Chapter 56: Doing The Right Thing
The morning started out sunny and clear, with no cloud in sight. But after a few hours on the road, the sun was completely blocked, and the clouds were so thick and gray that not one sunbeam could get through. Their invasive entrance seemed to dim the entire world beneath them, turning everything a dull, dreary gray. The kids quickened their pace, kicking pebbles and dirt up as they looked up at the cloud-covered sky.
"Man, I hope it doesn't rain," Caiseal groaned, clutching the straps of his backpack with both hands.
Julia looked towards Perrine. "Is it supposed to rain today?" She asked.
Perrine pulled out her PokeGear, not stopping for a second. "I heard it's supposed to be just cloudy today, but you know how the weather can be," She replied. Back at the Pokemon Center, she did catch a glimpse at the weather channel, and a weatherman said today was going to be cloudy, with only a few light drizzles here and there. But the weather wasn't always very predictable. Not only that, the kids didn't have any umbrellas or rain coats on them, so they'd be soaked to the bone if it did rain.
"Well, in the event it does start raining," Caiseal said, hoisting his backpack over his head. "I say we find some shelter for now. Maybe we can find a lodge or some cluster of trees that's really thick or something."
Just as he finished talking, they heard a low rumbling in the distance. Thunder. It wasn't loud, but thunder didn't have to be loud in order to spell rain. "Yeah, let's find shelter," Julia agreed.
All three kids ran as fast as they could, hoping and praying that rain didn't come. The air around them started to get thick. Julia could smell the moisture in the air, and there was a certain solidity to it that wasn't present when the weather was nice and clear. But something pulled her out of her thoughts. Peeking over one cluster of trees in the distance was the top of what appeared to be a building. It was slanted, and a gleaming silver color. As they ran closer, the trees parted, and they could see more of it.
"Look, guys!" Julia cried out, pointing to the structure up ahead. "There's a building!"
Building. Shelter. The kids smiled jubilantly as they made their way towards the large, looming structure. Protection from rain was always a good thing. Since it wasn't raining right now, they slowed themselves to a stop to get a better look at it. Silver roofs crowned a sharp, modern-looking building that had shiny white walls graced with generous, tall windows that were almost as big as the kids. Off to the side was a ramp with black iron railing next to it, obviously for people in wheelchairs. The building was large, spread out over several acres of land, about as big and wide as an actual hospital. Perrine could just barely see an expanse of green land just behind it. It was definitely an imposing structure.
"Will anyone even let us in?" Caiseal asked, suddenly hit with a dose of doubt. "This doesn't look like the kind of place where we can just walk in."
Julia was about to suggest they go inside and ask, until she glanced at a brass plate on one of the walls. Any words she had in her mouth instantly dried up. The plate read: Blackthorn City Institute of Pokemon Behavioral Health. She had seen that name before. Did she still have it? She pulled her backpack off her shoulders, zipped it open, and began rummaging through it.
"Huh? Jule?" Perrine swiveled behind her, confused by the sound of rattling items. "What's up?"
Paying no heed, Julia found the card and read the name. It was the same as on the brass plate. A realization struck her like a Thunderbolt attack.
"...This is it!" Julia exclaimed.
"Huh?" Even Caiseal found himself confused.
"We're at the mental hospital where Geraldine's staying! Look!" Julia shouted, shoving the card Lance had given her into their faces. "The name on the card and on that sign are the same!"
Before Caiseal and Perrine could comment on it, Julia dashed right into the building, the doors opening up automatically, as if expecting her to come inside. "Wait! Jule! Slow down!" Perrine was quick to give chase, and Caiseal followed suit.
Julia couldn't believe her luck. To think she'd wind up finding the very place where Geraldine was staying. She had assumed it would be really far away, or in some part of Blackthorn City that would be hard to access. But then again, if that were the case, hardly anyone would know it was here, and their Pokemon wouldn't be able to get the help they needed. Julia gradually slowed her pace and made her way to the reception desk. A lady with long brown hair was using the computer, having not noticed the child on the other side of the desk.
"Umm...excuse me!" Julia called out.
The lady glanced toward the desk, finally seeing Julia. "Hello there. May I help you?"
At this point, Perrine and Caiseal had caught up with her, but didn't say anything. They figured Julia wanted to be the one to ask to see Geraldine. The red Gyarados was technically her Pokemon. "Uhh…my name is Julia Parisa!" She reminded herself of why she was here and remembered the words she needed to use for a situation like this. Her parents had practiced this with her lots of times as a kid. "I have a Pokemon here, and I was hoping I could see her, if that's okay. A red Gyarados!" She added hastily.
"May I see your trainer's ID, please?" The woman asked.
Julia rummaged through her bag again and pulled out her ID card, handing it to the woman. She stole a brief glance at her name tag—Noel Griffith, it said. Julia watched as Noel's fingers danced across the keyboard, her eyes staring at the computer screen in front of her, nothing else. Then, Noel's eyes widened.
