We're getting there, almost to the halfway point. And this chapter is more vital than any for the journey we've been on with Juliana. Also, to clear a point people seemed confused on; Arven wasn't kidnapped. He was taken hostage and then let go when Navi Squad made their escape. Had to say something, because it would be very confusing this chapter otherwise. Anyway, please enjoy Chapter 11.


Chapter 11

A Snapping

The first thing Gloria did was make a tremendous fuss.

Well, not entirely the first thing, but Juliana felt she was in such a haze that it may as well have been the entire time. Navi Squad was left abandoned, the few recovering Star members scattering to the forest, while Arven recovered from his ordeal. Koraidon attempted to lick him, but it did little good. Nor did it stop the growing look of concentration on Ash's face as he observed the holes around the base.

"Stop thinking so hard, twerp, you'll have an aneurysm."

"Den you musta had at least five, Jess."

"What are we still doing here…?"

"Wob."

The quartet went ignored, especially by Gloria, who saw to their wounds. And eventually, when Ash had finished, she promptly marched them straight out of the Thicket. When the dusty pass to Zapapico was in sight, then Gloria decided to lose it.

"What the hell were you thinking?!" she screeched. Arven winced, but Juliana couldn't find it in her to do that. Her mind was still back in the forest, her fists still clenched. "I put you to train, not…whatever the bloody hell that was."

"No offense," Arven squeaked out, "but your Pokémon were trying to kill us."

"Then you should have fought harder, you daft numpty!" Gloria knocked the boy on the head, as if teaching him to talk back. Arven just snarled, getting right in her face.

"We fought hard as we could, but your Pokémon don't know the meaning of holding back. Some Champion you are, unable to show restraint!" Grapploct looked a little too proud at that notion, with Cinderace thumping him and shaking his head. "And besides, it wasn't like we chose where we ended up."

"Where you ended up…" Ash folded his arms. Pikachu looked at him with worry and consternation, waving his little paw like he hoped his trainer would cease his attempt to think.

It provided Juliana a reprieve, though, at least from all the shouting.

The turmoil inside was a different story.

Giacomo. Mela. Atticus. Each encounter with Team Star, intentional or otherwise, felt like it was leaving scars. A reminder of what once was, and of what was going on around her. The more she dove in, the more her mind wanted to block it off. They didn't, and couldn't, matter. She needed to walk her road for the same reason she'd left them before. Everything else remained a distraction.

Juliana looked over to Arven, getting knuckled by Gloria, and it felt even worse. His selfless zeal hurt, and having seen the fire burning inside Atticus, she could only question her own motivation.

Coward.

Juliana shook her head, desperately denying it. She wasn't. She just knew what she wanted. And if Cassiopeia was so desperate to have her there so they wouldn't be alone, then Team Star was as delusional as ever. I can work with others, but I'm not a coward for ignoring distractions. I'm not. There's no purpose to-

"Earth to Juliana! Oi!" Something hit her on the head, a Chesto Berry that dropped to the ground. That drew her out of her fraying thoughts enough to look up and blink. Gloria sighed. "You're a real space case. But I'm glad you're okay." She wrapped Juliana up in a headlock, ruffling her hair with minimal complaint but a smile on her face. "Don't worry me like that again."

"S-sure…" Not like you'll be around much longer, either.

"Tell me about those holes." Ash's voice sounded like his brain finally caught up to where his eyes had once been looking. Pikachu shook his head with exasperation.

"Pikapi…pika pikachu."

"I'm working on it, Pikachu. But seriously."

"They lead to Phantom Zero's base," Arven answered. Both Ash and Gloria craned their necks at the assertion, and Juliana shook her head with confirmation. Looking up as they processed the information, she could see the stone buildings and sloping hills of Zapapico getting close, civilization arriving at long last. "Well, did at least. Who knows after we tore through that place."

"What was their base like?" Ash asked. His narrowed eyes were taking in all aspects of information, studying them keenly.

"A black market, really," Juliana choked out. Gloria let go of her, allowing her to walk under her own power. "Bunch of odds and ends that the Phantom seemed to run. They called it the 'Underworld'. The Phantom had a lot of other information, too, like notes on Team Star bases and the Academy and some other building I didn't recognize. League stuff, maybe?"

"The Phantom…" Ash was starting to groan, running his hands through his hair. "This is getting complicated."

"Then punch through it! That's what you do best, Ash!" Gloria said, punching at the air. Cinderace and Grapploct joined her while Corviknight rolled his eyes from the air above.

"Need more information before that. Though maybe he'd know something," Ash said. Gloria stiffened, frowning, but didn't argue whatever point they were sharing. Ash, however, turned back to Jessie, James and Meowth. "Unless you three know anything. Alastair or Y get in contact with you."

"No, they have not!" Jessie protested. She stomped her feet and planted herself where she stood. The others nearly fell over trying to stand with her. "And if they came knocking, I'd run the other way."

