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Dandilily Town was such a quiet, nice place to stop.
Bonnie knew this because of how kind everyone was when they came in. That’s not to say that every place was mean and rude but… the people here smiled and waved and helped them to find their way to the nearest hotel (too small for a Pokémon Centre they said), even though they didn’t really say much themselves.
She’s happy that these people are kind. Her brother needed this kindness after getting that talk from the other Gym Leaders. And to rest up a little because of their next location, looping back to the place that he just ran away from.
That they both are running away from, in a way. Bonnie didn’t have much of a problem herself, but it’s the principle of the thing. She’s gotta stick with her older brother, otherwise who is going to be with him when he holes himself up with his inventions?
Dandilily is nice, she determined. Maybe they should visit this place again, once everything settled down.
“Ne, dene!”
Bonnie laughed as Dedenne poked his head out of the bag, finally awake after a few hours of them staying in the hotel room they booked. The sky was a dark bruise-like colour, and they were warned about a nearby storm coming by, so that’s why all of them were inside now. Serena already went downstairs to talk to one of the people they just met, and Clemont was stuck in his room, doing his usual work.
And Ash?
Well, knowing him, he was probably training outside. Rain or no rain, he was really dedicated to his work. Something that brought her brother to follow him, her brother and Serena both. They follow him like a moon to the sun, like Chespin to a treat, like the way they have been orbiting around Lumiose lately.
Bonnie doesn’t really mind Ash. He has cool Pokémon, he’s a great battler and he’s a pretty nice guy overall. Cheeky too, sometimes. Serious about his goal, but able to appreciate the small things. Clemont could learn from that, by the way.
Ash was courageous too. She doesn’t understand what the big hubbub is about him, but she can appreciate it from afar. He’s like a superhero— untouchable, invincible, effortlessly strong. She can see the experience dripping from him, the calculations running through his mind with each move, not unlike her own brother.
Unlike her brother though, Ash is going to catch a cold right now, and that wasn’t really smart of him. He’s definitely a contradiction in the making, and it’s that thought that makes her laugh as she continued to play with Dedenne.
The wind howled as the light on the ceiling shook, and time ticked away.
…
A small knocking sound on the window.
Bonnie blinked blearily, finding herself slipping to sleep before she heard the noise. Crawling past Dedenne’s asleep form, she slid off the bed and towards where the knock originated from.
There— On the window’s perch, was a soaking wet Rufflet. “Aww,” she found herself saying, dazedly opening the window. “Aren’t you a cut— Aah!”
A hand gripped the sill next to where the Pokémon sat, a boy pulling himself up and into the room without any care whatsoever. The Rufflet followed his path, chirping happily as the two made their way to the centre of the room and collapsed on the floor. Window quickly forgotten, Bonnie marched up towards them and scowled. “What are you doing in my room?”
“Just give me a second,” the boy mumbled, black hair plastered onto his face and bag next to his slack form. His chest rose up and down as the Eaglet Pokémon pecked at his limp hand. He waved it away.
Well, that’s not fair. She was so close to sleeping before this guy just came in and almost scared the living daylights out of her… She sat at the edge of her bed, crossing her legs as she watched him closely. His hair was a very dark brown, his grey jacket half-open. Was that jeans he's wearing? Blue eyes and tan skin. He raised an eyebrow. She shrugged. She’ll give him all the time he needs, and then they’ll talk.
The boy sighed after a while, pulling himself up into a sitting position and moving his bag closer to himself. “I was heading towards the forest before the storm came, and I needed a place to stay until it blew over. I didn’t want to lose time so I decided to let Kuzz find me a good place. Didn’t know this room was already taken, since we don’t get that many visitors.” He glanced at her face and then mumbled, “Sorry.”
Bonnie opened her mouth to berate them, but then a particularly strong wind rattled the open window and made them all shiver with the cold. Making up her mind, she went over to close it— “Don’t move!”— before walking over to stand in front of the boy again.
She gave him a Look.
He turned his head away.
She let out a huff, sitting down on the bed once more. “You’ve got your own Pokémon?”
“My birthday is next week. That’s when I’m going to be a real trainer and Kuzz is going to be my number one partner. Isn’t that right?” The boy laughed as Kuzz shook out his feathers and puffed up considerably, petting his head. “Puffball mode!”
