Author's Note: Hello all! Sorry that I took so long to update this story.

I was focused on Set You Free, then I was offline for a bit.

Here's the next chapter, I hope you enjoy!

Flashback…

"Please Kieran, just stop! That's enough!"
Juliana's raised voice through tears caught everyone off-guard. With his eyes widened in shock, Kieran took a step back, "Juliana… I…"
Juliana could no longer handle all the stares she was getting. She let out a sob before taking off.
"Juliana, wait!" Lacey cried out, but was ignored. Juilana kept running with no particular direction in mind. She just wanted to get away from everyone, and away from all the pain. Coming to the Blueberry Academy sounded like the worst idea ever now.

Drayton shook his head, "Yikes…"

Kieran slumped forward, "Aw man…"

The tension in the air was so thick, one could cut it with a knife. Everyone stood around silently, nobody knew what to say or do. Defeating the champion would normally be a momentous occasion to be celebrated. But this situation was much more complicated. Finally, an uneasy Lacey spoke, "Well… Juliana's the champion now. It goes without saying but, now things have gotten a bit complicated… I'm not sure how to proceed now."

Drayton crossed his arms, "Proceed with what?"

Annoyed at his lack of awareness, Lacey furrowed her brow, "Just think about it for a moment, would you!? Juliana isn't an official student here! If she doesn't stick around what will our plan be long-term!?"

"Oh… that." Drayton replied coolly.

Frustrated, Lacey brought her hand to her forehead and whispered to herself, "Ugh… this is why I wanted to keep this a League matter… Great, now what do we do? And more importantly… Juliana…"

The intercom binged four times in succession, interrupting them, and a voice rang out,

"This is an announcement for the following students: BB League Champion Kieran. Top Elite Four member Drayton, Carmine of Class 3-2, and Juliana our exchange student. Miss Briar and some guests would like to see you. Please proceed to classroom 1-4 as soon as possible."

Lacey sighed, "What could that be about? Now's really not the time…"

Drayton snorted, "BB League Champion Kieran huh? They're gonna need to update that."

Lacey snapped, "Drayton! Could you seriously NOT right now! It's just not right- and certainly not kind!"

Drayton rubbed the back of his neck, "Well, we shouldn't leave Miss Briar hanging, or we'll never hear the end of it. Someone needs to go find Juliana. I'll make sure Kieran comes, even if I gotta carry him."
Kieran was still slumped forward, not reacting to anything.

In the Savannah Biome, Juliana was sitting beneath a tree in a quiet area with her face buried in her knees. She had stopped sobbing, but still had tears in her eyes. She thought about calling Arven, but decided against it. She didn't want him to worry about her. He had been worried about this trip enough already. Not knowing what to even think, she let out a heavy sigh. She looked out into the distance, running a hand through her bangs.

"Oh, thank goodness, there you are!" Carmine's voice startled her. Juliana looked up and saw her approaching.

"Hey, you heard that announcement right? Come on, let's get going!" Carmine asserted, but then softened when she saw Juliana's tears, "Whoa uh… okay…"

Carmine thought to herself, "Aw geez… I'm not good at dealing with these kinds of things…"

"You… you okay?" She asked in a kinder voice.

Juliana sniffled, "I never should have come here, Carmine… This was a mistake…"

Carmine felt hurt hearing that, "Don't say that."

"I thought it would be possible to reason with him. But all he cares about is proving how much stronger he is than me…" Juliana wiped tears from her face, "And it's all my fault…"

"Juliana, it's not your fault!" Carmine insisted, "It… it was mine." After pausing to sigh, she admitted, "Juliana, I was the one who told Director Cyrano to bring you here…" She sat down in front of her, "I was so scared for my brother, and I figured it would help him see sense… I thought I was doing the right thing."

Juliana averted her eyes, "I should tell Director Cyrano to send me back home. I'm not sure I can help now…"

Carmine felt a heavy weight of guilt, "Juliana…" That's when she felt her rotom phone ringing in her pocket. She scoffed lightly upon looking at the caller I.D. Before answering, "What is it?"