"That kind of work is for a past day!" James agreed.

"So don't rope us into yer fray!"

"Wobb wobba!"

Gloria stopped, looking back at the posing group with a quirked eyebrow. "Which means…what exactly?"

The quartet paused, looking at each other, and then James slipped a cube out of his sleeve. They responded as one. "Means we're blasting off while the blasting's good! Sayonara!"

Smoke exploded around them, and once it receded, the group was gone. Juliana found herself missing them right away. Just a little.

"Ah, Zapapico!" Arven announced. In two words he had taken their worries and conflicts away, smothered by the warm embrace of civilization. It placed all those troubles behind, and in the cool tower that was Mount Glaseado's reach, Juliana tried to let her conflict melt off her. She and the others stepped over the threshold and into the lively town before them.

Even with her confused state, Juliana could soak in the town. Under the light of the day's dying sun, Zapapico was a town bathed in amber clay and beautiful lights. There was no festival like Cortondo, but the simple provincial town on the frontier of mining territory spoke to a hustle and bustle that Juliana couldn't recall seeing elsewhere. It offered a temporary balm on her aching heart.

Arven led their group into town, turning this way and that, prompting Juliana to follow his gaze. The adults near them showed no such indication, having seen all of it before and knowing exactly where they were heading. To that effect, Ash started to take lead, waving to some citizens that knew him, but otherwise keeping them on a straight path to their destination: the Pokémon Center.

Said Center was located near the upper reaches of the town, up a long set of stairs and set amidst the residential area, lined by a balcony. From the smallest of looks, that balcony looked over a battle court where some young children were simulating a battle to mixed results. Yet there was no sight of a Gym anywhere in the vicinity. Just homes, stores and the rustic feel of a place where people rose early and slept early, all under the watchful eye of Mount Glaseado.

Seeing that height made Juliana's breath catch, almost imagining the flying Starmobile and Atticus atop it.

Stop running.

Juliana screwed her eyes shut, hoping when they opened, she could forget about what had transpired. Alas, it did not happen, and the quartet arrived at the Pokémon Center, a place far too busy for such a provincial setting. A mere look through the window revealed the reason, and when the doors opened, said reason looked up to greet them.

"Ah, so you were able to find them," Geeta said. She brushed some hair out of her face and autographed someone's notebook with a smile. Then she turned and approached. "You had Gloria quite worried, Miss Juliana. And if your parents knew, Arven-"

"Eh," Arven said with a shrug, dismissing the very notion. "Though, aren't you pretty busy, Miss Geeta, to be sticking around for us?"

"More sticking around for me than anything…" Ash muttered. Pikachu muttered alongside him, both displeased at the notion of a babysitter. "Though I guess that's a good thing. Got some stuff to talk about."

"Boring stuff, no doubt," Gloria said with an overdramatic yawn. "When did you become so responsible Ash? I miss my wild, unorthodox teacher!"

"Let's have a battle again and I'll show you, Gloria!" For the first time, Gloria flinched just a bit at the prospect. She didn't back down in the slightest, and soon played it off with a laugh.

Geeta sighed. "Perhaps you should get your Pokémon looked at, instead. No doubt Miss Juliana's and Arven's Pokémon are exhausted."

The shake of the balls on her belt indicated just as much. Koraidon merely whined and tramped over to a corner, where he curled himself up and decided to rest. The Herba Mystica may have healed his wounds and given him energy, but he was certainly not at peak performance. Juliana didn't blame him, barely able to keep on her own feet. Thus, she heeded Geeta's suggestion and approached Nurse Joy at the desk.

To her dismay, they weren't the only ones there.

"Thanks for all the help, Nurse Joy! Now, team, we're going back to training! I think Kofu would make a good opp-oh! Juli!" The boisterous voice of Nemona was quite enough to make Juliana feel penned in. Not acknowledging the girl, she handed over her Poké Balls and tried to ignore the presence that took up the entire room. "I heard la primera mention something about you being around, but I didn't expect to run into you! Que emocionado!"

"Nemona," Arven said, greeting the girl. She grinned at him, her freckles standing out, and she managed to move aside to let him deposit Crocalor's Poké Ball with the nurse. "What brings you by?"

"Training on Mount Glaseado, of course." Both could only roll their eyes at the obviousness of that statement. "But now we're ready to move on. Just made a bit of a stop when I heard la primera and Ash were in town… Though they won't battle me…"

"And you're just the same as ever." She took that as a straight compliment. Juliana turned away, the pressure Nemona exuded with her effervescent obsession with battling choking her. "Is there really nothing you do besides battle? Outside student council duties, of course."

"I mean, sure… I…" Nemona tilted her head, deep in thought, and Juliana took it as her chance to try and retreat to Koraidon's side. She didn't make it far before Nemona began to stutter, a blush filling her face. "Wh-what about you, Arven? You look like you've toughened up some! Look at those broad shoulders!"