"Okay," Noel handed Julia's ID back to her. "So you're Julia Parisa, and we do indeed have your red Gyarados here."
"Her name's Geraldine."
"Do you have an appointment?"
Appointment? Was she supposed to have one? "No, I don't. But my friends and I would like to see her. Is that okay?" She pushed the words out, not wanting them to get stuck in her throat.
Noel smiled at the other two kids. "Sure. I just need your friends' IDs and I'll make you some temporary visitor badges," Noel told them kindly, in a reassuring tone. "Then once I'm done, I'll have someone come down and escort you to where Geraldine is."
Relief washed over Julia like a wave. She could see Geraldine, and she didn't have to make an appointment! "Thank you, ma'am!" Julia bowed in front of the desk as Perrine and Caiseal handed the lady their IDs.
Once their visitor badges were made, Noel had them sit in the lobby to wait for someone to come get them. They found some chairs nearby and sat down, but they were bouncing with excitement the whole time and couldn't quite keep still. Julia, especially. One of her legs kept bouncing up and down at a rapid pace. She didn't want to sit here. She wanted to see Geraldine NOW. But she knew nothing about the place or its overall layout, so how could she know where in the building Geraldine was or how to get there? Julia steeled herself, resolving to be patient. Just a little longer.
"Isn't this great, Jule?" Caiseal exclaimed, smiling so big his mouth threatened to break loose. "You'll get to see Geraldine again!"
"I know, right? Nnnngh! I wish I could just see her right now!" Julia found herself shaking her fists up and down, her excitement bubbling over like soda fizz.
Perrine leaned backward, looking up at the high ceiling. "I've never been in a place like this before. I wonder what it's like," She asked nobody in particular.
For the moment, the kids kept themselves occupied as they waited. But in doing so, a roar of water pulled their gazes toward the windows. Rain came down in thick sheets, so thick that nobody could see anything past it. It was as if the dirt road they walked on before had just disappeared into thin air. The kids thanked their lucky stars that they made it here when they did. If they had been out there a minute longer, they'd have been soaked to the bone right away.
After a few more minutes, Julia noticed a lady in a white lab coat approaching them with a smile on her face. The lady had deep brown skin, matching eyes, and curly dark hair that reached down to her chin, bobbing with every movement. Resting on her shoulder was a small, round, green bird Pokémon, with a tiny yellow beak, a red feather on its head, red talons, small wings, and black eyes.
"Hello, kids!" The lady greeted them with a smile. "I'm Dr. Lianna Ruff. I take it you're all here to see the red Gyarados?"
"Yes!" Julia stood up right away. "I'm her trainer, and her name's Geraldine!"
"Right, Geraldine. Sorry about that," Dr. Ruff corrected herself. "Anyway, if you'll follow me, I'll take you to where she is. She's all the way in the back of our facility, so in a way, you'll be getting a grand tour!"
"Natu natu!" The bird Pokémon on her shoulder chirped, flitting its little wings.
"Oh, a Natu! It's so cute!" Julia crooned.
Natu simply started back at her, its eyes seemingly blank. But Julia didn't mind. She could tell Natu was happy to see new people. Perrine pulled out her PokeDex to look up its information. "Natu, the tiny bird Pokémon. Natu's wings aren't fully grown, so it cannot fly. As a result, it has developed strong hopping abilities, so it usually forages food on the ground, though some have been known to hop on branches to peck at shoots forming on trees. Natu are always staring into the distance, so if you see one, it will just stare right back at you. If you move even slightly, Natu will hop away to safety. Natu that live in the desert can pick food from cactus plants, deftly avoiding buds and spines in doing so. Despite their eyes rarely showing much expression, Natu are perfectly capable of emoting through gestures, flapping their wings, or hopping around rapidly."
"Tuuuu!" Natu trilled, nodding its whole body, as if agreeing with the PokeDex's final statement.
"Is it yours?" Perrine asked.
"No, he belongs to one of my coworkers," Dr. Ruff replied. "Natu's a cheerful little guy, always wanting to meet new people and Pokemon and cheer them up," She reached a hand up to stroke the red feather on Natu's head. "Natu here has helped a lot of Pokemon emotionally thanks to his presence."
Dr. Ruff led the trio down several corridors lit by fluorescent lights. One hallway was just that, whereas they walked into another one that was much bigger and showed Pokémon in various rooms. At one point, Julia saw a Jolteon lying on the floor, sleeping with a Pikachu and a Clefairy snuggling up against it. Two male doctors giving a Meowth a bowl of food. Another doctor shearing a Mareep's fur with a set of clippers. One female doctor was cradling a crying Larvitar in her arms, trying to calm it down, but Julia couldn't make out anything she was saying to it.
"So what exactly do you guys do here?" Caiseal asked.
