I lied again. Here's a bonus chapter. Delayed things way longer than I wanted, but hopefully the end result is satisfying.

BONUS CHAPTER: The Crude Girl, the Prude Girl

It had all happened so suddenly.

She had just been minding her own business and wanting to have fun at the park, but she found herself being taken away by police and arrested.

Now she found herself being led through the holding area of the station, by a frizzy red-haired woman named Officer Peake. She tried her best not to look at anyone. Many of them were firing hateful leers her way, among other looks that made her even more uncomfortable. It only made sense, a lot of them could have been Team Rocket members. Or just twisted people in ways she didn't want to think further about on.

Soon the policewoman stopped before one of the cells and called out to another occupant. "Got a cellmate for you, Millward."

Julia froze up as the aqua blue eyes of this sixteen year old fell upon her. She had light-blonde hair that barely reached her neck, and was wearing a white tank top and jean shorts that stopped above her knees. Julia couldn't even imagine why people would dress like this.

A horrible crash echoed behind her, the cell door slamming shut. The girl jumped at the sound, starting and stopping too quickly to react to any other way. There was no escape now. She looked to her cellmate with a panic. At least, she didn't seem like a Team Rocket member. But she was still in jail here, so Julia felt whoever this was can't have been good news.

"A kid, huh?" the girl casually asked, somewhat bemused by Julia's age. She put a hand on her hip and smirked. "So what're you in for?"

Julia was quiet. This girl was scaring her. If someone as young as her was in here, they had to be a really bad person. And she'd have to be in this cell with this person for who knows how long. She was not liking this at all.

"Come on, man. They had to have thrown you in here for a reason."

She didn't know. No, rather. She wasn't completely sure. They said things. What was it again that they said? It wasn't registering right now. Should she even tell her?

"Do you at least you got a name?"

If she told her that, this girl could track her down. Besides, why should she tell her that? It made no sense. No, nothing about this situation made any sense.

Suddenly the blonde took a few steps back. "Hey, if it'll make ya feel more comfy, I'll tell you why I'm in here first," she told Julia, who couldn't believe this girl's shameless tone. "So I'm Mandi. With an I, not a Y. You know that teacher at the high school with the stick up his ass, Mr. Hankerton?" She laughed at her own words.

Hearing that made her finally snap. "No! I don't know anything!" she yelled. "I was just traveling through here on my journey and the next thing I know some police officers are dragging me into their car! They read me my rights but I don't know what's going on! Then they put me in here! They barely told me why or anything!"

A silence drew over the two. A wide-eyed Mandi finally broke it by simply saying, "Uh, wow."

"Julia Parisa!"

She turned around to see Office Peake again, once more opening the door to the cell. She prayed to Arceus that this was a just misunderstanding that was quickly cleared up, but the redhead's next words extinguished that hope entirely.

"You're wanted in questioning."

Mandi chuckled. "Well, looks like you're about to find out."

It was a little over two hours later that Julia finally returned to the cell. Mandi, who had been leaning against a wall, looked up and over to the young girl. She quickly turned her head so that no one saw her huff, but turned it back just as fast. This girl looked bad before, but she looked like a wreck now. Her face was all red, and her breathing seemed labored. That was just the tip of things, too.

"So what happened?" she decided to ask, straight-up. The reply was unintelligible. The delinquent girl marched in closer. "Hey, speak up. Find out why you're in here?"

Though quiet and hard to make out through her sobs, one part was clear, "...Gyarados."

"A Gyarados? What about it?"

"I...Geraldine...she...they..." Julia suddenly let out a wail and started full-on crying.

She had no idea what was up with this girl, besides her clearly being out of it. Geraldine? A Gyarados? What was going on? Wait, one thing came to mind. She remembered hearing something that might be related. "This about that weird-colored Gyarados?" A shot in the dark, but worth asking.

Julia's nod seemed almost reflexive.

So there it was. She heard about this from people chatting in the prison and the cops walking by. Someone released a Gyarados into the Lake of Rage and it went on a rampage. So it was this preteen girl who owned it, probably some traveling trainer. But holding her accountable for it? That was effed up as far as Mandi was concerned. She didn't even know why they would throw someone in jail for releasing a Pokemon.

But as for this girl, she couldn't help but grin. Someone her age and with her certain level of experience capturing something like that? Even if she wasn't really a trainer herself, she couldn't help but respect that. "Man, you gotta be one badass trainer," she said.

The younger girl seemed surprised at this compliment, if unsure what to make of it. "You...think so?"

"Totally," Mandi gave a thumbs up in assurance. "You have to be hardcore to catch one of those things. Why'd the hell you release it, though?"

The brown-haired girl remained silent for several seconds, then looked away. "Mom made me..."

"Parents, pft. What've they ever done for us?" Mandi blew it off with a handwave, not noticing Julia lightly clenching her fists at this remark. This Julia Parisa was all right as far as she was concerned. That last name got her thinking, though. "By the way, wondering something. You related to Amara Parisa?"

