Final Chapter: A Marvelous Journey
It wasn't long before Perrine's Pokemon were all healed up, with Nurse Joy giving them back to her right as Mao returned from checking herself out of the hotel she was staying at. The kids suggested she drop Julia and Ethan off at New Bark Town first, since the two of them lived close to one another. Mao took the suggestion in stride, and walked outside with the kids in tow.
"Alright! These guys will be helping us out today!" Mao released two Pokemon from their PokeBalls. One was a large bird that was a larger version of Pidgeotto, but with purely red tail feathers, a longer beak, and a long, red and yellow crest that reached just below its tail. The other Pokemon was an equally large dinosaur with a long neck, a brown body covered in large, green leaves, and had a bushel of bananas dangling from its neck. The dinosaur even had four large leaves on its back that served as its wings. The kids couldn't help but stare at the two Pokemon in awe.
"Oooh! It's a Pidgeot and a Tropius!" Julia exclaimed, circling around them restlessly, with her eyes gleaming just at the sight of them. "They're so cool!"
"This is my first time seeing a Hoenn Pokemon up close!" Ethan said, pulling out his PokeDex to examine Mao's Tropius in particular.
"Tropius, the fruit Pokemon. Indigenous to the Hoenn region, Tropius live in thick, tropical jungles, and during the spring, pollen is released from its neck. The reason Tropius has fruit growing off its neck is because it has only ever eaten that singular fruit. It grows and ripens twice a year because of the rapid production of sugar in its leaves as a result of only eating the fruit. Tropius are very popular among children in the southern tropics, and the fruit growing from its neck is considered a beloved snack."
Perrine raised a quizzical eyebrow when she looked over at Mao. "When did you get a Tropius? I know you've had Pidgeot for a while, but not this guy."
Mao walked over to the leafy dinosaur and lovingly stroked his head. "I caught him a year after I lost my champion status. He's been a real good friend."
Tropius gave a low warble as he lifted his head slightly to nuzzle his trainer. Perrine smiled at the display, reaching up to stroke his head as well.
Once everyone was done marveling at Tropius, Mao decided to have Perrine and Julia ride with her, while assigning Ethan and Caiseal to ride on Pidgeot. Since it was still fairly early in the day, Mao said it'd take almost no time at all for them to reach New Bark Town by flying Pokemon, by which she meant about an hour and a half at most. Ironic, considering it took the kids practically a month to get from New Bark Town to the Pokemon League on foot.
When everyone was sitting securely on their respective steeds, Mao put two fingers in her mouth and let out a sharp whistling noise. Julia's hands flew to her ears, as it was a little too shrill for her eardrums' liking. In unison, Pidgeot and Tropius' wings flapped their wings, propelling themselves into the air and ascending into the sky. Julia wrapped her arms around Perrine, who had hers around Mao's waist. Ethan did the same with Caiseal, and the latter cast a slightly annoyed glance back at him. But all of them watched in awe as the scenery below them shrank smaller and smaller until it gradually disappeared behind them. They flew over mountains, rivers, and forests at a faster speed than any of them could have achieved walking through them on foot, trimming down the return trip time significantly.
Wind whipped through everyone's hair from the front. Ethan held a hand to his hat to keep it from flying away, but gave a whoop as he marveled at the idea of flying across the region on a large Pokemon. Julia simply watched the clouds pass right by her, as if they were moving faster than she was, taking care not to look down, cowed by the sheer height at which they were flying. Catching a glimpse at the Pidgeot, she wondered if Tsubasa was due to evolve at some point. Julia couldn't wait for that day to come, and she was sure Tsubasa would want to evolve as well. But another thought weighed everything else down.
'After this, I'll have to go back to school...and for all I know, things might go back to how they were before,' Julia realized. 'I don't want to go back to school. I want to keep traveling with my friends and Pokemon.'
As much as she knew there was no point in agonizing over this, the thought was like a monster threatening to swallow her whole. A flock of Pidgey flew into their midst, barely paying the two larger fliers any heed. Perrine reached out to try and touch one, but couldn't do so, as the Pidgey were too far for her to reach. It wasn't long before the large Pokemon began to slowly descend. Julia looked down. New Bark Town was right below them, and even from so high up, she recognized her house and the large backyard right away.
"There's my house!" Julia exclaimed, pointing to the yellow house in question.
"Guess we know where to land!" Mao replied before whistling towards her Pokemon, signaling for them to start the landing phase.
Both Tropius and Pidgeot angled their wings and extended their legs outward, descending at a slower speed so as to not overwhelm the passengers. Finally, they landed right on Julia's front yard. Julia checked the time on her phone and her eyes widened.
"Wow! We really did get here quick!" She exclaimed as she slid down Tropius' side, PokeGear in hand.
Mao flashed a grin. "Told you I'd get you here in no time!"
The front door swung open, and Kassia came walking out the door, in awe of the two Pokemon that descended onto the front yard. Truman followed behind her, just as dumbfounded.
"My goodness!" Kassia was almost breathless. "That's certainly one way to make an entrance."
"Hi Mom! Hi Dad! I'm back!" Julia ran right over to her parents and hugged them. The Parisa parents smiled and wrapped their arms around their youngest.
"Hey there, Slick! We're so glad you made it home!" Truman's cheery voice burst with pride.
Julia broke away from them soon after, and Kassia noticed that she had company. "Perrine and Caiseal are here too. But who's that woman?" Kassia asked.
Perrine was quick to introduce the Parisa parents to Mao, and they welcomed her warmly. But before they could talk more, Julia spoke up. "Mom? Dad? Would it be okay if...they hang out here for a few hours? I…" Her throat threatened to close up from the fear of them saying no. But she knew she had to get it out, so she forced the words out. "I want to spend just one more...moment with them," Her small voice trembled as she voiced her request.
Oddly enough, Kassia smiled and stroked her daughter's hair. "Sure, sweetie. As long as it's okay with Mao, that is."
Mao shrugged. "I think we can spare a few hours and stick around. Besides, Pidgeot and Tropius can get us anywhere in no time flat."
A huge smile broke out across Julia's face. They said yes! She ran over to Mao and wrapped her arms around her waist. Perrine was right, her aunt really was as nice as she said. Julia only just met Mao, but she already found herself liking her.
"So I guess we're hanging out here for a while, then?" Ethan asked Julia. "I think this is the first time I've been to your house."
He was right. Julia had never invited him over before, even back when they had first become friends. Now that he was here, Julia couldn't wait to show him everything. "I'll give you the grand tour!" She took Ethan by the hand and led him inside her yellow house, with Perrine and Caiseal following behind them.
