TEEN: Pokemon: A Marvelous Journey (COMPLETE!)

[System Error]

- Like the scenes at the beginning showing each's determinations and reasons (or lack thereof) of wanting to be there.
- Dreaming only of the League when he had no interest in it? I wonder if it was still a nightmare?
- Covering one ear in a stadium isn't really effecive. I know that.
- Well there's technically nothing wrong with instant switching or switching often, there's no rule against it.
- You know it occurs to me, what's the lore behind Aerial Ace always hitting in-universe anyway
- Man Caiseal would hate Gen 2 competitive.
- A minute long Thunderbolt? Again an attack that lasts over a minute? Sheesh. What kind of vitamins are these Pokemon taking?
- Interestin way to portray the multi-hit projective move
- Using Defense Curl to block a special move?
- Sometimes I wonder if the characters alternate attacks just for the heck of it.
- Well I mean if we're going by latest gen mechanics, they wouldn't have to worry about status for the most part anyway, since Grass types are immune to powder.
- They just stood there and took the Solar Beam without trying to do anything while it was charging?
- Peck attack? That like a Wing Attack attack?
- You know Safeguard should've still been up, probably. There might've been no need to blow it away.
- You seem to have picked up a liking for the word inundated this chapter I noticed.
- The classic explosion from non-explosive attacks.
- In before yet another double knockout and neither wins and the league is in SHAMBLES
- Like Kitsune did just now, Mallow stopped spinning his bone, <- uh what, what's with the first part, i'm Confused
- Well Fire is neutral when attacking Ground, so...
- The sudden shift in tone confuses me, as up until the Earthquake, Kitsune had been the one keeping Mallow on the ropes. Suddenly it wasn't the whole time?
- And there it is, the insane strategy. The surefire sign that someone is going to turn it around and win! I should defy that at some point in a battle...
- The expected result, although I doubted it for a second when the battle opened with Caiseal getting put on the ropes, until he suddenly wasn't all along.
- So uh did the effects of superheating the battlefield immediately fade after it was over?
- You know it suddenly occurs to me. Why didn't Julia think to buy earmuffs at any point during this? She has earplugs, but earmuffs would've been even better. Some of those can like completely silence noise.
- So what determined who was third and fourth between Geravius and Ethan, anyway?
- Oh hey resident mysterious weird with no explanation I think except maybe in Adventures Will is here.
- Welp, Mao is here. And it seems she is shady and mysterious! And may have a rivalry with Lance himself.

Well, from one set of battle hells to the next, I suppose. Expected Perrine to win especially given the difference in Caiseal's thoughts, but not always a bad thing to get what you expect. Not as much to talk about with battle chapters as usual. But hey, a new wrinkle has entered the fold. Looking forward to seeing what happens with that! And finally we're getting to the Elite Four. Rare to see it in a fic I feel, so woo to seeing that happen. Eagerly awaiting the next chapter, as always.

 

[kintsugi]

Hey! It's Christmas somewhere; sneaking in for your secret Santa! I went ahead and read up to the end of the Goldenrod arc/the National Park chapter. Bit of a preface, I always struggle with reviewing longfics that are decently far in--it's a weird numbers game of trying to get a feel for your style from chapters that are at this point 6 years old, I imagine the broader strokes of the story are pretty set in stone since they're in the League finals arc, etc. As a result for this one I found myself staying less granular--there are some typos and some gaps on grammar that I'm happy to point out, but I imagine at this point copy-editing the early chapters isn't super high on your priority list? Let me know if that was an incorrect assumption; I'm happy to roll through these in a google doc or something if you're interested in some of the sentence-level questions on prose/grammar/sentence structure.

plot
It's Johto! I admit I've done enough playthrough/bulbapedia sleuthing time to recognize some of the game dialogue as it appears, especially during the more important fights. I thought the decision to switch out rival Silver for a character who Julia knows personally is a nice touch, since it immediately gives a lot more emotional stakes and more directly explains why there could (potentially) be a redemption arc between Julia and Amara specifically (instead of the idea that Silver just,,, slowly comes around because you're just so darn good at battling people). Some insight into Julia's homelife was appreciated as well, and I like how you put in the effort to flesh out her parents as their own individual characters + how they shed light on some more of the Amara/Julia conflict that they’ve inadvertently watched brew for years. I admit I was pretty tickled when Papa Parisa's ATM lesson was just "put the card in and money shoots out", no lessons on budgeting or anything--good thing Julia's got a decent handle for that already, or else that could've gone pretty disastrously haha.

As far as game adaptations go I think they mostly ride-or-die on the characters, and the things that have changed [i.e. the bulk of the plot here is from the source material, and the unique/interesting stuff is in characters/world]--the plot itself is a little harder to nail down, but I liked the creative liberties that you took with some of the elements like Falkner taking the time to interact with the people of Violet, and I liked the little details that you added in to some of the quieter bits, like Mr. Pokemon offering cookies when you visit him. Felt very sweet! Honestly the Johto plot has a lot of room for interpretation and flex. Bits like the badge quest and the bug catching contest are nicely recapped, but my favorite parts were the newer dramas that you created, like Perrine's family and the expanded scenes in Sprout Tower.

Team Rocket is interesting in this fic, both with how they interact with Julia and how they interact with the world. I saw your author's note about goofy Team Rocket antics and I empathize with you there; the anime does sometimes have a strange habit of tone shifting between its casual plots with Jesse/James antics, and its "oops Lysandre wants to end humanity" storylines. I do think the escalation that they represent here feels a bit out-of-synch with the rest of your world though--they simultaneously have to tread this line of being really threatening but also being logically defeated by a child, and I'm not sure if that balance gets struck. The most obvious example for me was in chapter four, where the Team Rocket grunt uses a gun and opens fire on a literal child (very villainous), only to walk up to his prone target and grab her hair to [prevent her from escaping]. It's a bit confusing to read through his motivations there--I presumed that when he tried to shoot at a child that he was intending to kill her, so the (horrible but) logical next step when she stops running away is to keep shooting, right? And I mean that's definitely not the tone of the fic you wanted and the story would've ended pretty quickly, but the setup/payoff there felt off--this is a big, threatening conflict, super evil guy who is just here to punch pokemon with his bare hands (except when he whips them instead), completely down to shoot his gun at children; however, when it comes time for him to interact with the protagonist, he inexplicably has to stop following those rules (since if he didn't, Julia would lose).

It's a delicate line to walk here, but people like Mrs. Amaretto and Team Rocket feel almost comically evil, way more than the average people in the setting--to the point that it doesn't really jive with the rest of the plot. The conceit of young children being allowed to journey great distances by themselves is pretty mutually exclusive with the idea that the nation is heavily infiltrated by this gun-wielding gang of violent criminals who will not hesitate to use deadly force on anyone who stops them, including children. Lighter-hearted mediums like the anime get away with letting people camp in the woods without being attacked by pokemon/gunners because they live in a light-hearted world; if they were dark conflicts in this light world, things would feel out of place. Likewise, gritty child-shooting characters interacting with characters from that light-hearted world makes for some weird character dilemmas that I'm not sure if you wanted, because Julia has to respond in kind, and has to do violence in order to protect herself. The other bit that stood out to me from the above ch4 scene was when Julia commands Hikaru to electrocute the grunt, and then her next observation is "unfortunately he wasn't knocked out" or something--it's a very calculating, callous way to look at another human, and I do understand how his presence makes her make that decision, but it's a little jarring to read when it's from the point of view of someone who is supposed to be in the moral right. Do we electrocute criminals? Is electrically-induced unconsciousness something that can even be recovered from or would there be lasting damages? These end up introducing a lot of weighty questions that I'm not sure if the narrative wanted to deal with--is escalating violence in the case of revenge or self-defense the correct answer? Julia's big conflict for the early arcs is how she sees battling as barbaric and wrong, but scenes like this make it kind of clear that she's wrapped her head around the idea that some people are deserving of violence, while some should be sheltered from it. It's a weird moral conundrum and definitely one that feels like it belongs in a coming-of-age story, so I found it strange when these bits faded away for other plot points instead.

The other counterpoint is that for all of their implied clout/fear (they have guns! they're amputating slowpoke because they can! and because they're evil!), Team Rocket here is still wildly ineffective, since they're basically being stopped in Cherrygrove by an eleven-year old who started battling a few days ago, and in Azalea by two children, one of whom started battling a week or so ago. After the gun moment in ch4 where Julia emerges unscathed, it became hard to believe that the future fights would have higher tension--if she can dodge being shot at, it was hard to see what actually would be a threat, you know? So more guns, the arbok busting down the door--these all felt like survivable things, since we’d seen how ineffective they were before.

characters
Julia's a sweetheart! I think your portrayal of children is realistic, and you do a good job of showing how people with autism are treated unfairly--often as an afterthought/not with intentional "I don’t like these people in particular", but as a more callous and insidious type of cruelty. I found those moments to be more understandable and relatable; I know you don't really have any onus to humanize these tendencies, but as a reader those were the most interesting bits to me. There's a lot to learn in watching Perrine explain to her father that shouting upsets Julia; there's a lot less to learn when Mrs. Amoretto beats kids with rulers and then screams as she's getting arrested that this is her job and she's entitled to the right to lock kids in closets for hours on end. I agree with your author's note that these are tragic and horrible things that genuinely do happen in the real world, and I also agree that as an author you aren't obligated to humanize anyone who you think is beyond humanization--but as far as creating challenging and interesting characters, the takeaways that were more complex than "don't abuse children regardless of if you think they deserve it" provided situations that I found more compelling than "people who abuse children should be prevented from abusing children." For cases like these where the outcome is cut and dry good and bad, I thought that the more interesting parts by far are the aftermath, not the event. Questions that we have to ask in the flashback--will the woman who enjoys bullying children repent? will the good guy police officer be confused when people commit crimes?--are questions that played out to their largely singular and logical conclusions. Comparatively, questions that arise from the aftermath, where we get to see how it affects Julia and how she moves on (or doesn't)--there was genuine tension in questions like will Julia be okay from this? How will she respond? For story beats that rely on a sort of inevitable, unredeemable evil, I wish we spent more time on looking at how characters do and don't successful deal with this, rather than establishing the sheer evilness.

I didn't particularly mind the pokespeech thing, which I think you were nervous about? I like it as an extra layer that alienates Julia from her human peers, and I think it's a physical manifestation to show how sometimes she struggles communicating with humans. I wish she did more talking to pokemon rather than just listening--there's a really compelling thread in this idea that she doesn't understand humans but these pokemon have mannerisms that make more sense to her (almost literally), and I wish we got to see more of her conversing with her team, perhaps understanding them and their own struggles. For the most part they all play to their one beat pretty clearly, with everyone besides Tsubasa mostly only talking when they want to encourage Julia and reinforce what she's already thinking/should be doing. There's a pair of scenes that I found interesting where they're both described as knights/bodyguards describing their beloved princess, for example, or an early bit where Julia says that as a trainer she makes the rules and as a pokemon it's Tusbasa's duty to follow them--to me these were pretty emblematic that this was a transactional relationship rather than a friendly one. Friendships work a bit when it's clear what both parties want, and that one party's goals aren't entirely centered around the other's--I hope we get to see more of the latter in upcoming chapters!

Perrine is fun, and I'm glad that we get to see someone in Julia's court consistently. She reminds me a bit of Toph from ATLA, with a little less sass. I thought her family drama was an interesting counterpoint to Julia's own struggles, and as a figure who has to teach Julia a lot of things and also defend her from other people, I like how she's supportive while also standing up for herself.

Caiseal is actually one of the more interesting characters--not as someone I'd like to hang out with or anything; I don't like how he treats Julia lol--but per the above, I did like how he portrays the casual cruelty towards people he thinks are different. It's a horrible way for him to behave, but it feels like realistic behavior that wouldn't be uncommon in the real world, and the challenges he presents in narrative are a lot more interesting for Julia to have to struggle against, because what he does is still wrong but it doesn't immediately have to resolve with him being arrested. Some of the issues I think could be bridges that Julia could eventually cross--for example, "you can't actually talk to pokemon" is easily provable, the same way that Julia was able to prove it to Perrine (just have him tell his pokemon something he knows Julia can't know, like he picks a random number from 1 to 1 million, and if she can answer it after talking to his pokemon). And some of those issues are things that I think Caiseal could actually grow back from, and become a better person, which imo makes him narratively interesting.

Amara's a good antagonist to challenge Julia's soft-spokenness, and there's definitely something to be said about their family dynamic making things strained. From the sound of things, Amara had a lot of trauma of her own (Chanel?) that I imagine her parents weren't really able to help her deal with. She's isolated in a different way from Julia, but she's definitely lonely as a result, and I was interested in seeing her future encounters. I like what she brings to the table as far as contradicting Julia's gradual lesson that pokemon battling isn't inherently violent--because when Amara's on the field, it kind of is! For everyone, including Julia.

It's a fun cast of people to bounce off of one another, and definitely one of the shining points of the fic here. I thought it was an interesting structure where most of the secondary characters are the ones doing the most learning--Perrine's father has to relinquish his controlling nature, Falkner re-evaluates his perspective on trainers, presumably Caiseal will get over himself--it makes the cast feel a lot wider than Julia when they're doing their own arcs, which I thought was neat.

world
Bit of a mixed bag! I think worldbuilding is naturally difficult with child narrators, because they aren't going to be interested in a lot of the nuts and bolts of how a world functions, and it can be hard to get those bits of setting to come up naturally when the narrator isn't looking for it. Plus, kids will probably see things differently in terms of morality, a just world, things functioning fairly--it's hard to tell a story primarily from Julia's perspective without inherently leaking some of her views onto it. As a result, a lot of my questions are for background things, things that Julia might not look at, and as such questions that are inherently difficult to answer in the course of the narrative:

I struggled to wrap my head around what the ramifications of being blacklisted actually meant. Presumably it's a tool that's been put in place to ensure that abusive trainers can't battle/harm pokemon, which is a good thing to have in dicier, trust-based situations where people mostly have to rely on the child trainer's word that they aren't going to hurt anyone. But the blacklist seems pretty toothless at actually stopping any abuse from happening, given Amara's continued presence in the plot as a trainer. Does the blacklist just prevent her from being able to receive a starter from Professor Elm? I find it strange that this kind of information isn't disseminated to gym leaders or pokecenters as well, since that's a much more guaranteed way to find and bar abusive trainers from participating in the League. Plus, as Perrine's flashback chapters show, you can get a pokemon without it needing to be a registered starter from the lab, and for people who don't live near New Bark/can't make the trip I can imagine that's a more tempting option. Narratively, it also rings a little hollow, since there's a huge deal put on Amara being blacklisted, but no one actually does anything to stop her and it's not like she has to do anything different from a standard trainer. She still gets to show up to Sprout Tower and Whitney's gyms and talk about what a piece of shit they all are, and it's not like any of the people in charge there are trying to stop her even though they can see that she's a pretty harsh battler--Julia's the one who has to run in and point out that she's that super famous Elm-tasing totodile-stealing blacklisted trainer. So the main defense against abusive training practices seems very easily sidestepped by abusive trainers, and it's not like Amara's a particularly unique person except that she's willing to resort to more violence/property damage than everyone else; it seems like pretty much anyone could circumvent this blacklist. This was particularly discordant for me when we saw that Whitney was aware that Perrine's parents were looking for her: to me it suggests that certain issues are important enough to get to gym leaders, but this blacklist violation (from a girl who assaulted a professor!) isn't enough.

And even then the characters don't really do much in the way of intervention; I did think it was pretty strange that no one would step in to stop Julia/Amara's fight in the pokecenter, especially when it gets super violent. There's a running trend of apathy and unwillingness to help others that leaks in from the side characters--the fight between Julia/Amara in Goldenrod doesn't have any bystander interference as well, for example; the principals and teachers in Julia's school all seem very complicit in Mrs. Amoretto's abuse, even if they aren't actively perpetrating it. It's a pessimistic portrayal of group behavior, and not one that's entirely unrealistic--a lot of things in our world could've been stopped if enough people just got together and said enough--but it again feels at odds with the rest of the world that you've built, where for the most part things are fine and happy. Part of this, again, I think ties in with the child narrator, as it's easy from Julia's POV to want everything to be fine even in the face of overwhelming evidence that it isn't, but I'm not sure if this line was balanced very clearly. The world feels very cheerful and idealistic, except when it doesn't.

The other conundrum I saw was in the worldbuilding about pokemon training. It's an interesting question to wrestle with, and framing it across an abused girl and her abusive sister is a good way to immediately ground these conflicts of power and manipulation in something that Julia is intimately familiar with. It makes sense that she's got a skewed view of things and I think you do a good job of portraying her doubts/hesitations with battling (attacking Team Rocket notwithstanding). And I think Falkner's book presents a case that training could be fine if there were a way to ensure that no Bad Trainers are allowed to abuse the trust that has developed between pokemon and humans. But Amara's presence in the story, and the free reign that she gets over Johto [despite her being labelled as aforementioned Bad Trainer legally], seem to directly contradict that, as do the plethora of evil Team Rocket people punching jigglypuff, sawing off slowpoke tails, and whipping cyndaquil--this is not a Johto that seems adequately equipped to protect pokemon from abuse. Likewise the backstory that pokemon would murder each other without the presence of trainers to provide population control of a sorts falls a bit flat when all of the pokemon (besides Tsubasa) are super happy to hang out with one another and aren't constantly at each other's throats. Is this something we're to take at face value, or is this another instance of history books being written by the victors?

Some smaller questions: Elm's interest in the egg confused me--Falkner has a togetic, so it's not that the species is rare (and presumably the togetic had to come from a different egg as well); and the daycare people gave him the egg from their vast collection of eggs, so it's not that eggs are rare. Julia mentions just throwing banana peels in the woods because there's no trash cans--do they not teach Leave No Trace to children even though there's widespread camping/travelling culture? It's not even that it's anything heavy or hard to carry; Julia just mentions that there's nowhere convenient to put it, and Perrine just goes along with it. This just seems like such a blatant disregard of Being Outside 101--if Julia's a warmer-hearted person than the average trainer, and she's still flinging her trash around to poison local wildlife populations, then surely the routes would be filled with trash?

general
This is a cute story and I like the direction/motivation for why you’re telling it. There’s certainly something to be said about journeys helping us learn about ourselves and each other, and that idea is at the core of the pokemon franchise--so it’s fun to look at these issues with girl vs world dead in the face here. I found myself appreciating the lighter bits, where they aren't getting shot at or having arbok bust down their door to eat kids--these were areas that matched Julia's emotional struggles a bit more aptly, and that felt like the kind of story where she'd benefit the most from being in/learning from. I thought that your cast of pokemon side characters were a lot of fun in the moments we got to see of them, and little details like Tokiko having Opinions on Tsubasa bullying other pokemon, or cubone playing baseball during the Whitney fight(*), were cute bits of humor that felt at home with Julia's outlook on the world. There were also some cute worldbuilding details like the Mt. Silver hairstyle being similar to the real life Mt. Fuji one that I thought helped make the world feel a little fleshed out.

I thought that the adaptations of some of the game elements were really clever, and it’ll be interesting to see some of the future plot points played out in this world too--Rocket Radio takeover with guns? Ho-oh or Lugia? There are some interesting balls up in the air and it’ll be interesting to see how Julia specifically ends up dealing with them!

(*) this is really silly, but that image of Mallow playing baseball really stuck with me. Initially I wanted to draw someone from Julia’s team but Mallow was just soooooo cute hahaha--he’s a star! happy holidays, and have a great new year!

Spoiler

 

[Juliko]

Awww, thanks so much for the art! That looks great! And thanks so much for your comments. Yeah, I admit the earliest chapters aren't the best, and everything you've pointed out I've already heard lots of times before, so your concerns are totally valid. When I finish the Johto arc, I might go back and adjust those, and your comments gave me a lot to think about. I'm glad you liked the story, though! Feel free to read more if you wish!

 

[Juliko]

Chapter 71: The Will of a Psychic

Gladys took a sip of some cold lavender tea, reveling in the silence. She sat at one of three round tables in a break room inside the Pokemon League office. Said office was only a fifteen minute walk from the Pokemon Center, which was normally something Gladys liked. But with Pokemon League Village being located on higher ground and the frigidity of the December air made colder by the higher altitude, Gladys was just happy to be in a warm place for a bit. But even with the heater on, and a small, portable one by her feet, her body shivered, and she took another sip of her tea.

"I wonder if I should have drank it hot?" Gladys wondered aloud. Her blue flower painted tea cup made a clinking sound as it scraped against the matching plate it came with. She rested her cheek in the palm of her hand, and she kicked her legs up and down. Now that the League was over, the winner, Perrine, was going to challenge the Elite Four. Part of her was excited. If Perrine were to get past Will, Gladys would have her first official battle against a winner of the League. But she could feel nervous butterflies in her stomach. Anything could happen.

As she was lost in thought, the door opened, and Will came walking in, silver thermos in hand. "Bonjour, Gladys!" He greeted her with melodramatic flourish, putting on a faux Kalosian accent as he pointed his thumb and index finger outward, making the shape of a gun with his free hand.

Gladys turned around and smiled. "Good morning, Will."

Will sat right down across from Gladys, placing his thermos down as he rummaged through a purple bag he brought with him. He glanced over at the clock, noting it was seven thirty. "It's rare to see you here this early."

Gladys nodded in agreement. "Eh, I got up at six thirty and couldn't get back to sleep, so I thought I'd come here for a change of scenery," She explained with a noncommittal shrug. "I'm wondering if it's nerves or something."

"I know that feeling," Will replied as he unwrapped a granola bar and took a quick bite. "Last night's closing ceremony did get a little raucous, so I don't blame you for wanting some peace and quiet."

"Today's your battle with Perrine, right?" Gladys asked.

"Mais oui!" Will exclaimed.

Gladys gave a light chuckle. "It's pronounced 'meh wee,' not 'my wee,'" She politely corrected him.

"Whoopsie!" Will playfully bonked himself on the head with one fist.

"Do you have any particular strategy planned out for your battle today?" Gladys asked.

"Mmm...not really," Will replied, giving a noncommittal shrug. "A lot of my strategies incorporate inducing confusion and sleep, damage reduction, and dealing damage when one leasts expects it. Based on what I've seen of that Perrine girl, it seems like she usually relies on beefing up her Pokemon's damage output as much as she can. I mean, what other trainer has their Pokemon use fire attacks on themselves to make said attacks even stronger?"

By that, Gladys knew he was talking about how Perrine had Kitsune use her fire attacks on herself to activate Flash Fire. Even she had to admit that was a creative way to make a Pokemon's attacks stronger. Of course, doing that could only get so far in battle. She used a spare spoon she had on her to stir some sugar into her tea.

"By the way," Will spoke again after he finished his granola bar. "I notice you stopped MCing with Mr. Goodshow during the matches. If it's not rude of me to ask, is there any particular reason?" He asked.

It was Gladys' turn to shrug. She scrunched her shoulders as she shrunk into her seat, averting Will's inquisitive gaze. "Well...it's embarrassing to admit, but I've been told that my attempts at commentary came across as a little too biased," She confessed shyly. "Mr. Goodshow meant well in his critique, and he was nice about it so I'm not angry or anything. But in all fairness, I was never very good at speaking in front of a crowd, even during my youth, so I asked if I could drop out of being a commentator, and he said yes."

Will could only flash a reassuring smile. "You did the best you could, and that's all that matters," He told her before pulling out a cup, uncapping his thermos and pouring a beverage of his own. "Nobody's perfect. You should have seen me when my psychic abilities first developed. Everything I tried to touch seemed to fly across the room and break."

"Oh my!" Gladys exclaimed. She could imagine a boy's eyes glowing, and dishes and china flying everywhere, breaking into pieces.

Will could only give a sheepish laugh. "I got scolded fairly often for that, even though a lot of those were accidents," He confessed. "Luckily, once I started to get a better hold on my powers, that stopped. But my mother's expensive china were all casualties of my inability to control my powers."

Gladys flashed a sympathetic smile. "I can imagine."

The two of them chatted and drank their respective beverages for a few minutes, savoring each other's company. Not long after, Karen walked into the room. Will was the first to notice her. "Salutations, Karen!" Will waved to her right away.

Karen put a hand on her hip. "Good morning, you two."

"Would you like to join us?" Gladys asked, pointing towards an empty chair at her table.

"I'd like to, but I can't stay," Karen replied, glancing towards Will. "Hey, William. Lance says you need to get your butt over to the auxiliary stadium," She pointed her thumb towards the door. "He needs to talk to you about some stuff before your battle with Perrine at nine."

It was rare for anyone to drop Will's real name, but Gladys knew them long enough that Karen usually said it when she wanted him to do something. Or whenever somebody wanted to mess around. Will gathered his things and stood up from his chair.

"Looks like even a psychic like me can't afford a minute to relax. I'll catch you later, Gladys!" Will waved as he left the break room, following Karen from behind.

Gladys waved back with a smile. Now that she got to spend some time with him, she started to feel a little better. She stretched her arms and legs outward before standing up and gathering her things. It may be early, but there was still a lot of preparation that needed to be done before the upcoming battle.

***

Down at the Pokemon Center, the kids and their parents had gathered outside. Violet wrapped her arms around Caiseal tightly, and fresh tears streaked her face. "Noooo! I wanna stay longeeeer!" She cried.

"I know, Violet, but we have to get back home today," Yvette told her. "School starts back up tomorrow, and it won't be long before you can see him again."

Violet gave a sniff before she reluctantly let go. Caiseal didn't blame her for breaking into tears like that. After the awful way they had been separated the last time they reunited, he wondered if that incident left some kind of nasty wound that made her think any separation from him would be permanent. Earlier, Geoffrey left to get a car they rented so they could get back to Blackthorn City, and Caiseal knew it wouldn't be long before he'd get back. He didn't want to part with his sister on a sour note like last time. He flashed a smile and kneeled down to her level.

"Hey there. Don't be sad," Caiseal gently used his finger to wipe some tears away. "As soon as Perrine's done battling the Elite Four, I'll come right back," He told her reassuringly. "How about this? When I get back, I'll order us a big pizza, with extra drippy cheese just the way you like it. You can show me your Teddiursa, too."

"Yeah! That sounds super fun!" Julia chimed in cheerfully, figuring out what he was trying to do.

After a brief second, Violet used her sleeve to wipe her tears away and flashed a grin. "Okay. I really do want you to see Teddiursa," Violet said, glancing at Julia when she said that.

Julia instinctively knew why Violet stole a glance in her direction and smiled back at her.

Caiseal gently put his hand on Violet's head, stroking her hair. "Now be good, do what everyone tells you, be sure to brush your teeth, do your homework, and don't talk to strangers. If you see Fergus or Nollaig around, run and get Yvette or Geoffrey. 'Kay?"

Violet gave a vigorous nod.

Not long after, a black rental car pulled up, and Geoffrey rolled down his window. "Alright! Is everyone ready?"

Yvette took a minute to give Caiseal a hug. "Sorry we can't stay, but I hope you guys have fun."

"Sure we will. I'll let you know when I'm coming back," Caiseal told her before running to the car door and letting Geoffrey give him a quick hug.

It wasn't long before the Ashers and Violet were inside, waving to Caiseal as the car drove away. Violet in particular shouted her goodbyes as loud as she could. The kids waved back, wishing them well on their trip back to Blackthorn City. After the car disappeared, Julia checked the time on her PokeGear.

"It's about eight thirty," Julia told Perrine. "Do you think you should head to the other stadium now?"

Perrine shrugged. "Might as well. I don't want to be late for my match."

"I can't wait to see your battle with Will! I bet it's gonna be awesome!" Ethan effused, balling his hands into fists in his excitement.

While the Pokemon League had plenty of stadiums, it also had another stadium that was directly connected to the league office. Confined within a blue dome-like building, it was referred to as the auxiliary stadium, and made to resemble a Pokemon gym. Similarly to actual Pokemon gyms, the auxiliary stadium only allowed a certain amount of people inside, mainly to accommodate reporters, interviewers, and cameramen so they could have enough room to record the battles. It was a fifteen minute walk from the Pokemon Center, and the kids shivered as they made the short trek, even with their winter coats on.

When they arrived at the blue dome, they approached the front door, which had two security guards flanking it on each side. "Good evening, Miss Perrine," One security guard, a muscular man with sandy blonde hair, greeted her by tipping his hat. "May I see your trainer ID?"

She flashed her ID, along with her gold medal just in case. The other guard pulled out a notepad and began writing something down. "Alright, so four guests…" He muttered.

"Go on inside. All guests are to sit at the top of the bleachers," The blonde security guard said, pointing to one set of bleachers on the left side of the battle room. "Perrine, take your position at the battlefield. "Your opponent will be out in a second."

A large, rectangular battlefield with a PokeBall drawing in the middle spread out before them, with steel bleachers on both sides of the brightly lit room. The battlefield was only slightly smaller than the one in the stadiums. Caiseal knitted his eyebrows. It didn't look any different from a regular Pokemon gym.

"I thought this would look a bit fancier," Julia mused out loud.

"Me too," Ethan agreed, crossing his arms. "But gyms aren't exactly known for having decorations."

Perrine walked over to her trainer box, wondering where Will was. Just as she took position, the lights dimmed, and one particular spotlight danced across the battlefield, with everyone looking on in wonder, mouths agape. What in the world was going on? After a few seconds, the spotlight pointed towards a large set of double doors in the back of the room. Said double doors swung open and a mysterious looking man appeared, striking a pose, with one hand on his mask, and the other outstretched, holding a white rose in his hands. The man then tossed the rose and began doing back flips towards the battlefield, the spotlight following him the entire time. Once he got close, he gave a great leap, spinning three times in mid-air, his cape trailing behind him like a comet, before landing on his trainer box with both feet, arms akimbo.

As unexpected as the theatrics were, everyone couldn't help but clap, save for Julia who just watched in silence.

"Salutations, dear challenger!" The man cajoled cheerfully. "And welcome to the Pokemon League! I hope you don't mind the exciting welcome!" He gave a dramatic spun and pointed towards the spectators, giving a wink in their direction.

"Not at all, Will," Perrine replied. "I like a good show."

Will gave a mock frown. "Hey! As much as I like trainers who do their research, at least grant me the chance to introduce myself!" He exclaimed with melodramatic flourish, swinging his arm around like he was in a show. "A descendant of psychics and magicians for centuries, hailing from faraway lands," He flung his cape with equal amounts of flourish like he was some sort of superhero. "And a member of the distinguished Elite Four, I am William Absalom Gauthier Judicael Hertz VII!"

Everyone exchanged confused looks. "Is he...always like that?" Rocio asked sheepishly.

"I have no clue," Ethan answered, equally unsure.

Unlike them, Perrine was unfazed. She simply smirked and gave a slow clap. "Nice performance there, Will."

"In all seriousness, I'm very much looking forward to today's battle with you, Perrine!" Will told her, adjusting his mask a bit. "I admit I've only been in the Elite Four for a few years, after Lance took the title of Champion, but I've heard plenty of stories about your aunt. After seeing you battle in the League these past couple weeks, I can tell you're a strong trainer in your own right."

Perrine could feel her cheeks burning from the praise, but she reminded herself that this was no time to be swooning over the Elite Four. This was going to be a serious battle. She couldn't let a few compliments give her a swelled head.

"I assure you, sir, I can easily back up those claims," Perrine said, pulling out one PokeBall.

Will shrugged. "But whether your Pokemon are strong enough to defeat mine, we'll have to see."

It was here that Julia noticed something was missing. "Isn't there supposed to be a referee?" Julia asked.

"The Elite Four don't use referees," Caiseal explained.

Having overheard their conversation, mainly because there weren't a lot of people which meant he could hear Julia talk, Will couldn't help but chime in. "Tis true!" Will confirmed with a snap of his fingers. "We, the Elite Four, are skilled enough to know whether our Pokemon are able to continue battling or not without the need of a referee," He explained before turning back to face Perrine. "The rules are simple. Each match will be three-on-three. You can make substitutions while I can't, and the winner will be decided if the opponent's Pokemon are all defeated."

Fair enough. Perrine spent years researching the Elite Four, from watching videos of their battles to reading anything that happened to feature them. Books, autobiographies, interviews, magazine articles, web pages dedicated to them, and so on. Doing that for years gave her a good idea of every Elite Four member's battle strategies. Of course, that in and of itself wouldn't guarantee victory, as the Elite Four were the strongest trainers in all the region. Even so, having that knowledge would be useful, and it was better than going in completely unprepared.

"Now, ladies first! Care to choose your first Pokemon?" Will said.

Perrine wasted no time. "Sure! Florian, I choose you!"

Florian materialized onto the battlefield, shaking the petals around his neck with fervor.

"A Meganium…you've got good taste!" Will took a minute to pull a PokeBall out. "I call forth Espeon!"

A white light shot out from his PokeBall, materializing into an Espeon with sleek fur and clear eyes. Julia couldn't help but be reminded of Lucretia when it appeared. Unlike Lucretia, who had her jeweled collar, Will's Espeon wasn't wearing anything.

"I think now's a good time to begin, don't you think?"

"Dibs on the first attack!" Perrine swung her arm outward. "Florian, start off with Razor Leaf!"

Florian shook the petals around his neck once more, sending a barrage of sharp leaves flying towards Espeon.

Will pointed to the ceiling. "Espeon, dodge!" As ordered, Espeon deftly avoided the leafy onslaught, whether it be hopping to the side, jumping up, crouching downward, or doing backflips. "Now use Psybeam!" He commanded. Once the leaves dissipated, the red jewel on Espeon's head glowed red before firing a similarly colored beam of light.

"Light Screen!" Perrine shouted. A rainbow hued wall of light materialized out of thin air, floating right in front of Florian to keep the attack at bay. After the beam dissipated, the glowing wall dissolved into Florian's body, outlining it in light for just a moment. "Now use Bulldoze!"

Florian jumped high in the air before landing back on the ground with such force that it shook the battlefield. Before Espeon could attempt to dodge, parts of the ground jutted out from underneath it, sending it flying. Will barely reacted, keeping his arms crossed and watching his Pokemon like a neutral look on his face. It didn't take long for Espeon to reorient itself by doing a flip in mid-air before landing gracefully on its feet.

"Nice recovery, Espeon! Use Swift!" Will exclaimed.

"Hold it off with Petal Blizzard!"

Espeon crouched down to the ground, opening its mouth to fire a flurry of stars. Florian did the same, shaking his neck petals and generating a harsh blizzard of flower petals that sent the barrage of stars flying in every direction. Most of the petals struck Espeon point blank, and were too fast for Espeon to try and dodge. Gradually, the attack dissipated, but a myriad of small cuts dotted Espeon's once silky lilac fur. Oddly enough, Will didn't seem to show much concern.

"It'll take more than that to bring my sweet Espeon down!" Will waved his index finger back and forth before pointing towards Florian. "Use Double Team!"

The purple feline began running at breakneck speed, glowing white and generating copies of itself that circled around Florian.

"Don't let Espeon throw you off!" Perrine shouted. "Use Vine Whip and find the real one!"

Florian didn't hesitate. Two long vines sprouted out from his neck, sweeping across the battlefield. All the Espeon projections faded upon contact except for one on Florian's left. The attack struck Espeon on the face, but the lilac feline held its ground.

"Now, it's time to get this show started!" Will proclaimed with his usual melodramatic flourish, snapping his fingers. "Espeon, use Telekinesis!"

Espeon sat down, the red gem on its forehead glowing bright. Florian attempted to move, but a purple outline spread across his body. The green sauropod's limbs refused to budge. Then, Florian found himself being lifted into the air.

"Florian!" Perrine cried out, remembering Caiseal's battle with Ethan. With Florian being completely immobile, he was a sitting Psyduck. Light Screen was still in effect, and any damage Florian would sustain from special attacks would be slightly mitigated, but Espeon could still get the upper hand.

Will pointed to the ceiling. "It's time...for Psychic!"

Once again, the gem on Espeon's head glowed, but purple instead of red. Espeon took a moment to charge the attack before firing a large, purple ray of light that struck Florian head on. The green sauropod let out a pained cry as the attack struck. When the light dissipated, Florian was still up in the air, covered in fresh singe marks, but his eyes were open and he was still alert. Perrine heaved a sigh of relief. But this wasn't the time to relax yet. Florian was in a bind, and she needed to figure out some way to have him land some hits on Espeon. If not to break the Telekinesis, then at least to keep Espeon from moving.

Keep Espeon from moving...a light bulb flashed in Perrine's head. If Florian couldn't free himself from Telekinesis, there was another way to get the jump on Espeon.

"Florian! Wrap your Vine Whip around Espeon!" Perrine shouted.

"Dodge and use Swift!" Will shouted back.

Green vines shot out from the flower around Florian's neck, moving so fast that the purple feline couldn't react fast enough to dodge. One vine coiled around Espeon's tail, the other around its body. Espeon was able to open its mouth and fire another Swift. Perrine smirked. She had a remedy for that one.

"Fire back with Razor Leaf!"

Razor sharp leaves flew out from Florian's flower petals, breaking the glowing stars into pieces, with several of them managing to strike Espeon head on. It helped that since the vines coiled tightly around Espeon, the purple feline couldn't avoid the attack, nor free itself from the vines. The leafy barrage inundated Espeon, and the purple feline could feel the sharp leaves cutting into its skin, unable to escape.

"Now, throw Espeon as hard as you can!" Perrine cried out.

Mustering all of his strength, Florian used his vines to lift Espeon high in the air. Unleashing a loud battle cry, Florian spun Espeon around before throwing the purple feline right back onto the battlefield. Upon Espeon hitting the ground, the purple outline around Florian vanished, and the green sauropod landed feet first back onto the battlefield. The Telekinesis had finally broken!

"We're finishing this!" Perrine was not going to waste this opportunity. "Florian! Body Slam, let's go!!"

Florian gave a heave before jumping high into the air. Espeon attempted to stand up, but jolts of searing pain shot through its legs from the cuts they sustained from Razor Leaf. But Espeon stole a sidelong glance towards Will, who gave a nod. Espeon tried to walk away, but its tired legs couldn't sustain its weight. Florian descended right down, letting gravity take over, slamming so hard onto Espeon that his entire body covered the feline from head to toe. For several tense minutes, there was no movement. Florian rolled over to get a better look. Down on the ground lay Espeon, whose eyes glowed blue for just a moment before they closed, and the purple feline went limp.

"Awww yeah!!" Perrine couldn't help but cheer, spreading her arms akimbo and jumping up and down. Florian stood back upright and gave a delighted warble.

"Great job, Perrine and Florian!" Rocio stood up and clapped. "I'm so proud of you both!"

"She managed to defeat one of Will's Pokemon!" Julia exclaimed.

"One of Will's Pokemon," Caiseal reminded her, his expression neutral and stoic. "Florian still took a lot of damage, and Will still has two Pokemon left."

"Things will only get more challenging from here on out," Ethan chimed in.

Without a word, Will called his fallen Espeon back to his PokeBall, flashing a reassuring smile. "Great job, my friend. Take a good rest," He swapped Espeon's PokeBall out for another. "The fact that you beat one of my Pokemon is impressive!" Will complimented, waving his index finger from side to side. "But victory is still a long ways away from you! Come on out, Jynx!"

A lone Jynx appeared on the battlefield with a smile on its face. Perrine clenched her teeth. An ice type. That meant Florian had a type advantage. Kitsune would be the best Pokemon to use against it.

"Florian! Do you want me to switch you out?" Perrine asked.

Oddly enough, Florian shook his head no.

"Are you sure? Jynx has a type advantage over you, and you're still hurt from Espeon's attacks earlier."

Florian gave a reassuring nod. Perrine smiled again. "Want to fight to the end, huh? I guess there's no point in stopping you."

Will snapped his fingers. "A trainer respecting their Pokemon's judgment is deserving of respect themselves!" He exclaimed. "But that can also wind up being one's undoing!" He pointed right towards Florian. "Jynx? Be a dear and use Ice Punch."

"Jynx!" The human shape Pokemon lifted a single fist in the air, and a turquoise light emanated from it. Once it began glowing, Jynx ran straight towards Florian, ready to punch his lights out.

"Stop it with Vine Whip!" Perrine commanded.

As ordered, Florian shot his vines outward, coiling them around Jynx's arm and pulling it down so suddenly that the human shape lost her footing. Jynx fell to the ground, and she tried to pull her arm out from the vines, but they were coiled around it so tightly, it wouldn't budge.

"Now, Petal Blizzard!"

The green sauropod conjured a harsh wind of flower petals that inundated Jynx in every direction. The roar from the floral gale was similar to that of a tornado passing through. Everyone on the bleachers snuggled closer together, with the boys in particular holding their arms over their faces to protect their eyes from the harsh wind. It wasn't long before the floral storm died down, and...Florian gaped when he saw Jynx smiling.

"Jynx? Care to use Lovely Kiss?"

Using its free hand, Jynx blew a kiss towards Florian, with the attack taking the form of a pink heart that floated aimlessly. Florian's eyes shrunk as it got closer, and he quickly uncoiled his vines to try and move away. But the kiss gained speed and as soon as Florian withdrew his vines, the heart hit his nose, disappearing into a cloud of sparkles. Florian's vision blurred, and he could no longer keep his eyes open. The green sauropod grew lethargic, unable to keep steady, and fell on his side, deep in sleep.

"Florian!" Perrine cried out.

Unfazed by the younger trainer's worry for her Pokemon, Will snapped his fingers. "Time to wrap this battle up!"

The air in the stadium grew tense. Florian could sense it. All of a sudden, eight rainbow spheres of light magically materialized out of thin air, all of them firing beams of energy right at Florian. The green sauropod cried out as psychic energy inundated him in all directions.

"What in the world?!" Perrine yelped. What attack was this?

Unfazed by his opponent's shock, Will winked and waggled his index finger. "Just before your Florian defeated him, I secretly had Espeon use Future Sight! My Pokemon never go down without a fight, and you'd do well to remember that."

It wasn't long before the psychic energy blasts faded, and Florian, covered in burn marks and unable to keep standing, fell to the ground with a groan. Perrine blanched. There was no possible way Florian would have been able to withstand that attack. Will seemed to realize it as well, as spun around once and winked towards Perrine.

"Woohoo! My first victory of the day!" Will crooned.

In response, Jynx held her arms up and began swaying her body from side to side as though she were dancing.

"Awww no. Poor Florian lost," Julia's brows knitted together, her heart going out to the fallen sauropod.

"He did his best, and Perrine still has two Pokemon left," Rocio reminded her.

"I have a feeling I know who she'll use against Jynx," Caiseal said.

Perrine called Florian back to his PokeBall. "You did great, buddy. You deserve a nice long rest," She whispered before swapping him out for another PokeBall. She knew exactly who she wanted to use against Jynx, and she gave a smirk before arching her hand outward. "Kitsune! Come on out!

Kitsune materialized onto the battlefield in a perfect sitting position. But as soon as she saw the Jynx in front of her, she immediately stood on all fours, her tails arching upward, ready for battle.

"Mmm. Not surprising. Might as well roll with it!" Will started the battle again with another snap of his fingers. "Jynx! Use Confusion!"

Jynx's eyes glowed purple, and a similarly colored outline glowed from her body. The human shape held her arms upward once more as circular waves of light shot out from her eyes.

"Dodge and use Flame Burst!"

As soon as the light waves came close, Kitsune did a graceful backflip, evading the attack. She landed feet first before shooting a sphere of fire in Jynx's direction. As soon as it got close, it exploded, sending fire all over the place. Jynx couldn't avoid it in time, and the flames scorched her hair and body. But it wasn't enough to knock Jynx out of the battle.

"Alright, use Flamethrower on yourself!" Perrine cried out.

Kitsune lifted her head all the way up and unleashed a stream of fire, allowing it to rain down on her and completely envelop her from head to toe. It wasn't long before the fire dissolved into her body, and Kitsune felt more energized than before.