Julia snapped upright. "That's none of your business!"

The blonde girl was quiet for several seconds. "Maybe," she conceded with a shrug. It was a bit of a personal thing to ask. That reaction told her everything she needed to know, though, and she let Julia know it, "Kind of a dead giveaway when you say that, you know."

The brown-haired girl gave her a silent, hateful glare for a moment. It wasn't clear to Mandi if it was from her callout or something else. She could see the resemblance, and if it hadn't been for that reaction or a direct confirmation, wouldn't have believed she was cut from the same cloth as that rebel at all. Suddenly, the girl spoke again, "Sorry, but can you not talk to me?"

Mand blinked at this request, more like demand in its tone. "Why not?"

"Because, you're a criminal!" came the shouted reply. "You do bad things! I don't want to talk to criminals like you!"

"Hey, you're a criminal too, you know," Mandi swiftly replied with a bit of a smirk on her face. "That's why you're in here."

"I am not!" Julia protested with a firm shake of her head. "I just...I just made a mistake!"

"And they're calling you a criminal for it."

"There's a difference!"

"Not as far as the cops are concerned." The blonde girl said this in a way that both harshly hit her with reality and indicated that it was something she wasn't too happy about either. "As they see it, you're as bad as me, and we're both as bad as one of those stupid Team Rocket thugs."

"I heard that, brat!" one of said thugs screamed.

While the young girl was startled and instinctively ran to the bed as if to hide there, Mandi remained unphased. "Oh, get bent." Not like he could do anything about it. She ignored his further shouts of rage to turn to address Julia further. "Anyway, as long as you're in here-"

"I said I don't want to talk to you and that's final!"

Ironically, it was this and Julia's subsequent turning away and crossing her arms that startled Mandi more than anything else. She could understand a bit of shock and denial, or being presumptuous about what a person had done and why. But going this far and thinking herself above everyone else? What was wrong with this girl? That attitude was going to land her in trouble in here if she paraded it. Not that it really mattered to her. She shook her head. "Well, if you're going to act that way, whatever. Don't care. Just trying to be nice, you prude..."

It was much later on that night, and bedtime was looming for those in the Mahogany Town Police Headquarters' holding cells. The day had completely worn Julia out, so much that even if she hadn't been refusing to speak to her cellmate, she likely wouldn't have spoken to her anyway. She had spent much of the day crying to herself over the events. The autistic girl had been hoping the entire time that this was all a misunderstanding that was going to be worked out quickly, but it never came to pass. Now she was going to have to spend the night here. Not even able to change into her pajamas, but at least she could wear her own clothes for now. She was entirely alone...no, that wasn't true, but it would be better if she was.

She glanced over to the cell's other occupant, quickly looking away in disgust. The older girl had cast off all of her clothes aside from her undergarments, and was standing in plain sight of her like it was no big deal. Then she started casually walking up to her. How could anyone be so shameless?!

"Hey, which bunk you want?"

She started leaning against the bedside, and there she was trying to talk to her again. Even in moments like these she was sticking to her guns. Without so much as a word, she climbed to the top and threw the covers over herself.

The delinquent let out a dejected vocalization. "You really gonna be like that?"

Yes, she was. Why would she ever treat a bad person any other way? Maybe she was being 'friendly' now, but that's probably just from being twisted in her ways. She probably just mistakenly sees a kindred spirit. Well, Julia knew she and this girl were nothing alike. And as soon as she hopefully got out of here, she wouldn't have to have anything to do with her ever again.

Julia tossed and turned, trying her best to get comfortable. These beds were not great. She could tolerate their rigidness, having camped outside a few times on her journey. But the sheets were a different story, being far too thin and not doing a good job of keeping her warm. Even trying to cocoon herself in them didn't help.

Actually, it wasn't just that. It was everything around her. The cold stone walls, the grim atmosphere, the person sleeping below her, everyone being bad to entirely hostile, the ambient chatter and scraping noises made by said people, not having any of her friends or Pokemon close by. There was no safety or security in here. Her mind was filled with dread, and it seemed there was no easing it..

Then an idea came to her. She wasn't sure how good it was or how it would turn out. She never actually had been to a church before, and her only familiarity with prayer was in passing. Her family never was overly religious in that regard. But at this point she was willing to try just about anything if it would have even the slightest chance of getting her out of here.

The brown-haired girl sat up and went into a kneeling position. She placed her hands together. This couldn't hurt. Maybe it wouldn't help either. She was just winging this from what little she knew, but may as well try.

"I've never really prayed before, but I don't know what else to do. Arceus...I don't know if you really exist or not...or if you can really hear me...but please, please, please...get me out of here! I don't want to spend my whole life in jail! I'd rather go back to school than be stuck in prison forever and ever! I promise I'll take all the responsibility I can for what Geraldine did and do whatever I'm told and never complain about anything ever again! Until then...please don't let anything bad happen to me. I've heard so many horrible stories about people getting hurt or killed in jail, in ways I can't bring myself to say out loud. Let this be over soon! Amen to infinity!"

