Chapter 62: Fractured Friends
It took them about an hour to find the pier, but the kids found a man with a boat there, who offered to take them to the Kanto border for $5 per person, along with checking their trainer IDs. The boat ride was fairly pleasant, though Julia found that the man drove the boat a little too fast for her liking. She stayed seated the entire time, clinging to metal handles on the side like they were her lifeline. The boat ride only took about thirty minutes, but when they hit land, they got off the boat and found themselves in front of a long black fence, reaching nearly seven feet high. A big metal gate loomed over them, guarded by two soldiers holding rifles on each side.
Julia shivered. "Wow. This looks...kinda scary," She said.
Perrine cast an aside glance, noticing a small building just a few feet away. A small, square, metallic building no bigger than a tolling booth on a big highway. The kids could see a large, bearded man through the square window. Figuring he must be who they needed to check in with, they walked right over.
"Excuse me, sir?" Perrine took the initiative by speaking first. "We're heading to the Pokemon League."
"Hm?" The man looked up from his magazine, repositioning himself to look at them face to face. "Hello there, kids. I need to see your IDs and PokeDexes first."
Without a word, the kids handed the man their IDs and PokeDexes. Julia watched anxiously as the man scanned them in some sort of scanner before looking at his computer. Julia knew for sure she had no criminal record, what with being only eleven, but what if the guy found something that would prevent her from going into Kanto? For all she knew, they could be sent back to Johto for any number of reasons. Being too young to enter a whole new region. Not being well dressed. Not having piles of brain bogglingly complicated paperwork on her to ensure legitimacy for...just about anything. What if the guy asked her for a document she didn't have? What could she do? She figured the rules for this sort of thing were very strictly enforced. Julia's leg twitched on its own, the anticipation close to killing her.
Then, the guy smiled as he handed their IDs and PokeDexes back to them. "Alright, you're all set. Welcome to Kanto," He told them, signaling for the soldiers to open the gate. One soldier undid a big lock with a key, and the other one pulled the metal gate open.
"Thank you, sir!" Julia said, bowing in a ninety-degree angle, the anxiety that was pooling inside her fading away as soon as she heard those magical words.
The kids said goodbye to the man who took them here by boat and made their way through the gate. But Julia did shiver a bit when she saw one of the soldiers looking at her with a tiny smile. She couldn't quite make out what that was about. Was he smiling at her to be nice, or was it some sort of roundabout way of telling her that if she did anything bad, he would throw her in jail with no mercy? Julia stayed as close to her friends as possible, not wanting to think too much about it.
Once the gate was far behind them, Julia exhaled, holding Hikaru close to her chest. "Thank goodness we got in! I was so afraid they'd throw us in jail or something!" Julia exclaimed.
"Pika!" Hikaru winced as Julia's grip on her tightened.
"Throw us in jail? Why?" Caiseal asked, confused.
"Anything! Not having a certain set of documents or...or...them thinking we're secretly trying to smuggle drugs or something! I don't know!" Julia cried out. "I've seen the stories on the news!"
Perrine put a reassuring hand on Julia's shoulder. "It's alright. We managed to get through okay, and nobody's getting arrested. Besides, it's actually pretty easy for kids to get into Kanto for the League," Perrine reminded her. "You only need a lot of documents and a passport for crossing the border if you want to get into Johto or Kanto for anything except the League, like to live there or something. That's what my mom told me, at least."
So that's how it worked. Julia smiled down at Hikaru, who smiled back at her. It then occurred to the girl that they were in a completely new region, far from the familiarity of her Johto home. Her legs trembled from the wonder of it all, even as they continued their trek. Still, the sky above was as blue as ever, with a few clouds dotting it here and there. Julia wished she had bought some sunglasses, as the sun made everything she saw a little too bright for her liking, though she didn't think this to be something to complain about.
Then, a roar in the distance broke the peaceful silence. A stream of fire shot out from further down the road. "What's that?" Perrine asked.
Caiseal silently pointed further down using his thumb, gesturing that they should go check it out. Nodding, the trio ran down the rugged road before them to see what the fire was about. It wasn't too far to get to on foot, only about thirty or so feet away. Once they made it to a flat, wide plain, they found two male trainers and their Pokemon engaging in battle. One trainer with a red shirt and yellow shorts had a Typhlosion, and the other one, a bespectacled boy with short, pale brown hair, had a small, humanoid looking Pokemon that had pale purple skin, brown hips, matching feet, and three protrusions on its head.
"Tyrogue, use Brick Break!"
"Defense Curl!"
The Typhlosion curled into a ball as Tyrogue's hands turned flat and smacked it hard. All Typhlosion did was tremble from the pain, but the trio could see the confident, knowing gleam in the black haired boy's eyes. He definitely had something planned, seeing as he didn't look one bit scared during the battle.
"Now use Flame Wheel!"
In an instant, Typhlosion exploded into flames. Tyrogue was slow to react, and its hand burned from the exposure to the blaze. Typhlosion then uncurled and rammed right into Tyrogue, sending it soaring across the battle field, only stopping just five feet from its trainer. Undeterred, Tyrogue picked itself back up, getting back on unsteady legs.
"Gotta say, Ethan, you always go for the jugular, don't you?" The bespectacled boy called out.
Ethan?
Julia's eyes shrunk in an instant, and her face blanched just as quickly. The name rang in her head with as much clarity as a loud church bell. A shiver ran up her spine, and she clutched the straps on her backpack tightly. She knew that name. Memories flooded her mind when she saw the black haired boy, his red shirt, bright yellow shorts…it all came back to her in an instant.
No. This couldn't be him. Could it?
