By the end of the day, Julie felt odd. She was a block from home and felt bothered without knowing why. However, she realized what it could be. Julie had been getting close to Midnight and was now intimately close, which was the opposite of what she should be doing.
What hit her was that he still wasn't her pokémon, and Julie left in a few months. She would most likely be away at college, and what would she do then, go back and visit the high school just to pet him for an hour? She began rethinking her relationship with Midnight but loved him too much. He'd taken her virginity and made her feel better than she ever had physically. It was too late to throw it away, but how was she was supposed to keep it?
After their intimate act leading to the best climax she would never feel again, Julie could properly say she was happy for once. Midnight made her so happy. She felt like the most dependent soul. She depended on her mother, her antidepressants, Alyssa, and now Midnight. It felt sometimes as if she couldn't do or feel on her own.
Whenever Julie met him in those halls, just as excited as he was to see her with his rings aglow, it made her day. It filled her being with an intoxicating warmth she hadn't felt in years, and those brief encounters were when Julie felt everything was right. She felt that even more when he was between her legs earlier, making her feel better than anyone could wish, and vice versa.
Julie could cry while thinking about it. She'd never felt so connected to anyone than when they climaxed mutually. That intense, blissful burn between her legs that Midnight had ignited— that had traveled up her body, belonged to him. It may as well have been his essence breathing joy and claim into her after knotting them and marking her walls. She was his. Midnight never left her thoughts and especially wouldn't now. Julie was far more than attached. This was a hopeless, mystifying adoration.
This was an obsession.
She took a left to her patio from the road, locked her bike up, and opened the door. Her mother was sitting on the tan living room couch with many pillows while reading a book, so Julie saw her when she entered. The couch sprawled the wall of the substantial living room.
A glass table was before the couch, a flat-screen TV was on a shelf ahead against the wall above a dead fireplace they never used, and two gray curtained windows were against the wall with stands before them holding antique jars, vases with colorful designs, and pots holding pricey red and blue spheres with glossy glints from The Underground in Sinnoh, the largest and most visited mine in the world.
"How was your day, sweetie?"
"It went fine, just… tired. I'll do some homework and come down later." She grinned and went to hug her mother, sighing against her body heat and embrace. Her day had been absolutely amazing. Too bad Julie couldn't tell her why. "Almost got tapped by someone's side mirror too. They were driving way too close to the bike lane. It would have left a nasty bruise."
"You're cold, Jule, and be careful out there. I'm looking into buying a car for us, then I'd just drive you to school." She returned it and kissed Julie's cheek. "I'm making us dinner soon, and I cleaned a bit when I got home, so I vacuumed your carpet and replaced the bedding. I'll call for you if you aren't in time."
That was another thing. Even if Julie had her license and a car, she wouldn't know how to feel if she or her mother started driving to Ecruteak daily. Being able to get more sleep in the morning sounded pleasant, but she'd probably ride anyway. It forced exercise even when the weather was grueling. "Awe, thank you, Mom. You're the best." She stood when her mother broke it. "Don't worry about the trash tomorrow, by the way. I'll take it when I leave."
The truck came twice a week on Monday and Thursday to pick up everyone's trash. Julie occasionally forgot about it, leaving her mother to gather the kitchen and restroom bags and drag the bins to the curb, but Julie wouldn't put every task on her.
"I appreciate that, Jule, and I know you had a long day. Go warm up. I'll turn the heater on for you. Love you."
Julie nodded and turned, heading upstairs. "Love you too!" She threw her backpack on the floor once in her room and scanned her clean carpet, new blue blanket, and white sheets. Her mother had made her bed neatly too. Julie appreciated her mom so much. She'd ensure to wash her bedding and clothes faster next time so her mom didn't have to. Their washer and dryer set was in the garage, and the door to it was in the kitchen.
She kicked off her boots, slumped onto her bed, and yawned. Julie would take her mom's advice and shower. She needed a hot one to wash away the cold, clear her head, and clean herself from her recent locker room experience.
But she would do this after eating something since her stomach was growling, so Julie went back downstairs and peeked into the kitchen, seeing her mother looking through the fridge. She wasn't up to chat, but she had to go into the kitchen to get a snack.
She trudged back upstairs, closing the door after entering her room. Julie would shower first, after all. She'd be in the mood to talk afterward. She undressed and tossed her clothes into the hamper, taking a new change from her dresser and entering the restroom. Julie flipped on the light and went to turn on the shower, taking a minute to adjust its temperature.