Quiet. For a second Julia thought she hear something from below her, but paid it no heed. She hoped that her desperate plea did reach the heavens, instead of being swallowed by the darkness of this prison. It didn't ease her mind as much as she had hoped. Whatever the case, her fate was out of her hands now, and it didn't sit well with her at all.

Well, there was nothing more she was able to do. She could only close her eyes, try to get to sleep, and hope tomorrow would not be as bad as today was.

The next day around noon, Julia found herself outside of her cell temporarily. She learned that the station allows those in its holding cells out at this time in order to stretch and get lunch, in a controlled area. It was in fact optional. She had not wanted to do this. Really, being out among a bunch of bad people who've done who-knows-what was the absolute last thing she wanted to be doing in this situation. Everyone seemed against her in here. It was like being in school again, only much much worse. All the people screaming at each other and sometimes getting physical her made her want to just cover her ears and curl up. But her stomach screaming at her demanded otherwise.

The holding area was a series of cells arranged in a rectangle, with cells on both the outside,and inside, the latter being the case of her cell. Freedom was at the hall on one of the short sides. She accidentally went there and was yelled at by a guard. It had already taken a ton of effort to drag herself to this point, but after that her pace had practically slowed to a frightened crawl.

As it turned out, her fears were not entirely unfounded. Two teenage boys who were loitering in the halls spotted her. One had a wirey frame and long wirey orange hair, and the other was short with greasy black hair with red highlights.

"Hey, check it out," the latter nudged his friend.

"What?"

The short one grinned. "It's that kid who crashed our base."

"Really?" He leaned in closer, squinting to get a better look. "Yeah, it is. Why's she in here?"

"Don't know, don't care. It's our lucky day, though."

His friend was already thinking the same thing, and the two advanced on Julia together. The boy with highlighted hair ran out in front of her as if he was rushing ahead. The girl jumped and turned around to go the other way, only to find the lanky one behind her. She turned around to see the other facing her.

"Uhh...w-who are you?" she asked, hoping this wasn't what she thought it was.

"We're from Team Rocket," the orange-haired one boasted.

Through clenched teeth, the short one growled at her as menacingly as he was able to. "You got us put in jail, kid! Now we're gonna take it out of your face."

The two started to close in on her. Julia shuddered, curling up defensively. Of course Team Rocket members were going to be in here. Of course they were going to be angry with her. Even these ones who looked like teenagers. Still in spite of this, she stood as firm as she could. "Hey, leave me alone!" she threatened, even as her voice broke a little as she did so. "I'm...going to scream if you do anything!"

"Ha! You really think anyone'll come running to help?" the short boy scoffed.

His friend smirked. "We'll just have to make it quick in any case."

"Hey, cover her mouth. That'll shut her up."

"On it."

Before she could even think to run away, the lanky boy grabbed her by the arms. Though not the strongest person, he was easily able to overpower Julia. He quickly pulled her in closer, using one arm to restrain her and the other practically clamping around her face. She tried to scream but it came out muffled. The short teenager grinned like a Sneasel toying with its pray, before slowly advancing on her.

He cracked his knuckles. "I'm gonna enjoy this..."

This was it. Something really bad was going to happen. Never mind being stuck in here. She might not make it out of prison at all. Just as the boy was bringing back his fist, Julia found herself tumbling to the ground before it even made impact. A yelp rang out, but it wasn't her own.

"Hey, back off!" came a vaguely familiar voice. She didn't care whose it was. As soon as she got her bearings she ran away as fast as her legs could carry her.

The lanky boy quickly regained his balance. "What's it to you?" he demanded to know from his own assaulter. He gave his best and fiercest glare to her, as if to tell the girl standing before them that she had made the biggest mistake of her life.

"You heard me," Mandi reiterated. She was not only not intimidated by these kids younger than her, but her own glare was genuine. "Get away from her before I get mad."

The short boy laughed at this, which was a sudden high-pitched squeal. "Hey, we were in Team Rocket, you know!" he boasted with a point. "So you better watch yourself, or-"

The delinquent girl silenced this threat with another shove, this one with enough force to send the greasy-haired teen falling to the ground. She leveled a fist in his face. "You get the hell out or I knock your damn teeth out. What's it gonna be?"

The two former Team Rocket members exchanged worried glances. The lanky one yanked his friend to his feet. "C'mon, let's get outta here!"

"Right!" The two took off in a hurry.

"Yeah, you better run you little sissies!"

Mandi kept glaring at the two running away like a dowsed Growlithe until they were out of sight, flipping them off for good measure. Maybe they had been in Team Rocket. But they were probably just a bunch of kids who joined up thinking it would make them tough. Yet all it really made them was paper tigers. She smirked to herself. It was always fun to push those kinds around, seeing their tough guy acts fall apart so fast.

