Bonus chapter 5: Anything But Normal

I don't want to be here.

Ten-year-old Julia Parisa sat in the middle of her science class, staring down at paragraphs and paragraphs of notes she had written down in her notebook. But she could barely make heads or tails of any of it. Up front, the teacher was droning on about photosynthesis and how plants get nutrients from sunlight. Next to her, Lakeisha Knowles was staring at her freshly manicured pink fingernails with a smug look on her face. On her right, Tommy Alcott was writing additional notes into his notebook.

I hate this place.

Saying she hated school was an understatement. She loathed school and everything about it with every fiber of her being. It was only the fifth day of school, and already she felt like she was in prison. One of the fluorescent lights kept flickering and blinking above her head, and the constant flickering was stinging her eyes. Her teacher was talking so fast, Julia could barely keep up, and by the time she wrote one thing down, her teacher would already be onto something else, and Julia wound up forgetting what she had said just two seconds ago. Her teacher had said to take notes on the lesson, and Julia wanted to write everything down. But how could she write everything down when she was speaking really fast?

Not only that, at her other school, all of her classes were in one room, nowhere else. Here, she had to go to different rooms, some on the first floor and some on the second floor, every time the bell rang. The school only gave students five minutes to get from class to class, and to her, that was no time at all. She had already been late to Galarian class twice because she didn't get there fast enough, and that was because she had to run from one far end of the first floor, up two short flights of stairs, and down two more halls. It especially didn't help that it was against the rules to run in the halls, but running was the only way she could get to class on time. That was just too much for her to handle. How could anyone manage it? At least in elementary school, the classes were all in one room so she didn't have to worry about trying to make it to class on time and winding up out of breath when you got there. Why did things have to be different here?

By this point, some of Lakeisha's personal items were starting to get onto Julia's desk. A few stray pencils and her compact mirror, mostly. Julia pushed them back a few times, but after a few minutes, they'd wind up back where they were before. Couldn't Lakeisha keep everything on her desk? This wasn't her house. All of the other noises, scents, and feelings pounded on her senses, at war for her constant attention. Her teacher talking about something else. What was she talking about? She had barely managed to finish processing everything she had said just seconds before. Lakeisha sitting way too close, to the point where Julia could practically feel her body heat, and she was too afraid to ask her to back off a bit. Clinking and scraping. One of the kids shouting an answer to a question. A hand flew to her ear to protect it, but it barely did anything.

I want to go home.

As much as she wanted to, she couldn't. She couldn't just leave school. It was against the rules, and if she didn't follow the rules, she'd get in trouble. Getting in trouble was the last thing she wanted. The importance of adhering to everyone's rules and regulations in school had been drilled into her psyche since infancy. Any deviance from the rules was taken very seriously, like arresting someone who committed a grave crime. But she felt like a Pokemon trapped in a tiny cage, compressed and unable to move. Nothing made any sense right now.

She stole a glance at the clock. It was eleven thirty. Another half hour before lunch, and then recess. Time was moving at a Slugma's pace. She wished it'd be twelve right now, so she'd stop feeling so bad. She waited with bated breath for the electric bell to ring. Freedom.

"Julia?"

Julia was pulled from her reverie. The teacher was staring at her. The whole class had their eyes on her.

"Y-Y-Yes?"

"Can you tell me what a chloroplast is?"

A wave of relief washed over her. Yes! A question she could actually answer. It helped that she had written it down just yesterday. She flicked through some pages and found the answer.

"A chloroplast is a green plant cell that…" For a brief second, she paused to compose her answer. "Umm...absorbs sunlight and uses it with water and...carbon dioxide to make food for the plant?" Was that right? Julia held her hands to her chest. She hoped that was right. "It's part of photosynthesis!" She hastily added.

Fortunately, her teacher smiled. "Very good."

Julia hunched back over her desk once the teacher was back to her lecture in an effort to make herself as small as possible. She hoped the class wouldn't keep staring at her, expecting her to get the answer wrong and then laugh at her for it. It had happened too many times before. But even when she got the answer right, she still felt like she was being scrutinized. She still felt...wrong. Her head spun. Everything was still too bright. Almost blinding.

"...Freak," She heard a malicious whisper from right next to her. Julia furrowed her eyebrows. Oh great. Lakeisha was insulting her again. Way to ruin her already unstable frame of mind.

Even as lunch and recess finally arrived, Julia still felt like garbage. Kids flooded the concrete blacktop, engrossed in their own activities. Julia made a beeline for a more secluded spot, away from the yelling, screaming, and potential bullies waiting to pounce on her. Said secluded spot was a large wooden cage with steel wire mesh, keeping in two Pokemon, a Cyndaquil and a Sentret. The two Pokemon were happily sharing a meal together, munching on some Pokemon food that was in a big silver bowl, big enough for two Pokemon to share. Julia had found it two days ago and got along nicely with the two Pokemon inside. She resolved to always visit them during recess, which was the only time in the day she could do so.

