A/N: Hey guys! I wanted to get this chapter out in March, but it took a little longer than I wanted. Oh well! I'm proud of how this one came out. Also, happy Autism Awareness Month for all you autists and Aspies out there, me included! (Though one rule: We don't mention Autism Speaks. They suck) Furthermore, I have some news! I GOT A NEW HIGHER PAYING JOB AND IT HAS MEDICAL BENEFITS! Woohoo! My three years of fruitless job searching may have finally come to an end! I'm gonna make a crap ton of money, more so than I did at Lowe's! I'm so happy! On that note, enjoy this (mostly) happy filler chapter!
...or is it?
Chapter 54: Happiness and Tears
The day after their battle with Clair, the kids found themselves in one of their rooms in the Pokemon Center, wondering if the battle from last night was a dream. All three of them gathered round on the floor, badge cases in their hands, with intense looks on their faces. After a brief minute, they opened them up. Inside were eight badges. Zephyr. Hive. Plain. Fog. Mineral. Storm. Glacier, and finally, their recently earned Rising Badge. Julia gently grazed her fingers across their hard surfaces. They were cool to the touch, and felt real in her tender hands. Their intense expressions softened as wide grins spread across their faces.
"We actually have eight badges!" Julia exclaimed, setting her case down to flap her hands as the excitement overwhelmed her all over again.
Perrine slid hers back into her bag. "I'm still having a hard time believing it's even real," She said, beaming with pride. "Now my dream of becoming the champion of Johto is closer than ever!" She pumped her fists into the air. "I'll be able to compete in the Pokemon League!"
For as long as Julia had known her, Perrine had always wanted to battle the gym leaders and get into the Pokemon League. She was as obsessed with it as Julia herself was with Pokemon in general. Julia could practically see a radiant glow around Perrine's body as her orange haired friend was lost in her joy. She smiled, happy that Perrine's dream was getting ever closer to finally coming true. She sincerely hoped that Perrine would win the Pokemon League. Caiseal, too, but she knew there could only be one winner.
Caiseal was flipping through the pages of a small book he found on a kiosk in the Pokemon Center just earlier. "Alright, so today's October 26th, so the Pokemon League starts in…" Caiseal muttered to himself as he turned every page his fingers touched. After a brief moment, he finally stopped on one page in particular. "Aha! Found it! So, according to this, the Pokemon League officially starts on December 1st, so we have over a whole month until we can actually participate," He explained.
Both girls' jaws dropped. "Wow!" Perrine yelped. "That's a lot later than I thought! I was so sure it'd be sooner!"
Julia found herself smiling again. She also thought the Pokemon League would be a lot sooner. But in a way, she was happy the Pokemon League was still a month away. There was a lot that she wanted to do in that time, and having a whole month to herself was absolutely perfect. "This might be a good thing," Julia told her friend. "You guys can use the entire month to train really hard for the League."
"That's a good point," Caiseal agreed, crossing his arms and nodding. "We wouldn't want to start completely unprepared, now do we?"
Indeed they didn't.
"Also," Caiseal suddenly added, pointing to one of the paragraphs on one page. "According to this, we need to go to New Bark Town, cross the ocean east from there, and go through the Tohjo Falls in order to get there."
New Bark Town...Julia found herself lost in thought. After all this, she would be returning home. Going back to her beloved house, her comfortable bedroom, all of her Pokemon friends, and everything else she loved. She could show Caiseal and Perrine around and watch movies with them. Maybe even have a pizza party or a sleepover party. She had always wanted to invite friends to her house, and always got jealous whenever Amara invited friends over all the time. Julia had barely any friends, and the few she did make never got to visit her house or have a sleepover. She grinned at the appealing thought.
Unfortunately, another thought made her bristle. If she went back to New Bark Town, she'd have to go back to school. Back to sitting at a desk. Back to teachers, homework, worksheets, and angry eyes watching her every move, judging her for not being normal like them or waiting for her to mess up so they'd scold or laugh at her. Back to the annoying girls who'd pick on her and laugh at her, either directly or behind her back. Back to feeling like a freak in a sea of normal people. She had already missed a lot of school work just by being gone since April, and she'd have to do a ton of work just to make up for it. Maybe even go to summer school. Oh, joy.
"I kinda don't want to leave Blackthorn yet," Perrine said out of the blue. "Since we all managed to win eight badges, let's spend the whole day celebrating!"
"I'm cool with that!" Caiseal replied.
"Me too!" Added Julia.
A whole day in Blackthorn City, doing nothing but having fun and whatever else they wanted. Julia found the idea very appealing. The Pokemon could use a day of fun and relaxation as well, since they were the ones who worked so hard in all of the battles for those badges. Perrine threw her index finger into the air and announced with great enthusiasm, "I say we go shopping!"
Again, everyone agreed. Since this part of Blackthorn City only had stores all bunched together in one area instead of a mall, like Goldenrod City had, they did have to stay together a lot of the time, not that they minded too much. Julia figured the more time she could spend with her friends, the better. She didn't want to go back to New Bark Town just yet. There was so much more she wanted to do. Their first stop was a local bookstore. It wasn't as big as the ones Julia frequented in Cherrygrove City before starting her journey, but she found a lot of books that she wanted, so it was serviceable enough.
"Look, Hikaru!" Once Julia saw one book that caught her eye, she wasted no time yanking it off the shelf. Hikaru sat on her shoulder, watching her trainer flit around from shelf to shelf the entire time. Julia showed Hikaru the book she pulled out in question. The cover illustration depicted a young girl and a Pikachu by her side. "It's A Girl Named Kat!" Julia squealed. "I've always wanted to read this! And guess what?" She pointed to the Pikachu in the corner of the picture. "The main character has a Pikachu for a partner, too! And she's shiny!"
"Pikaaaaa?!" Hikaru's eyes glimmered. A book showing a shiny Pikachu? Just like her? All her life, Hikaru thought she was the only shiny Pikachu on the planet. Well, she was sure there had to be more, but she hadn't met any, and most normal colored Pokemon shunned her before she met Julia. Still, the thought that someone wrote a story with a shiny Pikachu as a main character set her heart aglow. "Pikapi!" Hikaru pointed to the book, shaking her index finger at it.
"Oh, I've been wanting to buy this for months, so you bet I will!" Julia cradled the book in her hands before going off to see if there were more.