From there, the kids did everything they could to spend as much time together as humanly possible. They let the Pokemon out to play in the backyard, even helping Kassia with chores when she needed assistance. They played games in the living room, like Connect Four. They watched a movie in the living room for an hour and a half. They told Julia's parents and Mao about their adventures, watching as their expressions changed wildly depending on what they told them. Kassia in particular nearly screamed when Julia mentioned she and Amara accidentally got kidnapped by Pokemon Hunter J, along with Milly harassing her at the League. Mao even helped Kassia make lunch for the kids. Nevertheless, the Parisa house was alive with laughter and activity, and Julia found herself swept up in it, wishing this moment could go on forever. But a part of her knew today was the last time she'd spend with Perrine and Caiseal for the time being.
At one point, Julia went outside to check on Ladybug. "Hey, girl!" Julia found the five star Pokemon in question, and Ladybug cooed as her trainer scratched underneath her chin. "Would you like me to brush your back?"
Ladybug gave a delighted trill at the offer. Julia pulled a brush out and rubbed it across Ladybug's back in slow, gentle strokes. She was so caught up in the task that she didn't notice someone approaching her from the side.
"Your Ledian really likes you."
It was Mao's voice. Julia stopped mid-task as she looked up to find Mao standing over her. Of course, Mao was quick to see the surprised expression on her face, and she kneeled down to her level so she wouldn't look like she was towering over her. She stood about two feet from Julia, giving her some space. Once Julia processed her presence, she smiled.
"Yeah. She does," She murmured.
Mao wrapped her arms around both her legs as she bent down, as if keeping them in place. "How long have you been a trainer?" She asked.
"Since April," Julia replied. "I hadn't intended to go on a journey, originally. But circumstances made me decide I didn't want to sit around doing nothing, so I just...went," She figured it was better to leave out the situation around Amara. Mao didn't need to know that stuff. "And...I have to admit, I'm glad I decided to go. I don't have many friends in school, and Perrine and Caiseal are the only ones who really gave me a chance...though not without some rough spots, and I only just reconnected with Ethan."
"I know that feeling," Mao said wistfully. "Back when I was younger, there was very little concrete information on Autism, so I also used to get bullied in school a lot for being the weird kid, both by other kids and teachers. It didn't help that my brother and I had a pretty strained relationship that we only resolved not even a few months ago."
Julia knew what she was talking about. Back in Goldenrod City, after the incident where Team Rocket broke into Perrine's house, the latter mentioned to her that her father had opened up to her about the incident that made him dislike Pokemon trainers and Pokemon in general. How Eduardo's impulsive actions resulted in his friends getting killed by a rampaging Onix, and how instead of taking responsibility, he scapegoated Mao and continued to do so long after the fact simply because it was easier than owning up to his mistake. But Julia's ears caught the mention of Mao having been bullied by both kids and teachers alike. Did she have to deal with a teacher like Mrs. Amoretto as well? So she knew what it was like to feel like she couldn't rely on anyone for help.
"Did you get along better with Pokemon than people?" Julia inquired.
"You could say that, yes," Mao replied, stroking Ladybug's head with one hand. "But I didn't leave on my journey until I graduated high school. My parents wanted me to finish my education before letting me go on a journey, and to make sure I was as prepared as humanly possible. The world can be an unforgiving place if you don't know what you're doing...and to be honest, I really wanted to get the hell out of my hometown," Mao sat down on the grass. "I was sick and tired of being stuck with the same judgmental people all the damn time."
No argument there. Julia could definitely relate to the feeling of being trapped. For all she knew, tomorrow, she might just go back to being trapped. That was what she was the most afraid of.
"What was your journey like?" Curiosity took over, and Julia found herself wanting to learn of Mao's adventures.
Mao's eyes flickered away from Julia as she looked up at the turquoise sky above them. "The short version is that it was full of a lot of hardship, a lot of pain, a lot of excitement, and a lot of joy. I got to see the world outside my hometown. I met just as many awesome people as I did people I wanted to punch in the nards."
Was her journey similar to Julia's own? "Did you make friends on your travels?"
Mao stretched her arms skyward. "Sure did. They didn't travel with me throughout my entire journey, but we can never forget the experiences we shared."
Flapping wings in the sky made Julia look up. A flock of Pidgey flew over their heads, black silhouettes against a vast, bright sky.
"Many of them I still talk to even to this day," Mao mentioned, continuing further. "Everyone has their own reasons for traveling with Pokemon. I wanted to escape. Perrine wanted to do the same, along with become the Champion of Johto."
It was obvious to Julia, but still surprising that Mao was so nice, and so easy to talk to as well. Granted, being on the spectrum, she'd have insight that Perrine, Caiseal, Ethan, and even her own parents couldn't quite offer, or have that level of understanding Mao did. Mao became a trainer to escape a life of isolation and bullying. Julia did it to chase after Amara...or was it really that simple? She found herself wondering...did she even really want to chase after Amara, or was it just an excuse to get up and leave her old life for a while? Escape school, the bullying, the crippling loneliness she felt on a regular basis, the idea that she, as a person, didn't deserve basic dignity simply because she wasn't like everyone else.
"...To be honest...I'm scared," The words escaped Julia's mouth before she could stop them. "I love traveling with Perrine and Cash. I don't want my journey to end. I'm afraid…" Her voice trembled, and Julia's vision blurred. "I'm scared that when we go back to our old lives...things'll just go back to the way they were. Perrine and Cash might make other friends and move on with their lives and just...forget about me, or push me aside in favor of new, more popular friends."
Tears trickled out from her eyes, and she tried to wipe them away, but they kept on coming. "I know that's mean to say, and I know I can't just force them to stick around or tell them who they should and shouldn't be friends with...I probably sound really selfish right now…" Julia's heart began to beat faster with every word she choked out. "And Ethan will be around, so it's not like I'll be alone at school anymore, but...I don't want to go back to being stuck at school all the time, to Kirsten and her friends picking on me all the time, and hating myself all the time just because I'm not like the other kids…"
Every attempt to alleviate the shaking in her voice proved futile. Not even hugging herself to push away the sorrow worked. "I know Mom and Dad say we can always keep in contact, like with emails and phone numbers and stuff, but...Perrine and Cash live in different cities, and their schools might have different schedules and rules than mine, and even if I contact them and put in the effort to communicate with them, who's to say they will or won't? I don't...want my journey with them to end…"
Her words faded with a hitch of her breath. Not a single world formed on Mao's tongue as she listened to Julia's worries and woes. Unbeknownst to the duo, Hikaru had joined them, having listened to the whole thing. Hikaru reached up to put a paw on Julia's knee, cooing words of sympathy only the latter could hear. On the other hand, Mao slid slightly closer.
"Is it okay for me to hug you?" Mao asked.