Hesitation before she spoke, "Yeah, she's right here."

Juliana could barely hear Drayton's voice on the other end. But couldn't understand what he was saying. Carmine then yelled out, "Yeah, I know! We're on the way! Just be patient okay!? She hung up the phone in frustration after that.

"That was Drayton. We really need to get going Juliana. Miss Briar is really getting antsy."

Juliana was embarrassed, she didn't want to see anyone. But she resigned to the situation and stood, "Okay, let's go…"

Carmine put an arm around her, and the two walked together. Carmine suggested that Juliana wash her face before they join up with the others.

End of Flashback…

Juliana realized the spot they were now in was the space she went to go cry at. She was able to recognize the same tree. It made her happy that all that drama was done with. Thinking about it now still made her feel embarrassed at how emotional she had gotten, but she didn't have to worry about that anymore, and for that, she was thankful.

"Oy, look everyone! Over there!" Nemona was waving her arms and pointing out at the muddy swamp nearby.

"What do you see, Nemona?" Juliana asked.

"It's a Sobble!" Nemona answered eagerly, "Those aren't so easily found normally. I can't believe the kinds of Pokemon you can find here!"

Kieran grinned, "Isn't it amazing? I found some of my current team here!"

Nemona smiled back, "Hahaha! That's great! I found Decidueye here as a Rowlet! It evolved so fast that even I was surprised!"

Juliana added, "That's exactly what happened with Delphox!"

Arven chuckled, "Everyone's getting new Pokemon here. Maybe I should too… but I love all the Pokemon in my team. Just like I told you before, Kieran. You remember that?"

"I do! But, I think it's a good idea to experiment with different kinds of Pokemon. It helps you grow as a trainer. At least, it did for me… Once I got my mind cleared and all…"

Arven crossed his arms, thinking, "Yeah, you've got a good point there."

"On that note… let's have ourselves a fruitful battle! Right now!" Nemona declared.

Arven shook his head, "She just never quits…"

"Of course! I would love to!" Juliana responded joyfully before skipping off with her.

This made Arven flinch, "Cutie…! Ugh… it can't be helped."

Kieran couldn't help but laugh, "Wowzers… they're the same."

Arven stated, "I'm still trying to figure out how Juliana keeps up with her."

Kieran remembered the conversation he had with Nemona in Kitakami, "But… it's a good thing that Nemona's found somebody she can connect with. That way she's not lonely. Which is something I can relate to…"

"Yeah, that's true. Hey buddy, remember you aren't alone anymore." Arven comforted, "You've got people all around that are here for you."

"Thanks, Arven. It… doesn't feel real sometimes. Hehe…"

"I hear you." Arven related, "I never thought in a million years that I'd meet someone as amazing as Juliana. But boy, does it feel awesome! And hey, I was able to make some other pals too! Even if they are kind of annoying sometimes…"

"I'm not usually not real big on talking to other people… Even people in my town." Kieran admitted, "So it was real scary and all, when she came to visit… But I'm glad she did!"

"Hey, I'm the same way. It's not easy for me to open up to others. I'm probably one of the most closed off people you'll meet. It also doesn't help that people tend to be afraid of me."

Kieran trembled nervously before saying, "I'll… be honest. You kinda scared me the first time we met."

Instead of being mad, Arven was understanding, "Don't worry. I understand. I guess I do look a little intimidating huh? Hahaha!"
This helped Kieran feel less bad, and he was able to chuckle at that.

Just then, Juliana and Nemona returned to the boys. Both were sweaty and out of breath.

"All right! Good stuff!" Nemona declared, "Feel free to come back for more anytime!"

Juliana giggled, "I think I'm gonna need a break."
As she finished that sentence, she grew dizzy. Suddenly, she was unable to stand anymore and fell backward.
Arven immediately rushed to her and caught her in the nick of time, holding her like a princess.

"Juliana! Juliana!" He called to her.