"Yeeeeek!" Only to wince and freeze when she heard Perrine shriek from the next shelf over. "Oh my goodness!" She bounced right over to Julia, squealing like crazy. "I found a new copy of The Jammin' Ninja: The Solitary Sovereign! I didn't think I'd be able to find it again! Now I can replace the copy that Abby ripped up!"
Of course. Julia bristled at the mention of the name Abby. She didn't want to waste any time thinking about that unruly child. Today was going to be a day of fun and recreation, so no bad memories were allowed. Still, she was happy that Perrine found a replacement for the book she liked. "That's good. I found some good ones myself. Where's Caiseal at?"
Perrine pointed towards the movie section with her thumb. "Over there. Knowing him, he's probably looking for some bad horror movies to watch," The girls shared a laugh over that. Even Hikaru joined them in their laughter. Still, they were happy to see Caiseal smile again. After the whole ordeal with his biological parents, he deserved to have a good time, especially since there was a chance he'd be able to see Violet again soon.
"So what do you want to do after this?" Julia asked.
"Aw man, there's so much I want to do!" Perrine exclaimed, stopping to ruminate after a bit. "But now that we're here...I do want to get a good look at Mt. Silver. There's a trail around here that goes high up, and if you reach the top, you can see Mt. Silver from there."
Mt. Silver...Julia had heard of the place multiple times before. When she and her parents would go on car rides sometimes, she could see it from miles away if they were on a really high place. But she never had any interest in going to see it herself. From what she heard, it was full of strong Pokemon. Dangerous, even. When she was younger, she would never have wanted to go anywhere near Mt. Silver. Now, though? She was a different girl from when she was in fifth grade. She had her own Pokemon. She was stronger. Braver. Even if they weren't actually going to the mountain itself, she did want to get a closer look at it. Her father always told her Mt. Silver had a great view, and seeing it up close was beautiful. Why not now?
"Sounds like fun!" Julia gave her approval. "I wouldn't mind going! I'll ask Caiseal in a bit and see if he wants to go."
After paying for her books, Julia did just that. Caiseal lit up at the suggestion. "See Mt. Silver?! Awesome! I've always wanted to see it up close but never did," He effused, his smile almost blinding to Julia's eyes. "I say let's do it! We can let our Pokemon out and they can get some good exercise out of it, too!"
"I wonder if we'll find some cool Pokemon on the way?"
"There's lots of cool Pokemon there. Maybe we can catch some while we're there!"
And thus, their second activity was settled.
The trail wasn't far from where the kids were, only about a thirty minute walk. The trail itself was said to spread out into different directions. One trail led directly to Mt. Silver, whereas others either led to higher areas where it could be seen from close by, or to lower ground, closer to where Route 44 was. The kids picked the second trail, as they weren't planning on going directly to Mt. Silver. They let all of their Pokemon out so they could have some fresh air and walk alongside them. Tsubasa and Ravenclaw flew far ahead of the children, only stopping to perch on some tree branches every now and again to rest their wings and take in the scenery. Tall trees lined the rock-laden path, their leaves providing some reprieve from the sun. Withered leaves crunched under their feet, still lingering after having fallen some time ago.
"Phew! These trails are steep!" Julia exclaimed, her legs already burning from having walked for quite a while. She felt like she had to firmly plant her shoes on the ground just to keep from rolling back down, and her legs felt like cinder blocks. In contrast, Twilight walked right past her without even breaking a sweat, and the horse even had Hikaru, Tokiko, and Saoirse riding on her back. Julia couldn't help but glare. Twilight sure was strong.
"Yeah, really," Perrine stopped briefly to catch her breath, putting her hand on a nearby tree. "I like it, though. There's so much to see up here."
"Pupupu!" Fuwari floated right past Perrine with little effort, smiling and chirruping the whole time. Perrine smiled as she watched the flower on the Skiploom's head spin like a top.
In the meantime, Baloo and Blossom stopped to look at some flowers on the edge of the dirt path. A cluster of white snowdrop flowers contrasted with the mountainous terrain they grew from. Their delicate, snow colored petals almost looked like lace on a dress. The two Pokemon stared at the flowers for a bit before rushing to catch up with their trainers. Baloo mostly floated, as she covered more distance by sucking in air and floating than using her feet to walk.
Caiseal scanned the scenery around him, marveling at the vast expanse of nature all around him. Mallow and Apollo walked on both sides of him, happy to see him smile after the awful experience he had just the other day. The egg that Geoffrey gave him was cradled in his arms, encased in a glass container for safety. Caiseal took care not to be too rough with the egg, and he did wonder what Pokemon would hatch from it. From the coloring of the egg, he assumed an electric type Pokemon might be in there. Yellow was usually associated with electric types, and some of the black stripes were shaped like Z's or lightning bolts.
"What's up there?" Julia exclaimed, pointing further ahead.
Gradually, the trees were clearing out the more they walked. They made their way towards the edge of the trail, and an amazing sight greeted them. A vast blue sky stretched farther than their eyes could see, with nary a cloud in sight. A sea of trees stretched out below the cliff face they stood on, though a bit of silver railing was there to keep them from falling off. Standing among the ocean of trees was none other than Mt. Silver. From where the kids and their Pokemon stood, it looked like a rocky triangle sprouting up from the trees. The knobby face of the mountain had a white sprinkle on the peak, darkening amongst the dirt brown rocks that made the apex kiss the heavens, making it look like gleaming silver. The kids could only stare in awe. Mt. Silver was only about six or seven miles away from them, but it looked so close that the kids could reach their hand out and touch it.
"Wow!" Julia's green eyes glimmered as she took in the breathtaking sight before her. The only other mountain she had seen up close was Mt. Mortar, but Mt. Silver's beauty dwarfed it by a landslide. "It's so pretty up here!" Several of her Pokemon chirruped in agreement.
"Oh man! I am so taking pictures of this!" Perrine pulled out a camera and wasted no time snapping pictures.
"Mt. Silver sure is a beauty, isn't it?" Caiseal asked in a low, wistful voice.
Julia smiled right back at him. "Of course it is! I never would have seen this if I had stayed in New Bark Town!" Twilight stopped to look, as did the three Pokemon riding on her back. The Pokemon all stopped to marvel at the glorious mountain before them. On the other hand, Twilight simply huffed and looked away.
"Eh, it's nothing special," Twilight disagreed.
