Author's Note:

Here we are with chapter 3. This one has a lot, and hopefully it doesn't seem too rushed in terms of all that's in it, but I don't want to make this a 300 chapter story. Hope you enjoy!

Chapter 3: The First Rival

When Bonnie's party had finally finished, she, Clemont and Meyer returned home, Serena and Grace joining them for the night. Apparently both of them had known that Meyer had planned to give Bonnie a ticket to Hoenn, and were planning on being there to say goodbye at the airport. It made Bonnie realize that Serena was probably a little better at keeping a secret than she'd originally thought. Of course, when they'd all gathered around the TV later that night to watch Ash's Alola League final match, she was clearly ecstatic to see their friend battling it out onscreen. She wasn't the only one, though.

In the back of her mind that day, Bonnie had been a little upset that Ash couldn't be there for her party, having wanted some kind of advice from him before she would set off on her journey. However, seeing him battling it out, desperately trying to achieve his dream, it was almost more inspiring. She was sure he would've come if he'd been able to, but this battle was extremely important for him, and his Pokemon. It was evident with every attack he called, and every execution of those orders by his Pokemon.

"By my calculations, Pokemon trainer Ash Ketchum has a sixty-two percent chance of winning this match!" Rotom called out excitedly, as Ash managed to defeat his opponent, Gladion, in the fifth battle of the match. His Lycanroc, an orange, dog-like Pokemon with white fur extending out like a mane, had managed to earn a dominating victory over Gladion's own Lycanroc, which was apparently some other form, looking feral, with red eyes and red fur. The match put Ash in the lead, with only two of his Pokemon unable to battle, while Gladion was down three.

"Ash looks like he's doing really well," Serena commented, clutching the blue ribbon Ash had given her back when they'd been in Coumarine City. "I really hope he wins."

"Maybe you can congratulate him next time you see him on an escalator," Bonnie said, smirking at her friend as she turned bright red.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Grace asked in confusion, looking between the two, clearly not understanding.

"Bonnie!" Serena hissed.

They watched the rest of the battle without any more taunts, and as it drew to a close, Ash and Gladion both came down to their last Pokemon, with Ash's Lycanroc falling to Gladion's Silvally, a strange looking four-legged Pokemon with silver fur on its head and front, but somewhat scaly on its back. From what the commentators were saying, it was a one of a kind Pokemon. Bonnie just hoped it wouldn't be able to beat Pikachu, who was Ash's last hope.

"De nenene," Dedenne whispered, as Pikachu leaped forward in front of Ash, ready to fight another all or nothing battle. Bonnie knew Dedenne would be watching closely, just as she would. Both of them wanted to learn as much as they could. Tomorrow, they would begin their own journey to get to where these two were right now.

Of course, the final battle didn't disappoint. Ash and Pikachu knew each other too well to let this strange other Pokemon be an unbeatable threat. They used speed and quick thinking to give themselves the best chance they could, with Pikachu instantly giving them the edge with a couple of well timed Quick Attack and Thunderbolt strikes. Silvally and Gladion were definitely tough, though, using their brute strength to even the score a little, with Pikachu getting thrown back by a brutal Crush Claw attack.

As the battle raged on, Bonnie grew more and more excited, Dedenne, and even Rotom, joining in as she cheered Ash on. With each attack, she almost felt more and more pulled in, like it was her battling. One moment, it was Pikachu hitting Silvally with a Quick Attack and a Thunderbolt, but in the next, it was almost like seeing Dedenne, sliding back from a Crush Claw and leaping up to deliver another bolt of lightning. And as Ash called his attacks, Bonnie saw herself standing there, hearing the crowd cheer her on as she urged her Pokemon on.

Finally, the match seemed to be arriving at its conclusion, as both Ash and Gladion started to do strange "dances" as they moved their bodies and crossed their arms in strange ways. Their Pokemon each stood straight in front of them, and Bonnie could see Pikachu almost mimicking Ash's movements as the strange bracelet around the raven-haired trainer's wrist started glowing, while a bright aura shone around Pikachu. Suddenly, Pikachu leaped forward, his cheeks seemingly exploding with electricity as Silvally charged with his own "special" attack, which Bonnie remembered were called, "Z-Moves" from watching earlier matches in the league.

There was a massive explosion that ripped through the stadium, and Bonnie and the others seemed to have no idea what was happening, the screen blacking out for a second, before returning just to see the smoke over the battlefield. However, a few moments later, as the dust began to settle, Bonnie's heart began to race, feeling Serena's hand suddenly grip her shoulder.

"Silvally is DOWN! After an explosive clash of two of the most powerful Z-Moves I've ever seen, Pikachu has emerged victorious!" The referee made it official, declaring Gladion's Silvally unable to battle as the crowd roared in approval. "The winner of the Alola League is ASH KETCHUM!"

"He did it!" Clemont suddenly yelled, jumping up excitedly, surprising everyone in the room with his sudden display of emotion. It looked like he had tears in his eyes. "Ash won! He won!"

"NENENE!" Dedenne joined in, jumping up in down as the screen showed Ash and Pikachu at the centre of the field, Ash hugging his long-time partner, the two of them looking like they could barely believe their victory.

