"Whew! Wow, you've gotten even stronger, Juliana!" Nemona complimented, wiping the sweat from her forehead.

Juliana smiled and recalled Meowscarada, "So have you, Nemona!" She checked out their surroundings, "Wow, this sure brings back a lot of memories. Battling here, you know? How much things have changed." She spoke wistfully.

"It sure does!" Nemona replied, "And thanks, I'm so glad to hear that from you!" She looked up at the stars, dazzled by the number of them that she could see. This view reminded her of the moment she and Eri caught Juliana and Arven cuddled up to one another in the Grand Olive Orchard. Suddenly, her curiosity got the better of her.

"Say Juliana? I've gotta question." She couldn't help but grin.

"What's up Nemona?"

Nemona didn't answer right away because she realized she didn't know how to ask. She realized that what she was going to ask about was quite a delicate topic, but she was badly curious. Juliana noticed her silence, "Nemona? Are you okay?"

"Ah, I want to ask you so badly but I'm kinda scared! Hahaha…" She chuckled nervously, "It's about you and Arven, you see…"

Juliana's imagination ran wild making her face blush bright red, "Ah! Um…! No, not really. We haven't done… anything like that!"

Nemona raised an eyebrow, "What are you talking about? I was just asking if you would ever consider marrying him!"

Juliana stood there with her eyes wide and steam coming out of her ears, "O…OH! That's what you meant! Hahaha… Well…"

"What did you think I was talking about?" Nemona leaned closer with a rising intonation.

"Nothing!" Juliana belted out, "Nothing at all!"

"Are you sure?" Nemona teased, "Hahaha, I'm just messing with ya! I heard about what Poppy said to you guys, made me laugh! I thought it wouldn't hurt to ask." She winked.

"You're so… oh my gosh Nemona." Juliana ran her palm down her face, her heart racing.

Nemona plopped down on the sand, "Well! You know my parents asked me recently if I ever considered finding a significant other."

Juliana sat down beside her, "Did they? What'd you tell them?"

Nemona hesitated before answering, "You know, I'm not really into those things. Romantic relationships I mean."

This intrigued Juliana, "Really? Huh, I never knew that. Although I can't say I'm surprised! Haha!" Juliana chuckled.

Nemona put a hand on her neck, awkwardly smiling, "Ahaha! Yeah, I like friendships and all. But being in love has never been my cup of tea."

Now Juliana was the curious one, "Have you ever had anyone like, ask you out?"

"Oh no! Never!" Nemona answered quickly, "Everyone's always been so intimidated by me to even be my friend! Let alone fall in love with."

"Have you ever felt romantic feelings for anyone?" Juliana questioned.

"Nope!" Nemona replied, "Never ever."

Juliana shrugged, "Ah, well that's something new I learned about you!"

Nemona smiled, "Hey, anything you want to know about little ol' me, you feel free to ask away!"

"Of course!" Juliana replied before her face lit up with another question, "Oh! So Nemona, what clothes do you like to wear? I know we have to wear the academy uniform, but outside of that? What do you wear?"

Nemona answered readily, "I practically live in athletic clothes! They're comfy and easy to move around in, super important for battles!"

This obvious answer made Juliana chuckle, "Heh, no surprise there."

"Well what about you Juliana? What do you like to wear?"

"Oh, I wear a lot of stuff! But I do have quite a lot of different outfits. I'll admit to owning quite a few dresses and skirts. Cute blouses too! Heh… I'm a girly girl, remember?"

"Yup! That totally suits you!" Nemona nodded happily, "I think one day we should find the cutest dress and show you off to Arven! Oh, I bet he would love that! Hahaha!"

"Nemona…!" Juliana grinned, somewhat embarrassed but happy at the idea.

"Excuse me ladies." A housekeeper approached them, "Dinner is ready, you two should come inside and eat."

Nemona hopped up, "All right, it's chow time! Come on Juliana!"

Juliana happily stood, "Yay!" And they all went inside to have dinner, the girls were further enticed by the flavorful aroma wafting from the house.

