Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

            Warm afternoon sunlight lit the living room of the Koshou family home. It was a positively perfect spring day. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky, the weather was comfortably cool, and there were no pressing matters that demanded Kieran and Carmine’s attention. There was no world to save, no rampaging Pokemon to stop, and no homework to complete. Well, not anymore at least; both of them had completed the packets their teachers had sent home with them two days ago.

            Kieran rolled over on the tatami-covered floor and sighed.

            He was completely and utterly bored.

            Carmine rolled her eyes. “Kieran, I swear to Arceus if you sigh one more time, I’m gonna throw you outside.”

            “Sorry.” He fluffed the cushion under his head and lay down with a huff.

            “What are you so glum for, anyway?” She turned her attention back to painting her nails a bright cherry red. “You’ve been sleepin’ in every day, and you’re eatin’ real food again. You actually don’t look like a zombie anymore, so I know you’re not sick.”

            Kieran cast a sideways glance at his sister. “Thanks, I guess.” He stared up at the ceiling. “I’m not sick, but I just… don’t know what to do with myself.”

            “Rest. That’s what you can do.”

            “But I don’t wanna just lie around all day, Sis.”

            “Then don’t.” Carmine nodded in the direction of the porch. “Go take a hike or somethin’. Go catch some Pokemon and stay out ‘til it’s dark. No one’s stoppin’ you.”

            “I don’t wanna.” He’d done that two days ago, and had caught one of everything Kitakami had to offer.

            “Ok, then go out in the shop and make something. Grandpa’s out in town today doing errands, so it’s all yours.”

            “I don’t wanna do that either.” He still had a splinter in his hand from a mishap with a chisel yesterday. He’d gotten a little rusty at mask-making since last summer. At this rate, he doubted he’d finish Julie’s mask before she came to visit again this summer.

            “Then what do you want to do?”

            “I dunno.”

            Carmine shut her eyes, barely resisting the urge to throttle her little brother. “Kiki, do you know what the word obstinate means?”

            He thought about it for a moment. “Stubborn, right?”

            Carmine twisted the lid tightly on her bottle of nail polish. “Yep. Stubborn and lacks all common sense. That’s you.”

            He stuck his tongue out at her. “Dummy.”

            “I know you are, but what am I?”

            “A bigger dummy than me.”

            “Nuh-uh!” Carmine shouted.

            “Yuh-huh!” Kieran retorted. “You’re taller than me, so you’re the bigger dummy by default.”

            Carmine was silent. He had her there. She gritted her teeth and turned away.

            Kieran smirked with satisfaction. Victory was sweet, especially when his opponent was his sister.

            She took a moment to inspect her work. Her manicure looked positively perfect. Suddenly, she had an idea, one that would make the most of Kieran’s interests. And if her plan was successful, Kieran would be out of her hair for an hour or so, at least.

            “Maybe you should go write Julie a love letter. I know she’d love to hear from you.” She smiled at him slyly. “You were getting mighty good at writing letters to her before we left.”

            Kieran thought his sister might be on to something. He’d gotten comfortable corresponding with Julie as her mysterious friend S. That felt like yesterday and a lifetime ago all at once. So much had happened since he’d wrote that first letter – the championship match, the trip to Area Zero, a subterranean near-death experience, and an unceremonious breakdown that had led him back home for two weeks.

            He missed Julie, that was for sure. He was keenly aware of the distance between them now: 10,009.2 kilometers, to be precise. He’d looked it up on Carmine’s phone while they waited for Grandma and Grandpa to pick them up at the airport. Now he wished he hadn’t. The realization made his heart ache.

            He wondered what she was doing. Sleeping, he supposed - Julie’s time zone was 7 hours behind his, so he doubted she was awake yet. Their attempts to catch up by phone had been unsuccessful; the phone service in Kitakami was abysmal. Video calls were out of the question, and they’d gotten in no more than a hello on a voice call before the phone completely dropped signal.

            Kieran sat up, feeling a spark of inspiration. A paper and pen didn’t need wi-fi to work, and he had enough stamps to persuade the postal service to overnight a letter across the world. He smiled. Carmine was a genius.

            “Y’know what, Sis, that’s a really good idea.”

            “Good.” Carmine relaxed. Kiki was finally out of his funk. “Now go be sappy and tell Julie how much you want to kiss her.”

            Kieran flushed bright red. “Siiiis!”

            “What?” she smirked. “Don’t you want to?”

            He fidgeted with a lock of hair. “Y-yeah, but…I….”

            “But what?”

            He wrapped himself in the blanket he’d been napping under earlier. She wasn’t wrong exactly, but the idea of actually doing such a thing both frightened and excited him. He’d tried and failed to do so twice already. He wasn’t sure if it was bad luck or some omnipotent force intervening, but he doubted he’d be successful anytime soon.

            “I keep messin’ it up.” Shame settled in his chest. “I can’t do it right.”

            Carmine took a seat beside her brother on the floor. “Kiki, you’re not messin’ anythin’ up. If it hasn’t happened yet, it just isn’t time yet, that’s all.”

            He peeked out from beneath the blanket. “Y’think so?”

            “I know so. You can’t rush stuff like that. It takes time, and you’ll know when the moment is right. You can’t force it.”

            “Yeah.” He felt himself get lost in a memory: a summer festival, walking side by side with candied apples, riding high on first love and unaware of the disaster about to befall them.

            What would have happened if they’d met up at that bench above the plaza like they’d planned? The thought was tempting. Would things have worked out for him to confess his feelings then and there? Would they have started dating right away, or-

            Carmine tugged the blanket from Kieran’s head. “Don’t go gettin’ mopey on me again. That’s in the past and what’s done is done. Y’all made up and started over. You know she doesn’t hold any of that stuff against you, so stop holdin’ it against yourself, ok?”

            He gave his sister a small smile. “Ok.”

            Carmine was right. As far as he could tell, he and Julie had moved forward from zero since that morning on the bridge. Spending the night in the clubroom together hand-in-hand counted for something, didn’t it?

            And, well… there was that kiss on the cheek at the airport. Not that he could ever forget that. Just recalling that moment made him feel all warm and tingly inside.

            Carmine poked his cheek. “Alright, stop daydreamin’ about smoochin’ her and go write about it. I’m gonna go to Peachy’s and get some snacks. You want anythin’?”

            Kieran’s eyes lit up. “A Clefairy Crunch and two marble sodas! A blue one and a strawberry one, please.”

            Carmine raised an eyebrow. “You’re gonna be up all night with that much sugar.”

            “I need fuel to write, don’t I?” He grinned. “Besides, I slept in late today. It’ll even out.”

            “Whatever you say, Kiki.” Carmine stood up to leave. “But remember to brush your teeth after all that. You can’t go getting a cavity again.”

            Kieran gulped. “Right.” He’d had exactly one cavity in his lifetime – he’d been ten years old and had lived in denial about his toothache after a week of binging soda and sweets. Upon returning to school in Unova, Carmine had taken him to the dentist. Even now, the sound of a drill made shivers shoot down his spine.

            He shuddered at the memory. He had no interest in repeating that mistake.

            Carmine took her bag from its place atop the coffee table. “Alright, I’m off. I’ll be back in a couple minutes.”

            “Ok!” Kieran stood up, already drafting his letter in his mind. He ran up the stairs with a smile, eager to put his ideas to paper.

**

            Kieran sat his trusty red pen down on his desk. It had taken three attempts and one lap around his room to calm his nerves, but he’d finally finished the letter. He read it over, hoping its contents wouldn’t convince Julie to toss it in the trash upon reading.

            Dear Julie,

            How are things in Paldea? I hope you’re getting lots of rest. I’m feeling a lot better now. Sis says I look less like a zombie, so I’ll take that as a compliment. She says hello too, by the way.

            It’s been nice to eat Grandma’s cooking again, and hanging out with Grandpa in the shop had kept me busy in the evenings. I’ve been working on a gift for you, but it won’t be ready for a while yet. I should have it done by the time the next Festival of Masks rolls around. I’d love for you to come visit again, if you’d like to come visit.

            It’s quiet here in Kitakami, but it’s not so bad. It’s peaceful, but a little lonely, if I’m being honest.

            I miss you. I know it’s only been a week since we saw each other, but it feels like forever already. I’m looking forward to seeing you again when we get back to school. Maybe we could hang out some time between classes, or grab lunch together.

            I promise I’ll take better care of myself, too. I don’t want to get sick again by pushing myself too hard. I’ve been talking to Sis, and I think I can stick to the schedule we came up with so I don’t forget to eat and sleep again. I also want to talk things out with everybody in the League Club. I need to apologize to everybody for what I’ve done. I don’t expect them to forgive me, but I want to try at least.

            I don’t know what I’ll do from there. I guess I’m not Champion anymore now, since you beat me. Maybe that’s a good thing. I want to take some time to remember what I loved about being a Trainer in the first place. You reminded me that there’s so much more to life than winning. I want to be someone that you’re proud of. I hope I’ll get there someday.

            Well, anyways, I hope you’re doing well and feeling better after our adventure in Area Zero. I’d love to hear back from you. By the time this letter gets to you though, it might be time to go back to the academy. We can catch up in person, if you want to do that instead. Either way, I’m excited to see you again soon. Have fun with your friends back home. I look forward to hearing all about it when I see you again next Sunday.