"You're avoiding the question, you know," Arven teased, poking the older girl in the cheek. If anything, she flushed further and tried to wave him off. "And if you must know, we've been busy running from one thing to another."

"So it would seem," Geeta said, now approaching the pair. Juliana found herself at Koraidon, petting him softly, but not with enough distance to block out the conversation. "Phantom Zero and Team Star, is it? Tell me everything, if you can."

"Everything?" Arven asked, his face drawn into one of horror. Juliana felt his eyes on her back, but she said nothing. She just wanted some silence.

"Well, whatever you can."

"So, the League is taking an interest in them, huh?" More confusion met Arven's last statement. Well, confusion from everyone but Nemona.

"Team Star again, amigos?! Why do you guys keep getting involved in all these awesome battles and never invite me. I'd love that kind of challenge to-"

"Because we're not battling them because we want to!" Juliana snapped, unable to take it anymore. She hardly realized the words had left her own mouth, and almost felt horrible when they did, until she remembered just who she was talking to. Her hands gripped tight on Koraidon's feathers, and she turned to glare at Nemona, who just stood there, mouth agape. Atticus's words, Serena's words, the confrontation with Mela; everything that had been churning inside her gave a venom to her words, and one she couldn't stop from exploding. "This isn't about battling for fun or having a challenge. I don't want to fight them, and to see you treat it like some challenge is…it's just…"

Juliana sucked in a breath and leveled a glare at her. "Stop trying to fit me in your box."

"Juli…" Nemona, still surprised by the outburst, reached forward. Her hand dropped before touching Juliana's shoulder, though. There was silence through the Center, far too many uncomfortable eyes upon her. She wanted to run. "I… Battling's my thing. I love it. When I battle that's a chance to bring joy out. I know it's the same for others."

"Not always," Ash said. His voice was kind, but showed a remarkable wisdom behind it. His touch must have been the same, because Nemona relaxed when his hand was on her shoulder. "Not everyone's the same. They can't be. Putting everyone nice and neat in their own little boxes means we keep ourselves that way, you know? If we could only bring joy through battling, Serena'd be out of a job."

"It's true, Nemona," Geeta assured the girl, though this appeared to just confuse her further. "There are many things to bring joy, just as there are many things battling is used for. And you have such a great love and passion for it; I could feel that when we once battled. But…is that all it's good for? Of course not. Some, like Ash, battle to understand their opponent."

"And people like my friend Clemont see battling as something on the side. His real passion is inventing!"

"And others battle only to protect," Gloria pitched in, her voice low and pensive. Juliana felt Gloria's eyes back on her, yet not really seeing her, and it caused her to shake again. She still wanted to get out of there, and felt the slightest glimmer of hope when Nurse Joy emerged with a tray of Poké Balls. "Some people see battling as some higher calling, making their lives sunless so as the next generation can see a bright tomorrow. To them, battling for the sake of it is…"

"But…then why do we have Leagues? And the Treasure Hunt?" Nemona asked, though every word sounded like it was spoken with intense thought and breath. "To be the best, right? To meet others in battle. To find a treasure and bring others into battling! So shouldn't we seek every challenge no matter-"

"You really don't understand a thing," Juliana snapped, finally stepping away. She snatched her Poké Balls from Nurse Joy and brushed past Arven to make for the door. "But I'm not surprised. You're so obsessed with it, how could ever understand when someone doesn't want to, anyway."

"But, Juli, then help me-"

The sound of the Pokémon Center door closing cut Nemona off, drowning Juliana in the dusk of Zapapico.

Finally, she had attained some semblance of peace, alone with her thoughts.

Juliana started to walk, not knowing where to, but knowing she had to. Seeing Nemona again, the girl's shallow drive to battle, only drove everything in further. Her words about bringing joy, as if it forged some kind of connection did nothing but piss her off. There was nothing to forge in a battle, just a broken bond. She had tried to see otherwise, but confronting Atticus, it merely reminded her that she couldn't find anything stepping into that world.

All she would get out of it was a broken heart.

Two steps forward, one step back, Juliana lamented, finally finding a bench near the battle court. She sat herself upon it, allowing her body to grow limp at the thoughts invading her. Some were positive, like her Pokémon and Arven's earnest dream, while every encounter with her former comrades played like a nightmarish reel with no end.

You need to stop running and engage.

If Juliana could, she would have cracked the bench right then and there. She wasn't running. Or if she was, it was towards something, not away. Yet the more she thought, the more she realized she didn't quite know what she was running towards. All she knew was that she had to get there, and everything else was mere distraction. Juliana sighed and looked towards the sky.