While it regulated itself, she set her clothes atop the toilet's cover and stepped into the tub shortly after. Upon the water hitting her leg, she could confirm it was warm, so Julie stepped in and let the water run over her hair and face. She didn't bathe too often. If she did, it was when she was uber-depressed, if then.
She glanced up at the detachable shower head, which reminded her of Midnight, funnily enough. There was a time around when she first started getting curious with her body where was in the shower constantly just so she could use it— and not for washing purposes. It started up again as a phase two years back, but she rarely did it nowadays, and it likely wouldn't fulfill her after Midnight showed her the light.
And now that Midnight was on her mind, she fell onto the situation hours ago. The one where she skipped lunch and wore an outfit that she shouldn't have. How could she come up with a reason for it if Alyssa asked again? "Might lose your best friend if you hide this..."
Julie ran her hands through her hair to let the water permeate it, feeling its warmth run down her sides and legs, then reached and grabbed her blue loofah that hung on one of the nozzles. "Then again, you also might lose her if you confess the secret even you're shocked to know you have."
She leaned against the wall out of the water and listened to it patter against the shower floor, reaching for the fragrant green body wash on the shelf and holding it at her side. What if her best friend thought she was a loser for being in a veritable relationship with the faculty's pokémon and started spreading the fact?
Julie popped the bottle's cap and poured some over the sponge before setting the wash back and momentarily holding the loofah under the water, then applying it to her body, scrubbing over the top and sides of her thighs and hips, leaving suds that trailed slowly down her wet skin.
Julie was overthinking. Alyssa would never do that, but Julie was terrified to tell her and get judged for it; however, she knew she could only conceal it from someone so involved in her life for so long.
After she showered, took care of her appetite, brushed and flossed her teeth, and studied, Julie attempted to sleep for the next day bundled under her new sheets that felt lush and lovely, insulating her in warmth. This time, Lilly wasn't with her in bed taking up the leg space and must have gone outside for the night, which was fine since she'd just dirty her clean blanket anyway. Julie was used to sleeping alone, though, as she had all her life. She didn't even have a stuffed pokémon.
Since she never had a pokémon or boyfriend to keep her company, she really had to consider going out to catch one— or fall in love with someone. Truthfully, Julie wanted neither because she instead wanted something she couldn't have that killed two pidgey with one stone. It was an aggravating situation, and now she was too deep to leave it be.
Which reminded her— she grabbed her phone from under her pillow and unlocked it, going to her gallery and grinning timidly at the first video's thumbnail in her camera album among many. They were categorized ones of past photos that included her father, recents including her mother, another exclusively of pictures and videos of herself and Alyssa from the past and present, and a dedicated Lilly album. She tensed her legs. "Lost itt," Julie whispered. She felt so dirty after that.
Public sex with a pokémon.
It still wasn't worth the risk, but by miracle, she hadn't gotten walked in on, so it almost was. It couldn't happen again, though, not a chance. Luck wouldn't always be on their side. Julie hid the video in another folder and locked her phone, slipping it back under her pillow.
She entered school the next morning dressed as casually as possible in skinny jeans, a tee, gray and white jacket with gray arm sleeves, and sneakers. She'd skipped breakfast again but ate a breakfast bar and would eat lunch today, so she would be fine. Julie usually wasn't hungry during mornings unless she didn't have a decent dinner.
She yawned while walking down the populated hallway filled with laughter and buzzing, standing on her tippy toes at times to cool the soreness in her thighs that felt harsher than it had yesterday. Lines of students opened and closed lockers, entered classes early to talk to teachers, teachers made a beeline through the halls on the way to teach, and immature boys goofed off that Julie slipped by.
That's when she noticed something odd. Ricky was standing by her locker. "What the..." To be fair, she'd forgotten to talk to him yesterday, but why was he there again? She would have gotten around to it one of these days. Julie approached with a confused expression. "Hi… Ricky."
"Oh, hey, how's your morning?" Ricky grinned with a spiteful edge while leaning against her locker, which blocked access to it.
"Fine… but like, you're kind of standing in front of my locker." Julie wasn't in the mood so early in the morning. Why did he have to do this now?
"Well, I just wanted to know if you thought about what I'd asked."
Julie sighed. "Ricky… I really, really don't want to do this right now. It's early, and I hav–"
"It's just a simple answer. That's all I need. You don't have to be so offhanded." His grin faded, and Julie tilted her head slightly.
She didn't understand why he was acting like this. Rejection was a thing, and she was polite about it, but now she was getting irritated. "I think you should stop this… whatever you're doing. It's weird, and I told you I'd think about it." Julie was starting to feel eyes on them and heard the talk around them begin to die down. The last thing she wanted was to cause an unnecessary scene.