"Hey, guys!" Perrine excitedly gestured for them to come closer. "Let's take some pictures of us here!"
For a short while, the kids took pictures of themselves in front of Mt. Silver, along with whatever Pokemon wanted to join in. Most of the time, the smaller Pokemon wanted to be in the pictures. Saoirse in particular had a grand time, waving her bow-studded ears and striking poses in Julia's arms like she was a famous model, beaming with a bright smile. At one point, Tsubasa swooped right into one picture, completely photobombing it.
"Yeeek!" Both Caiseal and Julia backed away as they saw Tsubasa fly right in front of them. "Tsubasa!" Julia yelped, scolding the bird for ruining the picture. Tsubasa paid her no heed, smugly holding her head up like she was a rich person flaunting her wealth. Perrine held a hand over her mouth to suppress laughter.
Well, it wasn't too bad. They took more pictures, this time without Tsubasa photobombing it. Suddenly, Caiseal found himself crying out with delight. "Guys! Look at that!" He pointed towards the mountain.
Something green was moving in the distance, but it wasn't a tree. It had large, thick spikes all along its back, and it was walking along the mountain. Upon closer inspection, it was a big Pokemon that looked like a dinosaur covered in a thick green hide, though it did have a blue, diamond shaped patch of scales on its abdomen. The Pokemon was so big it was easy for the kids to see it on Mt. Silver despite being far away from it, and its green hide stuck out like a sore thumb amongst the majestic mountainscape.
"It's a Tyranitar!" Perrine exclaimed. "Wow! They rarely ever come out from Mt. Silver! This is awesome!"
"I know, right?" Julia agreed, pulling out her PokeDex to examine it. She wondered if the PokeDex could even analyze a Pokemon from so far away.
The PokeDex's robotic voice sprang to life. "Tyranitar, the armor Pokemon. Tyranitar's hide is very thick, so much so that it is able to withstand even the most powerful attacks. Some say Tyranitar is unable to be harmed in any way whatsoever, though recent evidence has debunked that theory. However, Tyranitar are very eager to challenge strong opponents because of their strength and reckless nature. They don't bother with opponents they consider unworthy of their time, but it is safer to avoid it or approach with caution. Tyranitar have such overwhelming strength that some have been shown to bring down whole mountains and bury rivers in order to make their nests, resulting in many a redrawn map."
From here, Tyranitar was merely a green blip on the face of the mountain, but the fact that they were seeing one was enough to leave them awestruck. Julia was happy they decided to go up this trail. If they hadn't, they wouldn't have seen this beautiful scenery and that Tyranitar strolling up the mountain. But her lofty thoughts were interrupted by an undignified growl rumbling from her stomach. Julia's hands flew to her abdomen, but the kids and the other Pokemon stared right at her, having heard the noise.
"Ehehehe...think it's time we got back down?" Julia asked. "I think it's almost lunch time."
The kids smiled. "I don't see why not. Besides, there's this place I've always wanted to eat at," Caiseal crossed his arms in agreement.
The place in question was a quaint little restaurant called Dragon's Diner. It had been established only ten short years ago, but it gained a lot of popularity among young trainers for the intricate dragon designs on the walls, the quality service, and the good food. Even the tables had serpentine dragons etched into the wood, right on top. It wasn't too crowded today, so there were still plenty of seats to be found, though Julia didn't find herself fond of the generic pop song playing on the radio. She thought it a little too saccharine for her tastes. The kids decided on a small lunch here, as they didn't want to eat too much as of right now, so as to leave room for dinner.
Once they placed their orders, their meals came quickly. Caiseal had ordered chicken tenders, Perrine ordered a grilled Wishiwashi sandwich, and Julia ate mozzarella sticks. She had them before and liked them, but didn't eat them too often. Julia liked how her mozzarella sticks weren't really sticks but shaped like little triangles. They were crunchy as she chewed on them, and the mozzarella was soft on her tongue, but not overly sticky, just the way she liked it. She did have a slightly hard time trying to cut it into pieces, since the cheese was so thick. Afterward, the kids ordered desert, since what kid doesn't like desert? They all ordered the same thing.
"Whoa…" All three kids' mouths dropped when they saw a particularly delectable chocolate cake placed on their table. Three big slices of three-layered chocolate cake, with dark frosting on top, lighter brown curled frosting on the edge, dotted with many tiny chocolate chips on the back. Within each layer was soft, dark chocolate fudge. But what really surprised them was how big each slice was, barely bigger than their whole hands, but very thick.
"It looks soooo good…" Julia couldn't take her eyes off of her slice.
"My dad would kill me if he knew I ate something this big," Perrine said.
Caiseal took his fork and pulled off some of the chocolate chips. "Well, we better not let it go to waste!" He wasted no time chowing down.
Julia dove right into the frosting, taking a huge glob of it and spooning it into her mouth. Her cheeks turned pink with delight as she savored the soft, melty, chocolatey frosting oozing on her tongue. She was in heaven. She wondered if she could get more so she could share it with the Pokemon. Hikaru and Saoirse in particular would love it, she thought. Julia made a mental note to order extras to take with her.
"Okay! This cake is awesome!" Perrine exclaimed, oblivious to the fact that her lips were speckled with chocolate frosting. "What do they call this again?"
"Death by chocolate, the menu said," Julia answered, taking another bite. "If you guys don't mind, I'm gonna order two more slices of this, mostly for the Pokemon in case they wanna have some."
"Good idea," Caiseal dipped some of the cake batter into the gooey ganache on his plate. "None of my Pokemon are big on stuff like this, last I checked. All Heracles cares about is tree sap."
The girls laughed. "Oh, don't we know it," Perrine agreed.
Even so, the kids took their time and savored their food, delighted by just how good everything was. Afterward, they paid the bill and left, but not before Julia ordered two more big slices of cake for her Pokemon. Then again, the kids figured the Pokemon would like to get out of their PokeBalls and run around. Even if they had gone with them on the trail, they hadn't been out for very long. They found a good spot by the lake behind the gym and released all of their Pokemon from their PokeBalls. Every single one of them went their own way, doing whatever they wanted. As Julia predicted, Hikaru, Saoirse, Tokiko, and Blossom enjoyed the cake she got for them. Tsubasa and Twilight were too concerned with sparring to think about food, not that they liked sweets anyway.
