Author's Note: Welcome back for another chapter!

Hopefully you all will be happy with this longer chapter, enjoy!

"Hey Juliana. You told me earlier you wanted to trade Pokemon sometime. Right?" Arven inquired.

"I did!" Juliana affirmed happily, "But… I'm not ready yet. I'll let you know when I am!""

"No worries!" Arven assured, "Just making sure we're still on for that. I've got a Pokemon in mind!"

"You do? Oh Arvie, I can't wait to see!"

"I hope you'll be happy with my choice! Hm? Hey look, there's some people there."

Juliana looked ahead at the tropical prairie before them, and noticed the two figures that Arven was referring too. She recognized them right away.

"Hey, that's Nemona and Kieran!" After pointing that out, she called out to them, "Nemona! Kieran! Over here!"

Both turned around, looking surprised. Nemona immediately waved back, "Oy! Hey Juliana and Arven! Come join the party!"

Juliana rushed over to them, with Arven trailing close behind. Once the friends got within proper speaking distance. Kieran smiled and greeted them, "Hey guys! What are you doing?"

"Not much, just hanging out!" Juliana answered, "How about you guys?"

"Kieran and I have been battling out here for an hour!" Nemona responded with a big smile on her face, "We were having a real blast!"

Juliana was shocked, "Wow, really!? I thought I was the only one capable of keeping up with Nemona for that long! That's so amazing of you, Kieran!"

Kieran laughed nervously, "Ehehe… it's been fun!"

Arven shook his head, "I never thought I'd see the day when someone besides Juliana would manage to accomplish that. Way to go!"

"Thanks guys…" Kieran replied, "To be honest, I didn't notice how much time had passed. I think I was having too much fun!"

Nemona put her hands together and bounced on her toes, "That makes me so happy! We should go for round two!"

Kieran was shocked, "But it's already been an hour!"

Juliana's face lit up with an idea, "Hey, since we're all here. We should do some BBQs! It'll be a lot more fun if we work together!"

Nemona's eyes went wide, "Ooooh! That's a great idea! I call dibs on this task right here!" She pointed at the task that required her auto-battle 30 Pokemon and immediately got to work using her Kommo-o.

"Get 'em good Kommo-o!" Nemona cheered on her Kitakami-caught Pokemon. Juliana laughed, "Of course, I knew you would choose that one!"

At the same time, Kieran took on the task of battling a wild Tera Pokemon. Juliana chose the task to pick up 10 items from the ground, and Arven was left with the task of making a salty sandwich. A task that he was more than eager to take on. Plus, it made his Pokemon happy too.

"Woof!" Barked his ace, Mabosstiff. Arven chuckled in response, "Taste good, right bud?"

Having finished her task, Juliana found Arven's picnic and joined in, "Hey Arven! Check out all these berries I found!"

"Juliana! Just in time!" He handed her a piece of sandwich, "Here you go! I know you've been craving one of ol' Arven's tasty sandwiches!" He winked.

Juliana blushed lightly, "Arvie…"

"No need to be embarrassed." Arven assured with a smile, "You know I'll always be happy to make you one, anytime!"
Juliana nodded in response and finished the sandwich. Mabosstiff trotted up to Juliana and barked. Juliana patted him on the head, "Hey Mabosstiff! It's good to see you again!"
Mabosstiff smiled, happily accepting the petting.

"You still look as healthy as ever!" Juliana noted, "That's amazing! I'm so happy for you!"

Arven was grinning, "All thanks to the work you and I put in, of course!"

Juliana suddenly felt nostalgic, "It seems like that adventure for the Herba Mystica happened so long ago now."

Arven chuckled, "It does, doesn't it? I'm thankful every day for that adventure."

"Me too, Arven. There are times when I wish I could experience that for the first time again. I know that sounds silly…"

"Not at all!" Arven replied quickly, "I feel that way sometimes too!"

"Especially the part where I fall in love with you!" Juliana declared cheerfully with a rosy blush. This made Arven laugh, "Oh, you…!" He approached her and wrapped his arms around her tightly. Juliana returned the hug, fully enjoying the moment.

"I'll always love you, Juliana." Arven whispered to her, sending a shiver down Juliana's spine. Filled with joy, she squeezed him just a bit tighter, "I'll always love you too, Arven!"

