Chapter 3: To live the present
"Ah, freedom. No one really appreciates it until they lose it."
Juliette was spending her second Sunday in Alola locked in her room. All she wanted to do was be alone; left in a never ending loop of negative thoughts. "What if they say this or that? What if they do x or y to me?" That is just a small sample of the destructive hypothesis in her mind. Her first day of school in Alola was all she could think about. Even her mother, who's normally too busy with her job, noticed Juliette's taciturn attitude before leaving for the Pokémon Center.
Sitting on her bed with a sketchbook placed in her lap, Juliette was occupied with drawing a building that was supposedly a school, only that a sign reading "Jail" stood on the roof. She was never too good at drawing buildings, but at that moment she couldn't care less. Poppy laid next to her, taking a curious glance at her trainer's work every now and then. She also tapped on her leg from time to time in order to get her attention, mostly because she was worried about Juliette's distant demeanor. The pokémon decided to do said gesture, seeing how the drawing was seemingly almost finished. Juliette put her pencil down for a moment.
"Do you want something? Are you hungry?" Poppy shook her head in response. Juliette sighed, trying to guess what her pokémon really wanted. "You want to play, don't you? Don't worry, I promise that as soon as I'm done with this, we will go out for a bit."
The truth is that Juliette didn't feel like going outside. If she was already iffy about it under normal conditions, this day she was especially hesitant. However she may be, she is willing to do anything to make her Pokémon happy. Maybe Halbert would like to go out too.
It was no wonder that her Pokémon wanted to have some fun. The family— except for Rachel, who was at work for the most part— spent the week organizing the remaining stuff from their move. A majority of their belongings they left in Kalos have arrived already. Only a few packages have yet to come, but as of now, the family can finally say they have officially settled down in Paniola Town. Since they were all so busy and wanted to get all of it out of the way, it meant that they barely had time for anything else. However, Édith managed to sneak out a couple of times. She would go to Sunrise Café and get something to take away for herself and the rest of the family. Besides that, she always told Juliette that Luana sent her greetings.
Surprisingly enough, sometimes Juliette found herself wondering how the waitress was doing. They haven't seen each other ever since her grandmother took her to the café. The same applied to her neighbor Kiawe. As of now they would greet each other if they happened to make eye contact from their respective bedrooms, but it never went beyond that. Juliette always avoided starting a conversation, using her chores involving the move as an excuse. But that was about to change.
As she made finishing touches to her drawing, Juliette noticed a ruckus from outside her window. There was a very animated conversation going on between several people and after paying attention for a bit, she could recognize her father's voice. Juliette suddenly felt like putting down her sketchbook and looking out the window. After pondering about it for a little bit, she decided to check on what her father was up to. The drawing could wait; it was pretty much finished either way.
Upon opening the window, she saw her father in front of the door of the neighbor's house, talking to who she assumed to be Kiawe's parents. A little girl stood close to them, so Juliette assumed she was their young daughter. Another couple talked alongside them, but Juliette could barely identify who they were from where she was. They were talking about Pokémon.
"Some of your pokémon feed on mud?!" Mainard sounded both shocked and amazed.
"Yes, they do!" The woman of the house answered. "Our Mudbray feed mostly on the mud and the grass of the ranch. Thanks to that, they grow up strong and healthy."
"I knew Pokémon in farms fed on grass and hay, but I never imagined they would eat mud too." Still astonished, Mainard laughed under his nose.
"Mudbray's daily routine doesn't only include eating mud, it also loves to play in it!" The little girl exclaimed cheerfully as she jumped around.
All of sudden, Juliette realized she was carefully following the conversation. It was the first time throughout the day that her mind was occupied on something else besides her first day of school...and she liked that. She liked it until the group of people noticed her presence. She didn't have any time to close the window.
"Hey!" Mainard smiled upon seeing his daughter. "Juliette, why don't you come over and say hello? They're very nice people."
"And there it goes. My voluntary loneliness is over." The teen told herself. She didn't want to seem unfriendly by refusing to go outside, but she still didn't feel like doing so. Especially if it means that she'll be facing a group of unknown people, even though her father is there. Unlike Édith, Mainard didn't push his daughter too much when it comes to socializing with others, but he still encouraged her to do it. "Alright, I'll be there in less than a minute!" With a sigh, Juliette closed her sketchbook and put it away. She also grabbed Halbert's pokéball and gestured for Poppy to follow her. "You guys are in luck, we're going outside!"