"Hello!" Julia greeted them with a smile, squatting down to their level as she approached their cage. Sentret and Cyndaquil chirruped with delight, waving their little arms at her in return. Warmth lurched in her chest. At least they were happy to see her. She was sure they were the only ones in the whole school who genuinely liked her. Other kids and the teachers? Not a chance. She wished she could open the cage and hug them, but she wasn't allowed to, so she had to make do with petting them through the wire, slipping her fingers through the small holes to scratch their fur.

"Did any of the teachers let you out today?" Julia asked. Cyndaquil and Sentret jabbered away, telling the girl about their day. She smiled as she listened to their story. "Sounds cool! I bet everybody liked you!" The Pokemon told them that a teacher brought them into a class and the other kids got to play with them. Julia wished someone would bring them into her class someday. She stroke Sentret's ear with one hand, taking care not to get her hand too deep into the cage, lest she get stuck in the wire mesh.

"I wish I could let you guys out." Julia mused. "I bet you don't like being stuck in here all day."

She wondered if the Pokemon felt stuck in here, similar to how she felt trapped in school. But from what she heard, Sentret and Cyndaquil belonged to one of the teachers, so she couldn't just open the cage and set them free. Even if she wanted to, there was a lock on the door, and she had no key. There was no way she could just let them out. However, Sentret and Cyndaquil smiled at her, enjoying her company just as much as she enjoyed theirs, so they didn't seem to mind. Their friendship soothed her troubled soul.

Like she did over the past week, she hung out with them until the bell rang, and then it was off to social studies. The students settled into their desks, and Julia had pulled her notebook out before her ears caught the devious sound of gossip.

"I saw the freak talking with the Pokemon again."

Julia flinched. That was Kirsten's voice. Snickering soon followed. She kept her eyes on her notebook, but she heard every word. Kirsten Seeley was gossiping with her friends again. Just what she needed. Feeling eyes piercing at her back, their lips spreading malicious slander right behind her, knowing she would hear.

"Just look at her. She dresses like she's five years old!"

"My three-year-old brother has better fashion sense than she does."

"God, I can't stand her. She's so annoying, always gabbing about Pokemon all the time."

Everyone she knew always told her to ignore people like Kirsten and her friends, but it's hard to ignore things like that when it happens every single day, every minute, every second, knowing that it would never stop. She wished she was an Abra so she could just teleport back home. School couldn't end fast enough.

Eventually, school ended and Julia was back in the safety of her house, thanks to Kassia dropping her off and picking her up by car every day. She wasted no time rolling around in the backyard, riding Meganium's back, or snuggling with Ninetales. Clouds gathered in the sky, telling the sun to tone back the light a bit, which was perfectly fine with Julia. Overcast weather wasn't bright or blinding, and she really didn't want to stare at a blindingly blue sky right now. She snuggled up to the fox Pokemon, wrapping her tails around herself like they were a soft, fluffy blanket.

"I don't like fifth grade," Julia told Ninetales. "Everything's so different from fourth grade, and I feel like everybody wants me to go super fast and just remember stuff they say after only hearing it once. But I just can't! And I really don't like Mrs. Finney, my Galarian class teacher."

"Nine?" ("How come?") Ninetales asked, curious.

"She keeps looking at me and looks like she's mad all the time," Julia replied, not quite sure how to explain what she was feeling. "She probably thinks I'm a bad kid, and I haven't done anything."

Ninetales didn't quite know what to say about that, since she had never gone to a human school before. All she could do was lower her head down and nuzzle the girl's head reassuringly. Julia appreciated the gesture and stayed with the fox Pokemon until dinner. After that, she did her homework, took a bath, played some more, used the blow dryer to dry her hair, and went to bed. She was doubtful that the next day would be any better than the past week. In school, every day seemed the same as the one before, and she had no reason to think anything would change.

The next morning, something new happened. In homeroom, Mrs. Quimby and a new boy she didn't recognize stood in the front of the classroom. The boy was about her age, but slightly taller, with black hair and fair skin, wearing a red and white hoodie over a black shirt, long yellow shorts with black pockets, and shoes of all three colors. Even his hat, which was turned backwards, was black and yellow. His eyes were a subtle brownish color, but outside the light, they almost looked grey.

"Class! We have a new student joining us today!" Mrs. Quimby announced with unabashed cheer before turning her gaze to the boy. "Care to introduce yourself?"

The boy nodded before talking. "I'm Ethan Goldsworthy. I just moved here from Olivine City. It's nice to meet you all!"

Most of the kids clapped and chatted amongst themselves, happy to finally have someone new with them. Julia kept her head down, focusing solely on drawing a Pikachu in her notebook. As soon as Ethan was seated, many of the girls gathered around him, bombarding him with questions. Kirsten, Lakeisha, and several members of their girl posse in particular.

"You're from Olivine City?! That's so cool! Did you go to the beach a lot?"

"Yeah. My mom loves the beach, and we saw a lot of water Pokemon, too."

"I wish I could live in Olivine City! Why'd you move to a silly place like this?"

"Well, my dad lost his old job, and he found a new one here. Plus, we wanted to live closer to my grandparents and my aunt."

"Do you have any brothers and sisters?"

"I have a twin sister, Eden. We don't look anything alike, though. Her hair's way longer and curlier."

