Author's Note:

And here is chapter 1 of Bonnie's adventure. The prologue introduced us to some things going on elsewhere, but here, Bonnie's getting ready to become a Pokemon trainer! For those of you who read on Twitter, this is essentially the same thing I released there, as people seemed to really enjoy it. So, I thought, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Hope the rest of you enjoy it too!

Chapter 1: A New Generation

"Pikachu, let's wrap this up! Beat him back with Iron Tail, and then use Thunderbolt!"

"Pika!" the electric mouse on screen replied, leaping up high into the air, casting a shadow on the ground beneath him. The sun shining brightly above him seemed to blind his opponent, a strange looking Raichu that floated in midair, seemingly standing atop its tail as it looked up, squinting. "Chuuu PIKA!" Pikachu roared as he descended, extending his tail out and swinging the glowing white appendage downwards.

"Raiii!" the Raichu yelled in pain as it crashed into the ground, dust shooting up around it as it left a sizeable crater in the middle of the battlefield.

Pikachu, the determined little Mouse Pokemon, then straightened in midair, looking down with narrowed eyes, sensing his victory was imminent. His ears pricked up, and the screen shifted to his trainer, a raven-haired boy in a red hat with a circle, his blue and white striped shirt rippling in the wind generated by Pikachu's attack. "All right, Pikachu," he yelled, putting one foot forward and pointing straight ahead, "let it rip!"

"Piii kaaa chuuu!" Pikachu roared once more, electricity surging around his body as he appeared to curl up, shutting his eyes tight while he attempted to concentrate every bit of energy he had. The yellow lightning then burst forth, launching down towards the panting Raichu, struggling to rise from the previous attack, but unable to, losing the will to continue as it watched the Thunderbolt approach. The attack then exploded against it, another cloud of dust and smoke expanding outward.

As Pikachu landed, lowering his body and preparing to move again just in case his opponent was able to continue, the crowd in the arena held their breath. No one said a word. The announcer, the crowd and the trainers were all silent. Then, as the cloud of dust settled, and the still form of Raichu was revealed, the referee finally stepped forward.

"Raichu is unable to battle, and thus, Hau has lost all six of his Pokemon. This means the winner of the battle is Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town!"

"What a battle!" the announcer almost screamed. "In a back and forth affair, the young star trainer from Pallet Town has managed to defeat Hau and move on to the finals! What a match it will be between Ash and fellow finalist Gladion to decide the winner of the first ever Alola League!"

The camera then shifted to a group in the stands, where a blonde girl in a white dress and hat sat next to the other finalist, also blond, with his bangs over his face, wearing a grey and black hooded shirt. They both looked a little uncomfortable to be on TV, but the girl gave a small smile and lightly nudged the boy next to her, who the announcer had mentioned earlier was her brother. A moment later, a much peppier looking girl with long green hair in two long pigtails, wearing greyish teal overalls overtop a pink shirt, poked her head down between the two siblings from her seat behind them, smiling and waving at the camera, before being pulled back by a dark-skinned shirtless boy.

The commentator then took over, beginning his recap of the match, raving about Pikachu's performance, which not only involved the final victory, but also tying the match after Ash lost his first two Pokemon early. The camera shifted to the victorious trainer and his partner Pokemon, the former holding the latter in his arms. It was a sight that could inspire anyone who wanted to go down the path of becoming a Pokemon trainer. After working so hard for so long, these two were another step closer to achieving their dream together.

And it brought a smile to the face of one of their old friends, an admirer of theirs, and aspiring young trainer herself. Well, soon to be trainer. She'd watched every single battle of Alola's first ever Pokemon League, eager to see her friend and idol in action. The further he'd advanced, the more excited the girl became. Not even her brother or father were as excited as she was. Her excitement was only rivalled by her best friend and future partner on her own Pokemon journey, Dedenne, who couldn't get enough of Pikachu's impressive battling.

Suddenly, the TV shut off, just as Ash was shaking hands with his opponent, a boy with green hair and a giant smile despite his loss. The girl watching whipped around in her seat, furious with whoever had turned the TV off. She'd been hoping to watch the highlights, which were shown after every match, along with a discussion by Alola's two famous researchers, Professor Samson Oak, and Professor Kukui. They'd even announced a guest appearance by the Champion of the Hoenn region, Steven, who was supposedly on business in Alola.