Will crossed his arms and shrugged. "While I commend how you use your Pokemon's attacks and ability to make it stronger, brute strength alone won't cut it!" Will proclaimed, spreading his arms akimbo once again. "Jynx, dearie! Use Psychic!"

Once again, Jynx's eyes glowed purple. Jynx held both arms into the air for just a moment, her hair defying gravity as psychic energy pooled into her eyes. Then, Jynx pointed both hands towards Kitsune as purple rays of light shot out from her eyes.

"Hold it off with Flamethrower!" Perrine exclaimed.

Kitsune crouched low to the ground, shooting a stream of fire, managing to hold off the luminous beam. Both attacks tried to override each other, pushing with all the strength the Pokemon had. Just a few minutes later, Kitsune kicked it up a notch, and the flames managed to overpower the purple light beams. Jynx had no time to dodge, as the flames traveled too fast for her, and before long, a tornado of fire enveloped her from head to toe. Jynx gave an agonized wail as fire surged through every vein in her body. It didn't last long, as the fiery spiral dissipated, leaving Jynx's body covered with fresh burns and singe marks, but the human shape fell to her knees, trembling from the pain.

Oddly enough, Will barely showed any reaction. Perrine's jaw fell open. The corners of his lips were curled upward into a smile. Why was he smiling when his Pokemon was getting injured? Did he have a secret plan up his sleeve? In no time flat, Will pointed towards the battlefield.

"Jynx! Use Draining Kiss!"

It didn't take long for Jynx to get her bearings back in order, and the human shape Pokemon began spinning around in circles as she moved towards Kitsune. The fox Pokemon tried to back away as Jynx got closer, but the humanoid Pokemon used both arms to grab Kitsune by the neck and pull her close. Then, Jynx pressed her lips onto Kitsune's furry neck, and they glowed in a pink light. Kitsune tried to wriggle away, but Jynx's grip on her was tight like an intricate knot, and her legs began to feel limp, like pudding. Her body grew heavier, and she felt like the energy was getting sucked out of her.

"Crap! I forgot Jynx could learn Draining Kiss!" Perrine scolded herself for not having remembered this sooner. Jynx may be weak to fire, but the species still had a slew of moves they could use to recover their health. Perrine gritted her teeth, running her hands through her hair. 'Calm down, Perrine. Draining Kiss isn't foolproof, and Kitsune can still fight. You can do this!' She took a minute to compose herself as she looked up, seeing Kitsune's face right in front of Jynx's.

Right in front...a light bulb flashed in Perrine's mind. This was her chance!

"Kit! Flamethrower right in Jynx's face!!" Perrine shouted.

Without hesitation, Kitsune opened her mouth and fired a stream of flames right in Jynx's face as ordered. The human shape Pokemon cried out as the flames sent her rolling backwards, enough to release Kitsune from her grip.

"Now, Confuse Ray!"

Kitsune's tails all shot upward, and her eyes began to glow blue. Rays of light shot out from the fox's eyes, firing right towards Jynx.

"I won't let you! Jynx, dodge and use Body Slam!"

Jynx evaded the Confuse Ray by spinning sideways, then took a second to jump high into the air. It wasn't long before Jynx let gravity take over, pulling her right down, threatening to flatten Kitsune like a pancake.

"As if! Kit, Heat Wave! Full power!"

Kitsune crouched low to the ground, opening her mouth and unleashing a blast of burning hot air. Since Jynx was falling quickly, she wasn't able to evade the attack. Fire and heat struck her head on, sending her flying across the battlefield. Jynx rolled across the ground, her glossy blonde hair now blackened and dirty from a combination of dirt and burns sustained from the attack. Eventually, the blast of air dissipated, and Jynx lay limp on the ground, unable to move. Will gasped as he inched closer to get a better look. His beloved Jynx's eyes were closed, and her mouth was open as if stuck in a silent scream.

"Well...that's two Pokemon out for the count," With a disappointed shrug, Will pulled out Jynx's PokeBall and called her back.

Perrine couldn't contain herself. She gave a loud cheer, jumping up once in jubilation. Another victory! Kitsune shared in the joy, giving a proud coo in response.

"You were awesome, girl! I knew you could do it!" Perrine stroke Kitsune's head.

"Niiiiine," The fox Pokemon reveled in her trainer's gentle touch.

Rocio clapped her hands. "Great job out there, you two!" She cajoled.

"Now Will only has one Pokemon left!" Julia exclaimed.

"It'll probably be his strongest one yet," Ethan said.

Caiseal nodded in agreement, folding his hands together in anticipation. "Based on some research I did beforehand, I have a feeling I know which Pokemon he's going to use."

Without missing a beat, Will pulled out his final PokeBall. "What's this? I'm down to my last Pokemon! Looks like this show is set to go on a little while longer! It's your turn to shine, Xatu!"

Out from the PokeBall came a large, green, human-sized bird Pokemon with white wings tipped red and black. Two large, red feathers dangled from the back of its round head, its yellow beak was curved inward at the tip, and its red feet were tipped white. But Perrine gulped at the sight of the red eye designs on its chest. She knew they weren't an actual pair of eyes, just eye-like markings, but that didn't make them any less creepy.

"Oooh, a Xatu," Ethan leaned forward to get a better look at the bird Pokemon, pulling out his PokeDex.

"Xatu, the Mystic Pokemon, and the evolved form of Natu. Xatu are said to see into both the future and the past, with many tribes from the southern continents claiming it sees the future with its right eye, and the past in its left. Xatu often stand completely motionless, sometimes to observe the sun's movements, and sometimes to meditate. Some claim that Xatu does so because it sees the past and the future at the same time, and some claim it does so due to fearing that its visions will come true. In the past, people claimed Xatu were emissaries from another world, but recent scientific studies have debunked that theory."

Images flashed in Julia's mind as soon as Xatu appeared. Her mother bringing home a very sick Xatu when she was nine. Julia herself completely latching onto said Xatu, wanting to be its friend more than anything. Draping Xatu's neck with cursory necklaces she made out of plastic beads to make it look pretty. Brushing its wings. Reading books and watching movies with it. Helping her mother give it various medicines. Herself crying up a storm when Xatu was given over to someone else. Julia's eyes moistened, and her vision blurred from the onslaught of memories.

"Dibs on the first attack!" Perrine shouted, her voice pulling Julia out from her reverie. "Kit, use Flamethrower!"

Like before, Kitsune spat a stream of fire in the bird's direction.

"Teleport," Will said.

In a flash, Xatu disappeared into thin air, the flames from Kitsune's attack only hitting the ground. "Nine?!" Kitsune gave a surprised yelp as her flames hit the ground where Xatu originally stood. She saw a flash of light in her peripheral vision, turning around to see Xatu materializing behind her.

"Now, Psychic!"

"Fire back with Flamethrower again!"

The two Pokemon launched their respective attacks at each other. Unfortunately for Kitsune, Xatu's blast of psychic energy easily overpowered her flames, cutting right through them and hitting her head on. Kitsune let out a cry as the attack struck her, sending her rolling across the battlefield. Thankfully, she was quick to reorient herself and get back on all fours right afterward, a few singe marks on her fur notwithstanding.

"Hang in there, girl! You can do this!" Perrine encouraged, but she could tell this wasn't going to be an easy match. Kitsune still had some injuries from her battle with Jynx. A few more strong attacks like that, and she'd be defeated for sure.

"Use Ominous Wind!" Will cried out, snapping his fingers.

Xatu ascended into the air, its wings glowing in an eerie dark purple light. Then, Xatu flapped its wings with increasing speed, sending a gale of sparkling purple wind in Kitsune's direction.

"Dodge! Don't let it hit you!"

Kitsune ran as fast as her skinny legs could carry her. She managed to evade the Ominous Wind, but Perrine knew in the back of her mind that dodging wasn't going to help win this battle. As soon as Xatu stopped flapping its wings, Perrine knew the time to act was now. "Use Heat Wave!"

"Teleport again!"

As soon as Kitsune unleashed her attack, Xatu teleported away as soon as the fiery wind was just centimeters away from it. But when she tried to move, a purple outline of energy appeared around her body. Her legs wouldn't move, as the unseen force prevented her body from moving the way she wanted it to. Then, she found herself being lifted into the air before being thrown against the wall. Kitsune cried out as she hit the wall, slumping to the ground. Xatu had reappeared, its eyes glowing purple. Perrine realized Xatu was using Psychic without Will commanding it to do so. So this was his strategy: Teleporting and attacking when one's opponent least expected it. Doing research on one's battle strategies wasn't the same as actually experiencing it.

"Nine!" Kitsune walked back to the battlefield, intent to continue on. Perrine clenched her fists. She hadn't lost yet. There was still time to at least fight back a little more!

"Don't think you've outsmarted me, little girl!" Will crooned. "Xatu, dear! Teleport again!"

Like before, Xatu disappeared into thin air with a flash. 'There's got to be some way to figure out where Xatu is coming from,' She thought, looking around the battlefield as she bit down on her lower lip.

That was when she saw it. A brief flash of light on Kitsune's right. "Kit! Wait for my signal!" Perrine cried out. Kitsune nodded and waited. There was another flash, right behind Kitsune.

"Turn around and use Flamethrower!"

To her surprise, as soon as Kitsune swiveled around, there was another flash of light right behind her. Perrine's eyes widened as she attempted to yell out a warning, but it was too late. As soon as Xatu materialized, the bird fired another psychic blast, one more powerful than the previous one, and it struck Kitsune, sending her flying right into another wall. After a brief moment, Kitsune slumped to the ground, mouth hanging open, unable to move.

"No…! Kit!" Perrine ran over to her fallen friend. During that time, Xatu teleported back in front of Will, its expression unchanged.

"For someone who said they did their research, you seem to forget who you're dealing with," Will chimed in, adjusting his mask. "I could see what you were planning from a mile away. It's no secret that the attack Teleport displays a flash of light that would give away a Pokemon's position when using it. Be that as it may, I decided to use that to my advantage and have Xatu get the upper hand on your Ninetales. I waited until you figured it out, and then had Xatu fake out Ninetales. I'm a member of the Elite Four. We don't fall for such basic tricks."

Perrine bit her lip in frustration. Deep down, she knew Will was absolutely right. There was no way an Elite Four member would give themselves such a glaring weakness if they were trying to hide. Of course they'd find a way to take advantage of anything they could. Will had years of experience under his belt. Perrine was just a twelve-year-old kid who only had a few months of Pokemon training at most. Will was several steps ahead of her. She needed to step up her game if she had a sliver of a chance of defeating him. She gave a sad smile towards Kitsune before calling her back to her PokeBall.

"You were awesome, Kit. Great job," She whispered before returning to her trainer box.

Caiseal clenched his fists. "Will took her down like it was nothing. Not surprising for a member of the Elite Four."

"But there's still a chance, though!" Ethan reminded him. "Now they're both down to one Pokemon."

One Pokemon, indeed. Perrine knew exactly who she wanted to use. It was now or never. "Chirin! This one's on you!"

Chirin appeared on the battlefield with arms raised and bearing a big smile on his face. Will gave a light chuckle. "I doubt the result will change much just from using a Pokemon with a type advantage," Will retorted, snapping his fingers once more. "Xatu! Ominous Wind once more!"

"Light Screen, Chirin!"

Xatu flapped his wings as fast as it could, generating another gale of dark wind. This time, Chirin conjured a translucent wall of light that held off the attack. Chirin could still feel the recoil, but he stood firm, holding his own and preventing the dark wind from hurting him too badly. As the wind died down, the Light Screen dissolved into Chirin's body.

"Now, Charge!"

The light Pokemon stood completely still, closing his eyes and absorbing the electricity that crackled across his body. Will shrugged.

"If you're going to take your sweet time, I might as well finish this quickly," Will said. "Xatu, be a dear and use Aerial Ace."

Xatu flew into the air, its body glowing in a harsh white light before descending down just as quickly as it had ascended earlier. Chirin made no effort to move, but he did open his eyes. Perrine watched as Xatu came closer...and closer…

"Discharge! Full power!!" Perrine shouted.

In no time flat, Chirin gave a screech, shooting electricity all over the place. Bolts of lightning shot everywhere, with several of them hitting Xatu head on. Xatu's wings and body convulsed and tensed as burning pain shot through it. As the electricity finally died down, Xatu fell to the ground with a thud. Will gasped as he saw sparks of lightning dance across his friend's body. Xatu tried to get back up, but its legs and wings tensed up, refusing the move the way it wanted them to.

Perrine gave a delighted gasp. Xatu was paralyzed! "This is my chance to win this!" Perrine knew the time to act was now. "Chirin! Use Power Gem!"

"Xatu! Fight back with Shadow Ball!"

Chirin sent a barrage of glowing rocks flying towards Xatu, while the latter fired back with several spheres of black energy. The attacks collided with one another, barely doing much to break through and hit their opponent.

"Power Gem again!"

"Teleport!"

As soon as Chirin sent more rocks flying, Xatu dodged by teleporting away. Perrine smirked. Now that she had an idea of Will's strategy, she wasn't going to be fooled this time. As soon as she saw two flashes back-to-back, she wasted no time.

"Discharge again! Attack everywhere!"

Once again, Chirin sent thunder and lightning in every direction. Xatu didn't have a chance to use Psychic, as lightning struck it right as it managed to materialize. Will clenched his teeth. Perrine was taking advantage of not only Xatu's paralysis, but the fact that Discharge attacks in all directions, rendering his teleporting strategy useless.

"Don't think you've beaten me just yet!" Will cried out. "Xatu, don't give up! Use Aerial Ace once more!"

"Cotton Guard!"

Chirin curled into a fetal position, allowing a blanket of cotton balls to completely envelop him. Xatu only managed to land the hit as soon as the cotton balls completely covered Chirin. "Now Headbutt!" As soon as Xatu hit Chirin on the back, the light Pokemon quickly raised his head up and rammed it into the bird's abdomen. Xatu staggered backward, unable to breathe from the force of the headbutt tightening its diaphragm.

Everyone stood up in the bleachers. "You can do it, Chirin! You can win this!" Julia cried out.

"Beat that Xatu! Keep it up!" Both Caiseal and Ethan shouted in unison.

"You're almost there! You can do it!" Rocio exclaimed.

"Your cheer squad isn't going to help you win!" Will bellowed as he felt sweat trickling down his knitted brows. "Xatu! We're finishing this! Psychic, full power!"

"Chirin! Thunder! Don't hold back!!"

Chirin shot a harsh, crackling bolt of lightning in Xatu's direction. Xatu's eyes glowed purple as it managed to fire a large blast of psychic energy. Unfortunately for it, the bolt of lightning Chirin conjured was quick to overpower it, striking Xatu head on. The flashes illuminated the gym, making it turn completely white at points. Everyone closed their eyes to protect themselves from the blinding fallout. Then, there was silence. Both Perrine and Will opened their eyes to see if the attack dissipated. A plume of dust covered the battlefield for just a brief moment, and when it cleared up, it showed Chirin still standing.

In stark contrast, Xatu was face first on the ground, completely out cold.

"No...Xatu…" Will blanched, his eyes shrinking from the shock of seeing his partner down. His jaw quivered as he tried to process what this meant.

He lost.

"Did...did I win?" Perrine asked, unable to believe what she was seeing. As soon she saw Will walk over to his fallen friend, joy bubbled over her like soda fizz. Perrine actually defeated a member of the Elite Four! She leaped into the air, letting out a delighted screech. "I wooooon!! I won!! I beat one of the Elite Four!!"

"Ampaaaaaa!!" Chirin followed suit, running over to his trainer and trapping her in a tackle hug. Perrine returned the gesture by hugging him back and spinning him around like a top.

Julia, Caiseal, Ethan, and Rocio left the bleachers and clustered around Perrine, beaming. "You guys did it! I knew you could pull through!" Julia chirruped.

Caiseal gave Perrine a playful smack on the back. "You guys had us worried for a second there! But look at you! You actually knocked Will's pants off!"

"You were amazing out there!" Ethan exclaimed.

"I know...I...I don't…" Like before, Perrine was speechless. First she won the Johto League, and now she defeated a member of the Elite Four. Now she was that much closer to going up against Lance.

Will flashed a sad smile as he called Xatu back to its PokeBall. "You fought well, my friend. Take a nice long rest."

Rocio wrapped her arms around both Perrine and Chirin. "Great job, you two! I'm so proud of you!"

Will walked over to the jubilant cluster of people with a confident smile on his face. As soon as they saw him, everyone released Perrine and Chirin from their hugs. "I must say, Perrine, I've come to accept that your winning the Johto League was indeed no mere fluke. I've enjoyed our battle very much. Great job. You're the first trainer to have bested me in a long while," Will admitted, holding a hand outward.

Perrine shook his hand politely. "Thank you, sir. I'm honored to have been able to battle you."

"Oh, there's no need for the formalities," Will gently chided. "Besides, I may have lost, but this is only the beginning for you," His voice lowered to a more solemn tone, leaving no room for his usual theatrics. "After this, you will experience the true ferocity of the Elite Four, so I wouldn't get complacent."

"No doubt about that," Perrine said.

He was right, to an extent. Defeating a member of the Elite Four was a big deal, but this didn't mean she won completely. There were still three more members to battle, and then her real target: Lance.

"I'm gonna head to the Pokemon Center first. I've got a bit of a headache," Julia said, holding a hand to her forehead.

"You okay?" Caiseal asked, seeing the discomfort on her face clear as day. "Do you feel sick or anything?"

"No. Just a bit overwhelmed is all. I'll head back first," Julia reassured before running out of the stadium. The kids could only exchange confused, worried glances.

***

"Ugh...my head is still pounding…" Julia groaned, rubbing her temples as she made her way to the Pokemon Center.

Julia had no idea why this headache continued to persist. She assumed the noise and stimulation from last night's closing ceremony might have had something to do with it, along with all the flashing lightning from Perrine's battle just now. Oftentimes, lots of lights and loud noises did that to her, this being no different. It felt like a hammer was pounding on an anvil inside her head, refusing to stop even for a second, though it was more annoying than outright painful. Julia passed through the automated doors and saw a vending machine by the wall. Maybe a drink of water would help.

She put a dollar bill into the vending machine and watched as a bottle of water fell to the bottom. She reached down to grab it, but as she turned around to stand up, she almost ran into someone, but caught herself before she could bump into them.

"Whoops! Sorry! I almost—" She apologized quickly...but then saw who was standing in front of her.

It was none other than Lance. His red hair was still as spiky as ever, and his cape and red jean jacket stood out like a red flower in a garden of white daisies. Her previous euphoria over Perrine's victory faded. With a grumble, she moved out of his way. "Sorry I almost bumped into you."

Lance gave a reassuring grin. "No worries," He went to get his own drink soon after.

Julia turned around, clutching the water bottle like it was the only thing keeping her from exploding. What was he doing here? Shouldn't he be in his office or something? Or did he even have one? Julia wished she could just run back to her room in the PMC, but for some reason her legs wouldn't budge. Of all the times her legs decided to shut down on her, why did it have to be when the one person she really didn't want to see was here in front of her?

"I see that Perrine managed to defeat Will just now," Lance noted. "I saw it on the monitor in my office. I must say, your friend is an amazing trainer."

"Of course she is," Julia retorted, her tone more cross than she intended it to be. "She didn't win the Pokemon League by slacking off."

Just hearing his voice made her irritated, and that irritation increased exponentially the more she stayed here. She attempted to finally walk away, but Lance spoke again.

"...I take it you're not happy to see me."

It wasn't phrased as a question. Against her better judgment, she stopped in her tracks. She could see the subtle glint of late sunlight on the windows. All that did was exacerbate her headache more.

"I don't blame you. In a way, it's kind of refreshing," Lance said.

What? Refreshing? In what way? Julia swiveled around, eyes wide and jaw agape. In a way, she was surprised he even remembered her at all. All she could think to say was, "Why are you even talking to me? Don't you have...I don't know...important Pokemon champion business to take care of?" Julia mentally chastised herself for how rude that statement came across now that she said it out loud. The idea of someone as famous as him wanting to talk to someone like her was foreign. He had plenty of fangirls who would happily fawn over him, Perrine being one of them. Julia wasn't them. She just wanted him out of her sight.

"Let's just say I'm on my break," Lance answered, not fazed by Julia's statement. But she could hear the subtle lowering of his voice and the way it turned serious soon after. "Look, I know we ended things on a rather...sour note the last time we met."

Sour. Understatement of the millennium as far as Julia was concerned. She didn't dare say anything more. As much as she hated seeing him in this moment, she realized it wasn't him that she hated.

"But I wanted to do right by you and Geraldine," Lance explained calmly. "It was the only sensible decision that could benefit the both of you. Geraldine especially. But…" The fragility that Lance's voice suddenly adopted was almost frightening. "I completely understand if you hate me for this—"

"I don't hate you!" Julia shouted without meaning to. "I don't...I don't hate you…" All the feelings she thought she had cried out when she gave Geraldine up came rushing back. Tears threatened to creep out of her eyes, so she covered them with her water bottle. "I...I know it was the right decision. I just...hate that I'm not the one...taking care of her!"

Her angry voice turned frail on a dime, and Julia really didn't want to cry right now. Not in a public lobby. Not in front of Lance yet again. Oddly enough, Lance didn't seem angry at all. He simply walked next to her, but still kept himself a foot away from her to put some safe distance between them.

"That's fair. I felt that way once, too, when my parents decided to send my first Pokemon over to them," Lance whispered.

"Really?"

Lance nodded. "He was just a Dratini back then. I saw him being brutally beaten by his previous trainer. I saved him and he was taken from her. Being the naive kid I was, I convinced the powers that be to let me keep him as my own. He and I got along like peaches and cream," His voice was wistful as he looked up at the ceiling with a nostalgic smile, remembering fun times he and his Dragonite shared back when they were kids.

"But...as much as my family and I took great care of him, Mercury—that's my Dragonite's name—was still very adversely affected by the cruelty his previous trainer inflicted on him. He would use Dragon Rage whenever he had nightmares, and there was one time, he saw something...or someone...while we were going on a family outing, and he began banging his head against the window of my mom's pickup, nearly breaking it. He would completely freak out at the sight of sharp objects like sticks or fire pokers."

Julia didn't dare try to imagine what Mercury's life was like before Lance saved him. Just the thought of someone being violent towards a Pokemon in any fashion was too much to bear. She contemplated asking him about what Mercury's life was like before he met Lance, but figured the details would be too gruesome or horrible for her, a child, to hear about.

"Things got out of hand, but my parents found the facility and decided it'd be best to send Mercury there for treatment. I was twelve at the time, and I protested, obviously, but I was unaware of just how serious things were. But seeing as back then I still lived close by, my parents allowed me to see Mercury once a month, sometimes more if I got good grades in school or did chores around the house."

A smile cracked across Julia's face for a brief moment. She could definitely see that happening.

"Sorry. I don't mean to make this about me," The statement comes out sheepish, unfitting for someone like the champion of Johto. "The point I'm trying to make is...I know things are tough now, and I won't lie, depending on the severity of Geraldine's issues, it could take weeks or months, maybe even years before she's cleared to be given back to you."

That was one thing she appreciated about Lance: He didn't try to sugarcoat things or lie to her. Even he was unsure.

"But the people at the facility are good at their jobs, and I trust them completely. They helped my Dragonite and never gave up on him, so I know they can help Geraldine and see to it that she gets returned to you when she's cleared," Lance told her reassuringly.

"...I actually visited the facility," Julia mumbled. It was low, but Lance could hear it as clear as if she had said it out loud.

"Did you now?"

"My friends and I were leaving Blackthorn City, and we happened to pass by it," Julia began. "They let us visit her. She looked...healthy. A lot better than she did before. But one of the lady doctors said she's still not well enough to leave yet. Even so…" Julia's hands trembled as she pulled the water bottle down from her face and held it to her chest. "I'm just happy that she's okay...that she's being treated well."

Lance used one hand to tug at his jean jacket sleeve. "I'm glad to hear it."

"Sorry. I know I shouldn't...take my anger out on you…" Julia murmured. "You're just trying to help, and...thank you. For keeping your word."

Lance shrugged. "I wouldn't be a good Pokemon trainer if I didn't, let alone a good champion."

Good point there.

"I should probably head back," Lance put his drink in his pocket and left. But not before turning to Julia with a smile and saying, "It was nice seeing you again, Julia Parisa. I'm sure you'll get to be with Geraldine again some day."

Julia waved with a sheepish smile as she watched him walk into another room in the PMC. The irritation that clung to her heart finally let go, now that she made some degree of peace with the champion of Johto. Of course, she never hated Lance. Not for simply trying to help her and Geraldine. He was right in that she hated that she couldn't be the one to help Geraldine, and he himself had experienced similar feelings when he had to give up his own Pokemon for a period of time. Even if he was the champion, that didn't change the fact that he was a regular person. Just like her. He could get frustrated and unsure as well. Realizing that helped push away the misguided anger. Still, the future was unclear.

For now, at least.

"Jule!" Perrine, Caiseal, and Ethan came into the PMC lobby not long after. "Sorry that took so long," Perrine apologized. "Will had some stuff he wanted to go over with me."

"That's okay!" Julia replied with a smile. "So now you have three more Elite Four members to battle."

"Indeed I do!" Perrine pumped her fists, ready for what tomorrow will bring.

"You'll be the first person to battle Gladys," Ethan reminded her.

"So now that today's battle is over, what do you guys want to do?" Caiseal asked.

Rocio was quick to chime in. "I can order us some food if you want. I'm sure you're all hungry," She suggested.

How long had it been since the battle started? Julia stole a glance at the clock on the wall, seeing that it read 1:30 PM. Had Perrine's battle with Will really taken four and a half hours? She had no idea watching a battle could make the time pass so quickly. At least for now, they had some time to kill before the next battle.

"Sure! I'm game!" Perrine threw her hand up.

One Elite Four member was down, leaving three more to go, and then Lance. Perrine couldn't wait for her next match. Her dream was finally getting within her reach.

***

Perrine's Party:
Kitsune (Ninetales, Female, Quiet Nature)
Ability: Flash Fire
Attacks: Heat Wave, Extrasensory, Confuse Ray, and Faint Attack

Florian (Meganium, Male, Gentle Nature)
Ability: Overgrow
Attacks: Petal Blizzard, Bulldoze, Body Slam, and Grassy Terrain

Luminita (Lanturn, Female, Naive Nature)
Ability: Water Absorb
Attacks: Electro Ball, Discharge, Scald, and Aqua Ring

Fukuro (Noctowl, Male, Sassy Nature)
Ability: Tinted Lens
Attacks: Extrasensory, Hypnosis, Air Slash, and Moonblast

Baloo (Wigglytuff, Female, Docile Nature)
Ability: Cute Charm
Attacks: Hyper Voice, Wake-Up Slap, Play Rough, and Body Slam

Chirin (Ampharos, Male, Adamant Nature)
Ability: Static
Attacks: Discharge, Cotton Guard, Power Gem, Signal Beam

 

[System Error]

- Cold tea that isn't iced tea? What kind of sorcery is this? How did it even come to that?
- How does the newcomer outrank Will?
- Gladys would make an excellent heel commentator, from the sounds of it.
- No scene divider? I assume it's there in the FFNet version and you just forgot to put it in here.
- Super private battles, huh? And reporters and cameramen? Hm. Makes me wonder a few things!
- How funny and awkward would've it been if Will just beefed the backflips?
- Referees are just people who like to feel important with their announcements anyway.
- Here I was expecting it to reel itself in
- Typo, should be foolproof, not full proof
- Knocked WIll's pants off? Quite the euphemism to be using...
- Wonder if this headache from Julia is foreshadowing a thing?
- Heh, amuses me that Julia does not like Lance at all.
- Speaking of amusing things, the idea of Lance's mom owning a pickup.
- Liked this scene. Gave some closure.
- Although, a battle taking four and a half hours? A three on three one at that? That just feels completely wrong for anything that isn't Dragon Ball Z.

Ain't no stoppin the battle train cause the battle train don't stop. At least they're down to three against three now, but still. Maybe something to work on or plan out better for the sequel, because gotta admit, this is getting into battle fatigue to some extent. Still, we're getting ever closer to the end of it. Just keep rolling along, I suppose! With all the little stuff in-between that isn't battles!

 

[Juliko]

Chapter 72: Going Where The Fairy Flies

In a quiet suburb away from the beaches of Cianwood City, though still within driving distance of the ocean, a green haired woman made her way inside a nursing home, grocery bags in hand. There were only two, and they weighed heavy on her skinny arms. But carrying bags of groceries on a consistent basis for months helped to strengthen her arms significantly. As she made it to the kitchen, she wasted no time putting the food in the cabinets and cupboards.

"There you are, Marie!" A heavyset woman carrying a ladle exclaimed. "Thanks so much for bringing those in. I was going to make some shrimp penne tonight."

"That sounds delicious," Marie replied, sliding some bags of flour into any empty spaces she could find in the cabinets. "I'll go and set the tables."

Once Marie finished putting the groceries away, she walked into the dining area, where several rectangular tables were lined up perfectly parallel to one another. She went to another cabinet and pulled out a stack of plates. As she set two of them down on one table, she stole a sidelong glance out the window. The flower beds that were set up outside were completely empty because of the cold weather, and she could see some cars pulling into the parking lot. It had only been a few months since she started working here, but she still felt...lost.

"It still feels so strange being called Marie…" She said to herself, setting out some more plates. "I wonder when I can go back to being called Harriet again?"

Marie—or rather, Harriet—found herself lost in thought. How long had it been since she had been called by her real name? Before she could lose herself, she shook her head. This was no time to be reminiscing on the past, or worrying about the future. All she could afford to focus on was the present. She pulled herself out of her reverie and set out some more plates. She went to grab the eating utensils, but when she reached up to get them, harsh footsteps stopped her in her tracks.

She shivered. Were they here?

"Marie?"

Oh. It was the cook. Harriet gave a sigh of relief. The cook walked inside, ladle still in hand. "Marie? Someone's in the lobby askin' for you."

"For me?" Harriet didn't know anyone outside the nursing home. "Who is it?"

"It's an Officer Jenny. She says she investigatin' somethin'," The cook explained.

An Officer Jenny? Which one? Harriet didn't know. Anything could happen. She could feel her hands trembling, transfixed by terror. But she steeled herself and made her way out of the dining area. The lobby wasn't too far away, and most of the staff were here in case something happened. Harriet tried to remain calm and focus on the positive side of things. Maybe this Officer Jenny wanted some information? Maybe she just wanted to talk?

There was, indeed, an Officer Jenny at the lobby, right in front of the reception desk. Harriet stopped in her tracks, and the fear that once threatened to eat her up dissipated. She recognized this Officer Jenny! Many of them looked exactly alike, but there were very subtle differences between them. Some of them stood out more than others, and this one, she knew, had short, curly bangs. She only knew one Officer Jenny whose bangs were curly.

"I heard you're asking for me?" Harriet approached the policewoman slowly, her voice meek and frail.

Officer Jenny turned to look at her and smiled. "Marie Hargreaves? Nice to meet you. Cianwood City PD," Jenny flashed her badge. "I'm conducting an investigation and was told you had some information. Is there someplace private where we can talk?"

Harriet wasn't sure if Officer Jenny recognized her or not. She gave no indication that she did. She couldn't afford to let her guard down. With a hand in her pocket, fingering one of her PokeBalls, she gave a nod and escorted Officer Jenny to another room. Having worked here for a few months, she knew several places that provided great privacy, but she didn't want to go someplace where she couldn't get help in case this was a setup. So she settled on a rest area near the elevators leading to the second floor. There was a small nightstand with a cordless phone in between two plush chairs, so this would be perfect.

The policewoman stole glances down both halls before turning to Harriet with a reassuring smile. "There's no need to be scared, Harriet. I'm the Jenny who helped you when you washed up on the beach. Remember?"

So this was the same Jenny who helped her back then! Harriet gave another relieved sigh. For once, in what seemed to be an eternity, she allowed herself to relax. Her shoulders slumped as she sat down on one of the plush chairs, and she felt like a weight had been lifted off of her.

"I do. I just wasn't sure, since Officer Jennys all make themselves look the same," Harriet confessed.

Officer Jenny gave a chuckle. "That's fair. Being under Witness Protection can make you feel paranoid after a while. Not that you don't have any right to feel that way."

Marie Hargreaves, the name Jenny and everyone else in the nursing home referred to her by, was a pseudonym Harriet used to hide her identity. She had been recruited by Team Rocket against her will and was made to participate in many of their crimes. After one particular crime too many, Harriet tried to make a break for it, with many Team Rocket members intent on killing her and making sure she didn't reveal their plans to the public and authorities. She made it to safety, but since there was still a possibility that they could come back for her, as it had happened once before, Harriet was put under Witness Protection by the government for her role in foiling a grand scheme that Team Rocket tried to enact on the Goldenrod Radio Tower several months ago.

"So...can I ask why you're here?" Harriet asked, her voice trembling with nerves. "I know the trial date is in February."

"Yes, but this is something...more personal," Jenny clarified, sitting down on the chair next to Harriet's. "My team and I searched the house you lived in to find additional evidence your attorney can use for the upcoming trial," She explained. "Most of it had already been processed, but...Madison found a loose floorboard in your old…" Jenny paused briefly, groping around for an appropriate word she could use. "...Roommate's bedroom."

Roommate. Harriet knew Jenny's choice of word was deliberate, probably an attempt to refrain from referring to her by what she really was: a Team Rocket grunt. It was probably out of respect for the fact that Harriet wanted nothing more to do with Team Rocket. As awkward as the phrasing was, Harriet at least appreciated Officer Jenny for trying to respect her wishes. That was when she noticed the box in Jenny's hands for the first time.

"We looked through it and found this box," Jenny presented it to Harriet. The green haired girl looked down and noticed black ink on the top, reading To Harriet Latham. Her name. She recognized the blocky handwriting. It was Margeaux's handwriting. "I thought maybe you'd like to have it, since it is addressed to you."

Harriet's eyes widened. What could possibly be in this box that was for her? Was it something Margeaux wanted her to have? She stiffened, eyeing the box with suspicion. Was this some kind of trick? A ploy to get her killed before she was to testify in the trial? Was something inside it that would cause her harm? Noticing Harriet's discomforted expression, Jenny was quick to assuage her worries.

"Don't worry, Madison and I scanned the box, and there's nothing lethal inside. No bombs, guns, dynamite, or anything," Jenny reassured her. "I had specialists come in to examine the contents with a machine, and they've determined that there's nothing dangerous inside."

Although the knowledge was of some relief, Harriet remained on guard. The box's tape was loose, from having been cut open previously, and Harriet pried the top of it open. She looked inside and saw...four PokeBalls. Harriet pulled them out one by one, and they were slightly heavy, indicating that there were Pokemon inside.

"This is...odd. Why did she put PokeBalls in here?" Harriet asked out loud...until she glanced at the bottom of the box and saw it.

A white envelope. A letter. Harriet took the letter in her hands and pulled out the contents. Three whole pages of folded notebook paper with paragraphs written in pencil lead. Harriet read the contents aloud, with Jenny leaning closer to read it herself.

To Harriet,

By the time you read this, I'll very likely be dead, probably by Yannick's hand. I don't think I was ever going to get out of this alive anyway, so I've accepted my fate.

I've thought a lot about what you said to me after we saw Danny being beaten. I was in a position similar to yours once. Wanting a job, taking any opportunity I had to get something without thinking about what it would entail, ignoring the warning signs, just trying to get by, and so on. In a way, I saw my old self in you. Unlike me though, you didn't accept your fate. You fought against it and did whatever you could to get out of there when you realized the whole thing was horribly wrong. You have more strength than I could ever have in a lifetime. You salvaged what humanity you still had and made a break for it. To tell you the truth, I saw you run away in the dead of night and found out later that Yannick had captured you.

Knowing what they were going to do to you was enough to convince me that you were right all along. None of this is right. It's too late for me to change things, or myself, but it's not too late for you. You have your whole life ahead of you. I'm glad you called me out back when we saw Danny get beaten. Normally I'd get mad, but...it was the wake-up call that I needed. You're right. Just because Team Rocket does whatever they want, that doesn't make it right. I can't ignore everything that's been going on around me anymore. I know you acted to save Danny's life, along with all the other kids TR plans to indoctrinate. I wish I had your courage.

In the event that you manage to get out of this alive—and I know you will—please know that I want you to live your absolute best life. Don't make the same mistakes that I did. It's not too late for you to make things right and live the life you want to live. Go through with your plans to foil Team Rocket's plan, not just for yourself but for all the lives you'll save through your actions. I know that by taking your place, I'll die for sure. To whoever finds this package, please give it, and the PokeBalls, to Harriet Latham. I'm relinquishing ownership of my Pokemon, and I want her to have them. I know she'll take good care of them. Or if not that, find good homes for them. They always did deserve better than some frivolous tramp like me.

So...this is goodbye. I'm sorry I didn't act sooner. I'm sorry for all the things I did to you, and never did for you.

I really hope you get out of this safely and live a happy life. It's your life. Live it the way you want to. For yourself and no one else.

Sincerely,

Margeaux Lynnette Smith

"Margeaux…" Tears overflowed from Harriet's eyes, dampening her cheeks. Some of the tears dripped onto the letter, leaving marks. Harriet's voice trembled as Margeaux's name slipped past her lips. She knew Margeaux willingly stepped in to save Harriet, but that she did so knowing what would happen to her...Harriet had always thought Margeaux was just another Team Rocket grunt, who threw away her humanity to pursue a life of crime and violence like so many others had. But no, she was just a woman who was like Harriet at some point in her life, who had lost her way. Not some caricature or an evil villain like in those children's cartoons.

If Margeaux hadn't saved Harriet, the green haired woman would never have gotten to where she is now.

Only when she looked down did she notice a portion she hadn't read yet.

P.S. Before you left, you said you didn't think of me as a friend. I don't blame you at all for that. I know saying this won't change anything, but...for what it's worth, I consider you one of the best friends I've ever had. Probably the only friend. I'm truly happy I got to know you. You helped open my eyes and gave me the wake-up call I needed. I wonder, had we met in better circumstances, if we really could have been friends? I wish I had someone like you in my life. Maybe that way I would never have joined Team Rocket.

A sob escaped Harriet's throat, then another, and more. Harriet buried her face into her arms and bawled, with Officer Jenny gently holding her close, letting the green haired woman cry. That section reaffirmed what Harriet had suspected: She had completely misjudged Margeaux. Now she was gone, and Harriet would never have the chance to thank her for saving her back then. Guilt settled into her gut as she thought of how horrible Margeaux's final hours on Earth might have been. Trapped in a literal torture chamber, being made to endure cruelty no human should ever have to go through, not only to keep her silent, but to satisfy someone else's sick desires. She wished Margeaux hadn't gotten killed trying to save her. In her mind, Margeaux deserved so much better.

"Margeaux...I'm so sorry…" Harriet sobbed and cried, mourning the life Margeaux never got to live. The life Margeaux could have experienced had she not been recruited by Team Rocket. "You're dead because of me…!"

"It could have been anyone," Officer Jenny whispered. "There was no way you could have foreseen this. Team Rocket conspired to have you both killed."

The memory of seeing Yannick's torture dungeon came rushing back. Harriet remembered Yannick saying that he knew Margeaux was lying about being the one to blow the whistle on them and killed her anyway. Harriet's sobs slowly died down. If Harriet hadn't fought back when she did, she would have become his next victim. Officer Jenny was right. It was possible there wasn't a way for the both of them to survive, considering how Team Rocket is so intent on making sure nobody blows the whistle on their plans. They tried to have Harriet killed for exactly that reason.

"Even after everything...the things I said to her...she still thought of me as a friend...enough to do this for me…" One word stumbled onto another as Harriet sniffed and sobbed, trying to calm down. But all of her attempts to do so were futile. She looked down at the PokeBalls in the box. Margeaux's Pokemon.

"What would you like to do?" Jenny asked.

It was an easy decision to make. Margeaux sacrificed herself so Harriet could live. As guilty as she felt about how it happened, Harriet knew in her heart she couldn't let Margeaux's death be in vain. Not when she accepted death and trusted Harriet to take care of her Pokemon. Both of her hands held the box close to her chest. Although her face was red and puffy from crying, she looked down at the PokeBalls with new, steely determination gleaming in her brown eyes.

"I'll raise Margeaux's Pokemon," Harriet replied, her voice hoarse but firm. "I owe her this much. Also…" She looked right at Officer Jenny, with none of the hesitation she had before. "When the trial day comes, I want to testify."

"Are you sure?" Jenny asked again, her voice adopting a concerned tone. "You don't have to if you don't want to. Your life is still in danger. Nobody will blame you if you go through with a written testimony."

"I know, but…" Harriet held the box tighter, as though holding onto it would prevent her from changing her mind. "Margeaux could have run away and thrown me under the bus. She could have outed me to Team Rocket and let them torture me, probably worse, just to save her own skin. That was how everyone else was. She didn't, though. She didn't run away. Not like how I did. That's why…"

Harriet stood up from the chair, with new conviction in her heart. "I don't want to run away anymore. I can't let Team Rocket win."

Jenny flashed a smile. "I think Margeaux would like that a lot."

Harriet wasn't sure what the future would hold, especially since she was still in hiding, and would be for another while yet. But after this, Harriet resolved to carve out her own future, and live the life she wanted on her own terms. No longer was she just a Team Rocket grunt.

Never again would she ever fear for her life.

***

"Another day, another battle," Perrine stretched her arms out, already at the trainer box in the auxiliary stadium. Today was the day she would battle Gladys Tatham, the new member of the Elite Four. Julia, Caiseal, Ethan, and Rocio sat on the spectator seats like before, and there were a few cameramen scattered about, holding cameras that were bigger than their heads.

"I wonder how this battle will turn out?" Julia leaned in to whisper to Ethan. "This Gladys lady is a new member of the Elite Four, but I haven't heard or read anything about how she actually got in."

"I actually read some magazines that talked about her," Ethan whispered back. "The only ways people can really get into the Elite Four are if the Elite Four themselves either invite you to join after seeing you battle, or filling in an application if one of them leaves. I read that Gladys was personally invited by Lance himself."

That certainly made sense. The Elite Four probably weren't the type of people to just pick random people off the street. Strong trainers were the only ones who had even the slightest chance of getting into the Elite Four, whether by invitation or more formal means. One thing was for sure: Gladys was probably a strong trainer in her own right.

Unlike Will's entrance, which was far more theatrical and melodramatic, Gladys simply walked into the stadium and her trainer box in her usual garb. When she met Perrine's eyes, she lifted her skirt slightly to give a bow, as though she were greeting a member of royalty. Julia looked over at Caiseal, who couldn't take his eyes off of her.

"Don't tell me you actually have a crush on her," Julia whispered, gently poking him with her elbow to pull him out of his reverie. It didn't work. He was absolutely lovestruck. Perrine wasn't exaggerating when she told her about Caiseal falling head over heels for her at the opening ceremonies. Rocio could only give a light chuckle, amused by the sight.

"Good morning, Miss Perrine," Gladys addressed Perrine right away, flashing her usual light, airy smile. "I must admit, I'm nervous about my first real match as a newly appointed member of the Elite Four," She began. "But I do hope to enjoy our battle to the fullest."

"I don't blame you. Everything seems kind of overwhelming when you first experience it," Perrine told her reassuringly, right before pulling a PokeBall out. "But whether you're a veteran or a newbie, don't think I'm going to go easy on you."

Gladys didn't miss a beat, keeping her graceful smile as she pulled her own PokeBall out. "It wouldn't be a fair match if I asked you to go easy on me. If you don't mind, I'd like to send out my Pokemon first," She threw her PokeBall outward. "I choose you, Clefable!"