At one point, Saoirse was sitting on a bench, having finished her portion, as did Hikaru, Tokiko, and Blossom. Julia sat next to her, sitting back and enjoying the sunshine. Not long after, something poked her on her arm. She looked down to find Saoirse handing the plastic carton back to her. "Oh. You're finished already?"
Saoirse nodded.
Julia smiled. "Okay. I'll go throw this away," She said, but a little laugh escaped her before she could get up. "Heehee! You have frosting on your face!" She giggled. Saoirse's cheeks were speckled with chocolate frosting. Julia thought it was cute. She took out a napkin and wiped Saoirse's cheeks with it, taking care not to rub it too hard. "Do you want some water while I'm at it?"
"Snubbull!" Again, Saoirse nodded.
"I'll be back!" Julia ran to the nearest trash can, dropping the empty carton and used up plastic utensils in it. The last time she was here, she remembered seeing a vending machine nearby that had lots of tiny bottles of water in it. She looked around, hoping it was still there. Before long, a vending machine came into view. She put a one dollar bill in there, pressed a button, and watched as a bottle of fresh water, barely bigger than her hand, rolled right out with a clunk.
"That was quick," She pulled it out and returned to the bench within seconds. "Here you go, Saoirse!" Julia handed Saoirse the palm-sized bottle of water. Saoirse unscrewed the cap all by herself and chugged it down right as her trainer sat next to her. Julia smiled upon watching her little friend drink. The red ribbons on Saoirse's ears seemed to bounce every which way her ears swiveled. Why did Saoirse have to be so cute? Julia let out a sigh and let herself relax, happy to finally have some peace and quiet after an eventful day. Hikaru and Tokiko were sitting just five feet away, making a pile of rocks. Blossom was a little further away, happily making a flower crown for Baloo while Fuwari was still in the process of making her own. Mushi sat next to them, planting mushrooms into the ground. Pure bliss.
Julia rocked back and forth, allowing herself to enjoy the scenery around her. The tall mountains, reaching far into the sky, merely scraping the heavens in all their glory. The lake near the gym, with its shimmering blue waters reflecting the afternoon sunlight. She saw a lone Dratini leap out from the water and dive right back in, its graceful, slender body in a perfect circular arc. If she had stayed in New Bark Town, she would have never experienced all that she had seen and witnessed on her journey.
"You know...it's kinda funny," Julia said to Saoirse. "Before, I would never have gone on a journey like this," Saoirse put the bottle down and used her paw to wipe her face, but Julia could tell she was listening. Her ears were up and alert. "I admit, I'm one of those people who'd rather be safe, avoid certain stuff, and take my time than go all out and take risks. Mom or Dad always drove me to and from school, I never went out by myself, and hardly anyone at school wanted to be friends with me. I never even walked away from the house or went farther than my front and backyard."
"Snubbull," Saoirse piped in.
"But here I am, so far away from home, and so much has happened, most of it good," Julia continued on, smiling. "I made so many friends, saw so many great things, went through so many experiences, learned so much, and more! I don't think I can put it all into words!" She spread her arms out, like a flower taking in sunlight. "I'm really happy I decided to leave home. If I hadn't wanted to go after Amara, I would never have been able to experience all of this, or even meet you, Perrine, Caiseal, and all of the other Pokemon."
Various events in her journey played through her mind. Battling Amara after she stole Totodile from Professor Elm's lab and the fallout from it. Finding Perrine lost in the Union Cave. The bad first meeting with Caiseal. The battle with Whitney in Goldenrod City. Catching Lucretia in Ecruteak City. Her confrontation with Morty in regards to his unprofessional behavior. Riding on a boat from Olivine to Cianwood and back. Watching Tokiko hatch from her egg. The whole fiasco with Raikou and Pokemon Hunter J. Hikaru evolving after saving her from one of J's machines. Everything involving Geraldine. Consoling Caiseal in the Ice Path after his breakdown and doing everything she could to keep him safe. Finally, she had defeated Clair, winning her eighth and final badge, right alongside her friends. There was no way Julia would have experienced any of these things had she stayed home.
Saoirse listened to her trainer as she drank more water. But she felt a slight pressure weighing on her chest. What was it? Was she drinking too much water? Saoirse stopped drinking and began to screw the cap back on.
"I wouldn't trade my journey for anything in the world," Julia said, stroking Saoirse's head with her finger. "Hey! Here's an idea, Saoirse! When we get back to New Bark Town, I'll ask Mom if she can take us to this little boutique in our neighborhood. They have really cute dresses for Pokemon, and I bet I can find you a brand new dress with a bunch of cute new bows, too!"
Julia's whole being radiated delight as she talked about getting a new dress for Saoirse, since the Snubbull really liked dressing up. But her train of thought was interrupted by a strange sound. Something was heaving and retching, like someone was throwing up right next to her. She looked to her right, and her joy was kicked to the curb. Saoirse had fallen off the bench and was on the grass on all fours, her water bottle having rolled to the ground. The fairy Pokemon's breathing grew labored, and she made awful noises.
"Saoirse?!" Julia stood right up and bent down to her friend's side. Her heart fell to the pit of her stomach. Something was very, very wrong. "Saoirse, what's wrong?! Saoirse!"
It was like Caiseal's breakdown all over again. This time, they were out in the open. Hikaru and Tokiko stopped playing, having heard Julia cry out. Even Twilight stopped to observe what was going on. Then, a stream of vomit poured out from Saoirse's mouth, piling up on the grass, the repugnant smell filling the air. Julia put a hand on her own nose and used another hand to rub Saoirse's back. Maybe she ate something that didn't sit right with her stomach? That had to be it! Julia gently rubbed Saoirse's back.
"It's okay, girl. It's okay. There there," Julia lowered her voice to make it sound more soothing. But the pit in her stomach didn't go away. What was wrong? She decided to take Saoirse to the Pokemon Center right after this. "You can let it all out."
But it didn't end there. Right after vomiting, Saoirse attempted to get back up, but she fell on her back the second she tried to stand on both feet. Julia caught her just in time, cradling the fairy Pokemon in her arms. All of a sudden, Saoirse's whole body started shaking violently, like an earthquake was going off inside of her. The trembling increased with every second that passed, and when Saoirse looked up at Julia, her eyes were large, full of naked confusion and fear. Not long after, her pupils rolled behind her eyelids, leaving her eyes completely white.
