Brilliantly Chapter 1: Investigating, a pokémon fanfic

On the outskirts of Lumiose City, there laid a great expanse of desert known as the Lumiose Badlands, difficult to cross on foot for even the most seasoned of trainers. Thankfully for Clemont and Bonnie, going on foot wasn't in the cards. A high-speed train cut straight through the desert, and it was on that train that the two siblings found themselves today.

Clemont stared out onto the quiet, flat wasteland, nary a feature to be seen beyond the distant mesas, and the Kalos Power Plant standing between them. The gentle rumble of the train was soothing, like a calm white noise that helped his mind reflect. He had so many things to think about, and only now was he getting the chance to stop and dwell on them.

"Ash… Serena…" It had been less than a day since the group had parted ways in Shalour City, each of them taking this next stage in their journey on their own. Ash was off to the Johto Region, looking for that missing thing he needed to surpass Korrina. Serena, meanwhile, had rushed back to Santalune, eager to begin her own Gym Challenge.

Those two were so brave and so strong to be able to do something like this. It was only in the spur of the moment, when their confidence had infected him, that he could commit to doing the same. Now, he was on his way back to Lumiose, in order to train and hopefully become a Gym Leader that both of them deserved.

Clemont sighed, and hoped he could live up to that standard.

"Okay Dedenne, now spin!"

All at once, Clemont was ripped from his train of thought, as a rogue bolt of electricity flew past his face.

"Eh!?" It slammed into the window, sending sparks flying and him whipping around. "Bonnie!? What are you doing!?"

"I told you! I'm training Dedenne!" There, at the other side of their private coach, was Bonnie and her partner Dedenne. Her trusty Pokémon was hard at work, spinning in the very rough approximation of a circle, sweat pouring off him at a fairly comical rate. "Okay, you got the spin down, now Thundershock!"

"De-Dedenne!"

"Bonnie, wait—!" Clemont shot forward, just as a wave of sparks flew through the air, little order or structure guiding them. In an instant, he was hit and sent careening to the floor. By the time he landed, his hair had become a frizzled mess. "Euuuugh…"

"Clemont?! Oh no, Dedenne, stop!" Quickly realizing her mistake, Bonnie brought the attack to an end, before rushing to her brother's side. Thankfully, between his experience with electronics and Electric-Type Pokémon, a little Thundershock wasn't anything too hard on Clemont's system. After a moment, he sat straight up. "Are you okay!?"

"Yes, I'm—" He paused to shake his head clear and restore his hair. "—I'm fine. Just a little singed is all— You two need to be more careful with where and how you practice!"

"Sorry big brother…" Clemont had put on a firm tone with his chastising, and to it, Bonnie seemed to quickly become apologetic. Her head dipped down, dejected, as her partner did the same. Clemont could even see her lip begin to quiver.

Realizing the effect his tone was having, Clemont pivoted.

"It's good to see you trying so hard on this training, Bonnie," he said, putting a hand on her shoulder and a kind inflection to his tone. When his sister looked up, she found a smile waiting for her. "Why don't you tell me what you two are trying to do? Maybe your older brother can help you master it!"

"You mean it!" Bonnie lit up like a Christmas tree, jumping and skipping as she went to scoop Dedenne off the ground.

"Dedenn—?!"

"We're trying to do that cool move Ash did! Counter Spin! Or uh, umm—" Pressing Dedenne's cheeks against hers, Bonnie tried to recall. "Counter Shield!"

"R-right, Counter Shield." The strategy Ash had employed against Korrina in the days leading up to the storm incident— It was a spectacular technique, as ingenious as it was unorthodox. Clemont had never seen a move like it, which was why he was dreading his sister's insistence on it being the very first thing she taught Dedenne.

However, he'd already discouraged her once with his initial reaction. He wasn't about to do it again.

"Well! If you and Dedenne want to master a technique like that, you're going to need—!" All at once, the lights began to go out. It started with a flicker, and before long, they cut completely. The only light in the coach now was from the windows. "Huh?"

"What's happening!"

"Dedenne!?"

Seconds later, the train rumbled and kicked, shaking the two standing siblings until they caught their balance. It took a moment, but Clemont soon realized what was happening; the train was slowing to a stop.