Out from the PokeBall flashed a large, pink, cuddly-looking Pokemon with long, pointed ears with dark brown tips, a lock of hair curled tightly in front of its forehead, and a set of three-pointed, darker pink wings. Clefable gave a friendly coo as it materialized onto the battlefield.

"A Clefable, huh?" Perrine mused to herself.

This was going to be a tough battle. Perrine did as much research as she could on Gladys, and she found that she primarily used fairy type Pokemon. That in itself wasn't a bad thing, but Perrine did realize she had a problem: Fairies were weak against poison and steel, but not only did Perrine not have any Pokemon of either of those types, they didn't know any attacks of those types either. That is...except for one, but that could only do so much. Fire attacks weren't known to be effective against fairy types either, so using Kitsune wasn't even an option. Perrine's choices were limited here, but she knew she had to make use of the cards she had.

"Alright then! Baloo, I choose you!" Perrine sent Baloo out onto the battlefield. Fairy type versus fairy type.

"Would you like to make the first attack?" Gladys asked.

Perrine smirked. "Gladly! Baloo, start off with Hyper Voice!"

Everyone in the spectator seats covered their ears as Baloo sucked in a huge amount of air, expanding to twice her size. After a brief minute, Baloo opened her mouth, and a high pitched screech echoed from her mouth, sending white shock waves rippling through the air. Oddly enough, Gladys wasn't put off by the noise one bit.

"Clefable. Cosmic Power."

A purple aura surrounded Clefable, with star-shaped lights materializing around it. As soon as the Hyper Voice attack landed, Clefable closed its eyes and allowed the stars to dissolve into its body. Clefable smiled all throughout the attack, as if barely affected. Gradually, Baloo's screeching died down to nothing.

"Use Body Slam!" Perrine cried out.

Baloo leaped into the air, right over Clefable, allowing gravity to take over as she fell towards the smiling fairy.

"Use Dazzling Gleam," Gladys said, without raising her voice.

Clefable let out a croon as its body glowed in a harsh, pink and white light. Baloo covered her eyes, unable to bear the blinding light.

"Expand so you don't fall!" Perrine exclaimed.

Like before, Baloo sucked in a mouthful of air, but this time, it was so Baloo could stay afloat in mid-air, ensuring she didn't fall to the ground. Perrine could still make out some fresh singe marks on her fur, obviously from Clefable's attack.

Gladys raised one hand in the air elegantly, like she was a dancer ready to take the stage. "Now, use Ice Beam."

Clefable opened its mouth, shooting a turquoise beam of light towards Baloo. Perrine knew it was now or never. Baloo was the only Pokemon who knew an attack that could stand a chance against a pure fairy type like Clefable. She hadn't used it much, as there was never a need to really do so.

"Exhale, and use Gyro Ball!"

Baloo released the air from her body, falling to the ground as the icy attack flew right over her. As soon as she hit the ground, the balloon Pokemon glowed in a steely silver light as she began spinning faster than a top. Baloo charged towards the surprised Clefable, not giving the fairy Pokemon a chance to react before slamming into her abdomen. Clefable could only cry out as Baloo rammed right into it, sending her skidding across the battlefield.

For the first time in the entire battle, Gladys gasped, her eyes widening when she saw her friend lying on its side. "Clefable!"

"Awesome! That had to have done some damage!" Ethan proclaimed, throwing both fists in the air. "Go Perrine and Baloo! You can win this!"

Perrine knew she couldn't rest on her laurels. Cosmic Power was still in effect, so Clefable didn't sustain very much damage, even with the type advantage. Still, a strategy was forming in her mind, and she kept her blue eyes laser focused on Clefable, who hoisted itself back up.

"Clefable, use Dazzling Gleam again."

The fairy Pokemon glowed in her harsh pink light again. This time, Baloo saw it coming and closed her eyes beforehand.

"We're not falling for that again!" Perrine exclaimed, throwing her arm outward. "Baloo, bombard Clefable with Gyro Ball! Land as many hits as you can!"

Baloo spun around once more, rolling across the battlefield, slamming into Clefable as many times as she could. Since Baloo was spinning a lot of the time, Clefable's attack didn't hurt as bad as it did before, so she was able to focus on knocking Clefable off its feet. But with every attack that knocked Clefable down, the fairy Pokemon always managed to get right back up. In all honesty though, Perrine found one thing about this match to be fairly unsettling: The pleasant smile Gladys had on her face the entire time. It made her look like she was partaking in a tea ceremony rather than an intense Pokemon battle. What was she thinking behind that sweet smile?

Just as Baloo was about to land another hit… "Dodge, then use Meteor Mash."

When Baloo got close, Clefable stepped to the side, evading the attack. Then, Clefable raised its right arm in the air, and its fist glowed a sterling silver. When Baloo stopped spinning, Clefable charged towards the balloon Pokemon as fast as its thick legs could carry it. Before Baloo could comprehend what was going on, Clefable delivered a fast blow to her face. The punch was so strong that the impact made Baloo slam into a wall, leaving a large dent the size of Baloo's body.

Perrine could only whirl around with wide, fearful eyes when she saw her friend slump to the ground like a rag doll. "Baloo, no!"

Thankfully, Perrine's worries were quickly alleviated. Not long after having faceplanted on the floor, Baloo forced herself back up and walked back to the battlefield.

"You okay to keep going, Baloo?" Perrine asked.

"Tuff!" Baloo squeaked, giving a vigorous nod.

Perrine smiled. It was just like her friend not to accept defeat. "We're going all out! Baloo, use Echoed Voice!"

"Clefable, Ice Beam once more."

Like before, everyone in the spectator seats covered their ears. Baloo gave a loud scream as she unleashed a chain of rippling shock waves that ran across the battlefield. In response, Clefable shot another ray of crystalized light towards the balloon Pokemon. Baloo dodged by jumping upward while simultaneously screaming at the top of her lungs. This time, the attacks struck Clefable head on, though the fairy continued to stand firm. But Perrine could see the attack was getting stronger the more Baloo used it. Clefable endured the attack as much as possible, grimacing as it covered its ears. Suddenly, the ground beneath it began to crack. After another round of attacks and screaming, the ground beneath Clefable exploded underneath it, with the debris hitting the fairy Pokemon in every direction.

"Finish it with Body Slam!"

Happy to finally stop her verbal assault, Baloo leaped into the air before falling flat on top of Clefable face first. This time, Clefable wasn't able to dodge, what with it still reeling from Baloo's onslaught of Echoed Voice. Gladys could only watch in horror as her friend was flattened underneath the balloon Pokemon's weight. All was silent for one brief but intense moment. Baloo rolled off of Clefable, whose wings were deflated and eyes were closed.

Gladys frowned upon seeing the sight. "Poor Clefable. It seems she lost. You win this round, Perrine," She murmured before calling Clefable back to her PokeBall.

"Alright!" Perrine cheered, jumping up once.

"Wiggly!" Baloo ran over to her trainer to give her a hug. Her stubby arms couldn't wrap all the way around her, but Perrine appreciated the embrace nonetheless.

"You did awesome, Baloo! Great job out there!"

"Yeah! Go Perrine! Woo!" The boys cheered right out loud, as did Rocio. Julia simply flashed a silent thumb's up.

Of course, they knew it was too early to celebrate. Perrine locked eyes with Baloo. "Do you want to keep going or take a break?"

Baloo answered by returning to the battlefield. Perrine couldn't argue with that.

Gladys pulled her next PokeBall out. "I suppose I should send out my next Pokemon. Come on out, Togekiss!"

Out from the PokeBall came a large, white, avian looking Pokemon with an ovoid body, three horns on its head—one tipped blue, the other red—and little red and blue triangle markings scattered across its abdomen. Its face was flat, with small black eyes and a friendly, good natured smile.

"Tokiiiisa!" The flying Pokemon chirruped.

Julia stood up from her seat, green eyes shimmering with delight upon seeing the Pokemon. "Oooh! That's a Togekiss! They're super rare!" She declared, having already pulled out her PokeDex to analyze it.

"Togekiss, the jubilee Pokemon. Togekiss can evolve from Togetic with the aid of a Shiny Stone. Togekiss are a rare Pokemon that are never seen in places where there is strife and turmoil. Some legends claim they have never been seen at all," Julia rolled her eyes at that statement, considering she was literally staring at one right now. "They are often depicted in good luck charms, and Togekiss often share their blessings to people who are kind and respect each other's rights."

Perrine checked Togekiss's information on her PokeDex as well. Togekiss is a flying and fairy type. She wanted to switch Baloo out, as she had the perfect Pokemon to use against a flying type, but the balloon Pokemon already insisted on staying in the battle. Who was she to disrespect her Pokemon's wishes?

"Alright then. I hope you don't mind me going first," Gladys told her in her usual pleasant tone. "Togekiss? Use Air Slash!"

Togekiss flapped its wings once, sending sickles of air flying towards Baloo.

"Baloo! Blow them away with Hyper Voice!"

Everyone covered their ears once more as Baloo let out a piercing screech. As soon as the shock waves struck, the air sickles dissolved into nothing.

"Steel Wing."

Togekiss's wings glowed in a silvery sheen as it ascended into the air, then took a sharp turn to descend. Perrine gasped. This wasn't good. Steel Wing could do a lot of damage. She needed to think of something, and quick. There was one attack she could have Baloo use. It wouldn't be much, but it'd be better than nothing.

"Baloo! Defense Curl!"

Baloo curled into a fetal position, remaining still even as Togekiss rammed its steely wings right into her. The balloon Pokemon stood firm, even as the metallic wings threatened to cut right through her. They didn't, but Baloo could still feel the harsh sting from the attack, even as Togekiss pulled back. After a minute, Baloo uncurled, standing back upright. But a jolt of pain shot through her back, and Perrine could see Baloo's face contort into a grimace. Did Steel Wing do more damage than she thought?

"I'm going to finish this," Gladys announced, pointing her index finger at Baloo. "Togekiss. Use Steel Wing again."

"Not gonna happen!" Perrine shouted. "Baloo! When Togekiss gets close, use Gyro Ball!"

Remaining in place, Baloo spun around like a top, emanating a silver aura as she did so. Togekiss descended towards the balloon Pokemon once more. When Togekiss got closer, Baloo propelled herself into the air, striking the jubilee Pokemon right in the face. But Togekiss, being faster and having gained more momentum, shook off the pain and managed to ram its wings into Baloo's body. The force of the impact was such that Baloo fell right onto the battlefield, sending some debris flying as a result and conjuring a cloud of dust.

"Baloo!" Perrine cried.

The dust cloud dissipated not long after, revealing Baloo lying on the ground face up, eyes closed and mouth hanging open. Her pink and white body was covered with dirt and grime. "Oh no…" Perrine ran over to the crater to get a better look. There was no way Baloo could continue battling in this state, meaning Gladys secured victory in this round.

She pursed her lips together as she called Baloo back to her PokeBall. "It's okay, girl. You did great."

"Aww, Baloo lost," Julia lamented. She knew Perrine had the perfect Pokemon to use against a Togekiss, but still felt sorry for Baloo regardless.

Perrine returned to the trainer box, wasting no time sending out her next Pokemon. "You're up, Chirin!"

Chirin puffed out his chest when he made his entrance, letting out a shrill, "Ampaaa!" as he went into a battle stance.

Gladys could only smile. "I'm honestly not surprised you'd go for a Pokemon with a type advantage," Gladys said, taking the initiative once more. "Togekiss, use Light Screen."

"Tokiiiii!" Togekiss raised its wings into the air, and a translucent wall of light appeared before it dissolved into its body.

Perrine furrowed her eyebrows. 'Light Screen makes special attacks not work as well for a while. But even that can't necessarily negate it's weakness,' She thought before throwing her arm outward. "Chirin, use Thunderbolt!"

Chirin gave a battle cry as lightning shot out from the red jewel on his forehead. Without a word from Gladys, Togekiss ascended into the air, evading the attack. Chirin continued to fire lightning at the jubilee Pokemon, and while some attacks managed to strike it on its abdomen, they weren't enough to completely knock it out.

"Togekiss, get in close and use Dazzling Gleam," Gladys said.

Get in close? Perrine gasped. Gladys was trying to have Togekiss blind Chirin! "Close your eyes, Chirin! Then use Discharge!"

Togekiss swiftly descended, making a sharp turn as soon as it was just one foot above ground, before soaring towards Chirin. The light Pokemon closed his eyes as an explosion of thunder spilled out from his body. Togekiss still managed to get within Chirin's vicinity and make its body glow in a harsh pink and white light. Chirin continued to unleash thunder in every direction, even as he felt a burning sensation on his front thanks to Togekiss' attack.

"Headbutt!" Gladys commanded.

Before Chirin could react, Togekiss rammed its head into the light Pokemon's abdomen, sending him skidding across the battlefield. Luckily, Chirin kept one arm on the ground, preventing himself from losing his balance. Togekiss flew back into the air, its thick wings outstretched. Perrine had to admit, Togekiss was fast, and fairly well trained if it was able to withstand Chirin's electric attacks. But that didn't necessarily make it outright immune to them. Plus, Chirin did have another trick up his sleeve. Maybe now was the time to use it.

"Chirin! Knock it out with Power Gem!"

Chirin raised both arms into the air, letting out a shrill screech as the gem on his head glowed white. Ten round spheres of light materialized around him before charging towards the jubilee Pokemon.

"Use Steel Wing to knock them back!" Gladys cried out.

Togekiss smacked some of the rocks away, sending them to the ground, but some of them managed to strike the jubilee Pokemon on its abdomen. One of them even struck Togekiss square in the face, sending it straight to the ground. But no sooner did it make that resounding thud did Togekiss pull itself back up and get back on its tiny, stubby feet. Perrine smiled. Chirin was able to get some damage in, so that was good progress.

"Great job, boy!" Perrine cheered, throwing both arms into the air. "Now use Electro Ball—!"

"Extremespeed!"

Togekiss glowed in a harsh white light before making a mad dash towards Chirin. Before the light Pokemon could even react, Togekiss flew right in front of Chirin and rammed right into his abdomen, sending him skidding across the ground.

"No!" Perrine exclaimed, her blue eyes shrinking to dots as she watched Chirin struggle to get back on his feet. Luckily, even though his body shook from the pain, Chirin managed to hoist himself back up.

"I do hope you'll allow me to finish this," Gladys said in her polite manner as usual, snapping her fingers. "Togekiss, use Steel Wing once more."

The jubilee Pokemon rose into the air once more. Perrine had to think of something. This Togekiss was much faster than she had thought. If Chirin didn't do something soon, he'd be done for. Then again...slowly, a strategy formed in her mind. Maybe there was a way to keep Togekiss from moving so much.

"Chirin, Cotton Guard!"

Chirin stretched both arms into the air, the gem on his head glowing once more. Wads of cotton balls sprouted from his body, forming a protective, fluffy barrier all around him. Togekiss slammed both wings into the cluster of cotton, barely making a dent. The flying Pokemon backtracked soon after, and the cotton balls dissolved into Chirin's body.

"Chirin," Perrine said, calling for her friend's attention. "I'm gonna need you to trust me on this one."

"Paa?" Chirin wasn't sure what his trainer had in mind, but he didn't question it.

"Togekiss. Extremespeed once again."

"Endure the hit, and use Growl!" Perrine exclaimed.

Everyone in the spectator eats exchanged perplexed looks. Growl? Why was Perrine using a move like that? Togekiss flew downwards, rapidly descending towards Chirin. The light Pokemon curled into a ball while letting out a piercing screech. Togekiss got in close and slammed into Chirin. Not enough to knock him out, as Chirin held fast, refusing to let the fairy Pokemon knock him out. But as soon as Togekiss made contact, a strange, tingling sensation ran through its body. Togekiss paid it no heed as it ascended back into the air.

Until the tingling sensation worsened, and its wings tensed up. "Kisaaaa!" Togekiss found itself going numb, unable to move. The Pokemon quickly descended back to the ground, unable to remain airborne.

"Togekiss! What's wrong?" Gladys asked, her voice rising with worry. She found her answer when she saw sparks of electricity crackling across Togekiss's body.

The confused looks on everyone's faces faded, and their eyes and mouths widened in realization.

Static had come into effect!

"We're ending this!" Perrine shouted. "Chirin, use Thunderbolt! Give it all you got!"

Chirin uncurled from his fetal position, firing a flashing bolt of electricity that shot across the sky.

"Togekiss! Get out of the way!" Gladys cried out, her composure breaking for the first time. Togekiss attempted to fly, but the muscles in its wings were numb, and the jubilee Pokemon was overcome by the sensation of pins and needles all throughout its wings. The electricity struck Togekiss square on the face, and it could only scream as agony as a new burning sensation spread throughout its body. The attack went on for several solid seconds. Before long, Togekiss fell to the ground, its wings limp and eyes closed.

"Togekiss…" Gladys' voice broke upon seeing her friend unable to move. But she knew her friend couldn't continue on. Another loss. Without a word, she pulled out Togekiss' PokeBall and made it return.

"Woohoo!" Perrine cheered, jumping up and down once more. Chirin ran over to his trainer, arms outstretched and ready for a hug. Perrine returned the gesture as soon as they made contact, embracing so tightly that they didn't want to let go. "Way to go, Chirin! You did awesome!"

"Amparooo!" Chirin warbled, rejoicing in his victory.

"That's two Pokemon down!" Rocio exclaimed.

She was right. Now Gladys was down to her final Pokemon. "I wonder what Pokemon she'll use next?" Julia asked no one in particular.

"Whatever it is, it'll probably be her strongest one yet," Caiseal reminded her.

No doubt about that.

Gladys' smile returned. "Perrine, I must thank you for this very fun battle. It's only my first one as a member of the Johto Elite Four, but it's been such a joy to experience so far," She said.

Perrine let go of Chirin, gesturing for him to return to the battlefield. "Thanks. You're really strong, too. But I'll have you know, I don't intend on losing. I have a dream to fulfill," Perrine fired back.

Gladys exchanged Togekiss' PokeBall for another one. "I'm sure you do. But let's see how you handle my partner here!" Gladys told her, throwing her PokeBall.

Out from the capsule came a four-legged, pink and white mammalian Pokemon with large, turquoise eyes that were quite pretty, two ribbon-like structures—one on its left ear and the other on its neck—with each one having long, white appendages sprouting out from them, tipped pink and blue. Its pink curved tail stood upward, almost resembling a crescent moon.

"Sylveon!" The Pokemon chirruped.

"Ooooh! What a cutie!" Julia immediately crooned over it, in awe of how cute it was. "I've never seen that Pokemon before!"

Ethan pulled out his PokeDex to examine it. "Sylveon, the intertwining Pokemon, and the eighth evolved form of Eevee. Eevee can evolve into Sylveon from both knowing a fairy type move, usually Charm or Baby Doll Eyes, and receiving love and affection from its trainer, not just friendship. Sylveon are a friendly, amiable Pokemon that give off a soothing aura which originates from the feelers on its body. This aura erases feelings of anger and hostility, causing any prey to let down their guard, which is when Sylveon strike when needed. Sylveon wrap their feelers around the arm of their trainer, which allows them to read their feelings, but they only do this when they are emotionally bonded with them. Although Sylveon have existed for centuries, they were not officially recognized as a legitimate evolution of Eevee until 2013, when the decades-long debates about their method of evolution were finally resolved. Sylveon are often used as therapy Pokemon because of their gentle nature and ability to read their trainer's feelings. Galarian fairy tales depict Sylveon as brave beings who slay dragon type Pokemon many times their size."

"Oh wow," Even Perrine couldn't help but find herself awestruck. She had a feeling Gladys wouldn't use a Johto Pokemon, since she was from Kalos, and although she had seen pictures of Sylveon previously, this was the first time she ever saw one in person. But she shook her head, reminding herself that this was no time to gawk at a new Pokemon. She needed to keep her head clear. If she won this battle, she could fight the next member of the Elite Four...and after that, Lance.

"Would you like to go first again?" Gladys asked politely.

Perrine wasted no time. "Gladly! Chirin, use Electro Ball!"

Chirin generated an electrified sphere and threw it towards Sylveon.

"Double Team!"

Sylveon began running in circles around Chirin, so fast that the Pokemon generated copies of itself. The electric sphere shot through one of them, but it did no damage. Chirin was completely surrounded. The light Pokemon looked in every direction, struggling to figure out which one was the real Sylveon.

"Don't get nervous, Chirin! Just use Discharge!" Perrine cried out.

Chirin nodded before shooting an explosion of electricity all across the field. One of them managed to strike the real Sylveon on its side. It wasn't enough to completely knock it out, but Perrine was just happy to have found the real one.

"Electro Ball again!"

"Counter with Shadow Ball!"

Both Pokemon fired energy spheres at one another, only in Sylveon's case, it shot a purple and black blob out from its mouth. Both attacks collided, causing an explosion of dust to cover a part of the field for a brief moment. It dissipated just as quickly as it appeared, and both Pokemon were just getting started.

"Sylveon, use Draining Kiss!"

Sylveon walked over to Chirin with a pleasing smile, looking unassuming and showing no intent to attack at first. Chirin backed away two feet, but was unable to escape. Sylveon's feelers wrapped around the light Pokemon, restraining him against his will and pulling him close. Sylveon leaned into Chirin and kissed him right on the cheek. Waves of yellow light washed over Chirin, and he found himself unable to keep his eyes open. All the energy seemed to get sucked right out of him. A yellow light orb sprouted out from Chirin and dissolved into Sylveon's body.

Perrine blanched. Chirin was a sitting Psyduck! He wasn't even struggling to get away. Gradually, Sylveon's feelers released the light Pokemon, but Chirin collapsed, falling face first onto the ground. Perrine couldn't believe what she was seeing. Had Chirin been defeated?

"Chirin! Get up!" Perrine cried out, but received no response. Chirin was completely out cold.

"Man, I didn't realize Draining Kiss was such a strong attack," Caiseal mused.

"No, it's because of all the hits Chirin took from Togekiss previously," Julia told him. "Chirin probably couldn't handle much more after that."

Without a word, Perrine called her fallen friend back to his PokeBall. Having heard Julia speak just now, she figured that might have been the case. Considering she relied on Togekiss being hit with Static by letting it attack Chirin, it was inevitable that he'd have taken significant amounts of damage. At least now he'd be able to rest for the rest of the day. Now her options were more limited than before. With Sylveon being a pure fairy type, she had no idea how she was going to go about defeating it. Baloo had already been defeated, and none of her other Pokemon knew any steel type moves.

Then again...who said actual attacks were absolutely necessary to ensure victory?

Perrine knew exactly who she wanted to send out. "This is your time to shine, Florian!" Out from the PokeBall came Florian, who ruffled the petals around his neck before letting out a battle cry.

"A Meganium. I wonder which one of us will come out on top?" Gladys asked no one in particular before making the first move. "Sylveon, use Swift!"

Sylveon leaped into the air, waving her feelers and generating a barrage of glowing stars. "Deflect them with Razor Leaf!"

Florian ruffled the petals around his neck once more, shooting sharp leaves, watching as they cut through Sylveon's stars, slicing them to bits. Sylveon descended to the ground shortly afterward, using one of its feelers as a cushion to break its fall.

"Now use Sweet Scent!"

For a third time, Florian shook his flower petals. A sparkling cloud of pink dust spread all across the battlefield. Sylveon took one whiff of it, and its body relaxed. Its feelers lowered to the ground, and no longer did it take on a battle stance.

"Sylveon! Jump and use Fairy Wind to blow it away!" Gladys commanded.

The intertwining Pokemon took a moment to reorient itself before leaping into the air and flapping its feelers rapidly. A gust of pink, sparkling wind blew away the sweet-smelling cloud, though some of it still lingered. It wasn't long before Sylveon landed back on the ground, feet first.

Perrine took the opening. "Florian, Bulldoze!"

Florian jumped into the air, though only a couple feet, and landed back down with such force that the battlefield shook. The ground beneath Sylveon's feet rumbled, and the intertwining Pokemon couldn't keep steady. Some debris from the ground flew up and struck Sylveon on both its face and body. Gradually, the miniature earthquake dwindled down to nothing.

"Don't give in, Sylveon! Use Moonblast!" Gladys exclaimed.

With the battlefield back to normal, Sylveon shook its head to compose itself once more. After that, Sylveon spread its feelers wide open, allowing a pink sphere of light to materialize in front of it. Once it reached the size of a volleyball, Sylveon used one of its feelers to slap it, sending it right in Florian's direction. Florian couldn't evade it, as it came at him too fast, striking him right on the abdomen. But being a larger Pokemon, Florian withstood the attack, keeping his legs firmly planted to the ground, enduring the hit.

Perrine pressed her front teeth down on her bottom lip. 'This is getting testy. There's got to be a way I can get Florian to stop Sylveon in its tracks,' She thought, searching for a strategy. She had an idea of what she wanted Florian to do, but the problem was that Sylveon was agile and nimble. Those feelers certainly gave it an advantage when it came to movement.

Wait a minute...its feelers. They were basically Sylveon's arms. If Sylveon couldn't use them...Perrine gasped. An idea hatched in her head. "That's it!"

"Sylveon, use Swift again."

"Knock them away with Vine Whip!"

As soon as Sylveon shot yet another barrage of stars in Florian's direction, the green sauropod managed to smack most of them away with his vines. Some of them struck Florian on his head, but they didn't do much in the way of damage. As usual, Sylveon landed gracefully on the ground feet first, as if it were a real fairy settling into a flower garden.

There was an opening. Perrine needed to act now. "Wrap your vines around Sylveon's feelers!"

It was Gladys' turn to gasp, as her eyes turned as wide as saucers. Knowing time was of the essence, Florian shot his vines towards Sylveon, wrapping them tightly around both sets of feelers and dragging the writhing fairy Pokemon towards him. Sylveon dredged its legs into the ground in an attempt to resist getting pulled, but Florian's strength rendered the escape effort futile. When Sylveon was just two feet away from Florian, the opportunity had presented itself.

Now or never! "Now, Poison Powder!"

For the third time, Florian shook the petals around his neck. This time, a cloud of sparkling purple dust billowed out from the pink petals. Sylveon kept its mouth shut, but with its feelers restrained, the powder managed to find its way into its nostrils. In no time flat, a sharp, prickling, burning sensation shot through Sylveon's body. Every movement or gesture only exacerbated the pain.

"Good! Now bombard it with Razor Leaf!" Perrine commanded.

Florian wasted no time inundating Sylveon with an army of sharp leaves that cut through its fur in every direction. Sylveon cried out in agony, as every cut hurt with more intensity than the last.

"Sylveon! Use Shadow Ball to break free!" Gladys cried out, her voice rising in desperation.

Even as pain wracked its small, mammalian frame, Sylveon fired a purple and black sphere right in Florian's face. The force was enough to make Florian uncoil his vines from around Sylveon. As soon as the vines released Sylveon, it made a beeline towards Gladys' trainer box. But Sylveon couldn't go very far, as the poison surged through its body as it ran, sending jolts of pain through its legs. Perrine could only smirk. With Sylveon being poisoned, its health would gradually drain over time, and Gladys had no other Pokemon left, meaning she couldn't switch it out.

"Alright! We're finishing this!" Perrine exclaimed, seeing that victory was at hand. "Florian! Kick it off with Body Slam! Full power!"

Just like earlier, Florian leaped into the air as high as his heavy legs could propel him. Sylveon tried to run, but every movement seemed to suck the energy right out of it. One of its legs buckled, causing Sylveon to trip and fall on its abdomen. A shadow loomed over the fairy Pokemon, growing larger as Florian slammed right down on it, covering it from ear to toe. For a tense moment, all was silent. Julia, Ethan, Caiseal, and Rocio were literally at the edges of their seats, leaning closer to watch the battle with their eyes glued to it. Gladys and Perrine could only stand and wonder if Sylveon had managed to survive that.

Feeling some discomfort, Florian rolled to the side...revealing a dirt caked Sylveon, with its eyes closed and mouth hanging open in a silent scream. Gladys felt a heaviness weighing in her chest.

"No way…!" Perrine couldn't believe her eyes. First she had defeated Will, and now Gladys? She actually defeated the newest Elite Four member? Joy bubbled over like soda fizz, and Perrine gave a jubilant shout. "WOOHOOOO!"

"Mega!" Florian ran over to his trainer with a big smile on his face, allowing Perrine to throw herself onto him.

"You were amazing, Florian! Great job, boy!" Perrine cheered, jumping up and down as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Oh yeah! Go Perrine!" Both Ethan and Caiseal stood up from their seats, fist bumping one another as they rejoiced in their friend's victory.

Julia and Rocio simply ran over to the orange haired girl, giving her their own hugs. "You did it, Perrine! You won your second battle against an E4 member!" Julia exclaimed, wrapping one arm around her neck.

Rocio repeated the gesture as her daughter released her arms from around Florian's neck. "I'm so proud of you, dear!"

"Thanks everyone!" Perrine's cheeks flushed red, as she felt abashed by the praise. Still, it was surreal that this was happening at all...and she loved every part of it.

In contrast, Gladys could only flash a sad smile as she called Sylveon back to its PokeBall. "You did great, my friend. I'm proud of you," Gladys whispered before putting the PokeBall away. She wiped a stray tear from her eye with one arm, taking a second to compose herself and flash her usual, more polite smile.

She then walked over to the cheering girls as the boys joined them in celebration. "Well done, Mademoiselle Perrine," Gladys told her. "I admit, I am frustrated that I lost in my first tenure as an E4 member, but I enjoyed our battle immensely."

"Yeah. Me too," Perrine replied. "Though...sorry I beat you. I'm not trying to ruin your image as an Elite Four member. Honest."

Gladys shook her head, knowing that wasn't her intention. Why would Perrine even think such a thing? "It's quite alright. I know winning and losing aren't everything. In fact, my loss proves even further that you are a strong trainer in your own right, and that you've earned the chance to be here today. Besides, I won't get kicked out because I lost one battle."

That statement made Julia stop to think for a little bit. "How do you get kicked out of the Elite Four anyway?" She wondered out loud, looking up at the ceiling.

"I can only assume doing stuff like committing crimes," Caiseal chimed in. "I don't know for sure, though."

Interesting food for thought. Still, high on her victory, Perrine took Gladys' hand and gave it a gentle shake. "Thank you for the battle, Gladys Tatham."

"You're welcome. I'm glad I was able to face you today. Things will only get tougher from here on out," Gladys warned her, wearing her pleasant smile like usual.

As much as Perrine wanted to sit on her laurels, Gladys was right. She was halfway there. She couldn't afford to be complacent. Not now.

Everyone said their goodbyes to Gladys as they left the stadium. Since there was still some time left in the day, they decided to head to the Pokemon Center for lunch. The TV crew retired for the evening as well. Only Gladys and one other person, who stood right next to the second set of bleachers outside of view, remained. It was a woman, draped in a beige winter coat.

"I knew she was talented, but I had no idea she'd be able to take you down," The beige cloaked woman commented.

Gladys could only break into a self-deprecating giggle. "I suppose part of it is my own fault. One would think I'd know better than to forget about abilities like Static...and underestimate Poison Powder, of all attacks."

The older woman shrugged. "Don't be so hard on yourself, Gladys. That's the fun in battling strong trainers. You never know what they'll throw at you."

Gladys' smile turned into a thin line as she adopted a more solemn expression. She walked to the other set of bleachers, getting a good view of the woman this time.

"By the way...do you intend to let Perrine know you're here?" Gladys inquired gently.

The woman brushed a lock of brown hair behind her ear. "I will, in due time. But I want to see how far she goes first."

Understandable. Gladys mentally told herself not to spoil the surprise, should she ever see Perrine again. She didn't see any indication from Perrine that she noticed the woman. Then again, only one thing was on Perrine's mind when she left the stadium.

Two Elite Four members down, two more to go.

***

A/N: Hey guys. Sorry for the delay AGAIN. Life, vaccines, lack of motivation, battle fatigue, and so on. But there's five chapters left of this to go, and I intend to finish it no matter what! I was originally going to put in an additional scene showing the Team Rocket execs and Giovanni dealing with the fallout of Harriet's actions, but the chapter's long enough already, so I'll save it for the next one. It does address one criticism that a reviewer pointed out to me in their review in regards to their actions in that arc. Anyway, here's chapter 72! Hope you like it, and if not, that's okay too!

 

[System Error]

- Is it just me or was the witness protection budget heavily slashed
- You know I do wonder how and why all Jennys (and Joys) look mostly alike.
- Damn. Rip Margeaux. Shit...
- Man I hope Yannick burns to death or something. Something torturous. Or gets killed by J for irony.
- So in your ficverse the Elite Four are like a secret council but also a bueracracy? Dang. Rip Koga's promotion, then.
- That feel when young hormones. Wonder what Caiseal would think of the gloriously hot Cynthia, or any other fanservicy Poke girl?
- Well Fire resists Fairy at least, and is neutral damage, so dunno what Petrine's logic is.
- So uh why does literally everyone in the spectator stands cover their ears yet both times but the trainers themselves seem strangely unaffected?
- You know I've been noticing a trend in your battles. The trainer asks the Pokemon if they want to continue, they insist, then get beat.
- Man, that feel when official recognition is needed for Pokemon
- Splat goes the Sylveon, Hey two things ended with Body Slam
- Curious. I wonder if that talk about getting kicked out will ever be relevant?
- And once more the mysterious unnamed woman who is certainly not Aunt Mao at all appears.

Stuff continues to move along, as does the battle parade. Good to see Harriet again! And good to know we'll be seeing aftermath of the Rocket fallout soon, too. Keep up the good work, and hopefully, the battle fatigue and the rest of things doesn't keep you down for too long

 

[Juliko]

- Damn. Rip Margeaux. Shit...

Well, she was already confirmed to have died right before the Radio Tower arc started.

- Curious. I wonder if that talk about getting kicked out will ever be relevant?

Nope. I just threw that in for food of thought. Thought it'd be a funny line.

- Well Fire resists Fairy at least, and is neutral damage, so dunno what Perrine's logic is.

Crap, I thought it was the other way around! This is what I get for not playing many Pokemon games for so long.

 

[System Error]

Well, she was already confirmed to have died right before the Radio Tower arc started.

Oh, well it's been a few years, so...oops? >_>

Nope. I just threw that in for food of thought. Thought it'd be a funny line.

Okay so let me break down my crazy logic for you. You're a huge Adventures fan. You put a few elements of it into the work. So what if they learned one of their own was a criminal? Say, Koga? Who is known to be a member of Team Rocket in Adventures? Now in the fic you said Koga retired hence Gladys coming in, but, what if he didn't? What if that was the shadow council's cover story to obfuscate the fact that a Team Rocket operative was among their ranks? Or allowing him to have an honorable (for now) retirement until the truth comes out?

Yes I said it was crazy logic.

Crap, I thought it was the other way around! This is what I get for not playing many Pokemon games for so long.

Although it could be justified in this case by the pressure making Perrine forget something base or making her get it backwards. One way to work with the mistake, maybe.

 

[creativelover93]

Not bad so far. (6/10). Gladys seems to be somewhat interesting. I was thinking of replacing some gym leaders or a few elite four members with OC's in my future fanfics. (Only in my future sun and moon fanfic I'll be adding a few more trail captains and replacing the original elite four with OC characters).

If Caiseal dares to meet Nessa, Olivia, Juniper, Cynthia and Wicke...oh boy, he's going to have a field day.

 

[nickdt]

If Caiseal dares to meet Nessa, Olivia, Juniper, Cynthia and Wicke...oh boy, he's going to have a field day.

You forgot about Elesa, Lusamine and Melony and maybe even Alexa and Viola.

 

[creativelover93]

You forgot about Elesa, Lusamine and Melony and maybe even Alexa and Viola.

I know they're hot, but I just wanted to list a few examples because I didn't want it to list them too long.
Also, Alexa and Viola? Maybe the hottest pokegirl? I never heard of anyone thought of them being the hottest pokegirl. I always assume that everyone thought of Flannery (puns), some of the player's moms, Roxanne, Sonia, Burnet, Lucy and maybe Anabel (as an Adult) as the hottest pokegirls.

 

[Juliko]

Chapter 73: An Elite Beatdown!

Ariana, Petrel, and Proton stood in the middle of an office on the highest floor of a tall building in Goldenrod City. One that wasn't anywhere near the Radio Tower, though it was easy for them to see it just out the back window. Just looking at the structure made Ariana taste bile. There were three chairs for them to sit in, but all three of them refrained from doing so, knowing the subject of discussion wasn't going to be a sit-down kind of affair. Still, the three of them were getting antsy. Proton kept eyeing the door behind him every five minutes. Ariana noticed, having crossed her arms and pressing her front teeth down on her bottom lip.

"Proton? Would it kill you not to look at the door every second?" Ariana hissed. "We're already impatient enough as it is. Giovanni will get here when he gets here. He's a busy man."

"I know, but the anticipation is killing me," Proton replied, trying to keep his composure as much as he could. But his voice adopted a childish whine that he hadn't intended to use.

Petrel noticed, and wasted no time pointing it out. "We're all impatient here, so suck it up and quit your whining," He retorted.

The door to the office finally opened, and Giovanni strode inside, with Archer flanking him. Giovanni wore his signature flashy orange suit, yellow dress shirt, red tie, and brown leather shoes. Although the four Team Rocket executives had grown used to seeing him dress in his favorite orange suit, they still couldn't help but think that it made him look more flamboyant than genuinely intimidating. Wasn't the de facto boss of an organized criminal syndicate supposed to look more serious? But they didn't dare voice these thoughts out loud. Giovanni was sure to really let them have it if they ever openly questioned him about anything. Giovanni sat down behind his desk and pulled out some papers from a manila folder he carried with him.

"Thank you all for coming today," Archer said in his usual monotone voice, standing next to Giovanni's desk with a clipboard in both hands. "Apologies for being tardy. Giovanni has something very important he'd like to discuss with all of us. Boss?"

Giovanni heard the signal and began to speak. "As I'm sure you're all aware, the events of the past few months have dealt a significant blow to Team Rocket. The Radio Tower mission was a failure, and the actions of a lowly grunt have thrown us into the public eye," He explained, voice stony and austere, leaving no room for nonsense. "More than fifty of our grunts and several other executives have been arrested and are awaiting a trial as we speak."

In that moment, Giovanni flashed an intense glare towards Ariana and Petrel. The two of them shivered upon seeing his dark eyes scrutinizing them. "You two are very lucky I was able to bail you out of jail when I did. The only reason I didn't throw you under the bus was because I can't afford to lose you two. I need people who can keep the grunts in line and handle all the work that I am unable to. But don't think I'll be so merciful the next time something like this happens."

Ariana and Petrel deflated. "We understand, sir, and we are very grateful," Ariana bowed in a 90 degree angle, hoping prostrating herself like this would convince her boss that she understood the depth of her gratitude. Giovanni paid her no heed.

On the other hand, Petrel gave Proton the stink eye. "I didn't see you getting hauled off to prison, and you were equally responsible for making sure the grunts were in their assigned positions!" Petrel hissed.

"Unlike you, I actually know how to stay out of sight and not make a complete bumbling fool out of myself!" Proton shot back. "You two should have made more of an effort to, y'know, not let the police catch you!"

"They had a Gengar phase through the walls and a bunch of Butterfree use Sleep Powder on everyone!" Petrel argued. "It's not like we can see into the future! How could we possibly have prepared for that?!"

"Both of you, stop this childish prattle!" Archer shouted, lifting his clipboard to smack the back of it with one hand. "Each and every one of us has to take accountability for what happened. Besides, the boss isn't done speaking yet."

Good point. The trio of executives fell silent, dropping the argument.

"Because of what's happened, I've decided to make a few changes to our organization," Giovanni said, folding his hands together. "First off, because the police and the FBI are looking for us, we're going to lay low for a while. I don't know for how long, but we need to dial back and keep a low profile as much as possible. The less attention we draw to ourselves, the better, and this includes holding off on any big plans."

The trio of executives exchanged looks. That was understandable. If Team Rocket tried to do something while the police were out looking for them, they were sure they'd be caught right away.

"Furthermore, in light of this, there's something else I'd like to discuss," Giovanni said, looking up at Archer. "Do you have the financial reports?"

"Here, sir," Archer handed him a stack of papers. Giovanni took them into his hands and scrutinized them for a brief minute.

"In light of the fact that we need to dial back on our schemes, this also means we have to be more financially frugal," Giovanni explained. "Since this is what led to the police coming after us in the first place, I decree that the Team Rocket breeding program be shut down, effective immediately."

Reactions were varied. Ariana actually exhaled a sigh of relief. Proton simply pulled the rim of his hat over his eyes in silence. Petrel's eyes went as wide as saucers, and he couldn't stop himself from shouting "What?! Why?!"

"Petrel, let him explain!" Ariana hissed.

Giovanni held the bridge of his nose with two fingers to compose himself before speaking again. "According to these reports, Team Rocket has spent more money on things such as baby food, diapers, clothing, and formula than on the machinery, technology, and information that is required for not just J's research, but for our expansion. We've spent over millions of dollars on basically educating and raising more children than we can feasibly handle. There's also the fact that since many of the children we have are still so young, they cannot replace all the grunts that we already lost because of the arrests. At this point in time, we can't afford to wait years and years for the children we bred to come of age when we are in dire need of new recruits right away."

Proton raised his hand. "If I may, Sir, the reason the breeding program was started was that you didn't want to come under suspicion of the police through our previous methods of manipulating people into joining us or kidnapping them off the streets. Didn't you say this was an easier way to throw off the police? Why put an end to it now?" He asked.

Once again, Giovanni pointed to the reports on his desk. "You're correct in that that was how the program was conceived in the first place, back when I was younger and less worldly than I am now. But after reading these reports and learning just how much money is used on simply raising children that we conceived ourselves over decades, I've come to realize it was a poor, impulsive investment I made. Especially now that that Harriet girl talked to the police about it. It's been nothing but a drain on our funds, and much of the money that went into it could have been used for helping J in her research, or spare parts to fix some of our broken machines, or even fixing the housing complexes I oversee."

All three executives exchanged looks. They had to admit, Giovanni did make valid points. Petrel's face in particular contorted into a pained grimace.

"As such, we're putting an end to the breeding program," Giovanni asserted. "No more siring children, no more coercing female grunts to procreate, and no spending money on infant necessities," He raised a quizzical eyebrow towards Petrel in particular. "Have I made myself clear?"

Ariana and Photon had no problem responding. "Yes, sir."

On the other hand, Petrel was internally squirming. "Yes sir…" His response was far more morose, like the one thing he had to look forward to was taken from him.

"With this in mind, I've gathered you all here to give you your assigned roles for carrying this out," Giovanni said, turning towards Ariana first. "Ariana. You will oversee the older grunts and have them drop the babies we have off at whatever hospitals, orphanages, and adoption agencies you can find. Make sure that the grunts don't try to do anything stupid like kill them. That'll just make things worse. The police already found several of our establishments and nurseries, and they're doubling down on their efforts to find any that they haven't found yet. The infants we still have will not only be a strain on our finances, but gigantic red flags for the police. Can I trust you to handle this undertaking?"

Ariana gave a sailor's salute. "Yes, sir. I'll see to its completion."

Giovanni then side eyed Proton. "Proton. You will oversee the clean-up operation. We must destroy and dispose of any items that could indicate that infants and children are present within Team Rocket. I've already mobilized a group of grunts you can utilize to speed up the process," Giovanni told him. "I know it's not the most ideal task, but it's just as important as all others."

Proton's face contorted in aggravation. Cleaning was not one of his favorite tasks, as Proton knew that was what janitors were for. But he knew better than to question his boss, so he gave a non-committal nod and shrug. "I understand, sir. Thank you for this opportunity."

With this, only Petrel was left. Giovanni turned to him and said, "As for you, Petrel...I am barring you from copulating with the female grunts for the time being."

