By All Your Sins Remembered
By tremor3258
Post-game
6:00: Wake up - check
6:30: Hunt Doduo outbreak for shiny - check
7:15: Breakfast – check
8:00: Check auctions at Porto Marinada - check
9:30: Check rumors of rampaging Tera Gyarados in Casseroya – in progress
Clinging on to Miraidon's back, Juliana could confirm that, yes, there was a powerful wild Gyarados in the lake again, disturbing the lake's placid surface as other wild Pokemon fled the area. The massive sea serpent's body gleamed in Terastallization, the distinctive Dragon-type hat shape on his head. His tail slapped the water, sending another cascade of water and knocking the last few errant Slowbro out of the area.
The Gyarados roared, pleased with his power. Juliana patted Miraidon's neck. "You want him? Ogrepon's got her Wellspring Mask so she can carry me for a sec." The Paradox Pokemon grunted agreement, and dropped from the sky, fluffing up his throat and tail to float.
A minute later, it was all done. Juliana sat on Ogrepon's shoulders, who slipped her water mask on to easily float on the surface with her 'sandals'. Miradon moved to engage and Juliana tossed the Tera ball. Miraidon powered up to Apex Build, Terastallized and one quick Draco Meteor later, the Gyarados was knocked out of Tera and fleeing. Peace restored.
For probably a week until some other Gyarados found whatever Tera crystal vein was powering them up. That wasn't something Juliana had figured out how to fix yet.
A quick paddle ashore and sandwich distribution, and Juliana was checking the rest of her plan for the day.
12:00: Tutor Mela (Biology – check practice test answers)
12:30: Lunch Arven and Penny at new Internet Café (central Mesagoza)
14:30: Check Area Zero lab still sealed and population stable.
18:00: Study
20:00: Dinner (check sandwich supplies to restock)
"Wow, we're actually ahead for once!" Juliana said to Miraidon, pleased. That'd been an easy Tera type to handle without having to do much team switching, which was nice.
Miraidon, swallowing his sandwich, didn't bother replying. Alongside his trainer, the two were the best partnership in Paldea and the Iron Serpent knew it. Juliana didn't even register at this point most of the wild Tera Pokemon that were part of her self-appointed Champion duties were far beyond most Paldean trainers' capacity to battle.
"You're not too tired to do the Flight? I tried to factor in a Taxi but if we don't have to wait for one to show up, that'll save more time. And you're faster than a couple Squawkabilly," Juliana buttered the dragon up. Miraidon roared and nodded. Ogrepon squawked indiginantly around a mouthful.
"I mean, when everyone else is done of course," Juliana added, giggling. Unlike Miraidon, most Pokemon chewed their food.
The flight across Paldea was quick, with even a tailwind helping scoot things along. It was shaping up to be a great day, Juliana decided, as they landed at Uva Academy. Miraidon hopped into his ball quickly as Juliana smoothed her clothes, waving to acquaintances as she headed along the school grounds.
Uva was technically in a regular study session again by this point, but Geeta had pulled strings that Juliana's Treasure Hunt period was indefinite so long as her grades stayed up.
Juliana knew very well that Geeta was using it as an excuse for cheap labor to help keep Paldea's League-level issues under control. Penny had, indeed, explained (ranted, really) at length, unsure her easy-going friend understood.
There was so much she wanted and needed to do that a few extra chores were a drop in the bucket in exchange for the extra freedom.
She headed up the stairs and checked the time. 11:40 and some change in terms of seconds. She was doing better than she'd even thought! She hoped Mela was in her room already and knocked on the door.
Nothing. She knocked again, then put an ear against it to check. Mela hadn't said what she was doing before the time so it was possible she was in the gardens or art club.
Juliana was, as she was often told, a Champion-grade trainer, and Paldea's strongest. Whatever the source of her spectacular rise, she had the instincts and judgement to go with the strength at that level.
So, when she heard what sounded exactly like a Dazzling Gleam going off followed by a high-pitched shriek in an enclosed space belonging to one of her acquaintances, having a Legendary Pokemon burst down the door was an entirely reasonable call.
Mela was indeed inside, and whirled and gasped in surprise as her door was reduced to splinters by an enthusiastic cudgel-wielding grass Pokemon. She stood, having been sitting at her desk.
"Are you alright?" Juliana asked.
"Are you outta your mind?" Mela yelled at the same time. The Team Star admin shifted, cautiously putting down a Quick Ball she'd drawn forth.
Juliana and Ogrepon looked around, but it didn't seem there were any hostile Pokemon in the room. "I heard an attack go off," Juliana explained.
Mela sat up on her desk, and Juliana realized Mela was blocking her view of the screen. "I was watching a… show, you're not supposed to be here!" Mela said, accusingly.
"Togepi, beautiful heart gleaming attack!" Mela's unpaused computer chose to blare at this moment. Mela broke into a deep blush, covering her face with her hands.
"Is that Poke Cure?" Juliana asked excitedly, "I haven't been able to keep up with the new series but I watched 'Sparkling Fairy' in Galar all through."
Mela opened the fingers over her face, cautiously eyeing Juliana. "You don't think it's stupid? Watching a kids show?"
"Oh no, it was a great season!" Juliana enthused, "That's episode twelve, isn't it? Where Sparkle White partnered with Togepi? The part in episode forty where the locket's secret was a Shiny Stone was so amazing, wasn't it?"