Bonnie glanced over at Serena, seeing the Performer clutching her ribbon once more, just smiling as she watched the screen. "Do you think he knows we were watching?" Bonnie asked her, feeling somewhat lightheaded after what she'd just witnessed. It felt like a little bit of added pressure for her, but nonetheless, the sight of Ash and Pikachu together inspired her more than anything else. One day, that would be her and Dedenne.

"I think so," Serena whispered, looking back at Bonnie. She looked almost like she'd been battling herself, relief and exhaustion in her eyes. Of course, Bonnie knew she probably looked the same way. "Ash knows that all of his friends are supporting him, no matter what. And Bonnie, I'm sure he's supporting you as well. He would've been here if he could've been."

Bonnie nodded at that, smiling as she watched the TV again. Ash had called out all of the Pokemon he'd used in the battle, jumping back as they all jumped on top of him, their exhaustion forgotten in the excitement of the moment. It made Bonnie think of her wish that she'd made. That had always been Ash's first priority as well, and really, he never would've gotten so far without doing so. All of his Pokemon were his friends, and they gave it their all in battle because he believed in them, and they believed in him.

She couldn't wait to experience that herself.

The next morning, things moved very quickly. If Bonnie was completely honest, it was a bit much for her, and she was starting to get quite nervous, despite how excited she was. She woke up early, making sure not to disturb Dedenne, Rotom (who had a bunch of Z's on his screen) and Serena, who was sleeping in her room, as she started to gather her things. With Clemont's backpack, it made things much easier to organize, as it seemed to be capable of fitting more items than seemed possible. After she had that ready, making sure to include the various gifts, at least the ones she could use, Bonnie headed off to the washroom to freshen up, knowing it would be hard to do so once on the road.

When she got back to her room, she quickly changed into her new outfit that Serena had gotten her, admiring herself in the mirror. It really did suit her, she just felt that one thing was missing. Maybe a hat, she thought, before shrugging it off. She didn't really have any that would suit this outfit anyways.

After she gathered up the rest of her things and got them all ready to go in the front hall, everyone else started to get up. Bonnie, despite not being much of a cook, decided she would try to get breakfast ready as her final thanks to everyone before she left. She'd learned a few things from Serena and Clemont in her time travelling with them, and had been practising as she neared the time to leave for her journey, but she was definitely struggling when Serena and Grace appeared in the kitchen to help her.

Fortunately, breakfast preparations were easy to make with their help, and Bonnie was able to pick up a few more tips for her journey, and when Clemont and Meyer finally arrived at the kitchen table, a large breakfast of pancakes, eggs, fruit and sausages were all ready. Before sitting down, though, Bonnie quickly made sure to get the Pokemon food as well, giving Dedenne just a little more than he usually had, knowing it would be a long flight, and that plane food wasn't exactly the best.

She then awkwardly looked at Rotom as she held the box of food in her hands, wondering how he was supposed to eat, but the PokeDex seemed to think nothing of it, and just floated over to the middle of the table as Bonnie sat down, taking a few pictures. She just hoped that if she did need to feed him at some point, they'd be able to figure out how.

"So, Bonnie, you'll be heading off to Littleroot Town first?" Grace asked, as they all started eating. "Serena said it's a nice little town. Your dad says he's even arranged for Professor Birch to pick you up so you can see his lab."

"Yeah," Bonnie said excitedly, imagining all the different things she'd be able to see there. If it was anything like Professor Sycamore's lab, she was sure there would be some cool stuff. She supposed she was probably going to get to see the Hoenn starter Pokemon as well, which she was extra excited about. "After that, I think I'll probably go to...Oldale Town?"

"Yep," Serena said, smiling as she looked over at Bonnie. "That'll be the closest town, and from there, you can get to Petalburg City fairly easily. There's even a gym there, and sometimes they'll have contests as well. May, the girl I met who used to travel with Ash, is actually from there. You might even meet her brother while on your journey, since he's apparently starting to challenge gyms as well."

"Your first rival," Clemont joked, laughing as he took a bite of his food. "It might be good to get to know him if you get the chance, though," he added a little more seriously, looking over at Bonnie. "If his dad's a gym leader, he'll probably know a little more about how things work in the Hoenn region."

Bonnie narrowed her eyes, feeling like this was Clemont's version of her asking girls to take care of him, although she couldn't be sure. Instead, she just looked over to Rotom, pulling out the PokeNav that Grace had given her. "I'll know everything I need to from Rotom," she said confidently, as the PokeDex floated over to her, a happy face on his screen, apparently agreeing with her. "We can even connect him to my PokeNav and he'll know all the best routes and places to go."

"I will help Pokemon trainer Bonnie be the Champion of the Hoenn League!" Rotom vowed, doing some kind of strange bow in Clemont's direction, before floating down and turning to face the PokeNav. Bonnie then connected the device to Rotom, and his screen quickly lit up with a map of Lumiose City. "Bonnie is correct!" he shouted suddenly, displaying his screen to all those at the table. "With this PokeNav, I am able to display updated maps and Pokemon locations of the area we are located."

Bonnie folded her arms proudly at that, while Clemont just sighed, muttering something about Bonnie being stubborn. She ignored that, though, taking the PokeNav back from Rotom and putting it away, while also secretly giving him a high five. She already liked her new PokeDex, and knew he would make things a little more interesting when she and Dedenne were on the road.

