Finally, Team Star.

Juliana didn't catch a Swablu, but she did catch a Numel on their way to the place Casseopeia marked on their phones. Apparently, the Dark-type leader of the Segin Squad made his base here.

And apparently, Operation Starfall had picked up a new member.

"Greetings, kids," said the man in front of them. He was wearing a student's uniform, and he had a giant pompadour that did not match the white of his beard. The teenagers couldn't take their eyes off of it. "I'm here because I heard of Operation Starfall. I'd like to help." Florian and Juliana remained silent. The man cleared his throat. "I'm a bit curious about Team Star. I'd like to make this my Treasure Hunt, if you two will allow me to join you."

Juliana pulled Florian aside. "That's Clavell in a wig, right?" she asked, afraid of being told she was wrong but also afraid of being heard if she was right.

"Right," Florian confirmed, equally afraid of being heard.

"Good. Wanted to be sure." She pulled out her phone. "Rotom, call Casseopeia."

"Calling," Rotom chirped, and the mysterious voice answered on the second ring.

"You've reached Casseopeia. Have you encountered a problem with Team Star?"

"Um...not really," Juliana said nervously. She looked over at Clavell. "But we might have picked up a fourth member of Operation Starfall."

"My name is Clive," said Clavell, pretending not to notice the kids sharing an exasperated look. "I'm curious about the history of Team Star, and I've deduced that this is a decent place to start."

Casseopeia was quiet. "I suppose you can come as support," she decided. "But they don't fully trust adults. Stay in the back, Clive. Heal their Pokémon if they need it."

"Understood," said Clive, and Casseopeia returned to Juliana.

"According to your phone's location, you're coming up on the Segin Squad base. The squad leader, Giacomo, uses Dark-type Pokémon."

"You told me so the last time you hacked my phone," Juliana confirmed. "I'm here with Florian right now. We're ready to go."

"Good. Giacomo will most likely throw waves of grunts after you. Be prepared."

Juliana had a team full of Fairy-types with her, as well as Webby. "I can handle Dark-types."

"And look out for the Starmobile."

"What the what is a Starmobile?"

"You'll know it when you see it," Casseopeia stated. "I've sent a declaration of war from us at Operation Starfall. Your name wasn't on it, Clive, but they won't take kindly to people over 21 on their turf."

"How did you know I was over 21?"

"Lucky guess, really." They heard her take a deep breath on the other end of the phone. "Well, then. Time to go."

A double battle later, and Giacomo was alerted to their presence. Clive was following orders from the boss, healing them whenever they needed it.

Juliana, as the first one to defeat 30 of the grunts' Pokémon, was the one who earned a battle with the boss. As soon as he emerged, the question of the Starmobile was answered.

Giacomo was sitting on top of a large vehicle powered by a Revavroom, standing tall over his opponent and her Tinkatuff. He looked down at her and smirked, noticing the fear and wonder in her eyes.

The cockiness was quickly replaced by disbelief as she pulled out her sketchbook.

"What are you doing, kid?"

"Drawing your Starmobile," she answered immediately. "That's awesome and I want one."

"Sorry, kid. Only Team Star gets Starmobiles."

Juliana looked over at the Starmobile, envy clear. "Then after I beat you, can I ride on yours?"

"You'll have to beat me first."

And he sent out a Pawniard. Juliana, barely looking up from her drawing, ordered a Draining Kiss, forgetting the neutral damage brought on by the Steel typing. Pawniard retaliated with Metal Claw, but Tinkatuff shook it off.

"You might want to try something else!" Florian called from the background - after only defeating 17 of the grunts' Pokémon, he was not given the chance to battle the boss.

"Um..." Juliana thought, then she laughed and facepalmed. "Right! Tinkatuff knows Rock Smash! Use Rock Smash!"

Tinkatuff turned to Juliana in disbelief, then shook her head and Rock Smashed right as she got another Metal Claw to the abdomen. This time, Pawniard fainted in one hit.

The Starmobile came forward, the Pokémon powering it revving up in anticipation. Juliana looked up briefly before returning to her sketching.

"Rock Smash," she commanded, and despite the type advantage the Starmobile barely seemed to hurt. Juliana didn't notice.

"What is it with artists?" Florian mumbled to himself, to which Clive just chuckled.

"I'm more of a science-oriented man," he admitted, "but I have met a few artists. What Miss...what Juliana is doing is both perfectly normal and completely baffling."

The battle continued. Rock Smash. Wicked Torque. Rock Smash. Wicked Torque.

Finally, Juliana finished her rough sketch and pulled out some colored pencils. "Draining Kiss."

She still didn't look up. Not when Tinkatuff pulled off the move, not when the Starmobile fell apart, and not when Giacomo fell into silence, reminiscing.