"Something must be wrong," he asserted, pulling out a tablet and tapping away. Thankfully, he still had data. "Perhaps the engine is having problems, or an issue with the track has come up, or maybe—"

Clemont paused, as his screen was flooded with warnings, messages, and news articles, all saying the same thing— A power outage had struck all of western Kalos.

"...the power."

"The power? Well that's no big deal! If it's a power problem, you can just fix it, big brother!"

"I admire the vote of confidence, Bonnie, but I don't know how I could fix it from here," he confessed, stashing his tablet away to conserve energy. "We'd have to go straight to—"

Clemont paused mid-word, his eyes landing on a sight at the window. It stood far off in the distance, a sight that made him smile: the power plant.

"—The source."

"I still can't believe you made this place, Clemont!"

Compared to the cool, conditioned air of their train cart, a trek through the open desert was noticeably less pleasant. It was astoundingly hot— So hot, in fact, that Clemont was almost uncomfortable with dragging Bonnie along for the ride. Thankfully with the power of science, he had the two of them covered.

Clemont's Aipom arm was hard at work fanning the two siblings, while he kept the top of his jumpsuit wrapped securely around his waist. Proper air circulation was important after all. Now all they had to do was keep a steady pace on the way to the power plant.

"Heh, not exactly. I only wrote the code for most of it," he explained, glancing back towards the train before ahead at their destination. After a few moments of mental math, he determined their ETA— Just a few minutes. "I only got a chance to study room temperature superconductors in my junior year."

"Uh-huh. I guess that's why it's called the Kalos Power Plant. If you made it, you'd've named it something dumb."

"Au contraire! I had suggested a very respectful name," he shot back, putting a finger in the air and a smile on his face. "The Kalos Technology-Powering Production Facility of the Future!"

"Pfffft, you cannot be serious."

At Bonnie's doubt, Clemont had only one response: A grin and a glance, before he continued walking.

"…Oh my— You are serious. You're so lame, Clem—"

All at once, an explosion rang in the distance.

One of the power plant's towers burst into a cloud of sparks and smoke, filling the sky above the facility with dark smog. In an instant, it became clear that a benign technical issue this was not. Something severely wrong was happening.

"Huh?!" Clemont gaped.

What should he do? For a moment, Clemont considered grabbing Bonnie and running. This situation was obviously far more dangerous than he had thought, after all. Yet, then he remembered why he was here to begin with. This power plant provided energy for half of Kalos. People needed this power, needed him to—

Before Clemont could complete the thought, Bonnie bolted ahead, effectively making the decision for him.

"Bonnie!?"

The two raced up to the entrance of the power plant, crossing the metal bridge and arriving at a closed steel door. For a moment, it seemed like they'd have to find another way in, until the gate began to open.

The gate began to open, and a man stumbled out.

"Sir? Are you okay? What's— Ah!" Clemont couldn't finish the thought before the man convulsed and collapsed. Just as he did, Clemont spotted electricity arcing across his body.

"What's wrong with him!?" Bonnie cried.

"It's paralysis. A side effect of certain Electric-Type moves. Perhaps a Pokémon is at the center of this?" Clemont kneeled down at the man's side, and used his Aipom arm to straighten him. "Sir? Are you okay? Can you tell us what's happened?"

The man jittered, before nodding.

"P-Pokémon. Slipped— Access tunnels— Central energy storage—" He tried his best to explain, muttering through stutters and clacking teeth. "Si— phon—"

Before they could get another word out of him, the man froze. He had become fully paralyzed.

Clemont looked up, and saw shock in his sister's eyes.

"It's going to be okay, I promise. He'll just need some time to rest," he assured, lifting the man up with his Aipom arm, and carrying him to some shade. Despite his best attempt at a calm appearance, however, Bonnie didn't seem convinced.

"What are we going to do, Clemont?"

At that question, Clemont pulled on a smile, as he turned away from the man.

"Why, I'm a scientist, Bonnie. We're going to do as scientists do, and investigate."

A power outage and unexplained explosions weren't the only odd things happening at the power plant. As it happened, there was a bevy of Electric-Type Pokémon, all wandering around the outside of the facility in loose congregations. Clemont held his sister close as they approached an entrance to the inside.