With that, she returned to her breakfast, along with everyone else, making sure to eat everything. And, before she knew it, everyone at the table had finished their food, and when Bonnie looked up at the clock, she noticed that it was nearing their departure time. She couldn't help but feel a little nervous upon seeing that, but she smiled proudly at Meyer when he looked in her direction, nodding to the clock.

"Well, Bonnie, are you ready to begin your adventure?" he asked, Rotom floating in front of him with his own version of a clock on his screen.

"I think so," Bonnie nodded, looking up at Dedenne as he scurried up onto her shoulder. "Are you ready, Dedenne?"

"Nenene!" the Antenna Pokemon nodded, holding his little fists up and narrowing his eyes in determination.

"I am ready, too! Zzt!" Rotom added, fireworks displayed on his screen to show his own excitement.

Their excitement encouraged her, and as everyone began to clear off their plates and then prepared to leave, Bonnie embraced the last moments of being home before she would set off. She'd waited for this for so long. She'd had a taste of it of course, travelling with Ash, Serena and Clemont, but this was her journey. This was where she would accomplish her goals. The realization that it was starting now, right now, was almost surreal.

The drive to the airport was fast, and as Bonnie listened to Clemont and Serena each giving her all the advice they could think of, she couldn't help but tune them out, imagining what she would be doing within a few hours. A new region, with new Pokemon and new trainers and all kinds of new places to see. She was so excited, despite the fact that she would miss her friends and family. There was so much to look forward to in the coming days, weeks, months...years. She would catch all the cute Pokemon in the world, and battle and make friends...she wanted to scream from the excitement, and nerves, of it all.

When they arrived at the airport, Bonnie shouldering the backpack that Clemont had given her, they all headed inside. As they made their way to the terminal where she would be departing from, she couldn't help but feel a little disappointed that Ash wasn't there. She knew it was mostly luck that Serena was there, but it felt right that she was, and with Ash not there, it felt wrong. While she had tuned out some of the advice given to her, due to her excitement, Bonnie had still been inspired by what Serena had to say, and also what Clemont had provided for her. But, she felt she was missing out by not getting to talk to Ash one last time.

Of course, her brother knew her too well, and had clearly been thinking about this, as he led the group a little off course and to one of the few available phones nearby the check-in area. "Bonnie," he said, pulling a little package out of his own backpack, "I promised someone that you would give them a call before you left. He sent a birthday present for you, and wanted to see you open it."

Her eyes lit up at that, and she quickly looked at Serena, the other girl smiling excitedly as though she had already known. When she looked back to Clemont, he was already at the phone, dialling the number before moving aside for Bonnie to sit down. When she was seated, just before the phone had been picked up, her brother also handed her the package in his hands, telling her to wait until Ash was on the other end before opening it.

"Hello, this is the Mount Lanakila Pokemon Centre," a Nurse Joy answered, appearing on screen, looking slightly different than those in Kalos, with her pink hair less straight, and her outfit a little looser. Bonnie politely greeted her, before asking if Ash was there, explaining that he was expecting the call, or so Clemont had said. Nurse Joy nodded, apparently having been informed as well, before calling out to someone off the screen and then clicking a few buttons, telling Bonnie he would be picking up.

When he did pick up, two heads immediately appeared at Bonnie's sides, with Clemont and Serena excitedly greeting him, before Bonnie could manage her own hello. She didn't mind, though, knowing they must've been just as excited as her to see their old friend, especially after watching his big victory the night before. "Hi guys!" he said happily, while Pikachu jumped up onto his shoulder and squeaked out his own greeting. "Great to see you, and happy birthday, Bonnie. Sorry that I'm late on that."

"It's okay," Bonnie assured him, as Rotom floated down in front of her, apparently very interested in seeing the boy on the screen. "I know you were doing something important. We watched your battle last night! It was so awesome!"

"Haha, thanks!" Ash said, smiling sheepishly while looking up at Pikachu. "It was a tough battle, but Pikachu really pulled through." He then looked back, holding a fist up confidently as he turned his gaze to Bonnie once more. "You and Dedenne will get to be in some big battles soon as well, won't you?"

"Zzt! And I will help Bonnie to win those battles, Ash Ketchum, sir," Rotom suddenly said, saluting as he floated up in front of Bonnie's face, before she could pull him down.

Ash laughed at that, looking happily towards Rotom. "So you got a RotomDex too, huh? Yeah, I bet you will be able to help Bonnie out, Rotom. Our Rotom has been a big help for us, too." He paused for a moment, looking towards the package in Bonnie's arms, adjusting his hat a little, before pointing to it. "So...uh...I sent you a little gift, Bonnie. It's not much, but...I thought it could bring you some good luck on your journey. How about you open it?"

Bonnie smiled at that, looking down at the package. She didn't really know what else she needed after all the things her friends had given her the night before, but she was sure it was something she could use, since they were doing this at the airport. She eventually started to open it, her friends, along with Meyer and Grace, watching silently as she did so. When she finally pulled away the last of the wrapping, she squinted her eyes, looking curiously at the red and white hat that lay in her lap, a stylized green 'L' on the front of it. It looked a little old, as though it had been worn quite a bit.

"That's an official Pokemon League Expo hat," Ash explained, watching excitedly. "When I was little, I sent in a bunch of postcards to win it. Must've been about a million," he said, laughing at the memory. "I wore that on my very first journey in Kanto, and even the Orange Islands and Johto. It was with me when I met a lot of great friends and Pokemon, so hopefully it can be with you when you do the same."