"Well, we specialize in treating and rehabilitating Pokémon with serious mental disorders," Dr. Ruff explained. "Depending on how serious their issues are, some Pokémon can be treated and released within a short time span, ranging from a few short weeks to two or three years. But we do have some Pokémon who are permanent residents here, who require a lot of long-term care."
Permanent residents. Julia shuddered, hoping that Geraldine wouldn't wind up being one of those Pokémon.
"Do you guys only take Pokémon who have trainers?" Perrine inquired.
"We do, but we do have some wild Pokémon as well," Dr. Ruff continued on as they turned a corner. "Some trainers admit their Pokémon here so they can receive professional care that they themselves are unable to provide. But most of the time, we receive wild or abandoned Pokémon from various Pokémon Centers from all over the region, in case they are overcrowded or don't have the necessary resources to care for them themselves."
Julia glanced toward her right. A Marill with a missing left ear sat on a pile of pillows, crying piteously. Poor little Marill. What was it crying about? Her heart went out to it, and she hoped things would get better for it in the future.
A few minutes later, the four found themselves in another room. "This is a play room, where we let the smaller Pokemon socialize," Dr. Ruff opened the thick double doors and escorted the kids inside. Unlike the halls they were walking in, which were mostly shiny, dull, and with very little decoration, the play room they were in had a much livelier, more animated atmosphere. It was a large, enclosed area that was bigger than four whole living rooms combined, with a big slide, a roundabout, a few long tunnels going up, down, and around the area, a set of monkey bars, and a set of obstacle courses. There was even a small pool of water in the far left corner of the room, where several water Pokemon were splashing each other. Many Pokemon were making great use of the playroom and the obstacle courses, laughing and enjoying themselves. Julia saw three adults-two women and one man-sitting on some chairs nearby.
Noticing her interest, Lianna spoke again. "We have some staff come in to keep an eye on things in case there are problems, like if some Pokemon get into fights or one of them has an episode," Lianna explained.
"Do the big Pokemon have one?" Caiseal asked. "A play room, I mean."
Lianna shook her head. "No. We have a designated area for them outside, but since it's raining, they have to stay in for today. Speaking of which," She closed the double doors and led them further down the hall. "We do have separate areas for large water Pokemon here in this facility. Geraldine's room is just a few more corridors down."
Julia's hands clutched the shoulder straps of her backpack tightly, so tight that her hands were turning white. Geraldine was just around the corner. Now she'll be able to judge for herself whether these people were treating her well or not. But other thoughts swam in her mind. Would Geraldine be happy to see her? Or would she be angry and not want to see her at all? Geraldine did say she wanted to come here and receive help for her issues, but that didn't mean she'd like doing so. Would she be scared? Frightened? Angry? Happy? Were these people being nice to her, or were they mistreating her? Lance had faith in this place, so she didn't want to jump to those kinds of conclusions too quickly. But she was here now, and she'd see for herself whether Geraldine was okay or not.
The kids walked down several more hallways, with little differences between them. The scent of gauze and bleach assailed Julia's nostrils at points, and one of the fluorescent lights kept blinking rapidly. Gradually, the corridor opened into a wider area, and on their left, there was a glass wall dividing them, and inside the room, there was a large pool of water, large enough to hold four Gyarados give or take. The kids did see three of them in there, along with a Dratini and a Dragonair, swimming around and playing to their heart's content.
One of them was red.
"And here we are," Lianna stopped in her tracks, pointing to the glass wall.
Julia ran to the wall, looking inside. There was Geraldine, with her head and neck above water, smiling alongside another Gyarados that was in there. Her heart melted. It was her! It was really her! Her eyes were closed, and Julia could hear a strange, gurgly laugh coming out of her. Her red scales were as shiny and sleek as ever, and she looked like she was having a good time. So many questions raged in the confines of her mind, all of them at war with each other for freedom. So many of them weren't so simply put into words.
"How is she?" Julia asked, her voice small and quiet. "Is she doing well?"
Lianna flashed a confident smile in her direction. "At first, she mostly kept to herself, shying away from other Pokemon and people," She replied. No surprise there. Of course Geraldine would be terrified, being separated from her trainer and thrown into an unfamiliar place, with just as many faces she didn't recognize. Julia wondered if she felt like she was stuck in Team Rocket's lair again. "But she responded well to treatment, and she's warmed up to us considerably. She's made quite a bit of progress since coming here."
The doctor went on to explain that while Geraldine still had nightmares in regards to her captivity, she no longer used her attacks in her sleep like she used to. Julia let out a sigh of relief. That was a good start. It helped that Geraldine herself was quite the docile Gyarados among her kind, as she never lashed out or attacked any of the staff in any way. She let them help her and never displayed any behavioral issues. Julia's hands gripped her chest, her heart hammering from so much pent up joy. So Geraldine really was doing well!
"That's good to hear," Caiseal said wistfully, putting a hand on the glass. "She looks a lot happier, too."
