There were two weeks left until graduation day. Tomorrow was Monday; the last two months felt like a breeze with light bumps coming from indirect teasing and surrounding gossip, but she endured and did her best to focus on her studies, although there were times she wanted to rip her hair out. Her GPA had dropped to a 3.6 throughout that time, and she got a score of 1,230 on her SAT, just above average, but she couldn't be too disappointed in herself. She just hoped it wouldn't affect her chance of getting accepted into competitive institutions too severely.

Julie and Alyssa had stayed as close as ever throughout that time, especially after the Midnight situation. Julie had finished Passion Bullet, giving her and Alyssa something to talk about while waiting for the next season. Julie had also done as well as expected in all her classes and was guaranteed to graduate alongside Alyssa, who was cutting it close with her grades and had a 2.7 GPA. She'd gotten 970 on her SAT, but Julie knew it was because she hadn't applied herself. She wished Alyssa would sometimes try so people didn't perceive her as a complete box of rocks, but Alyssa never once cared. The smarts were there.

"You still thinking about chasing that Elite Four fantasy of yours?" Julie asked her since graduation was close.

"Uh, duh. It hasn't left my priority list. I just have to bring it up to my parents, which can go either way since they are keen on me doing better than they did in life, but that doesn't mean I need to work a repetitive day job. I'd be dead inside... How about you, though? Found a region you want to get lost in yet?"

They'd been exploring Johto more over the past months together and were currently strolling through Violet City's residential outskirts under a rich orange sky as the sun set, a laid-back city that wasn't far from Goldenrod. Its heavy amount of trees, quiet environment, and lakes brought it its serenity. They passed houses surrounded by trees with mightyena and other pokémon in yards, snarling at a man getting out of a parked truck and delivering packages to doorsteps.

A small herd of young and adult stantler grazed on tall grass within groupings of thick trees and bushes away from the homes, keeping their ears on alert to dart at the slightest abnormal noise they heard. The adults surrounded their young to conceal them from harm while they ate and mainly watched their surroundings to spot a potential predator sneaking up on them.

"I think… I want to try Unova. It has so much that I want to explore, especially Castelia. I'll be able to tour the university and see what the city is all about. Living there and going to college would be so exciting. My mom said she'll pay for me to go as a graduation gift, so I'm definitely off. Just have to find a hotel to book." A part of Julie would be homesick, but going would show her if it was the correct path for her and get her accustomed to the idea of living alone.

"You'll have to fly there after the airport is done. The captains don't want to host repeated two-week-long cruises anymore. What are you going to university for, anyway? History, huh?"

"That's like months to a year away, but you're right. Weird to have our first public airport, but it's been spreading."

People rarely flew in planes and relied more on the less volatile global ferry network, but some regions, Unova included, were considered too far to ferry to. Planes were set to grow more mainstream in the coming decades as more regions constructed airports.

Airships had been used to advertise things to the public, and the military had used cargo planes for rapid transports dating back twenty years ago. Passenger planes produced en mass to fly constantly were a newer concept that had been introduced to the masses years afterward and had suffered enough fatal crashes that governments retracted them to perfect development, so they weren't popular or trusted yet, but the push slowly increased as their safety did.

Johto's first airport was being built up north in Goldenrod in a middle-class area and would support flights to any region that also had one.

Julie continued, "anyway, yeah. I want to know everything there is to know about all regions. I'd love to be a researcher, and I really want to be a historian and travel abroad. They both sound like the perfect future."

They stepped onto the bridge overlaying Violet City's largest body of water that pokémon used frequently. Groups of poliwag stood by the edges next to poliwhirl while eating salveyo weed they'd pulled from the bottom of the pond, a stringy, leafy green type of seaweed they tended to feed on.

Several wooper and a couple of quagsire swam in the water, either paddling above or diving under, with a few asleep on the pond's floor, their bodies concealed in a blanket of mud that they made while mini bubbles floated up to the surface from their noses. Some wooper stuck to the quagsire almost like glue, too nervous to separate and be on their own.

Surskit strided across the pond's surface, skidding away when a wooper got too close. The yellow antenna on its head cap was used as a defense mechanism, secreting a thick and sugary substance but only used it when necessary. It was a flight pokémon otherwise.