"Oh Ash, that's so sweet," Serena said, while Bonnie looked back down at the hat. Old it may have been, but suddenly, it had become a much more meaningful item to her. She immediately put it on, adjusting it so it sat perfectly atop her head. "It fits perfectly with the outfit!" Serena noted, which Bonnie realized was true, smiling as she looked down at herself, and her reflection in the window behind the phone.

"This is so cool, Ash! Thank you so much!" Bonnie almost shouted, while Ash blushed in embarrassment.

"I'm glad you like it," he said, smiling at his three Kalos friends. "Make sure to put it to good use. And Clemont and Serena, you two make sure to keep working towards your goals, too. I know you guys will all do great."

"Of course, Ash," Clemont assured him, nodding. "And the Lumiose Gym is always open if you're looking to have a battle."

Serena was silent a moment, before leaning forward, putting her face next to Bonnie's. "I'll keep working hard, too, Ash. The next time we see each other...you'll see."

"We'll all do our best!" Bonnie said, Dedenne smiling up at her as she spoke. "And like you always said, Ash. We will..."

"Never give up."

The flight to Littleroot Town was longer than Bonnie had expected. Or rather, it had seemed longer. Time seemed to almost be moving slower for her, after saying goodbye to her friends and family. When her call with Ash had finished, she'd immediately started to hear a ringing sound in her ears, and felt a numbness in her whole body. Whether it was her continued excitement about starting her journey, or nerves about leaving Clemont, her dad, and saying goodbye to her friends, she wasn't sure, but when she had said her goodbyes to all of them, it had seemed so...different.

While on the plane, she was fairly quiet, although she didn't sleep. She'd put on the little TV she had at her seat, but there hadn't been too much that was of any interest to her. She'd watched a little program about the Pokemon League for a few minutes, but it had then gone on to a news story about something that had occurred in some cave near Dewford Town. She turned it off before they said anything else, starting to feel restless as the time dragged on.

"Pokemon trainer Bonnie appears to be homesick," Rotom said, floating up from where he'd been in her lap, where Dedenne was now sleeping. "Do you miss Gym Leader Clemont?"

Bonnie narrowed her eyes, not liking how perceptive the PokeDex was. "I'm just...nervous, I guess. I travelled before, but it was with Clemont, Ash and Serena. I can tell this is going to be really different. It's weird being alone."

"Zzt!" Rotom looked offended, an upset face on his screen. "You are not alone! I will be your companion throughout your journey, and you also have Dedenne, the Antenna Pokemon. Dedenne communicates long distance with other Dedenne by sending radio waves- error! Automatic analysis system override initiated! Zzt!"

Bonnie giggled at that while question marks began appearing all over Rotom's screen. His little arms began flailing while a loading bar appeared, as he appeared to be doing some kind of analysis. "Are you okay, Rotom?"

"Zzt, I am in excellent condition," Rotom informed her, once his self-analysis was completed. "It appears I enacted the automatic analysis system. Perhaps the future is not thanks to analysis."

Bonnie shook her head, laughing once more at that, before leaning back in her seat. She supposed Rotom was right about one thing. She wasn't really alone on this journey, and she, Dedenne and even Rotom, would be able to have lots of fun together. And as she fell asleep for the rest of the flight, it was those happy thoughts she dreamed of.

When she eventually woke up, the flight was nearing its end, and Bonnie, Rotom and Dedenne all looked out the window in excitement as they watched Hoenn approach in the distance. A flight attendant informed everyone on board that they were nearing Littleroot Town, and Bonnie was quick to spot the houses and fields in the distance, while a few seagull-like Pokemon flew past their window, Rotom explaining that they were Wingull. Of course, Bonnie thought they were extraordinarily cute, and hoped to catch one as soon as possible.

It seemed to take far too much time than was actually needed for the plane to land, and for everyone to get off of it, but eventually, Bonnie, Rotom and Dedenne were finally on the ground. Bonnie was relieved to finally get the chance to stretch her legs, and spent about a minute just enjoying the chance to stand, before they set off for the arrivals section of the airport, where they would be meeting Professor Birch.

As they passed through the doors leading to their destination, Bonnie was sure they'd never be able to spot the man they were looking for, even though she sort of knew what he looked like from pictures, as there were way too many people around. However, as luck would have it, Rotom spotted someone up ahead, holding up a sign with Bonnie's name, and she immediately recognized the man as Professor Birch, a large man in a white lab coat, khaki shorts and sandals.

When Bonnie approached him, the Hoenn Professor smiled, shaking her hand, before peering closely at Dedenne. "Well, Bonnie and Dedenne!" he said, looking back up at the young trainer. "It's nice to finally meet you. And you as well, Rotom. I've heard quite a bit about you from when Serena visited here, and from what Sawyer has told me. How are they?"

"They're good," Bonnie told him, smiling as she followed him out the doors and towards the parking lot. "Sawyer told me he should be coming back soon, but he wanted to spend a little more time in Kalos. Serena's probably going to take a bit of a break before deciding what she's going to do next."

"That's good," Birch said, pointing ahead to where his car was. "And Ash, it seems he's doing well. Alola League victor! That was quite the battle! I'm sure you're looking forward to the day that you'll be able to face off against him."