"You know me, I like to go one on one, all or nothing!" Ethan exclaimed proudly. "And I'm finishing this battle!"
"Not if I can help it!" The brown haired boy shouted back. "Tyrogue! Use Headbutt!"
Tyrogue lowered its head, charging at full speed towards Typhlosion. Ethan's confidence didn't falter one bit.
"Typhlosion, Swift!" Ethan called out. On cue, Typhlosion opened its mouth, firing off a stream of yellow stars that pelted the humanoid Pokemon like hailstones. Tyrogue kept running, even as the barrage of stars pelted and scratched its skin. Once it got close enough, Tyrogue leaped, ramming its head right underneath Typhlosion's chin, shutting its mouth closed and ending the starry assault. Typhlosion's teeth rattled, vibrating as it fell to its knees.
"Oooh," Caiseal watched the battle, his hazel eyes intense and enthralled. "I bet that Tyrogue's gonna beat Typhlosion."
Perrine balled her hands into fists. "I really want Typhlosion to win!" She exclaimed, her voice bursting with enthusiasm.
Typhlosion took a brief moment to compose itself before getting back on its feet. "You okay, Typhlosion?"
The volcano Pokemon gave a reassuring growl.
"Alright! Use Flamethrower!" Ethan cried out.
The back of Typhlosion's neck burst into flames before it fired off a blazing spiral. Tyrogue attempted to run, but the flames quickly caught up to it before trapping him in a fiery cyclone. Tyrogue howled and screamed in pain as its whole body burned from the outside. Any movement resulted in agony. Even its trainer seemed to realize that there was no way Tyrogue could get out of this. Thankfully, the flames dissipated after just a few minutes, and Tyrogue was on the ground, its skin charred, but not to a fatal degree, and completely unconscious.
It was pretty clear who won this battle.
"Yeah! We won!" Ethan jumped into the air, overcome with joy. Victory was ensured. Typhlosion flexed its muscles and let out a victorious roar. Ethan then swiped his nose with his thumb before flashing a thumb's up. "You rock and you rule!"
"Ha! Totally called it!" Perrine exclaimed, playfully poking Caiseal's shoulder. "I knew that Typhlosion would win!"
"Why am I not surprised?" Caiseal mused. As much as he wanted Tyrogue to win, he knew that the possibility of Typhlosion being the one to achieve victory was much higher. Tyrogue was a fairly young looking Pokemon, and Typhlosion was a third stage evolution. Ethan being the one to win was practically guaranteed from the start, so perhaps the loss on Tyrogue's part was inevitable.
Tyrogue's trainer went right up to his fallen Pokemon, gently cradling it in his arms with a slightly sad smile on his face. "It's okay, Tyrogue. You were great out there," He told him reassuringly. The humanoid Pokemon opened its eyes and flashed a grateful grin in return. Not long after, Ethan and Typhlosion approached them.
"That was a great battle, Theo," Ethan said. "Your Tyrogue is really strong. Sorry if we went kinda overboard."
Theo stood up, gently setting the now conscious Tyrogue down on the ground, letting it stand back up. "It's okay. We didn't make it all the way here for nothing, so it's no problem," Theo extended his hand out, and Ethan gave it a firm shake. "Thanks for the battle. Tyrogue and I had a lot of fun."
As their trainers spoke, Typhlosion approached Tyrogue, smiling as it let out a low growl, thanking it for the battle. Tyrogue grinned right back, not holding anything against the volcano Pokemon for that last attack. Battles were supposed to be tough and competitive, and Tyrogue had been through similar battles before, so what was there to gripe about? The two Pokemon high fived each other, tired but satisfied.
Theo returned Tyrogue to its PokeBall. "I'll see you at the Pokemon League, then?"
"You bet!"
With a grateful wave, Theo ran over the hill behind Ethan, disappearing into the wilderness. Ethan waved right back, though slower than how Theo waved. It was then that Typhlosion let out a grumble, pulling on Ethan's shirt. "What is it?" Typhlosion pointed behind itself. Ethan turned around and saw Perrine, Julia, and Caiseal just a few feet behind him. Ethan's eyebrows rose as he took in the sight of the three strangers in front of him, but greeted them with a welcoming grin.
"Hello there. I didn't know I had an audience watching my battle just now," Ethan said.
"Sorry if we scared you," Perrine told him. "We saw you battling that other kid, so we decided to stay and watch. You were awesome, by the way."
Ethan used his finger to rub underneath his nose. "Thanks. Typhlosion worked real hard, so he deserves all the credit."
Typhlosion let out a pleased grumble.
"I take it you guys are heading to the League as well?"
"We are!" Caiseal exclaimed.
"Cool! I'm Ethan, by the way. Ethan Goldsworthy," He wrapped an arm around Typhlosion. "And this is my partner and BFF, Typhlosion!"
Julia's only response was a sharp intake of breath. Her heart pounded so hard, it felt like it was going to break her ribs and fly right out of her chest. Every heartbeat hurt worse than the last.
"I'm Perrine. It's nice to meet you!"
"My name's Caiseal, and this is Julia…" Caiseal turned around to introduce Julia, but backpedaled when he saw the wide-eyed, frightened, Deerling in the headlights look on her face. "Uhh…Jule? You okay?" Caiseal pulled his hand back, not wanting to invade her space, but his eyebrows furrowed in worry. Perrine's eyes tightened when she saw her friend's distressed expression, more so when she saw Julia's leg bouncing up and down.
"Is something wrong?" Ethan asked.
Finally, Julia found her voice. "…Ethan…?" Her emotional paralysis ceased, and she walked two steps closer to him, her legs shaking with every step. This time, Ethan got a better look at her, a spark lit his mind alight.