Bonnie couldn’t help but giggle at that. “Is it okay if I pet… Wait, is it a girl or a boy?”
“All Rufflet are boys, duh.” He noticeably did not make eye contact with her. “But yeah, you can pet him. He likes tummy rubs the most, check it out!”
Bonnie blew him a raspberry as she picked up the little Flying-Type, scratching his belly and smiling at the cooing. “You’re lucky to be a Trainer so soon, even if you’re a little bad at it right now.” The boy made a noise of indignation, but she ignored it. “Where were you going, by the way?”
He turned his head away, crossing his arms. “Why do you need to know?”
She brought up a hand and started counting on each finger. “You’re in my room. You’ve made the carpets wet. You’re probably lost, if anything.” She started to laugh at the blush taking over his face, putting her hand down and leaning over the edge of the bed. “Wait, so it’s true?!”
“No it’s not!” he barked, rubbing his face as if he could make the heat go away. “It’s just that— Well— My older siblings usually help me find the place! I’ve never gone alone before!” He slapped his mouth with both hands, his blue eyes wide.
The light flickered above them.
Bonnie licked her lips, wondering what she could say. The boy shook his head, eyes watering as he roughly wiped at them. “It’s nothing! I’ll just… I’ll just go, now. I’m sorry for coming into your room like that. C’mon, Kuzz!” The Rufflet perked up and hopped out of her hands, landing on his Trainer’s shoulder.
The boy got to the window before Bonnie said, “Wait!”
He paused. Her mind went a thousand miles an hour, trying to figure out the right words to say. “Um, I can help you if you want! It’s not too far from here, right?”
“Not really…” The boy flashed her a confused look. “But why? You don’t even know me.”
“Well, what’s your name?”
“Adrian?”
“And my name is Bonnie.” Slinging the packed pouchette with Dedenne nested inside, she stood up and gave him a smile. “There! Now we know each other.”
She made her way to the door, purposeful footsteps leading her to the knob and twisting it open with decisive strength, and Adrian followed after her. “But— Um, you don’t even know where I’m going either? And you can’t just ask that by the way!”
Bonnie gave him a confused look as they made their way down the corridor. “What do you mean? You at least know what the place looks like, right?”
The Rufflet made a cawing sound and his Trainer shot him a glare. Looking back at Bonnie, he dug his feet on the indoor tiles to stop in place and turned his head away. “Of course I do! But you’re not a Trainer and you don’t know this town, so of course you can’t help me!”
The girl proudly pointed at her bag as she stopped a little ahead of him. “One of my friends gave me her mini computer, so I’ve got a map! C’mon, we’ll be fine! Just trust me!”
Adrian bit his lip, tilting his head down. “But I’m supposed to do it on my own…”
Bonnie opened her mouth, then closed it. She was curious, she’ll admit it, and she wanted to see something new while she had the chance. Lumiose was so close, and her brother can only be so lucky.
Soon enough, they’ll have to face the Gym.
Soon enough, their dad is going to find out.
And soon enough, this journey is going to end, and she’ll be stuck waiting for the day when she is finally recognised as an official Trainer. It’s going to be years from now. She wants to explore now.
Is it so bad that she wanted to join someone else? To see something new? To indulge, even for a little while? “Oh, okay.” Her fingers played with the strap, her voice becoming smaller. “I… Um, good luck on your trip?” She shouldn’t have rushed in like that. This wasn’t her journey, she wasn’t supposed to be on a journey, all she had was a quest.
And it was so close to being complete.
The boy’s eyes creased. He waited for a few seconds before throwing a hand out in a gesture to get her to pause, almost scaring his Rufflet. “You said you had a map, right?”
“Right…?” Clemont was right, she was too easy to please sometimes. Too easy to lure in. If she were a Pokémon, this would’ve been the perfect trap, even if it was built by Team Rocket themselves.
She still waited though. Just in case.
(Two strangers in the hallway, the dark sky lit up by a noiseless flash of lightning.)
Adrian sighed and tucked his hands into his jacket’s pockets. “Fine, I’ll let you come with me. You’re lucky it’s close by and that you’ve got a map.”