Without another word, Julia threw her arms around Mao, burying her face in her chest as she cried pitifully over a frightening, uncertain future. Mao's head lowered, the bottom half of her face nuzzling against Julia's brown locks, eyes closed as she rubbed the girl's back in repetitive, gentle strokes. Julia wondered if Mao did this for Perrine when she lost against Lance. It was pretty likely, considering what Perrine told her yesterday. Mao's coat was warm and soft against Julia's face. Even though she only just met Mao not even a few hours ago, Julia already felt like she found a kindred spirit. The fact she felt safe enough in her presence to open up to her like this, and Mao never judging her once, said a lot about her.
After a while, Julia's sobs finally died down, and she pulled away from the older woman, wiping her tears as she did so. "Sorry for unloading on you like that," Julia choked the apology out.
"Don't be. It's better to talk about these things than to keep them all inside," Mao told her reassuringly. "And I can understand your worries. I used to be scared the friends I made would toss me aside the second we went our separate ways after our journeys ended. One thing I learned over the course of my life is that true friends are the kind of people who stick by you through thick and thin, who will always be happy to hear from you and be with you no matter what, even at their lowest points."
Upon hearing that, Julia remembered helping Perrine out of Union Cave, and how the latter mentioned fairly recently that if Julia hadn't been there, Perrine might have seriously considered quitting Pokemon training. She also remembered helping Caiseal through the Ice Path, and all the times they in turn helped her, and grew as people from it. A year ago, Julia was sure she wouldn't have wanted anything to do with Perrine or Caiseal simply because they liked Pokemon battles. It was a good thing she finally grew out of that toxic attitude. Otherwise, she would have become the kind of person she herself hated, someone who would willingly throw people aside just for her own desires. The experience with Ethan proved as such. Julia never wanted to be anything like that person ever again.
"You're right in that communication is a two-way street, and it takes a lot of work to maintain a friendship," Mao continued on. "But if only one of you is putting in the effort to maintain contact, maybe that kind of relationship isn't worth keeping if the people in question are just going to ignore you or don't even consider you a friend. Some people drift apart from one another, and some just move on with their lives. There's nothing inherently wrong with that, but take it from me, it's better to expend energy on the people who are equally willing to put in the same effort. Granted, friends also have to respect each other's boundaries, that's a given. Basically, the friends who genuinely love you, want to maintain contact with you, who are honest, give you space when you need it, and don't try to use you as a punchline or be possessive of you are worth keeping."
Julia smiled. That made a lot of sense.
"It's the quality of friends that matter, not the quantity. I'm trying to teach Perrine this as well, as she's had her fair share of troubles with friends at school. Both parties need to be active in maintaining friendships over the course of years," Mao reiterated. "But I think the simplest way to go about this is to talk to Cash and Perrine about it," She winked in Julia's direction. "You might be surprised."
With the uncertainty of how to respond to Mao's advice, Julia simply looked down at the grass beneath her feet. In all honesty, Mao was right. It all came down to whether her friends would even want to stay in contact with her after all they went through. Maybe they'd move on with their lives and make new friends, maybe they would continue to be friends with Julia even as they got ready for the future. Who knows? Life was weird and uncertain like that. But Julia was happy she decided to confide in Mao about this. Doing so affirmed what Perrine had said to her in the conversation they had before the battle with Lance.
"All it really comes down to is whether we want to change things ourselves."
Things could change, even as their journey ended. Actually, maybe the journey didn't quite end. It could still go on in its own way. Julia knew for sure it definitely changed her for the better. No longer was she the frightened girl who hid at the slightest mean look, who lamented her loneliness and inability to make friends, who yearned for friendship, who hated Pokemon battles and anyone who participated in them.
"Oh my gosh! Your Pikachu is shiny!" Mao suddenly exclaimed out of nowhere, having just noticed Hikaru's orange coloring. "Soooo cuuuuute!" That was all it took for her to melt at the sight of the mouse Pokemon, and Mao couldn't resist scratching underneath Hikaru's chin.
The sight was so out of nowhere that Julia broke into merry laughter. But it felt great all the same, and the laughter alleviated any lingering worries and anxiety that plagued her. "This is Hikaru. She's my first Pokemon."
"Really?" Mao cradled Hikaru in her arms, and the orange mouse was more than happy to revel in the older woman's affection. "How in the world did you manage that? You'll have to tell me all about it."
The two of them got back up and walked back into the house, with Julia being more than happy to share the story of how she first met Hikaru. With this, Julia found herself another friend.
Hours passed, and the kids continued to spend as much time with each other as possible. It was obvious to the adults that the kids didn't want the day to end. The mood remained warm and positive throughout. At around three, the quartet found themselves sitting in Julia's bedroom, discussing the future.
"So...what happens next?" Caiseal took it upon himself to ask the question that hung over everyone's heads. "Since Perrine and I live pretty far from here," By here, Caiseal meant New Bark Town and Cherrygrove City. "It'll probably be hard for us to get together when we want. Will we even see each other again?"
"I certainly hope so," Julia said. "I want us to keep being friends and spending time together, though I know you guys have your own lives to live, and I can't just tell you guys what to do. But I don't want to forget all that we've been through together."
"Of course we won't," Perrine chimed in, holding Hisame close to her chest.
"What do you guys plan on doing from now on, since our journey is over?" Ethan asked. "My parents need me to finish school and catch up on what I missed after this."
Perrine raised her hand. "Same here. Plus, Mao said she's going on a trip to the Galar region and wants me to come with her...and I said yes," Perrine explained. "So once I catch up on what I missed at school, I'll be going on another journey, and since Galar's nine hours behind Johto, it'll probably be hard to call or even facetime. But I don't want this to mean we can't keep in touch at all."
Julia's eyes widened. "You're going to a whole new region some time later?! Awesome!" She proclaimed, her voice bubbling over with joy. "That's so cool! Congrats! Maybe you can catch some new Pokemon and go on all sorts of adventures and you can tell us all about it!"
Caiseal looked out of Julia's window. "I'm going back to school too. I think I'm all traveled out this time around. I know I definitely need to go back to therapy. Plus…" His voice adopted a wistful tone as he remembered all that transpired on his journey, both the good and the bad. But one good thing lingered in his mind. "Now that I can see Violet again, I want to spend as much time with her as possible. There's so much we need to catch up on."
The girls exchanged knowing looks and nodded towards one another. After all Caiseal had gone through, he absolutely deserved it. Ethan could only raise a quizzical eyebrow, unsure of what was going on or what Caiseal meant by that. But he decided to refrain from asking about it, figuring it was something personal that Caiseal didn't want to talk about.
"I know Ethan and I are going back to school, that's for sure," Julia said.
"Yeah. My mom was telling me we might have to take remedial courses since we missed so much of the year," Ethan added. "We didn't go through the official channels to apply for taking the year off, and for all we know, we might need to go to summer school as well."