One question was dying to come out from Julia's throat. She couldn't keep it in any longer. "Is she well enough for me to possibly...take her back?" Dare she hope? Dare she imagine being able to take her friend with her?
Of course, her hopes were dashed in an instant. Lianna frowned. "Unfortunately, no. I'm sorry, Miss Parisa," The doctor told her. "She still has a lot of issues that need to be addressed. She still gets terribly frightened whenever she sees Pokemon attacking each other or needles. We've been able to manage things whenever she has an episode, but as it stands, we can't clear her as of right now."
She figured as much. Julia sighed. Of course that would be the answer. Nobody's trauma just goes away after a day or a month in a mental hospital. Life wasn't simple like that. The rational part of her mind chastised her for being so naive to think it would be that easy. She knew Geraldine wasn't going to be cleared after a short while, and guilt weighed her down in that moment. Julia wished she hadn't asked a question she already had the answer to and hoping for something that was impossible to attain. Still, knowing Geraldine was making some progress was a good sign. There was hope for her yet.
"I understand," Julia whispered, wanting to be a good sport about it.
"If it's alright with you, I can let you go in and see her," Lianna said.
See her? Go inside and see her? Julia's head flew right up. Lianna unlocked the door and pushed it open. But as Julia made her way towards it, she found herself stopping in her tracks. Doubt snuck into her, freezing her in place. More questions sprang forth. Would Geraldine even want to see her after everything that had happened? Would her presence alone just hinder her chances at truly getting better? Would seeing her make things worse? How would Geraldine even react? Julia tried to force herself to move, but her legs wouldn't budge, glued to the ground by treacherous thoughts overwhelming her entire being. She had waited so long to see her, and here she was, completely paralyzed and unable to go inside. She was half tempted to run away. What good would seeing Geraldine do for either of them? It wouldn't change anything, she had thought. Maybe it was a mistake to come here, she thought.
A delighted roar pulled her from the abyss. "Julia!" She looked up, having heard her name. Geraldine was looking her way, her big mouth wide open and creased into a big smile. The ugly doubts that had her in their grasp were suddenly destroyed, sent packing like they had never been there in the first place. All Julia could feel was immense relief. Geraldine was happy to see her! Unable to keep it in anymore, Julia ran right inside. Knowing what she was going to do, Geraldine lowered herself to her trainer's level, and Julia threw herself right on her face, wrapping her arms around her cheeks.
"Geraldine…" Julia whimpered, burying her face into the red serpent's shining scales. She didn't care if they were wet and dampened her clothes. She didn't care one bit. "I'm so happy to see you, girl!" Julia cried out, her cup of happiness overflowing like a flooded river. Geraldine uttered a low growl. Never before had Julia heard such a sweet sound. After a bit, she let go of Geraldine and flashed a proud smile. "See? Told you I'd come and visit!"
Geraldine growled once again, and Julia heard every word. "I knew you would. I didn't doubt you for one second."
It was here that the tears came. Julia tried to keep them in, but she was just so overwhelmed with emotion that it was near impossible. She had been so scared of the possibility that things would be different, that Geraldine wouldn't be happy to see her, or that Geraldine might have been mistreated, or even euthanized. But here she was, looking well and welcoming her with an open tail. Soon, she felt something gently push on her back, sending her right back into Geraldine's face. It took seconds for her to figure out what was going on.
"Are you trying to cheer me up?" Julia laughed, appreciating the affectionate gesture. "You're so sweet! You haven't changed a bit!" Yes, indeed, Geraldine was still the sweet Gyarados she knew and loved. "Gosh, so much has happened! There's so much I wanna tell you!"
But before she could do that, she turned to Lianna. "How long can I stay in here? When do visiting hours end?" She asked.
Lianna checked the watch on her wrist. Natu leaned in closer to get a better look. "It's only about five o'clock, and visiting hours don't end until seven, so you have two hours yet."
Two whole hours? Julia's jaw dropped. She thought visiting hours would be a lot shorter. With this, she could actually spend a decent amount of time with Geraldine. It had been so long since they've last seen each other. Two hours was just the right amount of time she wanted, and she was going to make the absolute best of them.
Knowing what she wanted, both Caiseal and Perrine flashed approving grins in her direction. "You can hang out here if you want," Perrine told her.
"In fact, mind if we join you?" Caiseal asked.
Julia looked up at the red sea serpent, her eyes asking if it was okay. Geraldine nodded happily. "Yay!" Julia sat down at the edge of the pool, even letting some of her Pokemon out—Hikaru, Blossom, and Karin, the former two so they could see her again, and the latter so she can meet Geraldine for the first time. Oddly enough, the little Smoochum wasn't even a bit afraid of the giant red serpent towering over her, and they were chatting away like they had been best friends for a long time.
But before that, she adopted a serious expression. "Geraldine? I have some questions I wanna ask you, and I really want you to be honest with me. Okay?" Julia said, her voice tinged with concern. Geraldine nodded. Julia wasted no time breaking into her line of questioning.
