-Song of the Lost Girl - Kara by Philip Sheppard-
Chapter 3: Helping Hand
To Juliana's surprise and awe, Renata had no trouble believing her story that she was from the future and promptly took her in.
To keep others from recognizing her, Juliana wore a decorative, gray balaclava that covered everything except for her eyes. She gleaned inspiration from Atticus of Team Star, although Team Star wasn't around yet.
"You'll need a different name," Renata said stiffly at the dinner table after Juliana had been there for a week.
Juliana had prepared for this. There was one name she could think of. Only one that made her feel like she wasn't completely cutting herself off from her previous life.
"Violet," she said with a smile. "My name will be Violet."
Renata nodded with approval. "Violet it is. Now it's time for you to learn what it means to be part of this household."
Although her mother had loved gardening, Renata took it to an entirely new level, but Juliana tried to learn everything she could about it so that she wouldn't be a burden on the woman.
Renata remained as crusty and curmudgeonly as ever, but Juliana realized that it was mostly an act. The woman never smiled, but she was also never purposefully mean - just incredibly blunt.
Juliana, or Violet rather, posed as Renata's niece from the Kalos region and began to help in the produce auctions. They were generally held on weekends for Sandwich venders, and Juliana found herself growing quite adept at handling both the produce and the auctions as the weeks rolled on.
That is, until he showed up.
After six months of living as Violet, Juliana had adjusted to the busy routine of gardening and selling produce. Her former life as a pokemon champion and savior of Paldea felt like a dream at times. But one weekend a new face showed up to the auction.
He had short, neatly cropped hair the color of chiffon and sand dollars and eyes like the ocean on a clear, sunny day.
"Arven…" her voice trembled, seeing one of her best friends for the first time in half a year.
This Arven, younger and moodier than the boy she knew as her best friend simply glared. "How do you know my name?"
Juliana couldn't speak. She couldn't remember how. She just stared at him with a petrified gaze.
He rolled his eyes. "Figures. Probably a fan of my father - the perfect professor."
She wanted to tell him that she wasn't a fan of Professor Turo. She wanted to tell him everything, but she couldn't find the words.
"Hey," said one of the regular vendors. "Are we gonna start this auction?"
"Y-yes," she steadied her breathing, embarrassed by her reaction. Juliana cleared her throat and started again. "Yes, today we have a crate of 64 special chocolate heirloom tomatoes straight from Renata's garden, so you know it's going to be delicious. Perfect for your premium menu items in any restaurant. Do we have an opening bid of 4000?"
Juliana kept her voice animated and lively as the auction began, and did her best to ignore the boy who would one day be one of her closest companions. He placed a few bids but didn't come anywhere close to beating out the owner of the sandwich shop who had come all the way from Levincia.
"And sold for 9,200 to the good man in the front. Thank you."
She handed the shop owner a crate of tomatoes and watched as Arven slinked away with disappointment. Juliana's heart thumped in her chest, and she impulsively ran after him.
She followed him down the path to the beach when he turned toward her sharply.
"You're following me now too?"
The angry, isolated glare stuck fast to his face, but Juliana held out 3 tomatoes toward him.
"They had scoring marks on the outside, so we can't sell them to the shops, but they taste just as good." Only her eyes showed through the makeshift face covering that she wore, but the pleading in them was enough to wipe the glare off of Arven's face.
"Why give these to me?"
It was a question she couldn't answer, so said something else. "I-I'm…not a fan of your father's."
She pressed the tomatoes into his hand and ran away before he could ask any more questions. Staying here in Paldea was going to be a lot harder than she thought.
–
Present
Arven sat beside Nemona, Penny, and Director Clavell on a sofa inside Juliana's home. Her mother paced around in front of them, trying to come to grips with what they'd just told her.
"So my daughter is 16 now? She's been living alone in the past for 3 years?"
"I know this is distressing news, but we're working tirelessly to track her down." Clavell reassured the woman
"What happens when you do?" her mother pressed a hand to her lips as she considered what the future may bring. "People are bound to ask questions if Juliana comes back and is suddenly older and taller."
"We must cross that bridge when we get there," he relented. "For now the priority is finding your daughter and bringing her home safely."
"Is there anything you can tell us that might help us find her?" Arven begged. "Something that would have brought her comfort if she was alone."
"She's very loyal to her friends." Juliana's mother nodded. "If she was as close to the three of you as you say, she would have wanted to stay in Paldea. Even if she could never see you, it would be a connection you still shared."
"Would she have tried being a pokemon trainer again?" Nemona asked hopefully.
"If she thought it would expose her identity, I don't think so," the woman shook her head. "I don't know where she's hiding, but she would have kept as far away from the school and from pokemon as she could."
She stared at Arven and saw the beseeching expression he wore and spoke with a sad smile. "She likes to collect things."
"We've noticed," Penny smirked.
"That could help us find her," Arven nodded hopefully. "Is there a place where she liked to do that more than anywhere else?"