Giggling and squeeing soon followed. The high pitched voices grinded at Julia's eardrums. She covered her ears with both hands, muffling the sound somewhat, but she wished they would just stop. He didn't need them pestering him with a million questions. But walking up to them and telling them so would just cause more problems than they were worth, so Julia shrank into her seat. It was morning, and already, Julia wished she was back home.

As it turned out, she wound up sharing a lot of classes with this Ethan kid. Math, social studies, Galarian, and so on. Finally, after what seemed to be forever, recess finally came around, and Julia wasted no time retreating to her favorite spot, the cage where Cyndaquil and Sentret were. She greeted them with a smile, handing them some cookies she brought from home, having saved them beforehand.

"Sorry I wasn't able to bring anything healthier," Julia told them, slowly sliding the cookies through the spaces in the wire mesh, taking care not to break them. The Pokemon took the cookies and chowed down, happy to have an extra meal. Cyndaquil in particular let out a delighted squeal after it finished its treat, and Sentret could only recoil from how sudden it was. Julia smiled as she watched them enjoy the snack she brought them. At least they appreciated the nice things she did for them. The last time she tried to do something nice for someone, like buy them a gift or bring some food her mother made, the recipient told her to go away and left her in the dust.

Suddenly, a shadow loomed over her, pulling her out of her memories. She looked up, and for a moment, she didn't breathe. Ethan was standing just a few feet away from her, looking over his shoulder like he was running away from enemy spies.

"Jeez. Those girls just won't leave me alone!" Ethan exclaimed before turning around, his jaw dropping when he met eyes with Julia.

Only one thought swam through Julia's mind in this moment: Her secret hiding spot was discovered! This new guy found her out! What was he doing here? Julia wished she could just tell him to go away, that this was her spot, but she knew that wasn't quite true. Anyone had a right to be here and play with the Pokemon if they wished. Another, slightly darker thought pushed that one out of the way. Was he here to bully her? Julia stood up to run, but Ethan extended his hand out to stop her.

"Wait! Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," Ethan apologized. "I'm just trying to get away from Kirsten and her friends. They're all over me!"

Kirsten? Did he say he wanted to get away from her? Does he not like her? Just like that, Julia's interest was piqued. Then, Ethan saw the Pokemon and smiled. "Wow! A Sentret and a Cyndaquil? Cool!" He kneeled down to their level and stuck his fingers through the openings in the wire mesh. Cyndaquil gently nudged its nose against his fingers, sniffing him.

"Be gentle with them," She told him, kneeling back down.

"They're so cute!" Ethan cooed, stroking Cyndaquil's fur. "Man, if I ever become a trainer, I'd pick Cyndaquil as my first Pokemon for sure!"

"Do you like Pokemon, too?"

"Sure do! Hey, I saw you in homeroom. I'm Ethan. What's your name?"

"Ju...Julia…"

"Nice to meet'cha!" Ethan greeted her with a warm, welcoming grin. "So do these Pokemon belong to anyone?"

"One of the teachers. I don't know which one, though."

From then on, the two found themselves talking about their favorite Pokemon all throughout recess. Julia couldn't believe her luck. This new kid actually wanted to talk to her and seemed to like her! Could this mean...she made a new friend? But he didn't say anything about wanting to be friends, so she didn't want to count her Torchics before they hatched. Plus, for all she knew, other kids might try to claim him as their friend and convince him to stay away from her. But for the first time since she started school, she was actually happy.

When the final bell rang, Julia was among the many students who flooded the front of the school. But she didn't want to get to her mother's car just yet. She looked all around, wondering where Ethan was. Children shouting and parents calling for their kids all mixed into one another, making it hard to tell whose voice belonged to who. But if she couldn't find Ethan by sound, she could find him by sight, namely his big red hoodie, black hair, and yellow shorts. Sure enough, she found him standing by the fence and ran over to him.

"Hey, Julia!" Ethan exclaimed. "You heading home yet?"

"My mom's here, but I wanted to see you first," Julia told him. Her fingers clutched the straps of her backpack as she attempted to push the words out. She had to ask the question now. Waiting until tomorrow would just make her antsy. "Umm...would it be okay if we...I dunno...we...became friends?"

There was a brief silence between them, but Ethan wasted no time breaking it. "Sure! I'd love that!"

What?

Julia looked up, and she saw his eyes for the first time. They were dark brown, like chocolate, and there was no trace of scorn or hatred in them. They didn't scrutinize or judge her like everyone else's eyes did. For once, she didn't feel compelled to look away. Ethan's eyes didn't burn into her and send pain into her soul. With those three little words, the world was suddenly in alignment.

The sound of a car honking pulled them out of their conversation. "Sorry. Mom's waiting for me," Ethan told her, waving as he made his way towards a green car. "I'll see ya tomorrow!"

"See ya!" Julia waved back with just as much enthusiasm.

She didn't think she'd live to see the day. A new friend! She actually made a friend! With a light heart full of happiness, she went back home wearing a smile on her face the entire day. Her parents weren't quite sure what to make of her sudden newfound happiness, but were overjoyed all the same. She didn't even mind doing her homework straight away. Julia felt like she was walking on air in a cloudland of her own making. Not once had she ever thought she'd ever find a friend in school. She had some when she was in first and second grade, but she had lost contact with them and never saw them again since.