The delinquent girl shook her head and turned back to check on Julia, but she was already gone. She imagined the younger girl had gotten out of there the moment she could. Well, wherever she went, she was safe from those two. That's all that mattered to Mandi at that moment.

As it turned out, Julia had ended up running back to their cell. Mandi found this out as soon as she got back to it. The two were still not speaking to each other, as one of them had insisted since yesterday. But now, it was more of an awkward silence. It was finally broken around an hour and a half later, and by the one who initiated it.

"Hey?"

Mandi had been leaning against a wall. She tilted her head down at Julia, who had been sitting on the bottom bunk. "Yeah?"

Julia was quiet at first. There, she started conversation. Now what should she say from here? She was never the best at this sort of thing. Maybe just up and say what's on her mind? "Why did you help me? I didn't want anything to do with you and said all those things. And you called me a prude too. But you still helped me. Why?"

The reply from Mandi was swift. "Like hell I was going to let them do whatever they wanted."

Again, an awkward silence. She had her answer, and so quickly too. She wasn't sure what else to say. Even Mandi suddenly turned away and adjusted her bangs, as if a bit uncertain herself.

"Well...thank you," Julia said. The brown-haired girl lowered her head. It was so weird to be saying this to someone who did bad things. But she couldn't deny that Mandi had helped her back there. If it hadn't been for her...she didn't dare imagine what those boys would have done to her. Why would she do something like that, though? This Mandi girl did something bad, that's why she's in here. So why would someone who did something bad stop someone else who was doing bad things? Maybe it was just hatred? She did imply she hated Team Rocket. That had to be it, right?

"So you decided you do want to talk with me, huh?" She looked up to see Mandi near her, flashing her a bit of a teasing smirk. Yet she could tell there was no real malice in it.

"I just figured I should, that's all." Julia had never expected it to come to this. It was right to thank someone, so she didn't mind that. Yet she didn't expect to find herself talking to someone in a prison so cordially. "I'm going to have to be around you for a while, and I guess..."

She paused. No, she may as well just up and say it.

"...you're not that bad a person."

Julia was worried that was going to sound cheesy or that this girl would take it entirely the wrong way or react badly and get mad or anything else. But much to her surprise and relief, Mandi just smiled and nodded. "Sounds good, J."

Julia blinked. She realized quickly that was just a friendly nickname the blonde teenager had given her. But it still didn't change how she was very uncomfortable with it. "I'd...really rather you not call me that."

"Okay?" Mandi stared at her, confused. "What you want me to call you, then?"

"I don't know." Julia shook her head, also confused but also a little frustrated. This was new ground for her. Was a nickname really needed? "Julia is fine. My friend sometimes call me Jule, too."

She was met with a handwave. "That's boring as hell. How's 'lia sound?"

"Okay, but..."

"What's up?"

Something inside her was speaking to her. If there was good in this person, she felt this person could see good too. And so she had to help set her on the right path.

"You're being crude. You shouldn't say curse words. You shouldn't say them at all, because they're rude, and it makes you look really bad-"

"Shut the **** up, ya ****in' kids! I have a ****in' headache here and I'm tryin' to ****in' sleep!"

Julia's hands flew to her ears at this sudden vulgar tirade from the cell next to them. Mandi snapped to attention too, raising an eyebrow at it. When he stopped, they exchanged awkward glances, communing the same thing to each other. It was the afternoon. He was tired now?

Mandi suddenly snorted. "Hey, gonna give him that lecture too?"

The teasing almost didn't register to Julia, but she brushed it off anyway since it seemed she was making fun of that guy more than her. "...that would probably be a bad idea."

The blonde girl just grinned wider. "Not like he could stop you where he is," she egged on.

"I don't think provoking him would be smart in any case..."

Mandi shrugged. "You're no fun." Julia almost couldn't believe that. What could be fun about being in here? "Anyway, don't be such a prude. Curses are just words people say. Sometimes for emphasis, sometimes..." And with this she looked over to the source of the rant. "...like that." She had some disapproval in her tone. So at least she didn't like it, either.

"I still don't thi-" But she found herself cut off again, this time by her stomach suddenly rumbling loudly. It was enough that Mandi's gaze actually shifted to it. "Oh..."

"Didn't you eat?" the blonde girl inquired.

"I couldn't. Those guys..." She trailed off.

"Oh, those sissies," Mandi didn't hide her derision, turning the sarcasm in her voice all the way up.

"I hope I can get out of here so I can just get the food I want when I want, and not have to be around people like them or adults screaming at each other."

"Hope you got someone who could help with that, then."

Too true. She heard all these crime stories about criminals without lawyers receiving a swift sentencing. But wait, she actually did have help. "Someone actually promised to help me."

"Really?" Mandi's interest was genuinely piqued by this. "Who?"

"An official Pokemon rehabilitator named Nori. He actually looked around thirteen." His age more than anything surprised her. That was around her sister's age, and here he was working for the police in some capacity.