            Love,

                        Suguri

            Out of habit, he’d nearly signed this letter as S. It felt strange to write out his given name instead of his middle name. Even his own family had gotten in the habit of calling him Kieran, the same way they’d come to call his sister Carmine instead of Zeiyu. As small children, they had both grown tired of their classmates using their names as a source of mockery. Out of desperation, they had turned to going by their more common Galarian middle names to escape the torment.

            But with Julie, he could be himself. It felt good to write to her without hiding behind a secret identity anymore. He could be honest now in a way he couldn’t be as S. And… well, he supposed ending a letter to her with “love” instead of “sincerely” would let her know how he felt about her as clearly as possible, too.

            Satisfied with his work, he placed the letter on his desk and leaned back to stretch. Writing from the heart was tough work.

            Kieran looked over at the alarm clock on his nightstand. He was surprised to see it was well after 2 PM now. It occurred to him that his sister hadn’t barged into his room to throw his snacks at him like she usually did. He drummed his fingers on his desk as he counted up the minutes that had passed. It had been over an hour since Carmine had left.

            That’s weird. Kieran wondered if Ms. Momoko was holding his sister hostage with one of her stories again. The old lady was sweet, but she loved to spin a good yarn. He’d been her captive audience once before, and he’d been politely listening at the stand for almost an hour before his sister swooped in to save him.

            Yeah, that’s probably it, he reassured himself. Sis is fine, and I’m just overthinking things. I better go check on her, just to be safe.

            Kieran made his way downstairs, listening for signs of life. The house was eerily silent. Carmine couldn’t be in her room; her door was shut, and her Rotomphone wasn’t blaring music at the highest volume possible. He peeked in the living room, but she wasn’t there either.

            “Hello?” he called. “Sis, where are you?”

            He stepped into the kitchen. Maybe Carmine had left his snacks in the fridge. But upon further inspection, there were no candy bars or sodas, just the same food and drinks that had been there when he’d woken up this morning.

            He frowned. Something wasn’t right.

            “Siiiiiis!” Kieran called. “Are you ok?”

            The bathroom door was wide open, so she wasn’t in there. He was running out of places to look. He walked back to the living room, chewing at his thumbnail anxiously. Where had she gone?

            I know I shouldn’t worry, but I can’t help it. He ran his fingers through his hair. Maybe I’m not as rested up as I thought I was. I’m getting worked up over nothing. Sis will be home any minute now, and she’ll tell me how Ms. Momoko was telling her whole life story to her. Everything is fine. I just know it.

            A sudden noise caught his attention. He stepped toward the open doors to the porch. Whatever it was, it was making a ruckus. It had to be a Pokemon playing around in the yard or something. The stomping sound was growing closer. He leaned out the doorway to see that his visitor was none other than…

            …Carmine?

            He blinked a few times, wondering if he was imagining things.

            That certainly looked like his sister, but… something was off.

            Carmine’s expression was blank as she stomped aimlessly forward. Her hands were empty, hanging limply by her sides. He watched as she walked past him and rounded the corner towards the front of the house. She hadn’t acknowledged him at all, not even to look his way.

            “Sis?” Kieran called. “Where are you goin’?”

            Silence.

            Then, the sound of stomping feet.

            Carmine had come around to the back of the house once more, still staring blankly ahead as she marched forward.

            “Sis, what are you doin’?” Kieran’s unease grew as his sister drew closer. “This isn’t funny. You’re startin’ to freak me out.”

            But Carmine said nothing.

            Kieran’s unease intensified.

            “Sis, c’mon, I know I said I was bored, but this is too much. If this is a game, I don’t want to play. You’re being creepy.”

            Carmine was now just a few steps away.

            “Carmine, c’mon, snap out of it!”

            One step away. He was starting to lose his patience.

            “Sis…”

            She now stood directly in front of him.

            “Zeiyu, yamete!”

            Carmine froze. Without warning, she turned her head abruptly to face him. Kieran jumped back in fright.

            What’s wrong with her eyes her eyes are wrong they’re all wrong-

            Carmine’s eyes were no longer golden, but an ominous shade of violet.

            He felt cold sweat roll down his neck. This was bad. Very bad.

            “Zeiyu, daijoubu desu ka?” Kieran’s voice shook. She’d responded to him when he spoke Kantonian, so maybe this was the right path to take.

            Carmine turned herself to face him. She stared at him, tilting her head in curiosity.

            “Sis, stop it please,” Kieran pleaded. “You’re scarin’ me.”

            Carmine – or rather, the thing controlling her – grinned a toothy grin. Kieran felt cold fear wash over him. This was worse than any horror movie he’d ever seen.

            “You’re not my sister,” he said quietly. “You’re some kinda ghost, or oni, or demon. You need to go away and let my sister go right now.”

            The grin on his sister’s face faded. Kieran felt his stomach sink to his shoes.

            Great. I made it mad.

            Unexpectedly, Carmine spoke. The movements of her mouth were uncanny and forced.

            “Mo…chi…Mo…chi….”

            Kieran fell backwards into the living room in fright. That wasn’t his sister’s voice at all. It sounded kind of like her, sure, but it didn’t speak like her. It was all wrong.

            Carmine lifted her arms, tucked her clenched fists by her chest, and stomped in place. Whatever had possessed his sister was now making her dance like a puppet on a string. White hot rage boiled up within him. Now this thing had crossed a line.

            “LET GO OF MY SISTER, YOU FREAK!” Kieran screamed. He sprang to his feet, his hands clenched into fists. He’d never fought a ghost before, but he was willing to try today.

            The creepy grin returned to Carmine’s face. It was as if the thing possessing her was taunting him.

            “I MEAN IT!” he shouted. “If you don’t leave her alone, I’ll -“

            But before he could finish his sentence, Carmine took an awkward step up and onto the porch. All of the fighting spirit Kieran had left his body in an instant. He screamed and scrambled backwards into the living room, swinging the sliding door shut behind him.

            Kieran took a moment to collect himself. He forced himself to breathe slowly, but it did little to calm him.

            This is just a bad dream, he thought. I fell asleep at my desk, and I’m having another nightmare. None of this is real, even if it feels like it. I’m gonna wake up any second now. I bet if I look over there, it’s gonna be a whole bunch of nothing waiting for me. It’s just my mind playing tricks on me. Everything’s fine.

            Kieran got back on his feet. But his boost of confidence didn’t last long.

            He looked over his shoulder to see Carmine’s silhouette backlit against the paper door.

            Carmine’s hand extended towards the edge of the door, fumbling for the edge.

            “Mo…chi…Su-gu-riiiii….”

            He clasped his hands against his mouth to stifle a scream.

            Everything was not fine. The evil thing was real. And it knew his name.

            Without a second thought, Kieran bolted for his sister’s room. He had to call for help, and fast. The door could only stop her for so long.

            He flung the door open and grabbed her Rotomphone off the charger. He pressed the power button and waited with shaking hands as the phone flickered to life.

            “C’mon, Rotom,” he begged, “hurry up…”

            Carmine’s lockscreen appeared, followed by Rotom’s cheerful voice.

            “Good afternoon, bzzt! Battery fully charged!”

            “Rotom, call Grandpa!” Kieran shouted.

            Rotom considered this request. “Not enough signal. Please try again.”

            “No!” Kieran was on the verge of tears. “It’s an emergency, Rotom, please!”

            “Calling Emergency Contact!” Rotom said cheerily.

            Kieran sighed in relief. “Oh thank Arceus.”

            “Calling Drayton.”

            He stared at the phone in disbelief. “What?”

            Sure enough, there was Drayton’s smiling face staring back at him onscreen.

It was a nice picture, one that Carmine had likely taken in their early days of dating, but that wasn’t important right now. Kieran’s mind was racing. What on earth could Drayton do to help in this situation? He considered hanging up, but couldn’t bring himself to tap the End Call button. It wasn’t like Drayton could fly across the world to help him right now – it was a school night after all, and he was probably still asleep. But maybe talking to him could give him some ideas on how to solve the problem himself.

            The screen flickered once more. By some miracle, a video feed began. Drayton stared back at him with a worried look. He was in the dark, sitting up in his bed. He fumbled for the light beside his bed. He narrowed his eyes in confusion.

            “Kieran? What are you doing with Carmine’s phone?”

            Kieran could barely hold himself together as he spoke.

            “Drayton, it’s Sis, somethin’s wrong with her! She went to go get snacks and came back wrong. She’s actin’ weird and soundin’ weird and tryin’ to get me…and…” Tears rolled down his cheeks as he fought back a sob. “Drayton, I need help. I’m all alone and I don’t know what to do…I’m scared.”

            Drayton’s screen froze. A distorted sound came through the phone’s speaker.

            “Slooooow…doooowwn…baaad…siiiignaaaal-”

            “Drayton don’t hang up please!” Kieran was frantic. “I need your help! Sis needs you!”

            “I’ll…beeeeeeee…riiiiiight…. -“

            Three beeps sounded. The video closed itself, and two words flashed onscreen: No Signal.

            Kieran stared at the phone in silence. Carmine swore up and down that this thing could solve any problem. That was a lie: all it had done was stress out his sister’s boyfriend. Even if Drayton was really on the way, what was he going to do until he arrived? Sit around and twiddle his thumbs?