Now she had a reason to actually look forward to school.

Of course, having a friend didn't mean school got any easier for Julia. It was still as confusing as ever. Studying for tests was definitely one of the hardest parts. Back in elementary school, all Julia needed to do was remember what she learned from her homework and in class, and she usually passed them with flying colors. Now, the teachers kept saying to study for tests, look at their notes, and read through their textbooks. But which notes was she supposed to look at? Which parts did she need to read in her textbooks? How was she supposed to know which ones were going to be on tests and which ones weren't? What did study even mean in this context? How was she even supposed to go about it? Nothing made any sense, and everything the teachers said was no help. It didn't help that even her parents were stumped when they tried to help her with her homework, often spending three hours just staring at papers and trying to figure out the answer.

It was like school was trying to make her brain explode. So much to do, and she had no idea how to go about any of it. She didn't even know how to put any of this stuff into words to explain to her parents. At one point, Julia found herself in trouble. A science test she had completely threw her for a loop. Nothing made sense, and she didn't know any of the answers despite doing what the teachers told her. Her brain was completely blank. How could she possibly pass? What could she even do? She couldn't ask for help, as that wasn't allowed during testing. She found herself looking at another student's paper and copying the answers. Of course, the student told the teacher, Julia was scolded, and given a zero for the whole thing.

She wasn't sure how long the day went on. Everything was little more than a thick haze, and she had no way of getting through it. When she got home, her parents wasted no time bringing the subject up.

"Julia. Why did you look at that girl's answers?" Her mother asked. "You shouldn't do that. That's cheating, and it's wrong."

"It is?" Julia's mind was blown. That was cheating? Her mother nodded. "Nobody told me that!"

"We're sorry. That was our fault. We should have explained this to you much earlier," Her father said. "But that doesn't mean you're not in trouble. You can't look at peoples' answers on their tests and homework. It's like stealing work that other people did themselves. You need to study on your own and write your own answers."

Study. There was that word again. How was she even supposed to do that? Nothing she did worked. Her eyes blurred. Why didn't they get it? She tried and tried and tried, but none of what she was supposed to learn stayed in her head. Why were they expecting her to just know everything without trying? Nothing made sense. Tears sprung forth, her pulse screamed in her wrists, and it was at this moment that she lost control entirely.

"I don't know how to study!" Julia screamed, wishing everything would just go away. "I don't know how! How do I look at my notes?! How do I know which stuff is more important than everything else?! What do I even need to look at?! Do I just stare at my papers until it's all in my head?! I don't know what to do!"

All her parents could do was stare at each other. Julia broke into pitiful sobbing, finally managing to process that she had done something wrong. No way was she ever going to look at someone else's answers ever again. She didn't want to be that kind of person. She barely noticed her parents pulling her into a hug, telling her that they'd find a way to help her and make school easier for her. But because she did something wrong, they declared that she wasn't going to have dessert after dinner, nor could she watch TV for the rest of the night. Julia was fine with that.

Her parents came to the conclusion that three things led to this incident: The stress of the transition from fourth to fifth grade, the differences between study methods between grade levels, and her lingering sense of inadequacy. They worked with the school to help Julia understand the concept of studying better, along with teaching her various methods she could use to study for tests and seeing which ones best suited her needs. Once she got that down, school gradually got better, and she wasn't as hopelessly confused as she was before. Julia didn't want to be a cheater, so she worked as hard as she could to bring her grades up, though math was still a struggle.

But even with all of that, she still found something to look forward to: Ethan. She always sat next to him at lunch, and did everything she could to find time to talk to him during recess. It helped that he did genuinely enjoy her company, and they talked about lots of things: Pokemon, their favorite shows and games, their family, the occasional gossip about some classmates, and so on. One day in September, Julia and Ethan were sitting against the fence that closed in the blacktop, talking amongst themselves. Julia was showing him a manga that she liked, and Ethan liked what he had read so far.

"Wow! This is really good!" Ethan exclaimed. "I used to think it was some stupid girly book, but thanks so much for proving me wrong!"

Julia grinned. "Told you it was good!" She had tried convincing him to read the manga for a while now, and only a week ago did she manage to get through to him. She would bring volume one with her for him to read at lunch, and they would sit and read it during recess. Ethan was a slow reader, but Julia didn't mind. At this point, he was only a few pages away from the ending. Once he got that done, he shoved the book into Julia's hands.

"Hook me up with volume two, please!"

"Will do!" Julia stuffed her book into her backpack, delighted from finally being able to share something she liked with someone.

"Oh! I forgot to mention!" Ethan balled his hands into fists. "Next week, my mom's gonna take me to Professor Elm's lab and let me get a Pokemon!"

A Pokemon? Julia's green eyes lit right up. "Really? Awesome!" Ethan had been talking about wanting to get a Pokemon for a while, but his parents wouldn't let him even though he had turned eleven back in August. They reasoned that he needed to be more responsible and get his grades up before they'd let him have a Pokemon. It seemed like they finally relented.