"You're like the history gogoat. Guess we'll be doing our own thing soon, huh?"

"Well, yeah, but we'll keep in touch, and I'll be back before you know it, so don't worry," Julie reassured. "What does that mean, anyway?"

"What, history gogoat? Means you're gogoated at it."

"What?"

"And on a side note, what do you plan on doing first with Midnight once he's yours?"

Well, Julie had a term to look up when she was home. "I'm def gonna hold him the entire way home, and it'll feel great to cuddle him all night." She smiled at the thought. Her nights would consist of her getting a lot more sleep. He was naturally a creature of the night, but as long as Midnight was by her, it would be perfect.

"...Only cuddles?" Alyssa teased.

"W-Well, I'm sure I can hold off until we're in Unova. I do leave with him a day after graduation." However, Julie missed the amatory sessions they shared. The way he panted and grunted his name once he really got into it, how he twitched his ears and paws as he would near climax, and how she could follow his rings and be a part of his ride. They'd be able to explore more options away from school grounds, not to mention how much more time they'd have.

"Uh-huh."

Julie double-glanced at the entrance to the city ahead. "You want to cash that rain check?" She also wanted to see if that one clothing store had a jacket she had been keeping an eye on for over three months from the first time she'd seen it. It was a piece exclusive to the store and tended to sell out fast.

"What?... Oh, uh, sure. Whatcha feeling?" She started walking toward it and took out her phone to check the time.

Julie wanted to say she didn't know since she didn't, but Alyssa would choose a burger place if she left it up to her. "How about Craw's? And I want to see if Tug and Teddiursa has my jacket too."

"That seafood place? I'm down. Tugs hasn't had that jacket for like months, though. Gonna need more luck than Midnight," she said as they stepped into the city among civilization and light traffic.

Violet was small and quaint compared to most cities while keeping a contemporary feel, which was partly why it was unique. It was also home to the region's only Pokémon Academy, which Alyssa wanted to attend, the Galarian embassy, and one of Johto's two military bases. The one in Violet was small in comparison to the large one in West Goldenrod.

Small businesses, mini plazas, wild pokémon, and old apartment buildings were present around the outskirts, which turned into more sophisticated structures, condos, and skyscrapers the closer one got to the central area.

Commuters and tireless businessmen and women filled their cars at gas stations after a long day, some having their pokémon do it. A hitmonlee held a nozzle and filtered it into a truck while their owner was in the gas station's mart buying items. The pokémon heard the trigger click and shook the nozzle, taking it out and putting the gas lid back on the truck as trained.

Employees pulled gates over shops or eateries that closed early; many people walked with their heads down or glued to their phones so they wouldn't have to interact with anyone. Even a passing man's drowzee did the same with him. The city was lying to rest for the evening and would soon be replaced by nightlife. It's when the bars and casinos in the area made their living.

There was a parked white van by a curb with an open back: 'Doption' was plastered along both sides in bold red letters, and pokéballs replaced the o's. Two men set a cage inside holding a wild midday lycanroc and shut the doors, then walked and got into the driver and passenger seat. Someone must have brought it from Alola and released it here for whatever reason.

On the way, Julie stopped at the clothing store before it and checked for the pricey jacket. By a miracle, it was in stock, so she immediately bought it and put it on the moment they were outside.

"What do you think?" Julie raised her arms and looked at the sleeves while they walked past people and a couple of businesses. It was a blue zip-up with white outlines of eeveelutions plastered all over it. She adored the design.

"I mean, it's cute. I just wanna know why you were waiting for it for months." She chuckled. "But I'm glad you finally got it."

"Ugh, you'd probably be all over it if it was black," Julie said as they approached the restaurant's doors.

"And replace the lutions' with misdreavus and banette. You know me so well." Alyssa opened them and looked around at the dimly lit interior.

Props like seel, shellder, and seadra hung up, along with paintings of sea life and TVs playing sports.

The restaurant and bar at its center, with various alcoholic beverages lining the shelves, were packed since most people had gotten off work, not to mention this was a popular middle-class spot to drink and unwind at.

Alyssa went up to the male host with Julie, who had short black hair, freckles, and wore a black outfit.