She took her time walking downstairs. Poppy and Halbert— who popped out of the pokéball on his own— were way more eager than their Trainer to go out. Coincidentally, they weren't the only ones willing to join Juliette.
"Oh, where are you guys going?" Édith appeared next to her granddaughter out of the blue, scaring the girl.
"Dad is talking to some people outside and he told me to go say hello, so I left what I was doing." Juliette stopped before opening the house's door, not wanting the neighbors to overhear her and her grandmother's conversation by any chance.
"So you had to interrupt your confinement. Got it!" After pronouncing these words, the old woman opened the door herself, which earned her a stern look from her granddaughter.
"I'm really stressed out about tomorrow, and I think that talking to people I don't know won't help. I'll have plenty of time to do that tomorrow!" Juliette vented to her grandmother, then sighed harshly.
"But Juliette, it's not the same. I'm sure the people your father is talking to are really nice!"
"Well, that's what he said…and he never lies." Deep down Juliette hoped that talking to these people would help her relax. Watching her father talk to them made her briefly forget about the school dilemma. Maybe joining the conversation would have an effect on me…
Whether she wanted to or not, however, Juliette was about to find out.
"Look, there she is! And it looks like my mother decided to come too." Mainard tried to introduce his mother and daughter, but the former were eager to do the honors.
"Alola! My name is Édith; Mainard's mother. This one here is my granddaughter, Juliette." The woman winked at her granddaughter.
"Alola, nice to meet you!" One of the women spoke. "I'm Sima and this is my husband, Rango."
"And I'm Mimo, I'm very happy to meet you all!" The little girl cheered.
"My name is Makoa, it's a pleasure to meet you," the male stranger said. The man was tall and average sized. He had peach skin and dark brown hair tied in a ponytail with sharp eyebrows and slight stubble. He was adorned in a green shirt, brown vest, brown shorts that reached his knees, a bolo tie, and brown sandals. The man's dark brown eyes shone in the sunlight.
"I'm Nohea, Makoa's wife. It's always nice to meet new people!" The woman next to Makoa said with a kind smile across her face. She was much paler than her husband. She has dark green hair that's braided and over her left shoulder. The woman wore a short sleeved, pale green dress with white frills, patterns, and puffed out sleeves. The dress reached her knees. She also wore brown boots and a pearl necklace.
"Depends on the circumstances," Juliette said to herself.
Rango looked around. "Luana and my son should be here in a bit. He said that they would be done with the chores soon."
"Wait, Luana knows Kiawe?" For some reason Juliette felt that if she said that out loud, then she would have sounded scandalized. Luckily she knew that she had no reason to feel that way.
Juliette intended to change the subject in her mind, but the furtive look Édith gave her didn't help. "It's amazing how hard working young people are, right?" The woman addressed Kiawe's father.
"Absolutely! He helps us out a lot. We are so proud of him. Luana is a great help too. She is always eager to lend a hand."
Nohea nodded contently. "Yes, my niece is really good at helping others. I'm glad my husband and I can count on her working in the café."
"Ah!" Juliette spoke out loud. "You're referring to the Sunrise Café, right? My Grandmother and I went there the other day!"
"Yes! Then you already know our niece." Nohea smiled again. Her attitude was slightly reminiscent of Luana's.
"Whose Pokémon are those?" Mimo asked after Halbert and Poppy approached her, observing the little girl with curiosity.
"They're mine." Juliette soon corrected herself after realizing she sounded too blunt. Being too blunt was something she didn't like about herself. Trying to crack a smile, she went for a more cheerful tone. "I-I mean, they're my Pokémon! Do you like them?"
"Yes! They're so cute." The little girl was now happily playing with the two Pokémon.
"Mimo, don't take Juliette's Pokémon too far away!" Rango shouted as he watched his daughter depart with her new friends.
"Don't you worry, Dad! We'll be fine!" Mimo parted further away from the group alongside Halbert and Poppy to play in a small pile of hay.
Juliette wasn't used to hearing a person outside of her inner circle utter her name with so much familiarity. It was an strange sensation for her; normally when someone outside of her family called her by her name it was a teacher. As for people her age, they normally addressed her as Ronson, or a dreaded term, "Freak." Unfortunately these dark thoughts triggered her mindset again, proving to Juliette that she is still not mentally prepared for the following day. In attempt to rid of these thoughts, Juliette decided to focus on her surroundings instead.