“Right…” Serena will let her use it like this, right? She did say to have fun before she left. Bonnie shrugged and waited for him, walking side by side as they made a sudden turn away from the entrance. “Wait, I thought you said I can come with you—“
“We need umbrellas, silly. Might start raining again.” Bonnie huffed at that, feeling babied by him as he walked into another corridor with an alcove in it. The front desk, perhaps?
A lady was sitting there, and she perked up at the sight of Adrian. “Oh, hello there, sweetie pie! You picking up something?”
Adrian flushed as he said, “Just two umbrellas, please.”
“Going outside without the usual? Well, stay safe regardless! Your mama was beside herself when she heard about your last little ‘adventure’.” The lady walked into a wardrobe behind herself and came out with two small umbrellas, passing it over to them. “And remember: two hours tops before you know what.” He nodded as he took them into his hands, passing one over to her before the woman added, “It’s so nice to see you all grown up and travelling again, though. And you’ve even got your own friend now! No more relying on your siblings, isn’t that right?”
“I guess…” Adrian swung the umbrella over his shoulder before quickly walking away; Bonnie briefly gave the woman a small wave before catching up to her companion. After a while, he finally spoke up about what just happened. “I’m sorry about what Frida said.”
“It’s okay.” Bonnie didn’t really know what to say about that or even to that. Adrian seemed to miss his family a lot, but he’s going on this journey anyways. She’s only been with Serena and Ash for a little while, but she can’t imagine travelling without them around, let alone without Clemont.
There seemed to be a lot more to making your way around a region than she thought, but that twisting feeling inside her didn’t really want to stay hidden just yet. Adrian stopped at one of the windows and looked out, brow furrowed, before turning over to Bonnie. “Looks like the storm is getting a bit more calmer now. We should organise our trip properly now so we don’t get confused— so your job is to be the map person and I will keep most of the equipment, okay?”
Bonnie thought about it— it would be more fun if they just dealt with whatever problems came their way instead of planning for the future and getting needlessly worried (like someone she knew)— but she supposed that he was the leader for a reason. At least this was a short list of duties. And she was so lucky as it is to tag along, so she shouldn’t push her luck now. “Okay. If that’s what you say.”
Adrian looked conflicted at that but nodded, both of them exiting out of the hotel under the dark sky. The ground was wet and mushy, and Bonnie had the brief thought of running back and getting her rain gear on— but equipment was Adrian’s job, and if she were to leave now then she’ll never get this chance again. She’ll just have to do without.
“So,” she said, because there really wasn’t much to say and the silence was deafening. “How many siblings do you have?”
“Um, four. Three older brothers and one older sister.” Kuzz cawed softly and Adrian rolled his shoulders. “They’re all such great Pokémon Trainers, and they’re so cool. I’m hoping that by doing this, maybe they’ll think I’m cool too.” He shook his head before turning to her. “How many do you have?”
“Just one. But he’s pretty cool too! You know, he’s the—“ And Bonnie quickly stopped herself because Clemont would’ve wanted her to. Because right now he’s trying to be anything but that, and maybe if she spent more time appreciating what he used to be he wouldn’t have ended up hating what he is. Because this is a secret both of them will have to share, always. “He’s the best brother you’ll ever meet.”
The boy next to her shrugged. “I doubt it, but okay.”
She purposefully splashed into the next puddle that they saw as a response, getting some of the mud onto him, and he shrieked and kicked some back.
After some laughing, blocking with the umbrellas and wiping off the mess that they made, they resumed on the path once more.
After a while of walking, Adrian stopped them. “We need to eat,” he said, and Bonnie was about to protest until her stomach started to growl. The boy laughed and she muttered to herself as she helped him pull out the small mat that he had in his bag, thinking about all the ways that she could get him back for the slight.
It was a modest spread for their lunch. Some Berries, a packed sandwich split into two triangles, and a small tub of yoghurt. Adrian pulled out a water bottle just as a small fuzzy face poked out of Bonnie’s pouchette, and he screamed before falling onto his butt. “There’s— there’s a—“
Bonnie glanced back at her pouchette before giggling to herself, pulling out the terrifying mass of fur and softening it down to reveal the cute eyes and distinct whiskers that always drew her in. “That Dedenne, silly. He’s my best friend.” She set the Antenna Pokémon down on the ground, giving him a little pat on the head before taking out her own bottle. At least she could count on Dedenne to give her some best-served revenge.