"Wait a minute. You look familiar…" Ethan mused, his eyebrows furrowing. "Did we go to school together once?"
Caiseal and Perrine exchanged glances. Did Julia know him? She said his name like she had known it long before they even met.
"Yes," Julia sputtered, voice quavering, eyes fixated on his shoes. "I'm…Julia Parisa. We…used to be friends."
Friends? Used to be? Everything made sense now. She recognized him and was shocked from seeing him again. But from what Julia had told them, she barely had any friends during her early childhood, and she never mentioned knowing a kid named Ethan before. More than that, this made Ethan the second person they encountered that she knew. Meeting so many people she knew was starting to become a little too much of a coincidence for her liking. Julia's leg continued to bounce rapidly, and her hands gripped the straps on her bag like they were the only thing keeping her alive.
As soon as he heard Julia's full name, Ethan's eyebrows lowered, and a dark expression replaced his once sunny smile. "Parisa…now I remember you," Ethan's voice adopted a harsh, venomous edge, pushing away the warmth it once had.
A shiver ran up Julia's spine. Goosebumps broke out all across her arms. She continued to stare at his shoes, mentally preparing herself for what was coming.
"Some friend you were!" Ethan exclaimed. "You completely ditched me! You just tossed me aside, started avoiding me, and treated me like I didn't exist the second you saw me battle someone! Now years later you just show up and start talking to me again like nothing ever happened?!"
What? Perrine and Caiseal gaped. What in the world was this kid saying? But Caiseal wasn't going to stand for it. He marched straight over to Ethan and wagged his finger at him. "Hey! Leave her alone! Who do you think you are, accusing her of being some lowlife who uses people for her own convenience?!" Caiseal bellowed.
"Yeah!" Perrine wasted no time joining in. "She's done nothing but help people and care about others for the entire time we've known her!"
Ethan crossed his arms and raised a disbelieving eyebrow. "Yeah, well, she certainly wasn't like that with me," He retorted. "I have to admit, I am surprised you're even here of all places," Ethan said to Julia. "This is where strong trainers who've gone through a ton of battles gather. Don't you hate Pokemon battles?" Ethan deliberately drew out the word hate as though he were talking to a toddler.
The condescension in his voice made Caiseal's blood boil. He reached out to grab a chunk of Ethan's shirt, pulling him so close they could smell each other's breath. "You've got some nerve making fun of our friend! I dare you to say that again!"
"Cash! Don't!" Thankfully, Perrine got in between them, preventing things from getting ugly. Caiseal didn't let go, but his grip loosened. But man, did he want to punch this kid's lights out. He wished that Theo and his Tyrogue had beaten him in that battle earlier.
"…Please stop."
The kids all turned to face Julia, whose frightened expression changed into something more solemn. She gently removed Caiseal's hand from Ethan's shirt. But the kids could see that her green eyes were moist, and her voice quavered, almost on the verge of tears.
"Everything Ethan said is true," Julia admitted softly. "I was cruel to him. He was my friend, but I abandoned him over a really stupid thing that wasn't worth making a fuss about," She turned to Ethan and bowed. "We're sorry for bothering you. We'll be on our way now…and I'm sorry for everything."
She took Perrine and Caiseal by their hands and left Ethan and Typhlosion alone. Once they were out of sight, they found a cluster of tall rocks near a rocky beach. An ideal place to rest, as the kids were admittedly getting a little tired. However, Julia sat down on a smaller rock and stared at the ground, stray tears escaping her eyes and dripping off her nose. Perrine was the first to approach her.
"So…you knew him. Ethan," Perrine started, letting the sentence drift off, unsure of whether she should even ask or not. Was this even the right time to do so? She didn't want to pry, but she was curious about their shared history together, as was Caiseal. "Do you…want to talk about it?"
Julia was silent.
"You don't have to say anything if you're not comfortable. He's full of it," Caiseal piped in. "He had no right to—"
"No. Please don't," Julia raised a hand, cutting him off. "He never bullied me, just so you know. Like I said, everything he said I did is true."
The idea of Julia refusing to be friends with someone over a dislike of Pokemon battles seemed outlandish to them. Julia, their nice, sweet, kind, caring friend, who always put her Pokemon's well-being first, being that judgmental and petty? But they did remind themselves that they had only known her for a few months, so for all they knew, she was probably very different when she was younger. People could change over the course of a few months or years depending on the decisions they made. Caiseal himself was one such example.
"He said you guys used to be friends?" Perrine asked.
Julia nodded. "He transferred to my school when I was in fifth grade," She began. "He was the first friend I made in years."
She and Ethan bonded over their love for Pokemon, and grew very close. But Ethan was popular with the girls for his personality, good looks, and the fact that he was from Olivine City, to the point where some girls even made a fan club. He didn't like that, and always spent his time with her. At one point, Ethan had defended her from bullies, and Julia considered him a miracle sent to her by God. He was everything she had ever wanted in a friend and more. Perrine and Caiseal listened in silence as Julia told the story of her former friendship with Ethan.
"How come you never mentioned him to us before now?" Caiseal inquired, more curious than angry. He knew she didn't intentionally keep him a secret, especially not out of malice, but his desire to know more did get the better of him.
"To be honest, I had completely forgotten about him after a while," Julia answered, her voice trembling. "He left on a journey not long after we stopped being friends. I guess I thought he'd never come back."
Perrine took a bite out of a granola bar before asking her next question. "Sorry if we're touching on a sore spot, and you don't have to answer if you're not okay with it…but how come you stopped being friends with him?"