There was a flash of purple flame, barely visible in the deepening night, but it caused her to stand. She reached out for it, knowing that Ceruledge was there, just beyond sight and watching her. And again, she was visited by the conflicted pangs of her own actions.

This is happening because you won't pick a side.

Juliana shrunk back, her hand quavering and unable to stop. Ceruledge was her fault. Operation Star 2.0 was her fault. And all she could think about was Arven, offering to help her no matter his own impediment.

Like that, her selfish world began to implode around her…and she wanted to draw it close. She clutched at her chest, feeling her own heartbeat ramp up, her breaths becoming shallow pants. The voices of all those who had chastised her entered her, and she wanted nothing more than to shut them up. To keep going towards the only things she had left. The only treasure that gave her life purpose.

"Juli!" Nemona's voice shot Juliana up, giving her just enough to pull herself together. Once she had, she tried to put as much distance between them as possible. The girl's long strides made that impossible, and she caught her by the shoulder. "You're-you're right, I don't really understand. Why you hate battling when you're so good at it. Why you push me away. I don't, but you can help me under-"

"Maybe I just don't like you," Juliana said, throwing her hand off. In doing so, she caught sight of Arven, Gloria, Ash and Geeta bringing up Nemona's rear, as if to pay witness to the conversation. "Or I don't understand why you throw so much time into just 'getting better'. For what? So you can have more pointless battles? That's not me, and I wish you'd leave me alone."

"They're…they're not pointless!" Nemona stomped at the ground, as if it would keep Juliana still. It didn't, and she tried to get further away. "Battles…battles are a way to connect us to each other!"

"Pretty sure you're the only one feeling that connection."

"I know I'm not. I know you've felt it, too. I can tell, Juli." Nemona scrambled around, trying to get in front of her. Lights came on throughout the town, illuminating her freckles, and the older girl stood her ground. "You're always so alone, off in your little world, but when you battled Brassius, I saw it: for a moment, you didn't feel so alone. That's why I want you to battle me! Push each other up, connect and-"

For a split second, Juliana considered what she said, reflecting back in quick succession. She wasn't wrong. Her opponent, her Pokémon, the crowd around them; battling made her feel like she was part of something. Connecting to something. Like Ceruledge, above. There was worth to it.

But all that worth paled in comparison to the treasure at the end, one where battle was not necessity, but…

"This is pointless. I don't have time to waste on that." Juliana shoved Nemona aside, making back for the Pokémon Center with purposeful steps.

"So, that's it, then?" Nemona shouted back, her voice gruffer. It had dropped low, quivering with each word, and their companions all suddenly shifted their stances. "If it doesn't help you, you walk away? Who cares about everyone else, right?"

"Hey, Nemona…" Arven tried to interject, but it was his turn to be pushed out of the way. Nemona gave chase after Juliana.

"You know, when I saw you catch your Pokémon, I thought you'd changed. Like, maybe you were someone wanting to interact with the world," Nemona kept shouting, her voice so loud it could have split Juliana's head in two. "But you haven't changed at all! You're still stuck in your own little world, refusing to engage with anything beyond yourself!

"You're still a coward!"

Juliana stopped, frozen in place.

"Nemona!" Ash shouted, but this time the girl did not flinch. "That's too far."

"Agreed, Champion Nemona," Geeta said, the disappointment evident on her thin lips. "Comport yourself as one."

"Don't bother," Juliana said. Her hand sought her Poké Ball, nails digging in and scratching at its painted surface. Her shallow breaths returned with greater intensity, her heart beating louder in her ears. The words cut a cadence through her brain. Engage. Coward. "You think I'm some coward because I'm running right at the thing I want most?"

"You're a coward because you won't do anything but."

"Well, at least I'm not as shallow in my desires as you. At least I have something I'm striving towards, not some nebulous getting stronger bullshit!" Gloria and Arven shouted at her for that one, but she ignored it. She could feel the air getting charged, and could tell Nemona's hand was on her own Poké Ball, same as her. "And if all you care about is battle, then I'll give you what you want, and you can leave me the hell alone. I'll get rid of your pointless distraction."

"Yeah? Prove it, Juli! If I'm just a distraction, take me on and show it. And I'll show you…the world you're missing out on. The world you're selfishly ignoring. I'll make you engage with my world."

"Go ahead and try! Tinkatuff, go."

"Naclstack!"

None of the adults could cry out. Arven could only clear the field. Children still out and about flocked to the battle court where the two girls tossed their Poké Balls. On the field, their evolved partners appeared, staring each other down. Wind whistled past them, each waiting for the other to make a move. Juliana's heart refused to slow.

I'm not a coward. If you want me to engage, I'll show you. I'll show you! I'm not a coward!

"Stone Edge!"

There was a wordless solemnity; a soundless cry that followed Juliana's spat command. Tinkatuff raised her hammer high, eyes glinting as embers under the setting sun. Perhaps they reflected Ceruledge. Juliana didn't know. All she knew was the red she saw. Tinkatuff flashed forward, aiming for the stack of blocky rocks that made up Nemona's Pokémon.