Kuzz clucked as he hopped over from the Sitrus Berry he was eating and observed Dedenne. The small mouse licked his paws and rubbed it over his face before chirping happily, blinking up at the Rufflet in front of him and scampering over. The two circled each other shortly before making happy noises in unison, promptly sitting in place and sharing the Berry between them.
“I didn’t know you had your own Pokémon…” Bonnie looked over at Adrian, who dusted himself off before pulling out a serviette.
The girl shrugged as she took her own wipe and cleaned her hands, watching the space between her fingers with every swipe. “He’s my brother’s actually; I’m just looking after him for now. But when I’m a Trainer, it’s going to be me and Dedenne all the way, just like you and Kuzz.”
“That’s cool.” Adrian split his sandwich in half and handed it to her. “Maybe when you become a Trainer, we can battle one day.”
“I’m going to win that one, though!” It’s all a pipe dream in the end— being a Trainer, remembering someone from childhood, meeting up and battling again. But maybe she can afford it for today. It’s just them two here, and the grey sky, and crumbs across the blanket. She can pretend that this adventure is all that she had as long as she is with him.
They pack up their picnic once they’re finished and clean themselves off, Adrian stuffing all the waste into the blanket before tying it up and placing it back into his bag. The sky rumbled and his face darkened along with it, looking up with the umbrella by his side. “We’ll probably need the map soon, because this is the furthest I’ve been on my own.”
“Oh, I’ll just— Wait—” Bonnie quickly pulled out the mini computer for her bag, knocking around all the other items she had in it. She flipped it open and then stared at the screen, the map popping up mainly consisting of greens and browns. “So, will you tell me where to go now?”
Adrian tried to peer over her shoulders, and Bonnie felt strong distaste hit the back of her throat suddenly. The map wasn’t hers, so why did she feel so possessive over it all of a sudden? That’s a dumb thing to feel weird like that over. “Just that green patch over there, I think.” It’s not that far from where they are now.
The taste still lingered on her tongue as she nodded wordlessly and pocketed the device. Just a little more to go. Just a little bit more, and then that’s it.
It’s so easy.
This journey is too easy.
“…Are you okay?” he asked, and Bonnie sniffed as she wiped an arm over her eyes. She has to be okay, because her brother isn’t and it was always his quest in the first place. She’s just the support for him, the sidekick, the help. She’ll stick with him because they have each other, and even though they have others it didn’t mean that they could let their guard down, and he was the one going through the hard things here.
His Pokémon, his Gym, his job.
“Yes,” she replied.
He gave her a look before they went walking once more. There was only one path around here for a while anyways.
“Tell me about your dreams.”
She turned to him quickly, and he just nodded at the look on her face. Bonnie swallowed, because apart from ‘Trainer’ and ‘free’ and ‘getting her brother a girl so he wouldn’t be lonely and become even more strangely obsessed over his machines’, she… hasn’t given much thought to it. “Well, I’m not going to be a Trainer for a couple of years still, but…” She tried to think about what she has seen and done so far on her journey.
Watching a fierce battle (and then training session then rematch) against a Gym Leader.
Saving the Professor from admittedly very boring but also slightly dangerous villains.
Helping a Vivillon grow and take back their stolen friends.
The more she thought about it the more she wanted to do. She wanted to groom more Furfrou, pick out her own Starter someday, catch a Pokémon with her own Pokéball.
“I want to do… so much. I don’t even know where to start.” Bonnie hiccuped a laugh-cry, shaking out her body afterwards as if it would shake the feelings out of her. What’s gotten into her? This journey was supposed to be a distraction, her own brand of freedom, her own secret fun. She shouldn’t have to feel sad now of all times. “I’m sorry, I’m just, I dunno but I never really had to think about it—“
“I understand.” Adrian’s shoes kicked at a stray pebble, and it bounced upon the path until it got stuck at a pothole. Bonnie kept her eyes up ahead, because she couldn’t bear looking at someone’s face right now until she pulled herself together. “I used to not know what I wanted either. My eldest brother, Matteo, he’s a professional Sky Trainer, while my second eldest brother, Valentin, he’s going to be a doctor for Pokémon that suffer from muscle problems and all that. My other brother Henri is a Pokémon Stylist, and my sister, Naomi, she’s working to get into the Pokémon Baccer World Cup. They’re all so talented, so awesome. They’re all so much more… better than me.”