"But it doesn't take that long to think about it. Do you just not like me the way you do everyone else? You know, you could tell me that instead of playing with my feelings." He stood now, bearing over her slightly.
Julie gave in by taking a step back, bringing a hand to hold a drawstring on her jacket. "N-No, it's not that... I'm just— I'm not ready to date yet."
"Like I'm gonna believe that. You were dressed like a desperate slut yesterday." Ricky smirked and heard some chuckles from students in proximity that he glanced at. Everyone was watching. The hall was almost as silent as it was when classes were in session.
The situation escalated more and more by the second, and Julie felt humiliated. She could choke from that statement. He did not just call her that shit. She didn't dress the way she had for anyone here. No doubt it was a mistake and tarnished her image more than it was already, but it's not like she could come up with anything but the truth, and no matter what, it would make her look bad.
"I get it. You want everyone's eyes on you." He shrugged. "I mean, you've gotta be lonely after choosing to be the most awkward girl in the entire school since you got here. Everyone's got a breaking point, but we're the weirdos when we want to talk to you. Is that it?"
"Everyone caught on. That's why no one ever asks her egotistical ass to prom!" A female's voice came from the crowd.
"Ricky… p-please move," she said in a gentle, timorous tone not to blow this up any further and felt her hands quivering, tugging slightly on her drawstring. Her cheeks were flushed, and her anxiety level was off the charts. She wished some kind of authority was present to intervene and get her out of this. Julie was fighting not to cry. She wanted to get her books and go to class.
He folded his arms, peering at her and lowering his voice. "You think anyone in this hall— in this school feels sympathy for you? Poor Julie..." he mocked and shook his head. "You're a nobody here, but hey, I can fix that, maybe the big guys too. I mean, we all saw the tight shirt and leggings showing off those juicy tits and thighs of yours. You obviously want it bad. They'll shape you up good and show you something better than your hands and imagination every night while you're alone."
Julie held her breath, frozen and taking shaky, silent breaths while enduring insult after insult. Why wouldn't he stop? She just wanted him to stop. Her expression dimmed, and her legs felt like bricks.
"They'll put that mouth of yours to use too since it's shut all the time, may as well stuff it so you're useful for something. What do you even do outside of sch–"
Julie couldn't take this. It was wearing her down, breaking her apart piece by piece. She felt a knot in her throat and could hide under a rock forever. "F-Fuck off, Ricky. Quit being a douche!" Julie gritted her teeth and pushed him with enough force in one hand to move him aside, something she shouldn't have done.
"Hey!" He leaned in and shoved Julie onto the ground, which she hadn't been prepared for. It knocked the wind out of her upon her falling onto her side, and she pushed her arm out to break it.
Gasps and subtle giggles were heard around them but faded and reduced to silence shortly after. "You should quit acting like you're too good for everyone just because you've got a face. That's all you have concealing the worst personality I've seen in a girl. You don't give a damn about anyone but yourself, and that makes you a bitch. Insufferable. It's why no one likes you! I tried giving you a chance to redeem yourself."
"Julie!?" Ricky turned around and saw Alyssa standing some feet away, and fortunately, all he did was storm off and bump her shoulder while on his way.
Alyssa chose to ignore that and jogged to Julie, kneeling beside her. "Hey, Julie..." Alyssa held her hand while watching Julie wipe her eyes filled with tears. "What happened?"
There were about a handful of students or more still watching the ordeal.
Julie, Alyssa, and Ricky. All three ended up in the principal, Mr. Willams' office, located before the third corridor's stairs to the right down an exclusive hall and dead end. They sat in chairs before his desk. He was tall, chubby, and intimidating, with short blonde hair on a mostly bald head and glasses to top it off. He wore a white dress shirt and tan khaki pants. "To summarize… Ricky, you shoved Julie to the floor because she pushed you with her hand, correct?"
Ricky nodded.
"And Julie, why'd you touch him?" The principal wore a stern glare; he was tall and wore glasses— naturally intimidating.
She was holding back more tears. Her cheeks were red from crying on the way here. "H-He wouldn't move. He was blocking my locker while insulting me so much... It pushed me over the edge." She leaned against the chair, sniffling.
"And what did he say exactly?" Mr. Willam asked, eyeing all three with a focus on Julie.
"Uh." Julie glanced at Ricky from the side, whose eyes were down, then looked at the principal. "M-Mostly general taunting, referring to my appearance and how I act. I don't remember all of it. There was a lot of commotion."