As much as it pained her to say it, Julia knew there was no point it keeping it all in anymore. Just knowing the gravity of her actions weighed her down and made her chest feel like someone had but a cinderblock in an empty paper bag. "Remember how I told you guys that before I started my journey, I hated Pokemon battles with every fiber of my being? That I used to think battles were cruel and violent and could get Pokemon fatally hurt or killed?"
"I remember you mentioning it a few times," Caiseal replied, kicking a small stone with his boot, sending it rolling into the grass. "You stopped thinking that after you met Falkner in Violet City, right?"
"Yeah," Julia said, pausing for a brief moment before continuing. "But before that, I really, really hated Pokemon battles, so much so that I convinced myself anyone who even liked them or participated in them was somehow completely evil beyond redemption, regardless of their actual personality or whether I knew them beforehand or not. If you guys had met me long before I changed my views on battles, you would have hated my guts for sure."
Once again, Perrine and Caiseal exchanged bewildered glances. That explained a lot. "Yeah, that is a pretty messed up way of thinking," Perrine said.
"So one time, I saw him battle a kid at school, and it…just made me so angry," Julia explained. "I considered it a huge betrayal. Though at the time, I never told him about the bad experiences I had in second grade that made me hate battles. At the time, I was just trying everything I could just to forget about the whole thing. Plus, I never really had the thought to do so. But I yelled at him for getting into a battle and…" Julia paused. It hurt just to admit the awful truth, but she knew she had to do so. She pushed the awful words out with all the strength she had. "I decided I didn't want to be his friend anymore and just…ditched him."
Her friends said nothing, silently taking it all in.
Caiseal was the first to speak. "Not gonna lie, that was a pretty cruel thing to do."
"I realize that now," A stray tear escaped from her left eye, running down her cheek. "I basically caused not only my own suffering, but hurt one of the first friends I ever made because of my own closed-mindedness."
"But you're not like that anymore," Perrine asserted. "We've seen you battle all sorts of trainers, and you're nothing like how you used to be."
"He doesn't know that, though," Julia reminded her. That had been the last time she and Ethan had ever talked to each other, and he wasn't there with her during her journey. Only Perrine and Caiseal witnessed her growth from the shy, easily frightened homebody to the trainer she eventually became. The kids had to admit, she made a good point.
"He's here now, so why not apologize to him?" Perrine suggested, holding her index finger up for good measure. "It's clear you feel bad about the whole thing. For all we know, maybe he'll forgive you. You can show him for sure that you're not the person you were in fifth grade."
"I suppose…" Julia balled her hands into fists. That would be the best solution. It was the right thing to do. Even so, she still felt unsure. "But I doubt it'll work. Usually when I do something bad or make someone angry, they stay mad at me forever, no matter how sorry I am. Just saying it probably won't even help."
As much as Julia wished saying sorry to someone would magically fix things, she wasn't naïve. Past experiences taught her that simply apologizing doesn't smooth things out and make everything peachy keen. When she cheated off of Lakeisha's test in fifth grade and apologized for it, Lakeisha refused to let her live it down and was still angry at her about it long after the fact. Other, similar incidents plagued her and made her wonder if she truly was as bad as people said she was.
"I say do it anyway," Caiseal said. "It's better to do it now than not do it and regret it long after the fact."
Julia winced. Another good point.
"But can I offer some advice? I wouldn't recommend telling him about the bad experiences you had in detail," Caiseal explained. "The reason being that if you do so, you might wind up making the whole thing about you, and to Ethan it'll seem like you're just making excuses for yourself rather than being sincere."
She shrugged, figuring that was the case. That sounded reasonable enough. The last thing Julia wanted was to make excuses for herself, especially since she was the one who caused the rift between them in the first place.
"And you can't force him to forgive you, either," Perrine chimed in. "If they're not ready to forgive you, it's better not to press the issue. My mom said that if you do something really bad, there will be times when people may never forgive you, and it's better to accept that than dwell on it forever."
Julia nodded, remembering the things she herself said to Lakeisha the day before. It became clear how she needed to go about this. "Thanks, guys. You two are way too good to me."
Perrine flashed a grin. "Of course. That's what friends are for. We wouldn't be giving you advice like this if we didn't care about you."
Friends…It was because of them that Julia was here now.
She needed to resolve things with Ethan. Strengthening her resolve, she stood up, ready for anything.
Now was the time to set things right.
She didn't need to worry about Ethan having left the area. As it turned out, he stuck around. She could hear his voice when she walked a little further down the trail. Julia looked over a small cluster of bushes to find Ethan, Typhlosion, and another Pokemon taking a break. The other Pokemon looked like a rounder, less angular Porygon, with a blue beak and a matching tail that stood straight up, like a metronome. Typhlosion and the round Porygon ate food from two gray bowls, and Ethan sat on a rock, taking bites out of a sandwich.
Julia shivered. She took a few minutes to plan out her apology, down to the letter, but she was sure it would all go away the second she attempted to approach him. How could she even go about talking to him? He made it clear he wanted nothing to do with her, so why irritate him further? Her resolve wavered. Maybe this was a bad idea. Perhaps it would be better to leave him alone. That was what he wanted, right? But the practical side of her pestered her to go through with it anyway. If she didn't apologize to him now, for all she knew, she might never get the chance to do so. She didn't want to spend the rest of her life regretting this. Even if they could never be friends again-Julia was sure this would be the case and resigned to accept the outcome, should it come to pass-she couldn't let this pass up. She needed to apologize to him. Not for herself, but so he could have some semblance of peace.
"Hey, Porygon2! You want the rest of this?" Ethan held out the rest of his sandwich. Porygon2 let out a mechanical chirrup before floating over and taking the sandwich into its mouth. Porygon2 then sat back down, chowing down and savoring every bite. Ethan smiled, extending his hand out to rub Porygon2's head. "You're a good egg, my friend."