"Nothing to worry about. It's only natural they'd be here, if the nature of the problem is electrical," he explained, tapping away at a keypad by a metal door. After a moment, the door slid open, providing a sliver of room they could pass through. "We'll just have to keep our distance."

Things were even weirder inside. Despite the Power Plant being a major infrastructure center for the whole region, the facility seemed oddly abandoned. No matter in which direction Clemont and Bonnie turned, they couldn't find a single worker in sight— just more Electric-Type Pokémon. Dozens of rogue Magnemites and Magnetons floated through the halls and rooms of the facility, as the lights above flickered with the nascent coming and going of electric fields.

Slipping past these Pokémon wouldn't be an option — the halls were too thin — and with how territorial the Magnemite line could get, merely pushing past them could lead to trouble. That left Clemont with Plan B.

"Bunnelby, Mud Shot."

"By— By!" With striking efficiency and good aim, Bunnelby easily dispatched Magnemite after Magnemite in quick succession, carving a steady path deeper into the facility. Occasionally, a more rowdy Magneton would stir up trouble, but it merely took some extra direction from Clemont to handle them too. They'd get through this place in no time.

"Wow, I never knew Bunnelby was so strong! He's beating those Pokémon like they're nothing!" Despite the unease that Clemont carried, Bonnie seemed right as rain. She walked in a loose circle around her brother, eyes wide as she watched his Pokémon at work. Charmed by her gushing praise, Bunnelby paused to shoot her a rather overblown flex of his ears. "Just you wait, Dedenne. One day, we'll getcha that strong too!"

"Dedenne! Den!"

With his source of praise gone, Bunnelby slumped and returned to work.

Clemont chuckled and ruffled his sister's hair.

"It's just a simple application of type matchups! These Magnemites are Electric and Steel-Types, which means they're doubly weak to Ground-Type moves, like Bunnelby's Mud Shot," he explained, pointing to how Bunnelby's mud instantly suppressed a Magnemite's electric charge. "That's the sort of thing you'll be learning first on your path to becoming a trainer."

Bonnie pouted, as she found her gushing subtly turned into a lesson.

"That's booooring though. I wanna practice something cool! Like Counter Shield!"

"Type matchups might not be 'cool', but they're foundational!" Clemont asserted, taking on a tone and smile that about matched an enthused science teacher. "Really, I like to think of them as cool in their own way."

Grumbling, Bonnie crossed her arms.

"What about Ash though? If types are so important, why can he ignore them?" The question surprised Clemont. Bonnie had picked up on Ash's apparent disregard for types? Granted, it wasn't exactly a secret— It just made this discussion, harder.

Clemont let out a sigh, which began frustrated and grew wistful.

"Ash is… special. He does things that blow my mind sometimes… all the time," he explained, his gaze falling to the ground as he spoke. Bonnie seemed to pick up on his change of tone as she stopped and listened in. "Honestly, I struggle to think of what I can teach him as a Gym Leader. The idea I could teach him anything feels absurd. He's just—"

"Bunnel!"

Before Clemont could ramble himself into a confession, Bunnelby caught his attention with a shout. They had reached a dead end— Or really, a locked gate.

"Huh?" Clemont blinked and approached, leaving Bonnie grumbling that her question never got an answer. "This isn't right. These doors should only close during emergency lockdown procedures— when something has gone wrong. Severely wrong."

His hand touched the seam in the metal, where the doors met. What's caused all this? Surely not some rogue Magnemites, right?

"What are we gonna do now? Is there another way in?" Bonnie asked.

Clemont thought it over for a moment, recalling his time here years ago. The answer quickly became no, that this was the only way through.

So, if no other ways were open, they'd just have to take the most direct path they could.

"I'm an engineer, Bonnie. I'm going to do as engineers do—" He turned and smiled "—I'm going to innovate."

"The future is now, thanks to science!"

Those were Clemont's favorite words— His motto, his ideology. Sure, not all problems could be solved by technology, but most of the important ones could.

Take this problem for example: a sealed emergency lockdown gate, designed to be strong enough to withstand a rampaging Rhyhorn. To most, this would be an impenetrable obstacle. With a bit of science however…

"Introducing the Apply-Leverage-To-Open-Stubborn-Doors-o-Matic!"

Clemont plopped his latest invention onto the ground— A messy, early prototype of a machine, with exposed gears and internals on full display. One side featured a metal crank, half as long as Clemont was tall, while the other had two sturdy jacks, inserted into the lip between the doors.

