Chapter 35: Geraldine's Goodbye
In life, there are some truths that people are going to have to accept no matter how much they try to prove otherwise. Reality can be a cruel beast, and denying it can only lead to trouble, both small and grand. In the grand scheme of things, however, accepting those unpleasant truths can actually benefit those involved if they're willing to accept that reality and take steps to ensure a better future. Julia was one of those people who experienced it firsthand, and it would change her life forever.
Morning had come, with the sun once again shining down on Mahogany Town, it's light strong enough to illuminate one whole side of the world. Everyone was wide awake and ready to go about their day. Geraldine was the first to wake, but her sleep was not in any way serene or peaceful. Bags hung from her eyes, dragging them down like someone had put cinder blocks in them. Everything seemed blurry, and since she had no hands, she couldn't rub her eyes and make them adjust to the light.
"Hi, Geraldine!" Julia greeted her red serpent friend warmly, like she usually did. Geraldine smiled and growled softly. "I brought breakfast for you!" Julia put down a big bowl and poured a bag of large Pokemon food into it.
She had bought them yesterday, before they went to Lake of Rage to take Geraldine back to her parents. The normal Pokemon food she usually carried around was too small, so she had to make do and buy something for Geraldine. Once she finished pouring them into the big bowl, she backed away to let Geraldine sniff them. After a couple whiffs, Geraldine took some bites out of them. Soft, chewy, and scrumptious they were, and they melted right in her mouth, disappearing the moment she chewed on them twice. These weren't like the lakewater plants she would always eat, but they were good regardless.
"You like it?"
"Grrrr."
"That's great!" Julia clasped her hands together. "If you want, after breakfast, I can brush your scales with this new brush I bought. How about that?"
Geraldine nodded in agreement, and the kids found themselves making breakfast for both themselves and the Pokemon. Well, not making breakfast, merely providing the Pokemon the food they bought and eating food they already bought for themselves. The Pokemon in particular were enjoying themselves, not noticing anything around them except the food in front of them. After breakfast, Julia pulled out a brush and brushed Geraldine's red scales. The red serpent closed her eyes and laid down on the ground, basking in the morning sunlight. Julia didn't brush too hard, and didn't need to as Geraldine could barely feel the bristles since her scales were so thick. Nevertheless, both of them enjoyed the activity.
"Do you like this, Geraldine?"
"Grrrrrr…" Geraldine let out soft hums as she sat underneath the sun's rays.
Julia smiled. "I'm glad."
However, as happy as Perrine and Caiseal were about seeing Julia lavish all her love onto the red serpent, the events of last night were still strong in their minds. Perrine tried to take her mind off it by listening to the radio on her PokeGear. Romantic, sentimental pop music streamed out from the PokeGear, and Baloo found herself dancing and singing to it.
"Jiggly jiggly jigglypuff~!" ("You are the only one I need~!") Baloo spun around on her tiptoes like she was a ballerina, completely lost in the cheesy music.
Perrine could barely hold back a chuckle. "You'd make a pretty good singer some day, Baloo," She mused, finding the sight endearing. Baloo barely noticed, not that her trainer minded. Good thing Baloo wasn't using the attack Sing, so nobody was falling asleep. Better yet, she had heard of something called Pokemon Musicals, where Pokemon would dress up in costumes, sing, and dance on stage. What region were they in, again? Baloo would probably love doing something like that.
"Aw man!" Caiseal groaned, rummaging through his bags. "I only have one empty PokeBall left!"
The girls all turned to look. "Really?" Julia asked.
"We can go into town and buy some more," Perrine suggested with a smile. "There's a whole variety of different PokeBalls available."
Caiseal beamed, standing right up. "Great idea! I really wanna buy some Ultra Balls!" He balled a hand into a fist.
"Alrighty, then! Let's go!" Julia was quick to put everyone in their PokeBalls. Everyone else followed suit.
When they got into Mahogany Town, the whole place was swarming with people going to and fro. Now that Team Rocket was gone, for now anyways, the citizens found it safe to go back out again. It helped that the PokeMart was close by, so the kids had no trouble finding it. But the moment they got in, it was as though they had been sucked into a whirlpool of people, barely managing to just get to the PokeBall isle. Thankfully, once the crowd dispersed, it was easier to navigate.
Julia bent over, examining every kind of PokeBall they had. She recognized most of them: Great Balls, Ultra Balls, Heal Balls, Quick Balls, Timer Balls, there were just so many. There were others she didn't recognize, such as a PokeBall that was blue on top and orange on the bottom, and a normal PokeBall that had fake jewels all over it. One kind caught Julia's eyes, coated in shiny black paint, with streaks of gold and red going across it horizontally.
"I wonder what this PokeBall is?" Julia asked aloud.
"That one?" A voice made Julia whirl around. Standing behind her was a large, plump man wearing a red and white baseball cap. "That's called a Luxury Ball."
"Luxury ball?"
"Yeah. If you catch a Pokemon, this PokeBall makes it easier to be friends with it."
Easier to be friends with it? The sound of those words was like music to Julia's ears, and she was all about making friends with every Pokemon she caught. "Okay, I'm buying these for sure!" Julia pulled ten Luxury Balls off the shelf. Caiseal had several green PokeBalls in his hands. Perrine had picked up a couple things, such as plastic bags, fruits such as apples and bananas, and some new socks. Some of her old socks had become dirty or had holes in them, so she was in dire need of new ones.
Having stocked up on PokeBalls, the kids found themselves about to leave. But exactly what was there to do now? Pryce still wasn't back yet, and none of them knew where he'd be. Julia still wanted to battle him, partly to win the badge and partly to beat him as payback for what he tried to do to her when she caught Geraldine. Thankfully, some neighborhood gossip gave them the answers they needed.
"Hey! Did you hear? Pryce is coming back to the gym tomorrow!"
"Really? Isn't he in the detention center?"
"He was, but he got released today. One of my friends told me."
Pryce was coming back? Tomorrow? The kids all exchanged excited glances. That was quick. They were sure he wouldn't come back until much later, or maybe not even come back at all. Julia couldn't wait for tomorrow. Now was a good time to go back to the Pokemon Center and maybe train her Pokemon for battle with him. She had done her research. Pryce commanded ice types, and her friends filled her in on their battles with him from when she was in the hospital.
The kids returned to the Pokemon Center, back to the battlefield where they had their practice battles. "Alright, everyone! Come on out!" Every one of Julia's Pokemon came forth. Hikaru, Tokiko, Lucretia, Saoirse, Rina, and Geraldine.
The red serpent stood out starkly amongst the smaller Pokemon. She was a giant, hulking sea dragon that towered over every single one of them combined, whereas the Pokemon and even the children were diminutive to the point where they looked more like pebbles in comparison to a big boulder. Even so, the Pokemon gathered around, fixating their gazes on Julia with their eyes glimmering with curiosity and anticipation.
"Okay, guys!" Julia began with a clap. "Listen up! Tomorrow we're going to battle the Mahogany Town gym leader. Since he's going to come back, we should take some time to train for the match. Would you guys like that?"
Everyone nodded, Geraldine included. While she didn't have any gym experience, she managed to figure out that Pokemon battles might be involved, and she had battled several other Magikarp before she evolved. Some battles she lost, and others she won. She had even seen other Gyarados partake in battle. Her parents said that battling was not only a healthy part of a Pokemon's development, it was also a necessary tool for survival. Perhaps battling new Pokemon would be a good experience, she thought.