Mabosstiff watched happily, as did Koraidon, who had popped out of it's Pokeball without them noticing. Just like old times, the two Pokemon glanced at one another proudly. Happy for their trainers.
Ogrepon popped out and happily bounced between the two, "Pon, pon!"
Koraidon chuckled at the energetic little ogre. Mabosstiff was quite surprised, and promptly sniffed her. Ogrepon didn't mind however, she continued watching the couple with a happy face.

Juliana just happened to look over and saw their Pokemon watching, "Oh, hey!"

Arven looked over too, "Haha! You guys just can't help yourselves, can you? Now you've got Ogrepon doing the same thing!"

"Pon, pon!" Ogrepon cheered while hopping. Mabosstiff had happily accepted her. Even deciding to give her a few licks. Which Ogrepon giggled at.

"You big goof!" Arven ribbed his ace, laughing.

Juliana giggled, "Arvie… we should probably look for Nemona and Kieran."

Arven nodded, "Yeah, you're probably right. Come on, let's get going!"

Once they packed up and recalled their Pokemon. The pair joined hands and began to venture. Juliana used her rotom phone to call Nemona. After a few rings, Nemona picked up, "Hola! Juliana? Hey! Where you at, bestie?"

Juliana replied, "I was just about to ask you that!" She didn't need to wonder for long, as the sounds of the ocean waves gave it right away, "Wait… Are you close to the shore?"

"Bingo!" Nemona confirmed, "Wait, how did you know that? Are you becoming a psychic-type Pokemon now!?" She lowered her voice to a whisper, "Did you find another rainbow Tera cave and jump in?"

Arven rolled his eyes, "Don't you dare bring that up…" He muttered.

Juliana snorted, "No, it's because I can hear the waves through the phone. You goofball!"

Nemona froze, "O…oh! Ehehehe…. Yeah! I knew that!"
Juliana could hear Kieran chortling.

"Aha! Juliana! Kieran is right here too! We had to take a picture of a Pokemon swimming!"

"Great! Arven and I will meet you there, okay?"

"Sounds good! We'll be waiting!"

On the shore, Nemona had just hung up the call and turned to Kieran, "Juliana and Arven are coming to meet us here! Also, thank you so much for going along with my battle fever!"

Kieran assured her, "That's okay! I didn't mind at all!"

"You know Kieran, in Paldea, when most trainers take part in the Gym Challenge. Most of them end up giving up after the fourth badge."

This got Kieran curious, "Really? Wowzers…"

Nemona smiled longingly, "The first time I battled Juliana. I could see that she had potential. Sure, she may have had a rough start, lost a few battles here and there, but she stayed strong and powered through it all! The day we had our first match as equals… that was the day I had been waiting for. Before she came along, it was only a dream that I had long given up on. Being able to face off with another champion like me."
Nemona briefly tilted her head downward before looking up again with joy in her eyes, "And she completely knocked me flat! When I was giving it my full power! That was the best day of my life!"

Kieran was happy for her, "That must have been amazing…"

"It was!" Nemona happily declared, "I never thought I would see the day. That's why… Juliana isn't just my best friend and forever rival. She's my greatest treasure! And I'll always be grateful to her!"

Kieran smiled, "Wow… that's way cool!"

Nemona looked over Kieran's shoulder, "Oy! Speak of the devil, there they are! Juliana! Arven!"

Juliana rushed over while waving, "Hello again! So this is where you guys have been!"

Nemona teasingly stuck her tongue out, "You bet! We've been waiting all day! Hahaha! Come on, let's do this one! It says to take a picture with your friends!"

"Say no more!" Juliana got out her phone and attached it to her roto-stick, "Get in guys! Let's snap a pic!"

It was a great picture. Juliana was in the center saluting with two fingers. Arven was behind Juliana with one hand on her shoulder and the other hand waving. Nemona was her right giving the peace sign, and Kieran was on her left smiling nervously.

Arven was amused at Juliana's pose, "Juliana, you look so cute! Where'd you learn that from?"

Juliana sheepishly explained, "Nurse Miriam taught me that! She told me to only do it with no one around, but I thought, what the hey? Right? What's the point of not sharing?"

Nemona bustled, "Haha! Another great day captured for the books! Everyone send out a Pokemon so we can battle!"

An exasperated Arven groaned, "Will you please!?"

