Bonnie was walking down a sandy beach. There was absolutely nobody with her. No Clemont. No Korrina. No Dedenne. No Squishy. No Ash. No...

No, I can't think about her now. Bonnie thought bitterly as the wave hit her bare feet. It had been two days since the incident, and every time she thought about the girl in question, she was reminded of the ruthless poison assault that this...monster had wreaked on Dedenne. Bonnie was reminded of Alain's powerlessness against the might of that dragon. She was reminded of Squishy, a Legendary Pokemon nonetheless, being very afraid of these beasts. And, most importantly, Bonnie was reminded of the evil look on the face of someone she sees as a big sister. She couldn't take it anymore. Bonnie suddenly stopped and started having a mental breakdown.

"Why?" she whimpered to herself as she fell on her knees. The tears started coming down at a slow rate.

"Why did this have to happen?" Bonnie asked in a sad voice. Suddenly, there was a loud boom as lightning struck the dark sky. Rain began to pour down on Bonnie at a very fast pace. Her tears were coming down rapidly as well. Bonnie didn't seem to care one bit, as she looked up with rage in her eyes.

"WHY DID SERENA HAVE TO BE SO EVIL?! WHY NOW, ARCEUS?! WHY?!" she yelled out as she continued to sob. After a few minutes, Bonnie heard evil laughter from behind her. She gritted her teeth as she recognized the usually innocent voice of a friend who had been forcefully turned into an enemy.

"Why do I have to be evil, Blondie? That's a pathetic question coming from a pathetic little girl like you." the voice stated devilishly. Bonnie stood back up and turned around to see Serena sitting on top of Nihilego's head. Her eyes were glowing red while her body was surrounded by a purple aura. Bonnie cowered in fear at the mere sight of Nihilego. Serena laughed even harder than before.

"What's wrong? Aren't you glad to see your old 'friend', Blondie?" she asked in a mock hurt tone as she used air quotes around the word "friend". Bonnie, unable to speak, shook her head. Serena gave a pout at that.

"Aw, come on, aren't we supposed to be best buddies or something like that?" she inquired. Bonnie could have sworn that she heard annoyance in Serena's voice. Eventually, she finally found her willingness to speak.

"The old Serena is my best friend. You are nothing but a puppet for your Ultra Beasts and Lusamine to control. I DESPISE THIS SIDE OF YOU, EVIL WITCH! I WANT THE OLD YOU BACK!" Bonnie replied heatedly. To her chagrin, Serena actually smirked.

"The old me is dead, Blondie. This is me now, whether you like it or not." she stated in a deadly tone. Bonnie flinched at those words.

"Oh yeah? Well, if Squishy and I don't beat you at the League, then someone else I know will. And deep down in your heart, you know him too." she retorted as she clenched a fist. Serena cocked her head, looking curious.

"Who would even want to get in my way, little girl? You remember what happened to that pathetic excuse of a League Champion, don't you?" she asked with a cold glare. Bonnie's whole body shook in a mixture of anger and fear, but she didn't say anything. And, after once again remembering how Serena's Guzzlord knocked out Alain's Charizard in one hit, she couldn't help but wonder how anyone could beat her full team of Ultra Beasts in one battle.

"Now, if we're done here...Nihilego, Sludge Wave on the girl." Serena said with an evil laugh at the end as she stood up and backflipped off Nihilego's head, landing on her feet. Bonnie couldn't move. She was practically frozen in fear. All Bonnie could do was scream as a big wave of dark purple sludge formed around Nihilego. The tears were falling down her cheeks more rapidly now as the Ultra Beast hurled it straight at her. The Sludge Wave hit Bonnie like a truck, sending her flying into the water. The last thing she heard before blacking out was an echo of that nasty laugh.

Suddenly, Bonnie opened her eyes and sat up in a bed, screaming like a madwoman. She then looked around while struggling to catch her breath. As soon as Bonnie realized that she was in her room, she turned to the right to see Squishy and Dedenne looking at her with worry evident on their faces.

That must have been another terrible nightmare, Bonnie. You OK? the Legendary Pokemon asked as he slid over to her with him by his side. Upon closer inspection, they could see a puddle on Bonnie's pillow and a trail of dry tears on her cheeks that had soaked up her Tyrantrum pajamas. Seeing her like this made Squishy and Dedenne's hearts break. And the worst part was, they didn't know how to cheer Bonnie up. Though, after being on the receiving end of that Sludge Wave from Nihilego, Dedenne felt like he could definitely use some cheering up too.