"Now, these are the Pokemon he'll be using," Julia pulled out a book, showing them the pages that had Pryce and his Pokemon on them. Pryce's listed Pokemon were the following: Dewgong, Sneasel, and Cloyster. "They're all ice types, but most of you know attacks that can easily work against them."
Julia first turned to Saoirse. "Saoirse, you're a fairy type, and Sneasel is a dark and ice type, so your Fire Fang can be useful in that situation."
"Snubbull," Saoirse nodded in agreement.
"Hikaru and Tokiko. You two know electric and grass attacks, giving you the advantage over Dewgong and Cloyster, and they're still part water types. But Tokiko, you need to be careful, as you're part flying, and ice is super effective against flying."
"Chokki!" Tokiko did a sailor salute, keeping that information in mind.
Geraldine cocked her head to one side, taking everything in. 'Wow. Pokemon battles sure do have a lot of rules,' She thought to herself. It didn't occur to her that battles actually had all these type matchups and underlying complexities. Most of the battles she witnessed were Magikarp ramming into each other or Gyarados firing beams or smashing their tails at one another. Granted, she had never seen other Pokemon, nor the battles they usually had.
"Geraldine!" Her trainer's voice pulled her back to reality, and the red serpent looked down. "Even though you're part flying type, you're still a water type, so ice attacks won't do much damage on you. Plus, your scales are really thick, so you might be able to withstand some attacks, and your own attacks are pretty strong."
"Strong enough to reduce a whole town to rubble," Caiseal retorted. He barely got a chance to be lost in his thoughts before a blow struck his forearm, sending throbbing pain right up his arm. "Owwww!" He yelped, backing away from Perrine's elbow. Her blue eyes were narrowed as she shot a glare that could make anyone shut up and listen. It worked like magic.
Not many knew that although Gyarados typically have vicious tempers, they have become calmer and gentler over the years. Geraldine didn't necessarily mind Caiseal's comment. He was just sarcastic in general. Many Magikarp she met were exactly like that. Julia continued on with the discussion. Since Rina knew Double Kick, she could land some hits, but her poison type moves could help increase their chances should Pryce's Pokemon get poisoned, and Lucretia could use her attacks to chip away at their defenses.
"Alright! Let's start training! Hmmm…" Julia looked over every single one of her Pokemon friends. "Geraldine and Lucretia! You guys can battle each other!"
"Graah?"
"Eevui?" The red serpent and the evolution Pokemon exchanged glances.
Something prickled at Geraldine's senses. Lucretia's ears rose upward as the evolution Pokemon squeaked her concerns. But at this point, the Eevee's voice had become white noise to the red serpent. The icy air began to burn her lungs, and flashes of herself in the room flickered in her mind. Lightning, syringes, people in black and white clothes watching…
"Don't worry! It'll just be practice!" Julia reassured her furry friend. "Okay, ready?"
Geraldine shook her body. No, she was safe now. Team Rocket wasn't going to go after her anymore. But why were those memories bombarding her? That was the question she thought she could answer easily. However, it turned out to be the hardest. Still, unease took hold. She thought she could feel safe. Why wasn't she feeling safe. It seemed every scale on her body was preparing itself for something, like an apocalypse. Why?
"Alright, Lucretia! Use Shadow Ball, and Geraldine, blow it away with Dragon Rage!"
The small, brown and tan Pokemon fired a black sphere at the red serpent. Calmly, Geraldine opened her maw and fired a stream of purple and blue light at the sphere. The attacks collided, heralding a small explosion that made the battlefield tremble beneath everyone's feet. Good thing everyone managed to keep their balance. Lucretia squeezed her eyes shut, her eyelids forming a barrier against any dust that was being carried by the autumn winds.
"Good! Geraldine, use Dragon Rage again, and Lucretia, dodge it every way you can!"
"Eevui!" Lucretia nodded, her ears up and alert.
This was practice, Geraldine told herself. Only practice. Nobody was going to get hurt. Once again, Geraldine fired her Dragon Rage, allowing multiple beams to fire, one after another. She kept them small so they wouldn't be too powerful. She didn't want her new friend to get hurt. Thankfully, the tiny Eevee dodged every single attack with ease. Being light on her feet, Lucretia leaped away from every Dragon Rage attack, be it by rolling, doing backflips, or constantly jumping all over without taking time to even breathe.
Perrine's ears were the first to catch a wave of whispers and murmurs. She tapped Caiseal's shoulder, taking his attention away from the practice battle. They looked around the battlefield. Small crowds of people gathered around, their eyes wide with curiosity, fixated completely on Geraldine. Some Pokemon were among them as well. None of them could take their eyes off of the red Gyarados. Such an alien creature they had never seen before.
"Wow! Is that a red Gyarados?! So cool!"
"Isn't that the same one that tried to destroy Mahogany Town last week?"
"Can that kid trainer even handle it?"
"Man, I wish I caught it!"
"You gotta admit, it does look kinda cool."
"Pryce is really gonna be in for it if she uses that in a battle with him!"
The flood of voices finally caught Geraldine's ears as she turned around, noticing the growing crowd. When did all these people get here? How long had they been there? Geraldine froze. Her vision instantly blurred, and flashes of Archer and his goons flickered over them. The titanium walls came right back. The pain from whatever was being injected into her veins returned. Any attempt to remain calm and collected failed as Geraldine's pupils shrunk dramatically.
Even Julia could see it. "Geraldine? What's wrong?"
Terror seized her. She knew that look. It was the same look Geraldine had when she had that nightmare last night.
Fear. Anger. Frustration. Everything Geraldine had felt suddenly spilled forth in full force as she let out a roar in aggravation. Most of the people watching immediately dispersed. Perrine and Caiseal stood up in alarm. People were still running, even as Geraldine fired Dragon Rage outside the battlefield, sending flames and light spiraling around the area. But that wasn't the end of it. Geraldine roared two more times, and both roars sent tremors through the Earth.
But that wasn't the worst of it. Next, the red Gyarados-now completely consumed by the awful memories of Team Rocket-was dragging herself out from behind the Pokemon Center, heading right in the middle of town. Her body was big, so she left large trenches as she dragged herself across the dirt. It didn't necessarily help that as she squirmed into the center of town, she began firing random Dragon Rage attacks in a frenzy. Some of them ripped through someone's roof, sending roof tiles flying. One attack split a tree in two, knocking it to the ground and sending tremors throughout the Earth.
'No! This can't be happening!' Julia thought in horror as she and the others ran after the red serpent. She had no idea Gyarados could even be mobile on land. But that wasn't important right now. Geraldine was on a rampage, just like last night.
"Oh man! What's going on?!" Caiseal yelped, running his hands through his hair.
People screamed the moment they saw the red serpent drag herself through the dirt, charging right at the crowds. Another Dragon Rage ripped through the concrete road before her, plowing a huge trench going at least three feet deep.
That did it for Julia. She covered one ear with one hand and scrambled to yank her PokeBall out with the other. "Geraldine, return!" The red beam shot at Geraldine multiple times. However, her erratic movements and refusal to keep still made the red light miss every time. One would think that since she was so large and heavy, she would be slow, and on land for what matter, being half water type. It didn't occur to everyone that not only could Gyarados actually survive on land, but actually have enough mobility to actually traverse on land despite having no visible limbs.