"Pooooor!" Porygon2 warbled, having finished the first layer of bread.
Ethan's eyebrows furrowed, and his eyes had a wistful glint. "I gotta say...I sure didn't expect to run into Julia again," He mused out loud, talking to no one in particular. Julia noticed Porygon2 stealing an upward glance in his direction. It was listening. "Man, it's been so long since we saw each other...but it still feels like it was only yesterday we were hanging out at recess, gushing about Pokemon the whole time."
Typhlosion stopped to look up, its ears twitching upon hearing Ethan speak.
Julia's chest tightened. She felt the exact same way.
"Still, it looks like she's moved on. On one hand, I'm kinda happy. She made some friends and she looks a lot happier than she was before. But…" Ethan kept his gaze on Porygon2 as he spoke. "I can't forget what she did to me. I know I shouldn't dwell on it, and for all I know, maybe she didn't know what she did was wrong. She did say she was sorry, but...I don't know. It sucks, knowing someone wanted to be your friend at first, only to just up and ditch you all for little to no reason.
No denying that.
"I guess I still wonder why she even ditched me at all," Ethan said. "Did she just not like me anymore? Did I do something that made her mad or hurt her feelings? I don't know…I really thought she was different from all the other girls."
By other girls, Julia knew he was referring to Kirsten and her posse. Conviction sparked back to life the second he said that. She knew for sure she wasn't like the other girls he knew, and now was the best time to prove it once and for all. It could either go well or really badly, but getting it done and over with would be better than not apologizing at all.
She walked out from behind the bushes. "Ethan?" She called out. Ethan looked up, and when he saw his former friend, his expression immediately soured. He averted her gaze, keeping his eyes on Porygon2.
"What do you want?" Ethan hissed.
His bitter tone made her wince. But she expected this response. After what she had done to him, he had no reason to be happy to see her, much less trust her. It was understandable. But she steeled herself, reminding herself to just apologize to him. Why give up now?
"Listen…can we just talk?" Julia asked. "There's something I really need to tell you."
Ethan stood up, facing her. Did that mean he was listening? Julia knew this was it. All or nothing. Everything she had planned out in her head was threatening to fade away, but she forced her brain to keep it in. She needed to do this now.
"Ethan. I came here to…apologize to you. I'm…really sorry for how I treated you back in fifth grade," Julia finally pushed it out, squeezing her eyes shut, knowing Ethan's angry gaze was on her. "It was wrong of me to stop being friends with you over something as trivial as a Pokemon battle, and you didn't deserve that at all."
The boy's jaw fell loose, mouth ajar, as he took in his former friend's apology.
Caiseal's advice echoed in her mind when she continued on. She hoped her apology sounded sincere, not manipulative or fake. How could she know if she was doing it right? But right now, there was no turning back. Carefully planning her words, she spoke again. "The truth is, before I met you, I had really bad experiences that made me hate Pokemon battles…and people who liked them. I won't bore you with the details, as they're not important, and it's still no excuse for the way I treated you."
"You're right. It isn't," Ethan said, crossing his arms. "You really hurt me when you suddenly screamed in my face saying you didn't want to be friends anymore. I kept wracking my brain about it for months, wondering what it was I did wrong that made you do that. I had thought the whole thing was somehow my fault."
Julia fell silent, letting him speak.
"You want to know the worst thing about it, though?" Ethan inquired, slamming his palm on his chest. "You were the best friend I ever had. When I moved from Olivine, most of the girls were all over me, constantly fighting over me and competing over who was gonna use me as their personal arm candy. Kirsten and her whacked out fan club even bullied other girls to tears just for talking to me! And for what? All because I'm from a beach town or that my dad is a famous basketball player? And for being nice and actually caring about my appearance?"
'Definitely agree on that one,' Julia thought.
Ethan paused to take a quick breath before continuing. "You weren't like that. All you wanted was someone to talk about Pokemon with, and I…really enjoyed the time we spent together. But then one day you just toss me aside and ditch me? Just like that? What you did to me wasn't right!" He shouted.
Silence fell between them. Typhlosion and Porygon2 exchanged fleeting glances, hoping this would turn out okay. Every word Ethan said hit Julia right in the gut, because she knew everything he said was true. Of course he was angry. He had every right to be so, especially since she knew in her heart that the incident wasn't Ethan's fault at all. To think he genuinely thought it was for so many months…her eyes blurred, and tears threatened to come out. Ethan never should have had to go through that kind of pain. Knowing that she herself had caused it due to jumping to conclusions made her feel like a stone had been dropped into her stomach.
But right now, this wasn't about her. This was about Ethan.
"You're right. It wasn't. I was too judgmental for my own good back then, and you never should have had to deal with the pain that I subjected you to," She admitted, her voice trembling. "I'm sorry. For having been an awful friend to you. For all the pain I caused you, and everything else you said, too. I mean it."
Another silence. It took everything Julia had to not just break down crying right then and there. Everything was becoming too much. The bright blue sky, the pebbles in her shoes, Ethan staring at her…but she couldn't break down. For all she knew, Ethan might see that as Julia trying to fish for sympathy.
"There's something else you should know, too," She said. "Before I met you, I didn't have any friends. Nobody liked me. You have no idea how much your friendship meant to me when I was younger. I was so happy to finally meet someone who didn't think I was just a dumb kid who loves Pokemon and acted like a five-year-old. But I know now I still had a lot to learn about what it means to actually be a friend to someone."
Ethan kept his arms crossed, but was silent, still listening.