Bonnie’s fingers, which were curled around the travel guide, clenched out of instinct. She wanted to just spill out the words to somebody, to let her pride ring out but also that burgeoning interest whenever she thought about her brother’s job(s). Both of them. And how Clemont was too blind to see it because he’s always been holing up in his room, and how she’s been using all of the time that they had worrying for him when he’s already worried enough. Two people worrying was better than one, right up until they both got tired of it.
She’s so tired of it. “You were prepared with this journey and you made it all the way here, and that’s not even talking about the way you look after Kuzz here. I’m sure that you'll be a great Trainer just like them. So don’t say something like that.” Her voice was harsher than she expected with the last sentence, but she couldn’t help herself.
Adrian shook his head. “That’s what everyone says.”
“So that doesn’t mean that it could be true?” She put the mini computer back into the bag softly, gently, making sure to not jostle Dedenne’s sleeping form before stopping in place and balling her hands by her side. “You haven’t even started your journey yet. You don’t know what’s going to happen. What you’ll find! What people or Pokémon you’ll be friends with!” Her voice was raw, explosive, something that she didn’t really know that she had inside her until it came out in a big rush of smoke and soot. “You don’t know anything yet, so stop being so mean to yourself already!”
The boy's eyes were wide in front of her, full of shock, and Bonnie felt her fists tighten a second more before automatically deflating. Her feet went back one step, then another, and then she found herself fleeing from the scene.
Like brother, like sister.
She really was too easy to please and even easier to scare away. Just like a Pokémon.
Somehow, Adrian found her anyway.
The rain came down in a short burst before, a light shower that left her wet and huddled underneath the dubious cover of the trees. Bonnie’s started to think that he’s got a tracker or something, a way to find her that is decidedly unwanted and most probably evil. He’s probably part of Team Rocket or something. Or maybe he’s a robot made by Clemont in order to find out her true allegiance and she just failed the test. There’s a lot of things Adrian could be that Bonnie isn’t.
Maybe that’s a good thing. She sniffed on top of the massive rock that looked like it took the place as a stand-in within a row of trees, not looking up as the boy sat next to her. Soft feathers hopped next to her feet, between the two of them, and she tried to not to look out at him either.
Adrian shifted. “You forgot your umbrella,” he started, and that didn’t sound like any one of the options she had placed in front of her. What a shame. She really wanted him to be evil so she didn’t have to listen to him.
“You can take it back. I don’t think I can help you anyways.” She cuddled the pouchette in between her knees, feeling the sides of the mini computer sandwiched between her thighs, hopefully still dry. Her body was still a little muddy and she’s sure that the others were going to notice where she’s been, if they haven’t already. She’s been gone for a while now.
“…I was thinking about what you said before.” Please, no. Bonnie stifled the sound that jumped in her throat, quickly getting up as fast as she could to disguise it. Adrian followed after her, following it up with, “And I think that you’re right.”
She stopped in place. Again.
He continued, voice as small as she was back then as a fluttering sound filled the spaces in between for a short few seconds. “I’ve just been so worried. They’ve always been around, or at least one of them has, but this time they’re all gone. I know that they’re busy. I know they still love me no matter what I do. But I just can’t stop worrying.”
“You’re wasting your journey like that.” She would know. She was sharing a top-secret quest with her brother and now she felt like she hadn’t appreciated everything that has come her way enough. Or maybe it’s that she wanted more time and knew that she couldn’t get it anyways. Either way, they are a form of goodbye that she couldn’t stand.
Adrian walked up next to her and pulled out the umbrella. Bonnie instinctively looked up, but the sky seemed to be clearing up. She shot him an annoyed look, and he beamed at her. “So you’re saying that being prepared is a good thing?”
She shook her head, trying to find a way to argue but… “No, well, not exactly. If you didn’t have me around you would’ve been stuck outside in the rain!”
“And if I wasn’t here then you wouldn’t get to see the very awesome and super cool place that we should really be getting to.” He waved the umbrella at her insistently. “So, c’mon, stop worrying yourself and come with me.”