Julia's pupils shrunk in horror. "Why isn't she going back in the PokeBall?!"
"Why is she even going berserk?!" Caiseal couldn't believe his eyes.
"Geraldine!" Julia hollered, chasing after the red serpent. "You have to calm down! Please, listen to me!" She cried desperately. Her pleas went unheard as Geraldine found herself firing another Dragon Rage at a smaller building. The shimmering flames consumed the entire wooden house. Julia's stomach churned at the sight. She could only pray that no one was inside.
"Chokkiiiiiii!" Tokiko flew right in front of Geraldine. Despite her small size, she spread her arms out, staring the red serpent right in the eye. "Choki chokki chokkiiiii!" ("Please, Geraldine! Snap out of it! You don't have to do this!")
All the fairy Pokemon got in response was a Dragon Rage to the face. Tokiko didn't even feel it. Being a fairy type, she was immune to dragon attacks.
"Ugh! I can't just stand here!" Perrine exclaimed, pulling out a PokeBall. "Marius! Use Psychic on Geraldine and make sure she doesn't move even an inch!"
With a swift throw, Marius came galloping out from the PokeBall. The moment he slid in front of the red serpent, his eyes glowed in an eerie purple light, as did Tokiko's. Both of them made a purple light consume Geraldine from the tail up. The red serpent attempted to thrash around, howling and roaring like she was trapped, to no avail.
Julia looked up. Her heart fell to the pit of her stomach as Geraldine roared and thrashed around. Finally, Geraldine broke through the psychic attacks, knocking both Marius and Tokiko to the ground by headbutting them both. Tokiko barely managed to keep herself aloft, but the long neck Pokemon fell feet first on the ground before losing his balance. This was bad. Really bad. Geraldine was thrashing around, attacking other people, going on a rampage, her eyes full of a kind of crazed fury she was unable to describe. What could she possibly do?
Her mother's warning played back in her head.
"What will you do if Gyarados suddenly goes berserk?"
"They could take Gyarados away and euthanize her if she so much as takes one life!"
"You could go to jail, and they could revoke your trainer's license!"
Julia gritted her teeth.
"Pika! Pikapika! Pikachuuuuu!" Hikaru pleaded as Geraldine used her teeth to rip a tree out from the ground, roots and all. As usual, the red serpent didn't listen.
There was no other choice now. She didn't want to resort to this, but people could die if she didn't take action. Spurred by Hikaru's cries, she yelled, "Hikaru! Tokiko! Do all you can to stop Geraldine! Make her immobile!"
Both Hikaru and Tokiko nodded before returning their gazes on the red serpent. Hikaru unleashed a strong Thunderbolt attack. Reluctantly, she fired the thunderbolt straight at Geraldine, closing her eyes to spare herself the pain of watching her friend writhe and howl. Tokiko simply encased herself in light, blinding the red Gyarados enough to make her close her eyes. Even Lucretia stepped in to help by firing several Shadow Balls at her.
"Eeveeeee!" ("Now's your chance!") She cried in Julia's direction.
Julia took that chance without hesitation. "Geraldine, return this time!" The red beam shot right at Geraldine this time, turning her to light and pulling her back into her PokeBall. It worked! Julia fell to her knees, clutching the PokeBall in her hands.
"Thank Arceus...thank Arceus…" Tears came running right out.
Even more so when she observed the damage. Several buildings were either reduced to rubble or had their roofs burned straight through. Several trees blocked the roads, preventing any cars or vehicles from passing. Cars that were already there were forced to sit in front of the barricade, with the drivers angrily blaring their horns loud enough for the whole town to hear, along with shouting expletives Julia didn't dare repeat. Mothers and fathers held onto their crying children, observing the destruction with utmost horror. Others cried upon returning to their destroyed homes.
"How…?" Julia was completely lost in her thoughts, looking down to avoid seeing what Geraldine caused. "How did this happen…?"
Perrine recalled Marius before kneeling down to her friend's level. "Are you okay, Jule?" She felt it needless and redundant to ask. Julia was obviously not okay, and neither was everyone else. Still, Geraldine's sudden rampage would probably send anyone into a nervous wreck. All she could do was stroke her catatonic friend's shoulder gently, reassuring her that she was here. Hikaru and Julia's other Pokemon gathered around her, their gazes brimming with worry and concern.
"Okay. Now that was crazy!" Caiseal exclaimed. "What the heck just happened?!"
"I...I don't know…" Julia whimpered. "Something must have set Geraldine off, but…" One word crashed into the other. "I...I don't know what!"
"HEY!" The three kids whipped their heads up. A large, beefy man stomped right over to them, his face scrunched up in a blazing scowl. Once he got close, he grabbed Julia's shirt sleeve and yanked her right off the ground, dragging her to her feet.
"What the-?!" Perrine and Caiseal were flabbergasted. Who was this guy, and where did he just come from? More than that, why did he pull her up like that?" "Let her go!" Perrine put a hand on his large, hairy arm, attempting to pry it off, to no avail.
"Was that Gyarados your Pokemon?!" The man roared, making Julia's pupils shrink even further. The man's bellowing voice exploded in her eardrums, and since both hands were occupied, she couldn't cover her ears. The man's face peered in so close, their noses could almost touch, and she could smell a strange grape scent in his warm breath.
It was too much. The yelling, his getting too close, his rough, calloused hand squeezing her shoulder so tight that she was sure he could break it if he wanted...Extremely loud, incredibly close. Why didn't he back off? She couldn't answer his question. His very presence stripped her of any attempt at communication. Then again, he didn't want an answer, as her silence only made him angrier.
"Your freakin' Pokemon nearly destroyed the durn town! You even destroyed my business!" The man hollered, forcing the girl to squeeze her eyes shut. Too bad his other arm mercilessly grabbed her chin and forced it up so hard, Julia thought it was a wonder it didn't break. His rough fingers dug into her skin. It was like she was being stabbed with knives. "Look at me, girl! How are you gonna pay for all this?!"
"Put her down! Come on!" Caiseal threw his hands on the man's hand, pulling on his fingers to force him off of his overwhelmed friend. Again, the man was too strong.
Pay for all of this? Julia knew that businesses cost money, and a lot of it. The money she had was only to be used for her journey, nothing else. How could she possibly pay for the man's business, and whatever else Geraldine destroyed? She could only think they must have cost a million dollars, and Julia didn't have that kind of money. Not that much. But more than that, she just wanted this freaky man to get out of her face, stop touching her, and put her down.
"I...I…" Finally, she found her voice. "I...don't...know…"
"Do you have any idea what you've done?!" The man barked, louder this time.
"I'm sorry! Geraldine didn't mean it!" She finally shouted defensively, against her better judgment. She needed to convince his man that Geraldine didn't do this out of malice. But by Arceus, why didn't this man be quiet? Everything about him was making Julia lose her mind. "I had no idea any of this would happen, and I don't know what caused it!
Her apology went completely ignored, and she knew it. No amount of saying sorry would magically fix everything. Words couldn't magically fix anything that Geraldine destroyed. But by Arceus, she wished they could!
"Well, yer not knowin' resulted in this here mess, and you're gonna have to pay for it!" The man roared once more, his voice rising with everything that came out of Julia's mouth. "You can't even control your own Pokemon!"
"GET OFF!" Finally, Julia found her strength and pried the man off of her shoulder, returning to the ground.