At the current time, the sun was descending from the sky, progressively bathing the the town in an orangish light. This sight reminded Juliette of Anistar City and it's famous sundial. Every day around 8 PM, when the very last rays of sun shone through the hole in the crystal, the rings of the sundial started to spin one by one. That's not all; sometimes a small rain of sparkles fall from the sky across the whole city, with the appearance of shiny snow. Juliette would spend minutes watching them fall through her window. That was just one of the things she missed from the city she was raised in, but sunsets in Paniola Town were nice in her eyes too.
"Juliette!" Her father's voice made her return to reality. As always, she was daydreaming at the least opportune moment.
"Look who's here!" Édith added cheerfully.
Luana and Kiawe made their way towards the group. The newcomers made her feel strange; It was almost as if she was happy to see them. The two were finally done with their chores.
"How is everyone doing?" Luana greeted with the same cheery attitude Juliette remembered.
"Hey!" Mimo was back again, closely followed by Halbert and Poppy. "We were waiting for you guys!"
"Well the wait is over!" she beamed excitedly. Luana noticed the two Pokémon next to the little girl. When she turned around and saw their Trainer, an even bigger smile appeared on her face. "Hey Juliette, it's been awhile!"
"But it's barely been a week…" Dumbfounded by the other girl's effusivity, Juliette just smiled.
"Whenever your grandmother came to the café, she said hello for you. How have you been?" Like a Venomoth to a lantern, the charismatic Luana brought her into a conversation.
"I've been fine, I guess. We spent the week working on the move and trying to get everything done." In an attempt to be less succinct, Juliette added another subject. "And tomorrow is my first day of school here, in Alola."
"Really? That sounds cool!" Little did Luana know that her colloquist couldn't agree less. "Which school are you going to?"
"The one in Heahea City."
"Ah, the Akala Trainer Academy? You're going to love it!" Luana accompanied her enthused remark with a pat on Juliette's shoulder, a gesture that the latter thought about escaping from.
"Yeah, sure…" She mumbled under her breath. However, she felt a bit better shortly after spotting Halbert and Poppy by her side again, now that Mimo was talking to her older brother.
A part of Juliette wanted to say something to Kiawe, but the other told her to wait until he approached her. There's this mentality ingrained in her mind that told her to avoid being the one to start conversations with people outside of the family or else she would be a bother. "When will I allow this self-punishment to end?" She was the only one standing around by herself; the rest of the group were talking amongst each other. Édith was about to approach her granddaughter to speak with her until Rango raised his voice.
"I have an idea! How about we all have dinner together?"
"That's a great idea, Rango!" Sima said. "Let's have a 'welcome to the neighborhood' dinner at our place. There'd be plenty of food for everyone!"
"Really? You'd invite us so willing?" Mainard was enthused by the idea of eating food straight from a farm and he didn't want to miss the chance.
Sima nodded and smiled. "But of course!"
"Great!"
"Great, indeed." Juliette was afraid that this improvised reunion would make her have to go to bed later than she intended.
"This will be fun, won't it?" Once again, her grandmother was there trying her best to cheer her up.
As Édith spoke to her granddaughter, Sima invited everyone into their house. They have spent a long time standing around outside, so getting to sit down somewhere before dinner would be nice for everyone.
"I guess it will be. However, tomorrow I have a lot of things to do and I should get to bed early." Juliette walked along with her grandmother. Halbert and Poppy followed them closely.
"No need to worry, I doubt we'd be there for many hours. On the plus side, this could help you loosen up, don't you think?" Before her granddaughter could give her a predictable answer, Édith continued. "I know you don't feel too comfortable around people you barely know, but your father and I are there and so are your Pokémon."
Juliette sat down on a lone wooden chair, looking up at her grandmother. "You're right. You're always here to me. I just wish Mom would be here too…" Her voice carried a hint of sadness.
"Yeah, me too. She would definitely like this place, but what can we do?" Édith took a look through the window at the seemingly endless fields located behind the farm where a group of Mudsdale galloped together. She called her granddaughter so she could take a look at the impressive scene too.
"Look at them… They definitely have zero worries," Juliette said without taking her eyes off of the herd. "Why can't we all be like these Pokémon?"
"Because if we had nothing to worry about, life would be boring! One day you will understand." Édith wasn't surprised by the confused look her granddaughter gave her after her statement.
"What's with you and making me wait to discover things lately?"
Édith laughed. "You're still young and you have plenty of time to discover these things and many others by yourself, trust me."