"Hm. Thank you both for cooperating. I'll try and get in contact with your parents shortly. On that note, I don't want you two interacting anymore, and Julie, you shouldn't have laid a hand on Ricky to begin with."
Julie wanted to roll her eyes but instead nodded. She didn't regret moving him aside at all. What was she expected to do, stand there and get laughed at for another five minutes? She would have felt pathetic walking away from that to grab a teacher who would barely have cared, and It's not like she'd smacked him, although Ricky was asking for it. He'd crushed her earphone too after pushing her to the ground. She was lucky she left one at home but preferred wearing her left.
Mr. Willam gave them punishment before dismissal, Ricky receiving a heavier one, a suspension for five days, while Julie only got two. She didn't want to see her school for a while anyway, so she'd take it.
They were both sent home early, and Alyssa went with Julie despite it meaning she'd miss a class. Julie couldn't find it in herself to thank Alyssa or even look her way, for that matter, but she was grateful for her company.
They were riding their bikes. Alyssa had a black one and rode it to school most of the time. She lived closer to school in Mahogany Town, east of Ecruteak, so she could walk the distance.
The journey through both routes and Goldenrod was utterly silent, filled only with nature and otherwise general city ambiance, and Alyssa hadn't tried to stir up a conversation but accompanied Julie.
When they got to Julie's house and stood in front of her porch, it was just as silent, but Alyssa chose to break it. "You gonna be okay?" She faced her.
"Sure, I–" Julie cut herself short as she could barely speak without collapsing. It's why she hadn't.
Alyssa opened her arms, and Julie didn't hesitate.
She took a step and fell into Alyssa's embrace while trying her hardest not to cry again over the incident.
Alyssa held her close and rubbed her back. "Just wish I'd have been there earlier to stop it..."
Julie couldn't hold back for another second in Alyssa's arms and cried into her shoulder, holding back whimpers.
"You'll be okay." Alyssa patted her back and continued rubbing it.
Julie hugged her waist and stood there for another minute before pulling away. "I think I'm just going to go to bed," Julie said between more sniffles. "Thank you again, Ali… I'll see you later."
"Oh, you will. Go get some rest. I'm gonna head back and get yelled at for being late to class. Love ya."
"You too." She wiped her eyes and turned to enter her home. Julie's mother was still at work, so she would break the news to her tomorrow. At least she wouldn't have to talk about it again today.
She threw her broken earphone in the kitchen bin, went up to her room, took off her shoes and pants after removing her items, unzipped her jacket and dropped it on the floor, then lay in bed with her phone. She disabled the alarm for tomorrow before sliding it under her pillow without bothering to plug it in. She was glad she didn't have homework to do either. However, that would have kept her busy instead of leaving her to submerge herself in her thoughts and sorrow.
Times like this were when she needed someone to hold onto for hours and reassure her that everyone was okay, that she was none of those awful things Ricky had called her. Julie whimpered, felt more tears well in her eyes, and her breaths quicken while recalling him calling her a slut and describing the jocks using her body one after another. She knew she wasn't one, but it still hit her hard.
"It hurts so much..." And it shouldn't. Julie despised that it did. "Gh." She clutched the blanket and felt a deep pain in her chest, letting out a quiet sob. All she had was Midnight, and he was at the school she'd been suspended from. She glanced over at the lone earphone on her shelf. She wouldn't take it on her next ride. Julie didn't know when she could again, but not anytime soon.
She curled up on her side and closed her eyes, trying to take slow breaths through her mouth and regulate the shaky ones to calm down. Was she a bitch, though? Did she have an underlying ego and act like she was better than other people without realizing so, and did everyone actually dislike her? Julie already knew she was a loser. She'd accept that, but she had never seen layers of issues or vanity within herself. What did they see?
After tireless thinking and off-and-on crying spells, Julie drifted to sleep and woke up every few hours until 8 p.m. That was when she finally fell into a deep sleep. She managed to get enough hours in and woke up at 7 a.m. the next day to her mother's voice while feeling as miserable as ever.
"Julie, are you up?" Her mother stood at her door, seeing her daughter lying motionless in bed, and her eyes reflected a worrisome sorrow. "Julie?" She moved to take a step forward.
Julie sat up and rubbed her eyes, staring at her with a scratchy voice. "Good morning..."
Her mother shut her eyes and took a sigh of relief, then focused back on Julie. "You slept in way too late. You were home early yesterday too."
Well, there was a good reason for it. "Yeah, I... uh, got suspended." She couldn't leave it at that as it wasn't her fault, so she sat up and told her mother everything, every detail up to the insults.