"No, I'm not OK. And I probably won't be OK until she is back to being normal...if that ever happens." Bonnie answered with a whimper. All Squishy and Dedenne could do was look down in sorrow. Suddenly, the door opened up, revealing a very worried Clemont, who was in his pajamas, and an equally worried man. He had brown hair, eyes of the same color, and a beard and was wearing a green cap, a dark gray long-sleeved shirt with the sleeves rolled up, light gray overalls, and brown shoes.

"Bonnie, you OK, sweetheart?" Meyer asked with a really concerned expression. Bonnie just looked down at her lap.

"No, Dad, and honestly, I doubt I'll ever be OK after what happened with...her. Especially if I keep having these nightmares. And especially not as long as she stays evil." she admitted as more tears fell down her cheeks. Acting on his brotherly instincts, Clemont sat down on his sister's side of the bed and wrapped her up into an embrace, which she gladly returned.

"Bonnie, you're not the only one who's been mentally affected by Serena's turn to the dark side. I couldn't focus on my inventions yesterday. I couldn't focus on my Gym duties either. And I needed Korrina to cheer me up every now and then. But I don't think we can even compare to how Ash's been feeling lately. I mean, he's madly in love with Serena after all. He's not going to take this lying down. And he's not going to give up until it's over. And you know what? Neither should we!" he exclaimed with a determined look. Bonnie couldn't help but smile a little bit at the mention of Ash and how his attitude had rubbed off on Clemont.

"You're right, Clemont. No giving up until it's over! And this is definitely not over! Not by a long shot!" she shouted with fury in her eyes as they separated. Clemont nodded before taking two Pokeballs off his belt.

He put them in Bonnie's hands and said with a wide smile, "Good. And by the way, Happy Birthday, Bonnie. You already know the Pokemon the Pokeball in your left hand belongs to." Bonnie looked at the Pokeballs in confusion. Then her eyes widened in surprise as she held out the one in her left hand.

"No way. Is this..." Bonnie trailed off in disbelief as she casted a glance at Dedenne, whose eyes were also wide. Clemont simply nodded to confirm that it is, indeed, his Pokeball. Bonnie squealed in joy as Dedenne jumped onto her head. Meyer teared up at the sight.

"Oh, my little girl is finally becoming a Pokemon trainer! That makes me so happy!" he exclaimed as he wrapped his arms around Clemont and Bonnie's necks. After a few seconds, their faces started to turn purple.

"Dad...can't...breathe..." the siblings uttered at the same time. Squishy and Dedenne giggled a little bit as Meyer released them from his death grip, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment.

"Sorry. Anyway, there's a Pokemon in that other Pokeball too. He's way too big for this house, though, so I suggest you let him out at Professor Sycamore's lab. Speaking of which, you two should get cleaned up, dressed, and fed. Professor Sycamore, Korrina, Alain, and Mairin are waiting for us there. Plus, I heard that a certain someone is on his way over there as well." he stated with a mischievous smirk aimed towards Clemont and Bonnie at the end. They, along with Dedenne and Squishy, looked intrigued.

"Who?" Bonnie asked curiously. Meyer didn't answer, as he exited her room. Clemont and Bonnie looked at each other.

"Do you know, Clemont?" she asked, looking confused.

Clemont simply shrugged before saying, "Well, we shouldn't keep them waiting, you know?" Bonnie nodded in agreement. After getting washed up, dressed, and eating a big breakfast, Clemont, Bonnie, and Meyer were on their way over to Professor Sycamore's lab with Squishy and Dedenne in her bag. When they got inside, they were immediately ambushed by a Pikachu, who jumped on Bonnie's shoulder.

"Huh?!" she, Clemont, and Squishy gasped in surprise.

"Dedenne..." Dedenne said as he, along with Meyer, casted a knowing smirk at Pikachu. He smirked back at them before nuzzling Bonnie on the cheek. She erupted into a fit of giggles, and even more so when she felt a Sylveon rubbing her cheek on her belly.

"That tickles, you two!" Bonnie exclaimed as she kept laughing. Clemont just stared at them, bewildered. He couldn't move until he felt a kiss on the cheek.

"Morning, Clemont." Korrina whispered into Clemont's ear in a cute tone. He snapped back to attention as he turned to face his girlfriend with a smile.