"She's right." Juliette told herself as she returned to the wooden chair. She was only a fifteen year old girl who has yet to discover much of the world with its lights and shadows. Although in her eyes, there was always more shadows than light. While she immersed in her own thoughts again, she saw her grandmother leave after being beckoned by her son. Juliette was all alone in the living room of a house that wasn't hers. Sitting in the living room of her new house was still a foreign feeling to her, so being in a stranger's house was just plain uncomfortable. However much she didn't prefer the idea, Juliette decided to wander outside. She invited her two Pokémon to follow her as she ventured out of the neighbor's house.
The sun had sunk even further into the sky, covering the land in a mesmerizing purple tint. "This last sunset before classes start sure is beautiful." When the thought crossed her mind, Juliette huffed in annoyance. Annoyance towards herself, because she was unable to just relax and calm down. Sometimes she felt that she was betraying her parents and her grandmother, who spent the last days reassuring her that everything would go well in the new school. Juliette would try to put on a smile every time they mentioned the topic, but at the same time she cannot stop thinking that her family was being too positive. She wanted to believe them one hundred percent, but that proved to be nearly impossible.
After observing the landscape for a little bit, Juliette wandered aimlessly around the farm, closely followed by her Pokémon. The Pokémon's company made her feel a little at ease. Being out in the open with no other people around felt surprisingly better than staying in her room all day long. She hoped that nobody would mind her being outside, for that she isn't bothering anyone.
Unfortunately for Juliette, her voluntary isolation was about to be interrupted again.
"Hey!" A slightly familiar voice made her turn around.
There he was. The one she had meant to talk to. Juliette's mind went immediately blank.
"Uuh, hello…?" Unaccustomed to talk to people without any of her family members around, the girl had a hard time trying to figure out what to say. She mentally scolded herself for being so lost for words.
"I noticed you here all alone, so I came to see if you were okay." Kiawe approached her so the conversation wasn't so awkward and far apart, but it had an opposite effect on Juliette, who took a few steps back.
"Yes! Yes I am! I only wanted to get some fresh air with my Pokémon, that's all," she lied. "I don't feel good when I'm surrounded by lots people and tomorrow will most likely be a terrible day, so I want to be left alone."
Kiawe observed her for a couple of seconds. He could tell she was lying, but chose to not say anything about it. "I see. The air in this place is good for everyone." Then he turned his attention to Halbert and Poppy. "You obtained your pokémon back in Kalos, right?"
"Right." Juliette's stark answers striked again.
"That reminds me of when I got my first Pokémon, a Cubone." Kiawe smiled faintly at the memory. "It was a big surprise when it evolved into a Fire type. I've always liked them."
"What on Earth is he talking about?" Juliette wasn't sure if she heard him correctly. "A Fire type? I thought Cubone and Marowak were Ground types."
"They are, but that changes in this region. Once Cubone evolves, it becomes a Fire and Ghost type." Kiawe was a bit surprised by the puzzled look Juliette gave him. "Tell me, have you heard of regional variations?"
Now Juliette understood what he meant. For a moment she was convinced that Kiawe was messing with her. "No, I didn't!" she stammered. "Back in Kalos it was Mega Evolution this and Mega Evolution that."
Kiawe nodded. "I understand. Mega Evolution is interesting in its own way. Most of my friends own Pokémon capable of mega evolving. In fact, I do too."
"Really? Which one?" Juliette found herself getting sucked into the conversation, to her own surprise.
"A Kangaskhan I've had since about a year ago. A good friend gave me its required Mega Stone and the Key Stone so I can make her mega evolve. Did you know you can use the Z-Ring for that purpose too?"
Juliette blinked in confusion. "Z-Ring? What's that? I've only heard of Mega Rings."
"Ah, forgive me, I forgot that you are not from here. Similar to how a Mega Ring enables a Trainer to trigger Mega Evolution, a Z-Ring would allow you to utilize Z-Moves with your Pokémon. Now, I don't know how to explain how Z-Moves work, but they are very powerful and require a Trainer and their Pokémon to combine both of their wishes."
"That sounds pretty deep," Juliette murmured to herself. "So it's like Mega Evolution in a way, right?"
"Yeah, more or less." Kiawe smiled knowing that Juliette didn't look confused anymore. Then a random thought crossed his mind. "Juliette, since it's your first time here, how about I show you around the farm? There's plenty of time until dinner is ready."
Juliette pondered over the situation quickly. She would be spending more time with her neighbor than she intended. While that may not be a bad thing, but for her it would mean there's more chances to slip up and say something foolish. "Uh… Sure, why not?"
There's no turning back now. "Great! Follow me, I'll show you our garden first. It's small, but it serves its purpose."