She opened her eyes to find herself in her beloved's arms, "Hehe… I think I battled a little too hard. But I'm okay!"

"Nope, you need rest." Arven stated, "We're leaving!"
To the surprise of everyone, he began to carry her away.

"A-Arvie!" Juliana reacted with embarrassment, holding onto him tightly.

Nemona laughed, "Ahahaha! See you guys later! Wow, we had such a great battle! I wish we could've had more time!"

Kieran continued to watch the couple leave, "I hope Juliana's gonna be okay…"

"I'm sure she'll be fine. She's a tough one." Nemona assured, wiping the sweat that had accumulated on her forehead.

Kieran turned to Nemona, "How about you? Are you okay?"

"Me? Haha! I feel great!" Nemona flexed her arms, "Nothing's got me down!"

Kieran chuckled, "Hehe… I thought so."

Juliana and Arven were out of sight now, but Nemona looked in the direction where they headed, "You know, it's not something I've thought about much. But sometimes I do wonder what it's like to love someone like that."

Kieran became flustered, "H-huh!? Oh… r-right… Um…"

Nemona became subdued, "You know, I'm not proud of this… But in the past. I've felt envy. Envious of how easily she could connect with others. It was something I could never do no matter how hard I tried."

Kieran shifted his eyes to Nemona with wonder, "R-Really?"

"It wasn't for very long. But I remember it was the worst feeling ever. It was like there was this monster gnawing at my insides and I couldn't do anything about it. At first, I didn't know what was happening to me."

Kieran felt a rush of nerves realizing he could relate to that.

Unaware of what Kieran was feeling, Nemona continued, "Penny helped me realize what was going on. I didn't want to admit it because she's my best friend and my greatest treasure. But Penny told me some really great things that helped me feel better."

"What did she say?" Kieran wondered.

"I don't remember exactly what she said. But the point she made was that Juliana didn't start off like this! She and I walked together on our journey… I'm me, and she's her. She also said that I have my own strengths and to not let envy take me over! Otherwise… I might become someone I don't like… Ahaha… Sorry if I didn't make any sense with that. I'm not too good at things like this."
Unbeknownst to her, Kieran had felt like he was hit by a tidal wave. He knew, he knew exactly what she was talking about. And he didn't just know.

He lived that.

"No, it's okay! I… I understand…." He replied, "All too well…"
Recalling his jealous anger and their harrowing adventure in the depths of that place called Area Zero was not something he wanted to do. Nonetheless, he assured Nemona, "I went through a bit of that myself… But I've gotten better now, so it's all okay!"

Nemona replied, "That's great! I'm so glad you and Juliana are friends!"

Kieran smiled, "Me too."

"But enough of all that sad talk! How about a battle!? Pleaaassse?" She gave him doll-like eyes.
Kieran immediately became flustered, "Wha-!? Ah… O-Okay!"

"Yay! Thank you so much! Let's have a fruitful battle! Oh! We can go this way!"

She immediately took his hand and began running, Kieran stumbled behind her barely keeping up, "H-Hey! Slow down!"

Juliana was embarrassed at the stares they were getting as Arven carried her down the hall. People were whispering, from what sounded like concern. But she couldn't say for sure.

"Uh… you can put me down now!" Juliana stated with an awkward smile.

Arven's response was immediate, "Nope. You are taking a break and I'll make sure of that if it's the last thing I do."

Having no other choice, Juliana continued to cling onto him, trying to make herself as small as possible.
They made it to the League Club where luckily, Nurse Miriam was. The kind woman immediately took notice of Juliana's state.

"Oh my! What's happened here?"

Arven set Juliana down in an empty chair and explained what had happened. Drayton was chilling in the chair next to them and he watched the whole scene with amusement. Carmine was standing by him, her hands covering her mouth with wide eyes.

Nurse Miriam was quick in her assessment, "You're okay Juliana. You just overexerted yourself, just be more careful in the future."

"Thank you so much!" Juliana smiled.