Juliana and Kieran could only laugh, watching as Nemona sent out her Kommo-o once more to auto battle random Pokemon that were unfortunate enough to walk by. Arven shook his fists in irritation when Nemona tried to convince him to join her.
Suddenly, Juliana's eye caught some movement in the bushes. She realized quickly from the glare of a lens that it was not a Pokemon.

"Perrin? Is that you?" Juliana called to the bush, catching everyone's attention.

"Who are you talking to Juliana?" Arven asked.

Perrin stood up and climbed her way out of the brush, startling everyone but Juliana. The photographer was slightly embarrassed, "Ah, dang it! I guess I let myself slip a little bit when it came to being stealthy!

"Oy! How long have you been hiding there?" Nemona exclaimed, "Are you a ninja or something?"

Perrin chuckled, "Nah, I'm just a photographer hired by the school to take some pictures! I'm well acquainted with Juliana here! How've you been, partner?"

Arven looked at Juliana, "Just how many connections have you made, cutie?"

Juliana laughed, "Just enough to keep things interesting!"

Kieran quipped, "You know how to do that enough already Juliana. Hehehe…."

Nemona's face lit up, "Ooh, Kieran's got jokes! Never saw that coming!"
This made Kieran blush a little.

Perrin added, "Juliana's helped me out so much! Not just here, but in Kitakami too! That's where we met!"

Juliana asked eagerly, "How are your pictures going? Have you captured something good?"

"I have! Thank you so much for asking, partner!" Perrin enthused, "Say, I got something I wanna share with you privately. Could I steal you from your friends for a bit?"

Juliana turned to everyone else, "Hey guys, I'll be right back!"

After getting a wave of approval from her friends, Juliana left with Perrin. They entered the Savannah Biome and stopped in a shady spot under a tree. Perrin grabbed her camera bag and began to dig around.

"What's going on, Perrin?" Juliana inquired curiously.

Perrin was enthusiastic, "Partner, get ready to have your mind blown! Check out these pictures!"

She used one hand to skillfully shove two photos in Juliana's face. A stunned Juliana took a close look at the photos. When she did, her heart dropped. She recognized the intense environment that was Area Zero. But there was something in those pictures. Creatures that looked like Pokemon were barely visible, concealed by either motion blur, or hidden behind an object. Juliana figured that they must have been more paradox Pokemon.

"W-Wow…" She muttered, trying to act surprised.

"I know, right!?" Perrin replied, blind to Juliana's tension, "I heard these pictures were taken somewhere in Paldea. See those Pokemon? One is called Gouging Fire and the other is called Raging Bolt! Do you have any idea what these places are? Cause I haven't the faintest idea…"

Juliana played dumb, "I… I don't know."

"Ah… they're probably somewhere no one can reach easily. Oh well. Or… these photos could totally be fake."

"Probably! Hehe…" Juliana giggled, praying to the heavens that the photos are in fact, fake.

"Anyway, that's what I wanted to show ya! I gotta get back to work, so I'll see you around partner!"

The girls exchanged a wave before Perrin disappeared into the distance. Juliana watched her go, and exhaled a sigh of relief once she was far enough away.

"Wasn't wanting to hear of that place again." Juliana inadvertently spoke aloud to herself.

"What place, chica?"
Nemona's voice startled her so badly that she whirled around with a little bounce. She wasn't alone either, Arven and Kieran were with her.

"Aah! You guys scared me!" Juliana trembled.

Arven apologized, "Sorry, cutie! We were just coming to check on you."

"Is everything okay?" Kieran asked.

"Uh… sort of! Perrin was showing me some pictures. They were uh… pictures of weird Pokemon from Area Zero."

Now it was everyone else's turn to be startled.
"No way!" Arven flung his arms up, "Why would she have pictures like that!?"

"She says she got them from somewhere. But she thinks they're fake. I hope so…"

Nemona being her typical self, answered, "We should go down there for fun again!"

"Don't even think about it!" Arven snapped.

Kieran noted, "I remember the Pokemon down there were real strong and vicious… but, they were kind of cool."

"Exactly, that's why she shouldn't be thinking about that place." Arven stated with his arms crossed, "I wonder what her purpose was for showing you those pictures."

Juliana decided to shake it off, "I don't know. But… no worries, I'm sure it's nothing we need to freak out over. Come on, let's go hang out some more!"