Hearing about a garden peaked Juliette's interest. Now that they were walking, Juliette made sure she was close enough to Kiawe so that she could be heard. "Your family has a garden? That's interesting, I always liked plants and flowers."
"That's nice. What are your favorites?"
"My favorite what?" A slightly awkward silence fell as Juliette tried to figure out what Kiawe meant. Was he asking about her favorite plants, her favorite flowers, or both? She hated not knowing what to say.
"I mean your favorite flowers. Or plants I guess, I don't mind." Kiawe broke the silence, much to his companion's relief.
"Oh! Uh…" Juliette took a few seconds to gather her thoughts. "Well, I've always liked ferns and small palms, since they're relatively easy to maintain. Also, my favorite flowers are orchids, without a doubt. I like roses as well, even if that sounds predictable."
"There's nothing wrong with that, at least in my opinion." Kiawe answered reassuringly, taking the girl by surprise.
Juliette wasn't used to having her likes and dislikes validated by someone else out of her small circle, namely her family. Her thoughts drifted away again. Back in Kalos, she felt as if every living moment there she was walking on eggshells, because the moment she said something remotely positive about the things she liked, there was always someone willing to drag her opinions through the mud. This occurs mostly with her opinions on Pokémon she has been fascinated with ever since she was a little girl. The other kids would often tell her to stop being a loon and that Zygarde didn't exist as well as other Legendary Pokémon.
"Here we are!" Kiawe's voice made Juliette snap out of it and go back to reality.
"You're not in Kalos anymore, Juliette. You're in Alola." More specifically, she was in the garden of her neighbor's house, which was much bigger than what she imagined from Kiawe's words. The numerous berry trees, all of them in different stages of growth, were by far the most outstanding plants of the garden.
"Wow, you don't see such a well-kept garden very often!" Juliette's eyes were all around the place, soaking in the sight of the many different plants. It made her feel like a kid in a candy shop. "Can we get closer?"
Kiawe smiled. "You can take a closer look if you wish. You seem very interested."
The duo walked closer to the garden. Juliette could examine the plants much better. Besides the berry trees, several kinds of vegetables like cabbages, cucumbers and cherry tomatoes were growing. There were a few aromatic herbs too, such as oregano and coriander.
"Did you plant something there?" Juliette asked, pointing to an empty patch of soil.
"Yes. The other day my family and I sowed seeds for broccoli, peppers and Lum berries." Kiawe gestured the girl to turn her attention to a different spot. "See those sprouts over there? Soon they will become papayas."
"That's great!" Juliette was mesmerized by the many plants of the garden. "When you told me the garden was small I expected something much more...you know, small."
The girl's words made her neighbor chuckle. "Well, it is small in comparison to others in this area, but we do what we can."
"That's a good thing." Juliette nodded before taking another quick look at the plants. She wondered if they were going to go somewhere else after the garden visit.
"Hey!" A familiar voice chimed in out of the blue. "How's it going?"
The newcomer was Luana. This time she was accompanied by one of her Pokémon, a Midday Lycanroc whose shiny blue fur stood out like a beacon, reflecting the light of the setting sun.
"It's going pretty well," Kiawe answered. "I'm giving Juliette a tour of the farm until dinner is ready."
"Ah, that sounds really cool! Can I join you guys?" Luana gave the duo a Rockruff-eyed look that was impossible to say no to.
"Sure! The more the merrier, right?" Kiawe's rhetorical question was aimed at Juliette, who answered with an awkward silence. If that can be called an answer, that is.
"I think we should take her to the barn, she'll probably like it," Luana suggested as she stood between the two, giving her a friendly smile.
"I actually had that in mind! What do you say, Juliette?" Kiawe looked at her intently, awaiting her answer.
"Sure, why not? It's your house after all." Convinced that she said something stupid, Juliette cleared her throat. "I mean, you are the ones showing it to me."
The boy nodded before leading the way. "Let's go then!"
Juliette observed how Luana held onto Kiawe's arm shortly after. "There must be something between these two, no doubt." The idea of being a couple's third wheel was less than amusing to her, but she decided to ignore it. Instead, Juliette turned her attention to Luana's Lycanroc again. It was evident that the Pokémon was well cared for. Even if she didn't want to get involved with others, Juliette appreciated people who treated their Pokémon well. She felt like asking some questions about the Lycanroc but as usual, she didn't know what to say.