"Morning, Korrina." Clemont responded with a kiss of his own on Korrina's cheek. He then looked at Bonnie, who had stopped giggling. Pikachu was still perched on her shoulder, but Sylveon had moved back to a girl with an Alolan Vulpix in her arms that he did not recognize. On her left side was a boy that he also did not recognize. However, on her right side were three all too familiar faces. Bonnie and Squishy saw them and, needless to say, were as floored as Clemont was.

"ASH?! GRENINJA?! DELPHOX?!" they exclaimed in shock. Ash, Greninja, and Delphox smiled at the siblings, their father, Squishy, and Dedenne.

"Hey, Clemont and Meyer. Happy Birthday, Bonnie!" he replied as he kneeled down to Bonnie's level and held his arms out. Bonnie saw this as an invitation and, with Pikachu, Squishy, and Dedenne on the floor, ran over to him. She wrapped her arms around Ash's waist and put her head on his chest. As he returned the embrace, Greninja and Delphox joined in on the hug, followed by Pikachu and Sylveon nuzzling their heads on Bonnie's back. Seeing them like this, Clemont couldn't help but think of the group that had made so many great memories in Kalos as a second family.

"It's so good to see you guys again! Though, I wish it was on better circumstances..." Bonnie stated as she eyed Serena's ribbon with a sad expression. Ash felt saddened at the sight of it.

"Yeah, me too, Bonnie. But at least she's here in spirit. At least I'd like to think so." he said as he remembered the night before when Serena's voice had talked to him inside his head. Bonnie smiled a little bit as they all separated.

"Thanks, guys, for being here for me. And I have to thank you too, Gary and Lillie, for being there for Ash during these hard times. And Lillie, thanks for taking care of Delphox, Sylveon, and Serena's other Pokemon. It means a lot to know that they are in good hands." she replied as she stared gratefully at Gary and Lillie. A realization dawned on Clemont as he, too, looked at them.

"Eh, it's not a problem, Bonnie. Me and Ash, or, as I like to call him, Ashy Boy, go way back. We've been bitter rivals until Ash beat me at the Silver Conference in Johto five years ago. But most importantly, we've been best friends our whole lives. And I was also a friend of Serena's at that camp. We may not see eye to eye sometimes, but I'm always there for him. Especially now, with what has happened. I can honestly say that I've never seen Ash this motivated before. And Ash-Greninja...well, let's just say that they're really scary when they're angry." Gary stated with a shudder. Ash and Greninja couldn't help but chuckle.

"Hm, it's always nice to meet an old friend of Ash's. Not to mention an old rival. And, trust me, after having watched Ash-Greninja quite a bit, I can honestly say that getting on their bad side is definitely a big no-no. Anyway, so Lillie, you're Serena's stepsister, huh?" Clemont asked curiously.

Lillie nodded before saying, "I am. Good to meet two old traveling companions of Ash's. And It's been a joy taking care of Serena's Pokemon. Snowy here gets along with them really well."

"Vulpix!" Snowy concurred with a nod.

"And Ash had told us stories about you two, Clemont, Bonnie. Is it true that you used to propose to every girl for your brother?" Lillie asked with a smirk. Clemont and Korrina's faces grew red from embarrassment while the rest of the group had a good laugh out of that.

"Yep. In fact, were it not for Korrina, I would've asked you to take care of Clemont right now. But who am I kidding? You'd make a better keeper for Gary anyway." Bonnie replied with a mischievous grin. Ash, Pikachu, Sylveon, Greninja, Delphox, Squishy, Dedenne, Snowy, and Meyer laughed even harder at a flustered Clemont, Korrina, Gary, and Lillie.

"See, what did I tell you? Bonnie is a matchmaker in disguise!" Ash stated in a teasing tone as he gave Bonnie a fist bump. Gary just rolled his eyes before wrapping his arm around Lillie's waist.

"Say, Bonnie, did you ever try to make Serena Clemont's keeper once?" he asked with a mischievous smile of his own aimed at Ash. Neither he or Bonnie could answer that one, since they were too embarrassed.

Clemont chuckled nervously before saying, "That did happen when she first arrived on the scene. Ash was too focused on his Gym battle against Viola, so he didn't know until much later when Bonnie accidentally blurted it out near the end of our journey through Kalos. Boy, you should've seen the reaction he gave her when he heard that story the first time. Ash basically wanted to strangle Bonnie! Thank Arceus Serena was around to calm him down back then." Gary gulped upon hearing that, as he remembered Brock getting beat up by Ash for flirting with Serena and helping Lusamine adopt her. Lillie was thinking about the exact same thing.

