's not just that it's difficult for me...it's not fun, and it doesn't feel...right for me," she said.

Grace frowned. "But Serena, I know you can be good at this, it's in your blood. When I was your age, I was-"

"I know, I know, mom, I get it, I've heard these kinds of stories like a million times," Serena said, annoyed and exhausted from a long morning of practicing her Rhyhorn racing.

Putting her hands on her hips, Grace firmly said, "Then what do you propose you want to do, then, Serena? You can't just sit around everyday. Other kids your age are out on adventures, traveling the world. Doesn't that appeal to you?" After a few moments of silence, with a softer voice, she then said, "Don't you remember that summer camp you attended in Kanto? The same year we moved away? All those kids are probably out battling with their Pokemon right about now. And if that's not your thing, then you need to do Rhyhorn racing, Serena."

Serena hesitated. She had seriously considered going on an adventure before, but felt like she wasn't built for that sort of thing. She thought of the boy who helped her with her injured knee back at the summer camp, and how helpless she had been without him. She still remembered his name...Ash. Ash Ketchum. In fact, she still held onto the little handkerchief he had given her that day for her knee. She thought about how Ash was somewhere out there in one of the vast regions of the world, discovering countless new Pokemon and, she guessed, battling and training with them.

Serena began to realize that at some point she was going to have to leave her comfort zone to find what she truly wanted to do. She could see that her mother had a point, but she also couldn't help but feel that there was something more out there for her, something that wasn't battling or Rhyhorn racing.

She went upstairs to her room, showered, dressed herself and lay in bed. She held Ash's handkerchief in her hand, and her thoughts returned to that day at the camp.

"Here are your Pokemon. They're all back to full health!" Nurse Joy said cheerfully as she returned Ash and Clemont's Pokemon to them.

"Thanks, Nurse Joy!" Ash replied. Pikachu hopped onto its signature spot on Ash's shoulder, brimming with energy.

"Hey Ash, check out this new gadget I recently designed," Clemont said, pulling out a small, rectangular box with several small buttons of various colors out of his bag. Ash was immediately fascinated and marveled at the sight of Clemont's contraption, and the two started discussing science and how it has affected the Pokemon world.

Bonnie was not so enthralled by Clemont's projects, so she decided to take a walk around the building, because that's what small children do. She walked past two Pidgey who appeared to be having a wing-flapping contest, though what exactly determined the winner Bonnie did not know for sure.

She came across a children's play area, and though she usually considered herself too old and mature for such activities, one small table caught her eye. It was labeled, "Writing and Drawing Area". She looked around to make sure there weren't any little kids around, since she didn't want to be seen with them. Then she picked up a pencil and began writing a letter to her mother.

Dear Mommy,

It's been awhile since Iv wrote to you. How have you been? Well, just to let ya know, me and Clemont are doing really good. The Gym is still out of our control, but I know that my brother will be able to figyer it out, he is super smart! But you already know that, right? Oh, today we met an awsum trainer named Ash. He came to Kalos all the way from the Kanto region! He has a super cute Pikachu that I secretly hope he will trade to me one day, but I dowt it. They have a strong bond and are really good at battling together. One day I hope to be as smart as my brother and as strong as Ash.

Love,

Your daughter Bonnie

She found the Pokemon Center's mailbox and slipped her letter inside. She knew that no one would know where to mail it, since she left it unaddressed, but she liked doing it anyway. She continued walking around, and eventually came across a map of the Kalos region.

"Whoa," was her only word as she realized just how vast her homeland was. While Lumiose City was and always had been the largest establishment by a very large margin, Bonnie had not realized just how much more there was out there that she hadn't the faintest knowledge of. Her father sometimes told stories of when he traveled as a kid, but Bonnie suddenly felt the urge to explore for herself, to see the real world and experience life to the fullest.

She would've kept staring at the map on the wall had she not heard sobbing somewhere further down a hallway. She turned and approached one of the back rooms, where she found a small boy, who looked about ten years old, crying his eyes out on the floor in the corner.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Bonnie asked, a concerned frown on her face. She hated to see people cry, especially herself.

The boy shook his head and buried his face in his hands. "I don't want to talk about it...I'm a failure…" he mumbled, sniffling as he managed to slowly stop the flow of tears.

Bonnie gave him a sympathetic smile. "It's okay, you can tell me. My name's Bonnie, what's yours?"

The boy looked up and said, "I'm Anthony…"

Bonnie asked again, "What's wrong, Anthony?"

Anthony hesitated, then replied, "My Pokemon, my very first Pokemon, ran away from me." He immediately looked down, clearly ashamed.

This took Bonnie by surprise. She had heard before about cruel trainers abandoning their Pokemon, but rarely had she ever heard about or met anyone who had been abandoned by their own Pokemon. She felt sorry for the boy, as she knew what it was like to lose someone important to her.