"Uh…" Juliette hesitated for what felt like forever to her. The other two barely noticed that she was trying to talk. In that moment they were caught up in their own conversation, talking about the upcoming dinner. Seeing this, she decided to leave them alone.
After a while, the trio finally reached the barn. It looked just like the ones from movies and TV shows; It was a wide red construction with a huge gambrel roof. Loose hay was scattered near the ajar door in the front… Which meant that the smells from inside the building escaped through it.
Kiawe gestured Juliette, Luana, and their respective Pokémon to follow him. The first thing Juliette saw upon entering was a Talonflame perching on a play stand. She couldn't help but stop to take a look at it. The sight of the bird Pokémon inevitably reminded her of her home region. Halbert and Poppy recognized the Pokémon before them as well.
"Is this Pokémon yours?" Juliette asked Kiawe.
The boy stared at Juliette oddly as she stood much further away from Luana and himself. "Yes, he is."
"He must have reminded you of home, didn't he?" Luana asked in a sympathetic tone.
Juliette sighed as she mentally scolded herself for distracting the two. "Yeah, he did." Her Pokémon joined with a brief murmur of agreement as they all walked closer to Luana and Kiawe. "Stay in the present, Juliette."
"Look at the Mudbray! They must have had a good day today." Luana pointed at a group of Mudbray that lounged on top of a small pile of hay, all half asleep.
"Indeed. They've been playing in the mud throughout the day." Having said that, Kiawe addressed Juliette, who was distracted by the peaceful scene in front of her. Although making her snap out of it wasn't too hard. "I'm going to show you the place where we store the Moo Moo Milk."
"Oh, alright!" Juliette promised herself not to get too caught up in her own little world again, at least not while her neighbor and his girlfriend were having the courtesy of showing her around.
They walked in front of a stable with several Tauros and another one with a few Miltank. One of the Miltanks appeared to be heavily pregnant. For a city girl like Juliette, who has never been close to a Pokémon in this state— at least not that she remembers— seeing one for the first time was amazing. "Wonders of farm life."
The quiet ambience of the Pokémon relaxing in the barn could be heard when the three remained silent. Their footsteps could be heard as they trekked along the barn. Despite the peaceful silence, Luana decided to change the quiet tone by striking a conversation with Juliette, who was much too quiet for her liking. "Are you excited about tomorrow?"
The girl looked at Luana like she had two heads and four eyes. The question made her uncomfortable. If she faked her answer it would be too obvious and if she said what she really thought then there would be some explaining to do, and that's the last thing Juliette wanted. She didn't want to talk about the barbarities she went through in her old school, especially not the day before going to a new one. She was already too pessimistic to even think about it and in her view, talking about it out loud could attract bad luck. When Juliette thought about it, her thoughts have not drifted in that direction in a while, and that was thanks to the two individuals with her right now. "Well… I don't have much judgement on that until I see how everything goes." The girl smiled in hopes that her response was convincing enough.
"Fair enough." Luana nodded slightly. "I hope you have fun tomorrow and your first day goes well!"
"Oh, thank you!" Juliette was almost scared by the girl's kindness. An internal struggle was going on between a side that told her to not believe what Luana said and another one that urged her to stop seeing everything in such a negative light.
Meanwhile, Kiawe stopped in front of a big crate chock-full of milk jugs. "This is where we keep our fresh milk," he said.
"Oh and get this! Uncle Nohea gets products for Sunrise Café from this very farm!" Luana approached Juliette and placed her hand on her shoulder. The gesture startled Juliette a bit.
"Really? I didn't know!" Juliette said, trying her best to sound enthusiastic. "But how would you know that if they never told you?"
Kiawe smiled faintly upon Juliette's response. "Our families get along very much. In fact, it's one of the main reasons we work together all the time."
"Oh, of course they get along!" Juliette smirked to herself, but her stark verbal response hid her amusement. "That's really nice."
"It sure is!" Following her statement, Luana briefly put her arm around Kiawe's shoulder and grinned playfully at him.
"Sometimes my Charizard and I take the products to the café and we stay there for a while to relax," The boy added.
"You have a Charizard too?" Juliette's voice had a hint of disappointment in it, influenced by the fact that most of the kids at her former school picked on her for choosing Bulbasaur over Charmander or Squirtle. She made sure to fix her tone quickly, or at least try to. "I mean, it's a good Pokémon and...it's a Fire type."
Kiawe nodded slightly. "It's a good Pokémon indeed." Luckily for her, Kiawe didn't mind her umpteenth awkward answer of the night. Ignoring the effect of talking to people Juliette barely knows, Kiawe addressed to her once more. "Tell me, what did you think of the farm?"