            The sound of a door sliding open made Kieran jump. The thing possessing Carmine must have figured out how to get into the house. He listened for its footsteps from behind the heavy oak door.

            One heavy footstep. Then another. Then, a dull thud.

            “Ouch…chi….”

            He stifled his laughter to avoid getting caught. It served that creature right to hit its shin on the coffee table. That’s what it got for possessing his sister.

            The front door swung open, followed by the sound of two familiar voices.

            “We’re back!”

            “Oh Carmine, there you are!”

            Oh no.

            Kieran flung the door open and ran down the hall into the living room.

            “Grandma, Grandpa, watch out!”

            To his surprise, he was greeted with the sight of his grandparents grabbing his sister by her arms. They appeared to have the situation under control.

            “What’s gotten into you?” Hideko demanded. Her brow was furrowed with wrath. “You don’t wear your shoes inside the house and track mud on the floor, young lady!”

            “Kieran, help us get her to her room.” Yukito winced as Carmine wriggled against his grip. “I don’t know what’s happening, but she’s not herself and she needs some rest.”

            Kieran nodded. He held the door to his sister’s room open as his grandparents led her down the hall. It took all three of them to force her inside. Yukito took an end table from the living room and placed it in front of Carmine’s door to barricade her inside.

            “That ought to hold her for now,” he said. He turned his attention to Kieran. “What on earth is happening?”

            “I… I wish I knew.” Kieran wiped the sweat from his face. “She left a while ago goin’ to Peachy’s for snack, and then she came back actin’ all creepy like that.”

            “Well,” huffed Hideko, “I’ll have to have a word with that old hag. Givin’ my granddaughter somethin’ that made her lose her common sense is unforgivable.”

            Yukito put a hand on his wife’s shoulder. “I don’t think Momoko is the problem, dear. I think we need to go see the doctor. And maybe pay a visit to the shrine. They ought to have a better solution than her.”

            “I suppose,” Hideko grumbled. “But I still want to give her a piece of my mind.”

            “Kieran, you stay here and watch over your sister,” Yukito commanded. “Make sure she doesn’t leave her room until we come back.”

            Kieran nodded. “Yes sir.”

            Yukito and Hideko left the house and took off towards town. Kieran sat down on a cushion by the coffee table. His mind was whirling, and his body felt like a lead weight. Soft thumps came from within Carmine’s room as the entity learned the layout of its prison.

            Kieran put his head in his hands. What if the doctor and the priest didn’t have an answer? Technology had failed him. There was no one else he could call, and he was ten thousand kilometers away from the person he trusted most to help him solve this situation.

            He sat bolt upright, a manic glint in his eyes.

            He wasn’t out of options after all. He’d just have to do things the old fashioned way.

            He ran up the stairs to his room and slammed the door behind him.

            A few minutes later, he ran out of his room and down the stairs. He clutched an overstuffed envelope covered in stamps to his chest for dear life. He locked the front door behind him, and bolted down the street towards the post office.

            What he held was no ordinary letter. It was his saving grace.

**

Chapter Text

            Julie hummed softly to herself as she took the tray of chocolate chip cookies out of the oven. She sat them atop the cooling rack on the counter and admired her work. The cookies had darkened to a lovely caramel color, and the chocolate was slightly melty. By her standards, this batch was absolutely perfect.

            “Oooh, those look fantastic!” said Nemona reverently.

            Arven nodded in agreement. “You’d give Katy a run for her money.”

            Penny pointed at a slightly lopsided cookie. “I call dibs on that one.”

            “Why that one, Penny?” asked Nemona curiously.

            “It’s got character,” she said matter-of-factly.

            Arven looked at the cookie, then back at Penny. “Is that what you call it? I’d say it’s ugly.”

            Julie nudged him. “Be nice.”

            Penny lifted the cookie from the sheet with a napkin. “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, Arven. I behold it, therefore it’s mine.” She took a bite and winced. “Ow, hothothot-“

            Arven pinched the bridge of his nose. “You’ve got to let it cool first, Pen.”

            Nemona rushed to the fridge. “I’ll get the milk!”

            “Waiting is for the weak.” She took a generous gulp of the glass of milk Nemona had handed her. “Cold cookies just aren’t the same. The hot ones hit different. I’m not letting this window of opportunity close on me.”         

            Nemona nodded vigorously. She’d taken a cookie from the sheet as well and had already eaten half of it.

            Arven sighed heavily. “I’d rather not burn my tongue, but you do you, I guess.”

            Julie giggled at her friends’ antics. She’d missed them dearly. It was good to be home.

            The front door opened and shut with a faint squeak. The lock clicked behind Susanna as she studied the curious letter in her hand. It was addressed to her daughter, but she didn’t recognize the sender or the address. There was a strangely frantic quality to this letter, as well. The handwriting looked rushed, and she’d never seen so many stamps on one envelope in her life. There had to be a dozen attached here, there, and everywhere.

            “Julie!” she called from the living room. “You got a letter!”

            Julie turned to face her mother. “Really? From who?”

            Susanna squinted to read the handwriting. “It’s from Kitakami, I think. Someone named…S. Kieran Koshou?”

            Without a second thought, Julie bolted from the kitchen to the living room. Arven, Nemona, and Penny looked at each other in confusion. What had gotten into her all of a sudden?

            Susanna was surprised at how quickly Julie took the letter from her hands. She watched as her daughter ripped into the envelope with unusual intensity. There was an excited glitter in her eye.

            She then remembered why the sender’s name sounded vaguely familiar.

            “Wait… Isn’t Kieran your friend you met on that trip last summer?”

            Julie nodded. “Mhm.” Her full attention was on the letter in her hand.

            Arven, Nemona, and Penny joined Julie and her mother in the living room.

            Arven took his place by Julie’s side. “That guy, huh?” Arven said sourly.

            He remembered that name, too. He remembered how sad she’d been for so long because of that Kieran guy. Something about a big misunderstanding and a lot of hurt feelings. He glared at the letter. If he ever got to meet him, he’d have some choice words for him. And maybe a freshly knuckle sandwich, made with his own special recipe.

            “Ooo, a long distance boyfriend,” teased Penny. “When were you gonna tell us, huh?” But to her disappointment, Julie didn’t react.

            Nemona studied her friend’s worried face. Something was up. “Julie, are you ok?”

            But Julie had been stunned into silence. She had opened the letter thinking she’d received her very first long-distance love letter. What she’d received was a cry for help.

            Kieran’s handwriting looked strangely sloppy, like he’d written this letter in a rush. She swore she saw a smear of chocolate in the center of the page as well. This was a far cry from his neatly written missives as S.

            Julie,

            Please come to Kitakami as soon as you can. I know we’re supposed to be on break, but it’s really serious. Something is really wrong with Sis. She went to get snacks and came back acting all weird and scary.

            I don’t know what’s wrong. Grandma and Grandpa are taking her to the doctor and the priest, but I don’t think it’ll do any good. I don’t know what to do. I’m scared and so are Grandma and Grandpa. I’m starting to think someone or something has put a curse on her. It sounds weird but it’s the only thing that makes sense.

            You’re the only person I trust to help. Well, you and Drayton. I tried calling him on Sis’s phone but it cut out halfway through. I think he’s on the way, maybe. We’re going to need all the help we can get. Bring your friends from Paldea too, if you can. I sent some cash in this letter that ought to help cover everyone’s tickets. I know it’s expensive but I really need your help. The sooner you can get here the better.

            Text Sis’s phone if you can to let me know you’re on the way. I might get it late but it’s better than nothing. See you soon.

            -Suguri

            Julie felt a lead weight settle in her stomach. This was bad. Very bad.

            “Kieran’s in trouble,” she said quietly. “I need to go to Kitakami right now.”

            This response caused quite the commotion.

            “But you just got home!” protested Susanna.

            “You can’t go!” Nemona cried. “We haven’t got to battle yet!”

            “And we haven’t done our scary movie marathon yet, either!” Penny complained. “You promised me we’d watch all the Fright Night Fights!”

            “Why do you need to go save him, anyway?” huffed Arven.

            Julie held her hands up in surrender. “Alright alright! Maybe not right now, but really soon. He’s in serious trouble.”

            Nemona’s expression became serious. “What kind of trouble?”

            “His sister is really sick, and nobody knows what’s wrong with her.” She could only imagine how he was feeling right now.

            “What’s that got to do with you?” said Arven crossly.

            Julie’s eyes narrowed. “She’s my friend too, Arven. If it were you, I’d cross an ocean to help you, wouldn’t I?”

            “Yeah,” he admitted. “But I wouldn’t if it was him.”

            Penny smacked his arm. “What’s gotten into you?”

            Arven’s expression was stony. “He made you cry, Julie. Why would you drop everything to go help him after he put you through all that?”

            Julie felt her anger reach a boiling point. “Because unlike you, I don’t hold grudges!”

            An awkward silence fell upon the Delgados’ living room. Arven and Julie glared at each other, while Susanna, Nemona, and Penny exchanged worried glances. The two of them bickered like siblings from time to time, but this felt different. A nerve had been struck, and emotions were running high.

            Nemona clasped her hands. She hated it when they fought.

            Penny felt uneasy. She got the sense that if someone said the wrong thing right now, things would get ugly fast.

            Susanna stepped between the children. A fight wasn’t going to happen today, not on her watch.