"Through some applied physics and the mechanical transfer of torque, we can turn an easy repetitive motion—" Clemont got onto his knees to demonstrate, as he began to turn the wide crank. "—into a much more impressive result!"

With four turns of the machine's crank, the jacks began to move, parting the door—!

…by a few millimeters.

"I could walk home before we're close to being done here." Bonnie, who wasn't that impressed on the best of days, was doubly unenthused today. Her brother's labored panting didn't help his case. "Walk home and back, actually."

"H-hey! Science and innovation is a process, and this is only the proto— Ahh!" Distracted by his sister's heckling, Clemont accidentally let the handle slip from his hand. The crank went spinning in the other direction, and in an instant, his progress was lost. Grumbling, he continued. "It's only a prototype. I'm just lacking the ratchet mechanism to complete it."

With a few more turns, Clemont returned to his previous position and continued on. Bonnie couldn't help but snort at that.

"Alright big brother, whatever you—"

Bonnie froze, as the ground shook.

It wasn't violent, or particularly sharp, so it couldn't be another explosion. Yet still, the ground shook. It took Clemont a moment to realize, before he too froze.

Those were footsteps.

The two siblings looked down the long hall they had just traversed, and found the source of their trembling in the distance: A tall, lumbering figure, cast in darkness.

"Clemooooont! What is that?!" Bonnie took a few apprehensive steps back, fear clear in her voice as she looked to her brother. Gritting his teeth, Clemont accelerated his turning.

"I don't know— B-But I think our investigation has attracted some unwanted a-attention!" he explained, trying his best to stay calm, both for his sister's sake, and his own. Grunting, Clemont paused to dig out two Poké balls from his pocket. "You two! We need your help!"

With a flash, two Pokémon appeared, the reserved Bunnelby, and his lackadaisical partner, Chespin.

"We need time to get through this gate. Please, try your best to delay whatever that is!" Clemont motioned into the distance, where their guest approached. With every step they took, the flickering lights above seemed to burn out completely. "Bunnelby, Dig underneath to grab their attention. Chespin, use your Pin Missile to attack them from afar!"

In an instant, Bunnelby saluted, ready to take on the important task. Chespin, in contrast, was far less disciplined, gaping at the terrifying presence and immediately turning the other way. It was only with a strong tug from Bunnelby that he could muster the courage to follow along.

The two ran up ahead, passing Bonnie as they went. A thought was working its way through her mind.

"Clemont, you gotta stay here to open the door. Maybe me and Dedenne can go and help—" Bonnie couldn't complete the thought.

"Absolutely not! We don't know what that thing is, and you're not a trainer yet, Bonnie!" Clemont belted out the response between each turn of the crank, forcing his trembling arms to keep moving as fast as they could. He would make it absolutely clear though: Bonnie would not be heading out to fight that thing.

Bonnie pouted, before she turned to watch the battle take place.

Chespin and Bunnelby charged the lumbering figure, before separating and splitting their attention. With a running start, Bunnelby burrowed straight into the ground, carving a path right past their foe. Chespin, meanwhile, took a strong stance and a deep breath, as he charged green energy into his quills.

"By-by! Bunnelby!" Taking the initiative, Bunnelby struck first. He popped out the ground, wailing into the beast with one hit, then two, tempting them to turn back. The moment they did though, Chespin struck.

"Pin!" Right on cue, a barrage of Pin Missiles rocketed into the figure's back, drawing an angry bellow as they faced forward once again. With the opportunity at hand, Bunnelby dove back into the ground.

"They can handle this, they can handle this." Clemont repeated the words over and over, as he doubled his efforts turning the crank of the machine. They just needed to hold on for a little while, until he opened the door wide enough.

Even as Clemont tried to focus, his eyes wandered to his Pokémon.

"By! By! Bunneeeeeelby!" Bunnelby popped out from the ground again and again, ramming into the dark figure from a new angle each time. Evasion was his best bet, knowing nothing else, and Dig was his best tool for the job.

"Chespin! Pin! Pin!" Chespin, meanwhile, barraged their foe endlessly, thankfully able to keep his distance and his head on straight.