She knew which Pokemon he was going to get. "You're gonna get a Cyndaquil, right?"

"Sure am!"

"Are you gonna name it?"

"Name it?" Ethan scratched his head, pondering her question. "Nah. Not really. I'm no good at coming up with nicknames for them, so I'm gonna leave them as they are."

Julia shrugged. She would have been happy to suggest potential names for him, but every trainer had their preferences, so she decided against trying to convince him to nickname his Pokemon. Like her father said, just because she liked or didn't like something, it didn't mean things had to be the same way with everyone else. "Is your sister gonna get a Pokemon, too?"

"Yeah," Ethan replied, crossing his arms. "She said she wants a Chikorita, but for all I know she might change her mind. She always changes her mind all the time, and it's really annoying. One second she'll say she wants an orange dress, but then she'll say she wants a blue dress. She never wants to decide on anything right away, and she takes forever in doing so!"

"My sister's like that, too," Julia told him. "She takes forever whenever we go shopping for clothes. It really drives me nuts."

The two of them laughed as they told each other stories about their siblings and their occasional bad habits. Warmth lurched in Julia's heart in this moment. She had always wanted to gossip with someone and share funny stories with them, but nobody ever wanted to listen to anything she had to say. Who would want to hang out with a weirdo, they said. Now, with Ethan here, she felt on top of the world.

"That reminds me, I wanna show you something cool!" Ethan exclaimed, digging through his pockets. Oddly enough, his hands didn't feel anything. "Huh?" He rummaged through his big pants pockets, but there was nothing in them. "Awww, man! Did I leave them in my bag?"

"Leave what in your bag?"

Ethan stood up. "I brought some cards my dad got for me. I think I left them in my backpack. You stay here. I'll be right back!" With a quick wave, he ran over to the bleachers, and from where Julia was, they were about thirty or so feet away, which was far by her standards.

Now she found herself alone. Unlike before, Julia was content. She knew he'd be back, and she had another book with her, so she pulled it out to read for a little bit, if only until Ethan got what he needed. But three pages in, and a big shadow loomed over her, along with a set of tan sandals decked with artificial flowers entering her vision.

"Hey, Julia."

The venomous voice made the girl turn rigid with tension. She stood up in alarm, clutching her book tightly against her chest, more so when she saw four girls standing right in front of her-one of them being Lakeisha from her science class. All four of them glared right at her with angry eyes, but the leader of the little posse was a girl with ash brown hair tied into pigtails and dark brown eyes. Knowing what was going to happen, Julia attempted to run, but Lakeisha blocked her path, hand on the fence, with the rest of them surrounding her.

"Go away, Lakeisha!" Julia exclaimed.

"Nuh-uh. Kirsten got a bone to pick with you," Lakeisha sneered.

Kirsten, the girl with the ash brown pigtails, crossed her arms and raised her eyebrows, her dark eyes locking Julia in place. "Listen, we've noticed that you've been hanging around Ethan a lot lately."

"Yeah? He and I are friends," Julia replied.

One of the girls behind her broke into a chuckle. "She actually thinks she's friends with him? What an idiot!" She snickered.

"Shut it, Paisley!" Kirsten hissed. Paisley glared back at her before Kirsten turned to face Julia again. "I'm just going to be straight with you. Stay away from Ethan."

"Why?" Julia asked. She couldn't quite comprehend what was so wrong about being friends with someone, much less why Kirsten cared so much about anything she did. Since when was being friends with someone a crime?

"Because he's my man," Kirsten snarled, slamming a hand onto her own chest with dramatic flourish. "A stupid freak like you has no right to even so much as breathe the same air as him!"

"Yeah!" Paisley chimed in. "Kirsten got first dibs!"

Julia furrowed her brows, not liking what Kirsten was implying. "So you basically want to hog him all to yourself like he's some kind of rare jewel?"

Kirsten waved a dismissive hand in her direction, acting like Julia said something silly. "All I'm saying is that a cool guy like Ethan deserves to be around people who are actually...y'know, normal. He doesn't need a pea-brained, frumpy, pathetic freak like you polluting his good social standing."

Bile rose in the back of Julia's throat. The more she heard Kirsten talk, the more she wanted to just push past the girls and get away from this gong show. Who did Kirsten think she was? Julia couldn't believe how entitled this girl was acting. It didn't take much for Julia to figure out that Kirsten just wanted Ethan for herself, and not out of genuinely wanting to be friends with him. She just wanted him so she could show him off like a trophy she had won. In fact, she and her friends fawned over any cool looking guy they saw, exalting them like they were untouchable, heavenly Gods, and when they got close enough to them, paraded him around, flaunting the fact that they were friends with him while threatening anyone who tried to do the same. Just last year, Julia saw Kirsten, Paisley, and the other girl here (Not Lakeisha, as she was in a different class at the time) harass a poor girl to tears because a boy Kirsten liked said hello to her. She told the teacher about it, Kirsten was suspended for three days, and the girl had left school completely, never to be seen again.