"Is everything going well here?"
Geraldine nodded.
"Are the staff nice to you?"
A nod.
"Nobody's mistreating you or abusing you or making you uncomfortable or giving you a hard time, right? Human or Pokémon?"
Another nod.
"Have you been listening to the nice nurses and doing what they tell you?"
A third nod.
"Do you still have nightmares?"
Yet another nod.
"Is everything you've been telling me true? Are you absolutely sure everything's been going okay? You can tell me if something's wrong."
A final nod, with Geraldine adding in a low growl. "Nothing's happened to me, and I can assure you that nobody's being cruel to me."
With that, her line of questioning came to a close. Another sigh of relief escaped her. One reason she didn't want to give Geraldine up at first was because she was sure whoever was going to take her would be cruel to her or not even try to understand her pain. Maybe even deem her aggressive and euthanize her right away. Julia would never forgive herself if that had happened to Geraldine. The last thing she wanted to do was put her precious friends in danger and leave them in the hands of a cruel stranger. But she could tell Geraldine was being honest with her. If Geraldine truly was upset or frightened, she'd let everyone know it. She had certainly done so back in Mahogany Town. What reason did Geraldine have to lie to her? The ugly thoughts that had been conjured up in her brain were kicked right out, never to return. Geraldine truly was doing well here!
"I'm so glad…" Julia murmured. "I was so afraid people would be cruel to you or not even try to help you. I'd never forgive myself if that turned out to be the case…!" More stray tears trickled from her eyes. She was quick to wipe them away, but they still flowed. The red serpent's tail gently pushed on her back once more, not enough to push her into the water, but just enough to be equal parts comforting and soothing. "Thanks, girl," Soothed by her friend's comfort, Julia smiled so big, her mouth threatened to break loose from her face. "Where do I even start? There's so much I want to tell you!"
The kids made good use of the next two hours, telling Geraldine everything that had happened since she was sent here, from defeating Pryce at the Mahogany gym to catching Lavinia just recently. As much as she didn't want to, Julia did feel obligated to tell her about Saoirse's recent passing. Even though Geraldine didn't know the Snubbull very well, she felt she had a right to know. The red serpent could only give a low, sad growl, more out of sympathy for her trainer than any sadness on her part, but she did remember the cheery little Snubbull and did like her a little, as short as their interactions were. Geraldine was sorry that she didn't feel as sad for Saoirse's passing as her trainer did. But Julia didn't stop there. She continued to talk to Geraldine about lots of things. She wanted to make the most out of every minute, every second she had with her. She didn't even want to walk around or leave the room, even for a minute.
With every word that escaped her mouth, Julia felt as though a ton of bricks had been lifted off her shoulders. She had always worried about her dear friend and hoped she was doing well. She hated it when people tried to assure her that Geraldine was okay when Julia knew that they knew as little as she did. Julia hated uncertainty and vague, indecisive answers. She wanted the absolute truth from the very source. Nothing else could even hope to appease her. Now, she saw with her own eyes that Geraldine was doing well here. Sure, Geraldine wasn't cleared to leave. For all she knew, Geraldine might have to stay here for years. But for right now, Julia was just happy to finally see her friend and confirm for herself that she had done the right thing in letting Lance take her here.
At one point, Julia leaned against Geraldine's head and rubbed her scales lovingly, closing her eyes, letting herself be lost in her friend's strong, comforting presence. "You have no idea how much I missed you, girl."
It was here that Lianna stepped into the room. "I'm sorry, but it's five minutes before seven, and I need to put Geraldine in her PokeBall so she can sleep," She told her, her voice tinged with sadness.
Her time was up. But Julia still had more to say. She wrapped her arms around Geraldine's face so tight, she didn't want to let go.
"Sorry, Geraldine. I have to go now, but I'll come visit you again next time," Julia reassured, and she meant every word she said. "No matter what happens, no matter how far apart we are, don't ever forget that I love you and always will love you forever and ever! I won't be able to visit often, because I may have to go back to school after my journey's over, but I'll visit as often as I can, and I'll never stop loving you! Don't ever let anyone tell you otherwise!"
Geraldine knew she meant every word, and believed it with all her heart. Julia let go, giving Lianna permission to put her in her PokeBall. Geraldine was sucked inside without protest. Julia stole a glance at the PokeBall, wondering if it was her own PokeBall or one just for the institution. The sight took her breath away.
The PokeBall had a sticker on it with Geraldine's name in marker. The same one she put on it when she first caught her.
"You…didn't take the sticker off…"
"Of course," Lianna said reassuringly. "She's still legally your Pokémon, and Lance explicitly told us you didn't want it removed for any reason. We are obligated to respect a trainer's wishes if they have specific requests for their Pokémon, as long as they're within reason and don't negatively affect their treatment."
"Natu! Natu!" The little bird Pokemon on her shoulder flapped its wings, trilling as if echoing Lianna's statement.