She slammed her hammer down, and from it, the stones raced out, each appearing in one pointed spire after the other. Naclstack remained still, awaiting the order that was to come. Standing behind it was Nemona, her face having lost the exuberant features she was often well known for. They were creased, her eyes narrowed and her lips pursed, a clear sign of wanting to hammer something into Juliana's head.

Juliana ignored that, her eyes filling with the bloodshot red and her body flushing with a rage that pushed everyone away, including the Ceruledge watching above.

Nemona finally spoke. "Rock Polish."

"Nack." The stones nearly reached Naclstack's figure, but before they could touch, its body gleamed with a silver luster. The next moment, Naclstack had vanished, speeding away from the stones and circling the battlefield faster than its size and weight suggested.

"Headbutt."

"Metal Claw!" Juliana spat. Her fist clenched tighter, unable to stop the palpitations driving through her. The longer she stared at Nemona, the more she wanted to wipe the look off her face. To finally push away this pointless distraction once and for all.

"Tuff!" Tinkatuff's cry brought her back to reality just in time to see her Pokémon send her hammer soaring up, lit up with jagged silver. It met Naclstack head-on. The Headbutt and Metal Claw clashed, sending silver sparks ranging towards the sky. Children cheered and onlookers clapped at the display, but Arven, Gloria and the others remained stock still, watching with frowns.

Stop looking at me like that, Juliana thought, gulping down the rising lump in her throat. I don't want that. Stop making me feel…

"Brutal Swing!" Emotion powered her voice, more than she thought possible. Across the field, Nemona's eyebrow quirked. The silver vanished, replaced with dark, hollowing sparks. They brimmed as shadows around Tinkatuff's hammer, and with a deft movement of her foot, Juliana's Pokémon began to swing, carrying Naclstack with her. They gained speed, until finally, with a mighty crack against the blocky form, Tinkatuff flung her opponent off. It went flying.

"Stone Edge." Nemona's voice was still cold, focused, a side of her Juliana had never seen, even when engaging in a battle. Naclstack's body turned, hindlegs angling downward. They touched the battlefield, and from there, stones erupted like a springboard. "Salt Cure."

"Tinka-" Juliana was slower than Naclstack. No sooner had Nemona's Pokémon touched the stones, than it shot off and was right in front of Tinkatuff. A glow comprised of minerals and stones appeared where Naclstack's mouth was, right in front of Tinkatuff, who raised her hammer in defense.

She was too late. "Stack!"

The minerals fired like a stream of water that clung to Tinkatuff's figure, blasting her back. She cried out, her hand loosening around her hammer, but trying to keep it. The stones dug into her, causing her to cry out, though she gritted her teeth, same as her trainer, who stomped forward.

"Metal Claw! Finish this already!"

"TINKA!" Tinkatuff slammed forward, her foot cracking at the ground before she raced forward. The minerals were still digging into her, causing her pain that she powered through. Juliana started to shake as the bright silver erupted around the hammer. Tinkatuff swung it, smashing once into Naclstack, and then again and again in a frenzy which the Rock type endured.

Nemona sighed. "So that's how it is, eh, Juli? You're so determined you'll even hurt yourself."

"Shut up, Nemona!" she screamed through gritted teeth.

"Stop shutting me out then! Headbutt!" The verve had returned, and with it, Naclstack's eyes glowed a bright yellow.

Though still beset by the Metal Claw, it dug its heels in, soon showing that its bulk was not for show. Tinkatuff had no further effect, and Naclstack pushed forward, glowing a bright white until speed and size combined to throw the attack off and drive its head straight into Tinkatuff's chest. They held for a moment, and then the Steel and Fairy type was flung straight back, whizzing past Juliana's ear. She spun to witness her final fate.

Tinkatuff crashed into a wall, nearly falling over, but propping herself upon her hammer. She was panting, glaring at the Rock type that had bested her before.

Or rather, bested her twice. The minerals shined, digging into Tinkatuff with a cry, and then she slumped, defeated. Juliana's ears started to ring.

"All right, girls. I believe that's enough," Geeta was saying, barely audible in the din and blood rushing to her brain. "You've proven your points. Let's not keep this any fur-"

"No, Primera," Nemona said, returning Naclstack with alacrity. "I want this. More than any other battle. I want this."

"Nemona…" Ash said, his call full of warning. Nemona still shook her head, eyes focusing only on Juliana. She looked away. Or rather, she looked up, to Ceruledge, staring at her. She couldn't do it.

"Come on, Juli! Come on! We've started this! So, are you gonna finish it, or are you just gonna run away?!"

"Why don't…" Juliana sucked in a breath, returning Tinkatuff, but already cradling another Poké Ball. "Why don't you just go away? Find someone else!"