Petrel's mouth fell agape. "But Giovanni, sir! I—"

The man in the orange suit held up a hand, silencing him. "Like I said, we all need to do our part and lay low so that we don't draw the attention of both the police and the FBI. I am hereby forbidding you to take women to your bedchamber," Giovanni announced, leaving no room for nonsense in his voice.

Proton leaned closer to Ariana, flashing a smirk. "Look at Petrel squirm. He looks so pathetic."

Against her better judgment, a giggle escaped Ariana's throat, though she was quick to stifle it by putting a hand to her mouth. "I know, right?" Ariana whispered back. "Petrel needs to learn to go one day without getting into a girl's pants. Think he can handle it?"

"No," Proton whispered, barely stifling giggles of his own.

Petrel was quick to give the two of them the stink eye. "You know I can hear you two giggling over there, right?!" He hissed.

"Giovanni's not finished yet," Archer reminded them. All three executives stood straight as boards, with Petrel in particular turning rigid.

The man in the orange tuxedo heaved another sigh as he continued on. "Indeed. Petrel, I'm pairing you up with Archer so you two can look over some documents that just came in the other day. I need your reports back by the end of this week."

If there was anything the executives really didn't care for, it was paperwork. Then again, who did? Knowing arguing with his boss was futile, Petrel groaned and conceded defeat. "I understand, sir."

"Alright. Your new duties will begin first thing tomorrow morning, as I still have some matters I need to attend to before then. You are dismissed," Giovanni gave the signal for them to leave.

Both Ariana and Proton smiled as they left Giovanni's office, with the latter stretching his arms out. "Pheeeew! I thought for sure he was going to roast us like Slowpoke tails!" Proton exclaimed.

"Don't remind me," Ariana groaned as she held a hand to her stomach. "Man, I could really go for some pizza right now."

"Uuuugh…" Petrel flanked them from behind, moaning the entire time. "This is awful...my one joy in life is taken from me...what am I to do now?"

Ariana clenched her teeth. Petrel was still going on about that? At this point, she couldn't bear to hear any more of this. She swiveled around and shouted, "God, you're pathetic! If you're really that desperate to get your rocks off, go to the friggin' red light district!"

The purple haired executive said nothing as he ambled right past him, with his shoulders hunched and back bent over, like he was literally dragging himself through the hall. But as much as Petrel annoyed them with his perverse ways, they had to admit, seeing him look so forlorn was pretty funny. To them, at least. Of course, they knew this wasn't the time to be laughing at someone's misery. There was work to be done...and a lunch break to partake in.

***

A torrent of rain fell from the sky in sheets, with every cluster of rain drops forming miniature waterfalls that seemed to drench the world. Julia, Ethan, and Caiseal watched the violent downpour from inside the Pokemon Center lobby as they ate their lunch. Water pounded against the glass window, as if threatening to break it into pieces.

"Oh wow. It's really pouring out there," Julia noted.

"I know, right?" Ethan groaned, laying his head on the cool table. "And we have to walk out there to get to the stadium for Perrine's next match, too…" None of the kids liked the idea of going out in that kind of weather for any reason, but they had resolved to watch all of Perrine's matches against the Elite Four. That wasn't going to change, rain or shine.

Footsteps pulled the trio's gaze from the window as Perrine came rushing over to them, plate of food in hand. "There you are! Had a bit of a hard time finding you guys," Perrine said as she slid into the empty space next to Caiseal.

"Is our spot really that hard to find? Sorry," Caiseal said.

"Eh, no worries," Perrine replied.

Julia did notice someone was missing. She looked around the lobby but didn't see who she was looking for. "Where's your mom, Perrine?"

"She went to a salon nearby to get her nails done," Perrine answered.

Ethan eyed the weather outside. "In this weather?"

Perrine shrugged. "Yeah, I don't know why either."

"So what time's your next match?" Julia asked.

Perrine took a minute to eat some sausages she got at the buffet before answering. "It's at one, so in about an hour. Since Bruno specializes in fighting types, I took some time to get my team in order."

"Cool!" Caiseal exclaimed. "Just think, if you beat Bruno and Karen, you'll get to fight Lance—Wha?!" Before he could finish his sentence, he felt something weigh down on his head out of nowhere.

Something purple and with a long tail. Everyone backed away when they saw what had landed on his mop of blonde hair.

"Aipom!" A lone Aipom stood on Caiseal's head, using the appendage at the end of its tail to grab a sandwich on his plate. Then the long tail Pokemon leaped into the next booth.

"Hey!" Caiseal stood up and immediately ran after it, eyes blazing. "Gimme back my sandwich, you thief!" The angry blonde kid gave chase as the thieving Aipom got down on all fours and began running. The other kids followed suit, figuring he could use some backup. Oddly enough, the chase didn't last very long, as the Aipom approached two girls who were at the buffet, looking over the dessert area.

"Pom! Pom!" The Aipom stopped in front of one girl with dark brown hair in particular, holding the stolen sandwich out to her.

"Aipom! Wha—?" The girl's eyes widened as she looked down at the gift presented before her. Then she looked up at the crowd just behind it. Her lips pursed together as she connected the dots. She looked down at the Aipom with narrowed eyebrows and she crossed her arms. "You didn't steal their food, did you?!"

"Yes, it did. Is this your Pokemon, Miss?" Perrine clarified.

The brown haired girl's palm met her face as the realization hit her. "Oh dear. I'm so sorry. My Aipom stole your food, didn't he?" She groaned before staring down her Aipom and pointing to the kids. "Aipom. Give the sandwich back and say you're sorry right now," Her voice was firm and left no room for nonsense.

Aipom's ears drooped as he manipulated his tail to show the sandwich to Caiseal. The blonde boy took it in his hands, and Aipom walked over to his trainer. "Thanks."

But the brown girl didn't see this as being enough of an apology. She walked over to the kids and bowed in a 90 degree angle. "Again, I'm so, so, so sorry about this. My Aipom is always stealing food and trying to pull pranks like this. I've been trying to make him stop, but...as you can see, I'm clearly not doing a good enough job."

The girl's friend, a heavy set girl with glasses and short black hair in a bob cut, spoke next. "Aipom, I was going to get my own sandwich! For Pete's sake!" The girl was quick to scold Aipom yet again. "Just because I said I wanted one right now doesn't mean you should go around stealing one from people!"

Aipom said nothing as he climbed up his trainer's back and settled on her shoulder.

"It's alright," Caiseal said with a smile. "Your Aipom didn't eat it, so it's all good."

It'd have been one thing if Aipom had eaten it already, but the sandwich was untouched, though parts of the bread were pressed because of the appendages on Aipom's tail.

"You should probably put Aipom back in his PokeBall, Emily," The black haired girl advised her friend.

Emily? Julia was suddenly hit with deja vu. Something about this duo seemed...familiar. But she couldn't put her finger on what. She recognized the name, but couldn't place it. Did she know someone named Emily? Where? Emily called Aipom back to his PokeBall, preventing further attempts at stealing food. It wasn't long before Julia felt someone else's gaze on her.

"Hey, wait a minute…" The black haired girl's eyes locked onto Julia, and she walked closer to get a better look.

Julia backed away two steps, cowed by how close into her personal space this girl was, blocking out everything else. Her black bob cut, her large glasses, her purple hoodie, long gray skirt, and thick, black combat boots. The quartet all exchanged confused looks. Why was this girl staring at Julia?

"Uhh, Debbie? Personal space," Emily said, but her friend ignored her.

Debbie? This time, the name rang a bell in Julia's mind. Didn't Amara used to hang out with someone named Debbie? She remembered she had three other friends besides Chanel that she hung out with.

"Now I remember you!" Debbie suddenly exclaimed. "You're Amara's little sister, aren't you?! Julia Parisa!"

Julia's hands flew to her ears, as Debbie's exclamation made her eardrums hurt, but she nodded and backed away two more steps, standing next to Perrine.

"Wait, Julia?" Emily's eyes widened and her mouth fell agape as the name rang a bell in her mind as well. "No way! Seriously?! Oh my goodness! It's been so long!"

Caiseal shot a confused look towards Julia. "You know these girls?"

"Yeah," Julia shyly admitted with a nod. "They're Amara's friends from school."

Of all the places Julia would run into Emily Flaherty and Debbie Strongwell, the last place she expected was the Pokemon League. They never struck her as being the type to want to be Pokemon trainers. She had seen them come over to the Parisa house a few times, and they usually went into Amara's room to hang out. Amara never let her hang out with them, so Julia never got to know them all that well. From what little she could gather from the few meetings they did have, Julia thought they were just girly girls who liked to dress up and talk about things like boys, boy bands, and crushes, similar to some of her classmates. But they were nice enough.

"Are you a Pokemon trainer now or something?" Debbie asked.

Julia shuffled behind Perrine just a little bit. "Yes, I am. But I'm not in the League. I'm supporting Perrine. She's one of my friends," She stammered.

"Awesome!" Emily clasped both hands together. "We had no idea you became a Pokemon trainer! That's so great!" She exclaimed, her brown pigtails flowing with every movement she made.

It was Julia's turn for questions this time. "What are you guys doing here?" She asked.

"Well, we got our butts beat in the very first round, so we didn't get very far at all," Debbie groaned. "But my uncle's part of the Elite Four, and we thought we'd stop by to watch his battle."

The trio exchanged wide eyed looks once more. Debbie was related to a member of the Elite Four? "Your uncle?"

"Yeah! Bruno! The beefy martial artist dude!" Debbie clarified, pulling out a handbook and opening it to one page showing a muscular man in nothing but white pants. "He's my dad's older brother."

Everyone could only stare in awe. "I had no idea!" Julia exclaimed. There was so much about Debbie and Emily that Julia didn't know. Then again, since they rarely got to interact all those years ago, Julia was sure there wasn't an opportunity for her to learn that fact, and anything else about them, at that time. Julia smiled. "That's cool. Are you guys gonna watch Perrine and Bruno battle?"

Debbie balled a hand into a fist, brandishing it with confidence. "You bet! He's gonna whip your butt for sure, redhead!" Debbie shot back.

Perrine crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes. "We'll see about that."

"Do you guys want to have lunch with us?" Ethan offered. "We can move to a bigger table if you'd like. We'd love to hear about your adventures."

Both Debbie and Emily exchanged knowing glances before nodding and smiling. "We'd love to! Thanks! We just need to get our food first."

Once the older girls ordered their lunch, they moved from a booth to a longer table further out. Said table had more chairs, which were able to accommodate their new tablemates easily.

"So what made you guys want to be Pokemon trainers? Or battle the League?" Julia asked, figuring it'd be polite to start a conversation with them. "I have to admit, you two never struck me as being the Pokemon trainer type."

Debbie was the first to explain, adjusting her glasses as she did so. "It's understandable that you'd think that. To be honest, I want to be just like my uncle Bruno. Strong, tough, never taking crap from anyone!" She explained. "I figured maybe being a Pokemon trainer could help with that, since I wanted to be one anyway."

"That's kinda like me. I want to be just like my aunt, and she was the former Champion of Johto before Lance came into the picture," Perrine chimed in.

Julia could only smile. She wondered if Perrine and Debbie could be friends. They both wanted to be like their famous relatives, and both loved Pokemon. She remembered that Perrine didn't have many friends who were into Pokemon and the gym challenge like she was back in Goldenrod City, and here was one right in front of her. To think it wound up being one of Amara's friends.

"Whoa! Your aunt was the former Champion?! Awesome!" Debbie exclaimed, loud enough to make Julia cover her ears.

Sensing the younger girl's discomfort, Emily put a hand on her friend's shoulder. "Keep your voice down," She advised.

"Oh. Sorry."

Undeterred, Perrine nodded. "No lie! Still, I can't believe you're related to Bruno! It's so rare to meet somebody else who's related to the Elite Four!" She cajoled before pulling her PokeGear from her pocket. "Wanna exchange numbers? I'd love to talk to you more!"

Debbie smirked. "Oh, absolutely! Do you even need to ask?"

Of course. Julia knew they'd become friends right away. She smiled once more as Perrine and Debbie vigorously exchanged phone numbers.

"I'm not really interested in becoming Champion, personally," Emily said, turning the conversation back to what it once was. "But I wanted to give the League a try at least once. Of course, I lost in the very first round," Emily gave an embarrassed chuckle and fiddled with one of the pigtails dangling down her shoulder. "Pretty pathetic, huh?"

Ethan shook his head. "That's not true. It's tough for trainers to even make it to the League at all," He told her reassuringly. "I think you should be proud you at least got to participate. Besides, the League isn't everything in life. Getting there is still an accomplishment in and of itself."

Julia pointed her thumb towards Ethan. "He's right, y'know."

All of a sudden, that trainer Milly O'Connell flashed into Julia's mind upon hearing Ethan's final sentence. It's true that while participating in the Pokemon League was a big deal, there was no rule that stated that trainers absolutely had to sign up for it no matter what. Milly, a trainer she didn't even know, targeted her and used her Pokemon to bully her, all because she hated the fact that Julia, who won eight badges, didn't want to participate in the League, seeing her as some layabout who didn't want to make use of a big opportunity. Of course, Julia knew for a fact that what she did with her own time was her own business, and Milly had no right to throw herself into Julia's affairs, much less judge her for it. Milly was the one who had harassed her when she should have just minded her own business.

For what it was worth, Julia was happy everyone else took pride in simply participating in the League. If only Milly could have realized that. But more than that, she just wanted to forget the whole incident altogether.

Emily finished her food before talking to Julia again. "By the way, I've been meaning to ask: Have you run into Amara on your journey? How's she been doing?"

Julia stiffened. How could she tell them about Amara's situation?

"Come on, Em," Debbie shot back before Julia could answer. The girl's voice was dripping with venom just from the thought of Amara. "We already saw her back in Mahogany Town and got into that argument. For all we know, she's probably stewing in her misery while plowing through gyms with her Pokemon."

The kids in Julia's friend group all exchanged confused, almost worried glances. Something inside Julia advised that she tell them the truth. As much as she didn't want to, as they were her friends, hearing Debbie say what she did...didn't feel right.

"...She's not traveling anymore," Julia pushed the words out, and they sounded almost robotic, coming from her. "She's...in prison."

Both Debbie and Emily stared, completely slack-jawed, for a moment. "Whoa. Hold on. Prison? You're kidding, right?" Debbie chuckled. "No way. I know Amara's been a whiny priss, and I can only imagine what she's been putting you through, but come on! There's nooooo way she'd be in jail!"

Once Emily got over her initial shock, she spoke next. "Last we checked, she was doing well. What do you mean she's in prison?"

Wait...did they not know? About what happened to Amara? Her crimes were all over the news at various points. Even in newspapers. Probably even mentioned on the radio stations on their PokeGears. How could they not know about it? They had to have seen articles about it on the internet at least once. Julia couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"You...really don't know?"

Debbie narrowed her eyes. "Don't know what?"

Emily shuffled in her seat. "Is it...serious?"

There was no point in dancing around the subject now. "I should probably explain."

Julia explained everything, leaving absolutely no detail out. She told them all of Amara's crimes, from stealing a Totodile from Professor Elm all the way to her more recent crimes of trying to steal gym badges and having a Pokemon free her from a police station after she was arrested. She also told them about how Amara going rogue was the reason she herself went on her journey, in an impulsive attempt to bring her to justice herself. She also mentioned finding out the truth behind the Gyarados attack on Cherrygrove that killed Chanel, Amara's reaction to it, and Amara deciding she was done wallowing in self-pity and blaming others for her own actions. With every word that spilled out of Julia's mouth, Debbie and Emily's eyes grew wide as saucers, and their mouths fell agape, like they had seen a ghost Pokemon. Once Julia finished, both Debbie and Emily were completely silent.

"We...we had no idea…" Emily found herself whimpering. "So that was why...she was so angry when we saw her last…"

On the other hand, Debbie clenched her teeth for a second, then slammed a fist onto the table. Everyone held onto their trays and drinks to prevent them from spilling all over the place. Thankfully, nothing did, but everyone could feel the anguish emanating from the two of them.

"What the hell?! How...how did we not know about this?!" Debbie bellowed. Not loud enough to disturb neighbors, as there weren't any, but enough to make Julia cover her ears again. "How?!"

Nobody could respond, as they didn't have the answer to that. Except for Emily, who meekly spoke up. "It wasn't like any of us contacted her, nor used our PokeGears or the internet for anything except our own journeys."

"But still!" Debbie wasn't having it. "We had to have heard about it on the news at least once!"

Again, nobody had any answers for her. Julia could tell they were having a hard time processing everything, and she didn't blame them. How could anyone take this kind of news well? The fact that someone who had once been their friend resorted to committing crimes, running from the law, and pushing everyone away out of a refusal to process her grief in a more healthy manner, nor take responsibility for their actions until now.

"Oh wow…" Even Ethan took a moment to let this new information sink in. "I remember hearing about that Gyarados attack on the news. My family and I were visiting relatives when that happened. Our house was left alone, sure, but...we all thought it was just a freak thing. To think some creep was mind controlling it…"

Julia decided to speak again. "That news certainly put a lot of things into perspective for Amara," She continued on. "She thought Pokemon in general were to blame for Chanel's death. She lashed out at the whole world...and realized everything she did was for nothing."

Emily heaved a big sigh. "Well...that certainly puts a lot of things into perspective."

"Do you…" Debbie started, but wasn't sure how to continue. "Do you know which prison she's in?"

"No," Julia replied. "All I know is that she had to go to court at the beginning of this month, and I don't know how it played out. But…" Memories of reconciling with her in the shack came flooding back. She looked right at Amara's friends with resolve in her eyes. "Now that she knows the truth, she's back to being the person she used to be. I'm sure...she's probably done a lot of bad stuff to you guys before this, and I'm not asking you to forgive her or anything. That's not my decision to make. But I want you to know...she realizes how badly she screwed up with everyone now, me included."

Yet another silence weighed down on the group like a heavy fog. Debbie could only stare at her food, leaving it untouched. Emily kept shifting in her seat, unable to find a comfortable position. Only now was the new information really sinking in. Nobody knew what to say.

Except Perrine, who had checked the time. "So...it's almost time for my match with Bruno. Do you guys...want to leave?" She suggested.

Everyone stood up from their seats in perfect unison, finished their food, threw away whatever trash they had, and went to the stadium, all with one thought on their minds: This was getting very, very awkward.

***

When the kids got to the stadium, Perrine's opponent Bruno was already present, along with Rocio, who was already on the bleachers. He wore nothing except long, white pants and black bracelets on both wrists and ankles. Muscles covered this man from neck to toe, and he had a prominent set of abs that Perrine assumed were the result of years of weight training and martial arts practice. Nobody she knew looked that ripped. He looked like he could be some sort of wrestler, and even several feet away, he looked as though he could tower over all the kids. An intimidating presence.

Not so for Debbie, who ran over to him squealing with delight. "Uncle Brunoooo!"

"Debbie!" Bruno held his arms outward, allowing his niece to leap right into them. He spun her around just once and the two of them broke into laughter. "How's my favorite niece? I'm so glad you came!"

"And miss watching you battle a potential new Champion? Fat chance of that happening!" Debbie fired back.

Everyone's mouths fell agape. Perrine remembered seeing pictures of Bruno in magazines and on the internet. He always had a stoic, solemn expression on his face, with a grim gleam in his eyes that was not to be underestimated. Sometimes he looked like he woke up on the wrong side of the bed, and he never seemed to smile. Yet here he was, smiling and laughing, just like any other person, hugging his niece and welcoming her with open arms.

Caiseal leaned closer to Perrine. "I have to admit, it's weird not seeing Bruno with his usual stone face," Caiseal whispered.

"I know, right? It's like he turned into a different person," Perrine whispered back. "But he does have a cute smile, so he's got that going for him, and clearly he and Debbie are close."

Not long after they exchanged greetings and pleasantries, Bruno put Debbie back down and rested a hand on her shoulder. "It's great you're doing so well. You'd best join your friends. My battle's about to start."

Debbie flashed a thumb's up and silently ran over to the bleachers, as did everyone else. Perrine stood on her side of the battlefield, and Bruno's jovial expression turned right back to his signature stoic one. "Greetings, Perrine Innocenti. I am Bruno Strongwell of the Elite Four," Even his voice, which was warm and friendly when talking to Debbie, hardened into a more stern, booming baritone. Perrine wondered if he was the kind of guy who tried to keep his family life separate from his Elite Four life.

He put a fist against his palm and gave a graceful bow. "Here's to a good battle."

"Likewise," Perrine muttered before sending out her first Pokemon, Florian.

"Hitmontop, I choose you!" Bruno immediately sent out his Pokemon as well, a Hitmontop. The battle began right away. "Begin with Rolling Kick!"

"Set up Reflect, Florian!" Perrine cried out.

Hitmontop landed on his head and spun around like a top, charging towards the green sauropod. Florian remained steadfast, generating a translucent wall of light. Hitmontop rammed right into it for a minute before backing away at least five feet. During that time, the wall of light dissolved into Florian's body, strengthening his muscles.

Perrine thought long and hard on potential strategies she could use against Bruno's Pokemon, especially against Hitmontop. From what she learned, Bruno always sent Hitmontop out first, and most trainers could never get past it. She thought of one potential move to use against Hitmontop, but it was a risky one. Still, a risk is better than nothing, and if one didn't take at least some risks, they'd never get anywhere in life. Perrine steeled herself. There was no going back.

"Florian! Use Grassy Terrain, and make the grass as long and thick as possible!" Perrine commanded.

Florian stood upright, and the flower circling his neck glowed green. A similarly colored light poured out from underneath his feet, spreading all across the battlefield like a rippling tide. As soon as the light formed a rectangle shape around the battlefield, stopping at the trainer boxes, grass shot up from the ground, as fresh and vibrant as if they had come from actual soil. The grass rose at an unreasonably fast pace, only stopping at Hitmontop's chest.

Rocio scratched her head reflectively. "I forget, what exactly does Grassy Terrain do again?" She asked.

Julia took it upon herself to explain. "It changes the environment so that it increases the power of grass type moves and heals the user every once in a while. But there's a drawback: It also heals the opponent as well. But it goes away after a while."

"Still, using Grassy Terrain this early?" Caiseal couldn't help but cross his arms, unable to contain his scepticism. "She either has some kind of plan or shot herself in the foot."

Bruno seemed to agree, eyeing the environmental change with scrutiny. "Hitmontop, use Quick Attack!"

On cue, the handstand Pokemon squatted before sprinting toward the green sauropod, its body glowing white as it gained speed.

"Razor Leaf!"

Florian shook his petals, firing a wave of sharp leaves in Hitmontop's direction. Some of them scraped against the handstand Pokemon's skin, but they did nothing to impede its attack. Even with leaves flying in its face, Hitmontop charged right towards Florian, slamming right into him, his horn digging into the sauropod's hide. Florian stood firm, enduring the attack with only a grimace.

Bruno flexed his arms into U shapes. "Now, Rapid Spin!"

Hitmontop landed back on the ground and tried to spin, but when his horn made contact with the grass, it couldn't keep steady. The grass was too uneven, and Hitmontop couldn't find a suitably flat spot to spin on, and flattening the grass with its feet didn't help much either. The grass stalks were long and kept getting tangled in its horn.

"Huh?" Bruno's face blanched as he realized what was happening. "Hitmontop? What's wrong?"

It was Debbie who caught on. She stood up in alarm and shouted, "I get it! She had Florian use Grassy Terrain and make the grass thick so Hitmontop wouldn't be able to spin on the ground!"

Everyone smiled. "That's our Perrine," Caiseal retorted, lamenting his previous scepticism. Of course his friend would have a plan. Perrine wasn't the type of person to go into something unprepared or do things completely on the fly. Or at the very least, without considering potential drawbacks.

Of course, Perrine was only just getting started. "Now, Bulldoze!"

With all the strength he could conjure, Florian leaped at least two feet into the air. Gravity took over, and the green sauropod landed on the ground with such force that the battlefield shook and rippled, almost knocking Hitmontop off balance. The handstand Pokemon was able to kneel and put one hand on the ground to keep steady, but the shock waves it couldn't see made its bones tremble.

"We're not giving up!" Bruno bellowed. "Use Aerial Ace, Hitmontop!"

Once the ground stopped shaking, Hitmontop ran across the grass, its body glowing in a light green hue, probably from both Aerial Ace and Grassy Terrain healing some of its injuries. Then, Hitmontop cried out as it gave a great leap, white streaks bursting out from behind it. Gravity came into effect as Hitmontop lowered its head, its horn facing Florian, and charged towards the green sauropod. The attack made contact, and Florian skidded across the battlefield, with his back legs pushing up some of the grass it grew. But Florian stood firm, enduring the attack even as it felt Hitmontop's horn cut through his skin.

"No way!" Debbie suddenly exclaimed out of nowhere. "Even with Reflect, that attack should have knocked Meganium out cold!"

Bruno seemed to agree, only he didn't voice it like his niece did. Instead, he just called out another attack. "Do not waver! Use Triple Kick!"

Hitmontop pulled its horn out from Florian's neck and used both legs to kick the sauropod on the head. All three kicks came in quick succession. Oddly enough, Perrine simply kept her arms crossed, observing the attacks with scrutiny. Just as the third kick landed…

"Vine Whip!"

Florian saw an opening. Two vines shot out from his neck, coiling around both of Hitmontop's legs. Everyone gasped, even Bruno.

"Throw it as hard as you can!"

Florian let out a warbling shout as he spun his vines around to gain momentum and threw Hitmontop high into the air. Just as the vines released Hitmontop, Florian used them to smack the handstand Pokemon right back onto the grass. In that moment, the grass dissipated into nothing, leaving no trace of the lush rectangular grassland that Florian created.

Bruno flashed his teeth and growled. "Fight back with Rapid Spin!"

"Use Body Slam!" Perrine shouted back.

Once again, Florian jumped in the air, higher than he did when using Bulldoze. It took a minute for Hitmontop to get its bearings, but that wasn't quick enough to start spinning. A large shadow loomed over it just as it started spinning, and before long, Florian fell right on top of the handstand Pokemon. For a minute, there was a heavy silence. The green sauropod hoisted himself off of Hitmontop, and everyone's mouths fell agape as they saw the handstand Pokemon lying on the ground, mouth open, completely out cold.

Knowing it was futile to keep Hitmontop out, Bruno simply called his fallen friend back in silence. "Great job, partner. You battled well."

"Woo! Go Perrine!" Julia, Ethan, Caiseal, and even Rocio shouted in unison, cheering jubilantly.

On the other hand, Debbie could only groan in disappointment. "Nooo! I can't believe she beat Hitmontop so easily!" She complained.

"Now now, Debbie. A defeat is a defeat," Bruno gently reminded her, looking towards Perrine with a smile. "It's rare for trainers to defeat my Hitmontop, so after seeing this, I'm now convinced that your victory at the Pokemon League was no fluke."

Perrine could only nod, a little abashed by the praise. "Well, I'm not one to give up so easily," She replied, returning Florian back to his PokeBall. "I'll be saving you for a while. Is that okay?"

The PokeBall in her hand shook up and down, as if Florian was nodding from inside it.

Bruno sent out his next Pokemon. "Hitmonchan, go forth!"

Out from the PokeBall came a tan, humanoid Pokemon wearing a purple tunic and red boxing gloves. "Hitmonchan!" The Pokemon made grunts and punching gestures as it adopted a battle stance.

Perrine smiled. She knew exactly which Pokemon she wanted to use for this one. "Baloo, you're up!" As soon as her trusty Wigglytuff materialized, the balloon Pokemon simply floated to the ground with all the grace of a feather resting after a long ride on a spring breeze.

The large martial artist flexed his arms outward. "Begin with Bullet Punch!"

Hitmonchan's gloves glowed in a bright, reddish orange light as the punching Pokemon raced over to Baloo, delivering a flurry of fast-moving punches too fast for the latter to dodge. Several hit Baloo in the face, others on her stomach. Perrine could barely conceal a grunt. Bullet Punch was a steel type move, and fairy types were weak against steel. Still, she knew what to do.

"Baloo! Fight back with Play Rough!"

Baloo's body glowed pink as she began wailing on Hitmonchan, using her short, stubby arms and legs to pound on it every which way. Then, when Baloo hit it enough to make the punches stop, the balloon Pokemon proceeded to pummel the punching Pokemon by repeatedly slapping and hitting it multiple times with both arms and feet. She gave Hitmonchan no time to reorient itself, as every slap and kick came too quickly for the punching Pokemon to find an opening.

"Knock it away with Thunder Punch!" Bruno bellowed.

"Defense Curl!"

One of Hitmonchan's gloves crackled with electricity. Just as it was ready to punch Baloo, the latter curled into a fetal position while in mid-air. The punch made contact, and it made Baloo fly in the air for a few minutes. Not long after, Baloo uncurled and landed back on her feet with a smile, like the electrified punch didn't hurt one bit.

"Now, Rollout!"

Baloo curled back into a ball, only this time she began rolling across the battlefield, charging towards Hitmonchan and moving as fast as a race car. She managed to land three hits on Hitmonchan, each hit stronger than the last.

"Hitmonchan, use Ice Punch on the ground!"

At one point, Baloo almost hit Hitmonchan again, but the punching Pokemon side-stepped before making its left fist glow light blue. Then, Hitmonchan slammed said fist on the ground. Ice grew out from the spot where Hitmonchan punched it, enveloping most of the battlefield. Baloo slipped and was unable to maintain her fetal position, so she uncurled and slid on the ice, almost running into Perrine had she not managed to stop at least five feet away from her.

"You go, Hitmonchan!" Debbie threw both fists into the air. "Beat that Wigglytuff! You can do it!" She cheered.

Even with the battlefield covered in ice, Perrine found herself...strangely relaxed. As tough as Bruno's Pokemon were, she knew her own Pokemon were tough as well. No matter how hard things seemed, she'd always find some way to come out on top. In fact, she already figured out how to make the battlefield go back to normal.

"Baloo!" Perrine swung her right arm akimbo. "Break the ice with Hyper Voice!"

Baloo took in a huge breath of air, expanded her body to three times its size, then floated in the air. Once she was high enough, she let out a piercing screech that made everyone cover their ears. Shock waves rattled the entire stadium. The camera crews were the only ones unaffected, as their heavy headphones blocked out the noise. Still, the shock waves made cracks appear in the ice. The cracks grew bigger and bigger until the icy battlefield broke completely, leaving nothing but large chunks everywhere. Some of the ice broke into pieces around Hitmonchan, and the punching Pokemon covered its face with its gloves to prevent them from getting into its eyes.

It was now or never. "Baloo! Body Slam!"

Still mid-air, Baloo stopped screaming and allowed gravity to take hold, pulling her down towards the still disoriented Hitmonchan.

"Stop it with Sky Uppercut!" Bruno shouted.

Hitmonchan uncovered its face and squatted before jumping high into the air. It thrusted one of its fists right into Baloo's midsection, punching her so hard, she was unable to keep steady. Baloo fell backward, landing so hard on the leftover ice that it broke into even smaller pieces from the impact.

"Baloo!" Perrine cried out, praying she hadn't been knocked out.

Thankfully, Baloo picked herself up and stood upright, but began panting from fatigue. Perrine had to admit, this Hitmonchan was not going down easy. Then again, this was the Elite Four. She knew this wasn't going to be easy from the beginning. Even so, there had to be a way to knock Hitmonchan out somehow.

Gears began turning in her head. Maybe brute force wasn't the best course of action. Now that she thought about it...didn't Baloo have other attacks she could use that didn't involve actual attacking?

"Why's she just standing there not saying anything?" Emily asked out of the blue.

Julia leaned closer to whisper, "She's got her thinking face on. She's coming up with a plan."

Perrine gave a low gasp. She knew of a way to lower Hitmonchan's guard now. "Baloo! Use Charm!"

Instead of attacking, Baloo folded her arms together in a cutesy pose, warbling and fluttering her eyelashes in Hitmonchan's direction. Perturbed by the display, Hitmonchan could only stand there, unsure of what to do.

"Now Play Nice!"

Everyone exchanged befuddled expressions. Play Nice? Bruno almost fell over from how out of nowhere Perrine's attack announcement was. Who used Play Nice in an Elite Four battle? Paying everyone's confusion little heed, Baloo hopped over to Hitmonchan, took its gloves into her own hands, and began shaking them up and down, flashing a warm, friendly smile. The atmosphere around them completely changed, and Hitmonchan could no longer bring itself to attack this nice, cute Pokemon. Hitmonchan grunted and growled kindly, shaking Baloo's stubby arms, as if thanking her for being so welcoming.

"Hitmonchan! Don't let Wigglytuff's advances fool you!" Bruno exclaimed. "Use—"

Bruno was unceremoniously cut off by another command. "Baloo! Sweet Kiss!"

The balloon Pokemon puckered her lips and pecked Hitmonchan right on the cheek. It wasn't long before Hitmonchan's vision blurred, and it began seeing double. He could no longer tell if it was seeing two Wigglytuff or one. It grew light headed, and could no longer keep steady.

"No!" Debbie screamed, standing up from her seat yet again. "Don't fall for that crap, Hitmonchan! Do something!"

"Now's our chance, Baloo!" Perrine cried out. "Use Disarming Voice!"

Once again, Baloo made another harsh screeching sound, pelting the confused Hitmonchan from the front with a barrage of pink circles and hearts.

"Finish with Body Slam!"

"Snap out of it, Hitmonchan! Use—!"

Unfortunately for Bruno, Hitmonchan was too disoriented to hear him. The punching Pokemon fell backwards, landing on its rear, giving Baloo ample time to jump and slam right down on it, just like Florian did with Hitmontop. Her whole body covered Hitmonchan from head to toe, and the force of the impact broke some ice that was nearby. Another minute of silence followed before Baloo rolled off to the side, revealing an unconscious Hitmonchan.

"Nooooo!" Debbie broke into a faux melodramatic wail, flailing her arms outward with just as much theatrical flourish.

Unlike his niece, Bruno gave a sad smile as he called Hitmonchan back to his PokeBall. "Good job, my friend. Take a good rest."

"Woohoo!" Perrine jumped up and down. "Two straight victories in a row! We're killing it here!" She exclaimed, with Baloo mimicking her movements, just as jubilant as her trainer.

She was right. This was the first Elite Four battle where she still had all of her Pokemon for the time being, while Bruno was down to his very last Pokemon already. That said a lot about how much stronger Perrine and her Pokemon became over the course of their journey.

"Bruno's been backed into a corner," Ethan pointed out. "I bet Perrine's gonna beat him for sure!"

"Fat chance, kid," Debbie retorted condescendingly. "Uncle Bruno may have lost two Pokemon, but his final one will absolutely obliterate her whole team."

Emily grimaced a little at Debbie's attitude. "Come on, Debbie. There's no need to get all argumentative," She advised.

For the first time since his battle with her started, Bruno spoke. "I must say, Miss Innocenti, out of all the challengers I've faced in my twenty years as a member of the Elite Four, you're the first to really back me in a corner like this," He told her, his booming voice a lot softer than it was previously. It was the same tone he used when greeting Debbie. "And I won't lie, I'm really enjoying myself here."

Perrine fiddled with her skirt a bit before responding. "Same here. I'm having a lot of fun, too."

In an instant, Bruno's expression hardened back into being stony and serious as he pulled his last PokeBall out. "But determination alone won't be enough to win! Machamp, I choose you!"

Out from the PokeBall came a large, humanoid Pokemon with gray skin, four arms, two toes on each foot, and wearing both a gold belt and a black speedo. Perrine knew this was going to be the Pokemon she needed to be careful around. Machamp towered over Baloo by at least three extra feet, and all four arms could easily wrap around her entire body in no time flat. Of all the Pokemon she faced so far, Machamp was the one she knew would be the hardest to try and deal with.

But she woefully underestimated just how hard.

"Baloo, use Play Rough again!"

The balloon Pokemon's body glowed pink once more as she raced over to Machamp and tried to pummel it with both arms and legs once more. But before she could land a single hit…

"Machamp! Dynamic Punch!"

Right as Baloo got close, Machamp's right fist glowed a bright green as it quickly slugged the balloon Pokemon faster than she had time to react. An explosion of light followed, and Baloo was sent flying across the battlefield, landing just ten feet from Perrine.

"Baloo! No!" Perrine cried out. This wasn't good.

Baloo tried to stand back up, but her head felt like it had cotton stuffed in it, and her vision blurred. She thought she saw two or three Machamp, and just standing up made her wobble.

"This isn't good. Dynamic Punch must have confused Baloo!" Julia exclaimed.

Bruno held one fist into the air. "Now, finish with Heavy Slam!"

Perrine blanched. There was no way Baloo could endure an attack like that after all the hits she took previously. A yellow aura emanated from Machamp's body as it jumped high into the air. Gravity took hold soon after, pulling Machamp down as it used its body weight to press down on Baloo. The force of the impact made a cloud of dust billow out from the ground. Perrine shielded her eyes with her arm as some dust rolled in her direction. It wasn't long before the dust dissipated, and Machamp stood back up, revealing an unconscious Baloo.

"Oh, Baloo…" Perrine muttered despondently, shoulders drooping from the loss.

In stark contrast, Debbie began shouting at the top of her lungs. "Woohoo! You go, Machamp! You squashed that Wigglytuff flat as a pancake!" She exclaimed loud enough for everyone to hear. Julia slid towards Ethan, and even though she covered her ears, her eardrums still throbbed from the way Debbie's voice echoed in the stadium.

As much as Perrine understood that Debbie was very supportive of her uncle, the urge to walk over there and clamp her mouth shut was tempting. Didn't she know to keep her voice down? Even from the battlefield, she could see that her inability to lower her volume was causing everyone a lot of discomfort, Julia especially. But this was not the time for that. She winced as she called Baloo back to her PokeBall.

"It's alright, girl. You did a great job," She whispered.

The battle wasn't over yet. Perrine still had two healthy Pokemon left. She didn't want to send Florian out, as doing that would drag out the battle longer than needed, and he could only do so much. Besides, she already had the perfect Pokemon to use against Machamp, and her smirk returned as soon as she pulled his PokeBall out.

"Fukuro! This one's on you!"

Fukuro materialized in mid-air, flapping his wings and giving a high pitched trill as he made his entrance.

"Dibs on the first attack this time!" Perrine exclaimed. "Air Slash! Let's go!"

Fukuro flapped his wings once, generating white sickles of air that hit Machamp right on it's abs. They didn't knock it out completely, but from the way Machamp winced upon their making contact, she could tell they did substantial damage.

Bruno held both arms upward, parallel to one another. "Machamp, use Poison Jab!" He bellowed.

Machamp's hands glowed purple as it jumped into the air, jabbing at the owl Pokemon with precise attacks. Thankfully, since Fukuro was more agile, none of them managed to hit, as the owl Pokemon dodged every attack, moving up, down, left, right, any direction he could. Once Machamp landed back on the ground, Perrine knew she had to act fast.

"Extrasensory!"

Fukuro's red eyes glowed blue, firing two rainbow hued beams of light right towards Machamp, who defended itself by holding up all four of his arms like shields. It wasn't long before the attack dissipated.

"Machamp! Fight back with Rock Slide!" Bruno exclaimed.

The grey Pokemon gave a roar, and a white light forming a disc materialized just below the ceiling. Rocks of varying shapes and sizes came raining down from the white light. Fukuro screeched and tried to evade them, but several of them came too fast for him to avoid. Fukuro found himself pelted by rocks every which way, and the bird fell to the ground once the raining rocks disappeared.

"Fukuro! Are you okay?" Perrine's voice took on a pleading tone. Fukuro was her best hope of winning against Bruno. She couldn't lose. Not when she managed to get this far!

Much to her relief, Fukuro flapped his wings and ascended back into the air with a trill. Perrine exhaled, happy that her prayers were answered. But she knew she had to be careful. It was clear Bruno trained his Pokemon well. Even though they were up against Pokemon that had type advantages over them, they made up for it by knowing attacks that covered their weaknesses.

"Heal yourself with Roost!"

Fukuro descended to the ground gracefully, folding his wings and closing his eyes as a low, white light washed over him.

"Use Strength, Machamp!" Bruno roared.

Machamp flexed all four of its arms and began running towards the owl Pokemon. But Perrine and Fukuro simply stood there, as if waiting for it to come closer. When Machamp was almost three feet away from Fukuro, the light surrounding the owl dissipated.

"Ascend!" Perrine shouted. On cue, Fukuro flapped his wings and flew upward, causing Machamp to stumble forward, unable to keep steady as the owl flew away so suddenly. "Hit it with Moonblast!" Fukuro circled around in the air, opening its beak upon facing the bewildered Machamp. A pink orb materialized within Fukuro's beak, and with a flap of his wings, the owl fired it, sending it towards Machamp. The pink orb collided with Machamp's back just as it was able to stand back up, knocking it back onto the ground.

"No! Machamp!" Debbie exclaimed, standing up from her seat. "Don't give up, boy!"

"Go Fukuro! You can do it!" Both Rocio and Julia chanted in unison, throwing their fists in the air.

Of course, Machamp got back on his feet in no time.

Bruno could only smile. "This battle is not yet over!" He exclaimed, extending his arm outward.

"It will be if I have anything to say about it!" Perrine shot back. "Fukuro, Aerial Ace!"

Once again, Fukuro sharply ascended before making a circular turn and charged towards Machamp...who extended all of his arms out. Perrine took in a sharp breath, the realization hitting her like a truck. "Wait, no—!"

But Bruno cut her off. "Grab onto Noctowl!"

As soon as Fukuro got close, all four of Machamp's hands clamped down onto the owl Pokemon, not only preventing the attack from hitting, but stopping Fukuro dead on. Bruno pointed to the ceiling. "Now, Seismic Toss!"

With Fukuro at his mercy, Machamp jumped high into the air before spinning the owl around at least three times. Then, once that was done, Machamp let out a roar as he threw Fukuro down on the ground, with the owl hitting the battlefield with a resounding thud. A cloud of dust billowed out, and both trainers had to cover their eyes for a bit. Luckily, much to Perrine's relief, Fukuro flew out from the cloud just as Machamp hit the ground.

"Phew! I thought he was out for the count!" Perrine said out loud. But she knew she couldn't rest on her laurels just yet. She could see Fukuro panting right as the cloud dissipated. He wasn't going to last much longer if he took a few more hits, or even another Rock Slide. As she contemplated her options, something caught her eye.

Fukuro's eyebrow tufts glowed white. What was that? Perrine pulled out her PokeDex to check something. That was when she saw it. A potential way to defeat Machamp once and for all. It was a risk, but she knew she had to take it. It was now or never!

"Fukuro! Ascend into the sky!" Perrine commanded.

With a sharp trill, Fukuro's eyebrow tufts glowed brighter, and quickly ascended, almost reaching the ceiling.

Bruno clenched his teeth. "We're not done yet! Machamp, use Poison Jab!" He bellowed.

"Sky Attack! Full power!"

Fukuro let out a harsh screech as his body flashed pure white, almost illuminating the entire battlefield. The spectators and the camera crew had to cover their eyes, unable to look directly at the glowing owl. Fukuro then descended downward, letting gravity take over as the owl charged right towards Machamp. The superpower Pokemon was unable to dodge, as he was still in mid-air and couldn't quite change direction. Fukuro shot downward, ramming right into Machamp's abdomen, and the two of them fell to the ground, the force sending up another dust cloud, with this one larger than the last. A heavy silence fell on the stadium. Gradually, the dust cloud dissipated.

The owl Pokemon had flown back to Perrine's side of the battlefield, his brown fur dotted with dirt and grime, not looking any worse for wear. Meanwhile, Machamp lay in the middle of what appeared to be a small crater. However, the superpower Pokemon did open its eyes. Debbie gave an audible gasp and smiled as she watched him try to hoist himself up.

"Come on, Machamp! Get up!" Debbie exclaimed. "You can still win this!"

