Author's Note: Woo hoo! Hey guys, I'm sorry for being away for a while. Personal things plus I'm enjoying the DLC, but now it's time for me to continue the story!

Hope you all enjoy this chapter, it is a bit longer than my previous ones!

The dense fog hovering within the Great Crater of Paldea remained unchanged. It was as it always had been for 1,000,000 years. Uninhibited by the development of the world that surrounded it and unchallenged by the eternal cycle of the sun. Within Area Zero, Professor Raifort leaned against the metallic doorway of the third research station and watched the intense environment for several minutes before taking a deep breath, straightening up, and venturing outside.

Her eyes alert at her surroundings, she was grinning wide knowing she was in the area that she had wanted to see for as long as she could remember. Her heart racing with extreme glee at her dream becoming a reality. The impact of seeing Area Zero with ones own eyes is an adrenaline-pumping, terrifying experience that not a lot would know and Raifort was enjoying every minute of it. It was in the back of her mind that she would get in a lot of trouble for being here without permission, but she wasn't worried at all. If anything, the risk of getting caught made this illicit venture all the more exciting.

"Professor Sada, where are you?" She mumbled, slowly studying her surroundings. The sound of footsteps in the bushes startled her, she whirled around to face the rustling greenery. Not knowing what it was, she decided to run into the cover of a forest, she had the pokeball of her strong Gengar in her hand by the time she flattened herself against the nearest tree. When she heard the rustling stop, she took a peek and sighed in relief upon seeing it appeared to be a Jigglypuff.

"Whew… that gave me quite the start. It's just a… huh? Wait a minute…" She observed the Jigglypuff more closely and took note of its odd features. Particularly, its fangs and sizeable tail protruding from its head and trailing behind it as it walked.

"That's not a Jigglypuff." Raifort realized, "It sure looks a lot like one though."

She smiled eagerly as the odd Pokémon walked out of view, "This is great! That Pokémon must be from so many years ago, probably millions of years! I can't believe I got to witness a Pokémon from millions of years ago!"

She calmed herself down and emerged from her hiding place, she took the newspaper article that she had clipped out of her pocket and stared at the scarlet Pokémon featured in the photo."

"I must find this one!" She declared quietly to herself, pointing at the picture, "It was Sada's after all, well, I'll make it mine!"

She put her hand inquisitively under her chin, "Now… if I were a scarlet, ferocious-looking Pokémon. Where would I hide?"

A massive cave entrance caught her eye several feet away, "Aha… of course. A cave like that one!" Taking a deep breath and remaining aware of her surroundings, she walked to the mouth of the cave.

Juliana and Arven spent the golden hour resting on the roof of the lighthouse, the couple were seated on Arven's picnic blanket with Juliana's Meowscarada resting beside his trainer. Arven reached over to scratch the grass Pokémon. The feline closed his eyes and purred in response.

"He sure likes attention." Arven chuckled.

Juliana smiled and became nostalgic, "Oh, you have absolutely no idea. When he first evolved, he was a jealous little guy."

"Is that so?" Arven's eyes widened, "What would he do?"

"I would give just a little bit of affection to my other Pokémon and he would start whining. He would pop out of his pokeball and just cuddle up to me while yowling."

Arven snorted, "That's… um, wow. That's a little worrying."

Juliana nodded, "It was, but he's gotten over it overtime. He just had to learn that love is for sharing." She winked.

Arven smiled, "That's right, heheh…"

Meowscarada responded, "Myah, meow."

Arven talked to him, "Meowscarada? May I give Juliana a kiss?"

"Myah? Meow!" Meowscarada replied quickly, crawling into Juliana's lap and snuggling up to her. This made Juliana giggle.

Grinning from amusement, Arven scooted closer to Juliana, "Just a little kiss?"

"Raawr!" Meowscarada batted Arven's face but seemed to regret that action and crawled to the other side of Juliana, his eyes locked on Arven while he curled into a ball next to his trainer.

Juliana laughed, "It's okay, Meowscarada. I love you too, okay? Remember that?" She scratched behind his ear, making the grass type doze off.

Arven was wide-eyed but he shook it off and chuckled, "Well! I wasn't expecting to get swatted at! Haha! I guess he's still learning a bit huh?"

"It's not his fault, it is in his nature. Hehe… When he first evolved, he just had to get used to his new emotions." Juliana replied. Arven smiled with a tender gaze, he leaned forward, and the couple shared a kiss as the sun touched the ocean horizon. The long, thin rays of light slowly giving way to the dark. When he pulled away from her, Juliana looked deep into his blue eyes and noticed they were perfectly accentuated by the gold light of the setting sun.

Juliana smiled and blushed, shyly looking away from her love. He noticed this and asked in a soft voice, "You okay?"

"I am. It's just that… You have the most amazing eyes." She told him softly.

Arven grinned, "Heh… I could say the same to you cutie."

They shared another brief kiss, before Juliana cuddled up to him with her arms around him. He put an arm around her in return and they leaned back to lay down, facing the sky. Juliana looked at her rotom phone to check the time, it was 7pm.