No. This wasn't a case of food poisoning. Saoirse was literally seizing in her arms. It was far more than Julia could stand. Alarm and fear swept over her like a tidal wave.
"SAOIRSE!" She screamed loud enough for the whole town to hear. Any Pokemon within her vicinity ran right over, Twilight being the fastest. Julia knew she had to do something. She needed to take Saoirse to the Pokemon Center right now. There was no time to waste.
With Saoirse convulsing in her arms, Julia hopped right on Twilight's back. Knowing what needed to be done, Twilight didn't protest. She galloped as fast as she could, with her trainer on her back, running at a steady speed. Julia used one hand to cling to Twilight's flaming mane, and another to keep Saoirse in her arms. Her vision blurred, and hot tears streaked her face. Nothing was making any sense. Saoirse was just fine a second ago. What was happening to her?
"Hang in there, Saoirse! We're almost to the Pokemon Center!" Julia wailed, any attempt at keeping her cool failing miserably. "I'll help you! You're gonna be okay!"
All she got in response was another burning stream of vomit pouring down her shirt. It was wet, warm, and it felt absolutely gross as the fabric of her shirt absorbed what remained of Saoirse's food and possible stomach acid that came with it. But she didn't care about that now. Saoirse needed help, and Julia wasn't going to let herself be bothered by puke on her shirt. Sensing her trainer's despair and Saoirse's deteriorating condition, Twilight accelerated her speed. She always took great pride in how fast she was. If getting to the Pokemon Center in time would save Saoirse, that'd be good enough for her.
She hoped Saoirse would be okay, but something in the back of her mind was telling her she might not be. She might...No! Julia pushed that thought out of her mind. Saoirse was NOT going to die. Not on her watch!
The minutes felt like hours, but they made it to the Pokemon Center. Julia leaped off of Twilight and burst through the Pokemon Center doors with a still convulsing Saoirse in her arms. "HELP! Somebody please help!" Julia howled and bawled. All eyes were immediately on her, both from the staff and other trainers. "Something's wrong with my Snubbull!"
A Nurse Joy was quick to take Saoirse from her. "What's happening?"
"I don't know!" Julia cried, her face red from crying. "We were playing and she just fell to the ground and started throwing up and now she's shaking and her eyes rolled into the back of her head and-!" One word crashed right into the next on her stuttering lips.
As far as Nurse Joy was concerned, it was good enough information. "Doctor! Bring a gurney over here!" Nurse Joy called out.
Everything after that turned into a blur in Julia's mind. She saw doctors in their white coats form a cluster around her dear friend, hooking her up to machines, sticking needles in her arms, and wheeling her right into another room. All Julia could do was sit on her knees and replay that moment over and over again. How did this happen? Saoirse was just fine one minute, and the next minute she got violently ill. Julia searched her brain for an answer, but there was none. She barely registered Nurse Joy still standing in front of her.
"We'll take care of your Snubbull," Nurse Joy reassured in a kind, friendly voice. "I'll let you know how things turn out. For now, you just wait here," Not long after, she put on a gown and went into the operating room.
Using what little strength she had left, Julia pulled herself off the floor and plopped down on a soft chair nearby. Everything around her was spinning, and it felt like the world was moving faster than she could keep up with. She didn't even register harsh hoofbeats and footsteps scraping against the tile floors.
"Julia!" Perrine was the first to approach her. Caiseal trailed behind her, followed by all of their Pokemon. All of them had worried looks on their faces. "What happened? Hikaru and Tokiko got us and told us to come here. What's going on?"
Her voice still shaking from the shock of it all, Julia once again relayed the events from the past few minutes. Their faces turned ghost white.
"So she just...got sick? All of a sudden?" Caiseal asked.
"I-I-I-I don't know what happened or how it happened! She was just fine a while ago!" Julia cried, making no effort to wipe the tears drowning her cheeks. "I thought she ate something she shouldn't have but then she started shaking and-and-and-and-and-!"
At this point, Julia was a mess, and she knew it. Perrine sat down next to her, as did Caiseal. "Come on, Jule. Breathe. Calm down a little bit," Perrine told her gently.
Julia didn't want to calm down or breathe. The only thing she wanted was for Saoirse to be okay. As far as she was concerned, that was the only thing that would help her calm down.
"You and Twilight managed to get her here really fast," Perrine reassured, putting a gentle hand on her friend's shoulder. "That can make a huge difference. For now, we just have to wait and see how things go. Saoirse's a tough little girl. She'll get through this."
As happy as Julia was that Perrine was trying to help, she couldn't help but be rather offended. Perrine wasn't there. Perrine wasn't the one watching her Pokemon go from healthy one minute and convulsing to the point of looking practically dead the next. Perrine wasn't rushing her sick, violently shaking Pokemon to the PMC in a race against the clock.
"It was awful…" Julia whimpered, holding her hands in front of her face. "It was so sudden, and I couldn't do anything! I just grabbed Twilight and rode her here! What if...What if Saoirse dies?!"
"She's not gonna die. We don't know that," Caiseal didn't mince any words. "Let's not jump to that conclusion just yet. For now, she's still alive. Perrine's right. There isn't much we can do except let Nurse Joy and the others help her. We're here for you. You know that, right?"
Agreeing with him, Hikaru, Tokiko, and her other Pokemon made encouraging noises. Julia gave a big sniff before nodding. "Alright. I just...want my Saoirse to be okay…" Julia sobbed, wiping her face with her arm.
"We don't know how long this is gonna take," Perrine said. "It might take a while before we hear anything. Maybe you should get some water, or...y'know...change your shirt," She pointed to Julia's shirt. Julia looked down, her face flushing red with embarrassment this time around. She had completely forgotten that Saoirse had vomited on her, and only now was the noisome stench and the wet, disgusting feeling of damp fabric against her skin hitting her.
"...Right. Eww."
Julia wasted no time changing from her dirty shirt and putting on a fresh, clean one. Doing that was enough to alleviate some of her worries, but not all of them. For now, all the kids could do was wait. Wait for the light above the back room doors to turn off. At the moment, the light was shining bright red, illuminating some tiles on the ceiling right above it. The kids put most of their Pokemon in their PokeBalls, only leaving a few of them out, like Hikaru, Tokiko, Baloo, Ravenclaw, and Twilight. Being the stubborn horse she was, Twilight refused to go inside her ball, though Julia could tell she was just as worried about Saoirse as everyone else. Julia didn't blame her. They were all worried about her. Grateful for her concern, Julia let her stay out. She did prove to be nice to lean on.