She was not at all prepared for what came next.

"Enough, Machamp. Don't push yourself further," Bruno said.

Everyone's mouths fell agape as they stared at him with wide eyes. Debbie could barely contain her surprise as a "Whaaaa?!" escaped her throat. Machamp gave a relieved smile as he let himself go. His limbs went limp and he closed his eyes, allowing himself to finally rest.

"Uncle! Why aren't you making Machamp continue?! He can still go on!" Debbie shouted. Emily covered her ears and scooted away from her outraged friend.

Undeterred by his niece's angry exclamations, Bruno walked over to his sleeping Machamp with a grateful smile on his face. "Striving for victory is good, but a true fighter knows not to push themselves harder than needed," Bruno said, caressing Machamp's cheek gently. "One can learn more from loss than from emerging victorious."

Loss? Did that mean...Perrine and Fukuro won? This was confirmed when Bruno called Machamp back to his PokeBall. Perrine let out a great big cheer, running over to Fukuro and pulling him into a hug. "You did it, Fukuro! You won! We beat Bruno! Woohoo!" Perrine cajoled, with Fukuro trilling right along with her.

Rocio and the kids wasted no time running off the bleachers and hugging the two of them in their own show of jubilance. In contrast, Debbie could only stare at Bruno, deflated, with furrowed eyebrows and a deep frown. She and Emily did walk off the bleachers and joined Bruno as he walked over to the cheering crowd.

"Congratulations on your victory, Miss Perrine," Bruno told her with a smile, putting a fist to his palm and giving a light bow, as though he were speaking to a master. Perrine imitated the gesture, figuring he'd appreciate it. "I'm very grateful to have battled you today."

"As am I," Perrine said before glancing towards Debbie, who averted her gaze. "Sorry I beat your uncle, Deb."

"...It's fine," Debbie grumbled. "I may not like it, but you did win fair and square."

Emily could only offer a consoling smile and a hand on her friend's shoulder. "It's okay, Deb. They were both awesome."

Debbie couldn't argue with that.

Perrine extended her hand out, and Bruno shook it gently. She had to admit, Bruno's hands were much bigger and bulkier than her own. His hand completely covered her own smaller one, as though it was swallowing hers up.

"You are very much like your aunt Mao in a lot of ways, and I see a lot of potential in you," Bruno told her. In that moment, his cordial expression returned to his stern stone face, with his mouth in a line and his eyes adopting an intense sheen. "However, I must advise that you not try to completely emulate your aunt. It's ultimately up to you what kind of trainer you wish to be, but all you do is try to imitate someone else, you won't be able to become a good Pokemon trainer. Trainers who can cultivate their own battling styles and carve out their own place in the world are the most worthy of respect."

He made valid points. Perrine did want to be like her aunt to some extent, but she knew as well as anyone that she didn't want to completely emulate her. It just wasn't possible to just copy someone else in anything. Perrine wanted one thing and one thing only: To be the Johto League Champion.

"I understand. Thank you for your kind words and for battling with me," Perrine replied. "It was an honor battling you."

With that, the group dispersed, with Rocio escorting the kids out of the stadium, whereas Emily and Debbie went with Bruno. But Julia did turn to see them going through the stadium's back door and wondered if they were going to stick around. She hadn't had the chance to try and clear up the awkwardness from before the battle started.

***

It was around three o'clock when Debbie and Emily found themselves in the Pokemon Center lobby. Bruno promised to take them out for dinner before they were to leave tomorrow, and the two of them figured now was the time to address the Donphan in the room.

"Are you...still thinking about what Julia told us?" Emily began sheepishly, unsure of how else to begin. "About Amara, I mean?"

Debbie gave a grim nod. "Honestly, I still can't seem to really believe it. But…" She pulled out a smartphone, which showed an article about Amara's arrest. A photo showed a despondent Amara in handcuffs being escorted to a police car, and the headline read, 'Teenaged Pokemon Thief Apprehended At Last!' "I've been looking these up just now...and Julia was right. Everything she said was true."

A heavy silence fell between them. Unlike during the battle, where it was filled with anticipation, the silence that weighed on them exacerbated their guilt. "I wonder...if this is our fault in some way. Maybe if we had done more, Amara probably wouldn't have...done what she did."

"No," Debbie added sharply. "We did all that we could with the information we had back then, and I doubt there's anything that we can do to change things now. Besides...you can't deny that Amara made her choices and has to live with them."

Emily couldn't argue with that. "Yeah. I suppose. But...I wonder if we can...I don't know...go visit her. At the jail she's at, if we can find out which one she's in," She suggested. "Julia says she's remorseful for all that she did now. Why don't we go and see for ourselves? That way we can make our own judgment about it. When we get back to Cherrygrove, I mean. I'm not saying you two should go back to being friends with her again. I know I can't force you guys to make up, as that's not my decision. But…" Emily fiddled with the sleeve on her turquoise winter coat in contemplation. "Maybe she'd appreciate at least someone coming to see her at least once."

Previously, Debbie didn't want to see Amara ever again. Not after the incident in Mahogany Town. Amara had already changed so much in Debbie's eyes, it was like she had turned into a completely different person. The kind of person Debbie didn't want to associate with. Why would she want to go back to someone who preferred to sit around feeling sorry for themselves and spilled their friends' most private secrets to unscrupulous people out of pure spite? The memory of that knowledge still stung, even though the journey put a stop to the bullying Debbie herself had to endure because of Amara's actions. Not even learning the full extent of Amara's actions could change this. But she had to admit, Emily did make valid points, and even though her interactions with Julia were brief, Julia had no reason to lie to the two of them, and she knew Julia didn't tell them about it to hurt them. She wasn't that kind of person. They knew that much.

Conflicting emotions were at war in her heart. What could she do at this point?

"Debbie! Emily!" Julia came running up to them, stopping once she was just two feet away from them. "I had a feeling you'd be here!"

"What's up?" Emily asked.

"Listen…" Julia wasn't sure how to begin, but she knew it was best to get it over with. "I wanted to apologize for dropping that bombshell on you earlier. I wasn't trying to freak you guys out or anything," She said. "Or, I don't know...ruin your friendship with Amara. I just thought...you guys had a right to know about it, that's all. I was concerned."

Emily stood up from her seat. "No no! You have nothing to apologize for. We know you were just trying to help, and we do appreciate it," Emily told her reassuringly.

"Yeah. Honest people are my kind of people, so no worries," Debbie added, adjusting her glasses a bit. "I mean, you couldn't exactly ruin our friendship, as we stopped talking to her way before this, so knowing this wouldn't have changed anything."

Julia couldn't blame them. She had often heard Amara talk trash about her friends previously, and did overhear her saying that she wanted nothing more to do with them. But she figured now wasn't the time to press them for details. What went on between the three of them wasn't any of her business.

"So...what do guys plan to do now?" Julia asked.

"Well, Uncle Bruno's gonna take us out to dinner in a bit, then we're gonna head back to Cherrygrove first thing tomorrow," Debbie answered. "I mean, we're kind of done with our journeys."

"It was really nice seeing you again, though," Emily said. "I have to admit, we never expected to see you on a Pokemon journey. But we're so glad to see that you're well."

Julia could only smile. "Me too."

"Listen…" Debbie stammered, her words caught in her throat. But she did push them out shortly afterward. "We're glad we got to see you today. Even if we're not friends with Amara anymore...you're still cool in my book," Debbie crossed her arms and averted Julia's gaze, clearly embarrassed.

Was she hearing things? Julia fell silent, blinking three times, hoping Debbie's confession would make sense afterward. Gradually, it did. Their previous interactions were so brief, and Julia wasn't sure if Amara's friends would ever like her in any way. Chanel did, but she didn't think Debbie and Emily were the type to even want to associate with her, or at the very least, only exchange a few greetings here and there out of politeness. Amara rarely invited Julia to hang out with her friends before they started their journeys, and back then, Julia had long since resigned herself to the fact that nobody wanted to be friends with her. Julia mentally chastised herself for having judged them so hastily before.

"You know, we still have some time before we go out to dinner," Emily pointed out. "Hey, Jule? I bet you and your friends went on some fun adventures as well. We'd love to hear about them, if you'd like to share."

Julia suppressed the urge to squeal. They actually wanted to hear about her adventures?

Debbie sat back down and crossed her legs together pretzel style. "I'm curious, too. What kind of Pokemon did you catch? Did you see any rare Pokemon? Win any badges?"

She couldn't process the scene playing out before here. Amara's ex-friends actually wanted to listen to her tales. This was not an opportunity she wanted to let pass by. This confirmed completely that they held nothing against Julia in regards to what happened with Amara. In a way, an old dream of hers had come true.

"Sure! Why not?" Julia sat down on one of the plush seats, holding her backpack to her chest. "I'll tell you everything I can!"

***

A/N: Just four more chapters left! Man, I can't wait to be done with all these battle chapters. But here's some resolution for both Team Rocket and Amara's ex-friends.

I do want to give a big shout-out to one reviewer on Fanfiction.net in particular, Kaiser Chris, in regards to their points about the Team Rocket subplot. They brought up some very valid criticisms about the subplot and pointed out some problems with it that I didn't even notice at the time. Granted, I still stand by the additions I made, as I wanted to make them into more of a genuine threat than have them just be a generic crime group that sells Pokemon. That said, they do make valid points, and since I won't be revisiting Team Rocket again for a long while in the story, I thought I'd at least make an effort to address their criticisms...and managed to find a good compromise! Have Team Rocket do away with the breeding program for the financial and pragmatic reasons Kaiser Chris pointed out in-story. Since it's too late for me to just flat-out delete the subplot Kaiser Chris had issues with, resolving it right here would both allow me to keep the subplot in and address the issues they pointed out, that way both me and Kaiser can be happy! I'm pretty satisfied with the resolution here, though if anyone has further ideas on how I can address Kaiser's critique, feel free to PM me about it! But yeah, thank you, Kaiser Chris, for your thoughtful and mature critique, and I hope my attempt to at least address the issues you had with it helped somewhat.

 

[System Error]

- Shoutouts to the orange suit
- I forget, was Giovanni there to begin with? And why's he putting up with an outsider (J) involved in his criminal organization who is clearly dangerous and ambitious?
- Then again, he got a clear liability out of jail, when he could've easily let him rot (and in fact I think he gets abandoned and arrested in Adventures when all the others just get away by following Giovanni). He's clearly a bad judge of character on top executives.
- You know I always thought Petrel was the perverse type even in canon, but I always took him more to be the versatile bi type.

- These kids need to find their inner storm chaser!
- Never come between a woman and her nails
- Oh no it's them again
- Pokemon out of their ball antics...
- And now the food has monkey who knows what on it
- Then keep it inside of the ball if it's misbehaving. She really is bad at this...
- Huh, somehow missed the fact that Amara's insult of her being fat wasn't an exaggeration
- Heh, forgot that name. Flahtery. Very kinda fitting?
- You'd think she'd take at least a bit after her relative, but I guess not.
- Huh, guess you have a character with a famous canon relative too.
- Well this is a different side to them. Debbie was kind of a witch before, not gonna lie. A literal Debbie Downer
- A lot seemed to make it to the League anyway
- You know bringing Milly up again reminded me. Did she like travel all the way there to jack someone's badge
- And this is why I cannot take Debbie's side at all. She's kind of a jerk friend.
- And apparently the types not to listen to the news at all. I thought they were just doing her a small solid in not telling but man they never knew?
- I just laughed at her anger, she had to be so journey focused they had no time for anything else.
- And a wrecking ball taken to the jerk friend (and nice if unassertive one).

- Bruno as a wrestler? Suddenly, I got this mental image of him cutting a promo on Crasher Wake about what he's hiding behind that mask of his.
- And no formalities, just getting right into the battle.
- He sent out his Hitmontop, a Hitmontop. Kinda redundant.
- Huh, would never think the Top to be a wall for most trainers. Anything long range that the spinning couldn't deflect could potato it.
- And the spinning stops
- Fancy counter. But then she uses Grassy Terrain into Bulldoze. And Grassy Terrain weakens Bulldoze.
- Overestimating the Top, underestimating the level grinding Perrine did.
- I randomly realize, being the Champion must be boring. Especially Lance in Johto. Especially if most trainers just don't get to battle you.
- Well here come the Poison Jabs. Or well, the Bullet Punch. But same difference.
- Huh, superpowered Ice Punch...
- Always count on everyone and anyone to cover their ears whenever a loud noise is made in this fic, even if it's an entire stadium full of people. Everyone.
- Shoutouts to stat drops...
- Also attack lowerers and confusion! More anti-synergy from Perrine that she gets away with.
- It also occurs to me: if the one Pokemon keeps stonewalling the others, wouldn't they logically be out of practice in a real battle? I guess I'm thinking too logically though.
- Perrine completely forgets about not attacking directly and attacks directly.
- Julia's never seen a cheering fan before, I take it.
- Huh, here I was expecting No Guard, but then this thing gets its guard up anyway. And blocks psychic beams with its forearms.
- Nothing like stealth learning a move right in the middle of battle...
- No sunglasses for an occasion like this?
- Oh well I guess the other Pokemon are sort of out of practice in a real battle if she just 2-0'd him.
- Heh, Bruno's speech to Perrine amuses me for, reasons.

- As I mentioned in my birthday fic to you, kinda, yeah. It wasn't necessarily their fault. Although Debbie's attitude about it doesn't do much to invoke sympathy from me for her point of view. She's kind of a jerk. But, it seems she's growing a bit out of her own bad attitude.
- Well yes Julia did win badges, she told you about that!
- And new friendship?

Another chapter in the books, and wow, reminded there's only four left of Julia's adventures before the sequel goes on the backburner for other projects. Man, gonna miss this fic. Well, moving on and on and further on with it towards the inevitable end. What's going to happen next?! What twists will the Karen battle bring? Hope to find out soon!

 

[Juliko]

Chapter 74: Into The Darkness

Lance wasn't sure what he expected when he found out Mao Borgia's niece Perrine had won the Johto League. But sitting in his office, watching Perrine seize victory over Bruno on his I-Pad, every expectation he had was being blown away. Karen leaned over Lance's shoulder to get a better look at the video on his I-Pad, her silver blue blocks tumbling about her face, but not to the point where they'd block her view.

"Damn. That girl's just barreling through the Elite Four like it's nobody's business," Karen noticed, blinking as she processed the scene playing out on the I-Pad. "If this keeps up, I think she might be able to take you down, Lance."

"Who knows at this point?" Lance tapped the middle of his I-Pad, pausing the video. "But you're right in that she's exceeded all of our expectations."

It had only been ten years since Lance defeated Mao Borgia and became the Champion of the Johto region. Since then, no trainer had ever managed to even get past Will. Granted, Lance always made sure to do some training on Mt. Silver, and even in other regions, to make sure he didn't get rusty from the lack of challengers, along with participating in politics in the hopes of making Johto a better place for the citizens. In a way, he hoped Perrine would be able to defeat Karen next and battle her himself. But he did have to wonder exactly what it was that drove her to reach this point. She didn't have the rigid posture or stoic demeanor of one who absolutely couldn't afford to lose no matter what, nor the lackadaisical attitude of a trainer who was just doing this for their own amusement. Not that there was anything wrong with participating for fun, but Lance liked his battles on the intense side.

Maybe Perrine could finally give him that fix.

"How's Benoit been doing since he left?" Lance asked, looking up at Karen, taking his eyes off his I-Pad for once.

Karen shrugged as she took a sip of some coffee from a thermos she carried with her. "Pretty good. He and his band are heading back to Johto for some gigs. I'm hoping once this is all over, I can catch up and maybe help them out a bit," Karen replied. "They could use the promotion."

Lance flashed a smile. "Good luck with that."

"I do have a question for you, though."

"And that is?"

"If Perrine were to defeat you, what would you do? Y'know, if you were no longer champion?" Karen asked.

That was a hard one. Lance hadn't thought much about it. In his youth, he had aspirations to become an astronaut, or if not that, become an astronomer after graduating high school. Lance had given up on those dreams, as the professions didn't give him the fulfillment that he thought he could get. As much as he loved the stars and planets, studying them down to the molecule seemed to take the fun out of it, and he never was able to engrave the more complicated parts of those fields into his head. Pokemon battling had given him something to strive towards, and while he certainly didn't expect to become the champion at 22, it did have its perks. It allowed him some influence in the political world, and he tried to get more involved in matters that would benefit Johto and its citizens and Pokemon, like pushing for increasing funding for mental health and rehabilitation facilities. Still, Lance was always one who kept his mind focused on the present.

"Hmm...I'm not sure," Lance mused out loud as he shut off his I-pad. "But there's plenty of options out there, so it's not like not being champion anymore is the end of everything."

It was Karen's turn to smile right back at him. "Somehow, I knew you'd say that," She noted as she screwed the cap back on the thermos. "I better get ready for my battle. You better be watching, Lancelot," Karen told him.

Lancelot wasn't Lance's real name, just a nickname his friends and family used for him for fun. The red haired man closed the battle video on his I-pad, bringing it back to the desktop screen. "Like I'd ever miss any of your matches. You know me better than that, Karen."

---

The past few days had made something of a routine for Julia and friends. Wake up, eat breakfast, watch Perrine prepare for her Elite Four battle, watch her battle, have lunch or dinner depending on how late the battle went, rinse and repeat for the next day. Today was no different. Perrine stood in her trainer box, stretching her arms toward the ceiling. She could barely sleep the night before, knowing that after this, she'd face Lance himself. Anticipation buzzed throughout every vein in her body.

"Whooooo! I've been killing it lately!" Perrine exclaimed, her bouncy voice brimming with confidence as she began making punching motions at the air. "Soon, everyone will be trembling before the mighty Perrine Innocenti! All who dare to challenge me, I say bring it on!"

Rocio could only give an embarrassed laugh as she watched her daughter make melodramatic edicts. "Try not to let this string of victories go to your head, sweetie!" She advised.

"I won't! I'm just pumping myself up for my match!" Perrine shouted back at her.

Ethan could only roll his eyes. "Sure she is," He retorted under his breath.

Caiseal shrugged. "I'm sure she knows what she's doing," Caiseal said. "She has wanted to challenge the Elite Four for years."

As big as Perrine talked, she herself knew her mother was right. This was not the time to get cocky. If she let her guard down even a little bit, she'd lose before she could ever get the chance to battle Lance. She stopped to take a breath before adjusting the bow tie around her neck. She spent a good portion of last night studying up on Karen and her battle strategies, along with coming up with her own counterstrategies. If she could win against Karen, she could finally battle Lance once and for all.

It wasn't long before the back doors opened, and Karen herself strutted onto her end of the battlefield like she was a model on a runway. Her silver blue locks tumbled around her as she walked, and she wore a yellow tank top, white capris, yellow shoes, and a black jacket, since it was cold out. She eyed Perrine with an interested gleam in her eyes.

"Glad to meet you, finally," Karen said, putting a hand on her hip. "I'm sure you know who I am, but I may as well introduce myself for politeness' sake. I'm Karen Ziegler of the Elite Four."

Perrine put a hand at her waist, ready to pull out a PokeBall if necessary. "Don't go easy on me, now. I'm in it to win it!"

Karen wasted no time pulling out a PokeBall. "As am I! Murkrow, I choose you!" Out from the PokeBall came a lone Murkrow.

It took all but seconds for Perrine to pick who she wanted to send out for this battle. "Chirin! You're up!"

As soon as Chirin materialized, the light Pokemon puffed out his chest and gave an enthusiastic battle cry.

"Dibs on the first move!" Karen exclaimed, extending her arm outward. "Murkrow, begin with Dark Pulse!"

Murkrow opened its beak, shooting a barrage of black and purple rings in Chirin's direction. "Hold it off with Thunderbolt!" Perrine shouted.

The gemstone on Chirin's head glowed yellow before unleashing a flashing thunderbolt. The lightning managed to cut through the black rings, striking Murkrow head on. The attack didn't last long, and Murkrow remained in mid-air, shaking off the attack, but Perrine smiled, knowing the attack did some degree of substantial damage.

"We won't go down that easily!" Karen edicted. "Murkrow, use Ominous Wind!"

Murkrow flapped its wings at a rapid pace, sending a strong, shimmering gust of purple wind towards Chirin. The light Pokemon braced himself, closing his eyes and holding his arms up. The gust of wind seemed to cut into his skin, but Chirin tried not to pay too much attention. After the attack dissipated, the spectators saw Murkrow's body briefly glowing in a purple light.

"Oh dear. This is bad," Julia said.

Rocio shifted her gaze towards Julia, raising an eyebrow at her discomfort. "How is it bad? Chirin hasn't been knocked out yet."

"It's not that," Julia clarified. "Did you see Murkrow glowing for a bit? Ominous Wind is a regular attack most of the time, but on very rare occasions, any Pokemon using it will suddenly get a huge boost in pretty much everything. Attack power, defense power, special attack strength, and so on."

Perrine noticed it as well. Good thing she had a few remedies for that. "Chirin! Set up Light Screen!"

Chirin wasted no time generating a translucent wall of light that dissolved into his body as soon as he set it up.

"Now use Discharge!" She called out.

As soon as the Light Screen finished dissolving into his body, Chirin unleashed an explosion of thunder all around the battlefield. Streaks of lightning shot out from the thunderous explosion, with some striking Murkrow head on. Not enough to completely knock it out, but enough to do some more damage than last time.

"Use Cotton Guard next!"

Once the lightning dissipated, Chirin generated huge balls of cotton that clustered all around his body. They took a minute to dissolve into Chirin's hide, but Karen was done waiting.

"Murkrow! Use Shadow Ball!"

Murkrow opened its beak and fired a purple and black orb of energy that struck Chirin head on. But Chirin kept his head down, enduring the hit without so much as a grunt. But Perrine knew she couldn't rely solely on beefing up Chirin's defenses. He needed to go on the attack sooner or later, though with Murkrow being a flying type, that was going to be difficult. Still, there was one thing she could do.

"Chirin! Use Charge!" Perrine cried out.

Chirin raised his tail, and the red orb at the tip began to glow in a bright yellow light.

Karen seized the opportunity. "You're wide open again! Murkrow, another Ominous Wind! Don't let up this time!" Karen commanded.

Once again, Murkrow flapped its wings faster than it normally did, generating another gust of wind that inundated Chirin from the front. Perrine clenched her teeth, seeing fresh cuts appearing on Chirin's skin, probably from the attack. Light Screen may dull the effects of the attack, but that didn't mean it'd completely protect him. Her eyes widened when she saw Murkrow glowing again. Ominous Wind was giving it yet another boost? If Murkrow received another buff, it could override all the defenses Perrine had Chirin set up. Something needed to be done, and fast.

"Keep charging, Chirin!" Perrine commanded.

Even as the attack threatened to knock Chirin off his feet, the light Pokemon continued to build energy within his tail. It began to swell inside him, begging to be let out.

Karen gave a smirk. "I'm finishing this! Murkrow, use Wing Attack!"

Murkrow stopped flapping its wings, allowing them to glow in a white light as it sharply ascended upward before diving in an equally sharp descent, ready to strike Chirin. Perrine and Chirin waited patiently…

But then!

"Chirin! Fire a great big Thunderbolt!" Perrine shouted.

Fully charged, Chirin didn't hold back this time. Chirin let out a harsh battle cry as a harsh, flashing thunderbolt shot out from the jewel on its forehead. Since Murkrow was right in the line of fire, and too close to dodge, the darkness Pokemon was electrocuted straight away. Murkrow gave a pained screech as electricity surged throughout its entire body. Even flying away from Chirin didn't help much, and after the attack dissipated, Murkrow fell to the ground with a thud.

"Murkrow!" Karen cried, her composure finally breaking.

Oddly enough, Murkrow managed to pull itself back on its talons, even though its body continued to tremble and shudder as it did so. But Perrine couldn't hide the smile that broke out across her face, as did Chirin. With all the charging Chirin did, Murkrow had to have sustained a lot of damage from that attack alone. From the looks of it, if Murkrow was to get hit one more time, it'd get knocked out for sure.

Karen clenched her teeth. "We're not finished yet! Murkrow, use Dark Pulse!"

"Fire back with Power Gem!"

Both Pokemon fired their attacks at one another. Murkrow's black rings struck Chirin, and the latter's sparkling gemstones pelted the darkness Pokemon. At one point, a cloud of dust exploded from the fallout, covering the battlefield for a brief period. The cloud dissipated, revealing both Chirin and Murkrow laying on the ground, their mouths wide open, completely unconscious and covered in dirt and fresh injuries.

"Whoa!" Ethan cried out, standing up from his seat. "It's a double knockout!"

Perrine sighed. Even with Light Screen and Cotton Guard set up, Chirin was still defeated. She had hoped to use him for one of Karen's other Pokemon later, but the knockout put a dent in her plans. Still, this was a solid victory, and she walked over to Chirin and stroked his head with one hand. "It's okay, boy. You were awesome out there."

Chirin gave a low coo before Perrine pulled him back into his PokeBall. Karen did the same, flashing a smile once she recalled Murkrow. "Great job out there, Murkrow," Karen slipped the PokeBall in her pocket and spoke as Perrine returned to her side of the battlefield. "I knew your recent string of victories wasn't a fluke, but you're really something if your Pokemon was able to get past Murkrow."

Perrine flashed a confident grin. "Like I said, I'm in it to win it!"

"No doubt about that," Karen replied, sending out her next Pokemon. "Umbreon, you're up!"

An Umbreon materialized onto the battlefield. Perrine immediately knew which Pokemon she wanted to send out. "Baloo! I choose you!"

Baloo puffed her chest out as soon as she materialized. Umbreon simply stood there, watching the display with an almost indifferent look on its face.

"This time I'm calling the first attack!" Perrine shouted, extending her left arm outward. "Baloo! Use Charm!"

Baloo began by rubbing her arms together, blushing, and winking at Umbreon. The darkness Pokemon responded by arching its back and hissing. Unnerved, it did not appreciate this balloon Pokemon attempting to throw it off. Nevertheless, Perrine could tell the attack worked like a charm. Literally.

"Good thing I have no plans for melee combat!" Karen exclaimed. "Umbreon, use Echoed Voice!"

Umbreon opened its mouth, unleashing rippling white rings that echoed all across the battlefield. Baloo curled her ears tightly inward and closed her eyes, enduring the attack with all the strength she had.

"Now use Screech!"

Instead of rings this time, Umbreon unleashed a series of shock waves while shrieking loudly. Everyone covered their ears this time.

"Baloo! Use Play Rough!"

Baloo puffed out her chest once more, her body emanating a pink aura. Once she prepared herself, she began bouncing all over the battlefield, avoiding the shock waves before slamming right on top of Umbreon. She jumped up and down on top of the darkness Pokemon, punching, kicking, and throwing Umbreon around like a rag doll. At one point, Baloo took hold of Umbreon's leg, spun around, and threw it across the battlefield. Thankfully, the latter landed feet first, regaining its balance.

"Payback!" Karen shouted.

Umbreon's body glowed an eerie purple, and the darkness Pokemon sprinted towards Baloo. Once it got close, Umbreon used both its back legs to kick Baloo right in the stomach. The force of the kick was so strong, it sent the balloon Pokemon skidding all the way across the battlefield, stopping just short of Perrine's trainer box. Perrine blanched as she remembered the specifics behind the attack Umbreon used just now. If it acted after it was attacked, any Pokemon using Payback can deliver double the damage it received, though not to the extent of something like Bide. Baloo was a fairy type, so Payback shouldn't do too much damage, being a dark type move, but Perrine didn't want to get careless.

"Baloo! You okay?" Perrine asked.

Unsurprisingly, Baloo got back on her feet and smacked her stomach, flashing a grin towards her trainer. She hobbled right back to her original position, ready to fight once more.

"Great job, Umbreon! Now use Double Team!" Karen commanded.

On cue, Umbreon generated fast moving doppelgangers that circled all around Baloo. The balloon Pokemon looked all around herself to try and find the real one, but didn't know how to differentiate the real one from the copies.

Perrine did have an idea. "Baloo! Use Gyro Ball and spin around to find the real one!"

That she could do. Baloo's body glowed silver as she began spinning like a top. Using her accelerating speed, she rammed through the doppelgangers, making them disappear one by one. She didn't hit anything solid until she got rid of at least ten copies. Upon making contact, she sent Umbreon flying into the air. The darkness Pokemon was quick to reorient itself, but remained above ground.

"Fight back with Dark Pulse!"

"Dodge, Baloo! Keep spinning to evade it!"

Mid-air, Umbreon fired a barrage of black rings that sent dust flying off the battlefield when they made contact with the ground. Baloo kept spinning, increasing speed with every attack she managed to evade. It wasn't long before Umbreon landed back on the ground feet first.

"Hit it with Disarming Voice!"

Baloo sucked in a huge gulp of air before opening her mouth as wide as she could. Pink, circular shock waves echoed all across the battlefield, with a few solid hearts made from energy pelting Umbreon head-on. Umbreon endured the hits, but the noise made its eardrums rattle from the inside.

"Now, use Iron Tail!"

What?! Perrine blanched. Umbreon knew Iron Tail? On cue, the darkness Pokemon leaped into the air, its tail turning silver like metal. Once the metallic sheen materialized, Umbreon descended, swirling its tail one before slamming it right on top of an unsuspecting Baloo. The blow was so strong that the impact knocked the balloon Pokemon right off her feet, sending her sprawling to the ground. A hand flew to Perrine's mouth. Iron Tail didn't always have the best accuracy, but it could definitely hit hard, and she knew there was no way Baloo didn't take some damage from that, what with it being a steel type move.

Thankfully, Baloo took a minute to pull herself back up. A sigh of relief escaped Perrine's lips. She could see some fresh cuts and dirt marks on Baloo's fur, but the balloon Pokemon took a minute to catch her breath and used both arms to brush the dirt off.

"Can you keep going, girl?" Perrine asked.

Baloo gave a determined nod.

"Man, Karen trained her Umbreon real good," Ethan noted. "I hope Baloo can win this, but Iron Tail's not going to make it easy."

Julia folded her arms. "Nobody said type advantages were everything. Even disadvantages can be overcome if you manage to find some way to cover them. Plus, she did have Umbreon use Screech earlier, so that could be another reason why Baloo got hit so hard," She said. A glinting caught her eye, and she turned her head to find Rocio staring at her cellphone. Julia pressed her lips into a thin line. Why was Perrine's mother not watching her daughter's match?

Karen put a hand on her hip, eyeing Perrine curiously. "There's no shame in giving up, kid," She said.

Give up? That was the last thing Perrine wanted to do. Not when she and her Pokemon had come so far already. "Like hell I'm giving up!" Perrine shouted. "Baloo, use Body Slam!"

Baloo leaped into the air, ready to slam down on Umbreon.

"Hold it off with Iron Tail!"

Simultaneously, Umbreon followed suit, its tail glowing a metallic silver just like before. Umbreon managed to strike Baloo just as the latter slammed down on it. Gravity took hold, pulling the two of them back down onto the battlefield. Unlike before, the impact didn't make a dust cloud billow into the air. Instead, Baloo simply laid down on top of Umbreon, unmoving. Everyone held their breath. What happened? Not long after, Baloo turned over, her eyes closed, and she had a big red mark on her stomach. Umbreon was covered in dirt, its ear twitched, and its mouth was open in a silent scream. It didn't take much to realize that both Pokemon were completely out cold.

"Woo! Another double knock-out!" Ethan cheered, standing up from his seat and throwing both fists into the air. "You go, Perrine! You got this!"

"But that also means both trainers have one Pokemon left," Rocio reminded him.

Both trainers called their fallen Pokemon back to their PokeBalls, giving them soothing words of praise before putting them away. Karen flashed a smile in Perrine's direction. "Damn, girl. You really are just plowing through the Elite Four like it's nobody's business. I'm impressed," Karen told her. "I'm curious to know just what it is that drives you."

What drove her? Perrine knew the answer to that for years. It was almost laughably obvious what her answer was. "I've made no secret of the fact that I want to be the champion of the Johto region, just like my aunt Mao. She worked her butt off, even when the odds were against her. She's everything I could ever hope to be, and I intend to make sure her legacy continues."

If Perrine gave up now, all of her hard work would have been for nothing. She would return home filled with regret, and Perrine couldn't let that happen. Not when she managed to come as far as she did. No matter how much her parents originally protested, no matter how much her friends at school told her she was crazy for being so obsessed, no matter how hard the journey was...Perrine wouldn't trade it for the world.

"Well, let's see if you can beat my trump card!" Karen sent out her next Pokemon, a black and white canine Pokemon that looked like a taller, sleeker version of a Houndour. Two horns curled inward, and its snout and abdomen were a reddish shade of orange. It's long, slender tail was black with a triangular tip, like a devil's tail. The canine Pokemon gave a ferocious growl.

Perrine pulled out her PokeDex to look it over. "Houndoom, the dark Pokemon, and the evolved form of Houndour. Houndoom's eerie howl is said to cause those who hear it to either shudder or run away in fear. In ancient times, people imagined its howls to be the call of the grim reaper, though this was disproven a century ago. When angry, the flames Houndoom breathes contain toxins that would make any skin burned by said flames hurt permanently, causing any victims to live their days in constant agony. However, recent medicinal developments have managed to expunge the toxins from Houndoom's flames, curing the constant pain forever, making it easier for trainers to raise Houndoom. Wild Houndoom operate in packs, and the leaders of said packs are always the Houndoom that have the sharpest, most tightly curled horns."

A Houndoom...Perrine knew she had to consider her options here. Chirin and Baloo were out, since they were defeated. She wasn't sure if using Luminita would work here, as the battlefield was mostly ground, and water Pokemon like her didn't do well on land. Florian was definitely not an option because of the type advantage Houndoom had, and Kitsune had too many attacks that wouldn't be effective. So that only left one Pokemon in her arsenal that she had on her.

"Fukuro! I choose you!" Perrine threw her PokeBall out, and Fukuro materialized in mid-air, flapping her wings as she gave a high pitched trill.

Karen pushed some of her hair behind her before she swung her arm out, calling the first attack. "Houndoom, Smog!"

Houndoom opened its maw and expelled an inky black cloud of noxious gas. "Blow it away with Air Slash!" Perrine cried out.

Noctowl's wings glowed white as he flapped them twice, sending sharp sickles sailing through the gas cloud. They cut through the cloud so fast that Houndoom didn't have any time to dodge, striking it head on. It took no time at all for the poisonous smog to dissipate, and Houndoom, despite taking damage, shook its head.

"Use Flamethrower!" Karen shouted.

"Dodge it!" Perrine commanded.

This time, Houndoom expelled a stream of fire high into the air. Fukuro, being air-borne, dodged it fairly easily, continuing to fly even as Houndoom's flames threatened to catch up to him.

"Use Echoed Voice!"

Once the flames dissipated, Fukuro stopped to open his beak and emit an eerie screech that made white shock waves ripple through the air. Some of them struck Houndoom, but the attack wasn't so strong that it'd knock out the dark Pokemon, seeing as its strength relied solely on repeated usage.

Karen smirked. "You're wide open!" She exclaimed. "Houndoom! Use Thunder Fang!"

Everyone's mouths fell agape, even Perrine's. Houndoom leaped into the air, its teeth crackling with lightning, and bit down on the owl Pokemon with such force that Fukuro couldn't continue its attack. Houndoom landed feet first with Fukuro still in its mouth, and the electricity jolted through the owl's body, making him convulse.

"Fukuro!" Perrine cried. Even though she had studied Karen's Pokemon up and down since she was a kid, there was nothing in the books she read about Houndoom having known Thunder Fang. Or maybe she had Houndoom learn it recently. She didn't know. But the most important thing was that she needed to get Fukuro out of this situation, and now. Already, some of Fukuro's feathers fell to the ground.

Wait...now that she thought of it, there was one way Fukuro could get out from Houndoom's mouth.

"Fukuro! Use Peck on Houndoom's face!" Perrine exclaimed. Catching on to what she wanted him to do, Fukuro pecked at Houndoom's muzzle repeatedly. It took a while, but the pain grew to be too much for Houndoom, and it finally opened its mouth, releasing Fukuro.

"Yes! It worked!" Perrine cheered. Now Fukuro was free. "Now, use Moonblast! Don't hold back!"

Fukuro opened his beak, and blue lines of energy converged just outside it, forming a sphere. Once it fully materialized, Fukuro fired the blue sphere towards Houndoom. The dark Pokemon sprinted to run away, but the sphere quickly caught up with it and sent it flying. Houndoom hit the ground with a thud, but was able to hoist itself back up about a second or so later.

Karen clenched her teeth. "We're not done yet! Houndoom, use Dark Pulse!"

"Fire back with another Moonblast!"

Both Pokemon fired their attacks at one another, and once they made contact, a dust cloud billowed out from the onslaught.

"Air Slash!" Perrine commanded.

On cue, Fukuro fired several air sickles, cutting through the dust cloud and striking Houndoom once more. Houndoom rolled across the battlefield, but managed to reorient itself and got back on its feet. But everyone could see its legs trembling.

Caiseal couldn't hold back the smile that spread across his face. "I bet Houndoom's been weakened from all those hits it took!" Caiseal exclaimed. "A few more attacks and Perrine just might win this!"

Rocio clasped her hands together. "You can do it, honey! You can win this!" She cheered.

Of course, Karen begged to differ. "Houndoom! Use Flamethrower! Full power!"

"Air Slash again!"

Houndoom beat Fukuro to the punch, firing a stream of flames towards the owl. Thankfully, Fukuro was able to flap his wings and send air sickles flying parallel to the flames before being hit. Flames consumed Fukuro, and Houndoom was struck once again, with the impact putting a stop to the fiery onslaught. But the pain was enough to make Fukuro roost on the ground, its body covered in dark, fresh burns.

"Now's your chance! Use Roost!" Perrine said.

Once Fukuro got his bearings, he folded his wings and stood still, his body glowing in a faint white light. Perrine smirked. One good thing about Roost was that if a flying type Pokemon used it, it would lose its flying type designation for a while, so Thunder Fang wouldn't be able to do as much damage for the time being. Perrine thanked her lucky stars that she had Fukuro learn Roost. The burns faded from Fukuro's body, and gradually, energy began to surge back into his being. With Roost, Perrine was basically killing two Pidgeys with one stone.

"You're wide open!" Karen exclaimed. "Houndoom! Dark Pulse!"

"Fly!"

Houndoom crouched to the ground, lowering itself to Fukuro's level and fired a barrage of black rippling rings. Fukuro saw them coming and sharply ascended upward, dodging the attack. Once he flew high enough, Fukuro made a swift downward turn and descended.

"Fire Flamethrower again!" Karen shouted, pointing towards Fukuro. "Give it all you've got!"

Flames enveloped Fukuro all over as the owl continued his descent. His feathers singed, and every movement sent pain all throughout his body. But he knew that if he gave up now, it'd be all over. Fukuro charged towards Houndoom, enduring the flames and screeching a high battle cry as his beak finally made contact with the dark Pokemon. That was all it took for the flames to dissipate, and the owl and canine were both tangled up in one another. Everyone in the spectator seats stood up, speechless, watching intensely as they wondered if it was another double knockout. Did Fukuro win? Or did Houndoom? Both Pokemon were unconscious. The atmosphere in the gym grew heavy with anticipation.

A feather twitched. A low warble escaped Fukuro's beak. His body quivered as he used both wings to hoist himself up from Houndoom's side. A smile broke out across Perrine's face. Did this mean...Fukuro won?! Karen looked over at Houndoom to see if it would move or wake up. Houndoom was completely dormant, and Karen deflated. Perrine saw her give a defeated sigh.

"Well...I don't think I need to state the obvious," Karen said."

Pandemonium broke out. Rocio, Julia, Caiseal, and Ethan all broke into enthusiastic cheers and clapping. Even some of the camera crew cheered. The meaning of this sight was not lost on Perrine.

"We...we...we won!"

Fukuro flew over to Perrine, who proceeded to hug him tight and jump up and down. "Fukuro! You did it, boy! I'm so proud of you! I beat all of the Elite Four!" Perrine's voice rose several octaves as she cheered like no tomorrow. Fukuro trilled and warbled right along with her, celebrating his victory with pride.

Even though she saw the battle play out before her eyes, Perrine still couldn't quite believe it. With this, she truly did defeat every single member of the Elite Four. All that's left was Lance Cipris himself, the champion. The very person she strived to battle all throughout her journey.

With a frown, Karen called Houndoom back to its PokeBall. "It's alright, friend. You did your best," Karen whispered before putting the PokeBall away. She quickly turned her frown back into a proud smile as she walked over to Perrine, whose friends and mother surrounded her.

"Great job beating me," Karen was quick to congratulate her. "You've really exceeded my expectations, girl."

Perrine averted her gaze. "I don't know about that, but thank you for battling me."

"Do you know what this means, Perrine?!" Julia exclaimed, putting both hands on Perrine's shoulders. "You get to battle Lance now!"

"Yeah!" Caiseal echoed. "You've worked so hard for this and now your dream is coming true!"

Rocio was quick to wrap her arms around her daughter, snuggling against her cheek. "Oh, Perrine, sweetie! I'm so proud of you!"

"Hey! Quit it!" Perrine protested, using one arm to try and push her mother's arms off of her, releasing Fukuro in the process. Everyone broke into laughter, even Karen, though Rocio did release her daughter shortly afterward.

"Let me ask you something, Perrine," Karen said. "Do you believe Pokemon are divided by the strong and the weak?"

Strong and weak? Perrine didn't need much time to think about it, as Uraku had asked her the same question back in the Dragon's Den. She knew what she wanted to say. She looked right at Karen, her blue eyes determined, and simply said, "No, I don't think so. Pokemon are living beings, and whether they're strong, weak, or slowly get stronger as they grow up, they have the right to live and be whatever they want to be. Besides, Pokemon are my friends. Our friends."

Julia, Ethan, and Caiseal flashed smiles at her, as did Fukuro. A chuckle escaped Karen's lips. "You're right. Strong Pokemon. Weak Pokemon. At the end of the day, that mindset is merely the selfish perception of people. As far as I'm concerned, truly skilled trainers are the ones that love Pokemon for what they are and don't put so much stock into brute strength."

Everyone in the room couldn't have agreed more.

Karen crossed her arms. "Well, guess this means you can battle Lance. But I should warn you, battling him makes the Elite Four look like child's play. You'd do well not to let this string of wins get to your head."

Perrine gave a solemn nod. Inside, her internal organs were doing backflips. It took everything she had not to burst into cheers yet again at what was to come.

---

After the battle, everyone went back to the Pokemon Center, and Nurse Joy explained to Perrine what would happen tomorrow. Instead of the auxiliary stadium, Perrine would be made to battle Lance at one of the open-air stadiums used by the League. Normally, Lance had his own open-air stadium further up the mountain, but parts of it had been damaged during a storm, and wasn't able to get fixed before the League, so at this point, it was still under construction. Since it had gotten late, the battle would be scheduled for tomorrow afternoon, which would give everyone ample time to prepare, something the kids definitely appreciated. Rocio took the kids out for dinner before dropping them off at the Pokemon Center and returning to her own hotel.

Night's darkness consumed the remainder of the sky. At one point, Julia returned to her bed after taking a shower, and found Perrine sitting on her bed with a pensive look on her face. She almost seemed to be staring off into space, but Julia saw her hands tremble as the orange haired girl clutched her pillow. Was something wrong? Julia sat down across from Perrine, deciding now was the time to maybe start a conversation.

"You okay?" Julia asked.

Perrine looked up, her blue eyes wide like saucers, and her body stiffens as she takes in a sharp breath. "Oh, uh...sorry. I was...thinking," Perrine stammered, averting her friend's gaze.

"About what? Wanna talk about it?"

