"You have my gratitude for taking care of the Navi Squad's base. We're really making headway on Operation Starfall now. No doubt the two remaining bases are scrambling to make ready for their last stand as we speak."
"Well, they'll be no match for my team and I!" Juliana declared confidently.
Juliana was walking through a very familiar locale now: the sandy plains of Asado Desert, a long-stretching ocean of sand in the Western Province of the Paldea region.
She was back to wearing her standard Uva Academy-issued summer uniform, but with one extra touch of Kitakami: She had decided to keep the ponytail Carmine's grandmother had styled for her, complete with sporty bangs and crescent-shaped tails on the side of her face.
Walking through the vicious sandstorms of Asado, Juliana was already noticing a keen benefit to keeping her hair tied shorter: her braid was no longer constantly whacking her in the face every few seconds like the last time she ventured through this desert for her impromptu Gym Challenge.
Her only company through this harsh landscape was her Kitakami-caught Jangmo-o… or rather her Hakamo-o, who had finally evolved inside Tagtree Thicket during her battle with Atticus, and the Rotom Phone flying in front of her face, which was transmitting the voice of the mysterious Cassiopeia.
"I'm also relieved to know you're still committed to our mission, even after spending time away from Paldea. No doubt, your experiences in Kitakami have also helped you grow much stronger, increasing our chances of abdicating all the bosses!"
"Huh?" Juliana stopped to look up at the Phone. "How'd you know about my trip to Kitakami?"
She heard a noise on the other end that sounded a bit like a mischievous chuckle.
"I'm in Uva Academy's network, Juliana. I know practically everything going on in this school. I know about the lottery system they used to select students for the school trip, and all the student ID's that were drawn." Cassiopeia than said more quietly, "I might have even figured out how to game the lottery's algorithm so that I could choose who goes on the trip manually…"
"What was that?"
"Oh, nothing. I was just musing to myself. Keep up the good work! I'll contact you again when you're close to the next base. Oh and one more thing…"
"Hmm?"
A picture of Asado Desert's map flashed on Juliana's phone, with a specific spot marked.
"I've hacked into students' private chats who have been through this desert, and they all seemed to spot a giant Pokémon resembling a Donphan inside this tall circle of stones. If you're going after that Titan, that's probably where you should head next."
Juliana was astonished. "How did you even guess that's what I'm doing?"
"You think I don't know about all your other quests?" Cassiopeia said in a coy-sounding voice. "There's few other reasons I could imagine you'd willingly put yourself through the sandstorm-ridden desert again when you've already acquired your Water Badge."
Juliana was amazed by Cassiopeia's apparent skills for intuition for a second. But then she began to look bothered.
"It feels like you know everything about me, but I know nothing about you…" she mumbled.
"Hako?" her Hakamo-o uttered in concern.
"…I'm sorry?" came Cassiopeia's voice.
"Oh!" Juliana's eyebrows flared. "I'm sorry, I… didn't mean for you to hear that. I just… I just have a big problem with secrets, that all." Especially now after everything that happened with Kieran…
There was a sizable pause from the other end of the phone.
"…I'm sorry for being so secretive," Cassiopeia said in a soft voice. "Please understand, it's just… necessary for the mission that I protect my identity. But when the time is right, everything will become clear. On that, I can promise you."
Juliana calmly nodded. "I understand."
"Good. … Take care of yourself, okay?"
Then they hung up. Juliana was a bit surprised. That last sendoff was probably the most personal thing the otherwise stoic Cassiopeia had said. She could tell there must be some sense of guilt on the other end.
But not just in keeping their identity secret. It was clear that this Cassiopeia was burying… even deeper regrets. Juliana had already surmised this person was more connected to Team Star and its bosses than they were letting on.
Even though she didn't know this person's true self, Juliana still hoped that completing this Operation Starfall would be the satisfaction they need, and help them to heal from whatever was troubling them.
Juliana gave her Hakamo-o a gently pat and decided to continue onward, focusing on her other mission for now. But for a brief moment, she thought of Kieran again. By now, he and… and Carmine were certainly back at Blueberry Academy readjusting to school life.
I wonder what they're doing right now…
Tick tock. Tick tock. Tick tock.
The minute hand and the second hand both moved in a perfect rhythm. With each tick, they moved inch by inch around the circle of numbers. Always in sync. Never a beat off. Completely synchronized and on track.
As all things in this world ideally would be. At least, that's how this girl seemed to think.
Standing stiffly and dressed in a Blueberry uniform with large silver boots, a pair of gray half-moon glasses, and her hair done in unique braids that made it look like she had large metal bolts sticking out of her head, she remained fixated on her silver beaded pocket watch. She never took her eyes off it. At least not until…
"Amarrryyyyyys~!" a voice rang out across the club room.
Amarys looked up and, although she didn't crack a smile, her face still seemed to light up in joy when she saw who had just shouted her name.
"Greetings, Carmine! It's refreshing to finally talk with you face-to-face again. You look as well rested as I had hoped you would be after your excursion."
Carmine walked up to her friend with a soft, happy smile on her face.
"Ha-ha! I knew you would be the first to notice."
Amarys noted a small, unfamiliar Pokémon that was trotting alongside her friend.
"How peculiar," she noted, gazing at Ogerpon with a curious face. "That's not a Pokémon that's in any of our study books. An obscure specimen from your homeland of Kitakami?"