She knew it all along. Of course he'd get mad. Of course the townspeople would be mad at her. Geraldine was her Pokemon, and because her friend went berserk and destroyed people's property, she was also guilty by association. She would have to take responsibility. Anything she thought of saying and doing wouldn't fix anything, so of course they'd ignore her and tell her that she couldn't control Geraldine. That she would have to pay for everything. Regret and woe completely consumed the girl from head to toe. Why did this happen? Worst of all, her mother warned her about this, and Julia didn't even listen. She found herself wishing she had, and that she would disappear. Away from the man, away from all the destruction, away from the yelling, the angry eyes judging her and vilifying her.
"Stop! Stop yelling, please!" Not even Caiseal and Perrine's attempts to help managed to smooth things over.
The angry voices didn't stop either.
"My house is gone! My children and I are homeless now!"
"How are you gonna take responsibility for this, huh?!"
"Your Gyarados could have killed us all!"
"We ought to call the cops for what you did!"
Julia covered her ears, but not even that could help. Not only could she not block out the noise, she couldn't block out the reality of the situation. Everything became white noise. Anger, hatred, rage, fury...the world completely swallowed her up. Nothing they said made sense anymore. Everything seemed to merge together and trap her in a suffocating hold. Pulling her downward. Down, down, down…
"Stop."
One clear voice stopped everything. Julia whipped her head up. Standing before her was a long, trailing cape, capped with spiky, carmine red hair. A cape? Spiky red hair? Julia looked up, her eyes widening with surprise.
"...Lance?!" The large man yelped.
There he was, Lance Cipris, standing before the man and Julia with a cool, calm expression on his face. "Mr. Giesenhagen. There's no need to yell," Lance told him, keeping his voice low. Despite his calm voice, he looked dead serious.
Even Perrine and Caiseal found themselves flabbergasted once more. Lance? What was he doing here? The spiky haired man rummaged through his pocket and pulled out a wad of bills, many of which were hundred dollar bills. He didn't hesitate in handing them to Mr. Giesenhagen.
"These should cover all your expenses for now," Lance reassured.
Julia's mouth fell open. Did he just pay for all the damages? He was rich? Julia couldn't believe her eyes and ears. He was actually defending her, doing what she couldn't. Fear began to be knocked out of the way, being replaced by sheer gratitude. But why? It wasn't that she wasn't grateful for Lance's generosity. But they had only met a few times, and not under the best circumstances either. They weren't close friends, and Julia only saw him as some famous guy whom Perrine obsesses over.
"Oh…" Mr. Giesenhagen's anger morphed into joy. "Thank you so much, Lance! You're a generous soul indeed!"
Lance turned to the others. "I'll help with your expenses as well," He handed money to others' whose houses were destroyed. "I'll handle everything from here. Everything is fine."
With that, everyone dispersed, sans Lance, Julia, Perrine, and Caiseal. Everything gradually returned to normal. At least, for Julia. There was no noise, no yelling, no strange hands touching her or forcing her up on her feet without permission. Still, the PokeBall felt heavy in her hand. Even Perrine and Caiseal were silent.
The caped champion kneeled down to the girl's level. "Are you alright?"
"No…" Julia whimpered in the most pitiful voice she had. She hated lying, and she figured she might as well be honest. "...Th-Th-Thanks...for helping me...you didn't...need to-"
Lance held a hand up, silencing her. "It's fine. There's no way you can pay for the damages. They can't expect a child to be able to do that, and since I'm the champion, they have no qualms about allowing me to pay whatever compensation they need."
"I…"
"Hm?"
"I'm sorry...I know it won't fix anything, but...I never meant for this to happen! I really didn't, honest! I don't know what made Geraldine do what she did!" She cried, her face turning red from both the embarrassment and everything that happened piling up on her all at once.
"I know," Lance adopted a softer voice this time. "Let's go inside the Pokemon Center. We can talk in private there."
Julia was in no mood for talking. Not right now, anyway. Lance respected this and let the girl have about an hour or two to herself so she could calm down. She needed it. Perrine knew about Autism and figured that Julia liked being in quiet places and having time to calm down so she could process what happened and de-stress. She had long since accepted it as her coping mechanism. She had seen her aunt do strange things to calm herself down multiple times, but Perrine was never bothered. After all, her aunt wasn't hurting anyone by doing what she liked, and Perrine often liked having time to herself and a quiet place to get away from all the overwhelming things, so she could de-stress.
After going through something like that, of course Julia would want to go somewhere and destress. Better yet, she wasn't merely stressed, she was pretty much overloaded, like a machine's power level reaching critical mass and about to explode. Nobody dared disturb her during that time. She needed her space, and it wouldn't do anyone any good to force her to do anything right now.
The girl took about an hour and ten minutes to have a good cry, then composed herself before coming back out. She didn't dare look at him, or anyone, not even Perrine and Caiseal. She didn't want to see any faces right now. Faces judging her, sizing her up, making assumptions about her...She knew Perrine and Caiseal would be there for her, but she knew that could only go so far.
"Hello, Julia," Lance greeted her warmly. "If you don't mind, I'd like for us to go on a walk and talk in private. What do you say?"
She nodded without hesitation, and walked behind the caped man as they went back outside. Julia could only assume that Lance was probably hiding his anger, taking her to a private place where he could scold her harshly. Julia braced herself. She knew she had to face the music. There was no running away from this one. Plus, she owed him a great deal. He got her out of trouble, and he didn't even need to.
Oddly enough, Lance didn't look the least bit angry. Sure, his eyebrows were furrowed, but he didn't look stern or angry. "How's your finger?"
Julia pulled her hand up, noticing the splint still wrapped around her finger. "It's doing fine, but I hate this thing. It itches really bad, and my finger can't breathe!"
Lance found himself smiling at the comment. "I can relate. I saw you and your friends at the Lake of Rage yesterday."
"Really?"
"I stopped by for a bit to see how things were going. You and the red Gyarados were laughing. It really seems to like you."
"She," Julia corrected. "She's a girl, and I named her Geraldine."
"Geraldine…" Lance mused. "That's a pretty name."
Unable to stand it any longer, Julia had to get rid of that nagging feeling in her stomach. "...Aren't you gonna yell at me?"
"Huh?"
"Isn't that why you're taking me out here?" Julia asked inquisitively. "To tell me I'm a horrible trainer and what a bad person I am for letting Geraldine go out of control? That big guy who yelled at me earlier did just that."
Lance turned around, crossing his arms. "No. That's not why, and you're not a horrible trainer or a bad person," His voice had an earnest, sincere swing to it that even left Julia speechless. "The fact that you even caught Geraldine and managed to bond with her at all tells me that you possess a lot of good qualities befitting of a good Pokemon trainer. The love you have for your Pokemon tells me that you had no malice in your heart when you sent Geraldine out."
Hearing this was like music to her ears. Julia found herself on the verge of crying again. He understood, and she didn't even need to explain anything to him. Just like Jasmine, in a way. "I...I don't know what to say. Most people either think I'm a bad kid if I so much as say or do something, even when I'm trying to be nice, or yell at me or my parents."
"Can I ask exactly what happened?" Lance inquired. "I'd like to know all the details, please."
Julia nodded and explained everything as best she could. "I was training for my upcoming battle with Mr. Snow. I wanted to have Geraldine and my other Pokemon have practice battles with each other so we could prepare. Then we saw a crowd around us and...that's when she freaked out. But that wasn't the first time, either. Last night, she woke me and my friends up howling and screaming. I found out she was having a nightmare."