Now it was happening to Julia, and all because Ethan wanted to be friends with her? That was what Kirsten considered some kind of unforgivable crime? Where was the logic in that? Or was there any? This was just too ridiculous, and Julia could tell Kirsten didn't learn her lesson. Or maybe she didn't want to.

"Yeah," Lakeisha added. "Besides, we all know yous a big fat cheater! He deserves better than you!"

Really? That again? Julia clenched her teeth. Why was she still bringing that up? She had already apologized to Lakeisha for cheating off her test and promised to never do it again. What more did she even want from her?

"So do Ethan a favor and stay away from him. Forever," Kirsten told her, leaning way too close into Julia's personal space. "All you're going to do is drag him down and cramp his style."

"Go away!" Julia slipped away from Kirsten, finally breaking past Lakeisha, out from the vicious circle. "You don't get to decide who should be friends with who, not me or Ethan!" She snapped, unable to listen to any more of Kirsten's inane threats. "He's not your property! Why not let Ethan make his own decisions for himself? Besides, he told me himself he doesn't like you, so maybe you should respect his wishes instead of trying to scare me away from the first friend I made in years!"

At this point, Julia was done with these hacks. She attempted to run, but Paisley shouted, "Grab her, Deanna!" Hands suddenly locked onto Julia's arm, fingernails digging past the fabric of her orange sweater sleeve, cutting into her skin. Kirsten wrapped both arms around Julia's other arm, trapping her completely. Julia pulled and struggled, but the group's grip was strong on both sides. Not even kicking her feet outward did any good.

Kirsten's face pulled into a contorted snarl. "If that's how you wanna play it," She shouted loud enough to make Julia's eardrums throb in pain. Raising her hand up, ready to drop it down and slap her, she yelled, "Then I'll make sure Ethan won't have anything more to do with a retard like-"

"HEY! Leave her alone!"

Red and yellow entered Julia's blurring vision. The invasive, cruel hands released her from their grip, and Julia fell to her knees, trembling. There was Ethan, standing by Julia's side, shooting an angry glare at the quartet in front of him.

"Ethan!" Kirsten stammered, putting on a fake smile. "What a surprise to see you! You won't believe what Julia's been trying to do! She-"

"Take your excuses and shove it! I saw and heard everything!" Ethan yelled, not falling for Kirsten's attempt at deflecting the blame one bit. "First you and your posse constantly harass me non-stop, and now I find you're trying to hurt my friend?! You're unbelievable! And you wonder why I don't want anything to do with you!"

Kirsten jerked backward, her eyes shrinking in shock.

"Ethan, come on! Just drop her!" Lakeisha protested. "That freako's a faker and a cheater!"

"Yeah!" Paisley chimed in once more. "She lies about being able to talk to Pokemon just so she can get attention!"

"I do not do stuff to get attention!" Julia yelled.

Thankfully, Ethan stood his ground. "That doesn't make it right to pick on her! You guys are terrible! Now leave!"

The girls could only exchange bewildered glances before Lakeisha, Paisley, and Deanna finally walked away. Kirsten stayed behind. "You'd really rather hang out with this freak brain than people who are actually cool?" Kirsten sneered, pointing at Julia like she was a Grimer polluting the air around her. "Come on. She's just a whiny brat who uses other people to do stuff for her because she can't be bothered to grow up and be normal for a change."

"That's not true!" Julia shouted. What was with Kirsten and her habit of always putting Julia down every chance she got? It was like she didn't have anything better to do than make snide comments about her.

"And how exactly are you so much better?" Ethan asked. "All you've ever done is chase me around and treat me like your property! I'm not some porcelain doll you can hoard all to yourself! I've told you no over and over again, and you just don't listen! You're full of it! Just leave us alone!"

For a moment, there was silence. Kirsten couldn't think of anything else to say. Her eyes were wide like saucers, and she looked like she had seen a ghost. Later, her body relaxed and her eyes returned to their usual miffed glare. "Fine. Have it your way."

With that, she turned on her heel and walked away, her sandals scraping against the concrete with every step. Not long after, Ethan turned around, facing Julia with a concerned expression. "Hey. Are you okay? Do you want to talk to one of the teachers?"

Julia was speechless. This was not the outcome she expected. She was sure she would get beat up or smacked around, just like in second grade, with no other kids bothering to come help or console her. That was how it had always been. Teachers would help her out, sure, but she had always wished for a friend to save her and be there for her. Against all odds, Ethan was here. Ethan, who actually chose to be friends with her and didn't hesitate to stand up to Kirsten. Was this some kind of dream? Julia's vision blurred as the realization overwhelmed her. This wasn't a dream at all. Tears fell down her cheeks.

"Ethan!" With a wail, Julia threw herself onto him, wrapping her arms around him so tight, she didn't want to let go for fear that this whole thing might turn out to be some cruel dream. She cried into his shirt, repeating his name over and over again as though it were the only thing keeping her alive. In this moment, no words could even hope to convey her infinite feelings of sheer gratitude.

Realizing what was going on, Ethan smiled and rubbed the girl's back with one hand. He flashed a smile and consoled her. "It's okay. I'm here now. Kirsten's gone." He whispered.