“It was you who was worried!” she shot back, but she found herself laughing as she grabbed the item and swung it near him. “And now you’ve given me the perfect weapon to take you down with!”
“On guard, fool!” He brought out his own and crossed it against hers, his own chuckle echoing in the trees. Her grip on the item slipped and it fell onto the ground, and it reawakened a fresh batch of new laughter as she tried to grab it and block against his insistent prodding. “Take that, and that and that!”
“Hey, that’s cheating!”
“You’re the one turning your back to the enemy!”
And just like that, well, her fears were up with the rest of the cloudy sky.
“So, are you finally going to tell me where we’re going?” And now they were back on the path again, guilt quickly rising and then released by the boy beside her.
Adrian waved his hand dismissively, looking a bit more mischievous for it. “This is one thing that’s better off as a surprise.” She groaned and he snorted, trying to keep his voice down as Kuzz slept at the top of his pack. “I thought that you didn’t believe in plans and worry, Bonnie.”
“That’s when it’s about the journey and things that you can’t control,” she grumbled, pouting. “But you chose to not tell me when you know the answer.” Then she perked up. “Wait, is it an actual secret place? Like a Fairy Garden or something?”
He looked contemplative before shaking his head, trying to look serious. “We’re getting distracted. Maybe if we go faster we can get there early and then I’ll tell you everything.”
Bonnie pocketed the device and crossed her arms, staring at him pointedly. “You promise?”
Adrian put his hand up. “I give you my solemn—“
“Then I’ll be the first one there!” And she was off, running for the last stretch, feeling the free flow of air rushing by her as her laugh tinkled behind her. Adrian gawped and sputtered before his legs belated gave him a burst of speed, catching up to her and joining in on the thrill.
“Are you sure we’re going the right way?” he called over the wind.
She nudged him and said, “You’re still wasting the journey, Adrian! Look at this place! Tell me what you see!”
“I see trees and rocks and the ground and we really shouldn’t be running around in a place like— Wait, stop!” The boy slowed down as he looked over at the right. “I think… wait, I recognise that.” Bonnie slowed down and walked back, holding her hands over her knees as she peered at what he was looking at.
A blossom of flowers around a rock, tall and in five distinct colours. “Isn’t that…”
“Fla?” There was a small Pokémon that floated by, holding a flower sharing one of the shades in front of them— a pretty, deep blue. Adrian gasped as he watched the Pokémon sprinkle some glowing dust, the flowers drinking it up and growing taller and more vibrant as a result.
Bonnie turned to him, watching as his own eyes glittered with recognition. The Pokémon turned to them and chirped happily, spinning on its own flower before moving forward. Wordlessly, they followed the Pokémon as it zipped across the wind currents ahead of them, spraying golden dust below and leading them onto the path. Maybe it’d be wiser to question it. Maybe she should’ve taken pictures with the device, and hoard every memory of this, and run face first into the treasure in front of them. But she trusted Adrian right now, and her heart still ached for a journey to call her own, and even if it wasn’t fully hers it was an experience she will treasure and an experience she will always want to share within the moment itself.
So when there was a mysterious curtain of vines in front of her, all sorts of Pokémon joining in on the migration to walk past it.
Well.
What Bonnie did was obvious. Down to stepping through it at the same time as her friend.
“It was my grandfather who first found this place.”
Bonnie looked over at Adrian, watching as he tried to adjust the lopsided flower crown over his head before resting his fingers into the nook created by the curve of his legs. “He travelled around Kalos and was the one to find our home. The number one cartographer in the region, my parents said, and maybe the whole world too! …He was so cool.”
“He does sound cool,” Bonnie agreed, turning towards the Cottonee that was bumping her knees. Her fingers curled around fluff, and she could feel her stresses melt away. All her worries too. “I wish I could meet him.”
“Me too.” There were dancing Bug Types in the field, tiny specks of light bobbing across the wind. It was so precious, this moment, and she didn’t want to waste it. She wanted to enjoy it with all her heart.
The secret ceremony was over now, but Bonnie still remembered every scene of it. The magic, the sounds, the sight, the exchange. Just by following a map and working alongside someone else she managed to find something just as amazing within an hour. “Thank you,” she whispered, feeling the words slip out of her mouth.