"I want you to know that I'm no longer the same person I was in fifth grade," Julia affirmed, completely resolute this time. "Personally, I'd love it if we could be friends again, like before, but I completely understand if you don't want to. I just want to make things right between us once and for all, and to thank you for what we had before I ruined everything. That's…about it, really."
A sniffle made her look up. Ethan's face wasn't contorted with anger anymore. His eyebrows were still furrowed, but his gray eyes had a wistful look, and his features softened, making him look more sad than mad.
He uncrossed his arms. "…Thank you. For apologizing. That…means a lot. I…" He stumbled over his words, unsure of how he should respond. After a moment, his voice hardened, and he spoke again. "But I won't lie, I can't just take you at your word. Just saying you're sorry isn't enough to convince me you're serious about this."
She had expected that. She knew that from the start. Just apologizing alone wasn't going to magically fix things. But she was just happy to finally get it all off her chest.
Wait a minute…Was there a way she could convince him she was sincere?
A light bulb flashed bright in her brain. There was one! Why hadn't she thought of it before? She flashed a confident smile.
"You're absolutely right," Julia said. "Words alone aren't enough. That's why…" She rummaged through her bag and pulled out Hikaru's PokeBall, pointing it right at Ethan.
"I know only one way to prove it. I want to prove I'm serious, if you'll let me. Ethan Goldsworthy, I challenge you to a battle!" She proclaimed, her green eyes sporting a determined gleam. Ethan's jaw hung loose once more. "One on one, all or nothing, just the way you like it."
It was a spontaneous decision, made right on the spot, and inside, she found herself surprised that she'd be so bold. But she wanted to prove to Ethan that she was sincere in wanting to make amends with him. What better way to do so than a battle, the very thing that had caused the friction between them in the first place? A battle could easily prove to Ethan that she was no longer the scared, overly judgmental girl she was in fifth grade. Win or lose, she intended to see this through.
Ethan composed himself and flashed a confident grin. "Didn't expect that. You're lucky I never turn down a challenge!" He turned towards his Typhlosion. "Hey Typhlosion! You up for another battle?"
Typhlosion gave an approving growl. Ethan turned back towards Julia, grinning. "I accept your challenge!" He exclaimed. "But don't think I'll go easy on you!"
"Wouldn't have it any other way!"
Unbeknownst to the two of them, Caiseal and Perrine were hiding behind the bush Julia used a little earlier, and they could only watch, wide eyed and loose jawed, as the former friends decided to settle things with a battle.
A while later, Julia found her friends and told them how the apology went. Caiseal and Perrine didn't expect her to challenge him to a battle, and felt compelled to share their concerns. Perrine was the first to approach her about it. "Are you sure about this?" She asked. "Was there really a need to challenge him to a battle? I mean, all you needed to do was apologize."
"Yeah. I mean, not that we don't like the idea, but was this necessary?" Caiseal asked, sharing Perrine's sentiment.
Julia looked straight at their hair, her voice firm and resolute. "For me it is," She began. "It's like you guys told me. Just apologizing in itself isn't going to magically fix things, and I need to prove to him that I'm serious in wanting to make things right beyond a shadow of a doubt. What better way to do so than to battle him? Plus, we can let off steam this way. Since the whole thing started because I hated Pokemon battles and decided they and anyone who liked them was evil, I can show him that I'm not the same person I was in fifth grade."
That made sense. Once the duo took a short moment to think about it, they smiled and nodded in approval. "Alright then. Who are we to stop you?" Caiseal said, crossing his arms. "If you don't mind, I'd like to be the referee for this one."
"Awwww! I like being a battle referee!" Perrine mock groaned.
"Come on, Perrine. You already refereed a bunch of battles before," Caiseal playfully scolded her. "How about giving me a shot at it?"
"Sure. Feel free."
It wasn't long before the kids were back in the same spot where they watched Ethan and Theo battle. This time, Ethan and Julia were on opposite sides of the clearing. Typhlosion was already out of its PokeBall, so it already stood in position, ready for battle. Julia already knew who she wanted to use for this battle.
"Hikaru, I choose you!" Julia called out, throwing Hikaru's PokeBall. The orange Pikachu materialized onto the ground, the air sparkling around her as she made her entrance. She stood on all fours, tail high in the air, ears up and ready for whatever commands Julia gave her.
"Whoa! Is that a shiny Pikachu?" Ethan yelped, taken aback by Hikaru's odd fur color. "Where in the world did you get that?"
"Ehehehe…" Julia laughed sheepishly, rubbing her hair with one hand. "It's a long story. But she is technically my first Pokemon. Her name's Hikaru."
Ethan cracked his knuckles. "This ought to be a fun battle."
Two trainers and their first Pokemon, engaged in a battle. Julia couldn't help but smile at the realization. She wondered if Ethan caught on to that as well.
Caiseal took this moment to speak. "This is a one-on-one battle between Ethan Goldsworthy from Olivine City, and Julia Parisa from New Bark Town! As such, each trainer is only allowed to use one Pokemon!" He proclaimed. Seeing that both trainers and Pokemon were ready, Caiseal wasted no time raising both arms in the air. "Ready? Begin!"
"Dibs on the first move!" Ethan yelled, pointing his index finger at Hikaru. "Typhlosion, use Swift!"
The volcano Pokemon leaped into the air and rotated its body in a front flip, shooting a barrage of glowing yellow stars in Hikaru's direction.
"Use Thunderbolt, Hikaru!" Julia cried out. Hikaru didn't dodge, knowing Swift was an attack that never missed. Instead, she fired streaks of lightning, using them to destroy the star shower. But Typhlosion landed back on the ground before the attack could hit it.
"Now use Flame Wheel!"
