Author's Note: Grab a snack and get comfy! This is a looong chapter!

Onward brave trainers!

Professor Jacq sat at his desk in his classroom after the students had departed to search for the mysterious rainbow tera cave. His mind was fraught with decisions on what course of action to take next. After all, there were four students turned into Pokémon. There was no way he could keep this a secret! As much as he wanted to avoid a public panic, he knew he had to notify someone. That someone being Director Clavell.
Wasting no further time, he hopped out his chair and made a beeline to the Director's Office, hoping he would be there. At the same time, he prayed no harm would befall upon the gang.

The group of one human and four human turned Pokémon arrived in Area One of the South Province. Giacomo glanced around to ensure no one was watching before speaking, "Well, I guess it's time to call a taxi eh?"

Nemona spoke up, "Wait!"

Everyone looked at her. Juliana asked, "What is it, Nemona?"

The student council president nervously replied, "Um… we don't have to rush back to human form, do we?"

"What are you talking about?" Arven retorted, "Of course we do!"

Juliana put a hand on Arven to calm him, before saying to Nemona, "What do you mean by that?"

Nemona tentatively explained, "It's just that… For the longest time, I've wondered what it was like to be a Pokémon! And now that I am one… I really want to make the most of this! So… what I'm saying is… could we walk around as Pokémon for a bit? Just to be Pokémon? After that, we can go to Paldea's Highest Peak and change back!"

Arven sighed, "Nemona, we don't really know what power has possessed us into Pokémon. This isn't something we should take lightly."

Penny gave her input, "I understand, it's exciting to be a Pokémon. But we weren't born Pokémon. This isn't what we're meant to be. We're human beings."

"I know, I know!" Nemona insisted, "I just want to have fun… Besides, we're in an area where the Pokémon aren't as strong. It shouldn't be too dangerous."

Giacomo noted, "Well, if we just keep a low profile. I don't see why not."

Everyone turned to Juliana. Arven spoke, "What do you think, Juliana?"

Juliana thought about it from both sides. True, experiencing something like being a Pokémon does sound fun. But Arven is also correct. They don't know what power turned them into this. They don't know much other than they went into a rainbow tera crystal, and they came out like that. Also, Juliana was still curious about that vision she had before waking up.

"Um… well you guys…" Juliana started to speak. But another voice from the gate to the Mesagoza interrupted them.

"Hey Giacomo!"

Everyone looked to see it was Ortega. He was marching up to them with a purposeful expression. Everyone immediately gave a neutral expression. Giacomo was friendly, "Hey Ortega! How's it going?"

Ortega looked at the 'Pokémon' before answering, "Heh, you still got those Pokémon I see."

Giacomo gave a thumbs up, "Yup! That's right. The uh… trainers asked me to take them for a walk. I'll be giving them back after!"

Ortega still appeared confused, "Hmm… ah, whatever. I uh… have a question for you!"

"What's up buddy?"

The fairy specialist surprised everyone with his question, "Do you know where Juliana is?"

Giacomo panicked for a second, but he kept his cool and answered, "Nope! Sorry."

Ortega slouched his shoulders slightly, "Aw… okay. Well, thanks anyway."

Floette Juliana eyeballed Giacomo, which he took notice of. He inquired, "What did you need with her? Let me guess, you want a battle with her again? Heheh!"

Ortega became a bit tense, "Not exactly. I mean yeah, I would like a re-match sometime. It's just that…Well I… I'll tell you. But you better not laugh!"

Giacomo sighed, "Buddy, come on. You know me better than that. I would never!"

"S-Sorry." Ortega apologized, "You're right. Okay… the truth is. I want to be her friend…"

Giacomo nodded in understanding. Floette Juliana was quite surprised at this revelation. Penny looked away to hide her happy face. She was proud of Ortega trying his best to make more friends. Arven raised an eyebrow, and Nemona gave a secret smile and approving gesture to her battle bestie.

Giacomo was also proud of his bud, "Hey man, I had a feeling you wanted to be more friendly with her. So this was no shocker to me."