Adrian nudged her after a few seconds. “For what?”
For listening to me. Putting up with me. Showing me this amazing sight even though I ran away from you and said mean things. “For being you.”
He laughed, and the Cottonee floated away to join its friends. “Then I guess I have to say the same to you, don’t I?”
“If you don’t want to say it, then don’t!”
“But what if it’s true?”
Bonnie opened her mouth to argue, but nothing came out. Grumbling, she stood up and dusted herself off. “You’re just like him,” she mumbled, and Adrian got up and sent her a curious sound. She thought about elaborating and the potential risks, but then she shook her head. No use worrying about everything. “My brother. You both always try to beat me when it comes to talking by acting all smart with your words.”
“Well, then maybe your brother is the best.” She turned to him and crossed his arms, and Adrian shot her a smile. “Maybe all big brothers and sisters are just cool like that.”
“Yeah.” Clemont was amazing. Is still amazing, in fact. She wished he could just look in the mirror and see it, but she’ll keep holding it in front of him for as long as it takes. Maybe she could stand to be a bit more honest too and tell it to him clearly as well. She waved at the Leavanny as it stalked towards them, remembering how ticklish it felt as it placed the leaf cape that it newly created within the ceremony around her still slightly-wet form before it patted her head and waltzed away. “So you always saw this with them?”
He nodded. “Every year. It’s a tradition that we’ve always done, although we could never give them a gift that could beat their performance. The Pokémon always liked to see us come around, and Henri used to ask them so many questions about the clothes that they make and all that.”
Bonnie wrinkled her nose as she wrapped her mind around the concept. “Do you think Pokémon can have their own clothes shop or something?” She briefly thought about Serena and her skill with clothing, and then substituted it with an image of Fennekin working with the needle and thread. It was a funny thought.
“I dunno, but I bet Henri would love to buy his clothes from them. I think this is the place that inspired him, actually.” Adrian leaned back on his hands and faced Bonnie, grinning at her when she faced him, and the changing light made his eyes look like an undulating ocean. “Do you think that I can find something just as amazing as this place on my own someday?”
She thought about today and made a show of it, putting a balled-up palm underneath her chin and making a long drawn-out sound. “Judging by today's performance and your quick thinking skills—“
“Okay, forget I ever asked, sheesh!” She laughed at him and he stuck his tongue out at her, and it felt good.
Just talking. Being with someone. Not feeling that need to hide at every second and watch every step. Adrian noticed her mood and said, “Y’know, I think us little siblings are cool too.”
“Really?” she said, without thinking.
Adrian pushed himself into a standing position. “We found this place at the right time, just the two of us and got to have so much fun! More fun than what I’m used to go through coming here, anyways. And if it wasn’t for you—“
“And if it wasn’t for you too!” Bonnie added, standing up and sticking a finger in his chest.
He grinned, conceding the point. “We both did our part, but we also helped each other as well.” He grabbed her hand and laughed at her avoidant gaze. “C’mon. Without us, our siblings will always get lost in the real world with all its boring stuff. I was almost boring too, but you helped me there. When you think about it…” And now he held in a laugh as he managed to get out, "Because I’m older and you’re younger and if we were related you could’ve been my younger sibling—”
“And get stuck with you too? Gross!” She stuck her tongue out at the thought, not even looking at him, and now that laugh burst out. He’s so weird, that Adrian. But also some of the words he’s saying was starting to stick, and she didn’t know what to do with that.
In the real world, she’s the younger sibling of Clemont, the Lumiose City Gym Leader. In the real world he lost the Gym and is trying to get it back, with everything that he could. In the real world, it’s just her brother and herself who are the only two who knew what was waiting for them if they got back to Prism Tower.
Bonnie looked up then, albeit reluctantly. “Okay, but sometimes you have to be boring and plan. So you know where you’re going and don’t get lost.” Or lose almost everything in the process, she thought.
Adrian hummed. “Well, maybe we can all help each other out, wherever we are. Our siblings, our friends, even our Pokémon…” He looked out at the group of Pokémon dancing around, a Maractus helping a tiny Ducklett sit on top of its head as they all pulled off increasingly intrinsic movements.