"Table for two?" he asked upon them approaching.

"Yeah," said Alyssa.

"Right this way."

They were led to one close to the restaurant's corner, fortunately. She didn't want to be amid the buzzing and occasional shout from intoxicated customers, and they could be even farther away still, but Julie wasn't the type to complain and didn't want to make that request.

"The waiter should be with you soon. We're pretty busy tonight," he told them.

"That's okay." Julie watched him walk off as they sat and looked at people seated in highchairs at the bar laughing with each other and having a good time, then turned to Alyssa. "I'm probably going to take off this jacket if I order anything messy. I cannot stain this on the first day I got it."

"I used to think like that too, but I started seeing them as memories instead."

Julie stared at her.

"Kidding." Alyssa sat back.

There was a moment of silence before something came to Julie. She watched Alyssa pull out her phone and open what had to be Veela but close it after a refresh and open another app. It was like a habit of hers. "I've been meaning to ask... Where did this pokémon trainer thing come from, anyway? You've never brought it up in the past."

"That? Uh." She locked and put her phone back. "I was searching for what I wanted to do in life for a while, but nothing ever came to me. It didn't help that I liked a total of zero subjects in school. As you know, my parents were always asking me and trying to sway me in these boring ass directions before I could even hit eighteen.

But I stumbled across competitive battling on TV one day like a year ago, saw a few films on it, documentaries on successful trainers... It looked like a path I wanted to try, and before I knew it, I was in the mindset. I'd found my purpose."

"So you were inspired." Julie grinned. "It's great to see you finding yourself. People tend to wither without purpose." Julie knew Alyssa disliked school, but she still sat through it and tried— maybe not her hardest, but she tried.

"School was withering me to no end. Maybe I didn't do good in it, but I did it... but like I said, I'll have to hope my parents accept it because it's not a guaranteed career. They've never let up on me about my report cards as if my grades define me."

The waiter came by and put two double-sided plastic white menus on the table with a charismatic smile. "Walter. I'll be your waiter tonight, ladies. I'll be back shortly with water, bread with vinegar and oil, and to take your orders."

"Yeah, please," Alyssa said.

"Thank you," Julie told him. He looked nice, toned and tall with a black mustache. She looked back at Alyssa, who already had it in her hands. "Nothing is ever guaranteed; that doesn't mean you can't find success. I mean, some of the most renowned trainers were in the same boat at one point unless they were born into it or had connections."

"Try telling my parents that. It's like talking to a wall that barely lets you get a word out. One-way conversation. They always feel negative and unsupportive when it comes to me like they've given up ever since I started Ecruteak and didn't get good grades, telling me I'm lazy and don't do shit. I hate the environment." Alyssa flipped the menu and scanned the beverages.

"I don't know... That's tough to deal with if they won't even try to see eye to eye, but maybe they just want what's best for you, Ali? It sounds like they care." Julie picked up her menu. "What are you getting?"

Alyssa glanced over appetizers, soups, and entrees stated in red letters on black lines with corresponding images beneath them, lining the concealed paper from top to bottom, then over entrees toward the bottom, where delicious options were offered in abundance.

There were raw shellder on a bed of ice with x's in their eyes, which were killed humanely upon hatching, two fried slowpoke tails on a platter with two ceramic cups of sauce beside it; tentacool tentacles in a bowl with the option to have them raw or fried, bright red seasoned boiled krabby in large plate with a small bowl of butter on the side, and more.

"They don't know what's best for me..." Alyssa leaned back, mumbling, and flipped the menu to the side offering beverages. "I want a damn cocktail."

Julie giggled. "You aren't even eighteen yet."

"May as well be, and who waits until they can legally drink to drink? It's some arbitrary rule... if that's the word, that differs from region to region."

"Me."

Alyssa lowered the menu, shaking it so it wobbled audibly. "One, that's a lie, and two, you don't count."

Julie sucked her teeth and set hers down since she found what she wanted. "A sip of whatever my mom is having occasionally doesn't count." At least she was following the rest of the laws.

"Yeah, and neither do you."

Julie sat on her front porch's step later that night under its lit bulb, watching pidgey and the occasional spearow interact with each other and make cute cries, hopping about in search of meals on the ground and flying from tree to tree or perch on telephone wires while pondering the thought of leaving home, especially after she and Alyssa discussed aspirations earlier.