Ortega explained, "But every time I talk to her, I just end up sounding like a complete jerk! I'm not trying to be mean on purpose, it just happens! Why am I like this? I just want to communicate with people better…"

Juliana felt a rush knowing she was listening in on a conversation that Ortega definitely wouldn't want her to hear. But because she's currently a Floette, he has absolutely no idea that she's right there and hears every word. It was making her feel giddy.

Giacomo could feel a bit of that same rush too, knowing Juliana was hearing this. But despite that he kept it cool, "Hey dude, don't beat yourself up over it. Be a little kinder to her for sure, but don't give up so easily."

"I won't." Ortega assured, "Giacomo, you're a lot better at this stuff than I am. Could you give me some pointers on how to talk to her?"

Giacomo advised, "I usually ask her how her day's going. Or what she's been up to. That usually keeps the conversation going comfortably. I also ask how her Pokémon are doing."

Ortega took in the advice, "Okay, I see… Heh, I feel kind of dumb that I didn't think of that myself. It seems so simple."

Giacomo assured him, "Hey, socializing doesn't come easy for everyone. Some people need more practice than others. You just need experience, that's all."

"Thanks Giacomo." Ortega expressed, "Hey, if you see her. Could you tell her I'm looking for her? I want to try that out."

Giacomo gave a thumbs up, "I will. No problem buddy!"

"Thanks. Uh… I'm gonna get going now." Ortega excused himself, "I have to study for this test…"

"All right, take care buddy."

After the two waved bye and Ortega disappeared, there was an awkward silence before Juliana began to laugh. Giacomo also couldn't help but grin, "Oh wow! It must have been so hard for you to keep a straight face through that Juliana!"

"That was GREAT!" Juliana enthused, "He was talking about me and had no idea I was here!"

Nemona was laughing too, "Haha! See? It's fun to be a Pokémon!"

Penny replied, "I'm so proud of Ortie."

Arven took a playful tone with Juliana, "Wow cutie, I knew you could be a troublemaker sometimes. But not like this! Tsk, tsk!"

"Oh, come on Arven. That was great!" Juliana replied, "Okay, so that was fun!" Her eyes lit up, "Ah! Maybe Giacomo could talk to others, and we could see if someone else talks about one of us! Tee hee!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Giacomo protested, "Look, I understand eavesdropping can be fun sometimes. But isn't that taking it a little too far?"

Juliana replied, "We aren't people who gossip to others for fun. It's something we can keep between us!"

"Ooh, I wonder if I could find people who secretly want to battle me!" Nemona added.

Penny interjected, "Excuse me! We're in the middle of something crazy here. We've had a bit of fun now, shouldn't we head to Paldea's Highest Peak?"

Arven agreed, "I'm with Penny here. Yeah, it was pretty funny to hear him talk about Juliana when she was here. But we shouldn't be messing around when we're like this. Besides, we shouldn't use our forms to take advantage of others like this."

Juliana felt bad, "Oh… yeah. You're right. I got caught up in this. We should get going. I'm sorry."

Arven smiled, "It's okay Juilana. Let's just head to Paldea's Highest Peak like Penny said."

"Yeah, let's do that."

Nemona was a bit disappointed, but she agreed, "Okay, fine."

Giacomo grinned, happier with that direction, "On that note. Let me call a taxi!"

So the group summoned a taxi and it arrived quickly. The driver and Giacomo exchanged thumbs up when the Team Star boss told him he wanted to be taken to Paldea's Highest Peak. On the way up in the air, Giacomo kept natural by saying how he wanted to take pictures of the incredible view.

Floette Juliana and Skiddo Arven happened to lock eyes, and Arven leaned over to give her a lick. Something that made Juliana giggle.

"Don't get weird on us now guys." Penny whispered very quietly to them.

Juliana shook her head in denial as a response. As they got high in the sky and closer to the mountain, the snow began to fall. This made the gang huddle together for warmth.

As the driver began the slow decent onto the peak, the gang could see a vibrant rainbow glow emanating through the snow. This brought a slight sense of relief to them..

Juliana whispered to Arven, "There it is. We'll be back to normal soon."

Arven whispered back, "I hope so… Once we are, I'll give you the tightest hug." He winked at her. Juliana couldn't help but blush.

The driver halted at the top of the peak and allowed the gang to exit. Giacomo gave him a 'thanks' and a thumbs up and watched him leave. Once he was fully out of sight, they turned to the rainbow cave. Giacomo couldn't take his eyes off it, "Whoa… so is this what you guys saw?"