Arven expressed, "Thanks Nurse Miriam. I'm glad you were able to make it here."

Miriam replied, "Of course! I'm so honored to be here! Really, it's been a treat! Thanks so much for inviting me! Now, sorry to leave so quick, but I must get to a class! I'll be co-hosting today! I'm making good use of my brand-new certification!"

The couple watched as Miriam skipped off giggling. Juliana turned to Arven, "I remember how happy I felt for her when she accomplished her goal. Even if all I did was give her encouraging words."

"Hey, even a small act like that is something!" Arven noted.

This made Juliana happy, "Yeah, you're right Arvie." She turned to Drayton and Carmine, "Hi guys! How are you both doing?"

Drayton smiled back, "Doing just fine! Glad to see the relationship between you two is as strong as ever. Haha…"

Juliana blushed, "Ahaha… Uh, Carmine? Are you okay?"

Carmine snapped out of it, "I'm great! You two just need to stop being so adorable! Got it!?"

Drayton replied, "Carmine, relax. I'm sure you'll find the one for you someday."

"And just what's that supposed to mean!?" Carmine retorted.

While the two began to bicker, Penny approached them, "Hey guys."

Juliana greeted her, "Hi Penny! There you are! Whatcha been up to?"

Penny shrugged, "Going to class and reading manga. The usual, you know? Also chilling with my Veevees. How about you guys?"

Juliana explained, "We were hanging out in the Terarium until I got tired. Good thing Nurse Miriam was here!"

Arven crossed his arms, "Are you all right Penny? You seem kind of mad."

Penny sighed, "Oh, I was just talking to my dad. Ugh, he's so annoying…"

"What happened?" Juliana asked.

"He was asking me for the millionth time how things were going here. He's always thinking that I'm in danger or something! I just wish he would relax…"
Penny regretted her harsh tone looking at Juliana, "I'm sorry Juliana, I know you probably think I'm being ungrateful but…"

"No, it's okay!" Juliana objected, "I know I would love it if my dad were still here… but I understand how you feel."

"Thanks." Penny replied, "I might have to ask my sister to distract him again. She's good at that." She looked around, "So, where's Nemona at?"

Arven answered, "She's in the Terarium with Kieran."

Penny face-palmed, "With Kieran? Ugh, I hope she's not overwhelming him again…"

"I'm sure he's fine." Arven replied, "He's proven to be capable of matching her pace with battles."

"Still…"

While the teens continued to chat, Rika and Hassel were standing in the corner having a chat.
Hassel spoke, "Whenever I feel deeply moved, I just can't help myself! The tears just flow like waterfalls!"

Rika assured him, "Don't sweat it Hassel, it's a good thing! It means you've got a warm and caring heart."

Hassel mentioned, "But I waste so much time crying! If it weren't for you we'd never be able to finish any Elite Test!"

"Don't worry about it! I love talking and keeping things moving. You know me, that's almost my specialty besides ground-type Pokemon!" Rika giggled.

Hassel inquired, "Is that so? That suprises me a little. I'd have thought such duties would be too painful for you."

Rika gave a puzzled look, "What on earth makes you think that?"

"Well… heh… You are normally rather prone to clowning around."

"Wha… clowning around…?" Rika's eyes were fixed in disbelief before snapping to anger, "Are you kidding me!? I'm the only member of the Elite Four that gets anything done!"

Hassel laughed, "Hahaha! Relax Rika! Relax! I was just having fun with you!"

Rika sighed, "Well, anyway… You've heard about what's going on from the boss, right?" After looking around to ensure no one was in earshot, she clarified, "The things that have been happening in Area Zero?"

Hassel adopted a thoughtful expression, "Yes, Geeta gave me all the details. I'm quite concerned."

"Same. But we're keeping an eye on it. If anything grows too concerning, we'll have to make a plan. We can't just be throwing ourselves into action all willy nilly."

"I understand. I trust Geeta to keep us updated on the situation."

Rika shook her head and whispered, "There's just something happening down there. I just know it."