A silence followed, until Perrine let out a sigh. She rested her chin on her pillow as she spoke. "To be honest...I still find it hard to believe that I actually beat the Elite Four and am about to battle the Champion," She confessed, hugging the pillow tighter. "Lately I've been thinking about all the times my father told me to give up on becoming a trainer, or how all my friends used to say I was crazy for being so obsessed."

Julia remembered Perrine mentioning something like that before. How long had it been since the three of them were in Goldenrod City, where they met Perrine's parents and saw how strained her relationship with them was? A few months, maybe? Julia couldn't quite remember, but everything else from that time was strong in her mind once Perrine brought it up.

"The only one who really believed in me was my aunt," Perrine continued. "She never made me feel ashamed of myself or tried to make me into someone I wasn't. Of course, this was before my parents and I resolved things, so…" Her voice cracked a little bit, and Julia could hear her own heart sink. "And now...my dream is so close to coming true. I defeated every member of the Elite Four, and I'm about to battle THE Johto Champion. I...I have Butterfree in my stomach."

"I can imagine," That was all Julia could say, and she wished she could have said something better. But there was no denying that Perrine really did go through a lot to get as far as she did, and Julia couldn't have been more proud of her.

"Hey...do you remember when we first met?" Perrine asked.

Of course. How could Julia possibly forget something as important as that? "Yeah I do! You were having a hard time in Union Cave and I helped you get Florian out from a hole!"

Memories came rushing back like a high tide. Chirin as a Mareep frantically approaching her, begging her to follow. Seeing Perrine desperately trying to dig through a pile of rocks to save Florian, her hands covered in grime and dirt. Perrine grabbing her arm, looking up at her with tearful eyes, begging her to help. Julia herself unable to process it quite at first, not just because of how close to her space Perrine was and how loud she was crying, but because...hardly anyone her age had ever asked her for help before. The two girls working together to save Florian. Perrine hugging Florian after he was saved, and the feeling of warmth that lurched in Julia's chest upon seeing that something she did actually made a difference and genuinely made someone happy.

"To be honest, that day had been pretty awful even before that incident," Perrine mused. "When I was trying to save Florian...I thought for sure everyone had been right. Maybe I shouldn't have become a trainer. Maybe it would be better if I just stayed home. How arrogant was I to think I could ever have a chance of getting into the Pokemon League at all?" She then looked right at Julia with a warm smile on her face. "But then you came and helped me. I think I would have put a stop to my journey right then and there if you hadn't come along to help, so...I have you to thank for helping me get this far."

"What?!" Julia couldn't believe her ears. She immediately began shaking her hands, and one of her feet began bouncing up and down. "No no no! You're exaggerating! There's no way I could ever be the reason you managed to get to this point! Besides, I'm stupid and whiny and overly dependent and can barely do anything all by myself! I don't deserve such high praise!"

Perrine's expression hardened. "Jule, don't be so hard on yourself, and I think you do deserve it."

"Well…" Julia shuffled as she remembered how she was before she got used to Pokemon battles. "If you had met me before my journey, I'm sure you would have hated me. You know how I told you that I used to hate Pokemon battles, right? And how I'd even go so far as to hate people who liked them or participated in them? I'm pretty sure if I met you before I went on my journey, I'd have believed you were an evil person for liking battles."

Another silence fell between them. This time, Perrine spoke up. "But you've obviously grown since then, and it doesn't change the fact that you helped me when I was at my lowest point. You, Caiseal, and my Pokemon friends...and I really am happy I got to be friends with you," She said.

Warmth burst in Julia's chest right then. Even after all these months, she still found herself unable to get used to having friends praise her. Julia was sure she had gotten used to it by now. "S-S-S-Same here…"

But then another thought entered her mind. Before she could stop herself, the words slipped out. "...But I am kinda worried."

"About what?" Perrine asked, tilting her head to one side.

"What happens after all this is over," Julia sputtered. "If you win against Lance or lose, we might have to go back home...back to our hometowns...and probably back to how things were before we met. I'm scared. What if we go back home and we...forget about each other? Forget that we were ever friends? You and Caiseal will probably find other friends and move on with your lives, and I'll be stuck going to school with the same people who picked on me and will probably do so until I graduate. Even if we do try to stay in contact, who's to say we won't just...stop?"

Yes, that was what Julia feared most. Julia didn't want her journey to end. Caiseal and Perrine may have things to look forward to when theirs ended, but Julia didn't. Other than having her own Pokemon, Julia didn't see her future changing much once she went back to New Bark Town. She knew her mother wanted her to come back to school as part of her deal, but the idea of returning to school filled her with dread. Stuck in the same classrooms day after day, dealing with Kirsten and her bullying ways, judgmental teachers who probably saw her as some lazy lowlife, months of schoolwork and homework, spending every day without Caiseal and Perrine by her side...Julia wished she could just travel forever.

Perrine could see her friend's pained expression clear as day. In a way, she knew her friend's pain. Perrine knew what it was like to be lonely. Granted, in Perrine's case, she knew she had brought most of it on herself due to only thinking of her own desires all the time at the expense of being there for them when they needed someone. Perrine couldn't deny the part she played in her own loneliness, but it was still hard all the same. She balled her hands into fists as she held onto her pillow. Julia had a point. Would things just go back to the way they were after their journey ended? Or were there other options?

"Things don't have to stay the way they are when we get back," Perrine found herself saying without hesitation. "We exchanged PokeGear numbers and internet contacts, so we can still talk to each other. Besides, in the event that I lose in tomorrow's match, I might just finish school then take another year off to go on another journey. All it really comes down to is whether we want to change things ourselves."

Good point. Julia had to agree with her there.

"I...I really want us to do stuff like...go to the mall and visit each other's houses and watch movies and play games and play with our Pokemon and joke about silly stuff. Like normal friends do…" Julia hated the whiny tone her voice adopted, but she couldn't stop herself from opening up now that Perrine had invited her to do so. "I know we did that on our journey and stuff, but...I want to keep doing those things with you guys. Will we...be friends forever?"

Perrine set her pillow back on her bed, walked over to Julia, sat down next to her, and wrapped an arm around her shoulder, pulling her close. "Of course we will, and now that we're trainers, we have more options. More freedom than we used to. After all we've been through, how can we not stay friends?"

Julia smiled. Perrine was right. It wasn't just a matter of sitting around waiting for things to change. She had to make those changes herself and put them into action. Maintaining those connections. Working and putting in the effort to make things better for herself. Now that she thought about it, Julia remembered she had Tsubasa. If she were to evolve into a Pidgeot some time, she could ride on her back and visit Perrine and Caiseal herself, without having to worry about her parents driving long distances just to take her to their houses. That was something she could look forward to. Besides, who was to say this would be the only journey Julia would take?

But for tonight, they didn't need to worry too much about any of those things except for one.

Tomorrow, Perrine would finally get to battle Lance, the Johto League Champion once and for all.

Perrine was sure she wouldn't be able to sleep much tonight, but she knew she needed to. She was going to put everything she had into tomorrow's battle. She couldn't afford to lose. Not when she finally managed to get this far. It would be her fiercest battle yet...and Perrine couldn't wait.

---

Perrine's Party:
Kitsune (Ninetales, Female, Quiet Nature)
Ability: Flash Fire
Attacks: Heat Wave, Extrasensory, Confuse Ray, and Faint Attack

Florian (Meganium, Male, Gentle Nature)
Ability: Overgrow
Attacks: Petal Blizzard, Bulldoze, Body Slam, and Grassy Terrain

Luminita (Lanturn, Female, Naive Nature)
Ability: Water Absorb
Attacks: Electro Ball, Discharge, Scald, and Aqua Ring

Fukuro (Noctowl, Male, Sassy Nature)
Ability: Tinted Lens
Attacks: Extrasensory, Hypnosis, Sky Attack, and Moonblast

Baloo (Wigglytuff, Female, Docile Nature)
Ability: Cute Charm
Attacks: Gyro Ball, Wake-Up Slap, Play Rough, and Body Slam

Chirin (Ampharos, Male, Adamant Nature)
Ability: Static
Attacks: Discharge, Cotton Guard, Power Gem, Signal Beam

 

[System Error]

- I was confused a bit because of the weird formatting of iPad you have there
- Silver blue blocks? Either that's a typo, or we suddenly Mario.
- From the sounds of it Will should be the final Elite Four member, not the first one!
- I like the implication that Lance won Johto separate from Kanto, since that's what I did.
- I am a bit confused, though. He's been mentioned as the Champion of both Kanto and Johto, but he apparently won Johto and his reign was never interrupted, no Reds or Blues here. Where does Bruno factor in considering he was a Kanto Elite Four member? There's no mention of his Kanto title, either.
- Well she already has her dramatic flair down.
- Pretty goofy to be wearing a bow tie, though! What goes into Champion fashion sense, I wonder?
- IN A WORLD WHERE DUSK STONES ARE HARD TO COME BY
- Ah, hax. The bane of us all.
- Well with Murkrow being a Flying type, that's usually only to an Electric type's advantage.
- Exploding attacks...
- Going Mario 64 on this fox...
- Payback is pretty much always going to be active in a nongame setting, heh.
- Karen claims she wasn't going to use melee at all...and then she proceeds to use melee with Iron Tail, and there's no sign of that Charm from before.
- You know things are serious when the swears come out in this fic.
- Lots of double knockouts here...
- The humble Peck coming into play
- When roosting, what better move to use than Roost?
- And averted third double knockout, but may not bode well.
- Shoutouts to actual dialogue, sort of. And what about trainers who put stock into brute strength AND love Pokemon?!
- Wow dude gets a personal stadium what is this
- And post final battle dialogue
- Hee, Julia getting flustered and being self-depricatingly modest. I'd make a tsun joke here, but she's anything but.
- Ahh, remembering past Julia.
- That very much is a valid concern from Julia, been subject to it before. Also is she like forgetting about Ethan?!
- I do imagine there would be some hardcore anti-journey adults out there giving Julia flak.
- Long distance friendships kinda suck in that regard...
- I guess you could say she might have a Wonderful Journey some day? Hue hue hue?

Battling intensifies, and the final battle awaits. Liked the last scene. Can't think of much else to say right now this late. But looking forward to the finale hopefully soon? And then, beyond after an anime marathon, or something.

 

[Juliko]

Chapter 75: The Final Battle! Perrine VS Lance!

Today was the day. Goosebumps broke out across Perrine's arms as she made her way to the stadium. Whether it was the frigid December air, or the realization that in a few minutes, she would be battling against Lance, the champion of both Kanto and Johto, she wasn't sure. Probably both. All night long, she made extra sure to study up on Lance, his Pokemon, his strategies, and so forth. She had already done so multiple times over the years, but now was the time to actually put it all into practice. Now that she was going to battle him, she knew she had to have some kind of strategy in place. The soles of her shoes echoed through the hall, scraping against the flat titanium floor as she walked.

All that she worked for, all that she sacrificed, all that she gained...it had finally come to this. Today, she would either win and become champion, or lose and be forced to wait until next year to battle in the Johto League. She covered her eyes with her palm as she exited the hall, with the stadium shining white under the morning light at first. Once her eyes adjusted, she looked to her left, seeing her mother and friends in the spectator seats. Large screens overlooked the stadium, showing her to an audience of mostly TV crew. Not long after she stopped at her trainer box, Lance came strutting out from his side.

Lance Cipris. Champion of both Johto and Kanto, reigning as both for ten years and counting. Butterfree broke out in Perrine's stomach. Before this, she was just a girl who idolized him and dreamed of battling him while gushing over any merchandise she owned that depicted him. Magazine articles, autobiography books, internet articles, interviews, and so on. As much as she dreamed of one day engaging in a Pokemon battle, at the time, her yearning to do so was often dismissed as just that: an impossible pipe dream. Many told her she shouldn't focus so much on trying to become a trainer, whether it was because they found her obsession with it annoying or, in the case of her parents, or because they wanted her to pursue other things, such as becoming a rich socialite who went to country clubs and looked down on anyone who wasn't in their social class.

And yet...the impossible had happened. Here she was, standing face to face with the champion himself.

"Can you believe it?" Julia asked no one in particular. Even with a thick coat on, goosebumps dotted her arms and she couldn't help but shiver from both the cold and excitement. "She's actually going up against the champion himself!"

Ethan balled his hands into fists. "I know, right? Most trainers who get into the League don't even manage to get past the Elite Four!" He exclaimed. "He's gonna get his work cut out for him!"

"You can do it, sweetie!" Rocio called out, cupping her mouth on both sides with both hands. "I believe in you!"

"I wouldn't be so sure," Caiseal said. "It's true Perrine and her Pokemon have come a long way. But Lance has way more experience and has been doing this a lot longer than she has. As much as I want her to win, he could easily squash her Pokemon flat. Nobody's been able to defeat him during his entire reign."

Lance smiled as he met Perrine's eyes. His carmine red hair defied gravity, and his black cape hung over his body, as if protecting him from the cold. "Perrine Innocenti. It's an honor to see you here."

"Same here, sir," Perrine replied. It took everything she had to not jump up and down like an excited fangirl. She simply curled her hands into fists, her fingernails digging into her palms, keeping her grounded. "I've worked extremely hard to get to this point."

Lance brushed his cape back, revealing his red jean jacket, black turtleneck sweater, matching pants, and crimson boots. "After seeing you defeat the Elite Four, I knew that you, with your skills, would reach me here. First off, this will be a six-on-six battle, with no substitutions on my end," He explained succinctly.

Six on six. It had been a while since Perrine was made to use all of her Pokemon. Not since before she won the actual League. Of course, she already knew this from studying previous battles Lance had against other challengers in the past.

"No problem here," Perrine stated, pulling out one PokeBall. "I should let you know, I don't intend to lose."

Lance chuckled as he pulled out what looked to be a garage door opening machine. "You certainly have your aunt's go-getter attitude, I can give you that. Let's see which one of us is stronger. But first…" He pressed the button on the remote-like machine he pulled.

The battlefield began to split in half, with both sides retracting to reveal a rectangular hole that went at least fifteen feet deep. Once it was fully revealed, water began gushing out from some large pipes that protruded from all sides. Not long after, the battlefield was completely flooded. Everyone watched in awe.

"Why's he filling the battlefield with water?" Julia asked.

"Maybe he's got a Pokemon that doesn't do well on land?" Ethan suggested, though he was unsure.

Perrine found herself smirking. 'This is perfect! If he's going to send out what I think he is, I have the perfect Pokemon to use against it!' She thought.

"I hope you don't mind me sending out my Pokemon first," Lance said. Perrine simply shook her head. Permission secured, Lance sent out his first Pokemon: A Gyarados. It's serpentine body rose up from the water as it materialized, and its azure scales shone under the sunlight due to the excess water reflecting it.

"Luminita! I choose you!" Perrine wasted no time sending Luminita out. The light Pokemon gave a friendly coo, as if greeting Gyarados.

Lance extended his hand outward. "Ladies first."

"Oh, I'm ready!" Perrine couldn't wait to get this battle going. It was all or nothing. "Nita, use Aqua Ring!"

Three azure rings circled around Luminita before dissolving into her body. "Now use Thunder Wave!" Perrine commanded. Electricity crackled from the orbs on Luminita's antennae, and a weak streak of lightning shot out from them.

"Dive into the water, Neptune!" Lance proclaimed. Neptune the Gyarados submerged itself in water, avoiding the attack. "Now rise up and use Crunch!"

"Swim away and fire back with Thunderbolt!"

Just as quickly, Neptune rose back up, sending waves rippling across the pool. Luminita managed to swim away just as she saw Neptune's fangs coming her way. Once she got some distance, she fired a much stronger lightning bolt straight at the serpent. Electricity shot through Neptune's body, and the serpent gave an agonized roar as the burning sensation made movement almost impossible. The electricity dissipated soon afterward, and Luminita clapped her front fins cheerfully.

Lance was...strangely calm. Instead, he didn't look one bit fazed by the type disadvantage. He brushed a strand of his red hair out from his face before calling another attack. "Neptune, Dragon Dance!"

Neptune went still, and a purple and red aura emanated from its body as it broke into a shimmy, as if it were dancing. Perrine gritted her teeth, but she knew she couldn't have Luminita just sitting there. She needed to make a move. "Nita, use Discharge!"

Luminita let out a warble as an explosion of electricity broke out across the battlefield. Since both Pokemon were in the water, there was no way for Neptune to avoid the attack, as water conducted electricity very easily.

"Fight back with Dragon Pulse!"

Even as electricity burned through every vein in its body, Neptune managed to endure the attack as it fired a purple and red beam of light. The energy blast then formed the shape of a serpent, complete with a dragon's head, threatening to engulf the light Pokemon. Nita tried to dive underwater, but the attack struck the light Pokemon head on, sending water spraying all over.

"Nita!" Perrine shouted, shielding herself from the water by holding up both arms. The electricity dissipated, and once the water settled, Luminita ascended back to the surface. Perrine could see fresh scratches and singe marks on her body, but the light Pokemon turned around and gave a warble, telling her she could still battle. It helped that Aqua Ring was still in effect, and in that moment, a blue light emanated from Nita's body briefly, healing some of the singe marks.

"We're not done yet!" Lance exclaimed. "Neptune! Use Waterfall!"

"Duck underwater, girl!"

Neptune's eyes glowed in an eerie blue light before the serpent was engulfed in water. The atrocious Pokemon arched its body before diving right in, giving chase as Luminita swam on ahead, evading the attack. Since the pool was big enough to hold them both, the Pokemon had plenty of wiggle room to swim around and charge at each other as they pleased. Perrine looked down, watching as Neptune managed to ram into Luminita once, though the light Pokemon circled around soon after, taking a second to reorient herself. But Perrine knew she couldn't let her guard down. There was a reason Lance was the champion of two regions, after all.

Then an idea struck her like a lightning bolt. Literally.

"Luminita! Use Thunder Wave all throughout the pool!" Perrine commanded.

The two orbs on Luminita's antennae glowed bright yellow, and shock waves pulsed all through the pool, like a weaker version of Discharge. Because the electricity took on a circular shape this time, rather than a single streak of lightning, and due to Neptune's body being so large, the atrocious Pokemon could not avoid the attack. Once the lightning struck, Neptune's serpentine form grew numb, and its muscles tightened.

"Awesome!" Perrine cheered. "Now use Discharge!"

Lance grimaced. "Dragon Pulse again!"

Neptune attempted to unleash another attack, but Luminita beat it to the punch. Electricity exploded throughout the pool, illuminating the water from down below. Neptune screeched as its body convulsed. After what seemed to be an eternity—actually a few minutes—the electricity dissipated and the water in the pool was still. The spectators and camera crew couldn't quite make out the Pokemon, as they were both deep underwater. Finally, Neptune rose to the surface, eyes closed, scales singed brown, and mouth open. In contrast, Luminita did a backflip as she ascended and clapped her fins several times, rejoicing in her victory.

It was obvious who was the victor here. Lance pulled out his PokeBall and called Neptune back. "You did great out there, friend. Get some rest for now."

Perrine couldn't believe her eyes. One of her Pokemon actually managed to defeat one of Lance's Pokemon. One of the champion's prized Pokemon! Her joy bubbled over like soda fizz. "Awesome! Woohoo! You go, girl!" Perrine exclaimed, throwing her arms high into the air.

Everyone in the spectator seats followed suit. "Yeah! You go, Perrine! Your first win!" Julia chirruped.

"Aw yeah! You rock and you rule!" Ethan flashed two thumbs up. "Nita really showed that Gyarados!"

"Great job, sweetie!" Rocio called out with both hands cupping the sides of her mouth.

In contrast, Caiseal refrained from cheering, knowing this was just the beginning.

Lance swapped Neptune's PokeBall out for another one. "I'm impressed. If you can defeat one of my Pokemon, then you're no ordinary trainer," He said.

Perrine's cheeks flushed red, abashed by the praise. She reminded herself that this wasn't the time to rest on her laurels yet. "Ready for win number two?"

Luminita gave an acknowledging warble, the orbs on her antennae flashing as a show of joy.

Without hesitation, Lance sent out his next Pokemon. "You may have beaten Neptune, but you won't be so lucky with the next one! Go, Venus!"

Out from the PokeBall came a turquoise, bird-like Pokemon with a small, white beak, and large, fluffy, cloud-like wings. "Tariiiii!" The bird Pokemon gave a serene chirp that sounded more like a song than a bird call.

Ethan and Caiseal both stood up in their seats, in awe of the new Pokemon flying in mid-air. "Whoa! That's a Hoenn region Pokemon!" Caiseal proclaimed. "When did Lance get one of those?!"

"Beats me. That's an Altaria. I've never seen one in Johto before!" Ethan answered.

"So pretty!" Julia remained where she was, keeping her eyes on the cloudy bird even as she pulled up its information on her PokeDex.

"Altaria, the humming Pokemon. Indigenous to the Hoenn region, Altaria are known for singing in gorgeous sopranos, catching updrafts with their buoyant, cloud-like wings, soaring as far into the sky as they can. On sunny days, Altaria like to fly freely into the sky and blend in with the clouds. They have kind dispositions, but if they are provoked, they threaten their opponents with shrill cries before attacking them with no mercy. If an Altaria bonds with a person, they wrap their wings around them in a hug, sometimes humming to them."

Unlike the boys, Perrine wasn't too bothered by the sight of the new Pokemon. Altaria had come up in her research of Lance's team last night, and she made sure to study its moves. Of course, knowledge alone didn't guarantee victory, and its cute appearance wasn't to be taken lightly. There was something that caught her eye, though. Around Venus's neck was a necklace with both a pearl and a red leaf dangling from it. What was that about? Was that just jewelry, or something else?

"Alright, let's do this!" Perrine proclaimed. "Nita, use Thunderbolt!"

Luminita's orbs crackled with electricity.

Lance swung his cape outward. "Venus, eat the Power Herb and use Solar Beam!"

Everyone blanched, including Perrine. Solar Beam? How could a Pokemon like Altaria know Solar Beam? Venus plucked the red leaf from its necklace, swallowing it whole. Seconds later, Venus opened its beak and fired a blinding white beam of light towards Luminita. Before the light Pokemon could even shoot a single lightning bolt, the light ray soared through the air and struck her dead on, faster than she could even react. Water was sent flying everywhere, with some of it ebbing outside the edges of the pool. The flash was so bright, everyone covered their eyes except for some camera crew who had sunglasses on. Once the light dissipated, Perrine blanched when she saw Luminita belly up in the water, mouth open, and with her tongue hanging out the left side.

"Nita! Can you hear me?!" Perrine shouted, but received no response. Everyone waited to see if the light Pokemon would give some kind of acknowledgement. Sadly, there was none. Perrine sighed as she realized Luminita had been defeated.

Perrine knew Lance was strong, but a dragon type Pokemon like Altaria knowing Solar Beam? She thought she was over being surprised by Pokemon knowing moves they wouldn't normally learn through normal means, whether by breeding or special training. One thing she knew for sure was that Lance really trained his Pokemon well. Knowing Luminita couldn't continue, Perrine called the aquatic Pokemon back to her PokeBall, flashing a sad smile as she held the ball in her hand.

"It's okay, girl. You were amazing out there," Perrine reassured.

"Oh dear. Poor Nita," Julia muttered, her heart going out to the fallen sea Pokemon, and Perrine by extension. "I really have to wonder how Lance trained a dragon Pokemon to learn a grass move like Solar Beam."

"That's what I want to know, too," Ethan added.

"Perrine can't afford to let her guard down, not even for a minute," Caiseal reminded them. "It wouldn't matter if it was five against one. A battle can turn right around in the blink of an eye, and remember, Lance has been doing this for years."

As if to confirm what Caiseal had said, Lance spoke. "Have you wondered why I changed the battlefield to a water field, Perrine?" He asked out of the blue.

That was a little out of nowhere, but he wasn't wrong. "Yeah, I did. I thought it was just to accommodate both our water Pokemon," Perrine answered.

Lance shrugged. "You're half right. There's another reason I implemented this feature in the stadium," He replied. "In all the years I've been champion of both Johto and Kanto, I've noticed a pattern among the trainers who challenged me. Many of the Pokemon they caught were water types, and many of said Pokemon are capable of learning ice-type attacks, which my dragons are obviously weak against. After observing your battles in the League and against the Elite Four, I knew if I sent out Neptune, you'd send out a Pokemon that had a type advantage over it. Specifically, one that could only move freely in water."

Perrine froze. He knew she deliberately saved Luminita for one of his Pokemon, if not several? Granted, Luminita didn't know any ice-type attacks, but he was right in that she did send her out once she saw he sent Gyarados out. She also had several other Pokemon that were either strong against dragon types already, or knew attacks that at least had a type advantage over them. But this spoke volumes of how much planning he put into this. Especially since he had Venus use an item that cut down on charging up Solar Beam.

"...So you taught one of your Pokemon a grass type move and had it use an item to get rid of the need to charge it up, knowing I'd eventually use Nita?" Perrine asked with an inflection that made it sound like a question, though she hadn't intended to do so.

"Hey, I can't exactly rest on my laurels once I'm a champion, y'know?" Lance said. "If I don't stay on my A-game, I wouldn't exactly be a good trainer, now would I?"

He had a valid point. Perrine mentally kicked herself for having gotten overconfident. With that, Lance pulled out his remote and pressed the button, turning the battlefield back to normal, covering the pool entirely. Perrine wondered if he did that knowing she didn't have any other Pokemon like Nita on her. Whatever the case, Perrine knew she was only getting started. That said, she did have one Pokemon she could use against an Altaria...if only to buy some time.

"Fukuro! You're up!"

The owl Pokemon gave a high pitched trill as he made his entrance. Venus simply gave a graceful curtsey, as if greeting royalty. Fukuro blushed and averted his gaze, abashed by Venus' politeness.

"A Noctowl, huh?" Lance held a hand to his chin. "That's not a Pokemon I see used in the League often. But I can't exactly underestimate you," He swiped his hand out, calling the first move. "Venus, Dragonbreath!"

"Cut through it with Air Slash!"

Fukuro flapped his wings multiple times, sending a barrage of white sickles outward, cutting through the blue and white fire that streamed out from Venus' beak. Only two of the sickles managed to strike Venus head on, but since it was part flying type, the attack barely did much in the way of damage.

"Now use Moonblast!" Perrine bellowed.

Once Venus' attack completely dissipated, Fukuro opened his beak and proceeded to unleash a blue, sphere shaped light, hurling it towards Venus.

"Defend with Cotton Guard!" Lance commanded.

Still mid-air, Venus' wings produced a barrier made entirely of cotton, covering it from head to toe, holding off the attack. Once the attack faded, the cotton barrier dissolved into Venus' body.

"Use Aerial Ace!"

With a single flap of its wings, Venus ascended into the air, faster than Fukuro could keep up. Then, target locked, Venus made a sharp descent. Fukuro attempted to fly away, but Venus zeroed in on its target. Once it got close enough, Venus smacked Fukuro on the back with one of its wings, sending it straight into the ground.

"Fukuro!" Perrine exclaimed.

"Now! Finish it with Giga Impact!"

Everyone gasped in unison. Giga Impact? That wasn't an attack they had seen much of before. An orange sphere of energy emanated from Venus' body. She did a loop in the air to build momentum, and descended right towards Fukuro. The owl Pokemon had barely managed to get back on his talons before Venus charged right into him, sending a cloud of dust and gravel flying everywhere. Lance shielded himself with his cape, whereas Perrine covered her eyes with both arms. Once the dust settled, both trainers looked to see what the outcome of the battle was. Venus was on the ground, wings curled into its body, with nary a scratch on it. In stark contrast, Fukuro was completely out cold, wings outstretched, and beak open in a silent scream.

"Fukuro…" As much as Perrine didn't want to admit it, it was clear Fukuro had been knocked out. With a sigh, she called Fukuro back to his PokeBall. "You did great, my friend. You deserve a good rest."

"Well, if there's one good thing that came out of this, it's that Fukuro managed to land some hits on Venus," Julia said, trying to be optimistic. "Luminita couldn't land a single hit."

"That's true," Ethan agreed.

"There's also the fact that Giga Impact requires its user to take a minute to recharge, leaving it wide open," Caiseal said. "So if Perrine plays her cards right, she might be able to land a hit on Venus."

Perrine thought so as well. On the other hand, Lance had other ideas. "Venus, return!" He called Venus back into its PokeBall, swapping it out for another one. "Go forth, Mars!"

Out from the PokeBall came a Charizard, wings outstretched, and spitting a tiny stream of fire as a show of strength. Perrine raised an eyebrow. Why did Lance switch his Pokemon? Even the people in the spectator seats seemed thrown off, as they all looked at each other with confused expressions. She could only assume he didn't want to risk Venus getting defeated should she choose her next Pokemon, since she knew Giga Impact required some time to recharge before the user could attack again. Maybe he was saving it for later. No matter. Perrine had the perfect Pokemon to use against a Charizard.

"Chirin! I choose you!" Perrine sent Chirin out, and the light Pokemon gave a shrill battle cry.

"Mars! Begin with Dragon Dance!" Lance commanded.

Mars flew into the air and began spinning in a top-like motion. Purple and blue waves of energy swirled all around it before disappearing into its body.

"Two can play at that game!" Perrine exclaimed. If Lance was going to have Mars power up its attacks, then Perrine could have Chirin beef up his defenses. "Chirin, use Charge and Cotton Guard at the same time!"

The orb on Chirin's tail began to glow, crackling with electricity. Chirin lifted both arms into the air, letting out a shrill warble as cotton balls formed a barrier around his body, covering him from head to toe. In the meantime, electricity ran through every vein in Chirin's body, amassing within him like a boiler ready to implode.

"Now use Flamethrower!"

"Fire back with Thunderbolt!"

As soon as the cotton dissolved into Chirin, Mars unleashed a stream of flames that glowed orange. Chirin was also quick on the draw, firing a bolt of lightning in retaliation. The two attacks collided, sending sparks and flames every which way. The attacks died down shortly after.

"Mars, descend and use Bulldoze," Lance told it.

Perrine's hands flew to her mouth, stifling a gasp. If Mars knew Bulldoze, Chirin was done for, as the latter had no way to dodge it. An orange aura emanated from Mars' body as the dragon sharply descended, landing on the ground feet first. Upon contact, the entire battlefield rumbled, as though an earthquake had hit. An orange shock wave rippled across it, striking Chirin head on, sending him rolling across the battlefield.

"Chirin!" Perrine yelled as the light Pokemon lay on the ground face up.

Luckily, Chirin slowly pulled himself back to his feet. But Perrine didn't find herself too optimistic. Chirin's posture was languid, and his body trembled with every movement he made. Bulldoze was a ground type move, and it still dealt heavy damage even with Cotton Guard set up.

"Finish it with Seismic Toss!" Lance exclaimed.

Wait...the cogs in Perrine's brain began to turn. Even though it was likely Chirin would lose this particular battle, this did provide a good opportunity. Mars flapped his wings and flew off the ground before sweeping in to grab Chirin by the tail.

"Chirin! Hit Mars with Discharge! Give it all you got!" Perrine shouted.

Once Mars ascended into the sky, Chirin shrieked as he unleashed an explosion of lightning. Since Mars was holding onto Chirin, it was rife for electrocution. But even as Mars' body burned from the inside, it began flying in a circular motion, building momentum. After five circular arcs, Mars took Chirin by the arm and threw him down to the ground. By releasing Chirin, the electricity finally dissipated, but Mars floated back to the ground, unable to remain in mid-air. As soon as Chirin made contact, a cloud of dust and dirt billowed out upon impact. It wasn't long before the dust cloud cleared up, revealing Chirin lying on his back, covered in fresh scratches and grime, completely out cold.

"Oh no…" Even Perrine could see that there was no way Chirin could continue. The realization struck her like a bolt of lightning.

Rocio and the other kids realized it as well. "Poor Chirin," She said. "Now Perrine's only down to three Pokemon."

"And Lance only lost one of his," Caiseal reminded them. "Perrine's got her work cut out for her."

Only three Pokemon left. Perrine called Chirin back to his PokeBall, as did Lance with Mars. It was only now that Perrine was beginning to see Lance's strategy. Whenever his Pokemon would sustain injuries from battle, he'd switch them out for a Pokemon who hadn't, allowing others time to rest before sending them out again. He obviously took into account moves with type advantages and even, in the case of Venus' Power Herb, items that could change the flow of a battle. Perrine had to consider her options. Florian was a no-go, since he was a grass type, and as much as she wanted to use Kitsune, she could only do so much. Baloo was her best option, but she had wanted to save her for a lot of his stronger Pokemon, like his Dragonite, Mercury. Most of her star players were down. She kicked herself for not switching Florian out for Marius, who didn't have much in the way of type disadvantages against his other Pokemon.

"Saturn, I choose you!" Lance sent out his next Pokemon straight away: a gray, dinosaur-like Pokemon with pointed ears, long, membraned wings with claws in the middle of them, a long lower jaw with serrated fangs, a spike-like hump on its back, and a tail with a triangular tip.

"I've never seen that Pokemon before," Rocio noted.

"That's an Aerodactyl," Julia told her, pulling out her PokeDex. "Here, I can show you."

"Aerodactyl, the fossil Pokemon. A vicious Pokemon from prehistoric times, their teeth are like saw blades, and they were one considered the rulers of the skies. It went extinct after meteors fell onto the planet, but over the past few decades, researchers managed to resurrect it by extracting DNA from pieces of old amber. They've mastered flying, but when on the ground, their walking is slow and uncoordinated. Because Aerodactyl are naturally wild and ferocious, only experienced trainers are allowed to raise them."

"As much as I don't want to do this...I need to at least buy some time…" Perrine muttered. She knew she was going to regret making this decision, but she couldn't afford to waste her time moping around. She needed to use the cards she still had. "Florian! Set up Reflect!"

As soon as Florian materialized, the green sauropod's petals glowed white for a second, and a translucent wall appeared before dissolving into his body.

Lance crossed his arms, eyeing the Pokemon with a disapproving eyebrow raise. "A grass type against a flying type? Surely you're aware of the risks."

"Believe me, I am," Perrine told him.

Lance shrugged, and his confident smile returned. "Fair enough. Saturn, use Crunch!"

Crunch? The cogs spun in Perrine's head again. Maybe she could use this opportunity. "Don't move, Florian!" Perrine cried.

Florian remained steadfast, even as Saturn lunged toward him and sank its teeth into his body. Florian clenched his teeth as tight as he could, enduring the assault even as he felt his skin be torn by the sharp teeth. The kids in the spectator seats could only exchange confused expressions. Why was Perrine letting Florian get bitten by Saturn?

Perrine shouted out the answer. "Poison Powder!"

On cue, Florian shook the petals circling his neck, releasing a sparkly purple cloud. Since Saturn's jaw was right near the flower, the fossil Pokemon immediately took a whiff. Lance gasped. "Saturn! Get out of there!" He shouted.

It was too late. Saturn released Florian from its maw and flew upward, but its whole body burned from the inside, and it coughed a few times.

"You okay to keep going, Florian?" Perrine asked.

The green sauropod turned around and nodded. Perrine smiled. "We need to do some damage to it, no matter how small!" She exclaimed. "Use Razor Leaf!"

"Wing Attack!"

Florian unleashed an army of swirling leaves in Saturn's direction. The fossil Pokemon's wings glowed white as it descended, with the leaves striking it head on, but barely leaving so much as a dent. Saturn slammed right into Florian, but the green sauropod held his ground.

"Tie it up with Vine Whip!"

Two green vines shot out from Florian's neck, coiling around Saturn's body. "Now throw it as hard as you can!"

Mustering all the strength he could, Florian spun Saturn around three times before throwing it into the air.

"Petal Blizzard!"

"Wing Attack again!"

This time, a stormy gust of flower petals blew out from the green sauropod's neck. Saturn reoriented itself and dove right into the gale, wings blinding white. Florian could only gasp as Saturn smacked it across the face with one wing with such strength that it knocked him off his feet.

"Florian!" Perrine cried out.

Of course, Lance was not one to have pity on his opponent. "Finish it off with Ice Fang!"

Saturn kept one talon on Florian's body, opening its maw as its teeth glowed light blue. With a great big howl, Saturn lowered to Florian's level and clenched its teeth down onto his neck. Ice slowly covered the green sauropod from head to toe. Saturn flew away so it wouldn't get caught in the ice, but Florian was not only completely out cold, but was encased completely in ice.

Perrine sighed, knowing it was pointless for Florian to go on. She called him back to his PokeBall, as did Lance with Saturn. She could only assume Lance didn't want to risk Saturn getting knocked out by the poison. It was here that Perrine noticed it. Mercury, Venus, Mars, Saturn, Neptune...all of Lance's Pokemon had the names of planets.

"Hey Lance!" Perrine called out to him. "Why are your Pokemon all named after planets?"

Lance swapped Saturn's PokeBall out for another one. But he was happy to answer her question. "When I was younger, I wanted to be an astronomer or an astronaut," He answered, with a nostalgic wistfulness in his voice. "I was enamored by the idea of worlds beyond the one I stood on. The stars and deep space...I wanted to go out and see them with my own eyes. But...things didn't quite work out the way I wanted them to, so I wound up giving up on that dream."

"Do you regret not pursuing it?" Perrine asked.

"Not really," Lance replied. "My mother used to say that when a door closes, there'll always be a window open out there somewhere, so you could say becoming the Kanto and Johto champion was that window."

That certainly explained why he named his Pokemon after planets. They were artifacts of the dream he had abandoned. Perrine wondered how her life would have turned out if she truly gave up on becoming a Pokemon trainer. She didn't want to think too hard about it. After all, she had to focus on the battle.

"You know what? I'm done holding back!" Lance edicted, throwing a PokeBall forward. "This is on you, Mercury!"

Out from the PokeBall came a Dragonite. The same one Perrine and her friends rode on back in the Lake of Rage. The same Dragonite with one antenna that was shorter than the other. Perrine realized she was down to two Pokemon now. Good thing she had one Pokemon that could at least stand up to Mercury.

"Baloo! Knock 'em dead!" Perrine sent Baloo out. "Use Play Rough! No holding back!"

Baloo let out a shrill warble, and her body glowed pink as she began jumping all over the place, ready to pummel Mercury into the ground.

"Dodge and use Steel Wing!" Lance commanded.

Once Baloo got close, Mercury flew upward, evading the attack. Then its wings glowed a steely silver, and Mercury sharply descended.

"Defense Curl!" Perrine shouted.

Baloo curled her body into a fetal position, and one of Mercury's wings slammed right into her, sending her rolling across the battlefield. Thankfully, she didn't roll very far, and she quickly uncurled, flexing her short arms, ready for more.

"Now use Disarming Voice!"

The balloon Pokemon inhaled a huge gulp of air, expanding quite a bit, before unleashing a pink shock wave in Mercury's direction. Unlike before, Mercury withstood the attack, grimacing as a barrage of hearts and shock waves inundated it from the front.

Lance flung his cape outward. "Fly into it and use Thunder Punch!" He cried out.

Mercury opened its eyes and did as ordered. Flapping its wings, the dragon flew right into the attack, its right fist crackling with electricity. Before Baloo could react, Mercury slammed its thundering fist right into the balloon Pokemon's body, putting a stop to the shock wave. The impact sent Baloo sailing backwards, and the balloon Pokemon quickly reoriented herself, but Perrine could see the black singe mark from where Mercury punched her.

"Use Gyro Ball!" Perrine cried.

Baloo began spinning like a top, her ears glowing silver, forming a ring of light around her as she charged towards Mercury, sending dirt and gravel flying.

"Knock it out of position with Dragon Claw!"

Mercury raised its left arm this time, allowing purple and blue energy to form a long clawed hand. Once it was fully formed, Mercury slammed down on Baloo, putting a stop to her spinning motion. Perrine blanched. She knew Dragon Claw couldn't do any damage on Baloo, what with her being a fairy type and immune to dragon type attacks, but it was obvious Lance didn't have Mercury use it just to attack her. Which meant that Baloo was a sitting Psyduck.

"Finish with Hyper Beam!"

The dragon put one hand on Baloo's ear, preventing her from escaping. Mercury opened his mouth wide, and an orange sphere of energy materialized. Baloo squealed and tried to pull her ear out from its claw, but every attempt she made was futile. Perrine thought of an attack she could have Baloo use to free herself, but by the time she thought of it, a blinding beam of light shot out from Mercury's mouth, sending Baloo sailing into the wall just behind her trainer box. Perrine had no time to even call out the attack. She swiveled around, unable to do anything but watch as her friend was consumed by light. Gradually, the attack dissipated, and Baloo fell from the hole she made in the wall, lying face down.

"Baloo…" Both Perrine and Baloo deflated.

"Aw man…" Ethan clenched his fists. "Now Perrine's down to just one Pokemon."

Caiseal nodded in agreement. "Not gonna lie, her chances of winning are basically zero at this point."

Julia held both hands together, clenching them so tight, the tips of her fingers turned white. "You can do this, Perrine. You can get through this…" As much as Julia hated admitting it, Caiseal was right in that there was no conceivable way Perrine could win at this point. She just wanted the match to be done already.

Perrine called Baloo back to her PokeBall. "It's alright, girl. You did great. Get some rest," She swapped Baloo's PokeBall for Kitsune's. She had one Pokemon, whereas Lance still had five. At this point, Perrine could tell there was no way to achieve victory. Kitsune couldn't possibly take on all of his Pokemon. That'd put too much strain on her. Still, she was here now, and she needed to make the best of what she had. There was no more room for error or second thoughts. Even if she couldn't win or become the champion, she wasn't done battling yet. Not by a long shot.

She looked down at Kitsune's PokeBall, and memories flowed back into her mind. She had raised her since she found her in a low income part of Goldenrod City years ago. The two of them had gone through thick and thin together. Now, here they were. No backing out now.

"Kit! Give it all you've got!" Perrine sent her out, and Kitsune spread all nine of her tails outward. The yellow fox arched her back and hissed at the dragon standing before her.

"I must admit, I'm impressed by your determination," Lance told her. "It's been a while since I've had this much fun in a battle."

Perrine pushed some of her orange hair out from her face. "I don't mess around."

"Glad to hear it!" Lance exclaimed, extending his arm out once more. "Mercury, use Aqua Tail!"

Mercury raised its tail in the air, and a whirlpool rose up from the tip, almost hitting the ceiling.

"Manipulate it with Extrasensory!" Perrine cried out.

Kitsune's eyes glowed blue as the whirlpool around Mercury's tail rippled. Then, the whirlpool turned towards Mercury and charged right at it, inundating it with water. Spray erupted from the impact, but Mercury shook his head once it dissipated, barely affected at all.

"Dragon Claw again!"

Once Mercury got its bearings, the dragon raised its arm once more, and purple and blue energy formed the shape of a sharp claw. With a roar, Mercury dove towards Kitsune, ready to slice her to ribbons.

"Dodge!" Perrine cried. Kitsune gracefully sidestepped as Mercury tried to swipe at her. Mercury attempted the attack several more times, but Kitsune kept dodging, whether by crouching low to the ground, doing a backflip, or simply sidestepping. Being agile on her feet, Kitsune smirked as she evaded the dragon's onslaught. Even so, each swing of the claw came with Mercury's entire body weight. The swift movements of Mercury's arm were quick and agile.

"Use Flamethrower!"

Kitsune crouched low to the ground and unleashed a stream of fire, with the resulting heat making the air feel heavier than usual.

"Ascend!" Lance called out. When the flames came close, Mercury flapped its wings once and ascended into the air, evading the fiery breath. "Use Thunder Punch on the ground!" He exclaimed. On cue, Mercury's fist crackled with electricity. With a piercing roar, Mercury descended just enough to slam its fist into the ground. Shards of dirt and rocks erupted from the ground, and the resulting debris pelted Kitsune like a bad hail storm.