            “Alright. Everyone take a breath and take a step back. No one is making a decision right now. It’s seven o’clock on a Sunday night, and no one is going anywhere.”

            Julie’s expression softened, but only slightly. “Sure.”

            Arven relaxed his shoulders. “She’s right.”

            Susanna let out a sigh of relief. “Now that that’s settled, I need to know exactly what’s going on, but tell me slowly this time, please.”

            Julie held up the letter and envelope. “So, Kieran just told me that his sister Carmine is really sick. No one knows why, but he thinks we might be able to help. ‘We’ meaning me, Arven, Nemona, Penny, and our other friend Drayton.”

            “Wait, he invited us too?” Arven hadn’t expected that.

            “Yeah,” agreed Julie. “It sounds like he needs all the help he can get.”

            Penny crossed her arms. “But how can we help?”

            “Yeah, we’re not doctors or anything like that.” Nemona furrowed her brow. “What can we do?”

            Julie looked down at the letter in her hand, unsure of how to answer that question. “I don’t know exactly. But I want to help him however I can.”

            Arven rolled his eyes. He doubted this guy was worth her time and energy, even if his sister was really sick. But he knew once Julie got her heart set on something, there was nothing he could do to stop her.

            Something fell from the envelope to the floor with a soft thump. The five of them looked down to see an impressive wad of paper bills tied together with a red rubber band. Julie picked up the stack of cash and counted the bills. Kieran wasn’t kidding when he said he’d cover their air fare. This would cover first class seats and then some.

            Penny’s eyes were nearly as wide as her lenses.

            “Julie?”

            “Yeah?”

            “You didn’t tell us your boyfriend was loaded.”

            Julie’s cheeks flushed scarlet. Kieran was just full of surprises.

            Nemona’s eyes glittered with excitement. “So, when do we leave? I’ve never been to Kitakami before.”

            “I’ll look online for flights in the morning,” Susanna said quickly. “But right now, you kids need to focus on resting and relaxing. You have a long journey ahead of you.”

            Penny raised an eyebrow. “How long?”

            “About 18 hours, if we don’t have a layover.” Julie could already feel the jet lag.

            “What?!” exclaimed Arven. “That’s like a whole day on a plane!”

            Susanna nodded. “Three-fourths of one, to be precise. Now, you kids go have fun while you can. Put on a movie, relax, and eat some cookies before they get cold.”

            She watched as her daughter and her friends walked back to the kitchen, talking excitedly now about the voyage ahead of them. She felt a pang of sadness at the thought of Julie leaving again so soon. She had just gotten used to her being home again; this week together had been the longest stretch of time they’d spent together since moving to Paldea nine months ago.

            Susanna supposed it came with the territory when her daughter was the Champion. Her life would never be dull again. Julie had met a cast of colorful characters since she’d begun her studies at Uva Academy. Three of them were raiding her kitchen at the moment. Even more unusual people had entered her daughter’s life since the woman called La Primera christened her as “the Light of Paldea.” This Kieran boy was one of those unusual people.

            She’d met Kieran and his sister briefly at the edge of the Great Crater. He seemed like a nice enough boy - a bit on the nervous side, but she supposed that was expected for someone who’d narrowly escaped Area Zero with his life. Carmine seemed like a spirited young woman; she hoped this strange illness that had befallen her would pass soon.

            Julie and her friends returned to the living room, carrying sodas and plates piled high with snacks. They laughed and settled in on the couch, already discussing their movie choices. Fright Night 2 was a strong contender, but Julie was advocating for an old favorite: Mothi and Ranita versus the Mind Melter.

            Susanna took a long sip of her tea. In a few short hours, her daughter would be boarding a plane to go help her friends in need. It was just like her to do that, putting their needs before her own.

            There was some comfort in knowing Julie wouldn’t be going alone this time, but she worried all the same. Julie would be a world apart from her for several days – a week at the most, she guessed - and she’d be off to Unova again once she returned from Kitakami. It would be three long months before she returned home for the summer. The thought alone made her heart ache.

            She stole a handful of popcorn from her daughter’s plate, eliciting laughter and feigned protests from Julie. The loneliness could wait until later. For now, she chose to live in the moment.

**

            Kieran tapped the screen of Carmine’s Rotomphone. It flickered to life, but displayed no new messages. Now he understood why his sister was constantly checking this thing at school. Texting Julie was addictive. If he had a phone of his own, he’d be glued to it.

            Receiving a message from her without waiting for the mail to arrive was revolutionary. He could talk to her whenever he wanted, and they could carry on conversations for hours at a time. It’d be like having her beside him even if they were a world apart. They could speak in private without anyone listening in to their conversations. They could talk about whatever they wanted, including more romantic things. They could plan lunch dates, talk about their days, and maybe even… flirt.

            He shook his head, feeling heat rush to his face.

            On second thought, maybe it was a good thing he didn’t have a phone yet.

            He scrolled back through their prior messages from this morning.

Hi Kieran! Got your letter. We are on the way

Hi Julie! Oh that’s wonderful! When will you get here?

Should land in Kitakami around dinnertime. The bus to Mossui town should get us there about 7

Good. I’ll have some snacks ready for you when you get here. Did your friends come too?

Yep! Arven, Nemona, and Penny came with me

Great! I look forward to meeting them.

They are excited to meet you too! Nemona is reaaaally eager to battle. She’s the tall one with the big smile. Fair warning, she just might challenge you the moment she sees you

Oh yeah? She sounds fun.

Yeah, don’t let her scare you. She gets kinda… obsessive. Lol

What does Lol mean?

Oh! It means laughing out loud

Oh that’s cool. I learned something new today. Lol.

See, you’re a natural at texting! 😄

Whoa, how did you get a smiley face?

It’s called an emoji. If you tap the button that looks like a happy face, you’ll open up a menu and see all of them.

Wowzers, that is cool!😁💥👽

You’re cool 💕Oh yeah, let me tell you about the other two. Penny is the one with blue and red hair and glasses. She’s quiet, but she’s one of the smartest people I know. She’s a really logical person, so she might be able to figure out what’s wrong with Carmine. She’s kinda addicted to her phone though, so I’m not sure how well she’ll do here in Kitakami

Sounds like she and Sis would get along real well.📱

I bet so lol. And Arven is the big guy. Like really big. He’s a great cook and knows a lot about medicinal herbs and stuff like that. I think he could really help Carmine out of all of us. He looks scary but he means well. He’s my best friend. If I could have a big brother, I’d choose him 💯

He sounds like a really good guy. I can’t wait to meet him. 👍

I hope you two get along. That’d mean a lot to me🥰

I’ll do my best! 😀

Good. I expected nothing less. Gotta go, the plane’s about to take off. See you soon! 💗

See you soon! Bye! ❤️

            Kieran checked the time once more. The phone’s clock read 7:58 PM. He sat the Rotomphone aside and looked up into the evening sky. Julie and her friends would be here any minute. He tapped his foot anxiously. Maybe it’d do him some good if he went on a walk to the bus stop. It wouldn’t be very gentlemanly of him to keep his lady love and her friends waiting.

            The walk to the bus stop seemed oddly quiet. Usually there were workers still in the rice paddies outside of town at this hour. Tonight he walked alone. Stranger still was the fact there weren’t any Pokemon, either – there were no Yanmas hovering above the paddies, nor any Hoothoots soaring on the spring breeze. The world around him was strangely still.

            If he didn’t know any better, he’d think Mossui was a ghost town.

            Kieran couldn’t explain it, but he felt like this phenomenon was connected to his sister’s strange behavior.

            No, not felt like. Knew. The timing was too perfect. But how?

            Kieran sat down on the bus stop bench and sighed. He didn’t have an answer yet, but he had a feeling. That was a start, he supposed. It was better than nothing.

            He sat in silence and watched faint stars begin to appear in the darkening sky. Carmine had been acting strange for three days now. She’d escaped her room several times, but did nothing more than dance in place or walk laps around the house. She hadn’t spoken a word to him in the days following her transformation. That was fine by him; he hated when that thing had used his sister’s voice.

            Judging by the state of the plates in her room, she was eating a little, at least. The sandwiches he’d made for her had a couple of bites taken out of them, and her teacups were always empty when he picked them up. The one thing that convinced him his sister wasn’t in her right mind were the chips – every single bag he’d left had remained untouched.

            He shut his eyes and tried not to let his worries consume him.

            Let go of what you can’t control, his grandpa had said. All you can do is your best.

            He was beginning to wonder if his best would be good enough to save her.

            The sound of squeaky bus brakes startled Kieran awake. He must have been more tired than he thought. He thanked Arceus that Mr. Ito hadn’t gotten those brakes serviced yet; otherwise he might have slept through Julie’s arrival.

            He stood up, scanning the crowd of people filing off the bus for the person he loved most. There was Mrs. Kanno with her shopping bags, Mr. Tajiri with his new bug-catching net, and Mr. Miyamoto with some gadget he’d picked up in the big city.

            And then, there was Julie, in all her sleep-deprived glory. It took all of his restraint not to run up the stairs and sweep her up into his arms. He’d never been so happy to see someone in his whole life.

            Julie looked up to see Kieran waiting for her at the bus stop. Relief flooded her body. He was okay – a bit exhausted, from the looks of it, but otherwise whole. She rushed down the stairs of the bus, eager to reunite with the boy she loved.

            “Kieran!”