She watched alongside him, feeling warmth blossom in her chest. Adrian may be weird, but he wasn't wrong there. If there was one thing her quest-journey-thing taught her, it was that there was always someone else out there to help her out.
Maybe…the others can help out with the Prism Tower problem too. Just maybe.
“…This place is making you too smart, you know.” Adrian beamed at her, and Bonnie shook her head. She looked down at the device she brought out and checked the time. “We should start heading back now.”
“Okay, lemme just…” Adrian stood up and dusted his pants off, petals fluttering downwards as he then called out for Kuzz. Belatedly, Bonnie also turned around and looked for Dedenne, finding him playing around with a pair of Roselia, mini crown still on his head as he scurried over to her.
With everything they needed, they started to walk out of the hidden grotto.
(And somehow, that kernel of serenity still laid inside her heart as she walked out into the bright sunshine ahead of them.)
The hotel had beds big enough for two, and so Bonnie slept next to Serena as night fell over Dandelilly Town and the rest of the region too.
“Hey, Serena, we’re all friends, right?”
The older girl looked at her, hands still tying the bow over her own hair. “Of course we are.” She grunted as she pulled the remainder of the two strands before flicking her hair back, giving Bonnie a smile. “I’d probably even say the best of friends!”
“The best of friends? So like, best friends?” Bonnie was sitting on the ground, absentmindedly tickling Dedenne’s stomach with a finger when she stopped and looked up. Serena nodded, and that warm feeling inside grew in the child’s stomach, or her chest, or maybe just through her whole body.
Serena wiped her hands down her side before making her way to the bed. Bonnie patted her knees and Dedenne scuttled up her body to sit on her shoulder, gently rubbing his cheek next to her. It carried a faint electric zip that chased away the tiredness, for only a few seconds anyways. “I’m glad that we all met each other.”
“So am I, chouchou.” Serena bopped her nose, and Bonnie bit back a giggle. The latter waddled around the bed to sit on the opposite side, pulling the blankets over her legs and settling in before two hands dug onto her shoulders and gave her a little shake. Bonnie yelped and gave her a glare, and Serena wiggled her fingers in front of her innocently. “Just trying to scare off all the ghosts before we sleep.”
Now Bonnie is wide awake. “The ghosts? Are they actually here?” Dedenne squeaked from his perch, holding his tail up in an effort to ward off said ghosts.
Serena placed both hands over her mouth, looking both sides before leaning over towards the two, voice low and slightly menacing. “Didn’t you know… that in every hotel, there’s always one ghost haunting its very walls?” She pulled her hands away to wave it in front of them in a very un-scary manner, but that idea— that there was always more to explore, that the journey didn’t stop just because they were in a building, that a building could even hold an adventure—
(Prism Tower always got so bright in the middle of the night, a beacon that could only be seen from the outside, calling, calling, calling.)
“So that means…” And Bonnie made a show of thinking here, pushing her face up towards Serena’s, “That we can make new friends no matter where we are, right? And then maybe even make a whole ghost army too, to protect us when we don’t have a PokéCentre or a hotel nearby. Isn’t that right, Dedenne?” The tiny mouse had already ducked into the pouchette resting by the bedside cabinet, somehow finding sleep just as quickly as he disappeared. Bonnie gave him a small pat, feeling herself soften with the contact, before facing Serena again.
The older girl looked shocked for a second before melting into rueful acceptance, raising her hands up to sell the point. “Okay, you win this time!” She then playfully poked at Bonnie, adding, “But mark my words, one day I will find a scary enough story for you that you can’t reason your way out of.”
“But it wasn’t reasoning,” she called out, ducking underneath the covers to avoid or at least delay the bedtime hug that she always got, and the night was glowing, golden, brighter than the brightest star or national monument in the whole region or even world over.
(“Bonnie, let me know if Serena is trying to scare you again.”
“Wait, I want to hear the story!”
“Ash, our bedroom is at the other—”)
Dandilily was nice, sure, but the people she was travelling with were always nicer. Always nearby, always helping, always involved in their own ways, with their own thoughts and actions that no machine could ever predict in a million years. That no lone journey could replace, either.
And so, maybe, they were their own army in and of themselves, people and Pokémon all working in sync to be happy, wherever they were.
And so, maybe, Bonnie and Clemont were never truly alone. Even if they thought that they were.