Time seemed to slow down, moving at a Slugma's pace. Julia had no energy to do anything other than lean on Twilight or stare at the floor. She didn't want to leave the Pokemon Center lobby. What if she left and the surgery ended? She wouldn't be able to know until later whether Saoirse was okay. She didn't care if she was bored to death sitting here. All she wanted was for Saoirse to be alright. She wanted to watch her friend come out from that back room alive and well. Or if she was still sick, stay by her side until she got better, no matter how long it would take. Come to think of it, Saoirse's dress was still in her backpack. She was sure Saoirse would want to wear her nice red dress later on. She always loved that dress. She still had her little bows on her ears. Julia hoped the doctors didn't take them off of her.
"Man. This is taking forever," Caiseal said, pacing around in a circle with his arms crossed. Ravenclaw nested on his head, eyes closed. "How long has it been now? An hour and a half, maybe?"
"Yeah," Perrine confirmed it for him. "It's almost five o'clock. Do you guys wanna listen to the radio?" She suggested. "There's a radio drama airing on the Variety Channel right now. Or we can listen to the Music Channel."
Julia shook her head. "No thanks," Caiseal replied. Perrine slid her PokeGear back in her vest. Nobody was in the mood for radio dramas and music. How could they be, when the situation was so serious? Perrine sighed. She herself wasn't exactly in the mood for radio dramas or music, either.
Ping! The kids looked up. The light over the doors to the operating room had gone off. It wasn't glowing anymore. Nurse Joy walked out. Was Saoirse okay now? The kids sprang up from their seats and ran right over to Nurse Joy. "How is she?!" Julia yelped. "Is she okay? What happened? She's fine, right?"
Nurse Joy said nothing. Julia looked past her. No Saoirse in sight. Where was she? She had to be okay, right?
A feeling of dread washed over her. Even more so when she stole a glance at Nurse Joy's face. Her eyes were dull, like she was in a daze, and she was frowning. Nurse Joy rummaged through a pocket in her apron and pulled out two red ribbons.
Saoirse's ear ribbons.
Perrine's hands flew to her mouth. Caiseal clenched his hands into tight fists. Julia's eyes shrunk and shrunk until they were dots. The horrible realization hit them like an oncoming truck.
"I'm sorry," Nurse Joy choked out. "She didn't make it off the table."
Didn't make it? As her mind worked things out and processed what it meant, a heaviness weighed down on her entire soul.
Saoirse was dead? Gone? Just like that?
This wasn't supposed to happen. Saoirse was supposed to get better! How could she be gone? Her legs gave out from underneath her, and she fell to her knees. The world completely disappeared. All she could hear was Perrine sobbing and Caiseal barking at Nurse Joy.
"How did this happen?!" He roared, his voice crumbling under his newborn grief. "What happened to her?!"
Nurse Joy kneeled down to Julia's level. "Did you know that your Snubbull had a hole in her heart?"
Julia looked up. A hole in her heart? Saoirse had one? She shook her head. "No. I didn't," She choked out, her voice little more than a wretched squeak. But she wanted to know more. Was that why she died? "What happened?"
The nurse explained everything in detail. As it turned out, Saoirse had been born with a congenital heart defect that resulted in her having a hole in her heart. Nurse Joy asked Julia if Saoirse had displayed symptoms such as shortness of breath, fainting, frequent coughing, or not growing normally. Julia said no. Other than getting seasick on the boat to Cianwood City once, Saoirse had never been sick before, ever. Apparently, it's a common birth defect in Snubbull, and some can go a whole majority of their lives without having symptoms until later. What happened was that the hole in Saoirse's body grew surprisingly large, to the point that it was pumping blood that didn't have any oxygen inside of her, and it, along with several coronary arteries being completely blocked due to the abnormal blood flow, caused a heart attack. Nurse Joy and her doctors tried everything they could to save Saoirse, but it was all for naught. The hole was in a place that the doctors had a hard time reaching. By the time they found a solution, it was too late.
Tears swelled from Julia's eyes, rolling down her cheeks unchecked. How did she not know any of this? Saoirse had a hole in her heart this whole time, and she never even knew about it until now? Could this have been prevented? Could Saoirse have been saved? Her vision blurred. Nothing made any sense. All she could do was snatch the ribbons from Nurse Joy's hand, clinging to them like they were the only thing keeping her alive.
"No! No no no! Oh dear God, no!" Perrine sobbed, having already burst into tears from the awful announcement.
Over by the chairs, Hikaru and Tokiko hugged each other, crying simultaneously. Twilight could only stare in bewildered silence. Ravenclaw looked away from everyone, holding the rim of her hat-like head down to obscure her eyes. Baloo simply sat there and cried. Blossom stroke Baloo's back to console her, barely making any effort to hide her own tears. Julia covered her wet face, seeing only darkness.
"I'm sorry to spring this on you while you're grieving," Nurse Joy told her, kneeling down and pulling out a clipboard with some papers on it. "But when a trainer's Pokemon dies, they can decide whether they want us to make arrangements to send their remains to your parents or other acquaintances in case they want them to be buried or cremated. Or you can leave your Pokemon with us and we can decide what to do with the body. If you want to take the first option, you do need to sign this form here," Nurse Joy pointed to the papers on the clipboard.
Although Julia was still lost in her grief, she heard every word. In that moment, a memory flashed through her mind. When she was eight, one of her mother's Pokemon had to go to the Pokemon Center in Cherrygrove City because it was really sick, but it died soon after. One of the doctors gave her mother a plastic bag that had the Pokemon's body in it and told her to do whatever she wanted with it. Her blood boiled. That doctor just shoved it in her hands like it was trash, but not before telling her if she didn't take it herself, they'd have thrown it away. If she left Saoirse's body here, who was to say they wouldn't do something similar? Throw Saoirse away like garbage. Treat her like she was little more than dead weight, like she didn't even matter. She had been a living, breathing Pokemon!
No way was she going to let the PMC do that. Not to her precious friend!
Pursing her lips, Julia yanked the cap off the pen and signed the form. She knew her parents would take good care of Saoirse's remains, whatever they'd decide to do with her. "Do you want me to call someone and let them know?" Nurse Joy asked. Julia wrote down her parents' phone number on another line on the form. She also told Julia to put down her home address so she can know where to send the remains. Julia wasted no time doing so. "Alright, that's all I needed. We'll make sure she's taken care of, and I'll let your parents know what happened."