She was sure he wouldn't listen, but he did. Not once did he interrupt her or even try to discourage her from talking. To Julia, that allowed her the chance to continue on. "I'm starting to notice other things as well. If I try to talk to her, she looks at me like...like...like she was under attack by something. She...she also told me that she always seems to think about what Team Rocket did to her, and no matter what she tries, it won't leave her mind."
"Wait," Lance paused. "She told you? How can a Gyarados do that?"
Julia's hands flew to her mouth. 'OH NO! Not again!' Once again, she let slip that she could talk to Pokemon. Seeing that there was no way around this, she told him how she can understand what Pokemon are saying. Oddly enough, again, Lance listened without interruption or discouragement.
"I see…"
Julia pulled Geraldine's PokeBall out. "I don't get it. She's usually really nice, but...I don't know what caused her to…"
"If you don't mind, would you let me see Geraldine?" Lance asked as politely as he could muster.
For a brief moment, she almost handed the PokeBall to him. But something seized her, and she found herself glaring at him, holding Geraldine's PokeBall close like she was intent on protecting it with her life. "No! No way!"
The red haired man's pupils shrunk a little bit. Why the sudden mood change? He could see the anger and fear in her whole being. "I just want to see her? I'm not going to do anything."
Julia didn't stop glaring at him. "How do I know you're not gonna secretly take her without my permission, give her over to some facility, and tell them to euthanize her?!" She insinuated, her voice adopting a frantic swing to it.
To say Lance was surprised would be an understatement. He was downright baffled. How could an eleven-year-old girl possibly know of those things, let alone accuse someone of attempting to do so? He could come to a few conclusions, the most plausible one being that Julia did research on what happens to Pokemon if they're deemed aggressive or volatile by society. Perhaps she was scared the same would happen to Geraldine. Then again, considering what happened, she had every right to be.
The man flashed a reassuring smile. "Don't worry. I assure you none of that will happen. I don't know what she's like, so if I just took her without a word and sent her off to be put down, it'd reflect badly on me, and I'd be stripped of my title," He explained. "Plus, that only happens under absolutely extreme circumstances. Anyway, just release her from her PokeBall. I want to just see what she's like."
As much as she wanted to believe that, she still kept a guarded stance. She could never be absolutely sure of whether anyone was lying or telling the truth. There were times when she believed that some things were true, only to have something bad happen and then realize they lied and she was tricked. By Arceus, that always made her angrier than anything, but worst of all, never being able to tell what's true and what's not. How could she be sure that Lance wasn't going to just go back on his word and take Geraldine away?
But another side of her pleaded with her to listen to him. He was the champion. A professional. He knew what he was doing. She was sure Lance wouldn't just steal her Pokemon and hand her to some facility. But how would Geraldine react to seeing a stranger? Julia was one of the few people she trusted. But...if she didn't do this now, she might not get any answers. Finally, Julia relented.
"Fine. But you better not be lying," She made sure to stare right at him, her eyes gleaming with a look that said, 'If you lie to me, I won't show any mercy.' "Come on out, Geraldine."
Julia expected Lance to be alert, or to have a PokeBall ready should something go wrong. Oddly enough, it was the opposite. He still wore a warm, gentle smile, watching as the red serpent took shape. Geraldine looked down at Julia with a confused look on her face. She gave a soft growl, which Julia translated as, "What just happened?"
"Hi, Geraldine," Julia greeted her. "How are you?"
The red Gyarados smiled.
"I want you to meet a friend. This is Mr. Cipris," She pointed in Lance's direction. As soon as Geraldine met his eyes, she tensed up. "Don't worry. He's nice. He won't hurt you."
True to his word, Lance slowly approached the red Gyarados. "Hello, Geraldine. I'm Lance."
Geraldine bent downward so she could look at the caped man at eye level. She sniffed him inquisitively, taking in his features, examining him thoroughly. She didn't sense anything malicious or skeevy in this man. Then, she flashed a smile...before dragging her large tongue across Lance's entire being, giving him a good saliva bath.
"Geraldiiiiine!" Julia whined. "You got him all dirty!"
Oddly enough, Lance found himself laughing. "Well, you certainly are friendly."
The happy red Gyarados turned to Julia before growling, "He's cool. He smells like a dragon."
"I'm glad you like him, but it's rude to say he smells!"
"Like what?" Lance asked.
Julia's palm met her face. "She says you smell like a dragon."
Lance didn't look fazed by being covered in Gyarados drool. "Well, I am surrounded by dragon type Pokemon on a daily basis, so that's a pretty accurate statement," Julia had to wonder if Lance considered that a compliment. He didn't look offended, so she dropped the subject.
What Julia didn't know was that the wooded area they were in was reasonably close to the areas that Geraldine had damaged. When Geraldine opened her eyes, overlooking the trees, her pupils shrunk again. This time, not out of fury. She could make out piles of rubble with some smoke still billowing out. Huge trenches ran across the road, with people cleaning up all the debris leftover. Trees had been ripped right out of the ground, roots and all, with the roads being completely blocked.
The memories came rushing back. She let out a low, sad growl. "Is this...my fault? Did...did I do all this?" She had known that Gyarados had somewhat of a bad reputation, going on since ancient times. Gyarados were known to be set off if someone so much as invaded their territory, and they could reduce entire towns to rubble. Geraldine had heard the stories, but she didn't want to be a fearsome monster. She just wanted to settle down and have a family, like most of her friends.
None of this was what she wanted.
Julia looked up, noticing Geraldine's despondent, guilty expression. Her heart went out to the sad red serpent. She knew it. Geraldine wasn't vicious, nor did she do it on purpose. Still, she knew that even if she didn't mean to, there would still be consequences. All she could do was put a hand on her friend's red scales.
"Geraldine...I want to know. What happened?" Julia asked. "What made you...freak out like that?"
The red serpent explained that for a moment, she felt as though she were back at Team Rocket's other lair. Vivid memories of the cruel experiments had completely consumed her, and before long, she was sure she was re-experiencing everything all over again. The more Julia translated, the more Lance listened, and the more intense he grew. Not once did he comment on Julia's ability to talk to Pokemon, and she was sure he would, as others did, sometimes kindly, sometimes nonchalantly, and sometimes cruelly. Lance displayed little to no reaction. Or if he did, maybe he was hiding it.
"Hmm...I need to observe her a little more to come to a solid conclusion about this," Lance put a hand on his chin. "But it doesn't seem like Geraldine herself is the problem. There could be something else going on."
"Like what?" Julia asked this time.
"I have several theories, but I'll need solid proof," Lance turned back to the girl. This time, Julia found it safe to look directly at him. "Would it be okay if I observed you and Geraldine for the next day or two? I have some idea of what might be wrong, but I want to see how you two interact to be sure."
That was not the answer Julia expected. Then again, it proved to be a relief. At least Lance wasn't doing anything drastic. Julia could feel her body relaxing. But there was one question she was dying to have answered.
"Ummm...I know this sounds weird to ask, but...nobody got hurt, right? Nobody got killed?"
Lance smiled. "You're lucky. There were no deaths, and nobody was hurt too seriously," Julia exhaled a big sigh of relief. Thank goodness. "Mahogany Town has lots of experience with dealing with Gyarados, so they're always prepared. I'm honestly glad you didn't have deaths of both Pokemon or people on your hands," A stern look returned. "That would most certainly result in a permanent confiscation of your Pokemon trainer license, and you'd be on the blacklist forever in no time flat. No amount of intervention could save you from that."