"Oooh, I know that smell!" Nemona enthused.

"What is it?" Juliana inquired.

"That's the smell of Cheese-Covered Curry! Our chef is from the Galar region, his curry is out of this world! Literally and metaphorically!"

"Oh wow, food from a different region!? I can't wait!" Juliana cheered, excited to try something new as they were led inside and seated at the elegant table.

When the plate of curry was placed in front of her, Juliana couldn't help but gaze at it in wonder before picking up a utensil. Nemona had already taken a few bites, "Mmm! This is amazing as always! Thank the chef everybody!" She looked over to see Juliana still stunned, which made her laugh, "Hahaha! You look like you're afraid of it, Juliana! Don't worry, give it a taste!"

"Heheh…" Juliana chuckled, carefully took a small portion, and brought it up to her mouth. Not allowing herself to freeze again, she put the food in her mouth. The results were amazing, and it showed on her face as she took several more bites at a fast pace.

"Woo hoo! Juliana likes the food everybody!" Nemona stuck her arms up like she had won a battle.

All the housekeepers and cooks let out a 'hooray!' in celebration. Juliana felt a little on the spot at the attention, but hey, the curry was delicious, so she wasn't going to worry too much. The rest of the dinner went great. The mood was elevated with happy faces all around, and Juliana was thrilled to have tried something new. It got her mind thinking about Penny's home region, and what it was like.

"I think we should invite Penny next time. I'm sure she would love a good curry meal!" Juliana suggested.

"Oh, that's a great idea!" Nemona agreed, "We'll have to set a date!"

Once the meal was finished, everyone took their plates to the kitchen and loaded them in the fancy dishwasher. Juliana was amazed, especially comparing it to her own simple dishwasher at home. Nemona then rushed Juliana back to her bedroom while they both laughed. Once in her room, Nemona grabbed a pillow from her bed and immediately threw it at Juliana, "Take that!" She exclaimed.

Juliana didn't have time to react before the pillow bounced off her head. Nemona had her hands over her mouth, failing to suppress giggles. Juliana grinned mischievously and picked up the pillow, this made Nemona squeal and try to duck on the other side of the bed, but Juliana had thrown the pillow and struck her in the back.

"Aha! This means war!" Nemona declared.

"I won't lose!" Juliana fired back cheerfully while the two threw pillows at one another. The room had evolved into a warzone of pillows flying back and forth. Both were squealing and laughing having the best time. When it was all over with, the girls had fallen asleep sprawled across Nemona's bed while several pillows lay scattered haphazardly around them. They had both worn each other out without realizing it. For Nemona, this was the first time she's had a sleepover and it was hilarious. These were treasured memories they would not soon forget.

A new day has come. Long, thin rays of light shone from the east. But it was still early, as most of the sky was still dark blue.
Director Clavell stood at the Zero gate. After a deep breath, he ventured inside. Immediately he went to a computer nearby and typed in a password, which booted up the surveillance from the previous day.

Just as he feared, her face was clear like crystal on that monitor. He felt a tremor in his soul, "Oh Raifort, what are you doing this for?" He muttered through clenched teeth. Upon watching further and seeing that she did not emerge, a twinge of fear planted into his heart.

"Where have you gone, Professor Raifort?" Clavell whispered. He could see that she had ventured from the third research station. Bracing himself with his strong Pokémon by his side, he stepped onto the warp panel and proceeded to the same station.

Appearing in the unused station, he glanced around. It was completely still, something that unnerved him. The unused technology and abandoned notes on the desk only added to the tension. His rotom phone ringing broke the silence, making him jump. He answered, "Hello?"

"It's Joseph." The voice of his friend showed concern, "Are you sure about this Clavell? This is Area Zero you're going into!"

Clavell sighed, "No, but this is something I have to do. I need to know what in the world she's thinking. I also need to get her out."

"Let me send someone down there for backup with you." Joseph insisted.

"No." Clavell objected calmly, "I can't put anyone else at risk."