With that, Nurse Joy turned around and left, leaving the kids and their Pokemon to grieve. Caiseal did suggest they return to their rooms, so they all migrated into the girls' assigned room. Perrine's sobbing had quieted down somewhat, but she was still wiping tears from her red face. Caiseal could only grunt and kick the side of the bed in his frustration.
"I can't believe this!" Caiseal bellowed, his shoe vibrating from the force of the kick. "This is bullcrap! How did we even miss this?!"
"Cash, quiet down," Perrine gently advised. "You heard what Nurse Joy said. Saoirse never displayed any symptoms. Plus, Pokemon Centers only check for this stuff if we specifically ask for it. It's not like we have X-ray vision, so it isn't like we could see into Saoirse's body and see what was happening" She explained, her voice shaky but composed.
Caiseal could only hold back a sob in response. "I know...but this is so unfair!"
Unfair was the understatement of the millennium. To Julia, especially. As she sat on the bed, taking everything in, playing everything in her head over and over again, a realization hit her like a Giga Impact attack. Could she have prevented this? If she had known about Saoirse's defect earlier, she could have gotten her fixed, that way she wouldn't have died. It would have cost a lot of money, sure, but Julia would have been willing to shill it all out if it'd save Saoirse. But now she was gone. Saoirse, her precious, gentle Snubbull, who loved wearing her little red dress and ribbons, who hated fighting and wanted nothing more than to spend her days peacefully with her friends, was gone. Dead. Never to exist again.
This wasn't the kind of world Julia wanted to wake up to. A world without Saoirse. Her friend. Her companion. In a way, Saoirse was practically her child. One of her many children who she loved with all her heart. And now she was gone. Gone! Like Darkrai had just swooped in and decided Saoirse didn't deserve to live anymore and bam, away she goes. Saoirse deserved to live even longer. Saoirse could have lived the rest of her life. She could have learned new moves, gotten the chance to wear new pretty dresses or ribbons, pretending to be a fashion model and posing for the rest of the gang like she always liked doing. She could have eaten more blueberry pancakes, or evolved, or made new friends, or traveled to other regions with Julia and everyone else. Julia would never be able to play with her again, or hug her or cuddle her or console her when she was sad or decorate her ears with ribbons or introduce her to more new friends. She was gone forever and never coming back. Julia clenched her fists and let the tears fall harder. This whole thing was stupid, meaningless, and horrible. This shouldn't have happened. Saoirse didn't deserve to die.
The worst part was, it might have been preventable.
Which could only mean...Saoirse's death was all Julia's fault.
And she didn't do anything to prevent it!
She screamed. A hard blow struck Julia's face. And another. And another. Then a flurry of them bombarded her stinging cheeks. Her hands grew minds of their own and attacked her, flailing up and down like fans. But she didn't care. She wanted to hurt. She wanted it to hurt so, so, so bad. She needed to hurt. To feel the pain Saoirse must have endured in her terrible final moments. Perhaps as punishment for not having addressed this sooner.
"Julia! What are you doing?!" Perrine's hands grabbed Julia's wrists, preventing further movement. "Don't hit yourself!"
Julia tried to wriggle free, but Perrine had an iron grip and wouldn't let go. Why was she trying to stop her? Unable to take it any longer, all of the pent-up sorrow, anger, denial, and grief left her in a flood of screams, tears, and attempts to break from Perrine's arms. "IT'S MY FAULT SHE'S DEAD!" Julia bellowed, finally prying her arms out. "If I had known about her heart defect sooner...I could have helped fix it and she'd still be here! IT'S ALL MY FAAAAULT!"
"Jule! Please! Don't hurt yourself like this!" Caiseal exclaimed. "How could you have known about it beforehand? None of us knew about it. I don't think even Saoirse knew either!" He reasoned, taking care to keep his distance and give her space. "You shouldn't feel personally responsible for what happened. There's nothing any of us could have done. Don't punish yourself for this. I know Saoirse wouldn't want you to hurt yourself on her behalf."
She didn't want to believe him. She refused to believe there wasn't a way this could have been prevented. She didn't want to be told it wasn't her fault. She didn't want to be told this was just a part of life that nobody had any control over. As far as Julia was concerned, this shouldn't have happened. This whole thing should never have happened. But she knew she couldn't contradict him. Knowing about her defect probably wouldn't have changed anything. Even if they did know about it, would surgery even have saved her? Julia rode Twilight to the PMC, and Ponyta are known for their speed. She got there in seconds, and Saoirse still died. People and Pokemon died in surgeries nearly all the time, even if the odds for survival were high.
Like in the lobby, she fell to her knees. Great, shuddering sobs wracked her fragile frame, and she kept crying even as she gasped for breath. "Pika…" Hikaru nuzzled up against her arm to console her. It didn't do much, but the mouse didn't want to sit here and do nothing.
Caiseal and Perrine exchanged confused looks. They wanted to console her, or give her a hug, but did she even want to be touched like this? Or would she appreciate being left alone better? They didn't want to exacerbate her grief or do something they shouldn't. Perrine turned around to leave until she felt something pull on her sleeve. She turned around, finding Julia's hand clinging to her shirt sleeve. Suffice to say, she was a mess. Her face was red and contorted, her green eyes were glassy and drowning in tears, and terrible sobs escaped her. But both Perrine and Caiseal could see plain as day that she needed comfort.
She needed them. She wanted them here.
Without another word, they kneeled down to her level and wrapped their arms around her in a comforting embrace. Julia buried herself into their shoulders and let it all out, bawling and letting out all of her lingering grief. Tokiko and Hikaru joined in on the group hug not long after. The kids knew just saying pretty words or hugging her wasn't going to bring Saoirse back. Nothing would. Knowing how she died wasn't going to change things. But they shared their grief and cried together. Julia didn't want to stop crying.
"I'm so sorry, Saoirse…" Julia whimpered, her throat dry and cracked. "I couldn't help you...I'm sorry…!" She clutched the fabric of her friends' shirts like they were her lifeline. "I hate this! I should have done something about this! I would have!"
"We know. We know," Perrine crooned, her own tears blurring her vision.