As happy as she was to hear about no deaths or serious injuries, the thought of losing her trainer's license and being on the blacklist forever was enough to completely push any positive thoughts away. Once more, her mother's warning echoed in her head. Julia knew in her heart of hearts that her mother only wanted to help her, as mothers usually knew what was best for their children, Kassia being no different, even if she didn't always get things right. But the anger in her mother's voice was the strongest thing about that memory, the one that would always nag at her.
Maybe...did she know this might happen?
With that, the discussion was over, and the kids were back to doing what they usually did: train their Pokemon, chat amongst themselves, and have fun. But for Geraldine's sake, they went back to Lake of Rage so Geraldine could be back with her own kind. Julia knew that Geraldine's problems wouldn't go away in one day, or even the snap of a finger. She had seen too many medical shows to believe otherwise.
Still, she made sure to shower Geraldine with all of her love. Feeding her lunch, brushing her scales, reading books to her Pokemon out loud, etc. Lance made sure not to get in the way of their activities, but seeing Julia treat her Pokemon so well, and watching them return her affections...it made his heart stir. All of the Pokemon responded so well to their trainer, and not once did she ever get angry at them for anything. The fact that Geraldine, a Gyarados, normally feared and called the atrocious Pokemon, liked her a lot said a lot about Julia as a trainer.
But the signs were there. At one point, when Julia and Perrine were having a practice battle, Geraldine found herself numbing up before returning to the lake, hiding, like she was being attacked. Or if she didn't hide, she watched with a strangely anxious look on her face. Trembling, watching with wide eyes, like she expected something horrible to happen.
When the sun began to set, Geraldine was in the lake by herself, enjoying some alone time, while the kids were having their own dinner. All of a sudden, Geraldine started thrashing and growling in the water, then proceeding to use her tail to smack herself across the face multiple times.
"Geraldine! Stop!" Julia pleaded.
She didn't stop. "I don't think she can hear you," Perrine told her.
"Geraldine!" Julia shouted louder this time. "Don't do that to yourself!" Again, her pleas went unheard.
It was when she began firing random Dragon Rages at the sky that Julia realized it. She couldn't handle Geraldine. There was nothing she could do to stop Geraldine from freaking out. Her heart sank to the pit of her stomach. But not before she finally shouted once more, "STOOOOOP!"
For once, Julia's voice finally reached Geraldine. Several other Gyarados, including her parents, had risen up from the waters to try and restrain her. Luckily, the red Gyarados stopped before she gave them any reason to try and do so. She opened her eyes, seeing her family and friends surrounding her. Guilt weighed down on her scaly body.
"Oh no...I did it again, didn't I?" She growled softly, retreating to the water. "Sorry…"
The other Gyarados joined her, wrapping themselves around her as though they were trying to hug her.
"Man...you're in a real pickle, Jule," Caiseal told his friend. "I wonder if you can really handle her like this."
"I hate to say this…" Perrine agreed. "But I think your mom was right about Geraldine."
In desperation, Julia scurried to the library to find every book on Gyarados she could find. She went back to the lake with at least ten small books in hand, all of them about raising Gyarados. But Lance already found his answer. The sky began to adopt an orange hue, being painted by the brush of incoming night. When he returned to the lake, Julia was sitting on the grass, hastily flipping the pages of a book with a look of desperation on her face, and said face was beaded with sweat.
"No. No! No! No no no no no!" Julia scrambled through every book she had rented. Lance's mouth admittedly fell agape. "What am I doing wrong?! There must be something I'm missing!" She didn't even take the time to really read any passages. She wanted answers. Answers regarding Geraldine's outbursts.
"Julia…" Lance could hear his heart break.
"Ugh! There's nothing here!" Julia slammed the book on the pile and stood up. "I tried everything!" She shouted, running her hands through her disheveled hair. "I read so many books on how to raise a Gyarados! I made sure to buy big food, I brush her scales, I make sure she's included in everything, I shower her with love and care, I give her baths, I make sure she gets her exercise...but nothing I do is working! I must have done something wrong because I'm pretty sure Geraldine wouldn't be having these outbursts if I had raised her right!"
One word crashed into the other, and the more Julia talked, the faster and more incoherent her sentences became. Lance grimaced as he saw the pain and desperation in the girl's face, her green eyes looking as though they're about to produce tears at any moment. It didn't necessarily help that her voice was almost bordering on hysterical.
"What's wrong with Geraldine?! I have to figure out what it is and try to understand or else I'm a bad trainer!" Julia cried.
"Julia…" It hurt Lance's heart to see her like this. But he knew it would hurt even more if he told her the answer. He had to, though. There was no denying it now. "It's not you."
"It has to be! Geraldine's suffering and I can't help her and I have to because I'm her trainer and if I can't help her than she's gonna-"
A firm hand touching her shoulder silenced her. "Julia. It's not you. You're not the problem, and it's nothing you did."
"Well, what is it?!" She shouted.
Lance adopted a stern look. Here goes nothing. "I think...Geraldine's problems are in here," He pointed to his head, where is brain would be.
"In her brain?"
"I'm sure of it. After watching you two the whole day, I'm sure that...what Team Rocket put Geraldine through may have traumatized her far more than we realized," Lance explained calmly. "I think...I think those experiences keep playing in her head over and over again, and like a broken tape recorder, she can't turn them off. Have you ever had that happen to you?"
The girl stopped to ruminate. There were some times when bad experiences would just suddenly appear in her mind, and even if she tried to put them in the back of her mind, they'd always sneak back in and torment her for short spans of time. There was the Amoretto incident. Julia wished she could just forget about that already. There were a few bullies who always tried to make Julia's school life miserable. But that was it as far as she could pull out of her memories.
"I've had…a couple of those," She answered.
"But they probably don't make you constantly scared of everything or make you want to attack someone."
"No," Julia shook her head. "They don't."
Lance had to tell her the truth, even if it would hurt her. He had to do it. There was no sugarcoating it. "You're not doing anything wrong. You're actually doing everything right. But I think Geraldine's problems need to be addressed by professionals."
Already, Julia could see the truth being laid out before her. With every word Lance said, a piece of her heart would fall, then many more would follow. 'Please, Arceus. Don't let this be true. Make this just a dream. Don't make this true...make this not be true…' She begged and begged, but her prayers went unheard.
"There's a facility out in Blackthorn City," Lance began. His words were saturated with truths Julia didn't want to hear, but there was no escaping them. "They specialize in taking care of abused, exploited, or mistreated Pokemon that have problems like Geraldine is having. Experienced professionals, therapists, and psychologists that have helped numerous Pokemon over the years, one of mine included."
Every hope Julia had was being destroyed. Every hope she ever had of being able to take care of Geraldine without problems. But her mother's warnings and Lance's words made cracks in her emotional paralysis, allowing sadness and horror to seep right through.
"Geral…" Julia attempted, the first sounds of Geraldine's name coming out, but never making it to the end. Her voice didn't work.
"What I'm saying is...Geraldine needs more support than you're capable of giving her."
