Generation Z - Hoenn Alone

Chapter 25: Bye Bye Beautifly

Author's Note:

Well...the chapter title on this one probably has you wondering. So I think I'll just let you get to it. This one's a long one, folks. Hope you enjoy!

Chapter 25: Bye Bye Beautifly

"For your Pokemon to be calm, you must be calm. Clear your mind of idle thoughts. What do your instincts tell you?"

Bonnie took a deep breath, closing her eyes as Drake's words washed over her. She stood at the very front of the ship, the wide open sea straight ahead and below her. In the salty sea breeze above her, Wingull and Beautifly were soaring along on the currents of wind that rippled through the sails of Drake's ship. Further above them, was Drake's Flygon, gliding along as though he barely noticed the heavy wind.

When Drake had agreed to give Bonnie lessons, at least a version of lessons as they were still on a busy ship and only together until they reached Slateport City, she had not expected this. It wasn't that she was disappointed of course. She knew that almost anything Drake offered her would be useful. It was just that this had been a surprisingly taxing exercise. She'd been at it for only about a half an hour, and she was exhausted. Beautifly and Wingull appeared to be tired as well, with only Dedenne looking a little more energized, as this was an exercise more devoted to air battling.

"Training with dragon types, you find that many of your battles take you to the skies," Drake had explained before they had begun this lesson. "Of course, even if you aren't using dragon type Pokemon, it is wise to understand aerial battling techniques. If using a flying type Pokemon, you will act faster and more precise. If battling against one, you will be able to identify weaknesses and protect your Pokemon from more obvious attacks."

Already, Bonnie felt she understood a great deal more than she had before. Even with just this short lesson, she could see now, looking back on her battle with Brawly, how sloppy she had been at times. If she had understood Wingull and Beautifly's flying manoeuvres better, and ways that they could shift their balance to protect themselves from quick counterattacks, she might've been able to win much faster. It was an exciting thought, however, to know that she was already thinking of ways to improve even on battles that she'd won. She couldn't help but grin at the thought.

If I can master these exercises, Max and Sadie and all the others will have no -

"You are not clearing your mind."

Bonnie jumped at the voice, looking guiltily at Drake. How had he known her mind had drifted? "Sorry," she murmured. "I was just..."

"Getting ahead of yourself." Drake kept his gaze on the sea ahead of them, and Bonnie quickly followed suit, realizing that he was still partially performing the exercise. "You may allow your mind to drift, only once you have achieved clarity. Once you have done this, the drifting of your thoughts will be guided by your finely tuned instincts. Your Pokemon will follow your lead, and you will become one."

Bonnie didn't speak, unsure if she was even supposed to. She was trying to clear her mind, but she also wanted to listen to what Drake was saying. Fortunately, he seemed to sense she was stuck halfway, and asked if she had any questions. She took him up on that offer.

"Why is this exercise so important to do with flying Pokemon?" she asked. "Shouldn't I do it with other Pokemon as well?"

"Of course you should," Drake said, nodding as though it was obvious. "Flying Pokemon are a very good starting point. Many trainers have at least one, and are likely to battle with or against one at various points on their journey. With the unpredictability of the breeze, especially at sea, a flying type can learn a great deal of control over their mind and body, and their trainer can join in on this process."