"Daddy! I was watching that!" the girl complained, seeing her father standing behind her, giving her a pointed look, showing he wasn't backing down. He took a deep breath and placed the TV remote on a shelf behind him, putting it next to a picture of Bonnie and her Dedenne, with her brother, Clemont, along with their friends Ash, Pikachu, Serena and Korrina, which was taken when the five of them were in Geosenge Town, looking for a Mega Stone for Korrina's Lucario, also present in the photo.

"It's late, Bonnie, look at the time," her father, Meyer, said sternly, a small smile coming to his face. His shoulders were slumped, and he reached up, running his hands through his brown beard, before removing his green cap and yawning. He'd been working a lot lately with Professor Sycamore, the leading Pokemon researcher in Kalos, despite being busy already with his job as a mechanic. His visible exhaustion made Bonnie feel a little guilty, as she knew he was working extra hours to get some time off for her birthday celebration, which was the next day.

This thought made Bonnie sigh in resignation. She looked over to the spot beside her on the couch, seeing Dedenne having fallen asleep. He'd at least been awake during the battle, but he seemed to have taken the TV shutting off as the sign for him to go to bed. "Fine," Bonnie muttered after a moment of silence, "I guess I can watch more tomorrow. It'll be my birthday, so I can do whatever I want."

Meyer laughed at that, taking a step forward and ruffling Bonnie's hair with his heavy hand. It was longer than when she'd travelled with her friends through Kalos, now reaching down to her shoulders, carefully brushed, the way Serena had shown her when she'd decided to grow it. So, naturally, having her father's not necessarily clean hand messing it up didn't exactly make her very happy.

"Daddy! Stop!" she yelled, standing up from the couch and quickly trying to straighten her hair out, without really looking. "You've messed it all up."

Meyer laughed again, putting his keys in a little tray next to the picture he'd placed the TV remote next to. "You'll have to deal with a lot worse than that when you're out on your journey. And this time, Serena won't be there to keep everything clean for you."

Bonnie narrowed her eyes at that, but couldn't help a small smile coming to her face. It was a wonder that her friends had been able to put up with her. Although, Ash did have his wild moments. Bonnie sometimes wondered if he was just eternally ten, never aging and always running around with his Pokemon. She liked that about him, though, and hoped that one day, she'd be able to be just as skilled a trainer, while having just as much fun.

"I'm gonna be fine," Bonnie assured her father, holding up a clenched fist, just like she'd seen Ash do so many times to show his confidence. "I'll be a Pokemon Master and I'll catch a bunch of cute and powerful Pokemon. We'll travel everywhere together and I'll look after all of them, as well as myself."

Meyer smiled at his daughter's proclamation, eyes shining with pride, and perhaps...a little sadness. "You'll be a great Pokemon trainer, I'm sure of it, Bonnie." He then looked at his watch, raising an eyebrow, before looking back at Bonnie. "However, young lady, tonight you're still under my roof. That means you need to get yourself to bed. You may think you get to do whatever you want tomorrow, but there's still plenty to do. I'll be heading out early to pick something up for Professor Sycamore, and he and Clemont will be dealing with that wild Rotom that's gotten into Prism Tower so that we can set up a proper party for you. You should be getting things prepared for your journey so you won't be flustered on your first day."

Bonnie sighed, giving one last longing look at the TV, before scooping up Dedenne in her arms. "I'll be ready for anything! Remember, I've already done this before."

Meyer smiled, stepping aside as Bonnie moved past him, Dedenne snoring softly. "It's very different starting a journey on your own. Maybe you can get some advice from Serena when she gets here tomorrow. It sounds like she had quite the adventure in Hoenn."

Bonnie quickly stopped, turning around excitedly. She'd nearly forgotten that Serena would be arriving the next day, with all that had been going on with the preparations for starting her journey. "Did she call? When is she coming? Did she catch lots of cute Pokemon?"