Once Julia calmed down, she and Ethan decided to tell one of the teachers what had happened. Julia chose Mrs. Cabanos, the social studies teacher. While Julia was admittedly still wary of teachers overall, she did find herself liking her, as she always explained things in ways she could understand, and if any students needed help, she always lent a hand. Ethan did most of the explaining, as Julia's voice had gotten hoarse from crying so much.

"My word!" Mrs. Cabanos explained, holding a hand to her mouth. "Thanks for telling me this, you two. I'll have a word with those four right away."

Later in the day, Ethan and Julia learned that Kirsten and her posse were sent to the principal's office and given two detentions. Julia knew this wouldn't do much to change their attitude towards her, except maybe hate her even more, but she was happy to see them get at least some form of punishment. But more than that, she was on cloud nine. Ethan actually cared about her enough to tell off Kirsten and didn't just leave her in the dust.

The next few months were the happiest Julia had ever experienced. They had their snags, but through it all, she spent as much time with Ethan as she could. He made every day better for her, and she didn't want to miss out on any opportunity to hang out with him. Going to his house, inviting him to hers, going to the movies, playing with his Cyndaquil, playing video games together...this was what Julia had yearned for for so many years, to just hang out with a friend and do the kinds of things friends did. Every girl she knew in school shared stories about how they hung out with their friends and did stuff together. She always wanted to do things with someone as well, but nobody wanted to be her friend. Until now, that is. Sure, they never had a chance to go to the mall, since that was the typical hangout place for kids her age, but she didn't mind. The mall could get noisy anyway. Just spending time with him was good enough for her, and she would never forget the precious memories she made with him.

It was late February, and the air still had a frosty bite that lingered. Julia had been happy all day, because her parents told her some wonderful news. Because they were impressed with how her grades have improved and with how she helped them with taking care of the Pokemon on their ranch, they talked to Professor Elm and decided to arrange for her to get her very own Pokemon on her eleventh birthday this coming April. The second she heard the news, Julia screamed with joy, jumping up and down and flapping her hands wildly, much to Amara's irritation. Her own Pokemon! Her very own, special friend to call her own! Just thinking about it made her want to explode.

Because of this wonderful news, Julia went through the entire school day with a big smile on her face. Not even Kirsten's glares, Lakeisha's whispers, or Paisley's snide comments could bring her mood down. She couldn't wait for recess to get here already so she could tell Ethan all about it. He wasn't present during homeroom for some reason, and she decided to ask him about it at recess. Still, it took everything she had not to just go over to him and tell him during class, as she didn't want to be disruptive or get in trouble. Even so, this news was too awesome to keep under wraps, and she kept bouncing in her seat all through class. Everything around her seemed to sparkle under a light, happy glow.

After what seemed to be an eternity, recess finally arrived, and Julia sprinted out onto the blacktop, eager to finally tell Ethan the great news. But when she got there, a huge crowd began to gather. Was something going on? Covering her ears, Julia approached the crowd and tried to see what was going on, but everyone else was simply too tall for her to look over their shoulders and see. She then began to push her way through the crowd, muttering "Excuse me" every time she accidentally bumped against someone.

"I challenge you to a battle!"

"Oh, it's on!"

White lights flashed in the middle of the crowd. A battle? Julia shivered when she heard one of the voices. Was that...Ethan? When she got closer, she saw Ethan and another kid standing several feet away from each other, with a Cyndaquil and a Rattata in battle ready positions.

"Think you can beat me, Ethan?"

"Sure can!" Ethan exclaimed, throwing his hand out. "I like to go one-on-one, all or nothing! Cyndaquil, use Ember!"

Cyndaquil fired off a barrage of tiny flames.

"Use Quick Attack, Rattata!" The other kid shouted.

Being an agile Pokemon, Rattata deftly evaded the attacks by leaping from side to side before charging right at Cyndaquil. The force of the attack was enough to make Cyndaquil go rolling across the concrete, but it got right back on its feet soon after.

Everyone cheered all around Julia, shouting encouragement and throwing their fists into the air, charging the air with electrifying excitement. But Julia's face blanched, her blood ran cold, and her eyes shrunk with terror, like she saw a ghost. The two Pokemon kept ramming into each other, exchanging blows and tackles, with the occasional Ember thrown in for good measure. Julia's heart thundered in her chest, screaming at her to get out of there. Her vision blurred, and the air around her was suddenly suffocating. It hurt to breathe, but she couldn't stop her rapid breaths. Images flashed through her mind.

Fireballs making wood explode into infernos. Blue beams of light soaring in the air. A purple moth Pokemon flapping its wings, spreading dust. Lightning bolts dancing across the floor. Wooden panels nearly falling on top of her. Herself, stuck in the corner of a burning shed, unable to escape, unable to do anything except cry and pray for help. A teacher's face twisted in a hateful snarl. The sting of the rapid slaps across her face returned to her cheeks. The same teacher's explosive yelling rocking her already ringing ears.

"Yeah! Way to go, Ethan!" Cheering brought Julia back to reality, but the suffocating feeling didn't go away. She barely even noticed Ethan approaching her, as he was little more than a blur made of yellows and reds.