"Never heard of that rehabilitator thing. But I hear like, the International Police will hire anyone, regardless of their age." Well, Nori didn't say he was working with them, but if they did it, maybe others would too. Mandi tapped her chin. "Thirteen though, damn." Looked like she wasn't alone in her surprise at that.

"He was really nice. Really easy to talk to, too." She sighed, thinking back to how their conversation was rudely interrupted. "Though that detective was listening in on us..."

"Holle?"

"Yes..."

"Bah, so you got him too. Should've figured." Mandi paused for a moment. "Think this Nori kid can get you out of here?"

She nodded, even though she knew it was a hopeful nod. "Well, I really hope he can, becau-"

"Julia Parisa!"

The autistic girl nearly jumped out of her skin on hearing her name suddenly called. She and Mandi turned to see a female officer with frizzy red hair standing in front of their cell.

"You are being called to questioning." She said this, but used the tone as if it were an order. Officer Peake slid the cell door open. Julia's hands covered her ears as the unoiled squeaky metal grinded against itself.

"Damn it..." Mandi grumbled. Julia sharing in her frustration.

"I hope it isn't that detective again..."

"It probably is..."

"Ugh..." She did not want to deal with him again. He always got right in her face, demanding to know things or yelling at her for what she did. Even when he was being quiet and letting his subordinates do the talking to her, he still loomed in the room, never once taking his scrutinizing eyes off what was going on. The less said about him barging in after her talk with Nori, the better.

Officer Peake clapped loudly. "Come on, move it! Hup-two-three-four!"

Julia looked over to Mandi, who shook her head in resigned irritation. "We'll just have to pick this up later."

A sad fact. She managed to carry herself out of the cell. She was not looking forward to this at all, but there was no getting out of it, either.

The prisoners in the Mahogany Town Police Headquarters' holding cells were served three square meals a day. While prisoners were expected to go out and get lunch themselves if they wanted it, breakfast and dinner were delivered directly to them through a chute. It was just big enough for a tray, and could only be opened at one end at a time. The utensils were made of simple plastic.

The food wasn't great. In the morning, Julia had been given oatmeal. It was only lukewarm, and it didn't have any flavor or texture to it at all. The first evening she was here, she had...some kind of meat. It was ground up so much she didn't know what it originally was. It had a bizarre tangy taste to it, at least offset by the peas in the dish. The food in front of her now was somehow even worse. It was some kind of slimy goop with little chunks of ham and celery in it. She hoped it was just a really messy shepherd's pie.

Regardless of look or taste, she still managed to eat her entire bowl. With how hungry she was, she could've eaten anything they put in front of her as long as it wasn't poisonous or dangerous. She was actually apprehensive about this dish at first, but Mandi talked her into it, assuring her the prison wouldn't actually kill anyone with their food, even if it seems like they're trying to at times. When Julia was done, she remained sitting there. Her stomach rumbled, but she was uncertain if it was from wanting more or this...stuff not sitting well in there.

More of it suddenly dropped into her bowl. She looked up to see Mandi standing there. "Here, got you a bit of extra food," she said. "Don't ask how. I just did."

It was really obvious to Julia how Mandi did it. She was just sharing her own. It was really kind of her to do that, but it bugged her. "You really didn't have to do this, you know...especially for me."

"Of course I did," she insisted. "You didn't eat earlier 'cause of those losers. You gotta eat. So have a bit more than you'd usually have."

"I guess."

It still didn't taste all that great. In fact it didn't even taste like food, at least any food she had eaten. Earlier she could get through it because she was hungry enough to do so. She could barely tolerate this slop now, however. Still, Mandi looking at her with an expectant smile coerced her into taking a few more spoonfuls of it. It was actually helping, she could admit that much. Mandi didn't seem to mind it, yet she gave up some of her own. Why would she do that? She might go hungry herself. It didn't make sense. In any way!

"What's the matter?" Mandi seemed to note her downcast expression and slowed pace of eating.

A lot was the matter. She started crying. "I don't get it! How can you be so nice and they be so...so..." This didn't make sense in any way, either. "I thought the police are supposed to be the good guys."

"Heh." To her surprise, Mandi was not only unbothered by this question, but gave an immediate answer. "That's easy, 'lia. Good and bad doesn't mean what's the law. Like you met that detective. He's a cop, but he's a total dick, right?"

"Well...sure, but..." She couldn't imagine herself using a word like that to describe that detective.

"And same thing," Mandi followed up. "You might meet some criminals who aren't that bad. A few may even have their reasons."

"You mean...like my sister?"

A nod. "Yeah, exactly."

Julia gasped, only then realizing what she had just said. She didn't mean to. But there she was throwing it out there in the open. To her further surprise though, Mandi just put a hand on her hip.

"Wanna talk about it?"

She really didn't want to. At least, not in here. But Mandi seemed to know about her anyway, and didn't seem to mind talking about it. She might actually understand, too. So what could the harm be? Maybe it would make her feel a little better getting it off her chest.