Penny answered, "It is. I hope this means our little nightmare is over now."

Giacomo's rotom phone began to ring, he picked it up, "Yeah?"

Professor Jacq's voice rang through, "Hello Giacomo! This is Jacq."

"Hey Jacq! I've got some good news, we got to the cave successfully!"

"Oh, that's wonderful Giacomo! Listen, I have Director Clavell here with me. He would like to speak with Juliana, Arven, Penny, and Nemona."

"Sure thing!" He looked down at the human turned Pokémon, "Hey guys, it's for you!" He put the phone down at their level.

"Hello guys! Can everyone hear me?" Clavell's voice came through.

"Director Clavell! We've been turned into Pokémon!" Nemona declared without hesitation.

"Yes, I've heard the whole story from Jacq. I didn't want to believe it at first. But then Jacq shared with me the strange signals that he's received."

Juliana asked, "Director, do you think we'll find any more strange tera caves like this one?"

Clavell sighed, "Only time will tell Juliana. But I must ask that if you find another strange cave, please do not enter."

"You better believe we won't." Arven remarked.

"But for now. The only option I see to turn you guys back to normal, is to re-enter the rainbow cave. So go on ahead and give it a try."

Juliana suddenly became nervous, "Okay, we'll do it!"

"I hope this works…" Penny muttered.

"Why don't you guys give it a shot?" Giacomo encouraged, "I'll be waiting right here!" That's when he took note of his surroundings, "Wow, you can see all around from up here! It's like I'm on top of the world!"

Nemona expressed some disappointment, "Well, this whole being a Pokémon thing was nice while it lasted. But I'm ready to be human again!"

"Let's not waste any more time." Arven stated, "Let's get moving!"

With Giacomo anxiously waiting, the gang approached the rainbow colored tera cave. After staring at it for a few minutes, they exchanged confident nods with one another and reached out to touch the cave. Immediately, they were sucked into the cave.

Once again, they were falling. It was that same tunnel of darkness with unknown energy surrounding them. They all started screaming again and did their best to stay together. Except this time, something strange happened. A mysterious force began to pull them apart in different directions.

Juliana shouted, "Arven! Nemona! Penny!"
She could hear them yelling back, but they got further and further away until she couldn't see them anymore. That's when she blacked out.

When she woke up, she found herself resting upon a bed of multi-colored flowers facing a blue sky. There were white, fluffy cotton clouds and a rainbow. Sitting up, she saw that she was in a vast field of green grass that seemed to go on forever. Looking down at herself, she could see that she had human hands again, and legs. She also had her backpack back on her shoulders.

She gasped and felt her face, "Ah! I'm back to normal again! But… where's everyone else? I have to find them!" She hopped to her feet, making sure to take careful steps forward. The problem with that plan was the field was so vast. There was nothing but green grass and rolling hills in every direction, and no way to tell which direction to go.

"Where am I supposed to go?" Juliana whispered.

The whistle of the wind was the response she got. At that moment a bunch of flower petals gathered and floated in front of her. This got her puzzled, "Huh?"

The flower petals remained stationary for a moment before they began flying away, they soared in a line like the tail of a kite. As confused as Juliana was, she was compelled to follow the flower petal trail. She kept up with them, passing by a few sizeable rocks in the process. Juliana was nervous about this, but she knew it was her only option at the moment.

"Where are you taking me?" She called out to the petals, despite knowing they probably wouldn't answer. They took her to the top of a hill. Once there, Juliana was able to look out and see a withered, leafless tree in the distance. The petals waited as she leaned forward to catch her breath.

"What is happening here?" She asked aloud.

The petals began heading for the tree. Juliana knew she had to continue following, so she did. When they reached the tree, the petals stopped and floated in place. Juliana looked up at the tree, then at the petals.

"What are we doing here?"

The petals slowly got a bit closer to the tree, then began to spin in a funnel like a tornado. The wind began to pick up and Juliana braced herself. Suddenly, a ring of light shot out from the center of the twirling petals and spread across the ground, briefly illuminating the environment. Juliana shielded her eyes as the earth quacked momentarily.