As mentioned previously, Juliana's reflexes were as honed as her Pokemon training skills. Which is how she and Miraidon got out the window on the dorm room before Mela's Armarouge burned her down where she stood.
"What was that about?" Juliana asked as Miraidon deployed his wings. Miraidon roared back, equally confused, as they glided down to the courtyard, and turned to look behind them. Juliana glanced up and saw Mela staring out the window.
"JULIANA!" Mela roared, before running into the building. Remarkably quickly, she appeared at the main entrance, the air around her apparently distorting with heat, she and her Pokemon were so worked up.
"Well, we can let her cool down a bit," Juliana decided, "Before we ask what's wrong. You're faster than any Cyclizar and – ohmigosh she has the Schedar Starmobile! Faster!" Juliana urged, nudging Miraidon into motion as Team Star's secret weapon expanded into view. Juliana hadn't even known they could go into Poke balls.
"KNOW I AM THE GODDESS OF VENGEANCE AND HELLFIRE, JULIANA!" Mela roared, and Miraidon needed no second encouragement.
"How did she get into her Team Star gear so fast?" Juliana briefly said to herself before Miraidon cut in the jets and there wasn't breath to talk.
Arven and Penny had gotten a frantic and misspelled text, and after Penny ascertained Juliana's account hadn't been hacked, the two met in front of the café they were going to eat at earlier.
That their friend had free time to text extra was strange enough. That it read 'hlp chsd fire! Need plan! Lnch meeting plc!' was also weird since what in Pladea would be a threat to the newest Champion?
Miraidon and Juliana pulled up, stopping in a cloud of dust, like all of Area Zero was chasing them. Penny and Arven exchanged another glance and stepped forward, deeply concerned.
"She's chasing me, I don't know why. I think I lost her when I doubled back from the east Pokemon Center," Juliana panted. Miraidon just stuck his head in a nearby fountain and drank deeply.
"Did you get a fanclub?" Penny asked, curious.
"Buddy, that was a long sentence for you, are you okay?" Arven asked, worried.
He stopped and cocked his head, listening. "Does anyone else hear Team Star's theme?" he asked.
"Ohmigosh, she's onto me already," Juliana said, worried.
"Who?" Penny demanded.
"JULIANA! KNOW I WILL FIND YOU SINNER AND BURN ALL WHO TRY TO HIDE YOU!" came a very amplified sound from several blocks over, in apparent reply.
"Mela?" Penny scoffed, "How could you set her off studying? You're too nice for that. Anyway she was going to watch her ma-" Penny stopped, then edited as she continued, "Her show. She'd be in a good mood for your tutoring."
"Sparkling Fairy Poke Cure," Juliana confirmed, blithely, not paying attention as Arven smirked.
"Oh, you watch it too. Wait, you saw Mela watching it?" Penny said, alarmed.
"JULIANA!" came Mela's voice. It was distinctly closer, and the bass line was starting to resolve on the background music.
"Oh, you definitely saw," Penny confirmed.
"It's not silly or anything! I watched it too, when it was new last year! I was just being friendly!" Juliana insisted.
Penny put her hands on Juliana's shoulder and looked her straight in the eye. "Juliana. The Galar dub is a year ahead of the Pladean one. Episode twelve aired this week," Penny informed her dead friend walking.
"Oh no," the Champion of Paldea whispered.
"LET ALL KNOW MY SWIFT AND TERRIBLE REVENGE IS COMING!" Mela continued.
"Doesn't this town have cops? Or noise laws?" Arven mused.
"What did you say, Juliana?" Penny asked, urgently. Miraidon stopped drinking, and listened intently for a moment, before making pawing motions at the ground. They were running out of time.
"I may have mentioned something on Sparkle White's Togepi," Juliana equivocated.
"What on the Togepi? This is important," Penny insisted.
"I said, uh, what was in the locket?" Juliana offered hesistantly.
Penny released her grip on Juliana and spun on her heel. "Let's go Arven, we can't save this one."
"What?" Arven said, surprised.
"LET NONE STAND IN THE FIERY WAVE OF MY RAGE!" Mela said, at most two blocks away. The orange glint of flames were briefly visible in the distance.
"She is really much more erudite when she's angry," Arven commented, but Penny tugged at his hand.
"She gave away the biggest twist of the season, she has to face judgement," Penny insisted.
"Oh. Yeah. Uh, well, if you survive, you want to meet back here in half an hour if you two don't burn the place down?" Arven asked. He waved and turned to fall into step by Penny.
"Guys, very funny," Juliana said, worried. Her friends merely set off to get out of the blast radius, without replying.
Taking a corner on two wheels, the Schedar Starmobile screeched into view as it finished the turn, other cars and trucks driving up into the sidewalks to get out of the way as passerby fled the scene.
Backlit by the fires of the inferno itself, the Starmobile's master rode on top, pointing as she spotted her prey. "BREAKER OF SECRETS, FALL BEFORE MY JUDGEMENT AND BURN TO ASH!"
Well, since she was dead anyway, Juliana shouted, "Burnazan of Dark Fall's Four Sovereign Kings, right? How she becomes the fifth Sparkle will make you cry!"
"DIEEE!"
Eh, the Champion's probably fine. She's got a Wellspring Ogrepon.
Just a silly story idea of Mela being embarrassed at liking shows aimed at a younger audience. And different worldwide release dates make a world of pain when it comes to spoilers.
Not that it applies to any Pokemon shows on the horizon at all or anything.