"Pon-pon!" Ogerpon said happily, waving to the new face.
"You could say that. Her name's Ogerpon. She's a living legend! Do you remember when I used to tell you about our town's old stories? The ogre of Kitakami?"
"Oh! Is this that ogre in person? How interesting. It looks… significantly less terrifying and nefarious than you originally described it."
"Pon?" Ogerpon turned to Carmine, who winced.
"Blunt as ever, aren't you? Glad to know you haven't changed, Amarys…"
The two classmates grabbed a seat at the table in the middle of the League Club Room to chat. Amarys unpacked her lunch: sweet potato noodles with a plate of freeze-dried strawberries, all of which she had delicately prepared the night before, and a pear smoothie.
Carmine, having missed the fatty delights of her Academy's cafeteria food, went all out with the Academy Pizza, a plate of Academy Fries, and an Academy Shake to go with it. She happily shared her food with Ogerpon, who was enamored with all these delicious new tastes.
"So how was seeing your native land again, Carmine? I remember… on the first night you arrived, you wrote me a letter about being forced to cavort with, the 'outsiders' as you so referred to them as. Were you successful in your mission to force them away from damaging Kitakami's natural beauty?"
Carmine had to chuckle a little bit at this reminder of her facetious behavior at the beginning of the trip.
"Ohh, those kids from Paldea ended up being nothing like how I'd feared. They were all reallu nice actually and… really respected our land a lot. Not the kind of grabby, boorish tourists I thought they were going to be. In fact…"
She took a sip from her fruity ice cream shake and smiled fondly.
"I actually met this girl… Super, super nice girl. Named Juliana. She's actually part of the reason I became friends with Ogerpon here. We did a lot of adventuring together to meet the ogre and help fix all the injustices that had been done to her."
"Pon-yo! Pon-yo!" Ogerpon beamed in agreement.
"And… and you know, I already kind of miss her."
Carmine started thumbing one of her fries, having made herself feel a little sad.
"She made that great of an impact of you?"
"Indeed. I mean… yeah." Carmine rolled her eyes that Amarys's matter-in-fact way of speaking had temporarily infected her. "I just don't know that I've ever met someone like her before. She was so kind and… and really cute."
"Do I hear somebody talking about cuteness without me?" a voice shouted.
A tall girl marched up to the pair with a bright smile on her face. She was also wearing a light Blueberry uniform, but complimented it with a long pink cardigan that sported sleeve cuffs like little fairy wings. She wore her hair long and straight, with clipped ends and bangs, and a pair of fancy earrings from a popular Driftveil City jewelry brand.
"Lacey!"
Carmine got up from her seat to embrace her friend Lacey in a hug.
"It's so good to see you!"
"Hee-hee! Mutual feelings all around, Carmie! Blueberry's a lot more boring without your coolness livening up the room, I'll tell you what! Nobody around this school can match my energy as well as you do, and they don't have your amazing sense of humor either!"
"Nor does anyone in our circle share the same appeal for unadulterated movie nights," Amarys added. "I've kept up a queue of movies I was interested in watching next time you're free."
"Like I had any doubt I was the tentpole holding our friend group up?" Carmine teased. "I guess the burden falls to me once again to keep my gals entertained so they don't dry up into husks."
"Very funny." Lacey rolled her eyes.
"…I'm struggling to see the humor in such a morbid image," Amarys remarked.
"So how was your trip?"
"Oh, it was great! Just the refreshing experience I needed!" Carmine chuckled. "I was uhh, already in the middle of telling Amarys about the ogre, and the girl I met there."
"Ooooh, you met a cute girl, did you?" Lacey teased. "Was she even cuter than me?"
"Come on, you know that's impossible!"
"I don't know… if you're gushing about her that hard, I think our little Carmine just might have a crush!"
Carmine shied her face away and blushed. "Shut up! I do not!"
"Woah! I've never seen your face turn that red before!" Lacey dug in even further. "Oh my stars, you are in love, Carmine!"
"Agggh!" Carmine tugged on her hair. "I said shut up already!"
"Pon-pon-pon!" Ogerpon giggled.
Lacey gasped. "Oh my gosh! Is this the Pokémon you were telling me about on the phone!? Ogerpon or something like that?"
"Good memory!" Carmine complimented. "This is Ogerpon in the flesh! My brand new spunky warrior girl from Kitakami!"
Lacey squeed out loud and grabbed Ogerpon up in her arms, startling the ogre quite a bit.
"Hey, be gentle with her!" Carmine cautioned.
"I'm so sorry! But you're so stinkin' cute I could just eat you up!" Lacey cooed, nuzzling Ogerpon's face in hers. "You're like an adorable green cinnamon roll!"
Ogerpon was thrilled by all these compliments and laughed heartily, showing its fangs.
"Ohhh, and your cute little fangs too! Little vampire girlie! Are you sure there's only one of these in Kitakami, Carmine? Because I'm already jealous and want her for myself!"
Carmine giggled. "I knew out of everyone, you two would get along the quickest! But I'm afraid she's one-of-a-kind!"
"Amarys!" Lacey gave a faux-angry look at Amarys. "How can you just sit there so calmly and not gush about how super-duper cute this thing is!?"