Once everything had calmed down, Juliana opened her eyes to see the tree had now grow many vibrant, green leaves and was full of life. Complete contrast from what it looked like before.

That's when Arven stumbled out from behind the tree holding his head, he was human again. He also had his signature bag on him.

"Uughh…" He groaned.

Juliana's eyes flew wide, "Arven!" She immediately yelled out.

Arven snapped fully awake, "Juliana!?"

With a wave of relief washing over her, Juliana rushed over to him. She rushed into him, flinging her arms around him. He returned the embrace.

"Juliana, oh thank goodness I've found you!" He exhaled, "And we're back to normal!"

Juliana felt a tear in her eye, "I was starting to feel so alone. I'm glad I found you!"

He pulled back to look at her, "Have you seen Nemona and Penny?"

She shook her head, "Not yet…"

"Come on, let's search for them." He took her hand.

Juliana smiled, "I'm just glad I'm not alone anymore. What is this world by the way?" She looked around with a bewildered face.

"I have no idea… Your guess is as good as mine."

That's when Juliana noticed a rock arch in the distance.

"Let's look over there." She pointed.

"Hm? Oh, I see. Wow, that sure is interesting to look at." Arven noted.

They started to walk. Both were still baffled as to what world they had woken up in.

"Do you remember anything happening before I found you?" Juliana inquired.

Arven shook his head, "No, not at all. I remember hearing a voice though…"

"A voice? What did it say?"

Arven gazed up at the sky, "Something about working together in the face of adversity. But the voice was so faded I couldn't understand everything it was saying."

A puzzled Juliana replied, "Huh… that's interesting. Still, we have done that a lot… heheh…."

"We sure have." Arven agreed.

That's when they reached the rock formation. It was a natural landform where an arch has formed from a red rock with an opening underneath. In the opening, they quickly spotted Nemona back to human form sprawled out across a patch of grass surrounded by sand. Her bag was next to her.

"Nemona! It's Nemona!" Juliana exclaimed and the couple rushed over to her. Juliana fell to her knees and shook her, "Nemona! Wake up Nemona!"

Nemona stirred a little bit, "Mm… where… where'd you all go…?"

Arven crouched too, "Hey Nemona! Wake up!"

The student council president snapped awake, "Aaah!" She jolted upright, "Juliana! Arven!"

Juliana sighed, "Nemona, are you all right?"

Nemona felt her face, then her torso. She then looked down at her legs, "We're human again! We did it!" She cheered.

"Don't celebrate yet. We still have to find Penny." Arven cautioned.

Nemona noticed her absence, "Oh, I know we'll find her soon! Hopefully she'll be a human again too! I'm so happy to see you guys!"

"Let's find her quickly." Arven stated.

Nemona grabbed her bag and secured it across her body, "All right, I'm ready!"

The gang now three, they hurried over to the top of a hill. Hoping the vantage point would give them a clue on where to find Penny. They noticed a woodland edge that wasn't too far from them.

"Let's look there!" Nemona exclaimed, "It looks like a forest! Come on, let's check it out!" She instantly began dashing ahead.

"Would you slow it down a little?" Arven barked. This gave Juliana a much-needed laugh. It gave her hope that things would soon be back to normal. However, something caught her attention.

"Okay, that woodland edge wasn't there before." Juliana mentioned.

"Huh? It wasn't?" Arven replied.

"Nope. When I woke up I was surrounded by nothing but grassy field for miles. I have a feeling that this environment is changing."

Arven crossed his arms, "If that's the case, we have to be very careful."

Nemona reacted excitedly, "That's so cool! We're in a magical wonderland!"

Arven sighed, "Could you at least act a little worried?"

Nemona clapped her hands together, "I would Arven, but I'm too interested in knowing what this place is! It's a really beautiful place!"

"Never mind that!" Juliana spoke up, "Let's just focus on finding Penny. She could be in that forest. Let's go in."

Juliana grabbed Arven's hand, and then reached over to link arms with Nemona. Nemona eagerly went along, "Woo hoo! Here we go!"
And they stepped into the forest together.

They found themselves in a perpetually dark space with luminescent mushrooms providing small circles of light. Nemona was drawn to these mushrooms, "Oh wow! How cool!" She reached out to touch one, and it illuminated brighter in response. Nemona jumped back and laughed.