"Because I want to battle you! I want to engage with you! Because-"

"Why?! Huh?! What are you trying to do to me with all your pointless strength?!"

"I…" Nemona held up a Poké Ball, her breath shaking her. There was a quaking indecision in there, one Juliana didn't want to see. Didn't want to acknowledge. All it would do was make them seem similar. Juliana shook her own head in time for Nemona's words. "I'll show you! I'll show you that this isn't pointless! Floragato!"

"Dolliv! Earth Power!" It was a slip, tumbling from her mouth, without restraint. Above, Ceruledge's body looked to slump with disrespect. Juliana didn't even dare look at either Arven or Gloria.

"Dol!" Dolliv's roots snaked out, cracking into the very ground itself. That same ground shattered with the golden power of the attack, pouring out of every orifice as it raced for Nemona's catlike Pokémon that hissed at the sight. Nemona, herself, began to smirk.

"Impulsive, huh? Never thought I'd see you make that first move!" The girl reached up, tightening her arm brace with the loathsome smirk. "Guess that means…you don't hate this as much as you thought! And neither do I! Slash!"

"Floraaawr!"

Floragato hunched on all fours, the Earth Power nearly at her feet. It surrounded her, the largest chasm yet forming and exploding upwards. Yet Floragato remained fine, taking the momentum of the blast to send herself soaring skywards. She flipped in midair and came sailing down upon Dolliv. The plant looked up, just in time to receive Floragato's claws screaming across her face.

Juliana's chest clenched, her breaths becoming yet shallower. It's just a battle. She'll be fine. It doesn't matter. You're fine. But…you can't let her win.

"Energy Ball!"

"Dol! Dol! Dol!" The first of the crackling green orbs struck Floragato and pushed her off, while the rest continued to move Dolliv's body backwards, gaining some distance. They only increased in volume, the Olive Pokémon creating a barrier out of the attack.

Nemona stepped forward, the smirk turning to a grin as she was unable to stop her growing excitement. "Magical Leaf! Bring them down!"

"Gat!" Floragato spun in place with snarling hiss. Around her, the multicolored leaves appeared, each pointing for a different Energy Ball. With the flick of a wrist, she sent them soaring out, slicing through each and every Energy Ball with precision. Dolliv's eyes widened, while her trainer's narrowed. Nemona only pumped her fist.

"Play Rough!" Floragato vanished, traveling only as a pink and yellow blur that appeared right before Dolliv in a puff of smoke. The claw was quick to descend, smacking across Dolliv's face and flinging her up to the starlit sky, bathed in twilight. Floragato jumped towards her for the consecutive blow.

"Sunny Day!" Dolliv's clenched eyelids snapped open and the budding olives upon her head glowed bright. They shot an orb upwards, one that spun and spiraled until blooming with the light of day.

"Flissss!" Floragato's hiss communicated everything, the blinding sun causing her to break off the attack, if just for a moment.

"Now, Energy Ball!"

"Ay, Juli, that's the way! Now, we can battle! Now you're feeling it! Slash!"

Dolliv created her attack. Floragato reared back with shining claws in preparation for hers. Juliana and Nemona's eyes met, neither budging from their stance.

Then the attacks joined.

The blinding white of the Slash tore through the Energy Ball, soaring straight for Dolliv. Her eyes widened, suspended in midair with nowhere to run, and no strength to resist. The claws streaked downward, tearing through Dolliv and carrying both combatants to the ground, where they smashed upon it in a plume of dust.

It didn't take long to clear, and Dolliv's downed, bruised form to be revealed.

Many cheered around her, praising the battle, and Nemona in particular.

Juliana didn't care. Something was gnawing inside her. Something that was growing. Something she had to get rid of by ending the farce.

"How long will you let this go on?" Gloria's voice made Juliana realize the woman was right next to her while she hung her head. Still, she couldn't look. "You let this continue, this won't be a battle."

"It…it isn't…" Juliana tried to breathe out, barely able to return Dolliv.

"You've made that clear. Stop trying to break yourself." Gloria's hand was on her back, but only for a moment. "Juliana, walk away. Don't run into the fire."

Run into the fire…? I'm not. I'm… Juliana looked up, catching sight of Nemona beckoning her. Telling her to finish it. Calling her a coward. "I'm not running…not anywhere but forward! Quaxwell!"

"Yes! That's it! Show me what makes you Juliana the Tactician! Magical Leaf!"

Their places had swapped once more, as far as the surface went. Juliana bit back the hollow sensation, biting her lip and watching as Nemona took the first move with all the gusto that was building inside her. No sooner had Quaxwell hit the field than the rainbow leaves shot straight for him. There was no room for gaining momentum.