"I acknowledged Ogerpon's extensive adorability factor. I even showered it with flattering compliments."
Carmine shielded her mouth and muttered, "She said, and I quote, 'It has a uniquely captivating and delightful appeal to it'."
"Oooh, three big words from Amarys? You must be really enamored with Ogerpon!" Lacey teased their stoic friend.
"Quite. Yes."
"Ogerpon's so tough and adorable that I've been thinking she should be the mascot of the BB League!" Carmine joked. "Then everyone would want to join in just to get a chance to battle her! Know who I can talk to about that?"
Lacey laughed, still cradling Ogerpon in her arms. "Well, you'd certainly have my vote set in stone! Especially if she's as amazing in battle as you say! I'd love to see her in action someday. But right now, I'm just glad you all made it back safe and sound!" said Lacey.
Ogerpon's eyes were closed in blissful lulling as Lacey continued to rock her.
"Have you and Kieran settled in your new dorm room yet? I'd love to catch up with him! It's been so long since the last time we talked!"
Carmine's smile vanished at the mention of Kieran, and she slowly tipped her head downward in gloom.
Lacey noticed and looked concerned.
"Oh… I'm sorry, Carmine. Did I say something wrong?"
Carmine didn't answer. Amarys cleared her throat.
"Carmine has indicated that she and Kieran are no longer sharing a room together."
"What…?" Lacey gasped.
"He put in a request for a room to himself without even telling me," Carmine said glumly, her arm slumped on the table. "Apparently, it was one of the first things he did when we got back."
"Aww. I'm sorry to hear that, Carmine." Lacey tried to find a way to bring positivity back into the conversation. "Well… at least your brother's growing up fast. That's got to feel good, right? That he's finally being more independent?"
"Yeah… I suppose so." Carmine tried to smile but couldn't quite bring herself to. She took another long sip from her ice cream shake… which had melted and tasted rather frothy now.
"So that means you've got the whole room to yourself now. Are you… going to be okay with that?"
"Of course I can handle having my own dorm!" Carmine snapped slamming her shake and spilling little drops on the table. "I'm a big girl! I know how to take care of myself!" She was seething with her fists again.
"Hee-hee! I sure missed that look from you!" Lacey delighted.
Juliana passed a large mesa and found several large jagged stones pointing up from the ground. She got closer and looked around, and there were more of them all lined up in what looked like a circle.
And she could faintly hear the sound of something huge rolling around in the distance.
"Well.. this looks like the place. …Where's Arven?"
She gulped. The prospect of facing gigantic Titan Pokémon with supposed potential for destruction hadn't gotten any less nerve-wracking even though she and Arven successfully felled two of them so far.
In fact, the time difference between the last Titan, with her Kitakami trip falling afterward, seemed to increase Juliana's anxiety now. In some ways, she felt like she was back to square one again, being so frightened to have stumbled upon that giant Klawf on the cliffside.
As she nervously began to approach, her Rotom Phone rang.
"Arven?" she hoped.
"Hello, Juliana. This is Turo."
"Oh. Hi, Professor!" she waved to her screen.
"I'm glad to see you are unharmed. My sensors—my computer's sensors, for a while had seemed to not be able to detect you or Miraidon as being anywhere in Paldea."
Straight to the point as usual, this guy.
"Oh. I guess I never did tell you about my trip…" Is he okay with me bringing Miraidon to another land? I didn't even think about that. "You see, I was selected to go t—"
"I'm sorry to interrupt, but I don't have much time and it's important I alert you to the Pokémon you're drawing close to," Turo's voice cut in. "Iron Treads is a Pokémon that came from the Great Crater of Paldea."
"Iron Treads?" Juliana asked.
"My own naming convention. It's a Pokémon that dwells within the Crater and cannot be allowed to roam outside of it. I ask that you do whatever is needed to subdue it for me—with all due caution, of course."
"Uhh, okay, sure," she responded. "How did a Pokémon fro—"
But Turo abruptly hung up.
"Tch. I think I'm starting to get why Arven is the way he is if this is who he's got for a dad."
She paused at her own remark. Heh. Carmine would appreciate that joke…
"Juliana!" she heard a familiar voice call.
"Arven!" Juliana greeted in delight. "How are ya doing?"
Arven ran up to her. As always, he was dressed in his academy uniform with a yellow vest, lugging around a backpack so filled up that stuff was threatening to spill out of its pockets, and a mophead of pepper-gray hair, which Arven once told her used to earn him the nickname "Pepper" from Nemona.
"How am I doing?" he repeated once they were face-to-face. "Well, I'm doing fine as ever, of course! I should be asking how you are, little buddy! Did it really take you over a week to figure out where our next Titan was?"
Juliana stared blankly at him.
"Uhh… Arven? Did you… forget that I told you I was going on a school field trip and would be a while?"
"Huh? Well, no! N-no, of course I didn't forget that! My memory's sharp as a Vespiquen's stinger!" Arven proclaimed, pointing as his noggin. "So, uh… where'd you go again?"
"Kitakami," she giggled.
"Oh! Yeah! Right! Kitakami! Now I remember!" Arven crossed his arms. "That's… that's over in the Northern Province right? Near Glaseado Mountain or something like that?"
Juliana shook her head in resignation. "…You know what? Sure."
"Heh-heh, sorry. Like I told you before, I'm all about picnics and the outdoor life. Geography isn't my strong subject."