Meyer held his hands up in mock surrender, chuckling at his daughter's excitement. "One question at a time, Bonnie," he said, shaking his head in amusement. "She gave Clemont a quick call earlier to let him know she was arriving tomorrow morning. Grace has offered to bring you along to get her at the airport, so if you've got most of your things ready, you should go. It'll give you something else to do until your party is ready."

Bonnie was satisfied with that suggestion, and nodded, setting off once again for bed. Once she'd gone to the washroom, brushed her teeth and gotten changed, she quickly made her way to her room to get a few more things in order before going to sleep. She didn't have too much, but she was overall satisfied with it all. Besides, if she didn't have enough, there would be plenty of things throughout the cities she travelled to. Although, knowing her brother and father, they'd want her a little more prepared than that, but it wasn't like she was new to travelling. She and Dedenne would be fine.

So, she spent a few more minutes getting some of her things ready. She had a small backpack, various potions and antidotes, a few berries and even some pokeballs that Clemont had picked up for her. Bonnie felt a rush of excitement in seeing it all laid out on her bed. It was finally happening! After her declaration to Clemont, Ash and Serena so long ago that she would eventually beat them all, her journey to reach that goal was finally about to get started.

As she lay in bed that night, struggling to sleep, Bonnie watched the little clock on her bedside table. It ticked away in rhythm with Dedenne's snores, and as it neared the stroke of midnight, she grew even more excited. It wasn't a dream. She was about to turn ten. She was close...so close to becoming a Pokemon trainer. Just like Clemont, her big brother the powerful Lumiose Gym Leader. Just like Serena, her sister-friend and future Kalos Queen. And just like Ash, her confident and determined friend and idol who was soon to be Champion of the Alola League if all went well.

She never actually managed to stay up until midnight, as her mind drifted to all the possible adventures she would have, those thoughts eventually shifting to the dream world. She saw herself battling Clemont for the Lumiose gym badge, Dedenne and Bunnelby clashing in the centre of the battlefield. Then it was her and Serena on stage together, Dedenne and Braixen creating dazzling displays as the audience cheered. And finally, it was her against Ash in a crowded stadium, the crowd somehow louder than the one during his match with Alain. Pikachu and Dedenne stared each other down, ready to begin their ultimate battle, while Ash and Bonnie looked at one another as equals.

When Bonnie finally opened her eyes the next morning, seeing Dedenne's smiling face right in front of her, she was tempted to yell out her excitement to the world. She managed to control herself a little bit...but not too much. She plucked Dedenne off her chest, laughing giddily, and jumped off her bed, holding up her best friend and now lifelong partner. "Dedenne!" she shouted, needing to hear herself clearly to know it was true. "I'm a Pokemon trainer!"

"Nenenene!" Dedenne cried out in joy, not bothered in the slightest as the two spun around in Bonnie's bedroom. He was just as excited. As much as it was the beginning of Bonnie's adventure as a Pokemon trainer, it was the beginning of his adventure as well, to be a powerful Pokemon that could one day compete with the likes of Pikachu, or Greninja.

Their little dance through the room continued for about another minute, by which time, both Bonnie and Dedenne were beginning to feel a bit dizzy as the former collapsed on her bed, Dedenne hopping out of her hands to stand by her head. Bonnie took a few moments to catch her breath, which was a little difficult as she could barely control her laughs of merriment. Finally, though, she stopped, breathing heavily as she looked up at the ceiling, embracing her new reality. Today was the day she officially became a Pokemon trainer.

She lay there another couple of minutes, before finally deciding to get up, ready to start her day. She quickly went to the washroom and washed her face, before returning to her room to set a few of her things aside for later that night Then she headed to the kitchen, quickly spotting a note on the kitchen table from her father, along with two birthday cupcakes he must've gotten for her and Dedenne. As Dedenne started eating his, clearly very excited upon seeing it, Bonnie read the note, smiling as she held it up.

Bonnie,

Happy birthday! I'm sorry I couldn't wait for you to wake up, but I'm making sure that you'll have the best party possible tonight, so hopefully you can forgive me.

I left two cupcakes for you and Dedenne, but make sure to have something a little more substantial for breakfast. Remember, you'll need to eat right when you're on your journey. You and your Pokemon.