"Absolutely not! We're going up there today; you did nothing to deserve any kind of suspension!" Her mother put her hand on her hip.
However, Julie didn't want to make the issue any bigger. "N-No, Mom, I… please just let it go. I have three months left and want it to go as smoothly as possible," Julie pleaded. She was so close and didn't care about the school anyway. She couldn't imagine sitting in the office with Ricky and his parents.
She crossed her arms and sighed. "Fine... but that doesn't mean I won't give Willam a piece of my mind over call."
She grinned for a second. "Thanks, Mom." This wouldn't have been the first time she'd go to the office on Julie's behalf.
She stayed in bed for hours in a state of desolation, doing nothing but use her dying device to scroll through Veela, watch TV, and get up to use the restroom, with her mother checking on her every so often and offering her meals and water. She had to switch off the JohtoNN channel and put on cartoons after watching story after story of negativity around the region.
Fatal car accidents and stabbings, muggings, robberies, arrests, trial and error on the development of nuclear warheads that would shake the world if they came to be, protests against laws in regions, rising tension between Unova and the SNDA surrounding missile tests that Unova had concealed info on, and threats of conflict between a couple of others.
A man dying after being brutally attacked by an Onix in Union Cave, rangers raiding stores that acted as fronts for organized crime up in northern Goldenrod, a little girl in critical condition after being swarmed by beedrill on a route, reports of wild pokémon kidnapping or assaulting people and video clips of some incidents when city surveillance caught them.
One was of a machoke breaking into a Goldenrod mart near closing time on a main street and taking any food items it could get its hands on after knocking the cashier and a customer out cold, leaving them with fractures and one with a severe concussion. Fortunately, the authorities now had the machoke in a holding facility.
The other was on a smaller street after midnight of a sandslash and jolteon that had apparently been waiting in a nearby alley for a victim that finally came. It was a slim woman in a black jacket walking from who knows where, but the sandlash darted out and slashed at her legs to trip her while the jolteon then hopped onto her back and nipped at the back of her neck in attempt to hold her down against her active struggle, where they then pulled her into the alley.
The clip cut there before displaying anything indecent; both pokémon responsible were caught two days later and may be euthanized for their depraved actions. Incidents like that made Julie fear riding on routes even during the day, where pokémon acted twice as confident. What had gotten into everyone?
Everything was always brutal, depressing, and full of pokémon and human suffering, all chaos and no peace. They lost their lives constantly for reasons that shouldn't be, and it all happened— the most heinous of crimes, more often than she thought and at every moment because of how endlessly massive the globe was.
It felt like that's how the world was 24/7, as if life were a limitless loop of suffering with those happy moments and good people in it making living and dragging through rough times worthwhile, and while Julie could be experiencing said happy moment or having a good day, someone else was going through a horrible experience or having the worst one of their life. How could any innocent soul trying to enjoy life deserve horrific fates at the hands of nature or others? It was all so grim and nonsensical, and her current mood didn't help.
When her depression and angst were at their peak, she didn't care to live in such a fragile, evil world full of people and pokémon committing atrocities in an overwhelming number of ways that pained her to picture. The pokémon responsible were usually euthanized or rehabilitated if possible, and the people imprisoned and rehabilitated either while in prison or given the choice afterward, but that never fixed the same offenses enacted by the next criminal. It was impossible to cure wrongdoing.
It hurt to exist sometimes, even more so when she had to get up and go to the same school every day, knowing what environment she was walking into while never knowing what they had in store for her.
There was even a section displaying a number of both everyday people and big-time traffickers guilty of recent sexual crimes against teens and women, quadrupedal pokémon, and abuse against bipedals, a couple taking place deep within routes— and the channel plastered their mugshots on-screen, which Julie had to look away from because she was one of those people. That could have been her on the screen for the world to see. News stations aired segments like this frequently to embarrass criminals, raise awareness, and deter said crimes.
Julie used to watch, feel awful for the affected pokémon, and satisfied that the criminals were behind bars. Now she had to worry about herself because of what she'd done with Midnight, which had never passed her mind as something that would take place in her life.
They were in love— what they had was purely consensual, but no one would know that, and even if they did, they'd say she was sick in the head and belonged behind bars regardless, especially when they'd had sex on the school property.
Her parents had worked tirelessly to raise her as a productive and respectable person, and now Julie was no better than the rest. She knew she had to put a stop to her and Midnight. The moment anyone found out, their sneaky relationship would all be for nothing anyway, but that was easier said than done.