"Did you see that, Jule? Cyndaquil totally whipped Wilberto's butt!"

Ethan was smiling. His eyes were sparkling. Julia's breath hitched. Why? Why was he smiling? Why was he enjoying a Pokemon battle? Why was he enjoying something so cruel and violent? Why was his Pokemon enjoying it as well? This couldn't be true. Her heart continued to pound in her chest with increasing intensity. Every beat, every breath hurt worse than the last. Darkness began to close in on her.

Her legs carried her away, and Julia ran. She needed to get out of here.

"Huh?! Hey, wait!" Ethan gave chase, grabbing her by the arm once they reached the bleachers. "What's wrong? Are you okay?"

It was in this moment, amidst an unexpected, burning rush of anger finally seared away at any self-control she had crumbled away. The words spilled out before she could stop herself. "Why are you in a Pokemon battle?! They're cruel and violent! How can you hurt your Pokemon like that?!

Ethan's eyes widened, and he jerked back in surprise. "Huh? What are you saying-?!"

"I hate Pokemon battles! How could you do this to me?!" Julia screamed in his face, having lost all control. Voices in her head told her that she needed to calm down, that she shouldn't yell at him for participating in Pokemon battles. Just because she didn't like them didn't mean she had to hate people who did. But she was too far gone to think clearly in that moment. Her heart was racing and her face turned crimson. "I thought you were my friend!"

"I am your-!"

"I don't wanna be friends with somebody who's cruel to their Pokemon like that! I hate you!"

Normally, the noise around her would have overwhelmed any other quieter noises that might have been nearby, but Ethan made a noise that was somewhere between a gasp and a sob. She heard it plainly, but at this point, she didn't care. She only barely noticed the look of profound hurt and confusion on his face before turning on her heel, grabbing all her stuff, and sprinting up the bleachers, back into the halls. Veins throbbed in her head, and she took a moment to take heaving breaths. For her, this was the ultimate betrayal. To actively participate in something so awful as a Pokemon battle...how could he? The last thing Julia wanted was to be friends with anyone who would engage in such cruelty. She didn't want to see him again. She didn't want to be in the same room as him. She had finally made a friend, but look what happened. She had always been afraid of people not wanting to be friends with her, but this situation was the reverse of what she had imagined. She decided not to be friends with him anymore! Irony of ironies.

A sudden sensation overwhelmed her once more, like a door swinging open on a cold winter night. She was alone again. Her chest and stomach felt sore. Now she was right back to having no friends...only she was the one to throw him aside. She felt like she had broken something that she could never replace.

This had to be rock bottom.

"Julia?"

She looked up. A black haired woman wearing thin spectacles came down the hallway, her pink sweater and brown jeans a splash of much needed color in the beige, bland hall. It was Mrs. Cabanos. "What are you doing in here?" The teacher briskly approached her, eyebrows furrowed in concern. "Shouldn't you be outside with the other kids?" Her voice was sweet with sympathy, but Julia narrowed her eyes at her. The sympathy was like a pick trying to unlock the feelings she kept all around her soul, and Julia was in no mood for any advice from any teacher.

"I'm going to the bathroom," Julia told her tersely, walking quickly down the hall before Mrs. Cabanos had the chance to question her any further.

She didn't want anyone asking questions. She didn't want anyone telling her parents about her fight with Ethan. She didn't want the problem to be solved. She wanted it all to just go away. She wanted this awful feeling in her chest to just leave her alone. She hid in the bathroom until the bell rang, and the rest of the day moved at a Slugma's pace. Even when her mother picked her up, she didn't dare tell her what was wrong, no matter how many questions she asked. Julia burst into her room and finally broke down, bawling into her bedsheets as she lamented the loss of her first friend in what seemed to be years. She didn't care if anyone heard.

It took all of five seconds for Amara to come stomping into her room, her face contorting with anger. "Quit your crying, you brat!" Amara yelled. "I'm trying to do my homework!"

But Julia didn't stop crying. There was no way anything could make her stop at the moment. "Ethan's...not my friend...anymore!"

Amara had no sympathy for the girl's plight, scowling at her like she saw her pick trash out from the trash bin. She didn't even ask what was wrong, or go inside to comfort her. "Get over it, you pest! One of my friends freakin' died!" Amara argued. "My problems are way worse than yours, so don't act like you've got it bad!"

"Amara! That's no way to talk to your sister!" Her mother scolded.

Julia's crying overrode all other voices as she lost herself in her sorrow. Only now did it finally sink in that she was back to being friendless all over again.

And now, she might not ever make another friend.

A/N: Well, it turns out that not only is this the last bonus chapter, but the last chapter I'm posting this year. Ehhh...this wasn't necessarily the chapter I wanted to end the year oh, but oh well. Also, for clarity: Yes, Ethan is basically the player character from Gold/Silver/Crystal, pretty much Jimmy from the Legend of Thunder special just with a different name. Yes, Julia is being bratty, petty, and pretty much caused her own problems here. Yes, this was deliberate and will be addressed in the next chapter. Anyway, I hope everyone had a merry Christmas (or a happy holiday, whatever you celebrate) and have a Happy New Year!