            “Julie!”

            The two embraced tightly. It had been a little over a week since they’d last held each other like this. It might as well have been a lifetime.

            “I missed you so much,” said Julie softly. “Sorry we’re late. The bus broke down right outside the airport.”

            “Don’t worry about it. I’m just happy to see you again.” Kieran rested his head on her shoulder. “So much has happened. I’ve got so much to tell you.”

            Someone cleared their throat behind Julie very loudly. Kieran jumped, startled by the sudden noise. He looked up to see three people standing behind Julie.         

The first was a tall, tanned girl with long dark hair swept up in a ponytail. She waved to him with more energy than he’d expected at this hour. Judging by the cheerful grin on her face, he guessed she was Nemona.

            The second was a short, serious-faced girl with red and blue hair. That had to be Penny – she was staring in horror at her Rotomphone, tapping desperately through her settings app in an effort to find some signal. He doubted she’d find any, but applauded her efforts.

            The third person was a young man who looked ready to snap him in half. He probably could do it too. Julie hadn’t exaggerated when she told him Arven was a big guy; he fit the definition in every sense of the word. His pale blue eyes burned a hole in Kieran’s soul. He gulped.

            He remembered what Julie had said in her texts: He looks scary but he means well. Maybe he’d warm up to him if he introduced himself.

            Kieran extended his hand towads Arven. “Hi, I’m Kieran. It’s nice to meet you. Julie’s told me all about you.”

            The young man looked down at Kieran’s hand, then back up at his face. His tone was as cold as his eyes. “Arven. Charmed.”

            The girl with two-toned hair stepped forward and took his hand. “Don’t mind him, he left his manners at home. I’m Penny. Nice to meet you, too.”

            The cheerful girl stepped up to him next. She grasped his hand and shook it with all her strength. “I’m Nemona! Julie told me you’re the top champion at your school! I’d love to battle you, if you’re up to it!”

            “Ah, w-well, that’d be nice later, if that’s alright.” He took a moment to recover from Nemona’s enthusiastic handshake. “I’m afraid we need to take care of somethin’ real important first.”

            Julie was struck by how quickly Kieran’s demeanor changed. The light had vanished from his eyes in an instant. He looked afraid, but of what, she wasn’t sure. She wanted to hold his hand, but judging by the way Arven had greeted Kieran just now, she decided against it.

            “What’s going on, exactly?” Julie asked. “What happened to Carmine?”

            Kieran hesitated for a moment. His theory was pretty out there, but it was the only one that made sense, at least in his mind.

            “I think my sister is possessed.”

Chapter Text

            “That’s a load of Ponyta shit and you know it.”

            “Arven!”

            “What?!”

            Nemona and Penny exchanged uneasy glances. This wasn’t going to end well.

            Julie took in a deep breath and exhaled wearily. She was beginning to lose her patience with her best friend. He’d been nothing but a nuisance to her since she’d gotten Kieran’s letter in the mail. She knew he was a fiercely loyal person, but now he was taking it way too far. There was nothing she could say or do to convince him Kieran wasn’t a bad person. All that Arven knew was that he’d been the reason she’d locked herself in her room for ages after that field trip. They’d made up and started over since then, but in her friend’s mind he was public enemy number one.

            She turned to face Kieran and gave him an apologetic smile. Someone had to do some damage control around here before a fistfight broke out.

            Arven gave the dark-haired boy sitting across from him a withering glare. They’d been sitting on Kieran’s front steps for the past fifteen minutes listening to him explain how his sister had been possessed after going out for a snack run. It all sounded like a lie, and a very elaborate one. He’d probably made it up to get Julie’s attention. That sounded more like the truth to him.

            He glanced over at Julie. She’d turned her back on him to face that Kieran guy. He felt his blood begin to boil. He had a lot of nerve getting Julie worked up like this. She had been hanging onto his every word, and it made him sick. His best friend, his little buddy, had to be smarter than this, wasn’t she? He was beginning to wonder.

            Not a word of this guy’s explanation made any sense in his mind. Possession wasn’t real. Folk tales were nothing but stories, and the paranormal could be easily explained by science. This country bumpkin was selling her a story, and he knew it.

            “I promise you,” Kieran pleaded, “everythin’ I told you is true.”

            Arven crossed his arms. “Right. So, even if that’s the case, you mean to tell me we flew halfway across the world because of some old ghost story?”

            Kieran drummed his fingers against his thigh. “Well, no, not exactly. The Pokemon isn’t dead, so it’s not a ghost. It might be a ghost-type, but that’s neither here nor there. What is important is that it’s using its abilities to control Carmine. It’s more like a puppeteer than anythin’ else, really.”

            Arven rolled his eyes. “Sure. And I can talk to my Mabosstiff.”

            “You’re doing it again,” said Penny drily.

            “Doing what?” Arven snapped. “Being honest?”

            “Being an ass.”

            “Am not,” he huffed.

            “You are, actually,” said Julie curtly. “And you need to stop. Now.”

            Arven lowered his eyes. “Sorry. It just… I dunno, it sounds like something out of a scary movie, that’s all. It can’t be real, right?”

            Kieran was taken aback at how differently Julie acted with her friends, especially Arven. She hadn’t been exaggerating when she’d said she considered him as her brother. They fought like siblings, that much was clear. He got the feeling that Arven would protect her like a big brother too, if push came to shove. He hoped he’d never be on the receiving end of that onslaught. He knew that would be a fight he couldn’t win.

            “Please excuse my friend, Kieran,” Julie shot Arven a cold look. “Arven can get carried away sometimes.”

            “It’s fine, really,” he assured them. “It sounds crazy, I know, but something like this has happened here before.”

            Nemona sat up. “Really?”

            Kieran nodded. “Really. It happened a long time ago, and the story’s been passed down for generations. The story goes that there was once a Pokemon here in Kitakami that had the ability to make people do its biddin’. One day, it paid a visit to Mossui Town and went explorin’. It must have been bored, because it decided it’d be fun to make everyone in town do what it wanted. Somehow it put the whole town under its spell. People woke up days later in all kinds of weird situations – there were people on top of their houses, people dancing in the street, and even people who’d been fightin’ for days.”

            Nemona’s eyes lit up. “Wait, so they were battling even when they were being mind controlled? That sounds awesome!”

            “Not that kind of fightin’,” Kieran corrected. “Fistfightin’. Black eyes and all that.”

            Penny’s eyes were wide. “Whoa… this sounds serious. What did they do next?”

            “Well that’s the thing,” Kieran continued, “that Pokemon was gone by then. There wasn’t anythin’ they could do. They just went back to whatever they were doin’ before the Pokemon showed up.”

            “Aw, no epic battles?” Nemona pouted. “I was hoping there would be a big showdown with the Pokemon and a brave trainer.”

            “Nope,” Kieran said apologetically. “Just one weird Pokemon that got away, and a town full of real confused people.”

            Julie looked up into the endless night sky above. It was a small comfort to know they weren’t the only people who had been through this situation. Unlike the townspeople of yore, however, she was determined to find a more permanent solution to their problem. There was no way she was going to sit back and let some creepy Pokemon play puppet-master with her friend. She was determined to find this thing and defeat it tonight. Maybe even catch it.

            “So, where might we find this Pokemon, Kieran?” Julie asked. “Was there any clue in the story about where it lived?”

            Kieran shook his head. “Not exactly. Rumor has it that an old couple in town adopted it some time later, but it ran away from home shortly after.” He stopped himself before he started rambling about its theoretical connection to Ogerpon. It was getting late, and they needed to get moving. “My guess is that it’s off livin’ in the woods or somethin’.”

            Penny stretched and yawned. “Well, if we’re gonna go hunting for some weird Pokemon tonight, we’re gonna need some fuel. That meal we had on the plane wore off a long time ago. I’m starving.”

            “There’s a snack stand called Peachy’s down the hill and to the left, if you wanna go get somethin’ to eat.” Kieran thought for a moment. “It might be good if we all go together. That’s were Carmine was goin’ before she came back actin’ all weird.”

            “She probably got food poisoning,” muttered Arven under his breath.

            Julie nudged him in the ribs with considerable force. He grunted in pain, but said nothing more. It was clear he’d said enough for one night.

            “Sounds good to me!” said Nemona cheerfully. She sprang to her feet, an enthusiastic spark burning brightly in her eyes. “And if that weird Pokemon shows up, I’m gonna challenge it! And I’ll win!”

            With that bold proclamation, Nemona dashed away towards Peachy’s.

            Penny sighed. “Look at her go. Guess I’ll follow her.”

            Arven extended his hand in the direction of the gate. “After you.”

            The two of them walked away, and Julie followed behind them. She was already making a shopping list. A Clefairy Crunch sounded amazing right now, and a strawberry marble soda would go with it perfectly. Oh, and a bag of Enfuego chips too, extra spicy.

            Kieran reached out and touched Julie’s shoulder. “Hang on a sec, Julie.”

            She turned to face him. “Yeah?”

            He shoved both hands in his pockets and stared at the ground shyly. “You… you look good.”

            Julie felt her face flush at the statement. Kieran had certainly gotten bolder since last week. She hadn’t expected him to flirt with her directly like this, but she wasn’t mad about it. She fidgeted with the end of her braid.

            “I…uh, well, thank you. I’m sure I look like a mess after being on a plane all day, but I appreciate it.”