With the two of them, maybe they could even beat this thing, Clemont hoped. Maybe—

"Electivire!" The great lumbering beast roared as bands of electricity arced across their body. In an instant, it became clear— This was an Electivire, and they'd been pushed too far. They crashed their hand through the ground, plucking Bunnelby mid-Dig and wrenching him into the air. "Vire!"

"B-Bun—!?" Before Bunnelby or Clemont could respond, the Electivire kicked him square in the chest, rocketing him into Chespin. The two crashed into one another and were sent flying.

"Oh no!" Clemont watched in horror as his two Pokémon landed in a heap at his side, unconscious. He was out of Pokémon. He needed to act—

"Vire!" The lumbering Electivire roared once more, snapping the two siblings to attention. The Pokemon was angry now, with an undeniable rage in their bellow and a piercing hatred in their eyes. The meaning of their cry was clear: Bonnie and Clemont were trespassing on their territory.

They approached.

"How much longer, Clemont!?" Bonnie paced in place, her gaze snapping between the oncoming Pokémon and her brother. Clemont had paused to recall his Pokémon before he returned to rapidly turning the crank. Despite his best efforts, however, he was only close to getting a gap big enough for her. She squeezed the satchel Dedenne sat in. "Big brother, if you need more time, me and Dedenne—"

"No! You can't battle that thing, Bonnie! They'll hurt you!" Clemont immediately shouted down her suggestion, barely able to sputter the words through the turning of the crank. His harsh dismissal, however, only seemed to ignite Bonnie's fervor.

"And if we don't stop them, they'll hurt both of us!" she shouted, furrowing her brows and stomping her feet. In time with her, Dedenne popped out of his bag and called out in agreement.

"De-Dedenne!"

"No, not you, only me." Forcing his aching muscles to continue, Clemont parted the gate a few centimeters more. It was nearly there! With a sudden burst of mental math, he determined his ETA. "I'll have just enough time to make an opening for you to slip out!"

Bonnie's eyes widened, as she realized Clemont's plan. Her face twisted, growing scared, before it hardened with furrowed brows. She turned from Clemont, and faced the oncoming Electivire.

"We gotta do something, Dedenne. Something… scary."

"Denne… Dedenne."

"Bonnie? Bonnie, what are you doing?" Snapping to attention, Clemont quickly realized something was going on. Other plans were being made. "Bonnie, don't you— Bonnie!?"

Clemont could only stare in horror, as his sister ignored his pleas and raced ahead.

Operation Kick Butt was now in motion. Objective A— Show 'em what we're made of.

Bonnie sprinted towards the Electivire, her heart racing as the beast locked eyes with her. They were big, very big, way bigger than she even thought. That didn't matter, though. It couldn't matter. She just had to keep them distracted for long enough.

"Okay, Dedenne! You can do this!" Coming to a skidding stop, Bonnie took aim, raising her trusty partner high above her head. Dedenne chittered a call of excitement, as he stared down their new opponent. He was so ready. "Go! Use Tackle!"

With a spinning start, Bonnie tossed Dedenne, launching him towards the Electivire. Impact came an instant later.

Caught off guard by the move, the lumbering Pokémon stood surprised as Dedenne slammed his head against theirs, sending them reeling back in sudden shock.

"Vire!?"

"Yes! Good job!" Objective A was complete! Now onto Objective B— Keep 'em on their toes! "Come on, Dedenne! Follow me!"

Bonnie sprinted to the side, Dedenne joining her as the two ran an orbit around their staggered, confused foe. Gotta stay out of reach, just like Ash and Pikachu do! The moment the Electivire turned to face them, Bonnie called out.

"Use Thundershock!"

"De-ne-ne!" The two skidded to a stop, before Dedenne charged and fired a spatter of electricity. That oughta—!

"Electi— Vire!" The Electivire's hand smacked away Dedenne's attack, then wrenched forward for its source. In the blink of an eye, they snatched Dedenne up! "Viiiiiiire!"

"Oh no!" Bonnie jumped back, panic flooding her veins. She watched Dedenne struggle against the iron grip of the Electivire, shouting what she could only imagine were the most extreme obscenities. She had to get him out of there! Sputtering, Bonnie called the first thing she could think of. "Dedenne, use Bite!"