"Huh. Thinking about that story now, it's actually kind of funny." Ash admitted with a little laugh.

"Unlike the whole Brock incident." he silently mumbled to himself, still feeling angry at his old friend.

After a few minutes of silence, Clemont looked around the lab before asking, "Say, where's Professor Sycamore?"

"Oh, when we were flying in, he was getting a helicopter ready for Alola. Alain said it was for him, Mairin, and you three. Though, he also said there was room for three more. And I don't want to rely too much on my flier now. We've already done a lot of flying all over the place in the last day alone, so we accepted the seats to give her a rest." Ash answered with a smirk.

"Aw, man. I want my Froakie now." Bonnie complained with a childish pout on her face. Ash, Pikachu, Sylveon, Greninja, Delphox, Lillie, Gary, Clemont, Korrina, Squishy, Snowy, and Meyer all giggled a little bit while Dedenne, who was on her right shoulder, patted her on the back.

"You kids got it good today. When I was ten, I was late getting my starter. There were none of the regular Kanto starters left, so I had to take a very disobedient Pikachu instead. You wouldn't know that this disobedient Pikachu would turn out to be one of my best friends in the world today. Nowadays, you don't need to worry about getting up early to get your starter. The professors have batches of them available at all times, it seems like." Ash replied as he rubbed Pikachu's head. He cooed in affection.

"Yeah, Ash is right. When I was ten back in Hoenn, I had to wait for a very specific date and time to get my starter. If I didn't show up at that day and time, I would have to wait another year to get that first Pokemon and start my journey. Therefore, I probably wouldn't have gotten my Torchic, which you three now know as my Blaziken, if I hadn't showed up exactly on time. You kids are very lucky today." Meyer stated, reminiscing on his early days as a trainer.

"Oh...Then I should just be thankful for the fact that I'm waiting for my starter while Professor Sycamore is already providing us a helicopter ride to Alola." Bonnie said, looking rather mareepish. The group chuckled at that.

"Hey, in the meantime, why don't you check out who's in that other Pokeball of yours?" Clemont asked as he casted a knowing glance at Ash and Meyer. The former nodded before standing up and backing away from Bonnie. Her eyes widened in excitement.

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot!" Bonnie exclaimed as she took a Pokeball off her belt. She turned around and pressed on the white button to enlarge it.

"Come on out!" Bonnie shouted as she tossed the Pokeball up in the air. It opened up, revealing a Tyrantrum, who let out a huge roar. Needless to say, Gary, Lillie, Snowy, Squishy, Dedenne, and especially Bonnie were left stunned.

"Whoa...isn't that a FOSSIL Pokemon?!" Gary asked with wide eyes. Lillie and Snowy shook in fear at the sight of Tyrantrum.

"Yep, Oak Tree. And Bonnie, you remember this Tyrantrum, don't you?" Ash inquired with a knowing smile. Bonnie and Dedenne gasped in surprise as she walked up to Tyrantrum.

"No way. Are you the same Tyrantrum from that one lab that I befriended?" she asked. Tyrantrum nodded before affectionately licking Bonnie in the face, making her giggle. Lillie and Snowy calmed down upon seeing that.

"An openly affectionate Tyrantrum? That's...odd." Gary stated, looking astounded.

Ash smirked before saying, "Bonnie can bring out the best in a Pokemon like him. She was the one who got Squishy to trust humans again after he escaped from Team Flare, after all." Squishy nodded at those words. After hugging Tyrantrum on the nose, Bonnie looked at Clemont and Meyer, very confused.

"Wait, wasn't this that one scientist's Tyrantrum? I thought I couldn't have him." she stated as she rubbed Tyrantrum's belly. Meyer grinned.

"Last month, I received a phone call from the lab there. Tyrantrum was missing you a lot. He wanted to join you on your journey so badly that he even threatened to break his own Pokeball. So, the scientist gave him to me for free so that I could surprise you with him. Clemont's been taking care of him in that secret area of the Gym." he explained as he patted his son on the back. Bonnie nodded in understanding.

"Thanks, you two. I'll call the lab and thank them, as well." she said gratefully. Clemont and Meyer nodded back at her. Eventually, Ash came up to Bonnie with a Luxury Ball in hand.