"I'm so sorry, Anthony...do you want me to help you look for it?" Bonnie asked.

Before he could answer, Clemont's voice shouted, "Bonnie! Where are you?" This was followed by Ash's voice and Pikachu's cry.

Bonnie stood up. "Wait here," she said, running out of the room to get her older brother and new friend.

Anthony waited patiently, and soon enough Bonnie returned with Ash and Clemont. "Clemont, this boy lost his Pokemon, we have to help him!" she said, with that tone of voice that meant she wasn't going to take "no" for an answer.

But she didn't have to convince anyone. Ash was already asking Anthony questions about his Pokemon and how they could possibly try to find it.

"It's a Froakie," Anthony said, wiping a tear from his eye. "It's a small, blue frog with white, sticky bubble-like foam around its neck. It's one of the three starter Pokemon that Professor Sycamore gives you.

That caught Clemont's attention. "Of course, Professor Sycamore! We should go to his lab right away, I'm sure he'd be able to help us find Froakie."

Anthony paid for a taxi so that they could get to Sycamore's lab quicker. As soon as they arrived they rushed into the two front doors into a large room. There were two hallways on either side of the room, with a large staircase directly across from the doors. Next to the doors were two potted plants that looked somewhat like the tail of a Sceptile.

No one noticed a small figure dashing through the door just before it closed.

Ash immediately called out, "Professor Sycamore? Are you here?"

A woman in a white lab coat came down the stairs to greet them. "Hello, I am one of Professor Sycamore's assistants. Are you all new trainers?" she asked. "I'm afraid you're too late, all the Pokemon for today have already been chosen," she said.

Ash shook his head. "No, ma'am, none of us are here for a Pokemon. We need to speak to Professor Sycamore, this boy here Anthony lost his Froakie."

The woman did not look surprised, as if she had heard about this sort of thing before. "I see, that's unfortunate...I take it you received your Froakie yesterday, Anthony?" she asked.

Anthony nodded his head. "Then, this morning Froakie was gone," he said.

The professor's assistant sighed. "Yes, that is the troublesome Froakie...the one who has yet to deem a trainer worthy for it. I'm sorry, Anthony, I really am...we'll let you select another Pokemon tomorrow, if you'd like."

Ash frowned. "Hang on, so...we're not gonna even look for Froakie?" he asked.

The woman hesitated. "You see, this is not the first time this has happened...and lately the Professor and I have doubted that we will ever find a suitable trainer for this stubborn Froakie. It is definitely stronger than the others, and different in some way. But we can't keep having it leave its trainer...it will just keep ruining other children's first experiences with Pokemon, and stain the reputation of our lab. We may just let it roam free and do as it pleases. At least that way, it's not hurting the feelings of any novice trainers," she explained.

"Sophie? Who was at the door?" a man's voice called.

"Four children are here to see you, Professor," Sophie replied. "It's Froakie."

The Professor walked in, shaking his head. "Ah, I see. So it's done it again...no surprise there. We'll have another Pokemon ready for you tomorrow, my boy, if you're still interested."

Anthony looked down. "I-I guess so...except I really wanted to start today," he said, not in the way a spoiled child would say, but rather in a purely melancholy manner.

Ash asked again, "So...you're not even gonna look for Froakie?" he asked, slightly irritated.

The Professor looked around and spotted something behind one of the potted plants. "Well, my boy, it appears that Froakie has already returned to us," he said, smiling. "Come on out, Froakie, I can see you."

Everyone turned around to see a small, blue frog Pokemon slowly emerge from behind the plant. "Fro," it said. It seemed to be looking directly at Ash.

That's a cool Pokemon, Ash thought, feeling drawn to it for some reason.

"Froakie…" Anthony looked like he wanted to pick it up, but he already knew that Froakie did not want to be his Pokemon.

The Professor sighed. "Froakie, I'm very disappointed. You know you're not supposed to run away like that."

Froakie stubbornly turned away. "Fro, Froakie," it said.

At first Ash was angry that Froakie made Anthony feel so terribly, but he thought about Froakie's situation. It had no say in whether or not it was to be one of the starter Pokemon, no say in whether it was to be given away to a random stranger or not. He thought that, perhaps, people have forgotten to consider how the Pokemon feel about certain things.

"Well, Anthony, I'm afraid Froakie's made up its mind already," Sycamore said. "Come back tomorrow and we'll give you another Froakie."

Anthony sighed. "Okay…" he said, his shoulders slumped.

Ash remembered the day he rushed to Professor Oak's lab, only to find out that all the starter Pokemon had been taken for that day. He begged Professor Sycamore, "Please, Professor, isn't there any other Pokemon in this lab that you can give to Anthony?"