"Clavell that's-"

"I have to go. I'll come back Joseph."

"Director Clavell-!" Joseph tried to reason with him, but Clavell had hung up the phone. After a few moments of mental preparation, he stepped out into the danger of Area Zero.

Juliana woke up to the sun shining through the window and Nemona sprawled next to her. When she sat up, she realized that she hadn't changed into the loungewear she had brought with her.

"Wow, we must have really worn ourselves out." She couldn't help but chuckle. Hopping off the bed and grabbing them from her bag, she went to the restroom to change. Juliana gasped lightly at the sight of the bathroom. Almost everything in the room was polished white marble, from the floor, to the walls, and the countertops. The room was so spacious that you could fit a king-sized bed in it. The walk-in shower was the size of a large closet and there was a free-standing bathtub on the other side.

Juliana gazed in amazement, "Okay, I would love this bathroom." She whispered, before changing into her loungewear. She took one last look at this fancy bathroom before exiting into the hallway. With the wrinkled uniform in her hands, a housekeeper approached her.

"Oh dear! Let me take that to the laundry, we'll make it nice and spiffy again!"

Juliana was grateful, "Oh, thank you!"

Nemona stepped out of the bedroom, yawning. She had also changed into loungewear which consisted of sweatpants and a T-shirt. She was stretching her arms above her head. When she saw Juliana, she faced her with a smile, "Ah, there you are! Heh, we totally fell asleep weird, didn't we?"

"Yeah, we sure did. Heh…" Juliana replied.

The friendly housekeeper spoke, "Oh Miss Nemona, I'll take your uniform to the laundry as well!"

"Go right ahead! It's on the bed." Nemona looked into her room.

Once the housekeeper left with both uniforms, Nemona faced Juliana again, "It'll be time for breakfast soon! I can't wait to see what the chef is preparing today!""

Juliana became eager, "Oh, I'm excited to see!"

Their enthusiasm was not displaced. This morning's breakfast was waffles topped with maple syrup and scrambled eggs with a bowl of fruit on the side. Complete with a cup of orange juice.

"Oh yay! It's my favorite!" Nemona applauded, "Thank the chef everyone!"

"Thank you, chef!" Juliana announced, she was just as excited, and they had breakfast happily. For the time she was here, Juliana felt like she was living like a princess. It made her miss Arven's cooking though; nothing would ever replace that.

Juliana asked Nemona quietly, "Is it like this every time you come home?"

Nemona nodded, "Si! The staff here love their jobs, my parents pay them generously too!"

"Oh, that's great!" Juliana complimented, "It's cool that your parents are so nice. Where are they right now?"

"Overseas, with my sister." Nemona answered, "It's for training."

"Ah, I see. Hopefully, they're doing well."

"My sister texted me last night after we fell asleep." Nemona chuckled, "I answered her before you saw me in the hall."

"What did she have to say?" Inquired Juliana.

"She was just checking on me to make sure I was okay. I did say we weren't really close before, but she still cares about me a lot. I let her know my best friend was sleeping over." She smiled big.

"That's so good to hear that your sister cares!" Juliana smiled back, "Even with the pressure she might be dealing with."

"She's used to it by now." Nemona assured, "Whatever comes her way I'm sure she'll take it on with ease. She and I are both fighters in a way! Haha!"

Juliana teased her a bit, "I may not have met your sister before but I can assure you, you are a lot more of a fighter than she is!"

Both girls laughed, with Nemona putting an embarrassed hand on her neck, "You may be right about that!"

As the girls finished up their breakfast, Juliana's rotom phone began to ring. Nemona pointed it out, "Oy! That's yours, Juliana."

Being polite, Juliana rushed outside to answer it despite still being in her loungewear.

"Hello?"

"Hey Juliana, it's Penny."

This shocked Juliana, "Penny? You're up early, is everything okay?"

"I wish I could say that, but I don't think so."

"What happened?"