She stared blankly at commercials run on the screen that cut on at a cliffhanger of the animated show that was on, one of which advertised a new resort opening in Kanto and showed a few bipedals in close background shots of people dining or enjoying outdoor activities, like cinderace and lucario at a poolside, and one wearing a bikini, which was an example of the blatant, subtly forced sexualization. It did sell, though, so it was here to stay.
Julie had yet to form an appetite or had the motivation to do anything, even take an antidepressant, which was a bit backward. She also needed to wash her clothes and repaint her nails since the color was fading. She definitely wasn't going to the mall and didn't have it in her to go to the garage. It was depressing, but she had no idea how to fix this without letting it take its course.
At around 2 p.m., while she read a non-fictional book from her shelf of many against the wall, her phone vibrated continuously, and Julie pulled it from under its usual spot. It was a call from Alyssa, and she didn't feel like answering it. She did, though hesitantly. Alyssa likely wanted to check on her. "Hey," Julie said, sounding plaintive.
"Feeling any better?" Alyssa asked, even though it was apparent in her tone.
"Not much."
"Good, c'mon. National Park at three."
"Alyssa, I–"
"Nuh-uh, I don't wanna hear it. You're lucky I didn't choose the beach. I'll meet you there." She hung up.
Julie set her phone down with a sigh. It was Friday, as they'd scheduled, and she could use some fresh air too. It was better than staying inside all day, but at least she was doing more than staring at the TV.
Julie lived close to the beach, speaking of. It was around fifteen minutes south by car, which is why the climate was that much colder overall compared to if she lived farther up north.
The beach had the nickname: 'The Mile Stretch' because it extended to both the far east and west of Goldenrod, practically encompassing the city. Due to its size, there were sections of the beach considered 'good' and 'bad' depending on the district of the city it was in. Julie's was in a better one, and she remembered spending hours there with Alyssa throughout her teens, playing volleyball, buying ice cream, and having fun in the waves. Julie didn't have the urge to do as much anymore unless Alyssa dragged her down there too, so her volleyball sat alone in her closet.
She got up and slid her book back into its slot. It was called: 'The World's Most Successful Tropic,' with a high-resolution picture of Alola's four islands on its cover. It was about the initial discovery and explanation of the Alola region and its exclusive pokémon that took place hundreds of years ago.
The book detailed its history up until what it was today: One of the most powerful and prosperous first-world regions with the fourth largest and most robust economy behind Galar in third. Unova held second on the economic scale with an annual GDP that would be more than difficult to top, and Kalos was runner-up for fourth, so Alola had to stay on top of its development.
Alola used to rely heavily on tourism, agriculture through berries, as it was one of the world's largest exporters, and donations from powerful regions to grow its economy, but after several decades of wisely utilizing its funds to ambitiously develop the region with a stern focus on Hau'oli and Akala, it was now a contemporary spectacle in appearance and even from how it operated within to maximize cash flow.
Tourism and agriculture were still a main and vital source of Alola's income, but they were no longer their only source, which allowed the region to expand on its own and exponentially, from five-star hotels to its famous shopping mall considered to be one of the best in the world. Construction was a growing and massive industry that employed thousands as Alola's government laid out more projects by the year to expand the region.
To this day, the government constantly filtered money into improving education and quality of life for its citizens. It also built upon the Shopping District in Hau'oli and the Hano Grand Resort to draw in tourists by outsourcing popular corporations and restaurants to bring their business to Alola. Most agreed, as they saw opportunity and a grand future investment in establishing locations there.
The discovery of the islands were made by Captain Adrian Bay, who was on an expedition with his crew transporting goods from Kanto to Sinnoh. A brutal storm during nightfall threw their ship off track, bringing them upon four mysterious and uninhabited islands that the crew was eager to explore at the following dawn. They did, mainly what is now called Melemele Island, and noting riveting details on paper of the island's layout and new pokémon that the world had never seen.
After nearly a day of limitless exploration, before the next nightfall, Captain Bay called everyone and the crew's pokémon back to the ship, and they sailed the rest of the way to Sinnoh. It was a two-day journey from their current location. They told the government of their find, who sent groups of historians, researchers, and a couple of professors who stationed across all islands weeks later. They created toponyms for the islands and locations to talk about and refer to amongst themselves, many of which were kept to this day.
Julie couldn't imagine being responsible for discovering a region or island unknown to humanity and along with, new pokémon and possibly berry types. That would be a grand accomplishment, and it had to be out there.