There, he said it. Julia figured he would say something like that. She tried to tell herself this was better than being euthanized. She tried to see the positives of it. Geraldine would be cared for. Experienced professionals, far older and smarter and more capable than she, could help Geraldine. But that was just it. She wouldn't be the one caring for Geraldine. The full impact of Lance's words finally struck her, and she found herself weeping openly.
She made no attempt to control her sobs. Her hands flew to her face as her tears melted into her palms. She stood still, unmoving, but her passionate cries were as loud as Geraldine's growls. Great, shuddering sobs escaped her tiny body until she was gasping for breath. All Lance did was stand there, watching as the small girl cried every tear she had. In fact, she was still crying. He couldn't blame her. He offered a solution, but of course it would involve the trainer giving up a Pokemon she tried to hard to raise with love and care.
"I...I...I...I can't give her up…" Julia wailed through her sobs. "How can you...expect me to give her to strangers whom she doesn't know?!"
Lance kneeled to her level to meet her covered face. "I know it's a hard decision. Believe me, I've been in your shoes. But...I feel this is the best option we can take. The staff there are excellent at what they do, and I've seen them help thousands of Pokemon. My Dragonite, Mercury, was exactly like Geraldine at one point," He explained. "He displayed the same symptoms Geraldine is showing, and when he had his outbursts, he was uncontrollable. My parents handed him over to them, and I visited every day. Now, he's been completely rehabilitated. I have faith that they can help Geraldine in the same way."
"I...I want to believe you. I really want to…" Julia was faced with a tough decision. Keep Geraldine and risk her having an outburst, then having her trainer's license revoked and put on the blacklist, or give Geraldine up and be possibly told that the red Gyarados was beyond help, then euthanized without her consent. She wished she didn't have to make this choice. It was all too hard, too overwhelming for her heart to handle. "But...I want to know for sure...that they'll really help her, and not just...claim she's bad and not even try to-"
"They will," Lance reassured, keeping his voice firm. "I wouldn't be recommending this to you if I didn't believe in them."
"And even if I do give her to you...you're someone she doesn't know, a stranger...what if Geraldine thinks I don't love her?!" She ripped her hands from her face. Red cheeks inflamed from exposure to tears met his eyes, and Lance didn't dare look away. "What if she thinks I hate her or abandoned her?! I can't bear for her to think I don't love her! I do! I really do! I don't want her to spend her life in some place she doesn't know thinking that...that I never loved her…"
"I'm sure she'll understand. She likes you enough already, and I know you love her," Lance told her once more. This wasn't an easy decision for anyone, be it an adult or a child. "But sometimes, being a good trainer means making hard decisions. It's about doing the right thing."
She knew what he meant. Her mother tried to warn her, but she didn't listen. The destruction Geraldine caused flashed through her mind. That basically told her everything she didn't want to admit was true. Keeping Geraldine and not being able to handle her outbursts...she couldn't do that to Geraldine. No, she wouldn't let Geraldine be taken away by whoever was in charge. Julia stopped crying for a moment to think. Lance was right. She needed to do the right thing. Geraldine needed help, and it would be wrong of Julia to not let her have this chance. No, this was the only solution. It would be better than being euthanized, than having her be taken away, or being deemed aggressive or beyond help.
"She can get better," Lance said. "I know she can. But that depends on whether you want to do the right thing for her."
Julia wiped her tears with one arm. She knew what she had to do now. No more denying it. She had to do the right thing.
"Alright. I'll...give her to you. But...can I be the one to tell her?" She asked, still whimpering. "I don't want to just hand her to some stranger she doesn't know."
Lance smiled. "Take all the time you need."
Julia didn't need all the time in the world. In her mind, she needed to do this now, or else both she and Geraldine would pay the price.
The sun was almost setting, and the Lake of Rage had become a magnificent, shining pool of liquid orange and amber. But Julia was in no mood for appreciating its beauty. She couldn't even look at it, as it was far too bright for her eyes to see, and exposure to the sun could easily make her go blind. With a frown, Julia released Geraldine from her PokeBall. The red serpent looked down at her trainer, noticing that her face was red, just like her scales.
"Geraldine?" Julia began, her voice quivering. "I...I have something I want to say to you."
Geraldine said nothing, allowing Julia to go on. "I...I want you to know that...that I love you very much. You're one of my best friends, and no matter what, we'll always be friends, and I'll always love you. I know that sounds cheesy, but it's true, and nothing will ever change that."
Perrine looked away. Caiseal simply stroke her shoulder with one hand, even though he knew it wouldn't do much to help. Again, Geraldine was silent.
"But...there's something I need to tell you," She found herself saying it again, scolding herself for being so redundant. Then she realized she was stalling for time. She couldn't stall. She had to say it. She gulped. Here goes everything. "Even though I love you and want to travel the world with you...I can't take care of you. I know you don't mean to, and it's not your fault, but your nightmares and outbursts...there isn't much I can do to stop you, and even when I try, people and Pokemon get hurt, and if you wind up killing someone, people could take you away and do things to you. I don't...I don't want that happening to you."
The air around them was tense. So tense that one could easily cut it with a knife. Lance could hear Julia's harsh sniffing as she desperately tried to hold back tears. But Julia persevered and continued on. "Lance says...that there's a place you can go...a place where people can help you with your nightmares. They can help you deal with what happened. I don't know who they are or what they do, but Lance trusts them, and he knows more about them than we do. They can...they can take care of you...in ways that I'm not capable."
Geraldine closed her mouth, listening attentively. No growls, no roars, nothing. She was silent and still, like a statue.
"I can't go with you though," Julia said. "You might have to stay there for a long time. Weeks, months, maybe years. I know your problems won't go away in the blink of an eye, and...no matter how hard I try, I can't help you when you really need it. That's why...that's why…" She had to say it. She had to. "For your sake and mine...I think you should go!"
Perrine and Caiseal exchanged glances.
"But...but you don't have to if you don't want to!" Julia waved her hands back and forth. "I know it's probably scary to be surrounded by strangers, and I know the feeling! I want you to have a choice in this. You can stay with me, or go with Mr. Cipis and go to that place. Don't feel like you have to-"
Before she could continue, Geraldine's tail popped out from the water, gently pushing Julia toward her beige underbelly. Julia's face made contact with the wet underbelly, inflaming her tear stained cheeks even more. Low growls escaped Geraldine's mouth, but they were soft and calm. To say she was shocked would be an understatement. Even Perrine, Caiseal, and Lance looked baffled.
"What's she saying?" Caiseal asked.
"Yeah! Translation?" Perrine inquired.
Julia said nothing. She couldn't say anything. The gesture and Geraldine's words deprived her of communication for a brief moment. Finally, she found her voice. "...She said…she said…" The first attempt didn't work, as her voice caught in her throat. "'...I'll go. Let me go with him. I'm sorry I put you through this. I want to get better. I don't want to cause you trouble. I don't want you to get in trouble because of me.' That's what she says."
She had completely expected Geraldine to take it differently. Going berserk, growling like crazy, firing Dragon Rage everywhere...but she was calm. Calm and collected. Julia finally realized it now. Geraldine was hugging her, and she had already made her decision. Unable to hold it in any longer, Julia cried into her friend's underbelly. She cried and cried, wishing she didn't have to do this.
"I'm sorry, Geraldine...I'm sorry I have to do this...please, please don't hate me," She begged. "This is...the only option for you...I wish I could take you with me…"
"I know. I know," Geraldine gurgled.