A year off? "Wait, what?!" Julia yelped, stunned by this new information. "There's a way to let school allow you to take a year off for Pokemon journeying?!"
Ethan nodded. "Yeah. My mom says there's some kind of process to go through in order to let a school excuse you to go Pokemon hunting, but legally, kids under sixteen can only stay out for a year," He explained succinctly. "But the only reason I didn't go through the channels was because I got impatient and didn't want to deal with the paperwork."
"He's right," Caiseal pointed out. "That's how I was able to go on my own travels. If you want to learn how, I can ask my parents for the details. But you might need to get the nitty-gritty info from your own school."
To say Julia was absolutely flabbergasted would be an understatement. Her jaw hung open in her shock. She had absolutely no idea it was possible to apply to leave school for a year to go Pokemon hunting all over the region. Had she known that, she would have jumped at the chance to leave school for any length of time. She did remember her parents saying when she first left on her journey that since her decision to leave was so sudden, there was a point where they had to talk to the school and convince them to let her go. She didn't remember all the details, as at the time, she was just so happy to even be allowed to leave New Bark Town that she barely paid attention. She made a mental note to talk to her parents about this new information later. If she could apply to take a year off by the time the next school year started, maybe she could leave on another journey without the hassle of needing to go to remedial classes.
"To think I never knew this until now. Man, there's so much I need to learn," Julia mentally chastised herself for not having learned about this sooner.
"It's okay. I didn't go through the proper channels because I ran away from home, remember?" Perrine pointed out. "So we're kind of in the same boat in regards to school."
The kids had a good chuckle at that.
"Since Jule and I go to the same school, we'll still be sticking around here as far as I know," Ethan said. "And my house is pretty close, so I can just walk home from here."
"Plus, we have each other's PokeGears, emails, and social media, so it's not like we'll be separated forever," Caiseal said.
"Yeah! Plus, when Tsubasa evolves, I can actually ride on her back, and maybe I can visit you guys at your houses once that happens," Julia's voice rose at the thought. "Or, if you guys ever get the chance, you can come over here and hang out...if you have time, that is."
Caiseal hugged his knees close to his chest and smiled. "As soon as I catch myself a big flying type Pokemon I can ride on, I'll definitely take you up on that offer."
Both Perrine and Ethan nodded in agreement.
"We'll...always be friends, won't we?" Julia asked, her voice quavering.
"Yeah we will!" Ethan was the first to assert his answer.
"Friends forever, no matter what," Perrine agreed.
"I mean, how can we not?" Caiseal shrugged, but Julia could tell he meant what he said.
Warmth lurched in her chest. Maybe it was possible to remain friends even after the journey ended. Now she knew for sure.
She reached her hand out. "Alright, let's make a solemn vow!" Julia proclaimed. "That no matter what happens to us, no matter what direction our lives go in, through thick and thin, that we always be friends, that we always rely on each other, help each other, and never forget all that we share!"
She knew she was being needlessly melodramatic. Worrying too much. Probably making too big a deal out of this. But spending so many years lonely and friendless could do things to a person. Even with Mao's advice and everyone's reassurances, a part of her was still afraid that things would change. That her friends, as they grew up, would leave her behind and forget about her. Her eyes squeezed shut and her whole body shuddered as she proclaimed her vows.
Then she felt a hand on her own.
Julia's breath hitched as she looked up. It was Perrine's hand.
Then came Caiseal's, then Ethan's. Even Hikaru, who crawled onto Julia's arm, put her paw on top of the hand pile. All had smiles on their faces. The same smiles she saw every day that brought her the joy she had always wished for. Like flowing oases that enriched burning desert sands, piercing the garbled static of Julia's consciousness.
"Of course we promise," Perrine said.
"Friends forever, right?" Caiseal asked.
Ethan flashed a thumb's up with his free hand. "You know it!"
"Pikachuuu!" Hikaru chirruped.
"Vulpix!" As did Hisame.
Before they ran into Ethan on their way to the League, the trio had been through a lot on their own. Misunderstandings and arguments. Broken families. Abusive families. Oppressive schools. Disasters that almost got them killed on multiple occasions. Bullying, bigotry, and harassment from peers, or internalized from themselves. But they pushed through them and found each other. There was a silent understanding that things weren't necessarily going to be perfect from here on out. But for the first time in a long while, it felt like everyone, for the time being, was right where they needed to be, or were on their way there, even if it took weeks, months, maybe years in some cases. For now, in this moment, they had each other.
And they always would.
It was four o'clock before Mao decided it was time to take Perrine and Caiseal home. Since Blackthorn City was the closest, they decided to drop Caiseal off first.
"Sorry we can't stick around," Mao told Kassia, shaking her hand. "It was so great to get to know you guys. I hope we can do this again sometime."
"You're always welcome to stop by," Truman told her.
Knowing this was the moment of truth, when they would truly part ways for a while, Julia ran over to Caiseal and Perrine, wrapping her arms around each of them, pulling them close. They were warm. So warm. She didn't want to let go. She felt their arms twining around her. It felt so good, and their touch made her chest flutter.
"Caiseal. Perrine. You guys take care. I love you both," Julia choked out. Stray tears trickled out, and she didn't even try to stop them.
"We love you too," Perrine told her, voice shaking.
"Thanks for everything. We'll keep in touch. Bye," Caiseal whimpered, but sniffed to compose himself.
Julia didn't want to let them go, but she knew she had to. It wouldn't be right to keep them here. Reluctantly, but with a smile, she released them and watched as her friends got on Mao's Pidgeot. All three of them waved as the bird Pokemon ascended, with Tropius following from behind. Julia waved and shouted goodbye as loud as she could, as though she would never see them again. She knew she would, but the pain from the separation hurt all the same. Mao's Pokemon turned into black silhouettes against the blue sky, and it wasn't long before they disappeared completely.
Just like that, they were gone. Julia wiped lingering tears, but she could still feel some more leaking out. Kassia put a gentle hand on her daughter's shoulder.
"It's okay, sweetheart. It's not the end."
"I know."
Hikaru nuzzled against Julia's cheek in an attempt to reassure her. "Pikapi…"
Appreciating the gesture, Julia stroked Hikaru's back with one hand. "Things will be different. I know they will."
Although she still had some anxiety in her heart, she instinctively knew that things seemed to already be changing.