Juliana giggled at Nemona's reaction, Arven simply shook his head.

"That is pretty cool!" Juliana replied.

"Hey you two, look!" Arven suddenly yelled at a fast pace.

Juliana and Nemona turned to see a human Penny laying under a glowing mushroom. They all rushed up to her.

"Penny!" Juliana shook her.

Penny had no trouble waking up, she immediately turned to her friends, "Guys? Where are we?"

Nemona cheered, "We're all back together now! Time to cheer! Woooo!"

Penny's eyes widened, "Hey, we're all human again! Sweet!"

"We are. But we're in some strange world." Arven explained.

Juliana smiled, "I'm glad we're all okay."

Penny looked at their surroundings, "Wow… this place reminds me of Glimwood Tangle from my home region in Galar."

Nemona replied, "Really? Oh, I so want to check that place out now!"

Juliana explained to Penny all that had happened up till that moment. How she woke up in a grassy field on a bed of flowers. Where she found Arven and how, and how they located Nemona. Penny was in complete disbelief.

"Whoa, that's crazy." Penny stated.

"So the next step is how do we get out of here?" Arven inquired, "We're clearly not in Paldea anymore. Instead we're in some weird fantasy land."

"And the environment is changing." Juliana added, "This forest wasn't here until a few minutes ago."

Arven suggested, "We should probably get out of here before the forest disappears and decides to take us with it."

Everyone got to their feet. Penny replied, "That's a good idea. Let's go."

As they made their way out of the forest, Juliana observed, "I haven't seen any Pokémon since being here."

Nemona looked around, "You're right. As a matter of fact, there hasn't been anything else here except just nature."

They got out of the wooded area and back into the open field. Everything was perfectly calm and still. Strangely enough, nothing new appeared.

"Huh…" Juliana glanced around, "Nothing popped up."

Penny suggested, "Is it because we've all found each other?"

"Could be." Juliana answered.

Without warning, the day turned into night like a switch flipped. The gang was instantly confused and looked around with alarm.

"Whoa, who turned out the lights!?" Arven exclaimed.

Penny was looking up into the now dark sky, "What sort of trippy nonsense is this!? I feel like were in a simulation or something!"

"Whoa, this is getting so weird!" Nemona observed.

"Guys, look!" Juliana yelled, pointing toward something.

A white beam of light emanated like a beacon in the field. Juliana focused on the light, feeling like something was calling them.

"Cool!" Nemona enthused, "Let's go check it out!" She began to run ahead.

"Nemona, wait for us!" Juliana called and followed her.

"Hold on, don't rush into things!" Arven cautioned and followed.

"Hey, wait up you guys!" Followed Penny.

When they got close to the light. It continued to glow for a moment, until a figure began to form. Slowly, a white, equine shape began to appear.

"What is that?" Juliana questioned. Arven stepped slightly ahead of her and put his arm out protectively.

What appeared before them resembled a qilin or centaur with a gray, vertically-striated underside. The striated pattern has similar recurrences on the underside of its mane, tail, and face. Its four-pointed feet tipped with gold hooves.

Green eyes and red pupils looked down upon them, like a teacher addressing its students.

Nemona's mouth was agape with shock, "Whoa, whoa! What in the world is that!?"

Juliana's rotom dex spoke to her,

Arceus

The Alpha Pokémon

It is told in mythology that this Pokémon was born before the universe even existed. According to the legends of Sinnoh, this Pokémon emerged from an egg and shaped all there is in this world.

Juliana's eyes widened and her heart began to race once it set in that they were standing before the almighty Pokémon that had created all. And she wasn't the only one.

"Whoa, you're the Pokémon that created the universe!" Nemona pointed out, "Wow, guys! Wow, wow, WOW! We're meeting Arceus right now! THE ARCEUS CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT!?" She was jumping repeatedly while speaking.

Penny covered her hear closest to Nemona, "Yeah, we heard Juliana's rotom dex clarify that without you screaming it."

Arven was stunned, "Wow… this is insane. But… what why would Arceus be here?

There was a moment of hesitation before a deep voice rang out,

"Children, you have most pleased me with the bond you share with one another. It brings me great joy to see humans and Pokémon come together to overcome adversity."