For once Juliette wasn't at a loss for words. "I really liked it! I've never been to an actual farm. The closest I've been to one was this place called Baa de Mer in Kalos, but I've only seen it from the outside."
Luana intervened with a smile across her face. "The Skiddo Ranch, right? I went there when I was a little girl! Riding the Skiddo and Gogoat there is loads of fun. Plus all of the Pokémon there are cute to boot!"
"I wish I could have visited the place at least once," Juliette sighed.
"You could always visit Kalos again in the future. Maybe then you can visit the ranch," Kiawe said as he leaned against the wall.
"Uh, as much as I would like to visit it, if I ever went back to Kalos that place wouldn't be my top priority."
"Oh?" Luana leaned towards Juliette, which prompted her to step back. "What other place do you have in mind? Anistar City?"
"Well…"
Before Juliette could say anything, the barn's doors opened. Sima appeared at the entrance, her feet scuffling against the barn floor. "Kids, dinner is ready!"
"Alright, mother!" Kiawe then looked over at his two companions. "Let's go!"
"Finally!" She didn't want to admit it, but Juliette was starting to feel hungry and dinner being ready was good news. Plus, it saved her from having to explain her fascination with Zygarde, which she feared it would weird her neighbors out.
The trio ambled outside the barn. Luana and Juliette were followed closely by their Pokémon while Kiawe's Talonflame prefered to stay inside the shed. The dark blue color of the sky faded until it became a very pale orange in the horizon, the first stars of the night could be seen and a waning moon made an appearance. The sights around her were something Juliette highly appreciated. Her last day of freedom before school has been great so far. Her new friends– although she refused to call them that so soon– have been a big help taking her mind off of school. Now she has found herself looking forward to having dinner at her new neighbor's house. It looked like her grandmother was right after all, leaving her room and joining her father has proven to be a good idea.
They soon made it to the dining room. Everyone was sitting down at the table except for Rango and Nohea, who were serving some dishes that have not yet made it to the table. Mimo urged Kiawe to sit beside her while Mainard did the same with Juliette. He and Édith saved a seat between them for her. They knew that would help Juliette feel more at ease and she deeply appreciated the gesture.
It did not take long for Nohea and Rango to retrieve the rest of the dishes and sit down with the rest of the group. Their Pokémon sat not too far from the group, all served with a mixture of Pokémon food and their Trainer's food. Food that Juliette stared at hungrily, albeit with discretion. "Wow, they went all out for this!" The serving plates were overflowing with various viands such as mashed potatoes, rolls with butter, and mac 'n' cheese. A large salad bowl and a tray filled with corn on the cob sat not too far from Juliette. Near the center of the table was the biggest ham Juliette has ever seen, covered with a maple and brown sugar glaze. Lastly, a few pies that were still fuming were put aside from the rest of the food. For Juliette and her family, the best part of the meal was the fact that most of the food— if not all of it— was made out of products straight from the farm. They've never experienced something such as this in Kalos.
Sima gently tapped on the table to get everyone's attention. "Before we start eating, I'd like us to give thanks to the Wela Volcano."
This was new to Juliette and her family. They weren't used to praying before their meals, but they knew that this was a custom for other people, so they joined the others in a silent prayer. A solemn atmosphere took over the dining room for a solid, quiet minute. After what felt like an eternity, Sima signaled everyone to start eating. "Serve yourselves and enjoy the meal!"
"Do you want me to serve you?" Mainard asked his daughter before filling his own dish.
Juliette looked at her father's empty plate and then at him. "Shouldn't you serve yourself first?"
Mainard chuckled. "I can wait! Tell me, what would you like to have?"
"Alright… I want some mashed potatoes and corn on the cob."
Her father took her plate and served a decent amount of mashed potatoes as well as a single cornstick. "Here you go!"
"Thank you!" Juliette smiled at her father before starting to eat. She saw him serve himself some salad out of the corner of her eye.
"This mac 'n' cheese is delicious!" Édith congratulated Makoa and Nohea, who were responsible for the preparation of said food.
"Thank you!" Makoa said, waving his hand in front of him sheepishly. He leaned in closer and lowered his voice to a whisper. "The secret is in the sauce."
"When the sauce is in the right consistency, you have to remove it from the heat and then whisk the cheese into the sauce." Nohea added in a hushed voice.
Sima overheard the other woman and emitted a good-natured laugh. "No need to murmur, we all know your secret for macaroni and cheese!"