"Counter it with Volt Tackle!"
Typhlosion let out a roar, and its entire being burst into flames before it charged at Hikaru. The mouse Pokemon sprinted forward, her body an explosion of electricity, following suit. The two Pokemon collided in an instant, and a cloud of dust burst forth, nearly covering the entire field. It didn't take long for it to fade, and both Typhlosion and Hikaru skidded backwards, reeling from the pain of the collision. But they remained steadfast, standing right back up.
"You okay, girl?" Julia asked.
Hikaru smiled and flashed a thumb's up. "Pika!"
"We're just getting started!" Ethan exclaimed. "Typhlosion, use Dig!"
Typhlosion dug a hole in the ground, diving right in. Hikaru looked around, ears up, trying to figure out where it might pop up from.
"Don't panic, Hikaru!" Julia reminded her. "Focus! Feel for Typhlosion in the ground!"
Feel for it in the ground. Hikaru took a breath and closed her eyes. She could hear the sound of claws scratching at dirt, and subtle vibrations went through her paws. Gradually, the vibrations strengthened, and the ground began to shift. Julia saw a piece of the ground pop up from behind Hikaru. Now was her chance.
"Jump! Behind you!"
"Chuuu!" Hikaru did a backflip, just as the ground beneath her exploded. Typhlosion flew out from the soil.
"Now use Flash!"
Hikaru let out a cry as her body was enveloped in light. Typhlosion made the mistake of turning around in an attempt to attack her. As soon as it laid eyes on Hikaru, the volcano Pokemon was instantly blinded.
"Hit it with Quick Attack!"
Still glowing, Hikaru landed on her feet and wasted no time sprinting right into Typhlosion, ramming her body against its torso. The force of the impact made Typhlosion skid across the field, and for a brief moment, all the air was out of its stomach, rendering it unable to breathe.
"Typhlosion!" Ethan exclaimed. But it didn't take long for Typhlosion to shake off the impact and be back to its normal self. The volcano Pokemon flashed a reassuring grin, which told Ethan all he needed to know.
"Alright! Use Flamethrower!"
A stream of fire escaped Typhlosion's mouth. Hikaru ran from the flames, but they always stayed about two feet away from her, threatening to catch up. Julia had to think, and fast. Dodging Typhlosion's attacks wasn't going to win the battle.
"Hikaru! Use Disarming Voice!" Julia shouted.
Once Typhlosion's flames disseminated, Hikaru let out a sharp cry, and a ring of pink rings bedecked with hearts shot towards Typhlosion.
"Flamethrower again! Full power!"
Typhlosion took a breath and fired more flames. This time, they completely overpowered the Disarming Voice, cutting right through the rings and striking Hikaru head on. Her body seared with pain, but the mouse managed to free herself from the flames. But Julia could see black marks on her yellow fur, and Hikaru herself stopped to gasp for breath.
Ethan crossed his arms, flashing a confident grin in Julia's direction. "I gotta say, I didn't think you'd hold out for this long," He said. "Most Pokemon get beat the second they're hit with Typhlosion's Flamethrower."
Julia wasn't sure if Ethan was offering a genuine compliment or just flattering her. Whatever the case, she wasn't giving up yet. "Hikaru and I have been through a lot together," She told him. "A little fire isn't going to knock us down. Not even a little bit."
It was then that Ethan found himself speechless. There was a gleam in Julia's eyes that he didn't recognize. He never saw her with that look before, but he knew it all too well. Lips in a thin, firm line, eyebrows furrowed, eyes that gleamed with knowledge of pain and hardship, happiness and sorrow, and the resolve to keep going...that was the look only a trainer who went through thick and thin alongside their Pokemon had. One who witnessed and participated in many battles, experiencing wins and losses. He never expected Julia of all people to be a trainer, let alone strong enough to make it into Kanto of all places.
In a way, it made the battle all the more invigorating. He saw for sure that the girl standing on the other side of the field wasn't the shy crybaby he knew in school.
"Guess I better turn up the heat, then!" Ethan proclaimed. "Typhlosion! Use Flamethrower one more time!"
"Thunderbolt, Hikaru!"
Both Typhlosion and Hikaru fired their attacks, flames and electricity colliding, sending sparks and embers all over the place. The two remained firmly in place for several minutes, trying to put as much power into their attacks as possible. Surely, one of them had to overpower the other. Eventually, the flames grew in size, overwhelming Hikaru's Thunderbolt. Hikaru had no time to dodge, and before she knew it, she was engulfed in flames. She howled and cried as fire sent pain through every nerve in her body. Eventually, the stream of fire ceased, and Hikaru could only stand there, swaying back and forth with a dazed look in her eyes.
Julia clasped her hands together. "Hikaru!" It was pretty clear her friend couldn't battle anymore. Unable to stand, Hikaru flopped on her side, letting out a gasp as she collapsed.
Caiseal stole a glance at the fallen mouse Pokemon before extending a hand towards Ethan. "Hikaru is unable to battle! Typhlosion is the winner, and with that, Ethan Goldsworthy wins the match!" He proclaimed.
"Alriiiiight!" Ethan jumped up once, cheering and throwing his fists into the air. Typhlosion let out a triumphant roar, flames bursting from its neck. "You rock and you rule!"
Just like that, all the energy Julia had was sapped right out of her. Oddly enough, as drained as she felt, she didn't feel sad or angry. The battle was quite satisfying, and she knew she would lose, so the loss didn't sting as much as she expected it to. Ethan had been on his journey longer than she had, so of course he had more experience and more time to train. She felt...relieved, like a cinder block had been lifted off of her back. She walked over to Hikaru and cradled her in her arms. Hikaru opened her eyes, seeing her trainer's sympathetic expression.