"Ah! It's talking to us!" Nemona exclaimed.

Juliana couldn't believe it, "Is… Are you really Arceus?"

Arceus nodded,

"I am. Well, that is what mankind has come to call me. I have also been called "The Original One"."

"Were you the one that brought us here?" Arven inquired.

Arceus answered,

"Yes. In fact, I'm the one responsible for the current predicament that you all have faced."

Juliana gasped, "Wha… what?"

Penny replied, "So… the rainbow tera cave? You're the cause of that?"

"You turned us into Pokémon? Cool!" Nemona complimented.

"Why did you do that?" Arven questioned.

Arceus explained,

"As I said before. I enjoy seeing humans and Pokémon overcome adversity together. It was a test. To see if the bond you all shared was true. You did not disappoint. I haven't seen a bond like this in thousands of years… It brings me the upmost joy."

Juliana smiled, "We're all true companions to the end Arceus! It doesn't matter what you throw at us, we'll always stick together!"

"That's right!" Nemona replied with the same energy.

Arven crossed his arms, "We've gone through so much before. I think that should've demonstrated our bond well enough without turning us into Pokémon…"

Penny agreed, "Seriously, that was a trip and a half. One that I wouldn't want to go on again."

Arceus chuckled,

"I realize I have overstepped my boundaries. Forgive me for that. Rest assured; I won't do anything like that again. To you or to anyone else. I shall return you to your world now."

"Thank you Arceus!" Juliana expressed. Then, the world around them began to disappear into a golden white void. The voice of Arceus bid them farewell as the gang began to float,

"Take care of this sacred bond you all share. There is nothing more precious… farewell…"

The gang all yelled in surprise as everything faded away.

"Juliana? Hey Juliana!"

The voice of Giacomo sounded distant, then grew in clarity and volume as she returned to the world. Juliana was in the dark headed fast toward the light of the real world.

"Juliana! Arven! Nemona! Penny! Come on, wake up you guys!"

Juliana opened her eyes to the cloudy sky. She realized quickly she was laying in snow, she jumped up from the cold, "Ah! I'm freezing!" Her teeth chattered as she threw her arms across her torso in a feeble attempt to warm up.

That's when she realized she had arms. She looked down at them and felt her face, "I'm human again!"

Giacomo grinned, "You bet! And it's not just you, check it out!"

He pointed to Nemona, Arven, and Penny rousing from their sleep. All of them were human again.

"Guys, we're back!" Juliana cheered, getting to her feet and dusting the snow off her clothes. One by one, everyone stood up.

Giacomo explained, "When you guys first entered the cave, everything was calm at first. But then after ten minutes there was a flash! It was so bright it blinded me for a few minutes. Once my eyes were back to normal, you guys were on the ground. Human again! It was a shocker. The tera cave was gone too."

"Hahaha!" Nemona cheered, "We did it! We're back! Time for a big battle style celebration!"

Arven sighed, "You always have to turn things into that…"

Penny rolled her neck to pop it, "Whew… what a relief. I never want to go through that again. I'm seriously gonna binge on some anime once we get back."

Juliana smiled, "We're all safe now! That's what counts the most!"

Arven smiled back, "Cutie, you're always looking positively ahead…"

Juliana hopped into his arms, "Ha! I'd much rather have us like this so I can hug you!"

Arven laughed, "The feeling is mutual!"

Giacomo let out a boisterous laugh, "Hey now, maybe it's a good time for you two to have a lovely date! Hahaha!"

This made everyone laugh while Arven and Juliana blushed.

"That sounds like a good idea actually!" She agreed.

Arven held her hand, "I have just the plan."

Juliana sneezed, then exclaimed, "Now let's get out of here before we freeze to death!"

"I'll second that!" Penny put her hand up.

They summoned a taxi, they couldn't get out of there fast enough. Once they were further from the mountain, Juliana's rotom phone rang. She picked it up, "Hello?"

Professor Jacq's voice answered, "Juliana! I'm not able to pick up the signal of the strange cave anymore. Is everything all right?"

Juliana grinned, "Professor, great news! We're back to normal now!"

"What!? You are!? Oh, thank goodness! Are you students all right?"