The next few months went by fast, so fast that they seemed like a blur. But they also felt as slow as a Magcargo, if such simultaneity was possible. Kassia and Truman confirmed with Cherrygrove Middle School that Julia had returned, and they did, indeed, have official processes where students could be excused for a year to go Pokemon hunting, should they so choose, though it meant any kid who chose to leave would have to repeat the grade they missed. Since Julia left not long after starting sixth grade, and didn't go through the proper channels, she was set to attend a specialized remedial class in an annexed building in the school, referred to as the Trainer Support Unit. The classes were small, accommodating fewer students than mainstream classrooms, allowing for more individualized education and one-on-one assistance, and mainly covered three important subjects: math, language arts, and history, as those were required for graduating to the next grade level. Kids in the unit were exempt from classes like art and gym, with the latter being because trainers traveled throughout the region, so they had already gotten a good amount of exercise. But kids in the remedial classes were given the option to attend gym class if they wanted to. The classes also had one teacher and several teaching assistance, meaning kids could receive extra help if needed. Depending on how much material they missed, kids attending the specialized classes needed to learn a compressed version of a year's worth of material.
Julia threw herself into her studies, finding that she liked the specialized classes a lot better than regular school. For one, Kirsten and her posse weren't there, so that was a major plus, and the teachers were nice, supportive, and actually helped her and took the time to assist her for as long as she needed, never making her feel ashamed for not processing or understanding material quickly enough. It helped that one of the teachers was Mrs. Cabanos, who taught social studies in the short time Julia spent in 6th grade. At that time, she didn't have much of an opinion on her, but she came to like her in the remedial classes, causing her to rethink her idea that teachers were secretly like Mrs. Amoretto. Ethan was there, and he helped her whenever he was able, and the other kids were fairly cordial as well. It also helped that the classes all took place in one room, and she didn't have to worry about going from one classroom to another in a short period of time and whether she might be late or not. In some ways, Julia wished regular school could be like this.
Of course, the kids in the trainer unit weren't simply confined to the annex. They were allowed to attend lunch in the cafeteria and go out for recess, so as to prevent cabin fever. At one point, when winter break ended the first week of January, Ethan and Julia sat at a lunch table together like they always did. Ethan was telling her that his sister Eden finally decided to leave on her own Pokemon journey.
"No way, really? That's awesome!" Julia exclaimed as she finished eating her peanut butter sandwich. "Does she plan on challenging the gyms?"
"Nah," Ethan waved a dismissive hand. "She's mostly interested in traveling and catching lots of Pokemon."
Understandable. Not every trainer wanted to battle the gyms and participate in the Pokemon League. "That's cool. I hope her journey goes well," Julia said, pulling out an unopened cup of chocolate pudding from her purple lunchbox. "By the way, did you read that book I told you about?"
"I did! It was great!" Ethan proclaimed. "Thanks so much for recommending it to me! I'm only halfway through it, though. I might read the rest of it over the weekend."
Julia was about to suggest that he do so, since she loved the book in question, but she noticed someone approaching them. Someone she recognized.
"Hey, uhh...guys?"
A girl with a full lunch tray walked towards their table, her skin dark as cacao, and each strand of her long black hair was tied into thin, immaculate braids. Both Ethan and Julia looked right up at her as soon as she made her presence known. The girl was a little cowed by their staring, and her gaze flickered away from them awkwardly.
"Oh, you're...Cindy, right?" It took a minute for Julia to remember who she was, since it had been so long since they last saw one another. "Cindy Stuart?"
Cindy was an old classmate from before Julia went on her journey. They were cordial to one another, but Cindy was one of the popular girls and was always hanging out with Lakeisha and her friends. Since Lakeisha didn't like Julia, and she didn't like her in return, Julia never mingled in their social circle. At that time, the further away she was from Kirsten and Lakeisha, the happier she was. But what was Cindy doing here?
"Yeah. I know it's been a while. I was wondering…" Cindy kept pausing at various intervals. "If it's okay with you...can I...I don't know...sit with you guys?"
Sit with them? Ethan and Julia exchanged confused looks. Julia was sure if Kirsten caught one of her friends hanging out with the losers, as she pegged them, she'd claim that Cindy would be committing social suicide. Julia heard Kirsten say that to some of her friends on several different occasions.
"Don't you usually hang out with Lakeisha and her friends?" Ethan asked.
Cindy's face scrunched into a disgusted expression and she made a hmph sound. "Honestly? I am so done with Lakeisha and Kirsten. I don't even want to be anywhere near them."
If that was the case, Ethan and Julia could only imagine what transpired to make Cindy want to break off her friendship with them. Still, there was something that told Julia that Cindy was being honest. If she really wanted to sit with her old friends, she would have. What other reason could she have to sit with them? But Cindy was never mean to Julia, and the few conversations they did have were pleasant enough. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to give her a chance.
"What do you think, Jule?" Ethan asked.
Julia took a minute to think, but she smiled at Cindy and pointed to an empty chair. "Sure. Help yourself."
A relieved smile broke out across Cindy's face as she sat down and ate her mashed potatoes. The three of them ate their lunch in silence and peace until Cindy spoke up. "So...I heard you went on a journey across Johto. Is that true, Julia?" Cindy asked.
"Yep. I even have badges to prove it."
"Wooow! That's so cool! I never pegged you as being the type!" Cindy exclaimed. "If you're okay with it, I'd love to hear about your adventures."
Now this was a surprise. One of the last people Julia expected to be even remotely interested in her adventures was Cindy. But she did sound genuinely interested, so Julia decided to tell her an abridged version of her adventures. She deliberately left out certain events, like being kidnapped by Hunter J, riding on Ho-Oh's back, Saoirse dying, and the events with Raikou, as for all she knew, Cindy might think she was making those up. Cindy listened with rapt attention, saying nary a word as Julia spoke of her travels.
"Man, that sounds awesome," Cindy's voice had a touch of awe as she listened. "I'm so jealous."
"Oh, it's no big deal," Julia waved her hand dismissively. "Ethan's had his share of adventures, too."
"Yeah, I'll tell you about them later," Ethan said before standing up and leaving the table to throw away the trash.
Now that the girls were alone at the table, Cindy spoke up again. "Listen, I…"
"Hm?"
Cindy struggled to put words together, but she did so anyway. "I...I wanted to say I'm sorry."
Julia raised a quizzical eyebrow. What did Cindy have to be sorry for? She hadn't done anything that would warrant an apology. At least, not recently. Unlike Kirsten, Paisley, and Lakeisha, Cindy had never gone out of her way to pick on her. "Sorry for what? You haven't done anything to me."
"No, but…" Cindy paused before speaking again, her voice faltering. "I know Lakeisha, Kirsten, and the other girls picked on you a lot, and...I never did anything about it. They told us about how you cheated off of Lakeisha's test in fifth grade, and I told them they were being a little mean...but in the back of my mind, I did agree with them and assume you were just some whiny brat who made up lies to get attention. I'm...not proud of that."
Somehow, Julia wasn't surprised. It did hurt a little to know Cindy thought that way about her, but the fact that she was even admitting it spoke volumes about her.