"Then we'll make some of our own! Focus Energy!" Quaxwell nodded, the duck planting his feet and glowing with a crimson energy that pooled across the field. Somehow, that made Nemona's grin wider, as if she had attained what she wanted from the battle all along: them standing there and refusing to run.

The Magical Leaf soared forward, cutting across Quaxwell's figure, but refusing to daunt him. He remained, all the way until the glow reached its zenith and covered his entire figure like a coat of armor. "Quax."

"Acrobatics!"

"Slash!"

Whatever crowd had gathered around them began to cheer at the incoming clash. Quaxwell and Floragato ran at each other, one glowing turquoise while the other had their claws wreathed in a bright white glow. They met in the middle of the battlefield, their attacks striking and grating. It lit the trainers' faces up, revealing every small emotion stirring in Nemona's eyes to Juliana, who continued to tighten. The duck and cat broke off before Quaxwell swung his leg around to meet yet another claw.

They began to dance, weaving under a slashing claw, or flipping to avoid the spinning kick. Floragato hissed, springing on all fours before launching herself at Quaxwell in a mix of limbs that became a sphere of frenzied claws. Quaxwell launched himself, flipping around until his palmate met the claws in midair, showering them further with the emergent glow. Gloria's retreated face could be seen, and it caused a tremor to work through Juliana's next words.

"Aq-Aqua Cutter!"

"Well!" Quaxwell twisted, his wing wreathed with water that he soon slashed across Floragato's chest, causing her to crash to the battlefield below. She skidded across it, hissing as her opponent landed and her trainer leaned forward with gusto.

"Play Rough!"

"Rain Dance! Don't let her get the momentum!" Quaxwell once more stamped forward, giving a cry that shook across the town of Zapapico. Ceruledge drew backwards, like a flame being snuffed out. Some of the watchers disappeared, too, in anticipation of what was to come.

The clouds gathered, crackling with the storm inside them. They soon opened up, covering up the once bright, artificial sun and turning to a roaring deluge. It poured upon the battlefield, turning once dusty dirt to mud. Floragato, already mid-movement, got caught on a clot of the mud and tripped, sliding across the battlefield.

"Yes! YES!" Nemona shouted, every syllable and volume increase tightening the string wrapping around Juliana. "This proves it, Juli! When you battle, you're tactical at your best! When you don't run, you can give me the battle I want! That's the real you!"

Juliana froze. Her nails dug deep. Blood trickled down her fingers. Arven hung his head. Quaxwell looked back.

The string holding back the hollow flood of emotions inside snapped. The red returned.

"What the hell would you know?!" she screamed, enough so that Ash took a step back. Nemona did, too. "Bringing out the best in me?! For what?! So, you can feel satisfied?! You haven't changed anything! You're the one that hasn't changed! You don't have a point, either! Just like this battle! Just like Team Star! And I'm not the one running away! I'm not the coward! I'm just not going to…going to do something so pointless!"

"Juliana…" It was, perhaps, one of the few usages of her name, tumbling from Nemona's lips like a cold remonstration, that made every vessel pop in the young girl. Or perhaps it was the utter disappointment. The roaring disapproval.

All of it gathered up and burst in one ugly, rageful command. "Acrobatics!"

"Qu…quax!" He took a moment, but soon Quaxwell nodded, and sprang forth, like a soaring creature that had become a blade.

And in that moment, it was clear Nemona saw something, her features once more tightening. Instead of issuing an exuberant command, she quirked her head. Floragato ran forward, and the yellow and pink sparks met blue, erupting in a colorful explosion that showed all the distance between them. The two Pokémon broke apart.

Nemona's arm raised, the silent sigh on her lips before a red beam shot out to reclaim her partner.

"Guess I was wrong, then," she said, breathing with a cold timbre. "You don't want to live in the world around you."

"And you're no different!" Juliana spat, grinding her foot in the mud around her.

"Maybe. But I thought our worlds could overlap." Nemona returned her Poké Ball, running a hand through her hair before grabbing a final one. "To share in something, drive each other higher."

"There's no point to that, Nemona. Stop trying! Just leave me-"

"You're right," Nemona said, holding her final Poké Ball aloft. She pressed the button and it burst with light to call forth her partner. Yet the look in her eyes said she was no longer battling. Geeta stepped forward, but both Ash and Gloria held out an arm to stop her. "I don't know why, but battling…I thought battling could connect me to you. But you're just selfish. A girl in her own world who doesn't want anything else. A girl who thinks I'm pointless.

"But I'm not. And this time…I'll make you understand that. Pawmot, Arm Thrust."

It was the sheer contrast to her usual composure that took Juliana aback, made the hollowness return in full force. Made the gnawing feeling eat at her and make her legs go numb.