"Hey Bonnie, have you thought about which ball you're going to capture Squishy in?" he asked curiously. Bonnie and Squishy, who was now on her left shoulder, looked at each other, confused.

"No. Why should that matter?" she asked back while eyeing the Luxury Ball. Ash smirked as he took his own Luxury Ball off his belt.

"Just recently, I got to use the Luxury Ball Serena gave me. And the Pokemon I caught loves it in there. She agrees that it is the best ball to use for a Legendary like Zygarde. Legendaries do deserve luxury after all." he answered in a mysterious tone as he held out the ball in his right hand. Bonnie and Squishy looked back at each other and nodded.

Before they could confirm anything with Ash, everyone heard the front door open and a voice shout, "ASH!" He actually growled at the sound of that voice, to their shock.

"Great. Oh, isn't this just great." Ash said in a sarcastic tone as he put the Luxury Ball in the hands of a very confused Bonnie. He then faced the girl who was running straight for him. She had blue hair and brown eyes and was wearing an orange-bluish headwear, a teal shirt with light blue sleeves, a simple orange tie, cyan shorts, long white socks, and orange shoes. Pikachu's cheeks sparked while Greninja, Delphox, and Sylveon tensed up.

"Miette, stop right where you are! You don't want to get zapped again, do you?" Ash asked in a hostile tone. Miette abruptly stopped, looking very afraid. It also didn't help that Gary, Lillie, and Snowy were glaring daggers at her as soon as Ash said her name, while the rest of the group was looking very dumbfounded.

"Ash, that's not a nice way to greet your new girlfriend." Miette stated in a hurt tone. Bonnie actually scoffed.

"'His new girlfriend?' You, as Ash's girlfriend? Get a life. Everybody here knows that you are not good enough for him." she retorted as she crossed her arms. Miette snorted at this.

"Oh really? What does that pathetic excuse of a Performer have that I don't? She's not as beautiful as I am." she replied in a taunting tone. Delphox and Sylveon both growled angrily. Ash, however, just laughed, which greatly infuriated Miette.

"Oh, Miette, you love yourself too much, don't you? Serena is much more beautiful than you will ever be. And who got to share the stage with Aria at the Master Class? Definitely not you. You couldn't even beat Serena in the semifinals. Not to mention that you've never beaten her in a Showcase overall. So, come on, call her pathetic now. I dare you. And remember the dance party? I danced a LOT better with the Kalos Queen than I ever did with you. And even though Aria was a great dancer, I still felt jealous of every boy who's danced with Serena, including Clemont. I really wanted to be out there with her, so, even though I didn't show it, when the music died out, I was just as disappointed as she was." he admitted in a passionate tone. Bonnie glared at Clemont upon being reminded of the dance party.

"What? The only reason why Serena asked me out in the first place was because of Sylveon not being comfortable around anyone except for Bunnelby at the time." he stated, throwing his hands up in defense. Bonnie sighed in defeat.

"True. Though, you wouldn't know it now, especially with how close she is with Pikachu." she said with a smirk aimed at Pikachu and Sylveon. They both blushed. Miette's mouth was hanging open after what Ash had just said.

"Geez, you weren't like this when I last saw you." she stated as she tried moving closer to him.

Miette instantly stopped at the next thing Ash said, "That was before Serena shattered my denseness into pieces with a kiss. Anyway, so you knew, didn't you?" He spoke that last line with such anger in his voice that she had to back up.

"K-K-Knew w-w-what?" she stuttered out in fear. Those who were unaware of the situation just stared at the two of them, very confused.

"YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHAT, MIETTE! Or have you forgotten about liking a certain status update from Brock Harrison yesterday?!" Ash yelled out, his eyes glowing blue. Miette suddenly turned around and tried to run away. Lillie wasn't about to let her, though.

"Delphox, stop her with Psychic!" she exclaimed as she pointed a finger at Miette. Delphox's eyes suddenly glowed a light blue as Miette became surrounded by a light blue aura. She was sent floating up in the air and back to Ash, thrashing around.

"Put me down! That's no way to treat the sister of...Oops." Miette stopped herself, but not in time, as Ash was giving her a very suspicious look.

"Sister of who?" he asked as he clenched a fist.

Miette suddenly smirked evilly before saying, "Oh, you want to know? Fine. It's your boy, Guzma! That's right, Ash, I am the sister of Team Skull!"