"I overheard one of the teachers mention you're autistic," Cindy confessed. "And when I heard that, things made a lot more sense, and...I was mad at myself. My mom's autistic too, and I've seen her go through a lot of bad stuff, and I began to...rethink things. I saw how people treated her, and now, knowing what I do, seeing how Lakeisha, Kirsten, and all the other girls pick on you, even when you didn't do anything to them…" Cindy looked down at her tray, avoiding Julia's gaze. "I feel horrible for just going with whatever they said and not even trying to get to know you better."
Julia couldn't believe what she was hearing. She gently pinched the top of one of her hands to see if this was all a dream. Her hand hurt, so it wasn't. She had no idea Cindy thought that way. She wondered if this was the reason she decided to stop being friends with Kirsten and Lakeisha. Or maybe there were other reasons. Julia wasn't sure. Still, a part of her was happy Cindy decided to talk to her like this, and learning that her mother is also on the spectrum was also quite the surprise. In a way, that gave Cindy some additional perspective.
"I mean, you're right in that it was stupid of me to cheat off Lakeisha's test," Julia admitted, rubbing the back of her head with one hand. "I'm never doing that again, that's for sure."
"I know," Cindy said, using her fork to poke at her corn. "It's just...the more I thought about it, the more I realized it was stupid of me to stick with Kirsten and the gang. I don't want to be like them. Besides, even if we were never really friends, you were always nice to me whenever we talked."
She was right about that.
"So...I mean...if you don't want to, it's okay, but...if you're willing...would it be okay if we...I don't know...became friends? Like, start over or something?" One word crashed into the other when Cindy pushed the question out. Julia could tell just asking it took a lot of courage. It wasn't much different from how she herself asked Ethan to be friends with her when they first met.
Maybe this was a sign. A sign that things were, indeed, changing.
Julia flashed a smile. "Sure. I don't mind at all."
Cindy flashed her own smile like she had won tickets to a rock concert. "Awesome! What kind of Pokemon do you have? Can you show them to me at recess later?"
From then on, the duo at the little lunch table became a trio. But that wasn't the only sign that things were changing.
Two days after that, Julia had to go to the bathroom during recess. Once she finished her business, she opened the bathroom door to leave, only to almost run into someone. She stopped herself before she could bump into them, but the person standing before her was one she recognized right away...and one she really, really didn't want to run into.
A girl with ash brown hair tied into pigtails met her gaze, and her dark brown eyes narrowed into odious slits.
"Oh, great. You're here?" It was Kirsten Seeley, and her condescending tone was dripping with poison as she took in Julia's presence. "I was kind of hoping you'd be out of school forever. Less freaks to stink up the place."
As barbed as her words were, Julia expected this response. Undeterred, she walked right past Kirsten. "Believe me, I don't want to be here anymore than you don't want me here. I have better things to do than put up with you," Julia told her without an ounce of hesitation.
"Pffft!" Kristen could barely stifle a chuckle. "Like what? Cheat off people's tests? Talk to Pokemon like you're the Poke-Whisperer? Do go on."
Julia kept walking. Kirsten wasn't worth wasting a single brain cell on. Besides, Cindy and Ethan were outside waiting for her. They were way more important. Unfortunately for her, Kirsten followed behind her, continuing her barrage of insults.
"You know you'll always be a stupid Freak Girl, right?" Kirsten snarled ominously, her screechy voice full of hate. "Don't think you're so high and mighty just because you somehow got to go Pokemon hunting!"
Julia threw the doors open and marched down the bleachers, her footsteps clanging against the metal. But Kirsten kept following her.
"If you think you're going to be Little Miss Popular after this, you're even more deluded than I thought!" Kirsten exclaimed. "Everybody knows you're just a big fat ret—!"
"Kirsten! Just shut up!"
Another voice cut through Kirsten's petty rant, but it wasn't Julia. Both girls stopped and turned to their right to see who the proclamation belonged to.
It was Lakeisha. Kirsten blanched at the sight. Even Julia found herself speechless. Lakeisha moved her head back, gesturing for Julia to leave, as if to say "I'll deal with her." Julia gave her a grateful nod before joining up with Ethan and Cindy.
"Oh, Arceus. Did you see that? Lakeisha, of all people, actually telling off Kirsten," Cindy couldn't believe what she both heard and saw. Neither could Ethan.
"Maybe she's finally shaping up," Ethan suggested.
Only just now did Julia remember that she never told Cindy about her encounter with Lakeisha and Merlin right before the Pokemon League started. She made a mental note to tell her about it later. Still, there was a lot of satisfaction to be had, seeing that Lakeisha was actually making an effort to put into practice what she promised a few months ago. In light of this, Julia flashed a satisfied, almost mischievous smirk. The absolutely flabbergasted look on Kirsten's face was pretty priceless.
By the time the school year ended in the beginning of March, Julia passed all of her classes in the trainer support unit, ensuring her transition into seventh grade. Her report card mainly consisted of B's, but as far as Julia was concerned, that was good enough for her. One day, Julia laid down on the couch, her brain fried from so much studying.
"Wheeeeew! School's finally oveeeeer!" She drew the words out with overly melodramatic flourish, too happy to finally be done with school for the time being. Her left leg dangled off the living room couch, hanging limply. Hikaru laid on her stomach, curled into a ball, cooing in agreement, even though she was a Pokemon and didn't go to school. At this point, all Julia wanted to do was kick back, relax, and not think about anything related to textbooks, homework, school, and so on.
She reached down to grab the remote and pointed it to the TV. "I wonder what's on right now?" She flipped through a few channels, but saw nothing particularly interesting. A few housing shows popped up, and Kassia really loved watching those. But they were of no interest to Julia. She pressed the arrow button and surfed through a few more channels...and stopped.
One channel showed a group of people dressed in colorful spandex outfits fighting a rubbery monster. A familiar theme song played in the background. "Go, go, Hoenn Rangers!"
"Huh? I had no idea Hoenn Rangers was still around," Julia mused as she watched a scene where a white-suited heroine judo-threw a monster over her shoulder.
Julia gently poked Hikaru on the head before pointing to the screen. "See that, Hikaru? That's the Hoenn Rangers show," She told her. "Amara and I used to watch it all the time when we were little."
Hikaru gave a big, disinterested yawn. Faint memories ebbed back into Julia's mind. She remembered Amara dressing up as one of the rangers on Halloween once. Rustboro Ivory, it was. Amara used to be so obsessed with Rustboro Ivory, to the point of demanding merchandise of her, like plushies and figurines, for her birthday or Christmas whenever possible. But the two of them grew out of it. Exactly when, Julia couldn't quite remember. The thought of Amara made her deflate.