Julia's chest tightened up. The fact that they didn't remove the sticker she put on Geraldine's PokeBall spoke volumes about this place. Now she knew for sure that Geraldine was in good hands. "Thanks…for taking care of her."
"Don't mention it. It's clear that you love her a lot, and that's something I like in a trainer," Lianna told her kindly. "When the time comes that we feel she's ready to leave the facility, we'll call your PokeGear and let you know."
In a way, Julia knew she would say that. She did give Lance her PokeGear number just in case. Maybe he gave it to them so they'd know for sure who she belonged to. Julia would look forward to the day she'd be able to be with her friend permanently. But for now, she needed to stay here. The kids were escorted back to the lobby, since it was almost time for the facility to close for the day. Plus, the kids couldn't stay the night because it's company policy not to allow anyone other than authorized personnel into the building. It was mostly as a means to keep potential criminals out and keep the Pokemon safe from unsavory characters, which the kids understood. They said their goodbyes to Lianna and Natu before going out the automatic doors.
"Whoa, look!" Caiseal exclaimed as he ran outside. "The rain's stopped!"
He was right. The ground was dotted with amber puddles that reflected the golden orange sunset. The sky was a bright vermilion hue, with streaks of violet, blue, and pink giving it a more animated flair, a sight that any lover of nature could always appreciate. The air was heavy with leftover moisture, but Julia inhaled a good portion of it, reveling in the sweet, earthen scent of soil and rain. It was like the air around her had come alive.
"Isn't this great, Jule?" Perrine exclaimed. "We sure were lucky today. You got to see Geraldine again."
Julia let out a sheepish laugh, rubbing the back of her hair with one hand. "Yeah. I was sure I wouldn't be able to see her for a lot longer."
Saying that it was great was a colossal understatement. After what had happened with Saoirse, Julia was sure she'd never be happy again. But seeing Geraldine renewed her spirit and love for her life tenfold. There were always going to be bad things happening in her life, but that didn't mean there weren't any good things in the meantime. Now she had something to look forward to. She still had her friends, human and Pokémon. Her conflicted feelings about Lance had changed. She was no longer angry with him for taking Geraldine away, even though she knew from the beginning that it was the right decision to make, both for herself and for Geraldine.
"So I take it we should camp out for the night, huh?" Perrine asked.
Caiseal had already pulled his rolled up tent out of his backpack. "Afraid so. But we should stay close to the facility, that way if anything bad happens, we can get help right away."
"Good idea," Julia agreed.
Before she started her journey, Julia balked at the idea of sleeping outside in any capacity. She always preferred the safety of her warm, comfy bed at her house. Sleeping outside meant exposing herself to a variety of troubles. Vicious Pokémon that could attack her in the night, bugs picking at her skin and leaving ugly, itchy bites, sleeping on the dirt if their tent wasn't big enough, and so on. But at this point, Julia was too happy about having seen Geraldine again to let any of this stuff bother her. She had long since gotten used to it, but tonight, Julia slept with a light heart, happy that today had turned out the way it did, and looking forward to the days to come.
Geraldine was doing well, and that was all that mattered.
High above Ecruteak City, at the very zenith of Tin Tower, Zuki the Kimono Girl stood on the platform, her hands on the railing, gazing at the vermilion hued sky before her. Her thick, black kimono was warm enough to protect her from autumn's frigid winds, not that she minded, for she liked the chilly fall breeze. Red and orange leaves danced across the sky, as if they were putting on a performance not unlike the ones she would put on with her siblings. She reached into her hair and adjusted one of the wire pins to make sure it stayed in place. Today was the day, and she couldn't afford to make any mistakes.
"Zuki!" A voice called out to her, and a lady came bounding up the stairs to the roof. Like Zuki, her hair was primly done up in the Mt. Silver style, only her kimono was a deep, plum purple, with PokeBall designs on it in a lighter tint.
"Hello, Naoko," Zuki greeted her warmly. "Are the others gathered?"
Naoko bowed before her sister. "Yes. Kuni's bringing up the Clear Bell as we speak."
"That's good. We can't perform our dance without it," Zuki reminded her. "I wonder if Ho-Oh will be as majestic as the last time we danced for it?" She wondered aloud, looking up at the sky once more.
"It's such a rare Pokemon, so of course it'll be majestic," Naoko told her.
Today was the day where Zuki, Naoko, and their sisters were to gather on Tin Tower's roof and give a gift to Ho-Oh as it journeyed across the world. They would dance and ring the Clear Bell, calling for the rainbow phoenix. Once Ho-Oh arrived, they would give it an offering, mostly a pile of berries or food. Ho-Oh would accept the offering, give its blessing, and take to the skies again. It was a tradition in this family for girls to carry out this rite, ever since Ho-Oh first resurrected Raikou, Entei, and Suicune seven centuries ago. Although it was said that Ho-Oh never returned since the fire destroyed Brass Tower, that wasn't entirely true. Only the Kimono Girls had the right to bear witness to Ho-Oh's beauty, and even then, they were scarcely allowed to talk about it in the public eye, lest they risk unsavory characters attempting to catch it for their own purposes.
