-Fresh Pair of Eyes by Brooke Waggoner-
Chapter 4: Growth
Present
Arven unlocked his father's old lab and led his friends inside. Penny pulled a thick pile of papers out of her eevee bag.
"Ooh, what is that?" Nemona scrunched her nose and eyed the pile curiously.
"The past week of searching has gotten us nowhere." The petite girl began taping various pictures to a whiteboard over Professor Turo's old notes. "I ran Juliana's face through facial recognition software and created an algorithm to age her face approximately 3 years. Then I added various attire so that we stand a better chance of recognizing her."
Arven examined the pictures and realized they were all pictures of Juliana with various hairstyles and potential disguises. "This is really good work, Penny."
She acknowledged the compliment with an awkward half-smile.
Nemona popped over to the board and began ooh'ing and ahh'ing at each picture. "So this is what she looks like now! I bet she's grown even stronger!"
Arven's eyes fell on one of the pictures that showed Juliana wearing a headscarf, and his heart thumped in his chest. Slowly he raised his hand to cover everything below her eyes, and he felt his breath shudder.
"Violet," he whispered.
"What was that?" Nemona sidled beside him. "You said something."
"I've got to go check on something," he ran out the door, leaving it wide open.
"Where are you going?" Nemona called after him from the open door.
"Porto Marinada!" he shouted back. "Lock the lab when you leave! I'll be back when I can!"
–
Past
Juliana appreciated living in the least accessible part of the city. No one gave her a second glance. She wore nondescript clothes, sunglasses to cover her eyes, and she kept her hair dyed a sandy brown color.
The past year and a half of living in Levincia had been difficult at times, but anonymity had its perks. She'd even been able to watch Nemona take on the Electric Gym last year, blending easily into the cheering crowd, and just a few weeks later, at age 14, Nemona had become Paldea's youngest champion.
And Juliana wasn't totally alone. Renata would visit on weekends after auctions, and they would eat dinner together. They even calculated and celebrated two of her birthdays, it being only a few weeks earlier than her original birthdate when the time travel was accounted for.
The now 15 and a half year old Juliana sat on the beach after a long day of wandering. She'd found a few pearls along the shoreline, but it was a quiet day for the most part. Pulling out a pokeball, she tossed it and let out her Pawniard. She'd caught him almost a year ago, and he was a different color than any other Pawniard she'd ever seen - a deep cobalt blue.
She'd wasted almost every pokeball she had trying to catch it, but now the little shiny steel type was her dearest companion. And she'd named him Pan after the first initials of each of her 3 best friends.
"Pan, be nice!" she laughed as he slashed furiously at a cluster of mareanies that were close by on the sand.
He simply puffed out his chest proudly, and Juliana laughed again. Pan wasn't soft and fluffy like Arven's mabosstiff, but she understood what it meant to care about a partner pokemon so much that she'd do anything for it.
She was sure she still felt that way about Miraidon too, but she had roughly half a year until she'd see him again. Until she'd see them all again…
"Come on, Pan." She stood up and walked toward the grass. "Let's go home."
–
Present
Arven pounded on the door of the purple house, knowing Renata was there. It took almost 2 full minutes, but the door creaked open, and she narrowed her eyes.
"What do you want?"
"Juliana," was all he said, but it was all he had to say. Her eyes widened just enough to betray any excuses she might have come up with, but she didn't even try.
"So it's finally time then."
"Please," Arven begged. "Where can I find her?"
Renata pursed her lips, but she gradually relented. "She lives in Levincia now. I'll give you the address."
–
Past (Almost Present)
16 year old Juliana looked in the mirror, having just returned from the hair salon. Her hair was longer than it had been when her friends had last seen her, but it was now her natural color, and it brought back memories of the past… of the future.
Her younger self had just become a champion, so she knew she only had a few days left until they traversed area zero.
Could she do it? Could she face her friends after so long. The more she thought about it, the more nervous she became. Becoming a champion had been easy, but this… being with them again after three years of isolation, this would be harder than any titan, team star raid, or gym battle.
It was selfish to make them wait, but she wasn't ready to face them. For Arven, Nemona, Penny, and everyone else it would only be a moment, but for her it had been over three years.
What if she'd changed so much that they'd be disappointed?
With that thought plaguing her mind, she lay down that night in her bed and drifted into an uneasy sleep.
–
Present
Arven knocked on the door of Juliana's apartment, but there was no answer.
"Violet's not in," one of the neighbors, a scruffy-looking older male poked his head out from across the hall. "I can tell her you dropped by if you like."
"I'll wait," Arven sank to the floor, his heart pounding. He was so close to seeing his best friend again.
–
Juliana took a shaky breath and knocked on the door of her family home. The door swung open, and her mother stared at her for several seconds.
"I can expl–"
Her mother burst into tears and gathered her into a tight hug.
"Juliana," she sobbed. "You're okay."
It was the first time she'd been able to see or touch her mother in three years, and she let herself cry freely.
–
Arven checked his phone. It had been two hours, and still there was no sign of Juliana, but he wouldn't leave. He'd wait all night if he had to.
–
Juliana stepped off the flying taxi and waved as the squawkabillies flew out of sight. She promised her mother she'd visit tomorrow, but now that Juliana had seen her and spent the past few hours telling her about the past three years, she really needed to find her friends.
She climbed up the stairs to her level and took out her keys, but when Juliana glanced down the hall, she nearly dropped them.
Leaning against her apartment door was Arven, fast asleep and snoring lightly.
Juliana's heart thudded in her chest, and she bravely took several steps forward until she was right in front of him, and she crouched down beside him.
"You found me," a tear trickled down her cheek, and she swept a lock of hair hanging in front of his eyes to the side.
Arven's hand grabbed her wrist instinctively, and his eyes fluttered open.
Disbelief and awe fluttered through his emotions, until he gazed at her with unbridled hope in his eyes. "This had better not be a dream."
She almost laughed. "If this is a dream, it's the best dream I've had in 3 years." And just like that Juliana began to cry again.
They were still on the floor when he tackled her into a hug - the angle so awkward that they both nearly fell over.
Arven's laughter sounded musical in her ears as they both climbed to her feet, and he threw his arms around her again.
"Juliana," his breath tickled her neck, and she became hyper aware of how much different this hug was than the ones she'd shared with her mother.
"Arven," she whispered into his shoulder. "I've missed you so much."
She wouldn't tell him how she felt about him yet. For all Juliana knew, Arven still saw her as his 'little friend'. But hopefully that would change.
And when that day came, she would tell him everything.