A woman walked a stroller past her house with a lively glaceon trotting ahead on the sidewalk, a father played frisbee with his son a few yards down, and the people across the street washed their old car in the driveway.

She'd never done anything like it, but she'd hop onto a ferry to Unova in two weeks with her new pokémon. That's how it must feel when trainers begin their journey from home. Julie chose not to take that route, and Alyssa was getting into it pretty late.

It made her wonder if Midnight could battle. She had never seen him use attacks and never had a reason to. She'd ask Mr. Willam about it; it wouldn't matter much since she wouldn't have him battling other pokémon. Midnight was made for cuddles, not combat; at least he would be while under her care.

Julie saw movement by a tree in someone's yard that her eyes shot to, and she leaned in while peering. After a second, a sentret emerged, who lifted itself from the ground using its puffy brown tail, making her grin. "Awe. What are you doing around here?" Maybe it had wandered or lost its way from its pack. She rarely saw wild pokémon that couldn't fly so deep in the city.

She eventually went into the house after people and pokémon-watching for a while longer, feeding Lilly before sitting on the couch downstairs and turning on the TV. It was better than being in her room sometimes, where her mind ran astray.

Her mother had been watching the cooking channel, and Julie wouldn't change it since her mother was always in here. An older woman with blonde curly hair and an apron and a chubby guy with a brown beard were preparing a lum berry pie, starting by rolling pie dough after having chilled it. "Now I want pie."

"Oh, wait." Julie pulled her phone from her pocket and unlocked it, opening her internet and typing in: 'gogoat meaning.' The pokémon itself came up under images and on wikis, but the acronym and its highlighted meaning did as the first result. She muttered while reading, "Greatest of All Time... The first go in the acronym became a play on it over time relating to the uncorrelated pokémon, which spread among the internet." Julie shook her head. "That is such an Alyssa thing to say."

She stayed for around fifteen minutes and watched until they pulled the finished pie out of the oven with a neat crisscross design and smooth, thick green lum filling before turning it off and walking to the kitchen, where she beelined to the fridge and opened it, leaning down. There was Moomo milk, chilled Wikiblux coffee in small store-bought glasses she enjoyed drinking from time to time, a few natural, organic berry juices and cartons of organic berries from local farmer's markets, greens, some cheeses, refrigerated snacks in lower drawers she crouched to open, and more, but nothing she wanted right now.

Julie stood and opened the freezer, glossing over pints of ice cream, some processed meats like packaged nuggets, tenders, slowpoke tail bites, and frozen grounded meat for burgers and other meals. "I don't even know what I want..." She sighed and shut the freezer. Julie wanted a snack, especially after seeing that delicious pie, but, like, she didn't at the same time. Maybe it was her eyes talking and not her stomach. She'd just drink water and go to sleep.

After having a glass using the fridge's filtered option she'd held the cup under, she washed it and went upstairs silently since her mother was likely asleep in her room.

Julie would take a shower to relax and couldn't wait to take one with Midnight to scrub his fur and see how cute he'd look once he was out and dried with a towel. It'd probably make a priceless wallpaper.

She really couldn't go a minute without fantasizing about their time together. It could be concerning, but Julie felt excited, and it was justified since he was finally hers. She never thought it'd happen in reality. Maybe it shouldn't have, but she couldn't thank life enough for allowing things to go her way.

Julie sat on her bed and heard a couple of vehicles drive past her house. It would be late in a few hours, and Julie didn't have much time on her hands. She had a dozen neglected math problems that she'd been holding off on doing all weekend. One may even say it was her least favorite subject.

At least she wouldn't have to go downstairs to eat later since she was still satisfied from the mixed seafood soup and appetizer she and Alyssa shared. It wasn't Julie's idea to get fried cheese sticks, but all of that eating meant she could focus on finishing her work.

After getting up to grab and toss the book on the bed and turning on the TV to a romantic soap opera she had never watched a day in her life, she undressed and tossed her clothes into the hamper. Julie didn't feel Monday was a burden this time and would feel happy during the next two weeks. It felt like an upcoming summer break.

One that would last forever.