Three more girls traversed up the stairs, meeting up with Zuki and Naoko. One of them, draped in a sea blue kimono with periwinkle wave patterns, carried a large, crystalline bell in her hands. It was about the size of a basketball, but in her hands, it was light as a feather.
"The Clear Bell is ready," The woman told her sisters.
"Thank you, Kuni," Naoko told her before glancing toward the one in the yellow kimono. "Sayo? Do you have the Rainbow Wing?"
Sayo pulled something out from her obi. It was a thin bird's feather, about the length of a pencil. The tip was a vermillion orange, the middle part white, and the bottom part green like a forest. When held to the light, it sparkled like a rainbow after a storm. "Here it is."
"The offerings?" Zuki inquired.
Another girl, draped in a flame red kimono, held in her hands a large basket filled to the brim with berries. "Already prepared."
"Good job, Miki," Naoko said.
The Kimono Girls were quick to put everything in place. The basket of berries was set on the edge of the platform, just behind the railing, but safely outside the area where the girls would be dancing. Sayo and Kuni hung the Clear Bell from the bottom of the sourin, the vertical shaft that tipped the tower, on one of the curved petals of the ukebana. Afterward, Kuni gave the Rainbow Wing to Zuki, and the girls scattered to their positions on the platform. They all pulled fans out from their kimonos, holding them out towards the sky.
"Let us begin!" Zuki announced.
The sound of geta clicking against the floor echoed in the sky as the girls danced, twirling and spinning in all directions, the long sleeves of their kimonos flying. The girls' eyes were closed as they let their bodies move in tune to the music in their hearts, their arms flying, their legs twirling, their feet tapping the floor with every step. Right now, they were all in sync, their hearts combined as one. The Clear Bell rang from the ukebana, with a chime so soft and gentle, it reminded the girls of a bird's first chirps as it hatched from its egg. The Rainbow Wing in Zuki's hands glowed in a majestic, multicolored hue that could dazzle the eyes of anyone who gazed upon it.
Clouds parted, and the girls stopped dancing. A golden light poured out from the opening, and a glowing phoenix descended from the sky, perching right in front of the platform. The vermillion hued avian had a long yellow beak, a matching crest of hair on its head, curled at the ends, and black rings around its cherry red eyes. Its prismatic wings boasted orange, white, and green colors, and seemed to glow in the golden sunset behind it. Its black talons clutched the side of the roof it was on, and it had no trouble keeping itself upright as it landed. The girls were struck dumb by its unearthly beauty. They had only seen pictures of Ho-Oh, in books and works of art. Only now had they ever seen this strange, heavenly creature up close, and Ho-Oh was just as majestic as they had heard, even more so up close.
Regaining her composure, Zuki ambled towards the basket and gave a polite curtsey before the phoenix. "Dear Ho-Oh, guardian of the skies, please accept the humble gift we bequeath to you on this day," Zuki exalted the avian standing before her, keeping her eyes closed in doing so. "Your rainbow is the mother of all creation, to all life. Your incandescence gives hope and light in humanity's darkest hours. Today we give thanks, now as ever before, and onward until the years take us."
All Ho-Oh did was cock its head to one side, as if it was wondering just what was going on. Nevertheless, Ho-Oh lowered its beak and began swallowing the berries in big bites. They were all very small, so Ho-Oh was able to eat lots of them without the need to chew, seeing as its mouth and neck were so large. The girls opened their eyes, taking in Ho-Oh's rainbow splendor, watching as the phoenix accepted their gift.
But the peace did not last. Sayo let out a scream. "What is that?!" She pointed to the sky.
Ho-Oh swiveled its head. Charging towards the phoenix was a large, black airship, and on top of it stood a long figure, with grey blue hair, draped in a black cloak, and her eyes covered with black goggles.
"You're right where I want you, Ho-Oh!" The woman bellowed.
"It's Pokemon Hunter J!" Naoko cried out in horror.
Knowing what she was here for, Ho-Oh wasted no time flying away from the pagoda and shooting streams of fire in the airship's direction. The airship swerved from side to side, deftly dodging the flames. Then, Ho-Oh's wings glowed white, and it attempted to charge right at them head on, using the autumn wind to increase its speed.
J pulled out a communication device and shouted, "Fire the lasers!"
The airship fired a barrage of yellow lasers. Ho-Oh flew up and down, dodging every single one of them in its attempt to attack the airship. The bird was careful to remain solely in the sky, as it didn't want to cause the humans down below any alarm, nor hurt them, should its attacks wind up hitting the ground. Finally, one of Ho-Oh's wings made contact with the right side of the airship. It wasn't enough to cause damage, as the airship's armor was quite thick, but the force did make it swerve in the air for just a moment. J nearly lost her balance, but got down on one knee and clung to a bar that was nearby.