Julie had read the one-thousand-page book several times before, but it enthralled her every time. History amazed her. She had a seemingly innate proclivity toward it, showing subtly throughout her childhood, where she always excelled at the subject.
History didn't aim to predict past events but to expand horizons and open modern minds to limitless possibilities that proved anything could happen at any moment, but also that the future was more or less in the people's control, dependent on the decisions they make and the trajectory they take. There were decades where nothing happened and weeks where decades happened. A life-changing localized or worldwide historical event, for better or worse, was brewing at this very instant and could take place tomorrow or five years from now.
In listless motions, she put on the same clothes and took her jacket off the floor, shaking it out before putting it on again. She also fixed her hair in the restroom to look presentable before heading to the park.
She went on foot this time in hopes that it'd make her feel better. It was warmer than usual underneath a blue sky dotted with clouds, too, making it more enjoyable to be out. She almost wanted to take off her jacket, but she needed it more than ever. She was just glad the park was close by. It was slightly north of Route 35, next door to Goldenrod.
While walking, her posture more slouched than usual, Julie heard a familiar melody on loop echo and fill the street with vivid nostalgia. She stopped and turned her head, watching a white ice cream truck drive slowly down the road and pass her. She eyed the stickers under the window displaying what options it sold, from pops styled after various popular pokémon like pikachu and eevee to soft serve.
Julie couldn't help but grin as, like old music, it reminded her of her younger days when everything was joyful and carefree. She'd memorized its schedule and used to wait outside for that truck with her parents after school every other day when it came. It missed days here and there and tended to arrive late when it hit traffic or got heavy business in other areas and parks, alongside coming earlier when it didn't, but Julie got her frozen treat more often than not.
She wasn't in the mood for ice cream right now and didn't eat like that anymore, but it was nice to look back on something joyful.
She also spotted a paper beside a few garage sale and for-hire ones stapled to a lamppost near the curb and double-glanced before stopping before it. It showed a photo of an eevee atop a bed, and above it read 'Missing pokémon,' detailing its name, gender, a phone number, and a 10,000 pokédollar reward for finding her. "Poor Bara." Julie would keep the eevee in mind too in case she saw it, but if Bara got out of the neighborhood, well, Goldenrod was massive.
Upon leaving her area, Julie was walking downtown among countless people and noisy traffic, slipping past and between bodies that filled the sidewalks. She hoped she didn't look like a wreck to anyone who noticed her, keeping to the side by buildings. She noticed more posters on telephone poles and wondered how many districts Bara's family had gone to.
She passed a group of teens hanging out with drinks in their hands and likely skipping school. She kept walking with her hands in her pockets and head down while in thought, bumping a woman's shoulder and glancing back. "Uh, sorry..." she said as they briefly met eyes, but the woman turned without acknowledgment.
You know who wouldn't be rude to her? Midnight. Julie was proven right yet again. She'd found one boy who brought her happiness without there being a chance her heart would be broken or her feelings getting hurt.
Yes, she'd given in. Julie was in love with an umbreon. She was probably beyond insane, but it didn't matter as long as she was happy. It's not like it hurt anyone.
Besides, Midnight loved her too.
After Julie left her city behind in over two hours after eventually forcing herself to take a bus that luckily wasn't very full, she was halfway through the quiet route and could calm down more. She felt her calves throbbing, which told her she needed to walk more often. Julie had to do more than pedal, but her conditioning over the years allowed her to walk longer distances with little trouble. She was also sweating under her jacket after so many miles of strolling, so she held the bottom with both hands and lifted it, shaking it out to let the air hit her upper body.
She'd taken residential streets through Goldenrod when possible on the way to avoid the commotion of main roads and had walked through one of the best and calmest neighborhoods in the city, where Jane resided. The homes were huge, modern, and fancy with multiple stories, the cars were nice, and the roads and greenery were all upkept and perfect. Some houses had closed yards behind fences, organized trees, shrubs, and flower patches, while others were open with trimmed lawns and a couple of tall trees.
People walked the sidewalks with their pokémon, children, or families, strolled, or jogged. Many kept to themselves, but some gave her quick greetings.
Vibrant lavender and flower trees, willows, grass, and bushes lined the pavement in abundance and were present in yards as well. The air was fresher too— at least it seemed that way, and there tended to be more wild pokémon to see around because the area was closer to the outskirts, such as sentret and hoothoot when evening came, bringing some natural ambiance to the neighborhood.
Julie had even seen a chikorita wandering in yards once. She saw more pidgey and purrloin than anything else in her area, if that, as her neighborhood had strays running about. They usually emerged during the evening.