"I would love to stay here with you, but I have to meet Nemona in an hour." Juliana reminded.

Arven replied, "I know that. I just wish I could spend more time with you." He gave her a smile and a wink. This made Juliana blush, "Arven…"

Arven sat up, stretching his arms above his head, "Well, I had a good time today. I enjoyed meeting Citrine and Zircon."

Juliana laughed, "I'm glad to hear that! I know they seem to be just furry balls of uncontrollable energy, but they are good Pokémon."

Arven also laughed, "Hahaha! I love the way you describe them! But it's great that they're able to be happy even when their original trainer is gone."

Juliana agreed, "It is. Those two have been by my side for as long as I've been around. They're almost like… my siblings in a way. Which feels kinda weird to say since I don't have siblings. But still."

"They're family to you, right?" Arven asked.

This made Juliana smile, "Yes they are."

Arven smiled back, "That's all that matters, right? You care about them; they obviously care a lot about you. That's family."

Juliana looked at Arven with a wonderous expression, this caused Arven to become slightly flustered, "I'm sorry cutie, I have no idea what I'm saying." He looked downward.

"No, I get it!" Juliana hastily answered, "They are family, regardless of what ties we have! That's a special thing! And I'm glad you told me that."

Less embarrassed now, Arven replied, "Thanks cutie. That's another reason why I love you, you always understand what I'm saying."

Juliana hugged him, "I love you too!"

Arven hugged her back, it was an awkward on-the-ground hug, but still a hug nonetheless. A display of affection that both were more than ready to give and receive.

"You should get ready to meet with Nemona now." Arven suggested, "I'm gonna head back to the academy."

Juliana nodded, "Okay Arven."

He packed up his blanket back in his backpack, "I'll see you okay? Have fun at your sleepover, all right?"

"I will Arven! I wonder what we'll do."

Arven smirked knowingly, "She'll probably jump on you for a battle first."

"Oh of course she will!" Juliana readily retorted, making the two laugh.

After the couple shared a hug, Juliana hurried back to her house while Arven hopped on a flying taxi back to the academy. When she got back to her house, she knocked on the door and went inside. She called out to alert her mother of her presence.

"Oh Juliana! Back so soon?" Adeline spoke with pleasant surprise.

"Hi mom, I'm going to sleepover at Nemona's place. I'm just here to get some things."

Adeline's expression widened with understanding, "Ah, I see! Now lovely! A sleepover sounds like a lot of fun."

"I haven't really been at her house much." Juliana admitted, "So this will be fun. I'm gonna go to my room and get ready."

"Go right ahead dear." Adeline replied.

When Juliana ascended the stairs into her humble room, she couldn't help but feel sentimental. This is where it all began for her. The long journey that challenged her in more ways than she could have imagined. She ventured roads so far away from this small space, always ready to take the next step forward. She knew she was never alone, she had her Pokémon and amazing friends by her side. Even when she was far away, she never felt like it.

Once she had gathered the belongings she needed, including a set of sleepwear, she went back down the stairs. After waving bye to her mother, she stepped outside and looked at her rotom phone. It was almost 8pm and Nemona's house was just down the path, so she was making good time.

As she continued down the path a steady pace, she noticed that same guy from before. Again, he was rambling to himself about technology being amazing, but she paid him no mind and kept onward. Soon afterward, she found herself at the gates of Nemona's mansion.

Feeling a bit nervous at the foot of this grand house, she carefully walked up to the front door. Hesitating for a moment, she raised her hand and gave a couple knocks. Almost instantly the door flung open, and she was greeted by the biggest smile of her life.

"Juliana! I'm so glad you're here!" Nemona jumped out and wrapped her arms around the surprised Juliana.

"Ah, Nemona!" Juliana yelped out as Nemona gave her a big hug. For a moment she was worried that they would stumble over, but Nemona was steady on her feet. After what seemed like forever, Nemona finally stepped back, "I'm so sorry Juliana! I'm just so excited to have you here! I don't think you've ever actually been INSIDE my house."

Juliana smiled awkwardly, "Heh, no I haven't. I'm excited though! Should we go inside?"

Nemona enthused, "Yes, let's! I can't wait to show you my room!"

Once they were inside, Juliana's eyes widened with absolute wonder. The place was completely spotless: the floor tiles were sparkling, the furniture was like it had been pulled directly from the cover of a designer magazine, and the massive windows had not a single fingerprint or imperfection. The walls were tastefully adorned with paintings and there were a few decorative plants in strategic spots. Juliana also took notice of the housekeepers diligently engaged in their work, this reminded her to take off her shoes. Nemona noticed and did the same.

"So cool!" Juliana expressed.

Nemona giggled, "Heh, you're really surprised aren't you? It's okay though, my room is this way!"

Juliana agreed with a quick nod and followed Nemona to her room. When they got inside, Juliana was once again amazed at the place she found herself in. She could easily describe it like stepping into a room of a five-star hotel. The plush, upholstered headboard of her sizeable ivory bed caught her attention first alongside the plush, grey rug underneath it. Upon it there were several throw pillows ranging in colors from grey, to white, to navy. A grey wooden nightstand that was intricately carved stood beside the bed with a simple lamp atop it. A chandelier hung from the ceiling and the walls were adorned with several awards and ribbons. In front of the bed was a dresser drawer with a TV on top of it.