"Don't let Ho-Oh get away!" J commanded.
As Ho-Oh readied another attack, a cannon appeared from the top of the airship, firing a gold light right at it. The phoenix was quick to dodge, flying leftward. No way was it going to be held captive by these fiends! But one of its feathers happened to graze the light that was fired at it. Suddenly, Ho-Oh found itself going numb. Its body began to tense up, like it was turning to stone. It flapped its wings with increased vigor, wanting to get away. But it was too late. Another laser hit its back, and its body turned into a dark gold statue. Before Ho-Oh could fall, a black sphere floated towards it, glowing in a purple light before encasing Ho-Oh in a glass sphere. Large, metal claws gripped the glass sphere, pulling it towards the bottom of the airship.
Just like that, Ho-Oh had been captured.
"Mission complete!" J announced into the communication device. "Set a course for our base in Mt. Silver!"
As ordered, the airship turned around and flew into the darkening skies. The Kimono Girls could only stare in utter shock. Ho-Oh, the legendary rainbow phoenix, had been captured by the notorious hunter J, and they couldn't do a single thing about it! But they knew what they had to do. Zuki was the first to speak.
"We must inform the police!" Zuki exclaimed. "Ho-Oh is in grave danger!"
The rest of the girls exchanged worried, concerned looks. "Will the police even believe us?" Kuni asked. "They have never seen Ho-Oh. For all we know, they might dismiss its existence as a myth."
"But Hunter J is no laughing matter," Miki reminded them. "The police have been on her tail for years, and considering how elusive she normally is, I think they'll be only too happy to finally catch her."
"Yes!" Sayo exclaimed, putting a hand in the air. "I heard her say she's heading for Mt. Silver!"
"All the more reason to report this!" Zuki said. "Sayo and Naoko, go inform Mother and Father of what has happened. Miki and Kuni, you will accompany me to the station to report this incident."
But before they could make their way to the station, Kuni looked up and shouted, "Look! Up there!"
Flying across Tin Tower was another large, avian Pokemon. A silvery white bird with a periwinkle blue underbelly, long, shimmering wings, deep blue plates on its back, and golden eyes soared across the sky, heading right in the airship's direction.
"Was that...Lugia?!" Naoko cried out.
"But Lugia never leaves the sea!" Miki yelped. "It must be trying to help Ho-Oh!"
They were right. Lugia was on the airship's tail, its eyes shining bright with anger. How dare these stupid people capture its friend like that! First the three beasts, and now Ho-Oh! It had been right to keep an eye on Ho-Oh and accompany it to Tin Tower. It had suspected something like this would happen, only ceasing to intervene because it knew Ho-Oh could take care of itself. But it seems it had underestimated these particular humans. Now was not the time to sit back and let these humans do whatever they wanted! Lugia gave chase, firing Hyper Beams at the ship. By this time, J had gone inside her airship, so she was spared from Lugia's onslaught.
Inside the main control room, J and two of her henchman kept watch on Lugia through a monitor showing it from behind. "Should we capture Lugia as well?" One man asked.
"Not yet," J said in a cold, steely voice. "This might be a good opportunity. Head for Mt. Silver as we planned. If I can catch Lugia as well, I may finally be able to get the answers I need."
She reached for an old, tattered brown book with yellowing pages. On the cover was a white, horse-like Pokemon with a long head, green eyes, and a gold, ring-like structure around its body.
A/N: Okay! Chapter 56 is done! Some of you were wondering about Geraldine, and now you have the answer! But this is the last time she'll appear for a while. Rest assured though, she's still Julia's Pokémon and she won't be gone forever. The next three chapters are something I'm sure you've all been waiting for for a long time: A final confrontation between Julia and Amara! Yes, the two sisters will finally come face-to-face and bring things to an end once and for all. But how will things turn out? Stay tuned so you can find out!
Question! Who's your favorite starter Pokemon from each region? Mine are…
Kanto: Bulbasaur
Johto: Chikorita (And it's my favorite starter of all time, too, which is why you see it a lot in the fic. Yes, I'm shameless)
Hoenn: Torchic
Sinnoh: Piplup
Unova: Oshawott
Kalos: Fennekin
Alola: Popplio
Galar: Scorbunny (This may or may not change depending on the reveal of its final typing and evolutions, but for now, Scorbunny's my current favorite starter from Sword and Shield. I mean, come on! It's about time we had a cute bunny starter, and bunnies are one of my favorite animals!)
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
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
Karin (Smoochum, Female, Impish Nature)
Ability: Forewarn
Attacks: Pound, Confusion, Powder Snow, and Sweet Kiss
Lavinia (Scyther, Female, Rash Nature)
Ability: Steadfast
Attacks: Quick Attack, Fury Cutter, Wing Attack, and Agility
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