All the friends agreed and walked away together, ready to find something else to do.

Rika returned to the League Club room after completing another lecture. She stretched her arms over her head and took a deep breath, "Whew, finally done for the day…"
She paid no attention to Raifort and Clavell having a conversation off to the side and went to where Geeta and Larry were chatting.

After Rika passed by, Raifort made a remark to Clavell, "Coming all this way just to keep an eye on me. Eh?"

Clavell was not amused, "Is my presence inconveniencing you in some way, Miss Raifort?"

Raifort remained cool, "Not at all sir. I'm only interested in becoming the best teacher I can be."

"I am glad to hear that." Clavell nodded, "You know full well, that as long as I breathe, I will be sure that you will continue to fulfill your duties as a teacher. It was quite gracious of Juliana to invite everyone here. Wouldn't you say?"

Raifort chuckled, "Heh, wasting your time on someone like me. You really take to some interesting hobbies, don't you, old man?"

Clavell took a stern tone, "Don't push your luck, Miss Raifort."

"I meant nothing by it." Raifort brushed it off with a smirk, "It's just… I find your traditional way of thinking rather charming in a way. Don't worry, I'll behave myself."

Clavell remained firm, "That's what I want to hear."

"Mister Clavell!" The voice of young Poppy got his attention, "Come look at this Pokemon I caught!"
Clavell went to speak with her, while Raifort kept to herself. She muttered under her breath, "Ah Juliana… you've got some nerve inviting me to a modern structure." Her mouth slowly curled into a mischievous grin, "I'll have to get something in return from you sometime… hehehehe…"
Completely ignoring the fact that the invitation Juliana had sent was meant for everyone.

Meanwhile, Rika had struck up a conversation with Larry, "C'mon, Larry! You gotta project more. Let's start with a simple enunciation exercise!"

Larry sighed, "I'm off the clock right now…"

Ignoring him, Rika announced loudly, "UNIQUE UNOVA! UNIQUE UNOVA! YOU KNOW YOU NEED UNIQUE UNOVA!"

Larry hesitated for a moment with an irritated expression, before replying, "Unique Unova… you know you need unique Unova…"

Rika nearly face-palmed, "What was that!? It's like you're not even trying!"

Larry retorted without a care in the world, "Correct. I wasn't trying."

"Oooh, the nerve… I swear, you're in for another lecture from Hassel."

Larry would've rolled his eyes if he had the energy, "So all I have to worry about is a scolding? Let me know when my job's at stake."

Rika was nearly ready to pop. Larry really knew how to get under her skin. She was just about to say something when Geeta walked by and spoke, "Rika, Larry. Could you two spare a moment?"

"Boss? What's going on?" Rika asked. She could tell from Geeta's tone that whatever she was about to say would be serious.
Geeta kept her trademark calm smile while looking around to ensure no one was in earshot. Once she affirmed that, she explained, "I've gotten some disturbing developments involving Area Zero."

Rika's eyes widened, "No way! What's happening? No one's trying to break in, right?"

"There's been reports of extreme weather. Bolts of lighting and columns of fire would be seen periodically from the sky. Those would come straight from the Great Crater of Paldea."

"Hmm…" Larry responded.

Rika was more interested, "Strange… Is there any idea what could be causing this?"

"Some sources have said it's just a natural occurrence. But I'm not too confident in that. I'm thinking it may be some paradox Pokemon that missed our radar."

"What's the plan?" Rika asked.

Geeta mulled it over, then answered, "All we can do for now is keep a close eye on these developments. And pray that the extreme weather doesn't make it outside the crater. If it were to start spreading across Paldea. That could mean trouble."

"Yes ma'am. Keep us posted. And if there's anything we can do to help. Let us know." Rika offered.
Larry closed his eyes and sighed.

Geeta smiled, "Thank you for your cooperation. I'll be sure to update Hassel once he's done with his current lecture."

Unbeknownst to the three, Perrin was standing right outside the door, and overheard the entire conversation. Her heart bubbled with anticipation, "So… it's real!" She whispered to herself. Gazing upon her photos once more, she grew more excited, "Area Zero in the Paldea region… of course! This could be the photo opportunity of a lifetime!"

She quickly rushed away before anyone could see her and began devising a plan.