"Pikachu…"
"You did great, girl. I'm so proud of you," Julia whispered softly, using one hand to stroke Hikaru's ear.
"Hey," Ethan's voice pulled the girl out of her reverie. She stood up, seeing Ethan standing in front of her, a smiling Typhlosion by his side. "Is Hikaru okay? I think we might have gone a bit overboard with that last attack. Sorry about that."
Typhlosion leaned closer to Hikaru, growling and asking if she was alright. Hikaru smiled and gave a friendly squeak in return.
"She'll be fine," Julia replied. "It's nothing a few potions and Oran berries can't fix."
Hikaru nodded in agreement.
"That was a great battle. I really enjoyed it," Ethan said.
Julia didn't quite know what to say to that.
"Awww man. She lost," Perrine groaned. "I was kinda hoping she'd beat him."
"She doesn't seem too torn up about the loss though," Caiseal noted, having noticed the smile on his friend's face.
"So, uhhh...thanks. For the battle, I mean," Julia stammered, putting Hikaru back in her PokeBall. "We should probably get going. I don't want to waste your time and make you late for the League."
She turned on her heel and was about to rejoin her friends. She didn't expect things to magically go back to the way they were before. Just because she wanted it that way, that didn't mean Ethan or others wanted the same. At this moment, she did what she felt needed to be done, so there was no point in pushing the issue further. Why force him to be her friend again? She apologized, showed him she was sincere through the battle, and that was all.
"Wait! Don't go!"
What? She stopped in her tracks, turning around. Why was Ethan stopping her? Didn't he need to go back on his journey? What more did he want? Ethan pulled out his PokeGear, similar in model to Perrine's and Caiseal's.
"This is gonna seem weird, but…" Ethan's face flushed red as he struggled to get the words out. "Do you...I don't know...want to exchange numbers?"
Julia was sure her ears were playing tricks on her. But she heard Ethan's question loud and clear, as did everyone else. Caiseal and Perrine exchanged shocked glances. Why would he want her number? Julia was sure he wanted nothing more to do with her.
"If you don't mind, I was kind of hoping...maybe...we could...maybe start over?" Ethan stammered. "Be friends again? Like we used to, I mean."
Be friends again? What? Julia's eyes widened. Was she dreaming? No, she couldn't be. If she was, she wouldn't have heard what he said so clearly.
He wanted to be friends with her again? Actually wanted to?
Julia's heart threatened to burst out of her chest. She told herself not to expect something like that to happen. All she needed to do was apologize and move on. Earlier, Ethan had made it clear he never wanted to see her again. Did the battle really change his mind, and that quickly? Any words she could possibly say in response were stuck in her throat. Was this some kind of miracle? Her brain reeled from the question...but more than anything, she wanted to explode and cry from too much joy.
"I'm sorry for all the mean stuff I said to you earlier," Ethan said bashfully. "Now that I know the whole story...somewhat, I think I understand you a little better now. Plus, you proved that you're not the same person you were before, so...but I understand if you don't-"
Ethan was cut off by a warm body slamming into him, and the feeling of skinny arms wrapping around his neck. He looked down and saw Julia clutching him tightly, green eyes moist with fresh tears.
"Of course I want us to be friends again!" Julia wailed, breaking into relieved sobs. "Ethaaaaaan!"
Her response told him everything he needed to know. With a sympathetic smile, he gently rubbed Julia's back. Now this was the girl he knew...and cherished so much back then. Maybe things could go back to the way they were before. Truth be told, he had already accepted her apology long before she even proposed the battle, but he didn't want to let her know that right away, in case she turned out to be just faking remorse. So many others had done so long before they had even met. The last thing he wanted was to give someone another chance but have mud thrown in his face for it. But he could tell for sure that Julia meant everything she said, apology and all.
It took a moment for Julia to calm down, but once she did, they exchanged numbers on their PokeGear. Perrine approached her and gave her a playful slap on the back.
"Isn't this great, Jule?" Perrine exclaimed, grinning from ear to ear. "I bet you didn't expect that to happen, now did you?"
"No I didn't."
"So, are you guys planning on getting into the Pokemon League?" Ethan asked.
"I'm not, but Perrine and Caiseal are," Julia pointed out.
Perrine confidently smacked her own chest with one hand. "I bet we'll be facing each other when we get there!"
"There's a possibility," Caiseal added.
Then, a spark lit Ethan's mind alight. "Hey! Here's an idea! Tohjo Falls isn't too far from here, and since we're all heading to the same place, how about we travel together?"
It took no time at all for Julia to raise her hand. "That's a great idea! I say we do it! I wanna hear all about your adventures!"
Perrine and Caiseal nodded in agreement. "I don't see why not. This'll be fun!"
"It'll be nice to finally talk to another boy for once," Caiseal remarked playfully. Ethan scratched his nose after hearing that one.
With that, the trio became a quartet. This was all so much to take in. Running into an old friend, finally patching things up, joining up in the last stretches of their journeys...but for now, in this very moment, Julia couldn't have been happier.
"Alrighty, then! Next stop, Tohjo Falls!"
A/N: Happy 2020, everyone! The first MarJour chapter of the new year, and it's...March. Eh, at least the wait wasn't as bad as the Harriet arc, when I didn't start a new chapter until long after the year had started (August). I hope everyone is happy and healthy, though considering a lot of bad stuff that's been going on IRL (I think you'll have an idea of what I'm referring to), it's probably going to be hard to be so. Even so, remember to stay safe and do all you can! Hopefully the next chapter won't take as long to come out. Then again, that'll ultimately depend on how motivated I am to actually churn something out.