"Kit! Use Extrasensory on the debris!" Perrine told her. Figuring out what she wanted her to do, Kitsune's eyes glowed blue. The debris that pelted her suddenly stopped mid-air, all of it glowing with an aquamarine hue. Then, the sharp rocks pointed towards Mercury before soaring through the air, charging right at the dragon. Mercury held up its arms to defend itself from the onslaught, but grimaced as the rocks it created pelted its scales.

It was working! Perrine thanked her stars she had Kitsune practice telekinetically manipulating objects with Extrasensory. The good thing about psychic-type attacks, she learned, was that they were malleable and weren't limited to just one method of usage. They could be light rays that shot at opponents like regular attack energy, or could be levitation or telekinesis. Perrine's confidence faltered when she saw Lance's expression. He was...oddly calm, like he wasn't bothered at all by the fact that his Dragonite was taking damage.

"A clever move," Lance said with a smile. "But that can only get you so far!" He suddenly shouted. "Mercury! Hurricane!"

Mercury took a minute to reorient itself from the attack it received earlier before flapping its wings once to ascend. Once in mid-air, Mercury's wings glowed white as it flapped them three times, generating a fierce, raging wind storm. Because the wind covered almost the entire battlefield, there was no way for Kitsune to dodge the attack. The yellow fox remained steadfast as she endured the attack, feet planted firmly to the ground. Unfortunately, the wind's strength overwhelmed her, lifting her off the battlefield and sending her soaring into the air.

"Kit!" Perrine cried out.

Lance seized the opportunity. "Use Aqua Tail!"

"Use Flame Burst to get away!"

The dragon's tail erupted into a geyser once more. Mercury swung forward to try and smack Kitsune with it. Luckily, the yellow fox circled back around, firing a sphere of flame towards Mercury that hit it right in the face. As soon as it made contact, the flame exploded, giving Mercury no time to shield itself from the attack. The force of the explosion wasn't enough to blow it away outright, but the searing heat and close contact did incapacitate it for just a bit. Kitsune used the opportunity to land back on solid ground. Perrine knew she had to act fast, or the battle would be over.

"Now, use Confuse Ray!"

"Oh, no you don't!" Lance exclaimed, intent on getting the first attack in. "Mercury, fly downward and use Thunder Punch!"

Realizing what Lance wanted it to do, Mercury swiftly descended, avoiding the attack. Confuse Ray took the form of a blue light ray that shot out from Kitsune's eyes. Unfortunately, Lance's strategy worked, and Mercury was able to evade it. Once the dragon flew low to the ground, Mercury wound its fist, generating electricity as it accelerated towards the fox, slugging her right in the face and sending her rolling across the battlefield. It wasn't long before she was back on her feet, but Perrine could see Kitsune's body trembling, probably from the pain, and her slender legs were unsteady.

Dread seized her whole being. This was bad. Now that five of her Pokemon were down, with Kitsune barely breaking even, Perrine realized she had already lost the match. The only Pokemon of his she managed to defeat was his Gyarados, yet all the other ones completely wiped the rest of her party out. Perrine clenched her teeth. This was a losing battle at this point...but that didn't mean she and Kitsune couldn't still give it everything they had. It was now or never! Even if she didn't win, which was a guarantee at this point, that was no excuse to just throw in the towel. She snapped back to attention, knowing what she had to do.

"Kitsune! Use Flamethrower with everything you have!" She shouted, her voice growing hoarse.

"Mercury! Finish it off with Hyper Beam!"

Both Pokemon opened their mouths, charging their attacks in unison, firing them at each other simultaneously. Kitsune unleashed a stream of fire, but it was completely overwhelmed by the beam of white light that shot out from Mercury. The light ray cut through the flames like they were butter, striking Kitsune head on. A huge explosion broke out from the force of the attacks, and the resulting wind caused both Lance and Perrine to use their arms to shield their eyes from any dust or debris. Everyone stood up from their seats as they looked on, wondering just what happened to Kitsune. For what seemed to be an eternity, all was dead silent as everyone waited for the smoke to clear.

Mercury took it upon itself to flap its wings, clearing away the smoke...revealing Kitsune lying on the ground face up, covered in head to toe scratches and singe marks, limbs limp, and her mouth open as if in a silent scream. Fresh tears streaked Perrine's face as the realization dawned on her. Kitsune had been completely defeated.

She lost.

"Good job, Mercury!" Lance ran over to his draconic friend, rubbing his back with a proud smile on his face. Mercury leaned down to nuzzle its trainer's face with its own.

In contrast, Perrine fell to her knees. They felt like jelly, and she couldn't bring herself to move, no matter how much she willed them to move. She wanted to at least go and comfort Kitsune. Finally, after a minute, Kitsune awoke from her stupor and sat up straight, though didn't stand. She was able to give a longing glance towards her despondent trainer. This was enough to make Perrine stand up and walk over to her, stroking her dirty locks with one hand.

"I'm sorry, Kit. You worked so hard for me, and we didn't even win," Perrine whimpered.

In response, Kitsune licked Perrine's cheeks in an attempt to comfort her. All Perrine could do was wrap her arms tightly around her vulpine friend, basking in her consolation.

Unable to keep it together herself, Julia was the first to leave the bleachers. "Perrine!" She ran over to her friend in the battlefield and threw her arms around her. "You were amazing out there! I don't care that you guys lost! You still gave it everything you had!" She cried out.

Touched by her friend's attempt to comfort her, Perrine put a hand on one of Julia's. "Thanks," That was all she could muster.

"Perrine?" During this time, both Lance and Mercury approached them. Perrine stood up, with Julia releasing her so she could help Kitsune stand up. Perrine couldn't bring herself to say anything in this moment, but the change in Lance's expression made her suck in a breath. His eyebrows were furrowed, and he looked...strangely sad. "I'm sorry. I know how much you wanted to defeat me, how important this is to you...and I guess I ruined it."

Ruined it? Perrine couldn't believe what she was hearing. Was he sad that he won? Did he genuinely feel bad about defeating her? As sad as she was right now, she didn't want Lance to feel bad about defeating her. She wiped away her tears and smiled at him. "Don't be. I'm glad I at least got to battle you. I can always try again next year," She reminded him, balling a hand into a fist. "And next time, I intend to win."

That statement on its own made Lance's proud smile return. "I'm looking forward to it, and for what it's worth, you're an amazing trainer," He told her, gesturing towards Kitsune. "It's clear you and your Pokemon share a strong bond, and that's what got you this far in the first place. Never forget that."

There wasn't any need to tell her twice. "Trust me, I won't," Perrine replied, but her gaze dropped away.

He extended a hand out to her. "I hope we can battle like this again next time. I wouldn't mind doing this again," He reassured.

Perrine blinked for a minute, but took his hand and shook it once more. Just like when he did so back when she received her awards for winning the Pokemon League.

With that, everything was over. Lance decided to leave the stadium, as did most of the camera crew. Perrine called Kitsune back to her PokeBall, and the rest of the gang approached her, all with concern written all over their faces.

"You okay, Perrine?" Caiseal asked.

"Yeah. Sort of…" Perrine stammered before backpedaling. "Actually...I think I need to be alone for a bit," Without elaborating further, Perrine found a door on the right side of the stadium, ran over to it and went inside.

"Perrine!" Julia was about to run after her, but Rocio reached out to grab her sleeve, holding her back.

"I know you want to comfort her, but...it might be better to give her some space right now," Rocio said.

Julia clenched her teeth. She wanted nothing more than to follow after Perrine, give her a hug, and be a shoulder she could cry on. But as much as she hated to admit it, Rocio was right. Perrine said she wanted to be alone, and as a friend, Julia needed to respect her wishes. If Perrine wanted Julia to comfort her, she'd say so and seek it out. Julia deflated, conceding defeat. She did, however, notice someone else slipping through that same door.

---

It took a while, but Perrine finally managed to find a place where she was completely alone. It was a lone break room in the stadium. Nobody else was here, which was exactly what she wanted. But even though the room was silent, it still seemed so loud. Maybe it was her pounding heartbeat. She didn't know. She sat down on the plush benches and let the painful reality finally sink in.

She lost. She completely, utterly lost. She worked so hard to make it to the League...but Lance defeated her Pokemon. Perrine clenched her teeth. A part of her probably knew she'd lose because of the experience gap, but she told herself that she had to think positive. If she worked hard, she could defeat Lance and achieve her dream. But now...she didn't know what to do. Lance was still the champion. She put everything she had into the battle...and still lost.

Her eyesight blurred. Tears came trickling out. Perrine couldn't keep it all in anymore. She laid down on the plush bench, buried her face in the fabric, and sobbed her heart out, her agonized wails bouncing off the titanium walls. So many thoughts reeled in her mind as she cried. She hated how this day had turned out. She hated failing her Pokemon. Failing her friends. Failing her parents, after they finally accepted that she wanted to be a Pokemon trainer. This loss hurt so much more than Perrine ever could have prepared herself for. It meant that her dream was done. Not permanently, and since she still had eight badges, she could participate in the League next year. She reminded herself that it wasn't the end of everything...but it didn't dull the pain from the loss any less.

Footsteps scraped against the tile floor. Perrine didn't bother to look to see who it was, assuming it was her mother coming in to comfort her.

"Mom. I know you're...here to try and...cheer me up. But please don't," Perrine whimpered, hiccuping and gasping every few words. "I...I'm sorry...I failed you and everyone else…"

Whoever walked in said nothing. But strangely...Perrine kept talking.

"I worked so hard...I worked so hard...and I still lost. I know this isn't the end, that I can just start over when the League starts up again next year…" Perrine sobbed. Any attempts to try and calm herself down were futile. "But I still hate that I lost! I can't stand it!"

Other than Perrine's sobs, the room was silent. Yet the silence seemed more deafening than ever before.

"I wonder what Aunt Mao would think...I bet she saw me lose like a complete idiot on TV or something," Perrine whimpered, her voice more fragile than even she herself thought it was. "I wouldn't blame her at all if she was ashamed of me. I really thought I could be a Champion just like her. Guess I'm not cut out for it...just yet…"

"You are a champion, Perrine," Came a new voice.

One Perrine recognized in an instant...and it wasn't her mother's voice.

The girl shot up from the bench, her wet orange locks tumbling about her face, seeing someone she honestly didn't believe she'd see here in person. A woman about her mother's age, maybe a little older, with wavy chocolate locks that cascaded down to her lower back, with tinges of blonde at the roots, eyes as deep blue as zoisite gemstones. Her beige winter coat reached down past her knees, and some of the white furs around the hood chafed at her cheeks, but her raiment did nothing to obscure her warm, sympathetic smile.

Perrine's jaw fell loose as she took a minute to process this unexpected guest before her. Finally, she shrieked, "...Aunt Mao?!"

"In the flesh!" Mao said, putting one hand up.

Perrine couldn't believe her eyes. Her aunt Mao, the person she looked up to so much, was here?! Actually here in person?! All words escaped her in this moment, and when she tried to speak, one word tumbled into the other, with all attempts at coherency rendered impossible.

"How...wha...when…?!" Perrine stammered at first, but managed to choke out a few sentences once she conjured it in her head. "What are you doing here? When did you get here? You saw my battle with Lance?! I thought you were out in Alola on your excavation trip!"

"I was, but then I found out you were participating in the League," Mao clarified. "You know I wouldn't miss watching you for the world. But then you plowed your way through the Elite Four like they were vegetable fields! You really rocked it out there, girl!" Mao wrapped one arm around Perrine and pulled her close.

Perrine frowned, her desolation returning in full force. "...I couldn't beat Lance, though. I tried, but it wasn't enough…"

Mao's fingers pushed through Perrine's tangled orange curls, stroking her head gently. "I know, sweetie. It's hard to lose when you've worked so hard to get where you are. But I want you to know, you still did an incredible job regardless. Not many trainers can even get past the Elite Four, but you did. That's not an easy task," Mao reminded her.

That did leave one question lingering in Perrine's mind. "How long have you known I was here? How did you even find out?"

Mao winked at her. "Your mother called me as she was on her way there. She told me everything," She explained.

"Wait, so you've been here this whole time?!" Perrine exclaimed. "How come you didn't tell me?!"

"I wanted it to be a nice surprise," Mao replied, unfazed by Perrine's shock. "Considering how tough the Elite Four is in and of themselves, I wasn't sure if you'd be able to win against them, so in the event that you got defeated, I planned on revealing myself right afterward, just as a way of taking your mind off things. But then you plowed through them like it was nobody's business, so in a way, you kind of threw a wrench in my elaborate plan."

She told her mother? Did that mean…? "So Mom was in on it? She knew?"

"Yep! She told you she was going to get her nails done, right? That was a lie," Mao confessed. "She was actually rendezvousing with me to let me know how you've been doing outside the battlefield."

That explained a lot. It made no sense for Rocio to get her nails done while driving around during a rainy day. Still, it was somewhat reassuring to know her aunt was keeping an eye on her and watching over her, even if it was in secret. She did have to wonder if the elaborate secrecy plot was even necessary. Then again, her aunt always did have a flair for the dramatic and wanted to make things seem more interesting and showy than they were. But that was always something she liked about her aunt.

"Seriously though, I don't care that you lost. You still did an amazing job, Perrine," Mao reminded her. "I couldn't be more proud of you. You didn't fail me at all, so don't ever think that."

Perrine rested her head on Mao's shoulder, savoring her warmth.

"It's okay to cry, Perrine. Let it all out, if you want," Mao whispered.

Let it all out she did. Permission secured, Perrine hugged her aunt and cried into her chest, with a new onslaught of tears to unleash. At least now, she could cry in the safety of her aunt's arms. Mao could only smile and rub her niece's back gently, in slow, repetitive strokes, up and down, up and down, even as Perrine's body jolted and trembled. Other than Perrine's sobs, the room was silent yet again. This time, the atmosphere was warm and safe, and Perrine was happy to have this moment with her aunt, whom she hadn't seen in a long while. The two girls sat in the break room in quiet solidarity and pure comfort. Strands of orange hair fell over her face as she cried, dampened by her tears, but neither paid it any heed.

After a while, Perrine's sobbing died down to whimpers, then to nothing. She eased herself away from Mao, wiping her wet, reddened eyes with her arm once she let go of her. "Sorry for messing up your coat," Perrine whimpered, her voice barely above a murmur.

"Eh, it's fine," Mao waved a dismissive hand in her direction. "This thing's so old and beat, I think I need to get a new one some time."

Perrine chuckled. She did notice some spots of dirt around the cuffs. Old ones, at that.

"Can I ask you something, Aunt Mao?"

"Sure, what is it?"

It was a question Perrine always had on her mind, but never had the courage to ask her until now. "I noticed that, after you lost to Lance, you didn't try to challenge him or win back your old champion status," Perrine said. "How come you didn't try to battle him again? Do you...want to go back to being the champion of Johto?"

Mao crossed one of her legs and looked up at the ceiling pensively. "To be honest...no. It never crossed my mind, mainly because...at some point, I decided I was done with being the champion."

"Really?" Perrine's jaw fell loose again.

"That's not to say I never wanted to be the champion at all," Mao elaborated. "I'm proud of my time back then, and I don't regret any of it one bit. I got to explore the world, catch all sorts of Pokemon, battle all sorts of trainers, and when I actually asked people to do something, and they did it, it actually felt like I was being listened to for once," She turned to face Perrine. "But there's something they don't tell you about becoming a champion. As you get older and start having a bit of influence, people start putting expectations on you that you can't realistically handle, even with power and resources."

"What do you mean?"

Mao stretched her arms upward before continuing. "You know how I've tried to use my position to convince Johto to treat people with disabilities better and push for helping them to live fulfilling lives, right?" She asked. "Several institutions around the world finally changed their policies on how they do that because I used my influence to educate them and assist them in doing so. I'm not one for politics or anything, but it felt great to finally be able to feel like something I did actually made a difference for once, y'know?"

Perrine nodded silently.

"However...after a while, people start to expect you to be something you're not," Mao said, using a hand to push some hair out of her face. "People who don't know you and meet you start seeing you as a role model. Saying they want to be just like you. They start expecting you to be perfect, and you know you're not. The second you show human flaws, people decide you're irredeemable and throw tons of shade at you, like on the internet or in public. One slip-up, and you'll never live it down. I mean, I wasn't involved in any scandals or anything, but…people wanted me to put out an image that just wasn't...authentic to me," Mao paused for a brief moment. "It felt like I was being scrutinized and put under a microscope all over again."

"Do you mean like...pretend you're not autistic?"

"You could say that, yes. Or, if you want another example, it's like how idol singers are expected to never have boyfriends or date, as apparently doing so is considered an unforgivable betrayal to their fans and goes against their so-called 'pure' image."

Understandable. For as long as Perrine knew her aunt, Mao was never one to be content with being told to do things she didn't want to, even if it was more socially acceptable to do so. In a way, it was like how Perrine's father tried to force her to be a polite, refined, lady who could play piano and go to fancy country club parties even though she herself wanted absolutely nothing to do with them.

"Basically, over the years, people expected more out of me than I could feasibly give, and after a while...I decided I was done," Mao's gaze dropped away for a moment, down to her black jeans, and her face softened. "So when Lance defeated me in our battle…" A warm smile broke out across her face again. "I was relieved. That meant I didn't have to put out an image that didn't feel like me anymore. Plus, I did feel I was getting a little stagnant after 20 years of being nothing but a champion, so I get to do what I want now!"

Perrine took a moment to process what her aunt was saying. "So...people started putting you on some kind of pedestal, and you didn't like that?"

"Only that part, yes," Mao clarified.

So being the champion wasn't all sunshine and rainbows then. Perrine sighed, mentally scolding herself for thinking being the champion was the best thing ever. It turned out to have a lot of baggage with it as well. She wished she had studied more about what it actually means to be the champion of an entire region rather than obsessing over just getting the title. Then again, champions were basically celebrities. Lots of people looked up to them, some more so than is considered healthy. Maybe it was a good thing she learned it now, at twelve years old, rather than later down the line.

"Sorry, Perrine. I'm not trying to dissuade you from fulfilling your dream or anything," Mao said, folding her hands together. "I know how important this is to you. I just want to be straight with you about what being a champion of an entire region entails."

"I know, and I appreciate it," Perrine replied. That was another thing she loved about her aunt: She rarely ever sugar coated anything she said.

Mao put a reassuring hand on Perrine's shoulder. "That being said, you should be proud of what you've accomplished so far. It doesn't matter that you didn't win. You'll always be my little champion, Perrine."

Her little champion...Perrine sniffed. She liked the sound of that. Her heart was set aflutter by her kind words. They helped to alleviate her sorrow just a little bit.

"Thanks, Mao. I'm so glad you're here," Perrine murmured.

Mao ran a hand through Perrine's hair again. "You're welcome. By the way...what do you plan on doing after this?"

After this? Perrine stopped to think. "I don't know. I was just gonna focus on finishing school once I got back and then decide what to do from there."

"That's fair," Mao said. "Because I was wondering...I made plans to make a trip to the Galar region next year for fun, and...I was hoping maybe to bring you with me."

Perrine almost fell off the bench. Mao wanted Perrine to go on a journey with her in a new region? "Seriously?!"

"Yep! I asked your mother about it beforehand, and she said it's totally cool with her as long as you finish what you missed at school first," Mao told her. "But...the decision is entirely up to you. You don't have to come if you don't want to, and you don't have to answer right away. Whatever you decide to do, you have my full support. But I do miss spending time with you, and now that your father and I managed to patch things up, I'd love the opportunity to journey alongside you," Her voice adopted a slightly wistful tone to it.

Excitement bubbled up inside Perrine like soda fizz. How could she possibly think of passing up a chance to go on a journey with her favorite aunt? There was no need to think too hard about it. She had her answer right away. "Are you kidding?! I'd love to go with you on a Pokemon journey in another region!" Just the thought of going to a whole new continent, brimming with Pokemon she had never seen before, was like a dream come true. She could go on her own adventures and tell Julia, Caiseal, and Ethan all about them whenever she, or they, had time to spare.

"That's wonderful. But it won't be for another while yet, so we have plenty of time to prepare and make the necessary arrangements, both with your school and some additional bureaucratic stuff," Mao said before standing up. "Alright. How about we head to the Pokemon Center? I bet your Pokemon probably need some TLC."

Just like that, the sorrow from her defeat was gone. To think all it took was her aunt visiting her to make it happen. Then again, Mao did admit that that was the main reason she came. A smile broke out across Perrine's face as she stood up and followed her aunt at her side. "Oh yeah! I do need to show you my Pokemon after I heal them! And I want to introduce you to my friends, too!"

---

When Mao and Perrine got to the Pokemon Center lobby, the first thing the latter did was hand her Pokemon over to Nurse Joy so they could be taken care of. Once that was done, Julia, Caiseal, and Ethan wasted no time running up to her.

"Perrine? Are you okay?" Julia asked, her eyebrows furrowed and green eyes moist with concern. "Is there anything we can do to cheer you up?"

"You were amazing out there," Ethan told her. "You really rocked and ruled, but it's okay that you didn't win. You gave it all you had!"

"Hm? Who's this?" Caiseal was the first to notice the new person that accompanied her.

A smile broke out across her face, the first one they saw since before the match. "I'm better now. Sorry I made you guys worry. By the way," Perrine answered softly, taking Mao by the hand. "Julia, Caiseal, Ethan...I'd like the three of you to meet my aunt, Mao Borgia, former champion of the Johto region."

There was a brief silence, then the trio's eyes widened and their jaws fell loose as screams escaped them. "Whaaaaaa?!"

"This is the aunt you've told us so much about?!" Caiseal yelled.

"She's the lady I've been seeing lurking around here?!" Julia exclaimed.

"Your aunt was a former champion?!" Ethan nearly fell over from the shock. Caiseal and Julia already knew this part, so to Ethan, that was more of a surprise than anything.

Unfazed by their exclamations of surprise, Perrine's fingers brushed lightly against Mao's palm as she introduced her friends one by one. "Aunt Mao, these are my friends: Julia Parisa, Caiseal Brownstone, and Ethan Goldsworthy. Cash and Jule have been traveling with me throughout my entire journey. Ethan's a more recent addition."

"It's...nice to meet you!" Julia stammered, lowering her head as she realized how rude she might have come off just now.

Mao took a minute to look them over before flashing a smile at them. "Well, it's great to meet you all. Perrine's lucky to have friends like you by her side."

As far as Perrine was concerned, that was the understatement of the millennium. She didn't know what she'd have done, had Julia not come to help her back in Union Cave. "Oh! That reminds me!" Perrine exclaimed, taking Julia by the hand. "Julia's autistic like you are, Aunt Mao!"

"Hey! I was gonna tell her that!" Julia cried out, a little miffed that Perrine beat her to the punch.

Mao crossed her arms, her smile fading as she eyed Perrine with an almost stern look. "Does she have your permission to disclose that information?" Mao asked.

Perrine and Julia exchanged confused expressions. Mao sighed before explaining. "Perrine, you shouldn't just go around telling random people about someone else's personal information like that without their say so. It's not yours to disclose," She told her before eyeing the other kids. "That goes for all of you as well. Unless they say it's okay for you to do so, it's not your place to tell other people about someone else's disabilities or mental disorders."

Julia paused for a moment to ruminate on Mao's statement. She actually made some pretty good points, with Perrine beating Julia to the punch about it being a pretty good example. She could tell Mao was just trying to look out for them and teach them something important, so Julia wasn't mad about it. She did see Perrine and Caiseal deflate and stare at their shoes despondently.

"Sorry, Jule. We had no idea," Caiseal muttered ruefully.

"It's okay!" Julia was quick to assuage their guilt. "I know you guys weren't being mean about it in all those other times you told other people about me being autistic, so I'm not mad."

"Mao!" Rocio ran right over to her sister-in-law, all smiles.

"Rossi!" Mao wasted no time wrapping her arms around her, pulling her into a quick hug. It only lasted a few seconds, and Rocio bent down to Perrine's level.

"Perrine, I'm so proud of you. You battled so hard and did the best you could," Rocio reassured, smiling all the while.

Heat rose to Perrine's cheeks, as she found herself abashed by her mother's praise. "Thanks."

Rocio stood up and put a hand on Mao's shoulder. "Thanks so much for watching out for Perrine this whole time," She told her.

"So...has she been here this whole time?" Caiseal posed the question.

Both Mao and Perrine took it upon themselves to explain the former's elaborate scheme. It helped to clear up Julia's suspicions, though Caiseal and Ethan still found themselves surprised by the lengths Mao went to just to keep her identity under wraps...for fun. Still, they were at least happy to know that Mao found time to watch Perrine's entire tenure through the Pokemon League, all the way to her battle with Lance.

"As much as I'd like to stay longer, I need to get going," Rocio told them. "I have to go to work first thing tomorrow, and today's my last free day," She turned to Mao. "Would you mind taking the kids home for me, Mao?"

"Sure thing, sis!" Mao flashed a thumb's up. "This'll be a great chance for these kids here to tell me all about their adventures!"

Rocio turned to Perrine and ran a hand through her orange locks. "I'm so glad I got to watch your battles all this time, sweetheart. Your father and I will be waiting for you when you come home."

Perrine gave a reassuring nod. "You can count on it."

About fifteen minutes later, Rocio made her way back to her hotel so she could check out and make the journey back to Goldenrod City. Mao and the kids waved goodbye as she made her exit.

"So when can we leave?" Ethan asked.

Mao pulled two of her PokeBalls out. "Whenever you're ready. Who needs cars and trains when you can have giant bird Pokemon to carry you on your backs?" It was here that a realization hit Mao like a bolt of lightning. "Oh! That reminds me!" She put the two PokeBalls back in her pockets, pulling out another one with a snowflake sticker on it. "I have something for you, Perrine."

"What is it?" Perrine asked, her curiosity instantly piqued, as was everyone else's.

"I was in the Alola region on business, and I saw an adorable Pokemon that I thought would be absolutely perfect for you," Mao explained, handing her the PokeBall with the snowflake sticker. "So I caught it for you! Open it up and see!"

A Pokemon? Mao caught one for her niece? Perrine had no idea her aunt had done that for her. Knowing her, she probably wanted to save it just for this moment. With a smile, Perrine held out the PokeBall, allowing it to open. A white light shot out, materializing into...a Vulpix?

"Vuuuul!" The vulpine Pokemon gave a coo.

Everyone's jaws fell agape. It was clearly a Vulpix, but this one was unlike any Vulpix they had ever seen. For one, it's fur was completely white like snow. The inside of its ears were teal-colored, its eyes a pristine turquoise hue, like a fresh reservoir, matching its paws, and its tail was much curlier and wispier than a regular Vulpix's tails. But there was no mistaking that it was, indeed, a Vulpix.

"There's such thing as a white Vulpix?!" Julia, Caiseal, and Ethan all shouted in unison.

Mao couldn't help but smirk, enjoying the surprise on everyone's faces, including Perrine's. "Yep. This particular Vulpix is native to the Alola region and adapted to harsh, cold environments, which is why this little guy looks the way it does. The more technical term for it is a regional variant," Mao explained.

A regional variant...so Pokemon could change their whole appearance depending on their environment and the passage of time. Perrine smiled as she got down on her knees to get a better look at the little white bundle of cuteness. "Awww, what a cutie!" She cooed, extending her hand out. "Hey there, little one. I know we just met, but...would you like to be my friend?"

The white Vulpix inched closer to Perrine's palm, its nose twitching as she took a whiff of the girl's scent. Perrine steeled herself and refused to so much as breathe. Finally, the white Vulpix rubbed its head against Perrine's hand, smiling and demanding to be petted. The girl was more than happy to oblige and stroked the Vulpix's furry white head.

"It's so cute!" Julia joined in soon after, gently stroking the white Vulpix's back. "And pretty, too!"

Mao kneeled down to their level soon after, whispering to Perrine. "Just so you know, this Vulpix is an ice-type...and down the line, if you ever want to battle Lance again, it can help you kick his ass next time."

So that was the real reason she got her an ice-type Vulpix! Perrine thought she knew her aunt like the back of her hand, but clearly, if she thought this far ahead, there was still a lot more she needed to learn. Nonetheless, she appreciated her aunt's gift and gave her a grateful fist bump.

"Man, a white Vulpix…" Ethan pulled out his PokeDex. "I had no idea something like that even existed."

"Vulpix, Alola form, the fox Pokemon. As a result of living at the peaks of cold, snow-capped mountains, this Vulpix adapted to the harsh environment and became an ice-type and learned to wield ice-type attacks. Indigenous to the Alola region, and previously known by the name Keokeo in ancient times, groups of this Vulpix live together in what's known as a skulk, helping each other out in times of adversity, led by a lone Alolan Ninetales. Their icy breath dips as low as -58 degrees Fahrenheit, and Alolan Vulpix freeze their prey before eating it. They are frequently targeted by Weavile as a food source, with the latter being their natural predator. When the weather gets hot, Alolan Vulpix make ice shards with their six tails and spray them around to cool themselves off. Scientists have examined Alolan Vulpix's curly tails under a microscope, discovering ice particles embedded deep in their follicles." A female sign appeared over the white Vulpix's image, which he showed to the other kids.

Even Caiseal, who wasn't a huge fan of ice, couldn't help but smile at the little white fur ball nuzzling up against Perrine's leg. "So now that she's yours, Perrine, what do you plan on naming her?" He asked.

"Oh…" The question threw her off a lot more than she thought it would. "I have no idea…" She only just received this new Pokemon. A name hadn't even crossed her mind yet.

As far as names go, she didn't want to go with something cliche like Snowy. That seemed too simple and overused. Then, the white Vulpix crawled onto Perrine's lap and reached up to lick her chin. Perrine gave a giggle as she held the white fox close. Her fur was cool as ice, and frigid like a freezing rain, but not to the point of being painful.

Wait...a freezing rain. An icy rain. Perrine's eyes widened as one word popped into her mind.

"Hisame."

It clicked right away. "That'll be your name! Hisame!" Perrine exclaimed. "It means 'ice rain!' and it sounds similar to Kitsune! Welcome to the family, Hisame!"

Everyone nodded amongst each other. "That sounds perfect!" Julia exclaimed.

"I couldn't have come up with anything better myself," Mao agreed.

The white Vulpix—now Hisame—accepted her name right off, wagging her snow white tail, pleased with the new arrangement.

Mao stood up and brushed some dust off the hem of her coat. "I gotta head to my hotel and check out real quick," She told them. "Since you guys are waiting for Perrine's Pokemon to get healed up, would you mind waiting here for me? You can use this time to decide which one of you guys wants to get dropped off first."

"Sure! We don't mind," Perrine replied.

Permission secured, Mao left the Pokemon Center. It was here that Julia realized what was happening. Now that the Pokemon League was over, they would have to part ways and return home. Back to their normal lives for the time being. "Umm…" Julia raised her hand. "Would it be okay if we stopped by New Bark Town first?" She asked sheepishly. "If it's not too much trouble, that is."

The kids didn't take much time to think. "I don't see why not," Caiseal replied. "Plus, you and Ethan live close to each other, so Mao can drop both you guys off at the same time."

"Yeah…" Julia agreed...though that wasn't the reason she suggested it.

It dawned on her that after this, Perrine would have to go back to Goldenrod City, and Caiseal to Blackthorn City. She remembered the talk she had with Perrine about her worries about their friendship potentially dissolving as soon as they parted ways. Even if Perrine said the four of them would remain friends, who was to say that wouldn't change down the line? She hated that she worried about this so much. She did remind herself that she needed to talk to Ethan and Caiseal about this later. Going to New Bark Town, her house, her safe place, would be the best place to do so.

Actually...maybe there was someone else she could talk to about this.

---

Perrine's Party:
Kitsune (Ninetales, Female, Quiet Nature)
Ability: Flash Fire
Attacks: Heat Wave, Extrasensory, Confuse Ray, and Faint Attack

Florian (Meganium, Male, Gentle Nature)
Ability: Overgrow
Attacks: Petal Blizzard, Bulldoze, Body Slam, and Grassy Terrain

Luminita (Lanturn, Female, Naive Nature)
Ability: Water Absorb
Attacks: Electro Ball, Discharge, Scald, and Aqua Ring

Fukuro (Noctowl, Male, Sassy Nature)
Ability: Tinted Lens
Attacks: Extrasensory, Hypnosis, Sky Attack, and Moonblast

Baloo (Wigglytuff, Female, Docile Nature)
Ability: Cute Charm
Attacks: Gyro Ball, Wake-Up Slap, Play Rough, and Body Slam

Chirin (Ampharos, Male, Adamant Nature)
Ability: Static
Attacks: Discharge, Cotton Guard, Power Gem, and Signal Beam

Hisame (Alolan Vulpix, Female, Bashful Nature)
Ability: Snow Warning
Attacks: Powder Snow, Baby-Doll Eyes, Ice Shard, and Safeguard

 

[System Error]

Different style this time.

Wow. I have to say, Lance is kind of a scumbag. Evidently a lot of people make it to him, and he gets so worried about their water types and ice moves that he installs a pool in the stadium to trick them. That's one thing, but then when it happens to Perrine he taunts as such and immediately removes the pool from the battlefield as soon as it serves its purpose. That really casts him in a much darker light, gotta say - at least when it comes to battling. maybe this is his in-universe gameshark Probably not your intent, but how I'm interpretting it. I also wasn't expecting it to be that much of a stomp. It did seem Perrine was choking throughout the battle and not at her best, but still. Definitely "how does anyone beat this guy" tier, especially with the Elite Four roflstomping just about everyone before him.

What is the lore on starting over again here, anyway? Like, gotta journey again or badges still valid or what?

I dunno about the nails on a rainy day thing. Some people I know are the kinds to do that.

And also, here comes the lore you were talking about way back when about being champion not all it's cracked up to be. Makes more sense this way than how I initially generously thought, but I was expecting it to be Lance talking about it like this. But hey, bashing the hell out of modern day internet is always good. Even some (the idol stuff) that touches on the Japanese side.

Mao seems like one of those awesome aunts. Also someone who just doesn't give a damn and wants to do things her way. And a slight troll. In a good amusing way of course. And also one of those super generous cool aunts/uncles given she gave Perrine a Pokemon from another region. Surprised the kids don't know about regional variants, but, not TOO surprising. Also as usual, easily figuring out deep nicknames.

And dun dun dun, someone else to talk with? I'm betting Amara, somehow.

Noticed various typos and such, didn't write them down since I was reading the first part on phone shortly after waking up, and still on the second. Mostly capitalization stuff

P.S. no one tell her how much WORSE journeys and expectations are in Galar, at least by canon

 

[creativelover93]

Didn't expect for Alolan Vulpix to show up. Nice!

Also. Hisame was a nice name for Alolan Vulpix, but Haunani or Haukea would be nice too as they both mean snow in Hawaiian.

I'm okay with Perrine with losing. Not all main characters need to win. It's way better handled than what they did to Ash in the anime.

As far as names go, she didn't want to go with something cliche like Snowy. That seemed too simple and overused.

Ha! Nice reference and a bit of take that to the anime.

I can't wait for the finale of MarJour.

 

[Juliko]

Here it is, people! The final chapter of Pokemon: A Marvelous Journey!!

***

Final Chapter: A Marvelous Journey

It wasn't long before Perrine's Pokemon were all healed up, with Nurse Joy giving them back to her right as Mao returned from checking herself out of the hotel she was staying at. The kids suggested she drop Julia and Ethan off at New Bark Town first, since the two of them lived close to one another. Mao took the suggestion in stride, and walked outside with the kids in tow.

"Alright! These guys will be helping us out today!" Mao released two Pokemon from their PokeBalls. One was a large bird that was a larger version of Pidgeotto, but with purely red tail feathers, a longer beak, and a long, red and yellow crest that reached just below its tail. The other Pokemon was an equally large dinosaur with a long neck, a brown body covered in large, green leaves, and had a bushel of bananas dangling from its neck. The dinosaur even had four large leaves on its back that served as its wings. The kids couldn't help but stare at the two Pokemon in awe.

"Oooh! It's a Pidgeot and a Tropius!" Julia exclaimed, circling around them restlessly, with her eyes gleaming just at the sight of them. "They're so cool!"

"This is my first time seeing a Hoenn Pokemon up close!" Ethan said, pulling out his PokeDex to examine Mao's Tropius in particular.

"Tropius, the fruit Pokemon. Indigenous to the Hoenn region, Tropius live in thick, tropical jungles, and during the spring, pollen is released from its neck. The reason Tropius has fruit growing off its neck is because it has only ever eaten that singular fruit. It grows and ripens twice a year because of the rapid production of sugar in its leaves as a result of only eating the fruit. Tropius are very popular among children in the southern tropics, and the fruit growing from its neck is considered a beloved snack."

Perrine raised a quizzical eyebrow when she looked over at Mao. "When did you get a Tropius? I know you've had Pidgeot for a while, but not this guy."

Mao walked over to the leafy dinosaur and lovingly stroked his head. "I caught him a year after I lost my champion status. He's been a real good friend."

Tropius gave a low warble as he lifted his head slightly to nuzzle his trainer. Perrine smiled at the display, reaching up to stroke his head as well.

Once everyone was done marveling at Tropius, Mao decided to have Perrine and Julia ride with her, while assigning Ethan and Caiseal to ride on Pidgeot. Since it was still fairly early in the day, Mao said it'd take almost no time at all for them to reach New Bark Town by flying Pokemon, by which she meant about an hour and a half at most. Ironic, considering it took the kids practically a month to get from New Bark Town to the Pokemon League on foot.

When everyone was sitting securely on their respective steeds, Mao put two fingers in her mouth and let out a sharp whistling noise. Julia's hands flew to her ears, as it was a little too shrill for her eardrums' liking. In unison, Pidgeot and Tropius' wings flapped their wings, propelling themselves into the air and ascending into the sky. Julia wrapped her arms around Perrine, who had hers around Mao's waist. Ethan did the same with Caiseal, and the latter cast a slightly annoyed glance back at him. But all of them watched in awe as the scenery below them shrank smaller and smaller until it gradually disappeared behind them. They flew over mountains, rivers, and forests at a faster speed than any of them could have achieved walking through them on foot, trimming down the return trip time significantly.

Wind whipped through everyone's hair from the front. Ethan held a hand to his hat to keep it from flying away, but gave a whoop as he marveled at the idea of flying across the region on a large Pokemon. Julia simply watched the clouds pass right by her, as if they were moving faster than she was, taking care not to look down, cowed by the sheer height at which they were flying. Catching a glimpse at the Pidgeot, she wondered if Tsubasa was due to evolve at some point. Julia couldn't wait for that day to come, and she was sure Tsubasa would want to evolve as well. But another thought weighed everything else down.

'After this, I'll have to go back to school...and for all I know, things might go back to how they were before,' Julia realized. 'I don't want to go back to school. I want to keep traveling with my friends and Pokemon.'

As much as she knew there was no point in agonizing over this, the thought was like a monster threatening to swallow her whole. A flock of Pidgey flew into their midst, barely paying the two larger fliers any heed. Perrine reached out to try and touch one, but couldn't do so, as the Pidgey were too far for her to reach. It wasn't long before the large Pokemon began to slowly descend. Julia looked down. New Bark Town was right below them, and even from so high up, she recognized her house and the large backyard right away.

"There's my house!" Julia exclaimed, pointing to the yellow house in question.

"Guess we know where to land!" Mao replied before whistling towards her Pokemon, signaling for them to start the landing phase.

Both Tropius and Pidgeot angled their wings and extended their legs outward, descending at a slower speed so as to not overwhelm the passengers. Finally, they landed right on Julia's front yard. Julia checked the time on her phone and her eyes widened.

"Wow! We really did get here quick!" She exclaimed as she slid down Tropius' side, PokeGear in hand.

Mao flashed a grin. "Told you I'd get you here in no time!"

The front door swung open, and Kassia came walking out the door, in awe of the two Pokemon that descended onto the front yard. Truman followed behind her, just as dumbfounded.

"My goodness!" Kassia was almost breathless. "That's certainly one way to make an entrance."

"Hi Mom! Hi Dad! I'm back!" Julia ran right over to her parents and hugged them. The Parisa parents smiled and wrapped their arms around their youngest.

"Hey there, Slick! We're so glad you made it home!" Truman's cheery voice burst with pride.

Julia broke away from them soon after, and Kassia noticed that she had company. "Perrine and Caiseal are here too. But who's that woman?" Kassia asked.

Perrine was quick to introduce the Parisa parents to Mao, and they welcomed her warmly. But before they could talk more, Julia spoke up. "Mom? Dad? Would it be okay if...they hang out here for a few hours? I…" Her throat threatened to close up from the fear of them saying no. But she knew she had to get it out, so she forced the words out. "I want to spend just one more...moment with them," Her small voice trembled as she voiced her request.

Oddly enough, Kassia smiled and stroked her daughter's hair. "Sure, sweetie. As long as it's okay with Mao, that is."

Mao shrugged. "I think we can spare a few hours and stick around. Besides, Pidgeot and Tropius can get us anywhere in no time flat."

A huge smile broke out across Julia's face. They said yes! She ran over to Mao and wrapped her arms around her waist. Perrine was right, her aunt really was as nice as she said. Julia only just met Mao, but she already found herself liking her.

"So I guess we're hanging out here for a while, then?" Ethan asked Julia. "I think this is the first time I've been to your house."

He was right. Julia had never invited him over before, even back when they had first become friends. Now that he was here, Julia couldn't wait to show him everything. "I'll give you the grand tour!" She took Ethan by the hand and led him inside her yellow house, with Perrine and Caiseal following behind them.

From there, the kids did everything they could to spend as much time together as humanly possible. They let the Pokemon out to play in the backyard, even helping Kassia with chores when she needed assistance. They played games in the living room, like Connect Four. They watched a movie in the living room for an hour and a half. They told Julia's parents and Mao about their adventures, watching as their expressions changed wildly depending on what they told them. Kassia in particular nearly screamed when Julia mentioned she and Amara accidentally got kidnapped by Pokemon Hunter J, along with Milly harassing her at the League. Mao even helped Kassia make lunch for the kids. Nevertheless, the Parisa house was alive with laughter and activity, and Julia found herself swept up in it, wishing this moment could go on forever. But a part of her knew today was the last time she'd spend with Perrine and Caiseal for the time being.

At one point, Julia went outside to check on Ladybug. "Hey, girl!" Julia found the five star Pokemon in question, and Ladybug cooed as her trainer scratched underneath her chin. "Would you like me to brush your back?"

Ladybug gave a delighted trill at the offer. Julia pulled a brush out and rubbed it across Ladybug's back in slow, gentle strokes. She was so caught up in the task that she didn't notice someone approaching her from the side.

"Your Ledian really likes you."

It was Mao's voice. Julia stopped mid-task as she looked up to find Mao standing over her. Of course, Mao was quick to see the surprised expression on her face, and she kneeled down to her level so she wouldn't look like she was towering over her. She stood about two feet from Julia, giving her some space. Once Julia processed her presence, she smiled.

"Yeah. She does," She murmured.

Mao wrapped her arms around both her legs as she bent down, as if keeping them in place. "How long have you been a trainer?" She asked.

"Since April," Julia replied. "I hadn't intended to go on a journey, originally. But circumstances made me decide I didn't want to sit around doing nothing, so I just...went," She figured it was better to leave out the situation around Amara. Mao didn't need to know that stuff. "And...I have to admit, I'm glad I decided to go. I don't have many friends in school, and Perrine and Caiseal are the only ones who really gave me a chance...though not without some rough spots, and I only just reconnected with Ethan."

"I know that feeling," Mao said wistfully. "Back when I was younger, there was very little concrete information on Autism, so I also used to get bullied in school a lot for being the weird kid, both by other kids and teachers. It didn't help that my brother and I had a pretty strained relationship that we only resolved not even a few months ago."