            “Nonono, that’s not what I meant!” Kieran stammered. “N-not that you aren’t pretty all the time, but that’s not-“ He hid his face in his hands and sighed. He really could put his foot in his mouth sometimes. “I meant to say that… you look a lot better than when we were at school. Like you got some rest and you feel better now.”

            Julie smiled. “I do. Thank you for noticing. And for the record, you look good too.”

            Kieran felt his cheeks begin to burn. “R-really?”

            “Yeah. Your dark circles are gone, and you look a lot happier, too.”

            He smiled shyly at her. “Thank you. I am.”

            “You’re welcome. I’m glad you’re feeling like yourself again.” Suddenly she found it difficult to look him in the eye. “I missed you a whole lot.”

            “Me too.” He played with a lock of his hair. “It feels like it’s been forever. If you don’t have to go back right away, maybe you could stay a day or two? Once we get all this mess with Sis sorted out, of course.”

            Before Julie could reply, she was interrupted by a series of shouts from the bottom of the hill.

            “Are you two coming or what?”

            “We’re gonna eat all the snacks if you don’t hurry up!”

            “You better not be doing anything funny up there!”

            Julie sighed heavily. “I’m sorry. My friends can be… a lot sometimes.” 

            Kieran laughed. “It’s alright. I like them already.”

            Julie was surprised. “Even Arven?”

            “Well…” Kieran said hesitantly. “I don’t think he likes me too much, but I want to be his friend. If he’ll let me, that is.”

            “Give him some time,” Julie assured him. “It took him awhile to warm up to me, too. Once he likes you, though, he’ll be your friend for life.”

            Kieran liked the sound of that. Maybe with a little patience he could win over Arven after all.

            Julie extended her hand. “Ready to get going?”

            He took her hand in his. “Yep, all set.” He felt his body relax at her touch. It was a small thing to hold hands, but the gesture brought him peace. It was a welcome source of comfort amidst all the chaos.

            Kieran found himself humming softly as they walked down the hill together. Julie and her friends were here; he wasn’t facing this crazy situation alone anymore. Together, they just might have a fighting chance against the thing holding his sister hostage.

            Julie listened with a smile. It made her happy to see him happy. Sure, they were about to go into battle against yet another strange Pokemon, and who knew what sort of mayhem was about to befall them. But for the moment, they were just two kids in love enjoying each other’s company.

            Arven narrowed his eyes. If his eyes didn’t deceive him, that guy was holding Julie’s hand. And she looked happy about it. He gritted his teeth. Kieran had some nerve being her loverboy in front of him. If he didn’t back off right now, he’d-

            Nemona looped her arm with Arven’s and pulled him forward. “Hurry up! Penny’s gonna eat everything if we don’t get going!”

            Arven grumbled, but allowed himself to be led along. He’d learned the hard way that what Nemona wanted, she got, whether it was food or a battle.

            His eyes never left Julie and Kieran as he stomped towards the snack stand. They were just a few steps behind him, but speaking softly enough to be out of earshot. That guy was probably flirting with her, making all kinds of promises he couldn’t keep. Even worse, Julie seemed to be enjoying it. She was eating up his lies like candy. It made his blood boil all over again.

            Arven felt his jealousy become something more akin to anger.

            That guy’s not gonna take her away from me. Not on my watch.

**        

            Peachy’s Snack Stand was a humble establishment, if one could even call it that. It was nothing more than three wooden walls, a tin roof, and a counter filled with an impressive selection of snacks. But to the residents of Mossui Town, Peachy’s was so much more - it was a cornerstone of the community.

            Ms. Momoko had kept the same schedule since she’d first built the stand. She would open up shop at sunrise and settle in with a novel and a cup of tea until the patrons began to trickle in. Old folks would gather at the counter to shoot the breeze over bags of chips and sweets. Workers from the rice paddies would drop by on lunch break, happily spending their paychecks on cold drinks and candy. The few children of the town paid their visits before dinner, stuffing their pockets with sugary delights that would be gone before they returned home. It was a predictable routine, but one that brought the old woman comfort. Much had changed in the past fifty years, but the habits of the townspeople remained consistent.

            Ms. Momoko always closed up shop at sunset, but she left her inventory notebook and pen beside a slotted box on the counter in case someone had a case of the late-night munchies. Patrons would select their snack, write their name and the item purchased in the book, and drop their cash in the box. The old lady didn’t have to worry about anyone in town slighting her; she knew everyone, and was one of the few people who did not fear confrontation. She’d paid a visit to many a home to collect a payment with a smile. The residents of Mossui Town, both young and old, knew better than to cross Anno Momoko. No ill-gotten good was worth inciting her wrath, or worse, being banned for life from the snack stand. Now that would be a fate worse than death.

            Kieran had paid many a late-night visit to Peachy’s in his life. He credited the old woman’s snack stand for his love of anything sweet, especially chocolate. But tonight, he wasn’t interested in his usual Clefairy Crunch and marble soda. What he needed most from the snack stand now was evidence.

            Unfortunately, everything seemed to be in its place. The bags of chips were neatly arranged in a box on the left side of the counter, while the box of chocolates and sweets sat untouched on the right side of the counter. The silence that had fallen on the town made the hum of the fridge behind the counter seem strangely loud. The notebook lay open in the center, and the pen lay between the pages as it always did. It was the very picture of perfection.

            He sighed in frustration. Of course Ms. Momoko would have cleaned up since the weekend; she had a business to run, after all. He flipped through the pages of the notebook until he found the date when his sister got possessed. Maybe his sister’s purchases would give him some kind of clue.

            Julie leaned against the counter to examine the shopkeeper’s ledger. She recognized the numerical amounts as dates, times, and prices, but couldn’t decipher anything else. Kantonian was a language she had little experience with. Aside from Kieran’s given name and the phrases Jacq had taught her before the field trip to Kitakami, she knew next to nothing.

            A fleeting thought crossed her mind: Kieran could teach me.

            Warmth flooded her cheeks at the boldness of the thought. It would be nice to learn more about his native language and culture. And yes, it’d be a perfect opportunity to bond with him and get to know him better. Privately, just the two of them, with no interruptions and no prying eyes. That sounded absolutely perfect.

            She took a sip of her strawberry marble soda to cool herself off. Now wasn’t the time to think romantic thoughts. They needed to help Carmine first - they could have fun later.

            “Any luck?” she asked Kieran, hoping desperately he wouldn’t notice how red her cheeks were.

            Kieran drummed his fingers on the counter. “Well, since Sis came by in the afternoon, I thought Ms. Momoko would have written her order down. She must have been on her lunch break, because Sis wrote down her order herself.” His finger landed on a name in the middle of the page. “She paid for her snacks, but I know she didn’t come home with anythin’.”

            “What did she buy?”

            “A bag of Enfuego chips, a lemon marble soda, and…” He trailed off, looking utterly confused.

            Julie raised an eyebrow. Something had caught his attention. “And what?”

            He read the line again, still not believing his eyes. “It looks like she bought… ube mochi?”

            Arven leaned over Kieran, munching loudly on his garlic butter chips. “Sounds tasty to me. I’d eat that.”

            “I’ve had a mochi donut before,” offered Nemona between bites of trail mix. “Is that the same as mochi?”

            “Not quite.” Kieran considered how to explain the difference succinctly. “A piece of mochi is chewy kinda like a mochi donut, but it’s not fried or cakey.”

            Penny chugged the last of her lychee marble soda. “What’s an oo-bay?”

            “It’s a type of sweet potato,” Kieran explained. “It’s purple, and only sorta kinda sweet compared to the orange ones. We use them in a lot of meals here. I’ve never had an ube mochi before, though.”

            “That sounds pretty good.” Julie wondered if there were any more mochis behind the counter. All she could see was an empty plate tucked behind the cash register. She pouted. Maybe she could buy one in the morning.

            “So it’s a vegetable, then.” Penny looked unamused. “Hard pass.”

            Arven rolled his eyes. “It’s a vegetable-flavored dessert, Pen. You’d eat it if I told you it was artificially colored.”

            “I would,” agreed Penny, “but then I’d never forgive you for lying to me.”

            Arven sighed heavily. “You’re insufferable.”

            Penny grinned smugly. “Why thank you.”

            Julie pointed at the empty plate. Something about it was bothering her. “Does the shopkeeper usually leave out that plate on display?”

            Kieran shook his head. “No. I’ve never seen that plate before. Ms. Momoko packages her mochis in little boxes, never just out on a plate.”

            “And you said the mochi wasn’t something she normally sells, right?” Julie considered the connection between these facts. “Do you think the mochi might have something to do with Carmine acting strangely?”

            Kieran chewed at his thumbnail. “Maybe. But how?”

            “Food poisoning,” Arven said matter-of-factly. “Old lady botched the batch. That has to be it.”

            “You think everything is food poisoning,” Penny said tiredly. “Last time I checked, mind control wasn’t one of the symptoms.”

            “Got any better ideas, oh wise one?”

            Penny pursed her lips, deep in thought. “Maybe…an allergic reaction?”

            “Sis isn’t allergic to anythin’, as far as I know.” Kieran tapped his foot anxiously. “At least, I don’t think she is. If she was, she would have told me and Grandma and Grandpa. The doctor didn’t say anythin’ about that when we went, either.”