Bonnie nodded confidently, while Dedenne puffed his chest out proudly. "One day we will, I know it!" she assured him, feeling she could truly start looking forward to it now that she was finally in Hoenn. She looked up as a blue flying type Pokemon darted over their heads, hearing Rotom analyzing it as a Taillow. "First, we're going to win the Hoenn League, though, and I'm going to catch a bunch of cute and strong Pokemon here!"

Birch laughed at that as they got into his car and he started the engine. As they set off, Bonnie looked out the window as the man spoke up. "You'll have a tough road to travel if you're going to win the Hoenn League," he told her honestly, although not really making it sound too intimidating. "We have some of the toughest gym leaders in the world, including Norman, who I'm sure you know has a son that has recently started travelling around as well. Max is his name. He's actually at the lab right now. Stopped by to drop a few things off for his father."

Bonnie nodded, although she was a little irritated about the mention of this boy, Max, again. This was her journey, and she didn't want to get compared to someone she didn't even know. Not to mention that he'd already been given a head start according to Serena. It made Bonnie feel a little irritated with Clemont, who rarely gave her a chance to even just have a sparring match, telling her they needed to go by the rules and wait till she had officially become a trainer.

"So, what made you choose the Hoenn region as the first for your journey as a Pokemon trainer?" Birch asked, apparently sensing her lack of interest in Max and deciding to move the conversation along. "I suppose Serena showed you some of the different Pokemon we've got here?"

"Yeah, that was part of it," Bonnie admitted, watching as Rotom continued to attempt taking pictures of some of the Taillow flying by the car overhead. "I liked the idea of doing something different, and seeing new places."

"Very brave of you," Birch noted, smiling as she looked at him in surprise. "Many trainers like the comfort of home for their first journey, even if they know a lot of the places they end up travelling to. Seeking out the challenge of an unfamiliar region right away is quite unique. I'm impressed."

That made Bonnie feel pretty good about her choice, and as they continued their drive to Birch's lab, she made sure to take in all the sights of the new place she was in. Now that they were away from the airport, it was quite apparent that this was a much smaller town than somewhere like Lumiose City. She remembered that Serena had described it as similar to Vaniville Town, although a little more built up, with Professor Birch's lab being there.

When they finally pulled up out front of the building that was presumably the lab, Bonnie could see some Pokemon running around behind a fence, while a person in a white lab coat made notes on them. She was definitely interested in seeing the Pokemon, but she forced herself to grab Rotom before he started taking pictures, and followed Birch into the lab.

It wasn't too different than Professor Sycamore's lab, with a little seating area, a few rooms where some assistants seemed to be working, as well as some machines for various testing. There also seemed to be a large amount of books around, which Bonnie was sure was something that was noticeable in any researcher's lab. She was impressed, though, and took everything in as she followed Birch towards a back room, where a black-haired boy with glasses was waiting, sitting with three small Pokemon, one of which, Bonnie recognized as a Treecko.

"Bonnie," Professor Birch said, gesturing towards the boy as they walked in, while he knelt down to check the Pokemon, "this is Max. He's the son of Norman, the Petalburg Gym Leader, and he's challenging the Hoenn League as well."

The boy stood as Birch introduced him, and Bonnie finally got her first good look at him. He did appear older than her, although it was definitely noticeable that he hadn't travelled immediately upon turning ten, not appearing as tanned or lean as someone like Ash. He didn't look dumb, though, and not just because of his glasses. His eyes studied her closely, before looking to Dedenne, and then Rotom, who was taking pictures of the Pokemon. He adjusted his shirt, a simple green t-shirt, which was covered by a black coat, before raising his hand and holding it out.

"Nice to meet you," he said, a little awkwardly. "I'm Max."

Bonnie raised an eyebrow, deciding not to point out she already knew his name. Instead, she shook his hand quickly, noticing he wasn't the only awkward one here. "Hi," she muttered, not sure what else to say, letting Dedenne hop down to greet the other Pokemon. She took a glance at them, realizing they were the starter Pokemon in the Hoenn region. She listened to Rotom as he described the small, orange chick-like Pokemon that hopped over first to meet Dedenne.

"Zzt, Torchic, the Chick Pokemon," the PokeDex began. "Torchic has a place in its body where it keeps its flame. If you give it a hug, you may even feel its warmth!"

Bonnie's eyes widened excitedly at that, looking hopefully at Professor Birch. "Professor Birch...do you think I could...?"

He laughed, knowing what she wanted to ask. "Go right ahead, I'm sure Torchic would be pleased to accept."

"Torchic! Tor torchic!" the Chick Pokemon chirped out as Bonnie knelt in front of it, picking it up gently.

"Awww, it's so cute!" Bonnie exclaimed, gently hugging it, immediately feeling the slight sense of warmth Rotom had described. When she held the small Pokemon out in front of her once more, it tilted its head, smiling. "I bet lots of trainers pick Torchic as their first Pokemon."

Birch shrugged, looking at the other two, the blue, amphibious one that Bonnie remembered was called Mudkip, looking slightly insulted. "All of them are fairly popular, I'd say. Max's sister, May, did choose Torchic, though."

Bonnie looked at Max upon hearing that, the boy nodding to confirm. "I would've picked Treecko myself," he said, once again making the Mudkip appear upset, while Torchic, still in Bonnie's arms, ruffled its feathers.