Julia knew what she was talking about. Back in Goldenrod City, after the incident where Team Rocket broke into Perrine's house, the latter mentioned to her that her father had opened up to her about the incident that made him dislike Pokemon trainers and Pokemon in general. How Eduardo's impulsive actions resulted in his friends getting killed by a rampaging Onix, and how instead of taking responsibility, he scapegoated Mao and continued to do so long after the fact simply because it was easier than owning up to his mistake. But Julia's ears caught the mention of Mao having been bullied by both kids and teachers alike. Did she have to deal with a teacher like Mrs. Amoretto as well? So she knew what it was like to feel like she couldn't rely on anyone for help.

"Did you get along better with Pokemon than people?" Julia inquired.

"You could say that, yes," Mao replied, stroking Ladybug's head with one hand. "But I didn't leave on my journey until I graduated high school. My parents wanted me to finish my education before letting me go on a journey, and to make sure I was as prepared as humanly possible. The world can be an unforgiving place if you don't know what you're doing...and to be honest, I really wanted to get the hell out of my hometown," Mao sat down on the grass. "I was sick and tired of being stuck with the same judgmental people all the damn time."

No argument there. Julia could definitely relate to the feeling of being trapped. For all she knew, tomorrow, she might just go back to being trapped. That was what she was the most afraid of.

"What was your journey like?" Curiosity took over, and Julia found herself wanting to learn of Mao's adventures.

Mao's eyes flickered away from Julia as she looked up at the turquoise sky above them. "The short version is that it was full of a lot of hardship, a lot of pain, a lot of excitement, and a lot of joy. I got to see the world outside my hometown. I met just as many awesome people as I did people I wanted to punch in the nards."

Was her journey similar to Julia's own? "Did you make friends on your travels?"

Mao stretched her arms skyward. "Sure did. They didn't travel with me throughout my entire journey, but we can never forget the experiences we shared."

Flapping wings in the sky made Julia look up. A flock of Pidgey flew over their heads, black silhouettes against a vast, bright sky.

"Many of them I still talk to even to this day," Mao mentioned, continuing further. "Everyone has their own reasons for traveling with Pokemon. I wanted to escape. Perrine wanted to do the same, along with become the Champion of Johto."

It was obvious to Julia, but still surprising that Mao was so nice, and so easy to talk to as well. Granted, being on the spectrum, she'd have insight that Perrine, Caiseal, Ethan, and even her own parents couldn't quite offer, or have that level of understanding Mao did. Mao became a trainer to escape a life of isolation and bullying. Julia did it to chase after Amara...or was it really that simple? She found herself wondering...did she even really want to chase after Amara, or was it just an excuse to get up and leave her old life for a while? Escape school, the bullying, the crippling loneliness she felt on a regular basis, the idea that she, as a person, didn't deserve basic dignity simply because she wasn't like everyone else.

"...To be honest...I'm scared," The words escaped Julia's mouth before she could stop them. "I love traveling with Perrine and Cash. I don't want my journey to end. I'm afraid…" Her voice trembled, and Julia's vision blurred. "I'm scared that when we go back to our old lives...things'll just go back to the way they were. Perrine and Cash might make other friends and move on with their lives and just...forget about me, or push me aside in favor of new, more popular friends."

Tears trickled out from her eyes, and she tried to wipe them away, but they kept on coming. "I know that's mean to say, and I know I can't just force them to stick around or tell them who they should and shouldn't be friends with...I probably sound really selfish right now…" Julia's heart began to beat faster with every word she choked out. "And Ethan will be around, so it's not like I'll be alone at school anymore, but...I don't want to go back to being stuck at school all the time, to Kirsten and her friends picking on me all the time, and hating myself all the time just because I'm not like the other kids…"

Every attempt to alleviate the shaking in her voice proved futile. Not even hugging herself to push away the sorrow worked. "I know Mom and Dad say we can always keep in contact, like with emails and phone numbers and stuff, but...Perrine and Cash live in different cities, and their schools might have different schedules and rules than mine, and even if I contact them and put in the effort to communicate with them, who's to say they will or won't? I don't...want my journey with them to end…"

Her words faded with a hitch of her breath. Not a single world formed on Mao's tongue as she listened to Julia's worries and woes. Unbeknownst to the duo, Hikaru had joined them, having listened to the whole thing. Hikaru reached up to put a paw on Julia's knee, cooing words of sympathy only the latter could hear. On the other hand, Mao slid slightly closer.

"Is it okay for me to hug you?" Mao asked.

Without another word, Julia threw her arms around Mao, burying her face in her chest as she cried pitifully over a frightening, uncertain future. Mao's head lowered, the bottom half of her face nuzzling against Julia's brown locks, eyes closed as she rubbed the girl's back in repetitive, gentle strokes. Julia wondered if Mao did this for Perrine when she lost against Lance. It was pretty likely, considering what Perrine told her yesterday. Mao's coat was warm and soft against Julia's face. Even though she only just met Mao not even a few hours ago, Julia already felt like she found a kindred spirit. The fact she felt safe enough in her presence to open up to her like this, and Mao never judging her once, said a lot about her.

After a while, Julia's sobs finally died down, and she pulled away from the older woman, wiping her tears as she did so. "Sorry for unloading on you like that," Julia choked the apology out.

"Don't be. It's better to talk about these things than to keep them all inside," Mao told her reassuringly. "And I can understand your worries. I used to be scared the friends I made would toss me aside the second we went our separate ways after our journeys ended. One thing I learned over the course of my life is that true friends are the kind of people who stick by you through thick and thin, who will always be happy to hear from you and be with you no matter what, even at their lowest points."

Upon hearing that, Julia remembered helping Perrine out of Union Cave, and how the latter mentioned fairly recently that if Julia hadn't been there, Perrine might have seriously considered quitting Pokemon training. She also remembered helping Caiseal through the Ice Path, and all the times they in turn helped her, and grew as people from it. A year ago, Julia was sure she wouldn't have wanted anything to do with Perrine or Caiseal simply because they liked Pokemon battles. It was a good thing she finally grew out of that toxic attitude. Otherwise, she would have become the kind of person she herself hated, someone who would willingly throw people aside just for her own desires. The experience with Ethan proved as such. Julia never wanted to be anything like that person ever again.

"You're right in that communication is a two-way street, and it takes a lot of work to maintain a friendship," Mao continued on. "But if only one of you is putting in the effort to maintain contact, maybe that kind of relationship isn't worth keeping if the people in question are just going to ignore you or don't even consider you a friend. Some people drift apart from one another, and some just move on with their lives. There's nothing inherently wrong with that, but take it from me, it's better to expend energy on the people who are equally willing to put in the same effort. Granted, friends also have to respect each other's boundaries, that's a given. Basically, the friends who genuinely love you, want to maintain contact with you, who are honest, give you space when you need it, and don't try to use you as a punchline or be possessive of you are worth keeping."

Julia smiled. That made a lot of sense.

"It's the quality of friends that matter, not the quantity. I'm trying to teach Perrine this as well, as she's had her fair share of troubles with friends at school. Both parties need to be active in maintaining friendships over the course of years," Mao reiterated. "But I think the simplest way to go about this is to talk to Cash and Perrine about it," She winked in Julia's direction. "You might be surprised."

With the uncertainty of how to respond to Mao's advice, Julia simply looked down at the grass beneath her feet. In all honesty, Mao was right. It all came down to whether her friends would even want to stay in contact with her after all they went through. Maybe they'd move on with their lives and make new friends, maybe they would continue to be friends with Julia even as they got ready for the future. Who knows? Life was weird and uncertain like that. But Julia was happy she decided to confide in Mao about this. Doing so affirmed what Perrine had said to her in the conversation they had before the battle with Lance.

"All it really comes down to is whether we want to change things ourselves."

Things could change, even as their journey ended. Actually, maybe the journey didn't quite end. It could still go on in its own way. Julia knew for sure it definitely changed her for the better. No longer was she the frightened girl who hid at the slightest mean look, who lamented her loneliness and inability to make friends, who yearned for friendship, who hated Pokemon battles and anyone who participated in them.

"Oh my gosh! Your Pikachu is shiny!" Mao suddenly exclaimed out of nowhere, having just noticed Hikaru's orange coloring. "Soooo cuuuuute!" That was all it took for her to melt at the sight of the mouse Pokemon, and Mao couldn't resist scratching underneath Hikaru's chin.

The sight was so out of nowhere that Julia broke into merry laughter. But it felt great all the same, and the laughter alleviated any lingering worries and anxiety that plagued her. "This is Hikaru. She's my first Pokemon."

"Really?" Mao cradled Hikaru in her arms, and the orange mouse was more than happy to revel in the older woman's affection. "How in the world did you manage that? You'll have to tell me all about it."

The two of them got back up and walked back into the house, with Julia being more than happy to share the story of how she first met Hikaru. With this, Julia found herself another friend.

Hours passed, and the kids continued to spend as much time with each other as possible. It was obvious to the adults that the kids didn't want the day to end. The mood remained warm and positive throughout. At around three, the quartet found themselves sitting in Julia's bedroom, discussing the future.

"So...what happens next?" Caiseal took it upon himself to ask the question that hung over everyone's heads. "Since Perrine and I live pretty far from here," By here, Caiseal meant New Bark Town and Cherrygrove City. "It'll probably be hard for us to get together when we want. Will we even see each other again?"

"I certainly hope so," Julia said. "I want us to keep being friends and spending time together, though I know you guys have your own lives to live, and I can't just tell you guys what to do. But I don't want to forget all that we've been through together."

"Of course we won't," Perrine chimed in, holding Hisame close to her chest.

"What do you guys plan on doing from now on, since our journey is over?" Ethan asked. "My parents need me to finish school and catch up on what I missed after this."

Perrine raised her hand. "Same here. Plus, Mao said she's going on a trip to the Galar region and wants me to come with her...and I said yes," Perrine explained. "So once I catch up on what I missed at school, I'll be going on another journey, and since Galar's nine hours behind Johto, it'll probably be hard to call or even facetime. But I don't want this to mean we can't keep in touch at all."

Julia's eyes widened. "You're going to a whole new region some time later?! Awesome!" She proclaimed, her voice bubbling over with joy. "That's so cool! Congrats! Maybe you can catch some new Pokemon and go on all sorts of adventures and you can tell us all about it!"

Caiseal looked out of Julia's window. "I'm going back to school too. I think I'm all traveled out this time around. I know I definitely need to go back to therapy. Plus…" His voice adopted a wistful tone as he remembered all that transpired on his journey, both the good and the bad. But one good thing lingered in his mind. "Now that I can see Violet again, I want to spend as much time with her as possible. There's so much we need to catch up on."

The girls exchanged knowing looks and nodded towards one another. After all Caiseal had gone through, he absolutely deserved it. Ethan could only raise a quizzical eyebrow, unsure of what was going on or what Caiseal meant by that. But he decided to refrain from asking about it, figuring it was something personal that Caiseal didn't want to talk about.

"I know Ethan and I are going back to school, that's for sure," Julia said.

"Yeah. My mom was telling me we might have to take remedial courses since we missed so much of the year," Ethan added. "We didn't go through the official channels to apply for taking the year off, and for all we know, we might need to go to summer school as well."

A year off? "Wait, what?!" Julia yelped, stunned by this new information. "There's a way to let school allow you to take a year off for Pokemon journeying?!"

Ethan nodded. "Yeah. My mom says there's some kind of process to go through in order to let a school excuse you to go Pokemon hunting, but legally, kids under sixteen can only stay out for a year," He explained succinctly. "But the only reason I didn't go through the channels was because I got impatient and didn't want to deal with the paperwork."

"He's right," Caiseal pointed out. "That's how I was able to go on my own travels. If you want to learn how, I can ask my parents for the details. But you might need to get the nitty-gritty info from your own school."

To say Julia was absolutely flabbergasted would be an understatement. Her jaw hung open in her shock. She had absolutely no idea it was possible to apply to leave school for a year to go Pokemon hunting all over the region. Had she known that, she would have jumped at the chance to leave school for any length of time. She did remember her parents saying when she first left on her journey that since her decision to leave was so sudden, there was a point where they had to talk to the school and convince them to let her go. She didn't remember all the details, as at the time, she was just so happy to even be allowed to leave New Bark Town that she barely paid attention. She made a mental note to talk to her parents about this new information later. If she could apply to take a year off by the time the next school year started, maybe she could leave on another journey without the hassle of needing to go to remedial classes.

"To think I never knew this until now. Man, there's so much I need to learn," Julia mentally chastised herself for not having learned about this sooner.

"It's okay. I didn't go through the proper channels because I ran away from home, remember?" Perrine pointed out. "So we're kind of in the same boat in regards to school."

The kids had a good chuckle at that.

"Since Jule and I go to the same school, we'll still be sticking around here as far as I know," Ethan said. "And my house is pretty close, so I can just walk home from here."

"Plus, we have each other's PokeGears, emails, and social media, so it's not like we'll be separated forever," Caiseal said.

"Yeah! Plus, when Tsubasa evolves, I can actually ride on her back, and maybe I can visit you guys at your houses once that happens," Julia's voice rose at the thought. "Or, if you guys ever get the chance, you can come over here and hang out...if you have time, that is."

Caiseal hugged his knees close to his chest and smiled. "As soon as I catch myself a big flying type Pokemon I can ride on, I'll definitely take you up on that offer."

Both Perrine and Ethan nodded in agreement.

"We'll...always be friends, won't we?" Julia asked, her voice quavering.

"Yeah we will!" Ethan was the first to assert his answer.

"Friends forever, no matter what," Perrine agreed.

"I mean, how can we not?" Caiseal shrugged, but Julia could tell he meant what he said.

Warmth lurched in her chest. Maybe it was possible to remain friends even after the journey ended. Now she knew for sure.

She reached her hand out. "Alright, let's make a solemn vow!" Julia proclaimed. "That no matter what happens to us, no matter what direction our lives go in, through thick and thin, that we always be friends, that we always rely on each other, help each other, and never forget all that we share!"

She knew she was being needlessly melodramatic. Worrying too much. Probably making too big a deal out of this. But spending so many years lonely and friendless could do things to a person. Even with Mao's advice and everyone's reassurances, a part of her was still afraid that things would change. That her friends, as they grew up, would leave her behind and forget about her. Her eyes squeezed shut and her whole body shuddered as she proclaimed her vows.

Then she felt a hand on her own.

Julia's breath hitched as she looked up. It was Perrine's hand.

Then came Caiseal's, then Ethan's. Even Hikaru, who crawled onto Julia's arm, put her paw on top of the hand pile. All had smiles on their faces. The same smiles she saw every day that brought her the joy she had always wished for. Like flowing oases that enriched burning desert sands, piercing the garbled static of Julia's consciousness.

"Of course we promise," Perrine said.

"Friends forever, right?" Caiseal asked.

Ethan flashed a thumb's up with his free hand. "You know it!"

"Pikachuuu!" Hikaru chirruped.

"Vulpix!" As did Hisame.

Before they ran into Ethan on their way to the League, the trio had been through a lot on their own. Misunderstandings and arguments. Broken families. Abusive families. Oppressive schools. Disasters that almost got them killed on multiple occasions. Bullying, bigotry, and harassment from peers, or internalized from themselves. But they pushed through them and found each other. There was a silent understanding that things weren't necessarily going to be perfect from here on out. But for the first time in a long while, it felt like everyone, for the time being, was right where they needed to be, or were on their way there, even if it took weeks, months, maybe years in some cases. For now, in this moment, they had each other.

And they always would.

It was four o'clock before Mao decided it was time to take Perrine and Caiseal home. Since Blackthorn City was the closest, they decided to drop Caiseal off first.

"Sorry we can't stick around," Mao told Kassia, shaking her hand. "It was so great to get to know you guys. I hope we can do this again sometime."

"You're always welcome to stop by," Truman told her.

Knowing this was the moment of truth, when they would truly part ways for a while, Julia ran over to Caiseal and Perrine, wrapping her arms around each of them, pulling them close. They were warm. So warm. She didn't want to let go. She felt their arms twining around her. It felt so good, and their touch made her chest flutter.

"Caiseal. Perrine. You guys take care. I love you both," Julia choked out. Stray tears trickled out, and she didn't even try to stop them.

"We love you too," Perrine told her, voice shaking.

"Thanks for everything. We'll keep in touch. Bye," Caiseal whimpered, but sniffed to compose himself.

Julia didn't want to let them go, but she knew she had to. It wouldn't be right to keep them here. Reluctantly, but with a smile, she released them and watched as her friends got on Mao's Pidgeot. All three of them waved as the bird Pokemon ascended, with Tropius following from behind. Julia waved and shouted goodbye as loud as she could, as though she would never see them again. She knew she would, but the pain from the separation hurt all the same. Mao's Pokemon turned into black silhouettes against the blue sky, and it wasn't long before they disappeared completely.

Just like that, they were gone. Julia wiped lingering tears, but she could still feel some more leaking out. Kassia put a gentle hand on her daughter's shoulder.

"It's okay, sweetheart. It's not the end."

"I know."

Hikaru nuzzled against Julia's cheek in an attempt to reassure her. "Pikapi…"

Appreciating the gesture, Julia stroked Hikaru's back with one hand. "Things will be different. I know they will."

Although she still had some anxiety in her heart, she instinctively knew that things seemed to already be changing.

---

The next few months went by fast, so fast that they seemed like a blur. But they also felt as slow as a Magcargo, if such simultaneity was possible. Kassia and Truman confirmed with Cherrygrove Middle School that Julia had returned, and they did, indeed, have official processes where students could be excused for a year to go Pokemon hunting, should they so choose, though it meant any kid who chose to leave would have to repeat the grade they missed. Since Julia left not long after starting sixth grade, and didn't go through the proper channels, she was set to attend a specialized remedial class in an annexed building in the school, referred to as the Trainer Support Unit. The classes were small, accommodating fewer students than mainstream classrooms, allowing for more individualized education and one-on-one assistance, and mainly covered three important subjects: math, language arts, and history, as those were required for graduating to the next grade level. Kids in the unit were exempt from classes like art and gym, with the latter being because trainers traveled throughout the region, so they had already gotten a good amount of exercise. But kids in the remedial classes were given the option to attend gym class if they wanted to. The classes also had one teacher and several teaching assistance, meaning kids could receive extra help if needed. Depending on how much material they missed, kids attending the specialized classes needed to learn a compressed version of a year's worth of material.

Julia threw herself into her studies, finding that she liked the specialized classes a lot better than regular school. For one, Kirsten and her posse weren't there, so that was a major plus, and the teachers were nice, supportive, and actually helped her and took the time to assist her for as long as she needed, never making her feel ashamed for not processing or understanding material quickly enough. It helped that one of the teachers was Mrs. Cabanos, who taught social studies in the short time Julia spent in 6th grade. At that time, she didn't have much of an opinion on her, but she came to like her in the remedial classes, causing her to rethink her idea that teachers were secretly like Mrs. Amoretto. Ethan was there, and he helped her whenever he was able, and the other kids were fairly cordial as well. It also helped that the classes all took place in one room, and she didn't have to worry about going from one classroom to another in a short period of time and whether she might be late or not. In some ways, Julia wished regular school could be like this.

Of course, the kids in the trainer unit weren't simply confined to the annex. They were allowed to attend lunch in the cafeteria and go out for recess, so as to prevent cabin fever. At one point, when winter break ended the first week of January, Ethan and Julia sat at a lunch table together like they always did. Ethan was telling her that his sister Eden finally decided to leave on her own Pokemon journey.

"No way, really? That's awesome!" Julia exclaimed as she finished eating her peanut butter sandwich. "Does she plan on challenging the gyms?"

"Nah," Ethan waved a dismissive hand. "She's mostly interested in traveling and catching lots of Pokemon."

Understandable. Not every trainer wanted to battle the gyms and participate in the Pokemon League. "That's cool. I hope her journey goes well," Julia said, pulling out an unopened cup of chocolate pudding from her purple lunchbox. "By the way, did you read that book I told you about?"

"I did! It was great!" Ethan proclaimed. "Thanks so much for recommending it to me! I'm only halfway through it, though. I might read the rest of it over the weekend."

Julia was about to suggest that he do so, since she loved the book in question, but she noticed someone approaching them. Someone she recognized.

"Hey, uhh...guys?"

A girl with a full lunch tray walked towards their table, her skin dark as cacao, and each strand of her long black hair was tied into thin, immaculate braids. Both Ethan and Julia looked right up at her as soon as she made her presence known. The girl was a little cowed by their staring, and her gaze flickered away from them awkwardly.

"Oh, you're...Cindy, right?" It took a minute for Julia to remember who she was, since it had been so long since they last saw one another. "Cindy Stuart?"

Cindy was an old classmate from before Julia went on her journey. They were cordial to one another, but Cindy was one of the popular girls and was always hanging out with Lakeisha and her friends. Since Lakeisha didn't like Julia, and she didn't like her in return, Julia never mingled in their social circle. At that time, the further away she was from Kirsten and Lakeisha, the happier she was. But what was Cindy doing here?

"Yeah. I know it's been a while. I was wondering…" Cindy kept pausing at various intervals. "If it's okay with you...can I...I don't know...sit with you guys?"

Sit with them? Ethan and Julia exchanged confused looks. Julia was sure if Kirsten caught one of her friends hanging out with the losers, as she pegged them, she'd claim that Cindy would be committing social suicide. Julia heard Kirsten say that to some of her friends on several different occasions.

"Don't you usually hang out with Lakeisha and her friends?" Ethan asked.

Cindy's face scrunched into a disgusted expression and she made a hmph sound. "Honestly? I am so done with Lakeisha and Kirsten. I don't even want to be anywhere near them."

If that was the case, Ethan and Julia could only imagine what transpired to make Cindy want to break off her friendship with them. Still, there was something that told Julia that Cindy was being honest. If she really wanted to sit with her old friends, she would have. What other reason could she have to sit with them? But Cindy was never mean to Julia, and the few conversations they did have were pleasant enough. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to give her a chance.

"What do you think, Jule?" Ethan asked.

Julia took a minute to think, but she smiled at Cindy and pointed to an empty chair. "Sure. Help yourself."

A relieved smile broke out across Cindy's face as she sat down and ate her mashed potatoes. The three of them ate their lunch in silence and peace until Cindy spoke up. "So...I heard you went on a journey across Johto. Is that true, Julia?" Cindy asked.

"Yep. I even have badges to prove it."

"Wooow! That's so cool! I never pegged you as being the type!" Cindy exclaimed. "If you're okay with it, I'd love to hear about your adventures."

Now this was a surprise. One of the last people Julia expected to be even remotely interested in her adventures was Cindy. But she did sound genuinely interested, so Julia decided to tell her an abridged version of her adventures. She deliberately left out certain events, like being kidnapped by Hunter J, riding on Ho-Oh's back, Saoirse dying, and the events with Raikou, as for all she knew, Cindy might think she was making those up. Cindy listened with rapt attention, saying nary a word as Julia spoke of her travels.

"Man, that sounds awesome," Cindy's voice had a touch of awe as she listened. "I'm so jealous."

"Oh, it's no big deal," Julia waved her hand dismissively. "Ethan's had his share of adventures, too."

"Yeah, I'll tell you about them later," Ethan said before standing up and leaving the table to throw away the trash.

Now that the girls were alone at the table, Cindy spoke up again. "Listen, I…"

"Hm?"

Cindy struggled to put words together, but she did so anyway. "I...I wanted to say I'm sorry."

Julia raised a quizzical eyebrow. What did Cindy have to be sorry for? She hadn't done anything that would warrant an apology. At least, not recently. Unlike Kirsten, Paisley, and Lakeisha, Cindy had never gone out of her way to pick on her. "Sorry for what? You haven't done anything to me."

"No, but…" Cindy paused before speaking again, her voice faltering. "I know Lakeisha, Kirsten, and the other girls picked on you a lot, and...I never did anything about it. They told us about how you cheated off of Lakeisha's test in fifth grade, and I told them they were being a little mean...but in the back of my mind, I did agree with them and assume you were just some whiny brat who made up lies to get attention. I'm...not proud of that."

Somehow, Julia wasn't surprised. It did hurt a little to know Cindy thought that way about her, but the fact that she was even admitting it spoke volumes about her.

"I overheard one of the teachers mention you're autistic," Cindy confessed. "And when I heard that, things made a lot more sense, and...I was mad at myself. My mom's autistic too, and I've seen her go through a lot of bad stuff, and I began to...rethink things. I saw how people treated her, and now, knowing what I do, seeing how Lakeisha, Kirsten, and all the other girls pick on you, even when you didn't do anything to them…" Cindy looked down at her tray, avoiding Julia's gaze. "I feel horrible for just going with whatever they said and not even trying to get to know you better."

Julia couldn't believe what she was hearing. She gently pinched the top of one of her hands to see if this was all a dream. Her hand hurt, so it wasn't. She had no idea Cindy thought that way. She wondered if this was the reason she decided to stop being friends with Kirsten and Lakeisha. Or maybe there were other reasons. Julia wasn't sure. Still, a part of her was happy Cindy decided to talk to her like this, and learning that her mother is also on the spectrum was also quite the surprise. In a way, that gave Cindy some additional perspective.

"I mean, you're right in that it was stupid of me to cheat off Lakeisha's test," Julia admitted, rubbing the back of her head with one hand. "I'm never doing that again, that's for sure."

"I know," Cindy said, using her fork to poke at her corn. "It's just...the more I thought about it, the more I realized it was stupid of me to stick with Kirsten and the gang. I don't want to be like them. Besides, even if we were never really friends, you were always nice to me whenever we talked."

She was right about that.

"So...I mean...if you don't want to, it's okay, but...if you're willing...would it be okay if we...I don't know...became friends? Like, start over or something?" One word crashed into the other when Cindy pushed the question out. Julia could tell just asking it took a lot of courage. It wasn't much different from how she herself asked Ethan to be friends with her when they first met.

Maybe this was a sign. A sign that things were, indeed, changing.

Julia flashed a smile. "Sure. I don't mind at all."

Cindy flashed her own smile like she had won tickets to a rock concert. "Awesome! What kind of Pokemon do you have? Can you show them to me at recess later?"

From then on, the duo at the little lunch table became a trio. But that wasn't the only sign that things were changing.

Two days after that, Julia had to go to the bathroom during recess. Once she finished her business, she opened the bathroom door to leave, only to almost run into someone. She stopped herself before she could bump into them, but the person standing before her was one she recognized right away...and one she really, really didn't want to run into.

A girl with ash brown hair tied into pigtails met her gaze, and her dark brown eyes narrowed into odious slits.

"Oh, great. You're here?" It was Kirsten Seeley, and her condescending tone was dripping with poison as she took in Julia's presence. "I was kind of hoping you'd be out of school forever. Less freaks to stink up the place."

As barbed as her words were, Julia expected this response. Undeterred, she walked right past Kirsten. "Believe me, I don't want to be here anymore than you don't want me here. I have better things to do than put up with you," Julia told her without an ounce of hesitation.

"Pffft!" Kristen could barely stifle a chuckle. "Like what? Cheat off people's tests? Talk to Pokemon like you're the Poke-Whisperer? Do go on."

Julia kept walking. Kirsten wasn't worth wasting a single brain cell on. Besides, Cindy and Ethan were outside waiting for her. They were way more important. Unfortunately for her, Kirsten followed behind her, continuing her barrage of insults.

"You know you'll always be a stupid Freak Girl, right?" Kirsten snarled ominously, her screechy voice full of hate. "Don't think you're so high and mighty just because you somehow got to go Pokemon hunting!"

Julia threw the doors open and marched down the bleachers, her footsteps clanging against the metal. But Kirsten kept following her.

"If you think you're going to be Little Miss Popular after this, you're even more deluded than I thought!" Kirsten exclaimed. "Everybody knows you're just a big fat ret—!"

"Kirsten! Just shut up!"

Another voice cut through Kirsten's petty rant, but it wasn't Julia. Both girls stopped and turned to their right to see who the proclamation belonged to.

It was Lakeisha. Kirsten blanched at the sight. Even Julia found herself speechless. Lakeisha moved her head back, gesturing for Julia to leave, as if to say "I'll deal with her." Julia gave her a grateful nod before joining up with Ethan and Cindy.

"Oh, Arceus. Did you see that? Lakeisha, of all people, actually telling off Kirsten," Cindy couldn't believe what she both heard and saw. Neither could Ethan.

"Maybe she's finally shaping up," Ethan suggested.

Only just now did Julia remember that she never told Cindy about her encounter with Lakeisha and Merlin right before the Pokemon League started. She made a mental note to tell her about it later. Still, there was a lot of satisfaction to be had, seeing that Lakeisha was actually making an effort to put into practice what she promised a few months ago. In light of this, Julia flashed a satisfied, almost mischievous smirk. The absolutely flabbergasted look on Kirsten's face was pretty priceless.

---

By the time the school year ended in the beginning of March, Julia passed all of her classes in the trainer support unit, ensuring her transition into seventh grade. Her report card mainly consisted of B's, but as far as Julia was concerned, that was good enough for her. One day, Julia laid down on the couch, her brain fried from so much studying.

"Wheeeeew! School's finally oveeeeer!" She drew the words out with overly melodramatic flourish, too happy to finally be done with school for the time being. Her left leg dangled off the living room couch, hanging limply. Hikaru laid on her stomach, curled into a ball, cooing in agreement, even though she was a Pokemon and didn't go to school. At this point, all Julia wanted to do was kick back, relax, and not think about anything related to textbooks, homework, school, and so on.

She reached down to grab the remote and pointed it to the TV. "I wonder what's on right now?" She flipped through a few channels, but saw nothing particularly interesting. A few housing shows popped up, and Kassia really loved watching those. But they were of no interest to Julia. She pressed the arrow button and surfed through a few more channels...and stopped.

One channel showed a group of people dressed in colorful spandex outfits fighting a rubbery monster. A familiar theme song played in the background. "Go, go, Hoenn Rangers!"

"Huh? I had no idea Hoenn Rangers was still around," Julia mused as she watched a scene where a white-suited heroine judo-threw a monster over her shoulder.

Julia gently poked Hikaru on the head before pointing to the screen. "See that, Hikaru? That's the Hoenn Rangers show," She told her. "Amara and I used to watch it all the time when we were little."

Hikaru gave a big, disinterested yawn. Faint memories ebbed back into Julia's mind. She remembered Amara dressing up as one of the rangers on Halloween once. Rustboro Ivory, it was. Amara used to be so obsessed with Rustboro Ivory, to the point of demanding merchandise of her, like plushies and figurines, for her birthday or Christmas whenever possible. But the two of them grew out of it. Exactly when, Julia couldn't quite remember. The thought of Amara made her deflate.

In February, Amara was officially sentenced. Instead of being sent to jail outright, the judge ordered that she be sent to a juvenile correctional facility in Violet City. The facility in question offered education similar to that of a regular school, and it had a heavy focus on rehabilitation over punishment. Since Amara was genuinely remorseful of her actions this time around, she was given one final chance to try and put in the effort to get off the blacklist. If she can get good grades in all of her classes throughout the years of middle school she missed, graduate both middle school and high school, and attend court-mandated counseling, the judge will remove her from the blacklist. But if she fails to graduate high school, or commits any other crime within that time period, she will go straight to an adult prison for an unspecified period of time, and remain on the Pokemon blacklist permanently.

Julia wondered how Amara was doing. It had to be horrible, stuck in jail and surrounded by kids who committed all manner of crimes. Unable to come home, unable to have any privacy, and not allowed to have very many personal possessions in her cell. Amara wasn't even allowed to keep her cell phone with her. Then again, prisoners weren't allowed to have certain types of personal possessions because the police didn't want them to use them to hide things like drugs or makeshift weapons. That was known to happen. Julia wondered if there was something she could do to at least make Amara's days at juvie a little better, even if it wasn't much. Not even the heroic music playing on the Hoenn Rangers episode could lift her from her sorrowful thoughts.

Wait a minute...Julia sat up, and Hikaru fell on her lap as she did so. If the Hoenn Rangers were still airing on TV...gears began turning in her head.

Julia gently put Hikaru down on the floor and zipped toward her bedroom. Confused by what was going on, but curious to know more, Hikaru followed after her. Julia sat down at her computer desk and looked up the Hoenn Rangers on the search engine, searching for anything she could find. Some shopping websites featured a variety of Hoenn Rangers merchandise, with many of it being made fairly recently despite it being an older show. Not only that, it turned out, Hoenn Rangers had many different seasons, all with different characters and continuities, with the most recent series being called Hoenn Rangers Wild Fury.

One website in particular seemed to draw her in: RangerCon. She clicked on it, and learned that there was going to be a Hoenn Rangers convention. The address in the upper right corner said 82893 Lilycove Convention Center, Lilycove City, Hoenn. The convention was planned to be held a year from now, next February. Julia found herself rapt. She had no idea there was such thing as a Hoenn Rangers convention. Amara would have gone nuts over this, had she learned about them years ago. Julia wondered if she even still liked Hoenn Rangers. Maybe she could write Amara a letter and ask if she still did. Still, a Hoenn Rangers convention in another region…

"Pika?" Hikaru gently poked Julia's cheek with her finger to get her attention.

"Hikaru?" Julia closed the page, turned to her friend, and flashed an eager smile. "I know what I want to do after this!"

When Truman came home from work later that day, Julia gathered her parents into the living room with Hikaru in her arms...and edicted with a firm, determined voice, "Mom! Dad! I want to travel again! This time to the Hoenn region!"

Both of her parents exchanged confused, flabbergasted expressions. Kassia was the one to ask, "What brought this on?"

Julia told them her reasons: The Hoenn Rangers convention. Wanting to go not only so she could see what it was like, but to take pictures, buy merchandise, and send most of it to Amara, as a way of reconnecting with her and making her days at juvie just a little better in a way that actually felt meaningful. She was sure they might find this terribly silly. Why go on a Pokemon journey just to go to a Hoenn Rangers convention in another region? Of course, Julia only knew the convention was just the end goal. That didn't mean she couldn't do other things there in the meantime, like catch more Pokemon, make new friends, experience all manner of new things, and so on. Journeys were never really about the final destination, were they?

"You know I really loved the time I spent traveling around Johto," Julia told them, holding Hikaru close. Her heart was pounding, and she could barely hear her own voice over it. But like when she first wanted to chase after Amara, nothing could sway her from her decision. "And I want to do it again someplace else! I want to catch new Pokemon and see so many new things and tell Amara and my friends all about my adventures!"

Silence. Truman and Kassia exchanged looks once again. The anticipation threatened to suffocate Julia. But then they turned back to her with warm smiles.

"I don't see why not, and you handled yourself very well the last time," Kassia said. "Sure you can go, and you know we'll always have your back."

Julia's jaw fell agape. They said yes?! And so quickly! The last time, it took a while for them to approve. Here they didn't even spare a minute to think.

"This time, we can talk to the school and let them excuse you for a year," Truman said. "We don't know how long it'll take to get processed, but we can give them enough advance notice that it might come quicker."

She couldn't keep it in. Joy exploded out of her like a bomb going off. "Yaaaay!" Julia squeed loudly before throwing both arms around her parents. Hikaru, who almost fell out of her arms, didn't fall, as she got caught up in the hug, but appreciated the gesture nonetheless. "Thank you guys sooooo much!"

It wasn't long before she let them go and carried Hikaru back in her arms. "I promise I'll do all my chores before then!"

Kassia couldn't hold back a chuckle. "We know, sweetie."

Of course, even that wasn't enough to contain the sheer excitement that bubbled out from her whole being like soda fizz. She was actually allowed to travel to another region this time! Julia absolutely couldn't wait.

Right after that, the Parisa parents reached out to Cherrygrove Middle School to begin the process of legally excusing Julia from school to go Pokemon hunting. For one, the teachers and the principal had to discuss the matter with one another and all give their unanimous approval for it to go through. Grades weren't a necessary factor, but with Julia having passed her remedial classes, the Parisas knew having good grades would at least increase her chances of getting approved. All throughout that time, Julia threw herself into her chores, helping her parents both around the house and with the Pokemon, her own included. Not that she minded, as she loved taking care of Pokemon. A week passed, and another, and a third…

Until finally, in the last week of March, the ruling was officially processed. Julia was legally excused from seventh grade for an entire year. Needless to say, Julia was so happy about it she bounced all around the house, cheering and jumping up and down, with some of her Pokemon joining in when she was outside with them. Her parents couldn't have been happier. She even settled on a date for when she wanted to leave: April 18th, her twelfth birthday.

It was only fitting, really. Her birthday was when everything had begun. Even though her travels started a while afterward, receiving her first Pokemon, Hikaru, was the beginning of things really changing. Before then, Kassia and Truman scheduled a boat to take her to Hoenn from Olivine City. They found one that was bound for a town called Slateport City on April 18th, at around noon. When Professor Elm heard about it, he suggested to Julia that she head to a place called Littleroot Town, so she could meet a colleague of his, Professor Birch. Julia decided to take him up on his suggestion, but in order to get to Littleroot, she'd have to take another boat from Slateport to a town called Petalburg City, then walk all the way to Littleroot from there.

Finally, April 18th arrived, and Julia turned twelve. "On the way there, can we stop by Ilex Forest first?" Julia asked when they got into the car.

Truman turned back to her and smiled. "Let me guess, you want to give offerings to the shrine?"

Julia nodded.

"Sure. We can do that."

"I promise I won't be long."

Ilex Forest? Hikaru's ears perked up. It had been a long while since they were there. The last time was when she was a Pichu. But why did she want to go back to Ilex Forest? The car moved slowly as it pulled away from the yellow house, and even as it passed Professor Elm's lab. Julia watched as she saw two kids walk into Professor Elm's laboratory. A girl in short blue overalls, brown pigtails, and a big, round white hat dragged a boy with long red hair and black clothes into the lab with her. Even with the window up, she could hear them talking.

"Come on, Silvio! Today's the day we get our Pokemon!"

"Slow down, Lyra! Jeez! Are you trying to pull my arm out of its socket?"

Julia chuckled at the sight. She wondered if they were just as excited to get their first Pokemon as she was when she first went to try and get a Chikorita. Of course, she never did get a Chikorita, but that was water under the bridge. Whatever they planned to do with their lives, Julia hoped things went well for them.

It wasn't long before they made it to the forest through some back roads that didn't have much in the way of traffic. Because of this, it only took about an hour for them to get there. Even though it was day time, Ilex Forest was still as dark as ever, with only the occasional sunspots dancing across the grass and sunbeams filtering through bushes and tree leaves. But it still had that nice after-rain scent. Berries in hand, Julia left the car and made her way to a small wooden shrine. The last time she was here, it was after she first met Perrine, and they didn't stop at the shrine since they had been busy trying to get through the forest.

The shrine in question was really just a wooden box on a pedestal, almost made of wood, with a red roof and a brown door. A fairly simple thing, and it was worn from exposure to weather and the environment. Julia smiled to herself as she opened the little door and placed three Pecha berries inside. She closed the door and clasped both hands together to pray.

"I hope you like them," Hikaru heard Julia whisper.

"Pii?" The orange mouse wondered who she was talking to. Did she expect someone, or something, to take the berries?

Noticing her friend's curiosity, Julia held a finger to her own mouth and winked, as if saying it's a secret. Hikaru's brows furrowed, as she was now more confused. But she figured Julia would tell her about it later. Mission accomplished, they got back into the car and the parents drove away from the forest. Unbeknownst to them, not seconds after they left, a green fae Pokemon flew right up to the shrine, immediately taking the berries into its hands and watching as the car disappeared into the forest path.

Later, they finally made it to Olivine City, half an hour ahead of schedule. Ticket in hand, Julia smiled at her parents, knowing this would be the last time she'd see them for a while yet.

"You have fun out there, sweetie," Kassia gave her a kiss on the head. "Call us when you get there."

"I will."

"We'll take care of your other Pokemon while you're gone," Truman told her.

Julia nodded. "Thanks," She whispered before giving them one last hug. After a few minutes, she let them go, walked up to one of the crewmembers at the door, and flashed her ticket. The crewman smiled in approval, gesturing for her to come inside. Julia and Hikaru waved at them one last time.

"Bye, Mom! Bye, Dad!"

"Pikachuuuu!"

With that, they went inside. Truman and Kassia remained where they were, with the former's arm snaked around the latter, watching as the boat began to fill with more and more passengers before the entrance closed and the boat was oceanbound. They could only watch as their youngest daughter, who made it to the deck and waved at them once again, started a whole new adventure.

Julia's experiences with Perrine, Caiseal, later Ethan, and all of her Pokemon had made for a marvelous journey, one she would never forget, one that gave her a lifetime of memories. Now, today, she was bound for a new land, ready to start a new adventure. There was so much more she wanted to learn and experience, and she would only keep learning with every day that passed. Looks like Perrine wasn't the only one going on a journey after she finished school. With this knowledge in mind, she couldn't wait to tell her, Caiseal, and Ethan all about her new adventures.

With Hikaru by her side, her parents and friends supporting her from afar, she looked forward to what the future held this time, and she hoped this new journey would be just as wonderful.

---

Spoiler: Final Notes

A/N: This is it! With this, MarJour has finally, officially ENDED!...sort of. I plan on writing sequels later, but I did mean it when I said I was going to put writing Pokemon fanfics on hold in favor of writing and finishing other stories. But don't worry! My Pokemon fic isn't going to be completely put on the backburner. Since the next story will take place in the Hoenn region, I'm going to take time to plan my story out by both immersing myself in the gen 3 games (remakes included) and rewatching the Pokemon anime's Hoenn arcs so I can do research in the meantime. Of course, I know, at this time, the Pokemon Diamond and Pearl remakes will have come out, but I can easily use those to plan out the Diamond/Pearl arc of MarJour, should I ever get to writing that out. I know that arc in particular will answer a lot of questions I posed, especially about Hunter J. Look forward to that when the time comes!

It's funny to think I started writing this almost five and a half years ago, all because a writer I liked stopped writing his Pokemon fic and because I was tired of being subjected to a lot of the purity crusades and toxicity that was going on in certain fandoms I was in, especially places like Tumblr. I decided I was done with other people trying to dictate what I wrote and how I wrote it, and being subject to cyberbullying and ridicule no matter what I did, even address criticisms and fix things the way they wanted with all that I knew at the time. I'm glad I decided to write out MarJour, and don't regret it one bit. It has almost 600 reviews on FFN alone, the most I've ever gotten on any story I ever wrote on FFN ever (Been here since 2005), along with the most views, the most additions to peoples' favorites, and the most alerts out of all the stories I've written here. I honestly never would have dreamed I'd get that kind of response. Seriously, words can't even begin to describe how grateful I am for the love all who've read my dumb little self-insert Pokemon fic have sent my way, from the complimentary reviews, to the well thought-out critique, to even fan art! I understand I both gained and lost readers over the course of five and a half years, which is fine, but whether you've been here since the beginning or only started reading recently, you've also lifted me up in ways that I can't hope to describe and are the reason I was able to get this far today. I love you all!

For anyone wondering, while I will be taking a break from writing Pokemon fics, especially long ones, for the time being, that doesn't mean I'm not still writing. I've churned out a ton of one shots, and am writing other stories that are in progress right now, though in other fandoms. I even have some on my AO3 account (I go by Juliko on there) that aren't posted here. For example, I'm writing an Infinity Train fan fic on AO3 right now called The Sun Will Come Up And The Seasons Will Change, which won't be posted on FFN due to some things in the story breaking some rules on FFN but not on AO3, even though said things are canon in the actual show itself. I also plan on writing a Final Fantasy 1 novelization and a Love Live fanseries, the latter of which will be exclusive to AO3 as the Love Live fandom is more active on there. All I can say is that I hope I can further improve as a writer from here on out, and I have no intention of stopping writing any time soon. MarJour is available on AO3 as well, but it's not complete. Now that it's finished on here though, I can upload chapters there on a weekly basis for anyone who wants to read it on AO3.