Generation Z - Hoenn Alone

Chapter 29: Max-ed Out

Author's Note:

I'm baaaacckk. I always hate these author's notes where I must acknowledge my lengthy absence. Let's just say it was an exhausting summer and fall. But I'm glad to be back. Lots to come in the future. I think I mentioned a 2-part Ash and Bea story last time I was here...that'll come soon, but we needed a Bonnie chapter. As for Bonnie, last time she caught Zigzagoon after bonding with it during a storm. Before that, Torchic joined her. So let's see how her new adds are doing. Hope you enjoy.

Chapter 29: Max-ed Out

"All right, Geodude, use Rock Throw!"

"And Treecko, you use Bullet Seed!"

"Dude!"

"Treecko!"

Bonnie clenched her fists as she watched the two Pokemon move into place ahead of her, Torchic readying herself opposite them. With a deep breath, she called her own command. "Torchic, charge in with Peck and hold in an Ember! Let's go!"

"Torrr!" the Chick Pokemon cried out in response, bending her head low and running ahead. She was as determined as Bonnie had ever seen her, body tensed with anticipation of ramming right through her opponents' attacks. And, as she ran ahead, Bonnie was sure the little fire type had it in her.

She was wrong.

"Tor!"

"Zzt! Oh no!"

Bonnie winced as Torchic was thrown back, the ground in front of her exploding from Geodude's Rock Throw. The Chick Pokemon had successfully managed to barrel through Treecko's Bullet Seed, and fortunately she hadn't been struck directly by Geodude's Rock Throw, but the powerful rock attack had ultimately been too much for her to handle. As she lay in a daze in front of Bonnie, her glowing beak dimmed, the Ember extinguishing.

"Aw man!" Bonnie groaned, rushing up to her fire type, her other Pokemon joining her. "Are you okay, Torchic?"

"Tor torchic," Torchic answered in frustration, shaking herself as she managed to hop back up. Fortunately she didn't seem hurt physically. It was her pride that had been wounded. She and Bonnie had been quite proud of their initial training sessions since leaving Slateport City. The Peck and Ember combination had proven to be quite powerful so far. Roxanne had noticed a flaw in it, however, and it had just been exposed.

"Charging head on is rarely a successful strategy against experienced trainers," the Rustboro Gym Leader murmured as she approached alongside Clyde, recalling Geodude into his pokeball. "Torchic will need to be much more flexible, much like its evolved forms can be."

Bonnie frowned at that. "What do you mean?"

"Your father has a Blaziken, doesn't he? And I'm sure you've seen May's as well?" Bonnie nodded, trying to think of how those two looked in the midst of battle. They were particularly strong, though, so she wasn't sure how Torchic was supposed to compare to them at this point in her training. Surprisingly, Clyde seemed to pick up on Roxanne's point before Bonnie.

"The way a Blaziken moves its legs is its biggest strength! They don't just run straight. They build up power and jump really high, and they can be really agile and move from side to side." He seemed pretty proud of himself for his statement, and Bonnie couldn't blame him. It sounded about right to her.

"Zzt! You stole that from me!" Rotom then accused him, and Bonnie noticed an uneasy grin on Clyde's face. It didn't matter who had the information, though, she just needed to make use of it.

"So we should work on using your feet more, Torchic," Bonnie announced to her fire type. "And not just in running straight, but in all kinds of different ways."