"This is your room?" Was all a stunned Juliana could think to say.

Nemona affirmed, "Yup! This is my room! What do you think?"

"It's beautiful." Juliana complimented, "Everything in here looks so expensive."

"My mom bought a lot of this." Nemona explained, "It's not really my taste personally to be honest, but she wanted all the rooms to look similar. So I just went with it! Heheh… I don't really pay too much attention to how things look to be honest. As long as I'm comfortable, estoy tan feliz! Haha!"

Juliana shot her a puzzled look, "Huh?"

Nemona returned a startled face, "Yes? Uh, what's the matter?"

"What was that last thing you said?"

"What? Estoy tan feliz? Oh! That means, I'm very happy!"

"O-Oh!" Juliana couldn't help but laugh at herself, "I'm sorry, I got so confused!"

"It's okay! You may be aware of my habit but I forget that means you won't always understand what I say. That was my bad!"

"Don't worry about it, it's okay!" Juliana assured, "So what should we do first?"

Nemona already had an answer, "Let's have a battle outside! To the beach!"

"Hahaha!" Juliana laughed, "I knew you were gonna say that, but let's go!"

"Whoo! Let's get out there!" Nemona cheered. Both girls shared enthusiastic energy as they skipped out to the beach, ready to engage in battle.

Director Clavell sat at his desk organizing the paperwork that he had managed to push himself through today. He sighed in relief plopping the stack to the side. Knowing he finished everything he needed for the day gave him peace of mind. Leaning back in his chair, he inhaled deeply, holding it for a few seconds before exhaling steadily.

"That was a lot of work today." He whispered, "Finally everything is done."

He enjoyed the silence for a few moments before it was interrupted by ringing from his rotom phone. He answered, "Director Clavell. Whom am I speaking to?

"Hey Director Clavell, how are you this evening?" The voice of his friend and taxi driver came through.

"Hello Joseph, is that you? My goodness I haven't heard from you in a long time. But I'm doing fine, I just had a long day. How about you?"

"Ah, that's good to hear Clavell. I suppose you're wondering why I'm calling in the evening like this. I'm terribly sorry to bother you after a long day, but there is something I must share with you."

Hearing Joseph's serious tone caused Clavell to become worried, "What is it, Joseph?"

"I was flying past the entrance to Area Zero, and I noticed somebody entering the gate. I was so high up that I couldn't see them that well. But I know for sure somebody is trespassing into that forbidden area. And I think it's somebody from the Academy."

Clavell felt his heart drop, but tried to keep calm, "Joseph… that is quite a claim you're making. Are you absolutely certain that you saw somebody from the Academy entering? Everyone knows not to enter that place; it's forbidden to enter under any circumstances unless one has special permission and no one has been granted permission recently." He took a deep breath, "Wow, this is a lot that came out of the blue…"

"I understand and I'm sorry." Joseph apologized, "I just couldn't stay silent about this."

"No, you did the right thing telling me what you saw." Clavell assured, "It's getting late, but I'll figure something out in the morning. I just hope whomever that person is gets out of there before they end up seriously hurt or worse."

"Same here Clavell." Replied Joseph, "Um, Director…? You aren't thinking about going in there are you?"

Clavell hesitated, then answered, "I may have to. Are you by any chance still where you saw them?"

"I am." Joseph affirmed, "When I saw them, I immediately clocked out of my shift and landed where I'm out of sight, but I can see the gate clearly. I've been here since I saw them enter two hours ago, and I haven't seen them leave."

"Two hours!?" Clavell exclaimed, "Oh my word… also that is a very long time to be sitting in one place. Are you all right?"

"I'm fine." Joseph assured, "It's been slow for the past couple of hours. So, I'm confident just sitting here."

After a minute of thinking, Clavell made a decision, "All right, my mind's made up. I'm going to the gate and check the surveillance footage first thing in the morning. If I don't see them leaving the area, I'm gonna go down in there. So you can go home now Joseph. Leave the rest to me."

"Clavell that's crazy, you know how dangerous that place still is!"

Clavell responded with conviction, "I'm not gonna look the other way while someone wonders around in a dangerous area. I'll find them and get them out. Even if they aren't related to the Academy in any way, I'll still deal with them. I'll let them off a lot easier than the Pokémon League would've. Hopefully they will learn a lesson and not repeat the mistake."

Joseph sighed again, "You've always been a honorable man Clavell, but sometimes I think you do a little too much."

"I love what I do." Clavell retorted, "And I believe everyone deserves a second chance. Everyone makes mistakes, no?"

"Yeah, that's true." Joseph agreed, "Well I know I can't stop you. Just take care and be careful down there."

"I will."

"Also, call me if you need anything." Joseph reminded.

Clavell nodded, "I will. All right, good night Joseph." He bid before hanging up. He let the silence hang in the air for a moment before standing to face the window. Clavell knew that it could be anyone, but he had a suspicion, "It better not be who I think it is…" He muttered.