"Dede—? Dedenne!" The command was confusing, but Dedenne wasn't one to argue. Throwing his head back, Dedenne rammed his sharp tooth right into the Electivire's thumb. "De-de— Ne!"

"Vire!?" Shocked by the sudden pain, the Electivire tossed Dedenne away, before stumbling back to nurse their hand. As much as they tried to hide it— That had hurt.

"I gotcha!" Bonnie leapt forward to catch Dedenne, a proud grin on her face as she held her partner against her chest. "There ya go, Dedenne! I knew you could do it!"

"De? Nenne! Ne!"

"What do you mean you don't know Bite? Everyone knows Bite, silly! It's how you eat—"

"Electivire!" The Electivire roared, interrupting their conversation with an angry, bellowing call. They had had enough. Electricity began to crackle and arc at their palms, spreading to their convulsing tendrils. With a fist wrenched to the sky, the lumbering Pokémon sent bolts of Thunder raining in on Bonnie and Dedenne.

"Whoa!" Bonnie leapt to the side, barely dodging the first blast, then the second. Try as she might though, many more were coming in. "Come on, Dedenne! They're not the only one who can do that! Use Thundersh— Ah!"

Bonnie yelped as a shot of lightning struck the ground near her feet, forcing her back.

"That meanie won't let us attack back! We gotta—" Bonnie flinched as more shots of lightning went wide, leaving black burn marks against the ground beside her. She squeezed Dedenne closer. "We gotta hit them back though! How can we—"

A thought came to Bonnie then, as she remembered something her brother said only days ago.

It's offensive and defensive, all-in-one!

"De-nenne?" Dedenne looked up at Bonnie, as a grin began to form on her face. She had an idea, and those always went well!

"Come on, Dedenne! We're gonna try it again!" With a hop, Bonnie deposited Dedenne onto the ground before standing tall. "We're going to use Counter Shield!"

"De? De-nenne!" Dedenne approved! Crackling with excitement, he stepped forward, even as bolts of Thunder flew overhead. He was ready.

"Do a spin!" At Bonnie's call, Dedenne broke into a rough approximation of a twirl, spinning and hopping in place. It almost looked like a breakdance, if a bit of a messy one. In any case, it would have to do! "Now, use Thundershock!"

"Dedenne! Nene—!" Bursting into light, Dedenne's body became awash with crackling electricity. He pulled it into his cheeks for just a moment, before letting loose. "Ne!"

Electricity went flying, spatters and bolts shooting off in random directions as he spun. At first it just looked like the Counter Shield hadn't formed, until Dedenne began to go faster.

"You can do it, Dedenne!"

"Nenne! Ne!" All at once, the crackling sputters of Thundershock began to solidify. Wild, random bolts coalesced into an aura of electricity that grew on Dedenne's body. Then, tendrils began to form.

"You're doing it, Dedenne!" It was working! Dedenne was using Counter Shield! The tendrils were short and shuddering, waving around his body without much direction or control, but it was still a Counter Shield! Now they just had to use it! "Alright, Dedenne! Go!"

"De! Dedenne!" Dedenne bounced ahead, whipping the short tendrils around as he approached his opponent. The Electivire was only a few paces away. He just needed to get close and—

The ground shook.

"Electivire!" Pounding their foot, the Electivire sent a rumbling shockwave through the floor.

In an instant, Dedenne's balance was broken. He tumbled, his attempt at a Counter Shield sputtering into nothing as he tried to resist the shaking. All he could was stare in shock as the Electivire approached.

"Dedenne! No!" Panic, panic, panic. Bonnie's heart leapt into her throat while panic flooded her veins. She had to move fast! "I gotcha!"

Bonnie rushed in and swiped Dedenne off the ground, just before the Electivire would've stomped her partner flat.

"Too close!" Turning, Bonnie tried to make a run for it, tried to get away. Yet, she wouldn't get far.

"Vire!" A bolt of Thunder crashed down in front of her, sending her tumbling back in shock. By the time she hit the ground, the Electivire was upon her.

"O-Oh, jeeze." Bonnie looked up at the Electivire, finding merciless, cold anger behind their eyes as they glared at her. She tried scooting back, tried getting away as she squeezed Dedenne into her chest, but it was too late.

The Electivire raised a foot, and Bonnie shut her eyes tight.