"My friend Sawyer picked Treecko," Bonnie told him, getting a sense that this boy was actually somewhat similar to her old friend. "His can even mega evolve. Well, his Sceptile can. Is yours here?" she asked, looking around, assuming the one with the other two starters didn't belong to anyone.

"Max actually didn't receive a starter from me," Birch explained, before Max could answer. "He met his partner Pokemon while travelling with Ash, May and Brock."

At that, Max pulled a pokeball out, clicking it open, a flash of light revealing a small Pokemon at his side. It was somewhat humanoid in shape, with a small white body, that appeared like some sort of oversized nightgown. Its head was tilted down, so Bonnie couldn't see its eyes, but there appeared to be green hair in a bowl cut, with red horns poking out the front and back. She quickly looked to Rotom to see what he had to say, and he immediately floated over, snapping a picture of the Pokemon, before hovering in front of Bonnie, displaying the data on his screen.

"Ralts, the Feeling Pokemon," he explained, a small picture of it now on his screen. "It has the ability to sense the emotions of people. If its trainer is feeling a certain way, it will likely begin to feel the same."

"I met Ralts way before I became a trainer," Max said, smiling down at his Pokemon, who seemed to perk up a little at that. "I promised to go back for it once I was old enough, and it was waiting when I did. We've both been working really hard training with my dad, so we're ready to take on the Hoenn League. I even know what all the gym leaders are like. It'll be a piece of cake," he added, a smug look coming to his face. Apparently he was getting a little more comfortable in front of Bonnie, willing to show how confident he was.

"Me and Dedenne are ready, too," she muttered in response. "We didn't come all the way from Kalos just to lose."

"Nenene!" Dedenne shouted in agreement, while Torchic, still in Bonnie's arms, added a little chirp in her favour, or so she assumed.

"Maybe we should see," Max said, smirking a little as he adjusted his glasses. "We could have a-"

"How about we take that tour of the lab?" Birch suddenly interrupted, quickly standing up after finishing his checkup on the Treecko in front of him, who folded its arms, apparently bored. "Bonnie still hasn't seen everything we have to offer here!"

Before Bonnie or Max could even argue, Birch was leading them out of the room. Bonnie was about to set Torchic back down, but she noticed the other two starters seemed to be following, so she decided to keep holding it. She then set off after Birch, stepping past Max, who was recalling his Ralts back into its pokeball. He came after her a moment later.

As Birch began his little tour, he showed Bonnie and Max some of the little workrooms where he and his assistants did their research. "Most of our work, mine specifically," he said, pointing to a table where one researcher was noting something down while examining pictures of a flock of Wingull, "involves examining Pokemon in the field. However, we still do plenty of lab work, and often need to go over our field notes here."

He then led them out to one of the machines in what appeared to be some kind of medical room. A machine was on one side, looking like one of Clemont's inventions with various wires, buttons and power gauges. According to Professor Birch, it was a machine used to absorb electricity once an electric type built up too much. Apparently Pikachu had broken the first model when he and Ash had first arrived in Hoenn.

"Pikachu's probably one of the few Pokemon who could contain that much power," Birch laughed out, the memory playing in front of his eyes. "Most electric Pokemon would've been very easy to deal with using this machine."

"Would Dedenne be able to do that?" Bonnie asked, the Antenna Pokemon looking up curiously.

Birch shook his head. "I doubt it. Even if he was an experienced battler, it's rare for a Pokemon to be able hold that much excess power and survive, let alone use it as Pikachu was able to." He wasn't being mean spirited, but Bonnie was a little irritated that he didn't think Dedenne could be that powerful one day. Max seemed amused by it, though, which irritated her even more.

She was quiet as Professor Birch went through the rest of the lab, which mostly included similar things to Professor Sycamore's when it came to basic research things. Of course, Professor Birch didn't have nearly as much focus on Mega Evolution, apparently only exploring it a little bit recently, preferring to stick to his research on Pokemon in the field. It was definitely interesting for her to hear some more about the Pokemon around the area, though, such as a group of Poochyena that Birch had been studying nearby. This interested Max as well, who seemed very interested in catching one, apparently having befriended a Mightyena, its evolved form, while travelling with Ash.

When the tour was finally over, Birch led their little group out towards his field, where a couple of his assistants were still examining a few of the Pokemon out there. Bonnie almost squealed in excitement at the sight of them, gently setting the Torchic down next to Dedenne before running up to the raccoon-like Pokemon, with brown and white striped bristly fur. They were just as cute as Torchic with their beady black eyes!

"Zzt, these Pokemon are Zigzagoon!" Rotom declared, floating out in front of Bonnie and taking a picture of her as she started to pet one of the Zigzagoon that had approached her. "They are very curious Pokemon, and will become very interested in their surroundings."

"We've been studying this group of Zigzagoon recently," Professor Birch explained, looking amused as Dedenne joined Bonnie and Rotom in examining them up close. "They'll be heading back into the wild soon, but they do seem to be very curious, as Rotom says."

At that, Max stepped forward, peering closely at Rotom as it zoomed in for another picture. "Where did you get this thing anyways?" he asked, looking back to Bonnie. "Is there actually a Rotom in there?"