The commercial area surrounding the neighborhood was just as classy, with plazas full of overpriced restaurants, affluent stores, and a massive shopping mall full of the same. They were also home to one of the best hospitals in the Accord.
Every building was clean and very modern in appearance, and the service was great the few times her mother took them over to eat or shop. The Goldenrod Aquarium was also around that area. Julie felt completely safe in that part of Goldenrod. Obviously, nowhere was one hundred percent safe, but it felt pretty close.
Back to the Route, only a few people were on 35, walking with or training their pokémon. She saw one leaning to pat their spearow's feathers, and a serious male trainer commanding their pichu to slice a bundle of tall grass with an attack, which only brought Julie's mind back to Midnight. She imagined taking him to shops in Goldenrod or exploring nature among routes like these. The smallest things would be fun and bond them further. They were unrealistic fantasies but lovely to think about, and for a second, it warmed her heart.
After leaving the route in around ten minutes, Julie entered the park and looked around for Alyssa among over forty people. She spotted her sitting on the large water fountain's edge shaped like a pokéball at the epicenter and went and sat by her, glancing at people standing around and chatting, buying bagged cotton candy from a man pushing a cart, and at some wild eevee by the park's edge.
It was a spacious area with flower bushes, grass, and lamp posts lining the park's outskirts where people walked its trail while the center was all pavement. Adjacent to the trail on its outer end was a soccer field, two tennis courts with people hitting balls back and forth, and a brick building where one picked up equipment.
The Pokémon here tended to roam about freely and co-existed. They weren't as afraid of humans but typically stayed away from the center.
"So you came." Alyssa grinned and crossed her legs.
"I thought it might help take my mind off things. I've been thinking nonstop about who I am," Julie said and looked to watch the active fountain, also scanning the trees and bushes, where weedle, venomoth, and more resided.
"About what exactly?" Alyssa pushed for an answer, but not heavily since Julie had been acting distant.
"Well, some of the things Ricky said to me. I'm wondering if they're true." Julie felt she acted casually to people; the couple of people she talked to in class were fine with her, as far as she could tell.
"I mean, if you have to question yourself, I think it's either because he got into your head, or you may have a few things to think about, not that it was right. But... can I know exactly what he said to you... if you remember?"
Julie swallowed. She didn't want to speak of it again, but it could help them pinpoint something. "He called me a slut because of what I wore on that one day, described himself and the jocks dominating me... About my apparently insufferable personality and the way I carry myself. He called me a loser and a bitch for it. This was all because I rejected his advances two days before."
"The fuck?" Alyssa stared at Julie. "Why didn't you say any of that in the office? He was literally harassing and provoking you."
"Alyssa, please... I probably still would have gotten suspension, and I didn't want to drag that on. It'd get parents involved and become this huge thing."
She put a hand up and scoffed. "You don't know whether you would have gotten suspension, and it is a huge thing! You can't just let him spit on and abuse you like that, Julie... He's getting off easy, and now he knows you won't book him for it."
Julie kept quiet. Alyssa was right, but that's not how Julie was thinking. "I just want to be done, okay?" She felt more tears threaten to form but held back, although her voice quavered. "Just about everyone at that frickin' school looks down on me. Do you think me taking care of one person will change anything? I just want to get through this and graduate..."
"Julie..." Alyssa looked down momentarily. "Alright." She set a hand on Julie's arm. "Then we'll do that. I got you, okay?"
Julie nodded and sniffled. "Thank you." She would give herself more thought later, though. Ricky had definitely gotten into her head, but she couldn't rule out everything. Then again, she was as nice as could be to everyone when she chose to interact with them. Julie was out of three pencils and five pens because of Jane, for crying out loud.
"Oh, and speaking of, what was with that getup you recently wore, anyway?"
Julie smirked and sucked in her lips. "How about we save that for another time? I still want to know what this show was that kept you up all night."
"That? It's a sick mystery action exclusively on this new movie and show streaming service called Hitz. They've got a limited-time promotion going on to lure customers that lets you sign up for six hundred fifty. Kind of insane. I'll text you the info later so you can sign in under my account if you want."
"I'd like that. How much have you watched, though, and what is it called?"
"...The entire first season, six eppies. Ate it up like spearow wings. You can take your time watching and tell me what you think since the second season isn't even announced yet. Title is Passion Bullet."
Julie was more of the drama and romance type, but she could appreciate a good action series. "I'll check it out. Thanks... and thank you for dragging me out here. I needed it. It felt like I was drowning in my bed."
"I know you needed it. That's why you're here."