In February, Amara was officially sentenced. Instead of being sent to jail outright, the judge ordered that she be sent to a juvenile correctional facility in Violet City. The facility in question offered education similar to that of a regular school, and it had a heavy focus on rehabilitation over punishment. Since Amara was genuinely remorseful of her actions this time around, she was given one final chance to try and put in the effort to get off the blacklist. If she can get good grades in all of her classes throughout the years of middle school she missed, graduate both middle school and high school, and attend court-mandated counseling, the judge will remove her from the blacklist. But if she fails to graduate high school, or commits any other crime within that time period, she will go straight to an adult prison for an unspecified period of time, and remain on the Pokemon blacklist permanently.
Julia wondered how Amara was doing. It had to be horrible, stuck in jail and surrounded by kids who committed all manner of crimes. Unable to come home, unable to have any privacy, and not allowed to have very many personal possessions in her cell. Amara wasn't even allowed to keep her cell phone with her. Then again, prisoners weren't allowed to have certain types of personal possessions because the police didn't want them to use them to hide things like drugs or makeshift weapons. That was known to happen. Julia wondered if there was something she could do to at least make Amara's days at juvie a little better, even if it wasn't much. Not even the heroic music playing on the Hoenn Rangers episode could lift her from her sorrowful thoughts.
Wait a minute...Julia sat up, and Hikaru fell on her lap as she did so. If the Hoenn Rangers were still airing on TV...gears began turning in her head.
Julia gently put Hikaru down on the floor and zipped toward her bedroom. Confused by what was going on, but curious to know more, Hikaru followed after her. Julia sat down at her computer desk and looked up the Hoenn Rangers on the search engine, searching for anything she could find. Some shopping websites featured a variety of Hoenn Rangers merchandise, with many of it being made fairly recently despite it being an older show. Not only that, it turned out, Hoenn Rangers had many different seasons, all with different characters and continuities, with the most recent series being called Hoenn Rangers Wild Fury.
One website in particular seemed to draw her in: RangerCon. She clicked on it, and learned that there was going to be a Hoenn Rangers convention. The address in the upper right corner said 82893 Lilycove Convention Center, Lilycove City, Hoenn. The convention was planned to be held a year from now, next February. Julia found herself rapt. She had no idea there was such thing as a Hoenn Rangers convention. Amara would have gone nuts over this, had she learned about them years ago. Julia wondered if she even still liked Hoenn Rangers. Maybe she could write Amara a letter and ask if she still did. Still, a Hoenn Rangers convention in another region…
"Pika?" Hikaru gently poked Julia's cheek with her finger to get her attention.
"Hikaru?" Julia closed the page, turned to her friend, and flashed an eager smile. "I know what I want to do after this!"
When Truman came home from work later that day, Julia gathered her parents into the living room with Hikaru in her arms...and edicted with a firm, determined voice, "Mom! Dad! I want to travel again! This time to the Hoenn region!"
Both of her parents exchanged confused, flabbergasted expressions. Kassia was the one to ask, "What brought this on?"
Julia told them her reasons: The Hoenn Rangers convention. Wanting to go not only so she could see what it was like, but to take pictures, buy merchandise, and send most of it to Amara, as a way of reconnecting with her and making her days at juvie just a little better in a way that actually felt meaningful. She was sure they might find this terribly silly. Why go on a Pokemon journey just to go to a Hoenn Rangers convention in another region? Of course, Julia only knew the convention was just the end goal. That didn't mean she couldn't do other things there in the meantime, like catch more Pokemon, make new friends, experience all manner of new things, and so on. Journeys were never really about the final destination, were they?
"You know I really loved the time I spent traveling around Johto," Julia told them, holding Hikaru close. Her heart was pounding, and she could barely hear her own voice over it. But like when she first wanted to chase after Amara, nothing could sway her from her decision. "And I want to do it again someplace else! I want to catch new Pokemon and see so many new things and tell Amara and my friends all about my adventures!"
Silence. Truman and Kassia exchanged looks once again. The anticipation threatened to suffocate Julia. But then they turned back to her with warm smiles.
"I don't see why not, and you handled yourself very well the last time," Kassia said. "Sure you can go, and you know we'll always have your back."
Julia's jaw fell agape. They said yes?! And so quickly! The last time, it took a while for them to approve. Here they didn't even spare a minute to think.
"This time, we can talk to the school and let them excuse you for a year," Truman said. "We don't know how long it'll take to get processed, but we can give them enough advance notice that it might come quicker."
She couldn't keep it in. Joy exploded out of her like a bomb going off. "Yaaaay!" Julia squeed loudly before throwing both arms around her parents. Hikaru, who almost fell out of her arms, didn't fall, as she got caught up in the hug, but appreciated the gesture nonetheless. "Thank you guys sooooo much!"
It wasn't long before she let them go and carried Hikaru back in her arms. "I promise I'll do all my chores before then!"
Kassia couldn't hold back a chuckle. "We know, sweetie."
Of course, even that wasn't enough to contain the sheer excitement that bubbled out from her whole being like soda fizz. She was actually allowed to travel to another region this time! Julia absolutely couldn't wait.
Right after that, the Parisa parents reached out to Cherrygrove Middle School to begin the process of legally excusing Julia from school to go Pokemon hunting. For one, the teachers and the principal had to discuss the matter with one another and all give their unanimous approval for it to go through. Grades weren't a necessary factor, but with Julia having passed her remedial classes, the Parisas knew having good grades would at least increase her chances of getting approved. All throughout that time, Julia threw herself into her chores, helping her parents both around the house and with the Pokemon, her own included. Not that she minded, as she loved taking care of Pokemon. A week passed, and another, and a third…
Until finally, in the last week of March, the ruling was officially processed. Julia was legally excused from seventh grade for an entire year. Needless to say, Julia was so happy about it she bounced all around the house, cheering and jumping up and down, with some of her Pokemon joining in when she was outside with them. Her parents couldn't have been happier. She even settled on a date for when she wanted to leave: April 18th, her twelfth birthday.
It was only fitting, really. Her birthday was when everything had begun. Even though her travels started a while afterward, receiving her first Pokemon, Hikaru, was the beginning of things really changing. Before then, Kassia and Truman scheduled a boat to take her to Hoenn from Olivine City. They found one that was bound for a town called Slateport City on April 18th, at around noon. When Professor Elm heard about it, he suggested to Julia that she head to a place called Littleroot Town, so she could meet a colleague of his, Professor Birch. Julia decided to take him up on his suggestion, but in order to get to Littleroot, she'd have to take another boat from Slateport to a town called Petalburg City, then walk all the way to Littleroot from there.
Finally, April 18th arrived, and Julia turned twelve. "On the way there, can we stop by Ilex Forest first?" Julia asked when they got into the car.
Truman turned back to her and smiled. "Let me guess, you want to give offerings to the shrine?"
Julia nodded.