Make sure you don't bother Clemont and Professor Sycamore at the gym. I want everything to be a surprise for you. Maybe you and Serena can spend some time around the city. Grace should be there to pick you up at 10:00, and then you two will be heading over to the airport.

Once again, Happy birthday!

Dad

When she finished reading the letter, Bonnie folded it up and put it in her pocket before taking her cupcake off the table and sitting down to eat. As she took her first bite, she looked up at the clock and realized it was actually fairly close to the time when her dad had said Grace would be showing up. The thought gave her another rush of excitement. She couldn't wait to see Serena again! It would be so cool to hear about all her adventures in the Hoenn region, and find out what contests were like. Bonnie had watched Serena on TV when she'd been competing in the Grand Festival, but hearing about it all from her would be even more interesting.

Once Bonnie and Dedenne had finished eating, conveniently forgetting Meyer's request to eat more than the cupcakes, they headed back to Bonnie's room. She got out her clothes for the day, silently muttering to herself about not having found any good travelling clothes to wear once her journey started. She supposed she'd just have to make do with what she had, though, unless she found something while she was out with Serena today. She essentially just had the same clothes she wore when travelling with Ash, Clemont and Serena, these being a short-sleeved brown top with a black bow and knee-length black leggings covered by a puffy white skirt. She finished off by grabbing her pink shoes and then she and Dedenne headed to the living room to wait for Grace.

For a few minutes while they waited, Bonnie and Dedenne flipped on the TV, hoping to catch some news about Ash and the Alola League, but unfortunately there wasn't too much going on, and there was just some boring news story about a group of thieves in Hoenn. Bonnie just decided to turn off the TV and wait quietly with Dedenne, the only events in Hoenn that interested her being the ones that involved Serena, which the older girl would surely be describing soon enough. Fortunately, it wasn't too long of a wait for Bonnie, and within a few more minutes, the doorbell rang, and she and Dedenne rushed to the door to find Grace standing there, a little gift bag in her hand.

"Hi there, Bonnie!" Serena's mother greeted, kneeling down to give her a quick hug, before handing her the little bag. "Happy birthday! Here's a little something from me. Hope you like it."

"Denenene!" Dedenne shouted out, just before Bonnie spoke up.

"Hi Grace! And thank you!" Bonnie said excitedly, stepping outside and locking the door before the two of them headed to the car. Once inside, as Grace started the engine, Bonnie started opening up her gift, having no idea what Grace might've decided to get her. When she opened it up, though, she was pleasantly surprised, along with Dedenne, who scurried up on her shoulder and stared closely as Bonnie held it up.

"That's a PokeNav," Grace explained, looking over briefly after backing out of the driveway and setting off for the airport. "Serena mentioned she had picked one up in the Hoenn region to replace her tablet, so I thought it sounded useful for someone going on a journey for the first time and I ordered one for you. It should even be able to connect to your PokeDex once you get one."

Bonnie examined the little device more closely. It was yellow, and shaped somewhat like a little egg with a blue button in the middle. When she pushed it, the top part slid up, revealing a small screen that lit up with a map, which seemingly recognized she was in Lumiose City, showing the streets in the surrounding area. It even seemed to recognize Dedenne's presence, indicating that a Pokemon was nearby, and showing a little outline of Dedenne. It was a fascinating device, that she was sure Clemont would find interesting once she showed him. However, one little thing bothered her.

"Um...thank you so much, Grace. This is really cool...but..." She couldn't really find the words to say what she wanted to, but Grace seemed to know what was up right away.

"Bonnie, this is one of the most important days in your life, and with how close you and Serena are, you're like family to me. I just want to know that you'll be able to use it, and that's all the thanks I need. Use it to become a great Pokemon trainer, okay?" They came to a traffic light, and Grace looked over to Bonnie and Dedenne, giving them a quick smile. "And remember, Serena didn't start her journey right away, so I need to spoil someone when they turn ten."