Pawmot barely appeared on the battlefield, its orange fur brimming with electricity, before he shot forth. When he was right in Quaxwell's face, his fist glowing just the same as Floragato's had been, Juliana took him in. Nemona's first partner. The rodent-like Pokémon struck forth, fist burying itself in Quaxwell's torso. The duck was flung backwards, a bruise rippling its way up his entire body while sparks issued along the tan fur all the way to the tufts around Pawmot's head and electric sacs. He hunkered down, ready for Nemona's order.

"Aqua… Aqua Cutter!" Juliana managed to get out, unable to stop a sudden and unbidden fear from rising within her. Quaxwell sped forth, his limb glowing blue with the powerful water that rippled and pulsed. Nemona took no joy in that.

"What I do isn't pointless," Nemona said, like a barely audible whisper over the falling rain.

"Then what's it even for?!" Juliana shouted. "At least I know what I'm doing! Who I'm doing it for!"

Quaxwell slashed down upon Pawmot's head, the Hands-On Pokémon taking it without flinching. Nemona looked up, the rain splattering her face.

"But that's all you see. Passing by everything else, barely touching. Never meeting." Nemona's head snapped back down. "I don't know why…but I want to battle you. I want to see your world. But if you won't stop running away…

"Then I'll end it here."

"Stole my own words! Go!"

Neither needed to give the specific order. Quaxwell rushed straight over, flipping over and bringing all his limbs down in a glorious display of Acrobatics that met the quick arm movements of Pawmot's thrusts. Where they met, wind blew out, the Electric type showing just enough strength to push Quaxwell away from him. Juliana bit her lip, a myriad of emotions she didn't want to deal with bubbling up inside her.

Emotions that burst with one call of Nemona's command. "Double Shock!"

It was a snarl, a call for a vicious end to the battle instead of the joy she craved. And in her eyes, Juliana saw that Nemona had found a momentary purpose: to impart meaning in this battle.

A meaning that would not be denied.

Electricity gathered around Pawmot's fur, bristling and causing all hairs in the vicinity to stand up on end. Even Ceruledge, who stood tall atop the building, had his flame flicker in the intensity. All lights were drawn to that spot, creating a void wherein only Nemona, Juliana and their Pokémon stood. Silence singed the air.

Then, the bolt struck out, powering enough that Pikachu's ears twitched and he crawled under Ash's hat.

"D-dodge." It was a meek cry, though not unheard. Quaxwell spun, like a graceful dancer, avoiding the bolt of lightning that flashed past Juliana, burning part of her uniform's sleeve. They had avoided the worst of it.

Except, Pawmot moved, wreathed in the last of his electricity; a hurtling bullet with an unstoppable momentum.

Quaxwell's eyes widened, and then the impact hit.

Lightning lanced into the sky, arcing upwards and shooting outwards.

"QUAXELLLL!" The powerful sparks burned through him, juddering up the duck's entire frame before flinging him back. Just like his companion in Tinkatuff, he hit the wall and fell down in a smoking heap, leaving Juliana with nothing but wide eyes.

The rain vanished. The sparks upon Pawmot retreated. The light returned, save for the red beam that called the rodent back.

Juliana's breath caught, her mind ringing with a greater hollowness than any she thought she could feel. Her eyes locked on the form of Quaxwell, defeated without mercy or restraint.

"Guess that's it, then," Nemona said, breathing out. The briefest of glances saw the girl looking at her own hand, crestfallen, confused and hurt, but Juliana refused to look any longer. She didn't need to, when all she could see was Quaxwell. Nemona's voice imparted all. "Hasta luego, Juli. Hope you find your answer."

The crunch and squelch of footsteps followed, Nemona walking away.

Juliana heard herself take a breath, but nothing else, save for the footsteps of yet another person walking away.

Nor did she see anything else. Not the disappearing flame, or the calls of Geeta, or the companions surrounding her.

She felt nothing.

Under the twilight sky, with all evidence of failure before her, Juliana started to scream inside; a roaring, uninterrupted tempest that threatened to tear her apart. And as the howling that felt like an eternity began to quell, and her fingers lightly touched Quaxwell's scorched feathers, the lonely parts of her mind asked but one question.

If it's so pointless, then why does it hurt so much?


Author's Note: This is the turning point. Everything Juliana's mental state has been building to collides here in this ugly moment. Forget Phantom Zero. Forget Operation Star. This book, and the last, has always been about Juliana. It is only fitting that it's Nemona that is the trigger.

I really wanted to write an utter defeat, one a bit like Ash's loss to Paul at Lake Acuity. Of course, I couldn't do a 6v6 because Juliana only has five and because that would be way too long, but a swift 3v3 that hollows Juliana out felt like the right call. This battle, of course, will lead to some great fallout and implications for both Juliana and Nemona moving forward. Because this, more than anything, is Juliana's low point.

And with that said, we conclude the chapter. I hope it was engaging for you, and if it was, I'd really appreciate a review or comment. But, until I see you with one of those or in the next chapter, please remember, Dare to Be Silly.