"Zzt, I am not a thing!" Rotom said indignantly, turning around and apparently glaring at Max, with a red face on his screen to show his anger. "I am Rotom! I am here to help Pokemon trainer Bonnie on her journey to become a Pokemon Master."

"That's so cool!" Max said excitedly, reaching out and grabbing the PokeDex, adjusting his glasses as he took a better look. "Is it true this is something used in the Alola region."

"It...he is actually quite rare," Bonnie said, getting up and snatching Rotom back, the PokeDex giving her a grateful look, or so she assumed. "Professor Kukui and Professor Sycamore arranged for me to get him, and my brother Clemont helped to get Rotom. He was learning all about gym battles at my brother's gym," she added smugly.

"Your brother's a Gym Leader?" Max asked, looking unimpressed. "I bet he's not as good as my dad. My dad might be in the Elite Four one day."

Bonnie narrowed her eyes, Dedenne coming to her side as she looked at the boy challengingly. Rotom was the first to speak, though. "Zzt! Gym Leader Clemont is an exceptional trainer! By my calculations, he is among the elite of all gym leaders in the Kalos region!"

"Yeah!" Bonnie said, giving her PokeDex a mini high five.

"I'm sure both Norman and Clemont are excellent Gym Le-" Birch started to say, looking nervous, before Max interrupted.

"My dad has taught me all he knows about training Pokemon. Did your brother teach you anything?" Max asked, bringing out his pokeball, which presumably held Ralts.

Bonnie stood, Dedenne scurrying up onto her shoulder as she did so. "He taught me a whole bunch!" she told him confidently.

"Then how about you prove it?"

"Fine!"

Birch sighed at that, giving an apologetic look to his lab assistants, asking them to take the Zigzagoon to the other end of the field. "I suppose you can have your battle here. Although...Bonnie...this is new for you."

"Zzt, I will help Bonnie!" Rotom promised, while Dedenne's cheeks sparked, ready for his first real chance at a fight. Bonnie didn't like being underestimated, even if she knew that Professor Birch had a point. She would have to beat Max at some point, so why not start now?

Both trainers made their way to opposite ends of their makeshift battlefield, making sure to stay far enough away from where the assistants were working. However, the Zigzagoon were making things difficult as they were clearly quite curious about what was going on. They seemed to be staying far enough away, though, and Professor Birch seemed satisfied, even if uncomfortable with the match itself, as he stood at the sidelines to act as the referee.

"All right, Ralts! Let's go!" Max shouted, throwing out his pokeball, which opened up to reveal the Feeling Pokemon in front of him. It didn't exactly look threatening, but Bonnie knew she had to be smart.

"Torchic tor!" Just as she was about to call out Dedenne, Bonnie watched in surprise as the Torchic she'd been holding earlier, rushed out onto the battlefield, standing in front of her, all tensed up. "Torchic!"

Birch laughed at that, while Bonnie stared ahead in confusion. "Torchic, this isn't your battle," he called out to the Chick Pokemon. Come watch with Treecko and Mudkip. You'll be able to battle one day soon, when a new trainer chooses you."

"Torchic..." the fire type chirped sadly, bowing its head as it slowly hopped over to where the others were waiting. Bonnie felt bad for it, and wished she could've let it battle, but knew it was only right to start things out with Dedenne. Plus, Torchic wasn't even hers.

"All right, Dedenne!" she finally said, holding out her arm. "Let's rumble!"

"Nenene!" the Antenna Pokemon shouted out, darting across her arm and kicking off, before sailing through the air and landing softly a few feet in front of her. He was tensed up, and ready to battle. This was what they'd been dreaming about for a long time, and Bonnie knew he was just as excited for their first battle as she was.

Rotom hovered next to Bonnie as Birch knelt down next to Torchic, ensuring it was going to stay put. "Ralts is a psychic type Pokemon," the PokeDex informed her. "Neither it, or Dedenne, is at any special advantage in this battle, according to my data."

Bonnie nodded, knowing that Rotom's data wasn't exactly complete, since they'd never seen this Ralts battle before, or even Dedenne for that matter, but she appreciated the little bit of help nonetheless. She and Max both looked towards Birch as he finally stood, the Professor raising an arm up to signal the battle was about to begin.

"This will be a one on one battle between Bonnie and Dedenne, and Max and Ralts. When one Pokemon is unable to battle, the other will be declared the winner," he explained, looking to both trainers, who nodded. "Let the battle begin!"

Bonnie had never truly done this before, but she went with her best version of what Ash would do, immediately ordering her first attack, hoping to get an early advantage. "Dedenne, use Tackle!" she shouted, pointing ahead, the Antenna Pokemon nodding as soon as she made the order.

"I knew it," Max said smugly, watching as Dedenne charged towards Ralts. "Teleport!"

"Nene?" Bonnie clenched her fists in frustration, watching as Dedenne charged through nothing, skidding to a stop as Ralts vanished and then appeared a few feet to the Antenna Pokemon's right. She called for another Tackle attack, but once again, Max ordered Teleport, Ralts easily avoiding the attack again.

Bonnie realized Dedenne clearly wasn't quick enough to hit Ralts with Tackle, so she decided they needed to attack from a distance. "Use Thunder Shock!" she ordered, locking eyes with Dedenne, who seemed a little more on guard now.