She did look up when she saw him standing over her, however. "You did ok, kid," he said, as if they'd had a neck-and-neck battle and he hadn't been stomped by a creature that looked like it was made of pink playdough. "I wrote the rules, and I can't go back on them. You get the..."

Florian and Clive wondered what brought on the sudden silence. Giacomo quickly revealed what.

"You added a rainbow to my Starmobile?" he whined, and Juliana smiled innocently.

"A pastel rainbow," she chirped, as if she didn't notice that he objected to the design choice. "I like pastel rainbows. They make me happy." Neon, she could take it or leave it, and dark colors weren't a rainbow at all. But the pastel of the ones in the sky were always inspiring.

Giacomo stared at the drawing. Juliana continued to color. "That can be your Starmobile," he finally decided. "If you get the genius who makes them to like you."

"I can try to get a Starmobile?"

"You're the boss of the Segin Squad now." He held out his hand. There was a Gym Badge-like object in it. "It's all yours, kid."

"Does this mean we're friends?"

"You drew my Starmobile with pastel rainbows on it. Let's start with 'no longer enemies.'"

They shook hands, ending the war with the Segin Squad.

"As touching as this is," said Clive, getting Giacomo's attention, "I do have some questions. Care to explain to an adult why you joined Team Star?"

Giacomo stopped to look him over. "What, you actually care?"

"Of course I do." Clive sounded offended. "I'm here because I want to investigate before...Director Clavell takes drastic action."

"Clavell?" It didn't sound like Giacomo had heard of him. "What kind of action?"

"Team Star has been forcing students to listen to a song. Have you heard of that?"

"I wrote it with my grunts," Giacomo pointed out. "I know the song. It was supposed to be played when we hijacked the..." he trailed off, looking over at Juliana. "Well, she's the boss of the Segin Squad now. That plan's done for."

Clive's kind expression hardened for a moment. "I see," he said, and then it returned. "Do you think that, perhaps, you went a bit overboard?"

Giacomo instantly switched to angry. "So I went a little mad with power! That's no reason to call me things like President Puke!"

"Calm down," Florian interrupted. "This guy's ok - and that's coming from the kid the school calls the Jackpot Joke."

"You, I've heard of." Giacomo did calm down. "Don't know your real name, though. Sorry."

"I'm used to it. It's Florian."

"Florian." Giacomo said it like he was burning it into his brain. Florian had a suspicion that he would remember it for a week at maximum.

Clive stepped closer to the Dark-type user. "Perhaps you can tell me the whole story."

Giacomo looked at Florian again. Florian nodded once, giving him the confirmation on Clive being on their side. "It started a year and a half ago. I was the student council president..."

"That happened," said Florian, looking over his friend's drawing.

"I figured Tinkatuff could handle it," she protested, as if he'd accused her of sending her Pokémon out without several Fairy-types as backup. She'd even planned to actually use Daschbun and Jigglypuff. "You don't need to get mad."

"That's not what I said."

Clive had left. Cassiopeia had said she was going to send somebody, but they hadn't seen anyone yet. This left Florian the only one to comment on her art project.

Until, that is, a girl with dual-colored hair and a large Eevee backpack appeared.

"Hello," she said, pushing up her glasses nervously as she looked at Florian. "I don't know if you remember me. I'm Penny - the fourth member of Operation Starfall."

"I remember," said Florian, handing Juliana the art of the Juliana-mobile. "We met on the stairs in front of the school. Penny, right?"

Penny nodded, shocked and embarrassed about being recognized. "And you're Florian Vasquez. The, er, pyrite kid?"

"Long story. Don't want to talk about it."

Juliana frowned. She remembered Penny, but the fact that she hadn't shown up to help the mission was suspicious. "And what is Casseopeia having you do, Penny?"

"Bring you some TMs," Penny answered quickly. She handed them to Juliana, and some even went to Florian. "I'm...not really battle-inclined. Thank you for saving me that day on the stairs."

"Don't mention it," said Juliana, her suspicions satisfied at the explanation that Penny didn't battle. "I am battle-inclined."

"I know. I've heard stories about the new girl giving Champion Nemona a run for her money." Penny smiled a little. "Casseopeia was right. You are good for the mission."

She waved goodbye and disappeared. Florian turned to Juliana.

"So," he said, "next on the list for Operation Starfall?"

"Better not," Juliana decided. "I want to get another badge first. I promised Nemona I'd become a Champion, remember?"

"Yeah, I get it. Arven..." he thought of Mabosstiff. "He needs my help. He's not battle-inclined, either."

"You really changed your mind about fighting Titans, huh?" Juliana smiled slightly. "If you ever need me, call me. I'm training a lot of Pokémon."

"Good to know. Think I'll be able to borrow some?"

And they headed back to the school, battling wild Pokémon along the way, chatting and catching up like they were best friends.