Bonnie laughed at that, quickly leaning over to give Grace another hug, before returning to her examination of the PokeNav for the rest of the trip to the airport. She had no doubt that this would be useful in her journey. As they navigated through the streets, she watched as all the little outlines of the different Pokemon came up, excited by the thought of being able to find various Pokemon she would want to catch when on her journey. There was one thing that she noticed, though, as she spotted a Furfrou close by. While it was interesting to see all of these Pokemon show up on the PokeNav...they were all familiar to her. She knew all of them.

It wasn't too long before Grace finally pulled up at the airport, parking quickly before she, Bonnie and Dedenne made their way inside, heading to where the passengers from the flight from Hoenn would be arriving. When they found the waiting area, Bonnie couldn't help but stare at the various people and Pokemon coming and going, even spotting some unfamiliar Pokemon who must've been showing up from other regions with their trainers. It made her excited, knowing that the world was so much bigger than just Kalos, something she'd understood before, obviously having heard some of Ash's stories, but had never really thought of from the perspective of being a trainer, which she was now.

She was about to bring this up to Grace, looking up at the woman and opening her mouth to speak, until she noticed the Rhyhorn racer's eyes lighting up as she looked ahead. Bonnie followed her gaze, pushing her other thoughts aside as she realized what, or rather who, Grace was looking at. And when Bonnie looked up to see the girl approaching them, appropriately enough descending from an escalator, a thought that made Bonnie smirk, she couldn't help but run forward with Dedenne, nearly crashing into someone as she ran, but managing to slide out of the way.

"Serena!"

As soon as Serena reached the bottom of the escalator and had taken two steps forward, Bonnie was there, wrapping her arms around the older girl. Serena seemed to have expected it, giggling as she hugged Bonnie back. Neither of them could really find any words in that moment, and when they stepped back from one another and looked at each other, they just smiled, simply happy to see each other again after so long.

Grace arrived shortly after, moving forward to hug her daughter as well, before stepping back and taking in the sight of her. "Serena," she said, smiling as said girl straightened up, looking just as confident as that day she'd left, her declaration to Ash and the others still clear in Bonnie's mind. No, Bonnie thought, she looks even more confident. She's keeping her promise to Palermo...and Ash. "You look well," Grace finally added, stating the obvious.

"Thanks, mom," Serena answered, sighing in contentment as she looked around them, looking glad to be home, despite clearly having had a great time in Hoenn. "It's good to be back." She finally looked to Bonnie again, smiling widely as her eyes flitted to Dedenne as well. "Happy birthday, Bonnie! And congratulations!"

"Thanks, Serena!" Bonnie said gratefully. "I can't wait to be as awesome as you, Ash and Clemont. You were amazing in the Grand Festival by the way. Sorry you didn't win."

Serena shrugged at that, smiling at her mom, before stepping forward and gesturing for the three of them to start walking. "It's okay," she said, reaching over and stroking Dedenne behind his little ears, which he seemed to enjoy. "I learned a lot that will help me in my performances. And I even caught a couple more Pokemon that have helped me out so much!"

Bonnie had seen Serena's new Pokemon in the Grand Festival, but she would wait till later for Serena to show them to her, knowing the crowded airport wasn't the place to bring them out. She just listened to some of Serena's stories as their little group made their way back to Grace's car. Bonnie could tell it had been a great experience for Serena. She'd clearly fallen in love with Hoenn, describing all of the cities, people and Pokemon in great detail. She'd apparently even met one of Ash's old friends, a girl named May, a Coordinator who apparently had a brother a couple years older than Bonnie, who was getting set to challenge the Hoenn League after training with his father for a couple of years at his gym.

When they finally got into Grace's car, Serena and Bonnie sitting in the back so they could more easily talk, Grace offered to take them to a mall so they could spend the day together while she ran a few errands before Bonnie's party. They were definitely agreeable to that, and they set off once more, Serena telling a few more stories as they drove. She was just in the middle of describing how her Braixen had managed to help her win her first Contest ribbon when they pulled up at the mall.

The two girls quickly said goodbye, thanking Grace for the ride and arranging to meet her later that afternoon, and then they headed off inside. They decided to head over to a little cafe that had a patio just outside the mall where a few people had their Pokemon out, including someone who thought it was a good idea to have brought a Munchlax, who was trying to grab food from nearby tables. It wasn't really that much of an issue for Bonnie and Serena, though, so they found a spot near the corner and sat down, just ordering a couple of drinks.