"My sister is Amara Parisa, just like you thought. And I guess you know what she did too, right?"

Mandi nodded with a smirk. "She's kinda the talk of those like me. She's fighting the power and winning."

That made things a bit easier. Meant she wouldn't have to explain anything at least. Still, that didn't mean those views were right. "Well, it isn't all that great to me. She stole a Pokemon and is on a journey illegally," Julia said. "In fact, part of the reason why I started my own journey is to try to find her and make sure she's captured."

The younger girl paused, again realizing what she just said. If Mandi was for some reason a fan of her sister, would she like that she was trying to capture her? Or that Amara was part of the reason for her journey? She had received criticism for that before from even her friends at some points. "...you don't think that's stupid, do you?"

"Eh." The blonde girl shrugged. "It's all right. You got actual purpose, not like those kids with big dreams and little talent wanting to be the very best. Why I never went on one." She tapped her chin and smirked. "Yet, at least."

That came as a big relief to her. She continued, "Anyway, Amara's done all sorts of bad things since she left. I guess you heard about all that too. I still love her, since she is my sister. She didn't used to be like this at all. But since that accident with her friend, she's become a horrible person. So...so I..." Julia tried to find further words, but could not.

"Hey."

Mandi cut in during her momentary pause. She was looking directly at Julia, with a seriousness she hadn't expected to see from someone like her. "Don't think too bad of her. She effed up, sure. We all do. Kinda like how we did. It happens, it's part of life. But as long as you learn from what you did, it's all good in the end, right?"

Julia slowly nodded. The delinquent girl sighed. She paced, looking up for a moment before looking back at her. "Trouble is, sometimes they don't want to give us the chance. Like I hear once you're on that blacklist it's damn near impossible to get off it. So I bet she just wanted to take it into her own hands. And I know she did a bunch of different things besides just jacking a Pokemon, but I don't think it's because she's like one of those Rockets. I think she's just pissed at everything and trying to make it right in her own way."

Those were...very good points. Julia never thought of it that way before. Now that she really thought about it, there were signs that the sister she'd always known and loved was still in there, deep down inside. Still, she couldn't turn away from some facts.

"Amara is going to have to answer for what she did..."

A shrug. "Yeah, probably."

"But I don't know what to do about her anymore."

Having been in here herself, she wouldn't wish prison on anyone who didn't really really deserve to be in here. And that's what had been on her mind. If Amara really was just troubled at heart, did she really fit the mold? Something had to be done about her, sure. But what was there they could do besides that? And would the law even allow it?

Mandi sat down on the bed, leaning back on it. While stretching, she said, "Well, not gonna tell you what to do. You can do what you want, after all."

"If I get out of here..." She could barely do anything in here. She didn't want to imagine how restricted actual prison would be like. "Do you think I can?"

"Here's hoping."

"My friends and that official boy said they'd help, but..."

"But what?"

The autistic girl sighed. "A lot of things." There were a lot of things on her mind. "I guess most important, I don't know if they really can. Will adults really listen to them?"

Mandi shrugged and sat up. "To that official kid, yeah. Dunno if that dick will listen. But you got a shot in him at least."

It wasn't really reassuring hearing that, but Julia could tell Mandi was trying to help console her. Still, and speaking of her, Julia couldn't help but feel really bad about how she had been acting. Well, no choice. She had to address the Donphan in the room. "Hey, sorry for not talking to you and calling you crude, Mandi," she apologized. "I thought you were just a mean person who deserved to be in here, but you're actually pretty nice..."

The delinquent girl waved it off. "It's all good, 'lia, don't worry about it." She looked up to consider something, then said, "Guess you're not THAT much of a prude if you can say that much."

Julia smiled the faintest of smiles at those words, before the reality of her situation overtook her again. "I really hope Nori can do something...I don't want to be in here. Even with you being nice, it's still really loud. There are a lot of actually bad people around yelling at each other. The food is terrible. It's cold and dark. These beds are uncomfortable. You can't really walk around in here. I hate not being able to see my Pokemon and friends. It's a hundred times worse than school ever was for me."

"Well, let's hope he does. It'd make things way easier." Mandi again looked up for a moment. She held it for longer, but eventually she stood up, placing a hand on her hip and giving an assuring wink. "But if you do get stuck in there, I'll stick by ya throughout. Long as I can anyway."

Julia was surprised by those words. Mandi really considered her worth enough to do something like that? It didn't make her feel any better about possibly going to jail, but it made her feel just a bit safer. "Thanks, Mandi."

"Hey, no prob," she played it cool. "Just doing what I can, you know?"

Julia smiled back. Maybe they had gotten off to a rough start, but she felt like she could get along with Mandi. Maybe they were nothing alike, and maybe they couldn't be true friends due to those differences. But now she realized that didn't mean they couldn't co-exist. It was certainly going to make being in here a lot easier.