Juliana raised an eyebrow. "…Didn't Nemona say something about you haven't been showing up for your classes? That's probably why."
"Ouch! Look who's got barbs now!" Arven reacted. "That Katti-whatever place turned you super sassy!"
Juliana once again took pause. Yeah… Yeah, I guess it did…
"Keep sticking with me from now on, and you'll learn how to hone that tenacity!" Arven boasted, pointing at himself. "Now let's go! The ground's shaking a lot around here, you must've found the Quaking Earth Titan before I did!"
"Yup! It's just inside that circle of rocks!"
"Great, let's go!"
Arven hoisted up his backpack. Juliana noticed him doing that and realized that's probably where she had been getting that habit from. She playfully hoisted her bag too and started walking with him.
"I can't wait for you to see some of the new Pokémon I caught in Kitakami," she conversed with Arven. "They're probably even going to pack a punch against these Titans!"
"I'll be very glad for that! I feel like I already depend on you a lot for taking those things down. By the way…" His face grew curious. "I heard you talking on the phone with somebody. Who was that?"
Juliana's face drew up in panic.
"Oh! Uhh… umm... It was…"
Juliana thought frantically about whether she should tell Arven that she had been in communication with his absentee father. She had gathered by now that Turo was a very thorny subject for Arven, and she worried that he would lose trust in her or get angry if he knew.
Carmine's words echoed in her head.
"Sometimes… there are moments when you have to do something you know will hurt someone. It isn't nice but… it's for their own good."
"…Nobody important," she finally said. "Just… a friend."
"Oh, okay," Arven accepted. He quietly muttered, "It's just that, for a second I, I thought I heard… never mind. It doesn't matter."
He walked briskly onward. Juliana felt a bit guilty, but she tried to just keep in mind that she might feel even guiltier if she made Arven upset.
"Look at her go! She moves fast for such a little bean!"
Lacey gushed as she, Carmine, and Amarys stood against the wall and watched Ogerpon treading fire on one of the League Club's treadmills. The screen of the treadmill showed a running simulation, and Amarys had programmed in a mountain trail simulation that delighted Ogerpon for appearing so similar to Oni Mountain.
"Pon…! Pon…! Pon…! Pon…!" she huffed.
Ogerpon was laser-focused on her exercise. The screen was tracking the determined Pokémon's numbers, and showed that she was quickly shattering records for km/h, calories burned, consistent pacing, heart activity, all the works.
"It's astonishing to see a Pokémon with that level of focus and commitment," said Amarys.
Carmine giggled. "I was worried about whether she'd be able to do all the same athletic stuff I've seen her do up on the mountain, but I guess I never considered she'd be so drawn to the treadmills here!"
"We'll make a warrior out of her yet," Lacey smiled. "Oh! By the way, you missed Jax's graduation. She finally earned the last credits she needed while you were gone."
"Oh, I know." Carmine sipped her energy drink. "I wrote her a letter while I was at home, and she wrote me back with a thanks. I'm gonna miss her, but frankly I'm not going to miss that nasty cat of hers and the Mean Look it kept giving me."
"Her Liepard never liked you at all, that's right!" Lacey laughed in remembrance. "Hmmm, Jax did say that her Liepard was kidnapped by Team Plasma once. Maybe after all that, it just doesn't trust anyone it thinks is too mischievous like you!"
"Well, the feeling there was definitely mutual," Carmine pouted. "What's Jax up to now, anyway? Was she still hoping to apprentice with Grimsley?"
Lacey shook her head, as she munched on a box of her candy.
"No, she's studying to become a Pokémon Ranger now apparently!"
"Like the forest rangers, or those ones who use their little spinny sticks to control Pokémon?" asked Carmine.
"The latter one," Amarys answered.
"Oh. … Weird, but okay."
Lacey shrugged. "I guess with her brother's recent promotion into the International Police, she's all fired up and wants to find a way to help people too."
Amarys, perplexed, put down her stopwatch. A lot of people who observed the steely girl believed that she stared at her watch often because she was very punctual with time. But her good friends Carmine and Lacey knew that it was just a quirky tic of hers.
"Is Hugh the source of Jacqueline's newfound inspiration for heroism? I had believed that it was Rosa, and her illustrious screen persona as Lucario Girl, who had captivated Jacqueline into changing her career path!"
"No, I'm… pretty sure that's just you who's into all of those Pokéstar movies, Amarys," Lacey chuckled.
"…Oh." Amarys lowered her head in embarrassment.
Carmine couldn't help but giggle.
"You really are going stir-crazy without anyone to watch action movies with, aren't you? We should make a movie date ASAP so you can get your head on straight again!"
"I appreciate the offer," Amarys replied, giving another almost-a-grin. "Although, if you're seeking ways to lift my spirits… I was actually hoping you and I could have a battle."
"A battle, huh?" Carmine put her hands to her hips with a smug face.
"Mm-hm. Lacey has told me that your team has grown stronger since your leave and that your exotic ace Poltchageist has even evolved. I'd love for a chance to see how your strategies have evolved too."
"Oooh!" Lacey clapped. "And it would give all of us a chance to see Ogerpon in action! I'd love to witness that!"
"Oh? Then perhaps you would like to jump in and make it into a Multi-Battle, Lacey?" Amarys offered.