            Julie put a hand on his shoulder. “I think we can rule that out. Let’s not stress anymore than we have to, ok?”

            He nodded, but silently wondered if there was something he’d missed. Mochi was one of his sister’s favorite snacks, and one of the few sweets she had a taste for. This wasn’t just a case of food disagreeing with her. This was a full on curse.

            The old folktale came to his mind once more. The strange Pokemon from long ago had cursed the townsfolk somehow, but the specifics had been lost to time. What if this had been the method? Everyone had to eat, and mochi was a local specialty. What if the curse had been transferred through the food? Given the evidence, it seemed like a plausible option to him.

            Now, he just needed to prove it.

            Nemona leaned against the counter, facing the empty town square. She chewed another handful of trail mix and studied the silent town around her. There wasn’t a soul in sight. She’d never seen such a quiet town before. Cabo Poco was peaceful, but Mossui Town seemed strangely dormant. It was barely ten o’clock, but everyone and everything had gone to bed already. Maybe things were different here in the country. She sighed with disappointment. It seemed like she’d have to wait until daybreak for her epic faceoff.

            …Or maybe not.

            “Hey Kieran?”

            “Yeah?”

            “Is your sister really tall with long dark hair?”

            “Yeah, why?”

            Nemona pointed straight ahead. “Is that her?”

            Kieran and the others turned to face the town square. A lone figure stood right behind them, standing eerily still. The dim light cast by the snack stand’s lamp made Carmine’s features look hollow and haunted. She appeared to be staring straight ahead at them, but made no move to approach them. Julie wasn’t sure if it was her imagination, but it seemed like Carmine’s eyes were… glowing.

            Penny screamed in fright, clasping her hands to her face.

            “Carmine!” Julie called. “Are you ok?”

            Arven leapt in front of the group. “Get behind me!”

            “Sis!” shouted Kieran. “How did you get out?”

            Arven stared at him incredulously. “Get out? What do you mean get out?!”

            Kieran winced. “Long story. She kept runnin’ around and we didn’t want her to get hurt, so we just kinda… locked her in her room.”

            “Great plan,” spat Arven. “Whole lot of good that did.”

            “Well, what would you do?” Kieran shot back. “You got any better ideas?”

            Arven huffed, then turned away. He had him there.

            “There’s got to be a logical explanation for this,” Penny said quietly, shutting her eyes. “There just has to be.”

            Julie reached for Kieran’s hand. “Kieran, why isn’t she saying anything?”

            He felt a shiver shoot down his back at the memory of that thing using his sister as its mouthpiece.

            “Trust me. You don’t want her to.”

            Carmine turned her head side to side, as if she was sizing up the group. The five teens held their breath as she lifted both hands to shoulder height. Slowly, she extended her fingers and moved both hands first inward, then out. She repeated the motion a second time, then a third. The movement was awkward, but Kieran recognized it right away. She – or rather, that thing ­– was waving at them.

            That was enough to make him terribly, horribly angry.

            Kieran pushed Arven aside and stomped towards his sister.

            “Let my sister go, you- you- whatever you are!” he screamed. He reached for Hydrapple’s Pokeball from his belt and brandished it at his sister. “If you really are a Pokemon, come on out and fight me! Koiyo!”

            Carmine’s head tilted to the right, and her attention focused on the Pokeball in her brother’s hand. The corners of her mouth tilted up, but the smile didn’t reach her eyes. Suddenly, she spoke.

            “Mo…chii-iiya. Not…yet.”

            Julie felt her skin crawl. That was definitely not how Carmine spoke. It sounded like an alien trying to sound human. Or rather, like a Pokemon trying to sound human.

            Julie ran up to take her place beside Kieran. If history was repeating itself, she wasn’t going to let him face this threat alone. She drew her Meowscarada’s Pokeball from her belt.

            “How about now?” she shouted. “We’re not scared of you.”

            Arven, Penny, and Nemona followed suit and put on their best brave faces.

            “Yeah, if you want a fight, you’ve got it!”

            “Yeah! I-I’m not scared, I’m just… shaking with anticipation!”

            “Woohoo! Finally, some action!”

            Without warning, a dark object flew from a nearby tree and launched itself at them. The teenagers screamed as the thing orbited them in ever-tightening circles, forcing them to huddle together. It flew closer with each revolution, but it was sure to stay just out of arm’s reach.

            Julie caught a glimpse of the thing as it passed by her face. It was a sickly magenta color, and about the size of a large Pecha berry. It was hard to tell, but there seemed to be dark spot in the center of its body. Whether it was a bruise or a part of its face, she didn’t know. What she was certain of was that it had eyes. Two eerily blank white eyes. It stared back at her for a split second, then continued on its mad orbit.

            That’s got to be it, she thought. That’s the Pokemon Kieran was talking about from the story.

            As quickly as it appeared, the creature flew away into the night, bolting in the direction of Festival Plaza.

            Julie was the first to collect herself. “Is everyone ok?”

            Arven rubbed the cold sweat from his brow. “Yeah, just spooked.”

            Penny clung to Nemona’s arm, still shaking with adrenaline. “What on earth was that?!”

            Nemona squinted, but saw no sign of her opponent. “Dunno, but it sure knows how to make a speedy exit.”

            Kieran spun around to face the town square. The creature wasn’t the only one who’d disappeared. His sister was nowhere to be found.

            “Carmine!” he shouted, cupping his hands around his mouth. “Sis, where are you?!”

            His voice echoed faintly in the silence, but he received no reply.

            Kieran felt panic threaten to overwhelm him. First his sister had broken out of her room, and now she’d disappeared. He put his hands on either side of his head and forced himself to breathe slowly. Now was not the time to lose it. Carmine couldn’t have gone far, and Mossui Town was small; chances were that she was within walking distance and they’d find her in no time. But if they didn’t have a clue where she’d ran off to, where would they even begin to start looking?

            Arven glared at Kieran. “Alright, so you were right about the weird Pokemon. I’ll give you that. Now what? How do we beat something that possesses people and dive bombs us when we try to fight back?”

            Kieran swallowed the lump forming in his throat. He could cry later when nobody was around to see him fall apart.

            “I don’t know. But we’ve got to think of somethin’.”

            “We’ve got to find that Pokemon before it gets anyone else,” Julie said. Her confidence was waning, but she had to keep up the façade for now. “If it’s got Carmine under its spell, who knows what else it’s got planned.”

            “But how?” protested Penny. “Where do we even start?”

            “We need to find Carmine first, and fast.” Julie took a moment to look around the town square. “If we all search one part of town, we can cover a lot more ground. Let’s split up.”

            “I’m not leaving you alone,” growled Arven. “Not with that thing on the loose.”

            “Five minutes, Arven,” Julie said firmly. “That’s all I’m asking.”

            “That sounds reasonable to me.” Nemona pointed in the direction of Festival Plaza. “I call dibs on that way.”

            Arven crossed his arms. “Fine. I’ll check in town around the visitor’s center. No way am I getting lost in the woods tonight.”

            “I’ll stay with Arven,” Penny said, her voice wavering slightly. “Two sets of eyes are better than one, right?”

            “I’ll check back at the house and see if Grandma and Grandpa saw anythin’ weird,” Kieran offered. It made him uneasy to think about being alone right now, but it was the only way they’d make any headway finding his sister.

            “I’ll take Apple Hills, then,” Julie concluded. “That ought to cover our bases.”

            Arven, Penny, Julie, and Nemona withdrew their Rotomphones and opened their timer apps. Kieran dug in his pocket for the old watch his grandfather had given him as a little kid. It was a relic, but it was still accurate down to the second.

            Julie held up her phone. “Alright, it’s 9:00 right now. We have five minutes to do a quick sweep of our assigned areas. If you find Carmine, make some noise. Call someone, yell, scream, whatever you need to do. No matter what happens, we meet back here at 9:05 sharp. Understood?”

            The others nodded.

            Julie set her timer for five minutes, then tapped the start button. The clock began to count down. The search was on.

            “Alright. Let’s get going.”

Chapter Text

            Nemona wasn’t sure how long it had been since she’d arrived at the shrine.

            All she knew is that she’d followed a Jangmo-o down the path here, softened it up in a fierce battle with her Ribombee, and then she’d caught it in an Ultra Ball on the first try. Now she was standing before the Mossui Town shrine with a dead Rotom Phone and no clue what time it was anymore.

            I’m pretty sure I’m over my five minutes now. Julie’s gonna be so mad at me.

            She sighed. She had lost track of time so quickly. That was a common occurrence in her life – she’d get her mind set on one thing and one thing only until it got done. Her mother had told her that habit would get her in trouble one day. And now, it finally had.

            She’d eaten all her snacks from Peachy’s, and she’d forgotten to pack extra granola bars in her bag. It was a long walk back to the snack stand from here, and she’d burned through her energy during that fight. If she didn’t get some food soon, she’d be useless when the time came to fight that weird old Pokemon again.

            Which was why she had been so delighted to see a plate of mochi sitting on a pedestal outside of the shrine. Sure, it might be a bit sacrilegious to eat something that might be an offering to a local deity, but she was desperate. She was sure she’d be forgiven for her impulsiveness… eventually. She needed the energy to do good deeds, after all, so that had to count for something.

            She supposed she could ask Kieran which god to beg forgiveness from later. Right now, it was snack time.