Later on that night, Julia was given the shock of a lifetime: her own mother, thrown in jail and in the same cell as her. There was immediate friction between her and Mandi - who had insisted on staying even before they found out who it was. Despite her efforts to convince her mother that Mandi wasn't all that bad, she insisted that she was a bad influence on her. Even when she relented that Nori wasn't a bad person. This bothered her, but at least Mandi didn't seem too discouraged by it, and the worst she did in reply back was say her mother wasn't the boss of her.

Time seemed to fly by from there. Before it was dragging on, as if her time in here might never end. But having two people she felt she could trust in there alongside her made things easier. But before long, the day had arrived. Her fate was staring her in the face, and she'd heard no word on what Nori could have done. She had been praying for his success, for something, anything to happen that could get her out of here. But nothing anyone was doing seemed to help.

"Well, looks like it's time." Mandi said.

Julia was sitting on the bottom bunk, her entire posture drooping like a Sunflora that had been devoid of sunlight for ages. This was it. She was going to go to jail properly for possibly forever. She would probably never see her friends or her Pokemon ever again. And even in spite of Mandi, she would still be surrounded by criminals who did all sorts of terrible things.

The teenaged girl walked over to her in concern. "You gonna be all right?"

"How could I be all right?!" Julia got the energy to sit up yell with tears in her eyes. That was almost insulting for her to ask that.

Mandi slapped her forehead. "Right, dumb question. Never mind."

"Julia Parisa!"

An officer had walked up to the cell. She unlocked it and slid the door open. It was someone else than they were used to calling for her. Standing in front of the cell was Officer Jenny. She was smiling. Way happier than someone should ever look in a prison. It didn't register with anyone what might be happening until she said the words.

"You're free to go!"

"What?" Julia and her mother said in unison.

"Whoa! Hell yeah!" Mandi did a fistpump. "Guess he must've done it!" She forcibly grabbed Julia and pulled her into a brief hug, giving her a hearty slap on the back. "Congrats, 'lia!"

She went to pull away, but Julia latched on, sobbing with joy into her. Mandi was startled by this sudden show. She looked over to Mrs. Parisa, who seemed just as taken aback by it as her. This was new territory for the delinquent girl. What to do? Maybe giving her more pats on the back, though these ones more comforting?

"It's all good," she did her best to say in an assuring voice. "Everything's gonna be fine now." This was somewhat awkward for her, even if she didn't mind. She hoped for someone to break it up, and had her wish granted when a man with spiky red hair and a cape stepped into view.

"There are a few conditions with this release. However, they can wait until after you've finished."

His voice got Julia to take pause. Mandi rubbed her eyes to see if they were seeing it right, and they were. What the hell was the champion doing here?! She supposed Julia had some friends in high places. Mandi looked down at the brown-haired girl, who had stopped crying for now.

Julia peered up at Mandi. She couldn't believe this. She thought for sure she was going to be in prison for the rest of her life, trapped a tiny box with metal bars, wearing only a flimsy orange jumpsuit and eating terrible food with no flavor or made her feel nauseous. With the screaming and yelling, and the sleepless nights brought on by those. She didn't dare let her imagination go too far, like showering surrounded by others, especially strangers.

But against all the odds, a miracle had happened. Nori must have come through for her after all. No more jail! Freedom at last! Before, she felt as though she were trapped in a dark, loud abyss, never to come out. Now she didn't want to trade places with an angel. There weren't enough thanks in the world she could give to the young official.

Sure, Nori wasn't here to do that anyway, but two others were. She felt a pang in her heart as she realized she would have to say goodbye to them. Luckily, one of them made it easy, by speaking to her first.

"Man, I'd love to have seen the look on that dick's face when he found out you got out."

"Yeah! He is a-..." Julia caught herself. She was that mad at the guy, but didn't want to call him that in front of her mother. "Well, I hate him! I hate him for everything he tried to do to me! I hate him for all the bad things he said about me! I hope he gets fired for trying to do this to me, so that he never tries to do it to anyone else ever again!"

"Don't get your hopes up. Cops like him always seem to find a way to get off."

Julia's fists scrunched up. She could believe it. It still didn't change her stance, though. "But that's not right!"

"I know," Mandi threw up her arms. "It's like, what the hell?!"

The autistic girl sighed. Everything she thought about the law had been turned upside down in the span of a few days. She met a police officer who was one of the worst people she had met, and he was getting away with being a jerk to others. And she had met a delinquent who had turned out to be surprisingly kind, but was going to jail for a crime anyway.

"Hey, Mandi?" She couldn't help but ask this question, worry hanging over her like a cloud. "You asked me if I'm going to be all right, and I guess now I am. What about you, though?"

To her surprise, Mandi waved it off with a, "Pft." She smirked. "It was just a bit of vandalism. Only gonna be in there for like sixty days at worst." Sixty days?! That was a very long time how she saw it. Just these past few were more than enough for a lifetime. Seeing her worried look, Mandi knelt down and patted her on the shoulders. "I'll be fine, 'lia. I can take care of myself. You just get out there and show the world who you really are."