"You guys cookin' up a big fiery Multi-Battle!?"
A short boy rushed up alongside the three of them. He wasn't wearing a traditional Blueberry uniform, but instead a much different one that looked very akin to a chef's uniform. His hair was red and mangy, with orange ends, and he had a very fiery look in his eyes.
And he was carrying around a frying pan for some reason.
"Count ME in for sure!" he said excitedly.
Carmine, bothered by this stranger and his bizarre gusto, eyed him up and down dismissively.
"Ummm, and whose appendage are you supposed to be? I didn't know Blueberry Junior was doing a tour right now. We're kind of in a private conversation here, kid."
"What!?" he reared back. "I'm no kid from the junior academy! I'll have you know, I'm one of the mighty BB Elite Four!"
"Uh-huh, sure…" Carmine nodded skeptically.
"He's telling the truth, Carmine!" Amarys interjected. "Please show him respect. He's our newest recruit."
Her eyebrows went up. "Wait, really?"
"Oh yeah, you two haven't met yet, have you?" Lacey realized. "Carmine, this is Crispin! Amarys is right, he climbed the ranks of the BB League and made Elite rank while you were away! So we decided to give him Jax's vacant seat. Now he's one of us!"
"Ohh." She looked down at Crispin and brushed her hair, a little ashamed. "Well sorry for my rudeness. I guess you just don't look the type is all."
"Hey, no skin off my bones!" Crispin cheerfully responded, and shook her hand. "Name's Crispin, and I love nothing more than battling and cooking!"
"He has some of the highest marks in all the food-level courses!" Lacey confirmed.
"Wait… if your name's Carmine, you must be the one who Kieran's always ravin' about!"
"Wait, you know my brother?"
"Yeah, he and I are in the same class!" Crispin replied, holding his pan over his shoulder. "Are you telling me he's never once mentioned me and my amazing cooking skills?"
Carmine shrugged. "Ehhh. If he did, I just wasn't paying attention. Not your fault, kiddo."
"Well he talks about you all the time, and how strong you are compared to him! I've always wanted to meet ya!"
"Is that so? Well… I'm certainly not against having such an admirer of me and my skills in the BB League. That'll be good publicity for when I'm famous y'know."
"Hey, you know what'd be a great idea? Crispin, you should join in on this battle!" Lacey suggested. "Pokémon battling's always a great way to get to know someone!"
"Wow! Hey! I've got an even spicier idea! Why don't we invite Kieran to join in too!?"
"Really?" Carmine was perplexed. "You want to invite my little brother?"
"Yeah! Seeing as how I've battled him a few times before, I'd love to see how differently two siblings battle! I'll go ask him right now!"
Crispin suddenly ran off without waiting for a reply, stunning Carmine.
"Wait! Hey! I didn't even agree to… and he's gone." She huffed. "Geez, how many energy drinks is that kid on?"
"Oh, he's always like that," said Lacey. "Crispin eats a lot, and I mean a LOT, of ultra-spicy sandwiches. I think that's what keeps him going. Heh! He's hard to eat lunch with because a lot of his homemade recipes make my eyes water!"
"Huh."
Amarys felt compelled to speak up. "If you'll forgive me Carmine… you sounded less than enthralled at the prospect of Kieran being part of the battle. Did… something occur between you two in Kitakami? Has he not become a stronger Trainer as well?"
"Well…"
Carmine stared into the abyss of her drink can, ruminating over everything that had happened with Kieran.
"It's, it's a really long story. I just hope he's in a much better mood than he came in…"
-BRRZT! -ZAP!-
They were alerted to sudden loud noises emanating from Ogerpon's treadmill.
The Mask Pokémon reacted in distress as the screen became glitchy and static-y, and the machine lit up in sparks.
Suddenly, it exploded and Ogerpon fell backwards, landing on the floor near the trio.
"Oh my gosh!" Carmine ran over. "Ogerpon, are you okay!?"
"Og-uhh… pon…," Ogerpon responded in a daze, her eyes all swirly.
Amarys gazed at the smoking remains of the treadmill.
"She must have surpassed even this piece of machinery's limits."
Carmine chuckled awkwardly. "I guess it'd be better for everyone if you looked for places to run in the Terrarium instead. Heh-heh… oh man, I really hope they aren't going to expect me to pay for that."
"My buddy here was… hurt pretty bad a while ago. Real bad, in fact. And he never fully recovered."
Juliana knelt down to her knees and gazed sorrowfully at the weak and debilitated Masbosstiff laying almost motionless on the ground.
"Have you tried a Pokémon Center?" she asked. "Potions and things? They don't work?"
"Nothing seems to help," Arven lamented. "Not Potions, not Pokémon Centers… nothing."
"Poor little guy…"
Arven went on to explain that Masbosstiff was basically all he had in the world to care about. And that he started reading about the Herba Mystica and how eating all five of them would supposedly cure you of all ailments.
His quest to take down the Titans, he revealed, was all that so he could attain each of their Herbs and use them to try to heal his crippled partner.
"Case in point, Mabosstiff's paws were cold as ice before he ate that last herb. But they've warmed up a little now—I'm sure they have!"
Miraidon gave a sad cry that echoed throughout the Titan Pokémon's mysterious cavern. Juliana continued watching Mabosstiff with an expression of pity and guilt.