Two other Gyarados popped up from the lake. Geraldine turned around, freeing Julia from her hug before swimming over to them. The two Gyarados wrapped themselves around their child.
"Mom. Dad. I have to go. I won't be back for a while, but...I'll get better. I want to."
"It makes us sad to see you go...but we accept your decision."
"No matter what, you'll always have a home here."
With that done, Geraldine turned back around, facing Julia. She had finally stopped crying, and wiped her tears to no avail. "Okay. Geraldine? I'll try to visit when I can. Okay? I can't do it often, but you know I'll always be thinking about you," Reluctantly, she pulled out her friend's PokeBall. "Please be good and do everything Mr. Cipris tells you. Okay?"
Geraldine nodded.
Julia sniffed. "Goodbye, girl," With that, the red beam fired at Geraldine, turning her into light and sucking her right in. Julia marched over to Lance and held her PokeBall out. "Here. Take her. She deserves to have a good future."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, I'm sure!" Julia shouted, her voice bordering on angry. "Why do you think I did this?! Now take her, and hurry before I change my mind!"
"Julia…" Perrine approached slowly, putting both hands on her friend's shoulders. She wished there was something she could do to help, to ease her friend's pain.
Without hesitation, Lance took the PokeBall from her hand. "I promise that Geraldine will receive the best care. Here," Lance handed her a piece of paper. "Here's some information on the facility, the phone number, and everything."
Paper. Phone number. Julia rummaged through her bag, pulled out a pencil and paper, and scribbled something down before handing it to Lance. "This is my PokeGear number. Feel free to give it to someone there so they can call me...if Geraldine is doing well or not."
Lance smiled sadly before taking it. "Thank you."
"But...but know this!" Julia growled, glaring at him through her tears. "...If I find that you're lying...and that Geraldine's been euthanized...I'll never forgive you, even if you are the champion!"
This time, Lance said nothing. He couldn't blame her. She was sad and needed to get her feelings out. It was nothing he wasn't used to. Still, he liked how honest and cautious she was. He wished more trainers would be as considerate and earnest as she. All of a sudden, Julia whirled around and darted away.
"Hey! Julia, come back!" Perrine gave chase, leaving Caiseal alone. Lance got on Mercury's back and flew away without another word.
Julia tried to tell herself that this was for the best. She was doing what was best for Geraldine. Geraldine needs professional help and care, and now she had the chance to get it. She wasn't being euthanized or taken away, and she would still be Julia's Pokemon. Julia could go and visit when she wanted to, and Geraldine would be cared for by people who knew how to deal with Pokemon like her. This was for the best. She did the right thing. Geraldine deserved all the love and care in the world, and even though Julia wouldn't be there, Geraldine would be cared for. That would be best for her.
Why was she still so sad?
She knew the answer to that. This wasn't what she wanted. Julia wanted to be with Geraldine, to take her with her across Johto, to fulfill their dreams together, to travel the world, meet new friends, make wonderful memories, and do whatever they wanted. Julia wanted so, so, so badly to keep Geraldine. Julia wanted this...but it wouldn't be good for Geraldine, for her, or for anyone. Julia couldn't help Geraldine with her problems, nor could she handle her when she had her nightmares or outbursts. If Julia kept Geraldine, they could take her away, revoke her trainer's license, and put her on the blacklist permanently if Geraldine so much as killed one person.
No. Julia wanted this, but it wasn't what Geraldine needed. She needed help. She needed professional care. Julia wanted so badly to keep Geraldine, but giving her to Lance was the best thing she could do for her. Nothing she could do would help Geraldine.
Finding herself at an empty clearing, she was alone. Alone with her sadness. She tried to see the positives of her decision, but her sorrow took hold over everything. Here she was in an empty clearing. Good, she could scream and cry as loud as she wanted, let all her feelings out, and nobody would be around to be annoyed or tell her to shut up or get over it or look at her weird.
Once again, Julia cried until she could cry no more, pouring out all the sadness her heart had accumulated.
"Goodbye, Geraldine...I'll miss you…"
Happy Memorial Day!...for those who celebrate it, that is.
Yeah, I did the unthinkable: I had Julia give up one of her Pokemon, namely because I wanted to prevent her from becoming a Mary Sue who gets everything handed to her when she shouldn't, and because I actually had a similar experience involving a pet cat. Sometimes, even if you shower someone or something with all the love you have in your heart, it may not be enough, and sometimes someone or something with a lot of mental and psychological problems requires more support and professional help than the regular person is capable of giving. If left unchecked, a lot of trouble or chaos could ensue and nobody would be happy. I've read stories in books or saw documentaries on TV about parents who tried adopting kids from abusive, neglectful homes, and said kids proved to be extremely hard to handle, coming with their own problems that foster parents were unable to help them with no matter what, sometimes with tragic results.
So sorry to those who voted that she catch Geraldine! I had this planned out from the beginning, so don't feel bad.
Julia's Party:
Hikaru (Shiny Pikachu, Female, Jolly Nature)
Ability: Static
Attacks: Thunderbolt, Disarming Voice, Sweet Kiss, Volt Tackle
Lucretia (Eevee, Female, Bashful Nature)
Ability: Anticipation
Attacks: Quick Attack, Helping Hand, Bite, and Shadow Ball
Tokiko (Togetic, Female, Hardy Nature)
Ability: Serene Grace
Attacks: Extrasensory, Headbutt, Dazzling Gleam, Magical Leaf
Saoirse (Snubbull, Female, Gentle Nature)
Ability: Intimidate
Attacks: Ice Fang, Bite, Fire Fang, and Scary Face
Rino (Nidorino, Male, Modest Nature)
Ability: Poison Point
Attacks: Double Kick, Poison Sting, Peck, and Horn Attack
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, Vine Whip, Body Slam, and Grassy Terrain
Baloo (Jigglypuff, Female, Docile Nature)
Ability: Cute Charm
Attacks: Sing, Wake-Up Slap, Disarming Voice, and Body Slam
Mushi (Paras, Male, Quirky Nature)
Ability: Effect Spore
Attacks: X-Scissor, Stun Spore, Growth, and Giga Drain
Luminita (Lanturn, Female, Naive Nature)
Ability: Water Absorb
Attacks: Supersonic, Discharge, BubbleBeam, and Electro Ball
Marius (Girafarig, Male, Mild Nature)
Ability: Sap Sipper
Attacks: Stomp, Odor Sleuth, Psychic, and Crunch
Caiseal's Party:
Mallow (Marowak, Male, Lax Nature)
Ability: Lightning Rod
Attacks: Bonemerang, Bone Rush, Headbutt, and Rock Smash
Apollo (Typhlosion, Male, Bold Nature)
Ability: Blaze
Attacks: Flamethrower, Flame Charge, Rollout, and Smokescreen
Viole (Gloom, Male, Quirky Nature)
Ability: Chlorophyll
Attacks: Petal Blizzard, Sludge Bomb, Sleep Powder, and Sweet Scent
Stacey (Pinsir, Female, Serious Nature)
Ability: Hyper Cutter
Attacks: X-Scissor, Swords Dance, Seismic Toss, and Double Hit
Heracles (Heracross, Male, Relaxed Nature)
Ability: Moxie
Attacks: Brick Break, Megahorn, Aerial Ace, and Endure
Geo (Golem, Male, Brave Nature)
Ability: Sturdy
Attacks: Steamroller, Rock Slide, Heavy Slam, and Magnitude