"Sure. We can do that."
"I promise I won't be long."
Ilex Forest? Hikaru's ears perked up. It had been a long while since they were there. The last time was when she was a Pichu. But why did she want to go back to Ilex Forest? The car moved slowly as it pulled away from the yellow house, and even as it passed Professor Elm's lab. Julia watched as she saw two kids walk into Professor Elm's laboratory. A girl in short blue overalls, brown pigtails, and a big, round white hat dragged a boy with long red hair and black clothes into the lab with her. Even with the window up, she could hear them talking.
"Come on, Silvio! Today's the day we get our Pokemon!"
"Slow down, Lyra! Jeez! Are you trying to pull my arm out of its socket?"
Julia chuckled at the sight. She wondered if they were just as excited to get their first Pokemon as she was when she first went to try and get a Chikorita. Of course, she never did get a Chikorita, but that was water under the bridge. Whatever they planned to do with their lives, Julia hoped things went well for them.
It wasn't long before they made it to the forest through some back roads that didn't have much in the way of traffic. Because of this, it only took about an hour for them to get there. Even though it was day time, Ilex Forest was still as dark as ever, with only the occasional sunspots dancing across the grass and sunbeams filtering through bushes and tree leaves. But it still had that nice after-rain scent. Berries in hand, Julia left the car and made her way to a small wooden shrine. The last time she was here, it was after she first met Perrine, and they didn't stop at the shrine since they had been busy trying to get through the forest.
The shrine in question was really just a wooden box on a pedestal, almost made of wood, with a red roof and a brown door. A fairly simple thing, and it was worn from exposure to weather and the environment. Julia smiled to herself as she opened the little door and placed three Pecha berries inside. She closed the door and clasped both hands together to pray.
"I hope you like them," Hikaru heard Julia whisper.
"Pii?" The orange mouse wondered who she was talking to. Did she expect someone, or something, to take the berries?
Noticing her friend's curiosity, Julia held a finger to her own mouth and winked, as if saying it's a secret. Hikaru's brows furrowed, as she was now more confused. But she figured Julia would tell her about it later. Mission accomplished, they got back into the car and the parents drove away from the forest. Unbeknownst to them, not seconds after they left, a green fae Pokemon flew right up to the shrine, immediately taking the berries into its hands and watching as the car disappeared into the forest path.
Later, they finally made it to Olivine City, half an hour ahead of schedule. Ticket in hand, Julia smiled at her parents, knowing this would be the last time she'd see them for a while yet.
"You have fun out there, sweetie," Kassia gave her a kiss on the head. "Call us when you get there."
"I will."
"We'll take care of your other Pokemon while you're gone," Truman told her.
Julia nodded. "Thanks," She whispered before giving them one last hug. After a few minutes, she let them go, walked up to one of the crewmembers at the door, and flashed her ticket. The crewman smiled in approval, gesturing for her to come inside. Julia and Hikaru waved at them one last time.
"Bye, Mom! Bye, Dad!"
"Pikachuuuu!"
With that, they went inside. Truman and Kassia remained where they were, with the former's arm snaked around the latter, watching as the boat began to fill with more and more passengers before the entrance closed and the boat was oceanbound. They could only watch as their youngest daughter, who made it to the deck and waved at them once again, started a whole new adventure.
Julia's experiences with Perrine, Caiseal, later Ethan, and all of her Pokemon had made for a marvelous journey, one she would never forget, one that gave her a lifetime of memories. Now, today, she was bound for a new land, ready to start a new adventure. There was so much more she wanted to learn and experience, and she would only keep learning with every day that passed. Looks like Perrine wasn't the only one going on a journey after she finished school. With this knowledge in mind, she couldn't wait to tell her, Caiseal, and Ethan all about her new adventures.
With Hikaru by her side, her parents and friends supporting her from afar, she looked forward to what the future held this time, and she hoped this new journey would be just as wonderful.
A/N: This is it! With this, MarJour has finally, officially ENDED!...sort of. I plan on writing sequels later, but I did mean it when I said I was going to put writing Pokemon fanfics on hold in favor of writing and finishing other stories. But don't worry! My Pokemon fic isn't going to be completely put on the backburner. Since the next story will take place in the Hoenn region, I'm going to take time to plan my story out by both immersing myself in the gen 3 games (remakes included) and rewatching the Pokemon anime's Hoenn arcs so I can do research in the meantime. Of course, I know, at this time, the Pokemon Diamond and Pearl remakes will have come out, but I can easily use those to plan out the Diamond/Pearl arc of MarJour, should I ever get to writing that out. I know that arc in particular will answer a lot of questions I posed, especially about Hunter J. Look forward to that when the time comes!
It's funny to think I started writing this almost five and a half years ago, all because a writer I liked stopped writing his Pokemon fic and because I was tired of being subjected to a lot of the purity crusades and toxicity that was going on in certain fandoms I was in, especially places like Tumblr. I decided I was done with other people trying to dictate what I wrote and how I wrote it, and being subject to cyberbullying and ridicule no matter what I did, even address criticisms and fix things the way they wanted with all that I knew at the time. I'm glad I decided to write out MarJour, and don't regret it one bit. It has almost 600 reviews on FFN alone, the most I've ever gotten on any story I ever wrote on FFN ever (Been here since 2005), along with the most views, the most additions to peoples' favorites, and the most alerts out of all the stories I've written here. I honestly never would have dreamed I'd get that kind of response. Seriously, words can't even begin to describe how grateful I am for the love all who've read my dumb little self-insert Pokemon fic have sent my way, from the complimentary reviews, to the well thought-out critique, to even fan art! I understand I both gained and lost readers over the course of five and a half years, which is fine, but whether you've been here since the beginning or only started reading recently, you've also lifted me up in ways that I can't hope to describe and are the reason I was able to get this far today. I love you all!
For anyone wondering, while I will be taking a break from writing Pokemon fics, especially long ones, for the time being, that doesn't mean I'm not still writing. I've churned out a ton of one shots, and am writing other stories that are in progress right now, though in other fandoms. I even have some on my AO3 account (I go by Juliko on there) that aren't posted here. For example, I'm writing an Infinity Train fan fic on AO3 right now called The Sun Will Come Up And The Seasons Will Change, which won't be posted on FFN due to some things in the story breaking some rules on FFN but not on AO3, even though said things are canon in the actual show itself. I also plan on writing a Final Fantasy 1 novelization and a Love Live fanseries, the latter of which will be exclusive to AO3 as the Love Live fandom is more active on there. All I can say is that I hope I can further improve as a writer from here on out, and I have no intention of stopping writing any time soon. MarJour is available on AO3 as well, but it's not complete. Now that it's finished on here though, I can upload chapters there on a weekly basis for anyone who wants to read it on AO3.