"Arven, I… I had no idea. That you've been dealing with all this. I—I should've realized sooner."
"Hey, don't put it all on yourself, Juliana! Really, I'm the one who should've been more honest from the beginning. You probably thought I was some blowhard jerk the first time we met… After an impression like that, I guess I didn't expect you to help me unless there was an exciting adventure in it for you."
Juliana shook her head.
"Honestly, if I had known from the beginning you were doing all this for your partner, I—I would've been all in without you having to say anything else. I wouldn't have let myself focus on anything else until we got him all better again!"
Arven smirked. "Yeah, yeah I know. You've got a real good heart, Juliana."
"In fact I…" A look of even greater guilt washed over Juliana. "I wouldn't be tackling the Gyms right now, or going along with Cassiopeia… Most of all, I never would've gone on that school trip in the first place. Now I kind of wish I hadn't…"
"Huh?" Arven was surprised by this response.
"…I abandoned you. When you needed me. I was being selfish."
Juliana held her arms with her hands, feeling overcome by a wave of shame. Miraidon looked a bit distressed at its partner's disposition, and tried to nudge playfully at her to make her smile.
Arven gave Miraidon a look, not of malice but of something… different. Like guilt of his own. But he calmly stood in front of Juliana and put his hands on her shoulders.
"Hey… come on now, little buddy. Don't be thinking like that." He smiled at her as best he could to try to reassure his companion. "You've been a tremendous help for me. I don't care that you went on a trip, or that you… actually let that student council girl rope you into the Gym Challenge? Oof."
Juliana calmly looked up at him, her face still unsure.
"You've got a whole life to live and that's totally cool! You should be going on as many adventures as you want! As long as you're always taking some time to think about your ol' pal Arven and helping out when you can… that's fine!"
"You… you really mean that?"
"Yeah! With your help, I've made more progress with getting all these Herbs than I ever would've on my own! You're the best kind of partner I could've asked for, partner! Now come on." He held his arms out. "Bring it in!"
Juliana grinned, and let Arven embrace her in a warm hug.
"Feel better now?"
She smiled even more. "Yeah. Thanks, Arven. You're not such a bad guy after all."
"Glad to have restored my reputation!" he remarked.
"Grrrrr…"
They both heard a soft noise and were drawn to Arven's Mabosstiff.
"Oh! You done eating, bud?"
Arven calmly stood over his Mabosstiff to examine its state. Mabosstiff grunted as it tried to lift himself up… but couldn't get very far before slouching down again.
"Ohhh…" Juliana uttered.
But then Arven noticed something new.
"H-hey! Mabosstiff! Can—can you see? Are your eyes open!?"
Indeed, though the worn Boss Pokémon's eyes had been closed the whole time Arven had it out, its striking yellow eyes were visible and glancing up at its master once more.
"Yes! I did it!" Arven jumped up in the air in delight. Then he knelt down and wrapped Mabosstiff in a very gentle but loving hug. "It… it's been so long since he was able to open his eyes! I was so worried…"
Juliana beamed. "Congrats, Arven!"
I guess I am making an impact after all…
She watched Arven's heartfelt interactions with his slowly recovering partner. It tugged at her heartstrings.
And… it jolted her memory.
For a brief second, she didn't see Arven and Mabosstiff there.
She saw Carmine and Ogerpon.
Dancing with each other. Smiling. Picking each other up.
…
Arven caught Juliana's eye for a second and grinned along with her, assuming the tear running down her face was for Mabosstiff.
"Hey Kieran, are ya in there?" Crispin knocked. "It's me, Crispin!"
The door to his room wasn't locked, so Crispin decided to let himself in.
"How's it hangin', dude? I haven't seen you since you got back! Whatcha been up t— Whoa!"
-BAM- -BAM- -BAM-
"Huff… huff… huff…"
"Wowww, Kieran! I had no idea you were into boxing now!"
Kieran was down deep in his own little world.
In the center of his room, he had a large punching bag set up on a hook descending from his ceiling. It was an orange bag with black lines, and bore the logo and face of the Elite Four member Marshal and his gym equipment brand.
And Kieran was going at it, punching it really hard with repeated jabs. He had wrappings on his knuckles, which didn't show blood stains but were still indicative of the stress he was putting on his hands.
"That's so neat! I wish I had known you had such a cool hobby. Hey, you know Cammie, right? The girl a year above us, likes to brag all the time that her parents are both big time Gym Leaders in Sinnoh?"
Kieran just grunted in response.
"Right, her!" an unfazed Crispin replied. "Well, she started a boxing club at Blueberry, and her mom even lent her some of her Gym equipment for it! She's got a whole punch of punching bags, training dummies, armor. Even an optical treadmill! We could join it together, I bet you would get a real kick out of it!"
Crispin smiled bigly at his classmate who… seemed to show no signs of acknowledgment.
"Wow, you're really putting in the work there. Are you training for something?"
Still no response.
"Oh!" Crispin realized. "I got something really cool to tell ya! You know the BB League, right? The strongest Trainers in the whole school? Well guess what! Your pal Crispin's one of 'em now!"
He pointed boastfully at himself with both thumbs.