The Professor admired Ash's persistence and strong sense of compassion. He also noticed that Froakie had been constantly looking at Ash and Pikachu throughout the entire conversation. He said, "Well...I suppose we do have the Pokemon from Kanto...and although I typically do not give them out regularly, I can make an exception just this once."

Anthony's face lit up immediately. "Thank you, thank you, Professor!" he exclaimed.

Sycamore smiled and brought them to one of the rooms in the back, bringing out a case with three Pokeballs inside. "You can choose from Bulbasaur, Squirtle, and Charmander. Grass, Water, and Fire," he said, tapping the buttons on each Pokeball to reveal the Pokemon.

"Whoa, cool," Anthony said. He turned to Ash and asked, "Which one would you pick?"

Ash shrugged. "I was able to catch and train all three of them, and I love them all. I think, though, that Bulbasaur might be a good fit for you," he said.

"Alright, then I choose Bulbasaur!" Anthony said. He picked up the Seed Pokemon gently and smiled.

"Bulba, bulbasaur!" the Pokemon said cheerfully, and everyone knew right way that these two were going to be a great duo.

Anthony immediately turned back to Ash and said, "Now, Ash, I want my first battle with Bulbasaur to be with you!" He had a look of newfound determination on his face.

Ash smiled. "I'm always up for a battle, Anthony, but just warning you, I'm not gonna take it easy on you!"

Anthony nodded, smiling. Everyone went outside and the two trainers and Pokemon took their positions on the battlefield.

"Pikachu, let's-"

"Fro!" interrupted Froakie, who leaped onto the battlefield in front of Ash, facing Anthony and Bulbasaur.

The Professor chuckled. "It appears to me that Froakie would like to battle for you, Ash," he said. Froakie nodded in agreement, and Ash smiled.

"Alright, then Froakie, let's do it!" Ash cheered, his heart beginning to race with excitement in anticipation of a battle using a new Pokemon.

Clemont stood on the sideline towards the midpoint of the battlefield, raising his arm up high. "This will be a one-on-one match. Battle begin!"

Ash shouted, "You can have the first move, Anthony!"

Anthony nodded. "Thanks, Ash. Bulbasaur, use Tackle!" he commanded, and Bulbasaur charged straight towards Froakie, its entire body knocking into Froakie.

"Okay, Froakie, use Bubble!" Ash called out, and Froakie released dozens of large bubbles from its mouth. Bulbasaur took the full brunt of the attack, though its typing allowed it to resist it without taking too much damage.

"Good job, Bulbasaur! Now use Vine Whip!" Anthony shouted.

"Froakie, dodge and use Pound!" Ash commanded, relying on his guess that Froakie was probably faster than Bulbasaur.

He wasn't disappointed. Froakie hopped out of the way long before Bulbasaur's vines could reach it and used its fist to slam a punch into Bulbasaur's side, knocking it sideways. Before either trainer could give another command, Froakie pulled out two lumps of frubbles from its neck and threw them directly at Bulbasaurs' two left legs, sticking them to the ground. Bulbasaur was trapped on its side.

"Whoa," Ash said, amazed at how versatile Froakie had already proven to be. "Okay, then, Froakie, use Pound one more time!" he shouted.

Froakie did as commanded, slamming its fist into a helpless Bulbasaur hard enough to send it flying backwards. Bulbasaur managed to get up for a brief second, but then fell over on its side, knocked out.

Clemont raised his right arm, announcing, "Bulbasaur is no longer able to battle, which means Froakie is the winner! The victory goes to Ash!"

Ash smiled. "Way to go, Froakie! You're strong, all right. That was a good battle."

Anthony recalled Bulbasaur back into its Pokeball. "You did your best, Bulbasaur, and I'm proud of you. We'll win our next battle for sure," he said. Then he congratulated Ash and Froakie, marveling at Ash's battling prowess.

"You did well, Anthony, for a new trainer," Ash said, and the trainers shook hands. Anthony smiled and thanked Ash for everything.

"Thanks to you, Ash, I get to start my adventure today. Someday, we'll meet again, and I'll be a lot stronger! Then, we can battle again," Anthony said. Ash nodded, and replied, "You bet, Anthony. I'm lookin' forward to it!"

Ash, Clemont, and Bonnie all said goodbye to Anthony, who was now filled with enthusiasm for Pokemon and ready to embark on his new journey with Bulbasaur.

Professor Sycamore smiled. "Well, now that that's settled...it seems we have one more thing to discuss," he said, turning to the Bubble Frog Pokemon.

Ash understood what the professor meant. He looked at Froakie and smiled. "You and I had a great battle today, Froakie. I can see your strength, and I know that together you and I can have even better battles. Whaddaya say?" he asked.

Froakie didn't hesitate to answer, and Ash captured it in its Pokeball. Though they didn't know it yet, from that moment on they had started the making of an unbreakable bond capable of unimaginable power.