"Block it with Confusion!" Max ordered, adjusting his glasses as he watched Dedenne closely. Bonnie realized she wasn't too far off in her earlier estimation of him. He was definitely looking at this battle in a similar way to Sawyer, analyzing her orders and Dedenne's movements.

His defensive tactic worked once more, with Dedenne's bolt of electricity clashing with a wave of blue, psychic energy, before being crashed into the ground, dirt and grass flying up on impact. Bonnie wasn't sure what to do next, hesitating and giving Max a perfect opportunity to go on the offensive.

"Teleport and then use Confusion again!" Bonnie could only watch in fear as Ralts seemed to disappear again, before appearing right behind Dedenne, who noticed it far too late. The Feeling Pokemon raised its little arms up, sending another wave of psychic energy outward, which seemed to grab onto Dedenne, picking him up off the ground and throwing him back in Bonnie's direction. She winced as she watched him hit the ground hard, wondering if things had already ended.

Max seemed to think so. "Teleport and Confusion! One more time!"

Bonnie gritted her teeth. Max was clever, very clever. She could see that now. Perhaps she'd rushed into this battle, and wasn't quite ready for someone who had already gained a little more experience, but there was no way she was going to lose without putting up some kind of fight. "Dedenne, turn around and use Thunder Shock!"

"Nene!" The Antenna Pokemon cried out from the effort, looking hurt from the Confusion attack, but definitely willing to continue fighting. Just as Ralts disappeared from its side of the battlefield, Dedenne turned, facing in Bonnie's direction. Ralts appeared a second later, Dedenne's cheeks already charged up. "Neneneee!" he shouted, sending the electricity outwards, striking the Feeling Pokemon head on.

"Zzt! Excellent strategy!" Rotom cheered, a thumbs up symbol on his screen. "A perfect hit!"

"Disarming Voice, quick!" Max shouted, sounding a little more serious, but not appearing panicked.

"Ralts! Raaallltttsss!" the Feeling Pokemon cried out, partly from the pain of Thunder Shock, but also whatever attack it was using. It was almost like it was singing some kind of song, little pink hearts shooting out towards Dedenne as it cried out. Dedenne was struck hard, falling back and ending his attack as he stumbled. That opened Max up for another strike.

"Confusion!" The psychic type was quick to follow up on its previous attack, raising its arms up once again and taking hold of Dedenne with its psychic energy. The Antenna Pokemon struggled as it was lifted into the air once more, before this time, being smacked into the ground, raised back up, and dropped once more.

"Dedenne!" Bonnie cried out in concern, almost tempted to run onto the field. She watched her partner Pokemon, rising to his feet with a strained expression on his face. Something seemed a little different about it. "Dedenne?" Her eyes widened as he started hitting his head against the ground, looking somewhat pained, but oddly determined to keep doing so. "What's wrong?"

"Zzt, it appears Dedenne is confused," Rotom noted. "He is damaging himself."

"But...how do I...?" Bonnie was confused herself, not having any idea how to stop it. She tried calling out to Dedenne a few times, but he just continued to hurt himself.

"Ralts, finish this off with Disarming Voice!" Max yelled, smirking as though he'd known all along he'd win. Of course...he had been sure all along, Bonnie realized.

She couldn't do anything as Dedenne was struck by the Disarming Voice attack once more. He cried out as the first few hearts struck him, apparently freed from his confusion. It was too late, though, the final part of the attack exploding against him, dropping him to the ground.

"Dedenne is unable to battle. Max and Ralts are the winners!" Birch called out, waving his arm in Max's direction.

Bonnie was silent as Max recalled Ralts to its pokeball, quietly congratulating it on its good battle. The boy didn't say anything as he turned around, heading back inside the lab, not even looking at Bonnie. She supposed he didn't need to say anything. He'd won. He'd proven himself right.

Eventually, she walked over to Dedenne, ignoring Professor Birch as he told her he was going to take the Pokemon back inside. She did notice Torchic attempting to hop over to her, but the Professor seemed to know that Bonnie needed this moment for Dedenne, calling it back.

When she reached him, the Antenna Pokemon's eyes fluttered as he opened them up. He looked quite tired, the battle apparently having taken quite the toll on him. She wasn't surprised. She knelt down next to him, scooping him up in her arms, smiling as he gave her a sad look. "Don't worry, Dedenne. You did a great job. It was my fault."

"Zzt, it was my fault too," Rotom said, shocking Bonnie a bit, as she'd forgotten he was there. "I need to ensure Pokemon trainer Bonnie has all the knowledge she needs to win."

"You told me all you could," Bonnie assured him, the PokeDex not looking convinced, but staying quiet as she looked back at Dedenne. "We'll use this to get stronger, Dedenne. That's what Ash would do." She pointed to the hat on her head, remembering her friend and idol's words. "We won't give up. We'll beat Max. We'll beat 'em all!"

Dedenne nodded, smiling to show his agreement. "Nenene!"

"Zzt! It appears Gym Leader Clemont was correct!" Rotom suddenly announced, Bonnie and Dedenne looking at him in confusion. "Pokmeon trainer Max is indeed, the first rival of Pokemon trainer Bonnie!"

Author's Note:

Zzt, Rotom and Clemont called it! Obvious, of course, but Max is Bonnie's first rival in the Hoenn region! She will have others, but obviously, Max is important.

Bonnie's journey truly begins next time, in Chapter 4: To Catch Them is My Real Test.