"Isn't that cool? I'm like, the hottest kid in our class now! Everybody wants to battle me now, because they think I'm the cream of the crop! And well… I guess I am," he said bashfully. "Heh. I guess I'm just… not used to that kind of attention. I'm like, all famous now or something. Halfway there to being the most famous chef in the world!"
Crispin adopted a chill smile as he held his hands over his head. But even still, Kieran acted like he wasn't even there.
"Hmm. Okay. Thought you'd be a little happy for me, but whatever…" he muttered. "Anyway, umm… what was I here for again?" he scratched his head. "Oh right! I just met your sister Carmine! Super nice girl, really tall too! She's a crazy terrific battler, right? That's what you said? And she's got a cool new Pokémon with her I've never seen before!"
Crispin didn't notice, but Kieran's fists started hitting the bag a little harder.
"Uhh, so yeah! She and my fellow League mates were about to do a big Multi-Battle, and I wanted to come and check on you to see if you wanted to get in on that! I know how much you admire the BB League!" He chuckled softly. "Buuuut I can tell you're really into your exercise there, so I guess I'll just leave ya be. … See you around class!"
He started to leave without a response. He made it halfway out the door when…
"Wait."
Crispin turned around, surprised to hear Kieran finally speak. Kieran stopped hitting the bag and addressed Crispin without turning around.
"So… being in the BB League. You're saying… that makes you feel really strong and powerful? And that everyone else thinks you're the best Trainer in the school now because of it?"
"Well… yeah! I guess so!" Crispin replied with a laugh. "I get lots of respect now. I mean, not as much as the other members I guess… oh, and especially not as much as Drayton! But that's just because he's the Champion of the whole League, y'know?"
"…"
"Drayton's so cool. He's probably the coolest, most strongest guy in the whole school! At least I think so! Everybody in the whole school wants to be friends with him."
"…"
"Ummm. So… do you want me to tell the others yay or… nay on that battle?"
"…Go," Kieran finally said. "Just go. I've got things to do."
…
"OKAY!" Crispin said cheerfully and walked out of the room.
Kieran stood alone, staring at the punching bag. He felt his fists starting to tremble.
He reached into his pocket, and pulled out… a Pecha Berry.
Gazing blankly at his odd charm, Kieran placed the Berry on the desk in front of him and closed his eyes.
Images began to flash in his head. Bitter, stinging memories of before.
"I'm gonna become someone people can rely on. I want to become the strongest Trainer in my school."
"I-it's all… 'cause I'm too weak…"
Why do you keep ruining everything!? I need to prove that I'm the strongest! And you always beat me in a battle!"
"It's because I'm weak. And the ogre knows it. I'm nothing but a big baby. Pathetic little Kieran…"
His foot stomped. And stomped some more.
Then, his wild yellow eyes opened. A newfound resolve washed over him.
"I need to become...a lot stronger," he decided. "Stronger. Stronger! Stronger and stronger and stronger!"
Kieran ruffled his hair furiously.
"I can't stop until I've become the strongest Trainer ever. No more weak, pathetic baby Kiki who needs someone to protect him."
His face started to clench bitterly along with his fists.
"I want to be somebody who nobody would ever dare look down on, or lie to! Or refuse a battle just because I'm soft!"
The gleaming Pecha Berry drew his attention. Looking at it seemed to fill him with some inspiration.
Time to shed the old Kieran away forever…
"The ogre is going to regret the day it turned down my friendship."
With a new wicked smile on his face, and his eyes fixated on the Pecha Berry's unique look, Kieran grabbed at the ends of his hair, and he started to bunch them up together, making his purple roots stand out more.
"Carmine… And Juliana… Just you wait."
The sun was still shining bright in Asado Desert when Juliana and Arven made their exit from the Titan Pokémon's grotto. However, the sandstorm had subsided and the desert seemed a lot calmer now.
"Ahh, good," said Arven, scanning the area. "That brutish Pokémon still hasn't come back yet. What was that thing anyway? It looked like a lot of Donphan, but its tusks were so huge! Those yellow eyes, and all those red markings on it… what was that all about?"
Juliana sweat a little, not wanting to reveal her inside tip from Arven's dad…
"Uhhh, yeah. It… sure is a mystery, alright. It was strong as IRON, that's for sure!"
"Well, at least we beat it and got the Herba Mystica. That's all I care about. I gotta say, Juliana…"
Arven turned to her and smiled sincerely.
"It's been really great having a friend along the way. I've never really… had a lot of friends growing up, or even really a family, and this has been so much fun."
"Thanks, Arven. I'm having a lot of fun with you too."
"And I'll tell ya what, that person you're helping out? They probably appreciate you just as much as I do. I bet even Nemona does too, despite how much of a snob she is."
Juliana chuckled a little. She still felt a little insecure about the emotional moment she had had back there.
Arven put his hands on her shoulders again and very gently shook her around.
"So don't let me ever catch you moping again, okay? You'll never be happy if you spend all your time worrying, and I need my partner to be at her absolute best to fight the rest of these Titans! Promise?"
Juliana grinned widely. "Ha-ha… yeah. Okay. Promise."
"Great! That's my little buddy!"
Arven gave her an encouraging slap on the back… but to his surprise, Juliana lost her balance and stumbled forward when he did.
"Woah! You okay there, bud? I'm sorry, I didn't think I hit you that hard!"
"It's okay, wasn't your fault…"
Juliana's knees trembled as she got herself standing up again.