Well, as long as she could handle it, she guessed she didn't have to worry. "Thank you, I will. And you, umm..." What to say to her? "...try not to do anything bad to get put in here again, okay?"

Mandi stood up, silently. For a moment, Julia was concerned. She knew in her heart Mandi wasn't bad, and didn't want to see her throw her life away. To her relief, the teenaged girl relented. "I guess I better, you're right."

The two exchanged smiles. With this, Julia turned towards her mother.

"Mom? What about you?"

Kassia Parisa stood there, still as a statue. She was so shellshocked by this turn of events that she couldn't do anything but watch.

"Are you okay?"

Her daughter asking that brought her out of it. "Yes. I'm just...really glad you're free. That's all I ever wanted to see from this. What happens to me doesn't matter." It hurt her to say that. She remained as strong as she could as she gave some final encouragement to Julia, "No matter what happens, or how hard life gets, don't ever give up. Never forget who you are, and that there's always nice, kind people in the world. You and Amara will always be my daughters, and I'll always be thinking about you. You'll always be my sweet, kind, wonderful little girl."

Julia wished there was something she could do for her mother. But there was nothing. She was just a kid, and not someone in a position like Nori. It seemed a huge struggle for even him, so she had absolutely no hope of fighting the law.

Officer Jenny nodded and looked to Julia. She gestured as if it was time to go. Julia took a few preliminary steps towards her, then looked back. Tears started to fill her eyes. She spoke as she slowly stepped backwards.

"Mom, I...I'm going to miss you so much! I'll think about you every day! I'll write you all the time when I can! I'll even come visit whenever I can, even though Mahogany Town is far away! I love you. Bye, mom! Just for now!"

She didn't want to say goodbye. She almost didn't want to leave, either. It broke her heart to see her mother in here, when all she was trying to do was be a good responsible parent. But Julia felt that if she didn't leave, she really would be here forever. With tears in her eyes, she walked over to Lance. With a nod of understanding, the champion gestured for her to follow him towards her freedom from this prison.

Officer Jenny closed the cell door, and with that, the two remaining occupants were left alone in there. It was silent, aside from the rabble of the prisoners around them. Mandi broke it with a light chuckle.

"That speech was a bit corny," she teased without hostility.

She was guilty as charged on that front. "It was all I could think to say."

"She seemed to enjoy it, at least."

The two were again quiet after this. Mandi stretched her arms and her legs out. She placed her hands together and folded them outwards to crack her knuckles. "Probably gonna be my time to head out soon."

"Say...Mandi, was it?" Kassia spoke up.

"Yeah? What's up?" the blonde girl practically fired back. "Gonna chew me out for being a bad influence again?"

"No I...just wanted to say thank you for looking out for Julia."

She blinked. "Oh, that? It's no sweat." She looked away for a moment, looking back and then up at the ceiling. "Good she got off for this, though. They'd eat someone like her alive in juvie."

"That's what I was most afraid of happening." So it had occurred to someone else too. It was a fear that had surfaced for both of her daughters since this incident started. While she felt Amara might be able to handle it, she knew full well Julia could not. That's not to say everything was going to work out in the end, however. "I just hope Julia will be all right after this."

Mandi flashed a smile of assurance at her. "I think she'll be fine. She's tougher than she looks." She had full confidence as she said these words.

"Well, what I mean is..." she began, "She's always been a sensitive girl. With everything that's happened, and being in an environment like this, I was afraid she'd wind up changing into someone I might not recognize."

After a momentary confused pause, the blonde girl asked, "Well, isn't changing and growing up part of life?"

Kassia sighed. "I don't think you got my point, but you're not exactly wrong on that one." It was in fact a very simple way of putting it. Kassia was more worried about the lasting trauma this incident was going to have on Julia. She lost one of her Pokemon and was in jail for a few days, among other things. You don't just walk away from that unscathed, especially at her age. But Mandi did have kind of a point. And it seemed she was trying her best in her own way to help.

"You know..." She had to confess. "I did misjudge you at first. I see now that you're a good kid, in spite of how you present yourself. I hope you know that you're worth something in this world, even if others might not see or acknowledge what you have to offer."

Mandi seemed almost taken aback by this assessment. "I am who I am and don't you forget it," she snapped. It was reflexive, though. She sighed to say she was sorry.

"But...thank you."

It's not that she didn't like it or anything, she just wasn't used to praise like this. Maybe she was right. No, she definitely was. Mandi actually wasn't sure at first if things would work out for her beyond this. She had told Julia to go out there and show the world who she really is. It didn't occur to her that maybe she could do the same.

So maybe in the end, things could work out for her too.

Mandi was originally significantly more vulgar, but I toned her back for rating reasons. Also cut out about a quarter of this - should be obvious what - since it was mostly extraneous and I moved only important point (Mandi pointing out Julia would not do well in juvie) to the end anyway.