When Serena had wrapped up her story about her first Contest ribbon, Bonnie leaned forward excitedly, ready to finally see what else Serena had brought over from Hoenn, besides her ribbons. "Serena, can I please please please see your new Pokemon?!" she couldn't help but ask, feeling a little childish as she did so, wondering if Serena would think she was just the same little kid from their journey together.

Serena just laughed, though, pulling out two pokeballs and smiling as she held them up. "Sure thing, Bonnie. Say hello to Absol and Swablu!" The two pokeballs flashed open, revealing two Pokemon who stood next to Serena, looking up curiously at Bonnie. One was a white-furred mammalian Pokemon with four legs and dark face, with a black horn. Bonnie recognized it as an Absol immediately, remembering having seen the one that could mega evolve that belonged to that girl Astrid, who had battled Ash a couple of times, including once in the Kalos League. The other was a little less familiar, although Bonnie thought it looked similar to the Altaria that had been easily defeated by Greninja at the Kalos League. It was a little, blue, bird-like Pokemon, with fluffy, cloud-like wings. "Absol and Swablue, say hello to my good friend, Bonnie."

"Sol," Absol greeted first, nodding in Bonnie's direction, while Swablu flapped its wings and hovered closer to her, nuzzling her face in its own greeting.

Bonnie giggled, immediately taking a liking to the two of them. "They're both so cute!" Bonnie finally said, as Swablu finally went back over to rest atop Absol's back. Serena smiled at her two Pokemon before recalling them back to their pokeballs.

"They sure were helpful during my time in Hoenn," Serena laughed out, looking up, eyes shining with some memory playing before her.

Bonnie frowned, again noticing how much stronger and more confident Serena seemed to be. She wasn't done with her journey, Bonnie had no doubt about that, but her journey to Hoenn had pushed her forward so much. Seeing so many new people and Pokemon, and experiencing an entirely new region...something about it seemed so enticing. She again glanced down at her new PokeNav as a waitress arrived, bringing their drinks.

They sat in silence for a couple of minutes, Serena seemingly noticing that something was on Bonnie's mind, but waiting for her to say something, rather than pushing the issue. Then, finally, Bonnie spoke up. "Serena, what did you like about Hoenn? I mean...why was it so interesting for you, other than the Pokemon contests, or even the new Pokemon?"

Serena raised her eyebrows, looking a little surprised by the question, but she seemed to give it some thought, pausing as she took a drink. Finally, she answered, looking over at the PokeNav that Bonnie had in front of her, and smiling. "When I started my journey here in Kalos, with you, Ash and Clemont, I didn't really know what I was going to do. I just...wanted to get out of Vaniville Town, away from Rhyhorn racing. And then, seeing Ash, and meeting you and Clemont, it was all a big change for me. But even at the end of our journey together, I knew how much I needed to grow, not only as a trainer, and a Performer, but as a person. I needed new experiences to grow. Even though it was a bit scary, it was important to see just what I could take from my experiences with all of you, and put them to the test in a new place. Hoenn just gave me a new perspective on everything, which is probably why Palermo recommended it to me. Even though I'd already experienced so much, it was almost like I was starting my journey for the first time, because there was so much more out there. There still is so much more out there."

Bonnie listened carefully as Serena said all of this. She focused on every word. Why she wanted these answers, she wasn't exactly sure, but what she did know, was that there was a big world out there. She thought of Ash, of all of his stories about Kanto, the Orange Islands, Hoenn, Sinnoh and Unova. Even after coming here to Kalos, he'd set off once again to a new region in Alola. And now Serena was having these new experiences as well. There was so much to this world, so many new things to explore, so many people and Pokemon to meet. She knew Kalos was beautiful, and one day, Bonnie wanted to explore it again, knowing that there was so much more to it. But maybe...maybe she needed a new start as well.

Author's Note:

This was originally going to be just one chapter with what is now the second chapter, but the next part ended up being quite long, so I thought it worked out as its own chapter. That'll be coming out on Wednesday, so hopefully you enjoy it when it comes out. See you then, and let me know what you think of "Generation Z" so far.