"I would try the coast. Juliana loved to pick things up along the beach growing up."
Nemona shot to her feet. "Well, what are we waiting for?! Let's each pick a coastline and search!"
Director Clavell thanked Juliana's mother for her time, but Arven and Penny were already running after Nemona to make a plan.
–
Past
Another month passed, and Juliana, or Violet as everyone now called her, was examining a pearl string she'd found washed up on the shore. With this she would finally have enough to buy some different pokeballs and potions from auction. She didn't want to use the Master Ball Professor Turo had given her, so she'd have to catch a weaker pokemon using the element of surprise. The next free day she had, she'd sneak over to Poco Path and catch a Fidough or something easy to capture with an ultra ball.
Someone sat beside her, and Juliana flinched at the closeness of their proximity, but when she turned, it was Arven.
She immediately began to scoot away.
"Please don't run away again," he said with a loneliness she'd never heard from anyone, and Juliana paused.
He'd looked sad and alone, and her heart ached to reach out for him, but at least she could stay here next to him for now.
"Did you like the tomatoes?" she asked timidly.
"They were great!" His face brightened. "They were perfect for sandwiches." Arven blushed. "I like to cook."
"You should come to all the auctions," Juliana couldn't help the words as they flowed out from her lips. "If I run the auction and there's any produce we can't sell, you can have some of it."
He smiled at her then, and felt heat flood her cheeks. He was only a year older than her now, but she couldn't let herself get caught up in something that could never be.
"What's your name?" Arven said suddenly.
"Violet." The lie fell off of her lips so naturally that she almost believed it.
"That's a nice name!"
She smiled, but she sobered her thoughts as quickly as they came. This was getting out of hand. She couldn't be friends with Arven like this. But… she didn't want to leave his side either.
"Do you go to the academy?" he pressed.
"No," she turned away. "I study at home."
This wasn't a lie. Renata made sure she kept up with her studies, giving her loads of textbooks that Juliana was expected to read from and report on each night.
"Well, maybe I could show you around Paldea some time."
She stared at the sand by her feet. "I don't think that's a good idea."
His face fell, and he was quiet for a moment. "How did you know my name?"
Juliana panicked, "I'm sorry, I have to go." She rose to her feet and ran away again.
"Violet, wait!" he called after her.
"I'm sorry, Arven. I'm so sorry," she cried behind her as she continued to run.
It was unfair to string him along, hoping for friendship when she could never tell him the truth. All she could do in the meantime was hide. She ran into the house and sobbed into her sleeve.
Renata walked in from the kitchen and sat beside her in silence for several minutes while Juliana cried and cried. It wasn't until the tears completely stopped and she lifted her head that Renata said anything.
"You saw one of them," Renata guessed. "One of your friends."
"Arven," Juliana sniffed sadly.
"He comes here often. That could be problematic." Renata took a deep breath and patted her lap. "Pack your things. You need to leave."
"What?" She couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Where will I go?"
"You'll have to stop wearing that ridiculous get-up." She ignored the question. "And change your hair color."
"But where am I going?" Juliana asked, exasperated. "Do I have to leave Paldea?"
For the first time since she'd known the woman, Renata smiled.
"You'll hide in plain sight. In Levincia."
"Oh..." It made sense in a way. There were so many people bustling throughout the city that the chances of Juliana being spotted were astronomical. She was sure Penny could have calculated the exact odds if she had been here.
Renata led her upstairs and helped her pack a large suitcase.
"I sublet an apartment in the Southeastern corner complex. It's been vacant for months. Something about not having a good enough view."
"So, I'll be your tenant?" Juliana puzzled. "Is that legal?"
"As long as you keep up with your studies, and can handle the basic upkeep of the apartment, I won't charge you rent until you're of age."
Juliana's mouth fell open. Renata was being so… nice. "Did Professor Turo mean that much to you?"
"No," the stoic woman said without hesitation. "His wife, Sada, however, was my best friend."
Her eyes widened. "That's what the S on the pendant was for."
"Yes," Renata folded a few of Juliana's shirts and threw them in. "Professor Turo saved us when we were younger and more foolish from an accident in the Great Crater."
"Saved you?" Juliana gasped.
"Yes," she said shortly. "Saving you now is my debt repaid."
Her face fell. "But Arven is alone. Doesn't he need more help than I do?"
"He's far too independent to ask anyone for help." Renata grabbed some toiletry items from a high shelf and stuffed them in beside the socks Juliana had tightly rolled. "And if what you've said about the future is true, he'll turn out just fine."
Juliana nodded, and together they finished packing in record time.
"Remember your story at all times." Renata grabbed her cheeks. "You are Violet, and you are my family."
She felt heat flush in her cheeks. It would be difficult to live on her own, and Juliana suddenly missed her own mother very much.
But she shook off the feeling and grabbed her suitcase. The time for tears would inevitably come later.