The stomp never came. One moment, Bonnie and Dedenne braced to be crushed, the next, Bonnie felt a pair of arms swipe her off the ground. By the time she blinked her eyes open, the Electivire was a dozen paces back, and she was being whisked away.

Clemont was carrying her.

"Big brother!? What're you—?" Bonnie's eyes flicked up ahead to the gate, open wide enough now for them to get through. The only thing keeping it from snapping shut now was Clemont's backpack, propping the two doors apart with the aid of the Aipom arm.

With a leap, Clemont flew through the gate, tumbling onto the other side with his sister in hand.

The last thing Bonnie saw before she hit the ground was her brother's backpack being crushed between the doors.

"Of all the dangerous, irresponsible, short-sighted stunts you could've pulled— That was possibly your most obscene!" Clemont's arms trembled, muscles aching with pain that begged him to let them rest. He would refuse, as he held his sister's shoulders tight. His breathing was hitched, the air barely making it into his lungs before he shouted it out again. "I can't protect you if you run head first into danger like that! I can barely help you, Bonnie!"

Even now, with the safety of the emergency gate between them and danger, Clemont's heart raced. Hot blood was rushing through his veins, leaving his skin tingling and his temperature soaring. He felt like they were still in danger, like at any moment he could lose his sister all over again. It's why his hands held onto her so tight now.

"Do you know what could've happened if I didn't make it to you in time!? If my bag couldn't hold the doors open long enough!?" He had to let her know. She had to know how important this was, how much he needed her to stay safe. "You could've d—!"

A pause came, as Clemont finally focused onto the look on his sister's face. His terror was settling, and so could he.

Disappointment. Beyond panic, or fear, the look on his sister's face was disappointment. Her lips trembled as she looked down at herself.

"I'm sorry, big brother… I'm sorry I couldn't do it…" Clenching her eyes shut, Bonnie tried and failed to hold back how she felt. "All I wanted to do was help…"

Clemont took a deep breath.

"Bonnie… I am so, so happy you're okay." Without another word, Clemont pulled Bonnie into a hug, and squeezed her as tight as his tired arms could manage. For just a moment, he didn't want to let her go. "You did good, so good. Thank you, for giving me the time I needed to get us both through."

"...Huh?" Bonnie seemed surprised by his shift, as she looked up at him. There was hesitation in her eyes, doubt lingering not in her brother, but in herself.

"I'm sorry the Counter Shield didn't end up working." A tense breath left Clemont's lungs as he pulled back, a hand lingering on his sister's shoulder while he looked at her. "I'm not sure what issue you're running into, but I'm certain with some practice, back at home, we can figure something out, yeah?"

"Yeah…" Bonnie glanced down at her lap, to where her satchel sat with her partner inside. Dedenne was carrying an expression matching hers. "I'm still sorry you had to come save me."

"I'm sorry I dragged you into a situation where we needed saving." There was a chuckle in Clemont's voice, one he couldn't believe he could have after all they'd been through. Yet, despite it all, he still found it in himself to stand up, and help pick his sister off her knees. "Come on. The central energy station should be… Huh."

Clemont looked up and paused, holding his silence even as Bonnie latched onto his hand and pulled herself up. When she turned, she paused at the same sight he did.

The hall ended mere meters past the gate, with a single— thankfully normal —door standing before them now. In big, bold lettering, a sign read out Central Energy Control Station.

"Well, what do you know?"

It was good fortune that the final door merely required a turn of the handle to open, and not another Clemontic Gear or spontaneous invention. With his bag out of commission, it'd be a good while before Clemont was inventing anything.

No matter. The real mystery for now wasn't how to open the door, but instead what was beyond said door.

Bonnie turned the handle until it clicked, Clemont watching over as she pushed the door open. When it swung wide, what the two found inside shocked them.

A long, dark room sat before them, filled to the brim with monitors and keyboards, computers and desks meant for at least a dozen operators. But a dozen workers there were not.

There was just one.

Sat in the center, with a single light illuminating him, was a man, furiously tapping away at a keyboard. When the door creaked, he snapped to attention. He stared Bonnie and Clemont down with intense, gray eyes.

Clemont drew a sharp breath, as a spark of electricity flashed from the man. He realized then— The man was paralyzed from the waist down.

"How the devil did you two get in here?"