Nohea laughed heartily back at her comment. The environment was cheerful and laid-back. Everyone felt at home. Even Juliette, who less than three hours ago felt completely out of place in this house, felt somewhat at home. "I can't believe I'm actually liking it there. This is weird...but also good." She eyed Luana and Kiawe, who were focused on their food besides the occasional comment and Kiawe telling his sister to finish her serving of salad. "Maybe this would be a good time to ask Luana about her Lycanroc. But, what if she feels annoyed? What if—"
"I know what that face means as soon as I see it." As always, Édith "rescued" Juliette from her thoughts. "If you want to talk to someone, just do it!"
"But everybody is eating and I don't want to bother them!" Juliette took a spoonful of mashed potatoes and shoved it into her mouth as a way to shut herself up. Édith rolled her eyes.
"What an excuse! So are we and we're still talking. Go ahead!" Édith gave her granddaughter an encouraging pat on the back and went back to eating her macaroni and cheese, discreetly paying attention to what Juliette will do next.
The girl sighed and counted to ten mentally. She had no idea of what to say. After looking at her grandmother out of the corner of her eye in search of an answer that never came, Juliette knew that she had to do this herself.
"Uh… Luana?"
"Yes?" The other girl turned her attention to Juliette immediately. This relieved her as she was sure that Luana would for some reason ignore her.
Juliette took a quick glance at the blue Lycanroc sitting not too far from Luana, who was eating wildly from his bowl, and then looked back at his owner. "Your Lycanroc is shiny, right?"
"That's right!" Luana smiled brightly. "His name is Pohaku. He was my very first Pokémon!"
Juliette raised her eyebrows and gave her a wide-eyed look. "Wow, you got a shiny Pokémon as your first partner? You're really lucky!"
"I have to thank my parents for that." Luana looked down at her plate, which was filled with salad and macaroni, and faintly sighed. "They're shiny hunters and they're really good at it. I hope I can be like them someday. I've yet to find a shiny myself. Father gave me Pohaku when he was in an egg!"
"She has an interesting goal too…" Again, Juliette took a quick glance out of the corner of her eye at her grandmother, who was currently focused on the mashed potatoes she was now serving herself. Her father was talking to Luana's uncle about the recent move. Why not go on with the conversation?
"Tell me, since you're from Kalos too, have you ever tried to challenge the Gym Leaders?" Juliette leaned forward without realizing. Her grandmother, who was well aware of the events around her, nodded at the gesture.
"My family moved to Alola when I was five, so I never had the chance. But I did take on the Island Challenge!"
"The Island Challenge?" Juliette tilted her head slightly in confusion. "Yet another thing I don't know about."
"The Island Challenge," Kiawe chimed in, "is like a rite of passage of sorts. All Pokémon Trainers can participate when they turn eleven years-old."
"You travel across all the islands to beat several trials in each of them. When you're done with these trials, you have to battle the Island Kahuna, the strongest Trainer of the island!" Luana's eyes sparkled at the the thought of the aforementioned, recalling all of her fond memories.
Juliette leaned back on her seat, nodding slowly. "That sounds interesting indeed!"
"Maybe you should give it a try. You obtain a Z-Crystal as well after completing each trial," Kiawe explained.
"So it's like obtaining Gym Badges in a way…" Juliette briefly rested her chin on her hand. "I'll be honest, I've never been interested in these kinds of journeys. When I was in Kalos, I was the only one in my class who didn't want to challenge the Gym Leaders."
"You are not forced to do it if you don't want to, you know," Kiawe reassured her. "Maybe one day you will set on a life-changing journey of your own."
Yet again, Juliette took a quick look at her grandmother. "Maybe he's right. Setting on my own life changing journey would be...interesting, to say at least." She suspected Édith had the key to that.
"Also, the Island Challenge is not just about beating trials and getting Z-Crystals. You also make great friends along the way." Luana smiled and looked at Kiawe. "For an example, Kiawe and I took on the Trials roughly around the same time. We bonded during that time, and now we're best friends!"
"Oh, so they're just friends!" No matter how hard she tried, Juliette couldn't contain an amused smile. "Yeah, I can tell!"
The dinner went on between lively conversations, laughs, and good food. Everyone was caught up in the cheerful spirit of the reunion, especially Juliette, who needed it the most amongst the people in the dining room. That cheerful spirit gave her a bit of strength to face the next day, a day that she hoped wouldn't be an uphill climb. Deep down, she knew that was up to her and her attitude.