"She lived a good life," Caiseal told her reassuringly. "I know it's not much to take comfort in, but Saoirse loved you very much. You have her a great life. For all we know, she might have died sooner if she had been in the wild. I'm not sure. She was happy and well loved."
Julia buried her face deeper in their shoulders. He was right. Saoirse did have a happy life, and Julia made sure the life she had was the happiest she could ever have. It wasn't a long life, but it was a good one. She hoped Saoirse's spirit was happy in heaven. She hoped whatever place Saoirse's soul went to would be a great place. But more than that, she was happy Perrine and Caiseal were letting her grieve openly like this. They didn't scold her for crying out loud or telling her to shut up and get over it. Most people she met would chastise her for openly crying over a dead Pokemon, even if it wasn't hers, telling her she was childish and needed to suck it up and quit being a brat. It was just a Pokemon, they said. Being completely dismissive about it like the dead or anything they provided didn't even matter. But they did to Julia. She thanked Arceus above for giving her Perrine, Caiseal, and all of her other Pokemon. They never stomped all over her feelings and treated them like they didn't matter.
The kids cried in that room for a long time. Finally, their sobs quieted down. Julia's face was still red and puffy, but now she was calm. She slowly pulled herself away from Caiseal and Perrine, cradling Hikaru and Tokiko in her arms, holding them close. So close, she didn't want to let them go.
"Thanks guys. For being here for me," Julia whimpered. Her throat was dry, so her voice came out as little more than a Politoed's croak. "Sorry for all of this."
Perrine tilted her head. "You shouldn't apologize for feeling sad and grieving. That's normal. You just lost one of your best friends. Of course you're gonna be upset," Perrine told her, frowning. No, upset wasn't a good enough word for it. Julia was far more than upset. But she couldn't think of a stronger word to describe just how deep Julia's grief for her fallen friend was.
"Ehehe," Julia choked out a sad laugh. "You'd be surprised at how many people yelled at me when I wanted to cry or scream and grieve and for not keeping it all in," She used one of her hands to wipe the sticky tear tracks off her cheeks. "This one time, when I was ten, one of Dad's Pokemon died. It was an Octillery he had since he started out as a trainer. I played with him a lot, and I loved him so much. But he was really old, and I lost it when he died. I cried for the whole week, and stupid Amara got mad at me. She was all like, 'Will you shut up and get over it already?! You're so stupid for crying over a dumb Pokemon! This is why you don't have any friends! Why can't you be normal for once, you moron?!' I'm not even kidding. Plus, Chanel had been dead for a while and Amara was still grieving over her, so I hated that apparently I'm not allowed to cry when someone died but she seems to think she's the only one who can."
Both Hikaru and Tokiko couldn't prevent their jaws from dropping. Amara actually said that? To her own sister? Then again, knowing Amara, she would do something like that based on all they had seen.
"Wow. That was insensitive of her," Perrine agreed, then smiled soon after. "Well, you don't have to worry about that with us, Jule. If you want to talk or vent or let all your emotions out or cry or hop around the room, it's totally fine with us."
For the first time since that awful moment, Julia smiled. Her heart swelled with joy. She had longed for someone to not judge her for feeling what she felt and not hiding it because it wasn't appropriate. She held Hikaru and Tokiko even closer.
"Pika!" "Chokki!" Both Pokemon nuzzled their heads against her chin.
"Thanks, you guys. You have no idea how much this means to me," There was a brief silence until Julia broke it again. "Can we leave tomorrow? I don't think I want to stay in Blackthorn City anymore."
Caiseal shrugged. "We might as well."
"You sure you're gonna be okay?" Perrine asked, concerned. "If you still need to grieve, it's okay. You don't have to push yourself so hard, especially if you're not ready."
Julia shook her head. "It's fine. I don't want to stay here any longer. The sooner we get out of here, the better."
Perrine and Caiseal exchanged looks before nodding. "Alright. We understand," Caiseal said. "If you need anything at all, we're here for you every step of the way."
After that, Julia wanted some time alone, so Perrine and Caiseal let her and the Pokemon be, deciding to go grab some dinner by themselves. They did promise to get something for her in case she was hungry, but at this point, Julia had no appetite. She did appreciate their generosity, though. While they were gone, Julia did some more crying, letting everything out, burying her face in Twilight's fur and holding onto the Pokemon she still had. By nightfall, she was dead asleep, with her remaining Pokemon all by her side. Hikaru's ear twitched as she heard her distraught trainer mumbling in her sleep.
"Goodbye, Saoirse...I'll miss you."
Julia's Party:
Hikaru (Shiny Pikachu, Female, Jolly Nature)
Ability: Static
Attacks: Thunderbolt, Disarming Voice, Quick Attack, Volt Tackle
Tsubasa (Pidgeotto, Female, Naughty Nature)
Ability: Keen Eye
Attacks: Quick Attack, Twister, Air Slash, and Feather Dance
Tokiko (Togetic, Female, Hardy Nature)
Ability: Serene Grace
Attacks: Extrasensory, Headbutt, Dazzling Gleam, Ancient Power
Blossom (Bellossom, Female, Docile Nature)
Ability: Chlorophyll
Attacks: Stun Spore, Giga Drain, Petal Blizzard, and Acid
Twilight (Ponyta, Female, Lonely Nature)
Ability: Flash Fire
Attacks: Flame Wheel, Solar Beam, Hypnosis, and Stomp
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: Hyper Voice, 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
Fuwari (Skiploom, Female, Relaxed Nature)
Ability: Leaf Guard
Attacks: Bounce, Giga Drain, Fairy Wind, and Energy Ball
Chirin (Ampharos, Male, Adamant Nature)
Ability: Static
Attacks: Discharge, Cotton Guard, Power Gem, Signal Beam
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 (Vileplume, Male, Quirky Nature)
Ability: Chlorophyll
Attacks: Petal Blizzard, Sludge Bomb, Sleep Powder, and Sweet Scent
Ravenclaw (Murkrow, Female, Hardy Nature)
Ability: Super Luck
Attacks: Wing Attack, Steel Wing, Dark Pulse, and Roost
Heracles (Heracross, Male, Relaxed Nature)
Ability: Moxie
Attacks: Brick Break, Megahorn, Aerial Ace, and Endure
Flippy (Quagsire, Female, Jolly Nature)
Ability: Damp
Attacks: Water Pulse, Mud Bomb, Ice Beam, and Slam