Nemona had heard Penny's name being said and rushed out to join Juliana. Penny explained, "Well firstly, the reason why I'm up so early is because I had a class. But after that, I passed by Director Clavell's office. I decided to drop in because I had a question. When I poked my head in, I saw that he wasn't there. It was someone else."

Both Juliana and Nemona were curious at this, Juliana asked, "Do you know who he was?"

"No, but he was talking on the phone with the Director. And… well, I'm just gonna cut to the chase. Director Clavell is in Area Zero!"

Juliana and Nemona felt their hearts drop, "What!?" They both yelled simultaneously.

"How do you know that?" Juliana questioned.

"Because I heard the man in there say it. Since he was using the speakerphone, I heard Director Clavell saying he was there too."

"Oh no…" Juliana dreaded.

"What in the world is he doing down there!?" Nemona questioned in a panicked voice.

"Huh? Is that Nemona? She's there too?"

Juliana answered, "Yes, she is. We're at her house. So, do you know what Director Clavell is doing in Area Zero?"

"I don't know, but I have a bad feeling about this. I know we all said we never wanted to go back there, but I think we should. At least to make sure that the Director is okay!"

Juliana felt her hands tremble, she hesitated before replying, "Wh-where are you now, Penny?"

"I'm in my dorm room. I'm sorry to be like this so early in the morning, but please come ASAP."

"Don't worry, we will." Juliana looked at Nemona while saying that, and the two exchanged a determined nod.

"See you then." Penny stated before hanging up. There was a tense silence in the air before Juliana spoke, "I can't believe this… if this is some kind of joke it's really not funny."

Nemona had a concerned face, "I don't think so amiga, she sounded so serious."

Juliana took her rotom phone again, "Well, before we go…" and clicked to call Arven. Which Nemona noticed, "You calling Arven? You think that's a good idea? I know for sure he would NOT want to go back there again."

Juliana explained as the phone rang, "I promised him that I wouldn't keep secrets from him anymore after that Treasures of Ruin fiasco. He let me know that even if it made him uncomfortable, I could go to him with anything. I know that he would want to know about this."

She looked at Nemona with determined eyes. The student council president picked up on her conviction and nodded. Eventually, Arven's sleepy voice came through the speaker, "Uh… hello?"

"Arven? It's me." Juliana answered.

"Juliana? Sorry I took so long to answer. I was just this second waking up."

"Ah, I'm so sorry Arven. But this is an emergency."

Arven immediately perked up, "What's the matter? Where are you?" Juliana could hear him throwing the covers off, he sounded ready to leap into action.

"I'm at Nemona's house, are you at the school?"

"Yeah, I am. Juliana, what's wrong?"

"Meet us at Penny's room ASAP. We'll explain everything there."

Arven sounded confused, "She's awake this early?"

"She had a class." Juliana explained, "Just make your way over there, okay?"

"All right, I will. Be careful Juliana."

"I will, see you soon Arven."

Once the two hung up, Nemona stepped forward, "Let's get going!"

Juliana then realized something and reached out, grabbing Nemona's arm, "Wait! We need to get dressed!"

Nemona looked down at her clothes, "Ah! You're right! I almost took off in my slippers! Haha! Wouldn't be the first time!"

This made Juliana smile softly and shake her head, "Oh Nemona…"

When they went back in the house, a staff member approached them with their freshly cleaned and dried uniforms, "Do get properly attired before leaving ladies?" He spoke as if he were making a suggestion. Juliana and Nemona thanked him and took their uniforms. Nemona went into her room and Juliana went into the bathroom to change. Once they were done, they grabbed their belongings, put on their shoes and rushed out the door.

"Nemona, go on ahead." Juliana spoke, "I'm going to drop off my pj's at my place first. I'll see you there soon!"

"Oy! Please hurry!" Nemona waved, before rushing on ahead.

Juliana hurried to her house, her heart racing fast with nerves.

"I can't believe this is happening…" She whispered.

Author's Note: Ooooooh! Things are starting to get TENSE! I hope you all enjoyed! Look forward to the next chapter!