Penny replied, "Better than ever! I can't wait to get back to my dorm."

Jacq let out a sigh, "Oh my… I can't imagine what you kids have gone through. It must have been terrible! I'm so glad it's over now. Although, I am worried that the cave will show up again…"

Remembering what Arceus said, Nemona assured, "Don't worry sir, I don't think they'll be appearing again. We're in the clear!"

Jacq replied with unease, "I'm not sure how you can be so sure about that Nemona. But you sound so certain…"

Juliana assured, "Everything will be okay!"

Arven stated, "I want to do everything I can to forget about this horrible experience."

"Ah, yes. I understand." Jacq replied sympathetically, "I will inform Director Clavell of the news immediately. In the meantime, you children should relax. You've earned it! All right, I'll be going now! Take care!"

"Bye!" Juliana bid before the two hung up.

Penny looked at Giacomo, "Momo… thank you so much for helping us. This would've been a lot harder without you."

Giacomo gave a thumbs up, "No worries! Hey Penny. You know you can call on me anytime! Me and the rest of Team Star are all eager to help!"

Juliana nodded, "You really saved us Giacomo. I don't know how to thank you!"

Giacomo smiled, "Hey Juliana. You helped save me and the rest of Team Star. It's only natural I return the favor! Oh! Remember that Ortega was looking for you Juliana. Heheh!"

Juliana acknowledged that, "I'll find him later. I need to destress first."

That's when the taxi arrived at the Mesagoza, it dropped them off at the big battle field in the center. They thanked the driver once they all hopped off.

Juliana stretched her arms above her head, "It's great to be back!"

Nemona declared proudly, "Now we can battle to our hearts content!"

Juliana giggled, while everyone just looked at her and sighed.

"Always true to yourself huh?" Giacomo replied, "Heh! I can respect that! Why don't you battle me Nemona?"

Nemona got a sparkle in her eye, "R-Really!?"

"Of course!" Giacomo nodded, "But let's go somewhere more private. How about the battle court in the school?"

"YES! ABSOLUTELY!" Nemona cheered, "Let's go, let's go right now!" She took off running. But only got a short distance before she looked over her shoulder, "I'll see you guys later! Come on Giacomo, let's go! Juliana, don't think I'm letting you off the hook! I'll still battle you later!"

"I'll be ready for that!" Juliana called back.

Giacomo chuckled and started to follow her. As he left, he told everyone, "I'll catch you guys later! Keep it real!"

Juliana, Arven, and Penny waved as they left. Penny looked at the couple, "Well, like I said before. I'm gonna go binge on some anime. I seriously need it after today. Hey Juliana? Later this week, we can catch up on that series?" She winked.

Juliana understood, "Ahhh, yeah! We can! Just some other time, okay?"

Penny smiled, "All right. I'll leave you two alone now. See you later!"

"Bye!"

Juliana and Arven waved as they watched Penny leave. Once she was gone, Arven turned to Juliana, "That series? What does she mean by that?"

Juliana's heart leaped, "I-It's nothing!"

Arven raised an eyebrow, "Hmm… okay? Well, anyway. It's been a long day. What do you want to do?"

"You said you had something in mind?"

"Oh right. I did. Hahaha!" Arven chuckled, "I wanted to check out the stars with you. But it's not night yet… What should we do until then?"

Juliana thought about it, "How about… we just relax somewhere? I don't want to walk around too much…"

"Yeah, I was thinking the same." Arven agreed.

"How about we go to my house? I'm sure my mom will be happy to see us! Citrine and Zircon would love to see you too, I'm sure!"

Arven smiled, "That's a great idea! It'd be cool to see that rambunctious duo again. Let's head on over right away!"

"Let's go then!"

The two called a taxi and asked to be taken to Cabo Poco. While in the taxi, Juliana leaned against Arven and he put his arm around her. She looked down at her hands, smiling warmly. It certainly was great to be human again. It brought immense joy to her heart.

It was now time to relax.

Author's Note: *flops down on floor* Ugh, yes it is time to relax now!

Geez, this was the longest chapter I've written in a LONG while! I'm so glad it's done!

I'm happy with how this turned out, I hope you guys enjoyed!

Time for a break! Whew... see you all next time!