"Just… been a long day, y'know?"
"Okay. If you say so. I'm going to go scout ahead for where our next Titan is. And uhh… maybe you should think about calling it a day. Cascarrafa's right nearby, they've got hotels there that I think give a discount for students on their Treasure Hunt."
"Yeah…" Juliana dusted the sand off your clothes. "That sounds like a good idea. Thanks, Arven."
"See you around!"
Arven gave a thumbs-up to her and started walking his own path through the desert.
Once he was out of sight, Juliana creaked her back to try to get it straight again. She didn't know why her body felt so achy all of a sudden.
Was she pushing herself too hard?
"I don't know," she muttered. "The day's still young… And my next Gym's in Medali, which is really close to Cascarrafa, isn't it?"
She pulled out her Rotom Phone to check her map.
"Hmmm… maybe if I get there and just have a quick bite to eat, all my strength will come back and I can go straight to challenge the Gym! That'll sure make Nemona proud!"
She hoisted her bag up like she watched Arven do and headed in the direction of Cascarrafa, deciding she would make a plan when she got there.
As she started heading up the trail, she noticed something peculiar in the distance.
A young couple, dressed in tropical clothes meaning they might be denizens of the nearby Porto Marinada, were setting up a picnic table on one of the small sand hills.
Huh? People having a picnic, here in the desert? Carmine was right, I guess we are kinda freaky about our picnics…
Although the sun was out in Paldea, Unova was experiencing the late evening moon. And most of the students in Blueberry Academy were winding down in their rooms, getting ready to get a good night's sleep for all the battling and studying that awaited them in the morning.
Lacey was one of those students, putting on her pink silky robe as she heard a knock on her door.
She opened it. "Oh! Hi, Carmine. What are you doing here so late?"
"Hey Lace…" Carmine said groggily. "I know it's late, but could I ask you for a favor?"
"Sure, what's up?"
Carmine was dressed in her undershirt and hastily put on uniform pants.
"Could… Ogerpon sleep with you for tonight?"
She sheepishly held up Ogerpon, who pressed her arms together like pleading fingers for Lacey.
"What's wrong with Ogerpon?"
Carmine winced. "I think she's scared of the dark."
"Pon…"
"Oh no!" Lacey had her hands over her mouth. "Poor thing!"
"Kiki took all our plug-in lights with him. I was fine with it but… Ogerpon didn't seem to want to settle down in all that darkness. I'm a little too tired to find more lights tonight so—"
"Say no more!" Lacey declared. "I would be humbly glad to host your adorable ogre for tonight. The two of us can have a proper girl's night!" she clapped.
"Pon-pon!" Ogerpon cheered at the idea, which made Carmine smile, especially as she peered inside Lacey's dorm and looked at all the pink string lights she had.
"Thanks, Lacey. I really owe you one."
"Nope!" Lacey shook her head and crossed her arms together like an X. "That's just what friends are for, Carmine!"
Carmine left Ogerpon with her excited friend and walked back to her dorm room alone.
Juliana strode up to the picnic table.
"Hey there, guys! Room for one more?"
"Ugh, seriously? Is the whole town going to come up and eat with us? We only have enough food for the two of us, you know!" she seethed.
"Awww, sis, lay off! We always have a bunch of food leftover, and besides, Juliana's our best friend!"
Kieran smiled at her.
"Of course you can join us. You can have a seat right here on the bench!"
"Awww, thanks, Kiki."
Carmine grumbled. "Seems like I'm being outvoted here…"
Juliana happily took a seat on the siblings' picnic bench, which was spread out with their grandmother's favorite tablecloth out in the grassy field.
"Picnics with you guys are always the best!"
"Yeah well… I guess things are a little better now that you're here," Carmine reluctantly admitted. "Would you like a sandwich, Juliana?"
"Sure!" Juliana leaned in closer to Carmine. "What kind is it?"
"It's a honey and Qualot Berry sandwich with ricotta cheese!" Kieran proudly told her.
"Ooooh!" Juliana's knees bunched together in excitement.
Carmine giggled at how adorable she was.
"It's supposed to be really good at maintaining your blood sugar and improving your immune system," Carmine explained. Her fingers danced on the bun. "It's also… supposed to be really good at… drawing out your deepest feelings."
"Ohh, really?" Juliana leaned in even closer to Carmine. "I think I'm starting to feel it already…"
Carmine touched Juliana's chin.
"Oh yeah?"
"Yeah…"
"…!"
Carmine's eyes snapped open.
"Ohhh… just as it was getting good," she moaned sleepily. "…Wait. What am I even saying?"
She sat up in bed and rubbed her eyes.
What kind of a dream was that? I'm used to having all sorts of dreams about me and Kiki doing stuff together but… why the hell was Juliana there? And why was I engaging in sweet talk with her?
She groaned in annoyance.
"Damn you, Juliana… First you invaded my home, and now you're invading my dreams. When will it end?"
Carmine looked around her dark and empty room. Just minutes ago, she was in bliss… enjoying a bright sunshiny day with her smiling brother and her new friend.
Now it was all gone.
And she had nobody. Not even Ogerpon, to comfort her.
Carmine bunched her blanket up close to her and sat against her knees, trying not to feel lonely.
"I'm a big girl…" she said quietly to herself. "I can take care of myself…"