            She took a single mochi from the plate. It looked delicious, in her opinion. It was an unusual purplish color that she’d never seen before; this had to be that ube mochi that Kieran’s sister had tried.

            She hesitated for a moment, recalling Arven’s comment about food poisoning. Something that looked this good couldn’t be bad for her…right?

            Oh well. Arven had always told her she had an iron stomach. Now she had the chance to prove it.

            Nemona bit into the poisoned mochi, savoring the subtly sweet flavor.

            Within seconds, her world went black.

**

            “So, do you wanna talk about what happened back there, or do you want to keep sulking?”

            Arven muttered under his breath. Penny was getting on his last nerve tonight.

            Penny cupped a hand to her ear. “What’s that? That almost sounded like Galarian that time.”

            “I said I don’t want to talk about it.” Arven strode ahead, disappearing into the darkness between the streetlights.

            Penny broke into a jog. She cursed her short stature and gritted her teeth. “Slow down, dammit, you know I can’t keep up with you.”

            Arven stopped in his tracks. He stood just outside the pool of light the streetlight cast upon the sidewalk.

            “Sorry, Pen.” He shoved his hands into his pockets. “I’m just… in my head really bad right now.”

            Penny stood beside him, shoving her own hands into her hoodie pockets. “Yeah, clearly. You’ve been like this since Julie got that letter. You jealous of this Kieran guy or something?”

            Arven’s gaze never left the sidewalk. “It’s not like that.”

            Penny raised an eyebrow. “Are you serious? You’re practically green with envy. You’ve been an asshole to the guy since we got off the bus.”

            He said nothing. She was right. He was being a jerk, and he knew it. But he knew why he was acting like this, and in his heart, his actions were justified. He didn’t have to explain himself to anyone.

            Penny frowned. Arven was a man of few words, but this brooding emo act was getting annoying.

            “So ok, you’re jealous of a guy that Julie met on a trip. We all knew she liked him. She told us that much herself. Why are you acting like it’s a surprise all of a sudden?”

            “It’s not like that, Penny.” He ran a hand through his hair. “You wouldn’t get it.”

            “Try me.” She pushed her glasses up her nose defiantly.

            Arven turned his face away from her. “Penny-“

            “Penny nothing. Start talking.”

            He took a step away from her into the light. “There’s nothing to talk about. I told you-“

            “Arven, if you don’t talk now, you’re gonna do something stupid. You’re gonna be a big macho man about it and either run your mouth or fight him. And if you do, Julie will never forgive you.”

            At those words, Arven felt something deep inside of him break in two. He turned on his heel to face Penny.

            “You want me to talk? Alright, then I’ll talk.”

            Penny was taken aback. She’d seen Arven get angry plenty of times, but she’d never seen him cry before.

            Arven clenched his fists, feeling the emotion he’d bottled up for so long break free of its prison.

            “I’m being an asshole, yeah, but you know what? I don’t regret it. I’m watching my best friend in the whole world fall in love with someone that made her cry. I’m scared to death she’s gonna get hurt again. I don’t want her to get depressed like that again, Penny. It scared me. I don’t want her to think everything’s gonna be ok and then he breaks her heart again. If he does that, I’d fly all the way out here again just to kick his ass.”

            Penny nodded. “You and me both. I don’t think that’s gonna happen, though. That whole fight they had was a misunderstanding. They talked it out, started over, and they seem to be doing fine now. He seems like a nice enough guy, now that he doesn’t think she’s out to crush his dreams.”

            “But what if he isn’t?”

            “But what if he is?!” Penny flung her arms out in frustration. “What if he’s a perfectly decent guy and they’re happy together? Why is that such a threat to you?”

            Arven’s voice was raw and harsh.

            “Because I’m gonna get forgotten again!”

            Penny winced as the sound echoed in the silent streets of Mossui Town. To her surprise, not a single light turned on within the buildings around them. She supposed the people around here must sleep deeper than the folks in Mezagoza.

            She watched in uncomfortable silence as Arven broke down. His shoulders shook with every sob. The sorrow he’d carried so long threatened to bring him to his knees, yet somehow he remained standing. It made her very soul hurt to see her friend in such a state. But what, if anything, could she do to give him comfort? What could she say to make his burden a little less heavy?

            Finally, hesitantly, Penny spoke.

            “Arven, that’s not going to happen.”

            “Yeah? Really now?” He laughed coldly. “How many times have I heard that crap now? Dad said that to me before he went missing. He still up and fucking died in that crater. All those people from the government said that to me when I asked if I’d have to live alone. Guess what? They gave up when no one would take me in and I lived in that damn lighthouse for years all by myself! Hell, even Clavell fed me that line and… well, he hasn’t screwed up yet, but I know it’s gonna happen. And Julie-“

            His voice broke. The wave of emotion threatened to drown him. Still, he kept going.

            “Julie’s been the closest thing I’ve ever had to family, Penny. She and her mom have been so good to me since we met. When I met her, I finally felt like I had a friend that wasn’t gonna abandon me when things got real. When Boss was sick, she saw the good in me even when I was being an asshole to her. She made sure we got all the Herba Mystica we needed to make him better, even when I couldn’t help her out.”

            “You did your best.” Penny chewed her lip. “That’s all you could do.”

            “But it wasn’t enough. If she hadn’t helped me, he’d be dead. She never gave up on our mission, even when I’d lost hope. She never gave up on me either. You don’t just find a friend like that every day.”

            She nodded. “You’re right. She’s really special.”

            “And that’s why I don’t want to lose her. I don’t want to be alone again, Penny. I don’t want to know what a family was supposed to be like just to have it all taken away when she falls in love with some guy. I don’t want her to forget me because of him.” He rubbed at the tears streaming down his cheeks. “I don’t want to lose my family all over again because of him.”

            Arven sniffled wetly, desperately trying to collect himself. He’d need a lot more than five minutes to put himself back together.

            Penny took a step forward into the light. For once, she was out of words.

            There was a lot in her life that she’d taken for granted: her annoying big sister, her overzealous dad, her home that wasn’t a dorm room… these were all things she had expected to always be there. It was easy to forget that her friends didn’t have those constants. Nemona’s parents were never home, Julie and her mom had fled Galar to get away from her dad, and Arven… he had lost everyone and everything he’d ever loved. Except for his friends.        

            Last school year, she’d only known Arven by his reputation. He was “the Professor’s kid,” a big gruff brute of a guy that spent all his time in the Culinary classroom and never smiled. Now, he was one of her dearest friends and someone she truly admired. She might not ever understand what it was like to walk in his shoes, but she considered it an honor to walk beside him.

            Penny wasn’t the affectionate type, but she would make an exception tonight.

            Arven raised an eyebrow at his friend’s strange pose. Penny was standing in front of him now, both arms outstretched. It looked as if she was holding an invisible box at arm’s length. He wasn’t sure what she was doing exactly, but it certainly looked uncomfortable.

            “What are you doing?”

            “I’m offering you a hug, dumbass. You gonna take it or not?”

            He laughed. “Sure.”

            Penny grunted as Arven lifted her off the ground and hugged her tightly. She was sure he could snap her in half if he wanted to, and he was dangerously close to doing so.

            “Easy, big guy,” she wheezed. “I can’t breathe.”

            He sat her down and let go. “Sorry. I don’t know my own strength.”

            “Clearly.” She craned her neck up to look him in the eye. “But in all seriousness, thank you for talking to me. I… I get why you’re so upset now. It makes sense. All I can say is, you’ve gotta have a little more faith in Julie. We all love her and we don’t want to see her get hurt again, but I’ve got a feeling things are gonna be ok. Even if they’re not, we can’t make up her mind for her. All we can do is trust her.”

            Arven nodded. “Yeah. You’re right.”

            “I know,” Penny said smugly. “Glad I finally convinced you.”

            Arven rolled his eyes. “There’s the Penny I know and love.”

            “Aw, I love you too, big guy.” She went to pat his back, then decided against it. She’d shown enough affection for one night. “Let’s not do this again anytime soon. Sound good to you?”

            “Fine by me.” Arven chuckled. “Thanks for listening, Pen. I appreciate it.”

            “You’re welcome.” She elbowed him gently. “Alright, now that we got all that out of your system, you wanna head back to Peachy’s?”

            “Yeah.” Arven took one last look around the empty streets. “I don’t think we’re gonna find anything here. This place is dead.”

            The pair turned back towards the snack stand, chatting amicably as they walked together. The mood had lightened and conversation flowed easily once more. For a moment, they forgot that they had been on a mission to find a missing person. But the serious things in life could wait for just a minute longer.

            A streetlight flickered off behind them, but neither Arven nor Penny took notice. In the darkness, something moved.

            The strange magenta Pokemon watched silently from its perch atop the streetlight as the two bantered playfully on their walk back to town. They would make for amusing playthings later, it thought. The tricky thing would be subduing them. These two had spirit. Not as much as the girl near the shrine, but even she had taken the bait without a fight. They would be easy in comparison.

            The humans rounded the corner and disappeared from its sight. Only then did the creature leave its post.

            It floated soundlessly in the direction of town, hiding in the shadows mere meters behind the children.

**

            The front door of the Koshou home opened with an impressive squeak. Kieran winced at the sound. If his grandparents had gone to bed already, they weren’t sleeping now.

            He was surprised to see that the lights were still on at this hour. He frowned. That was weird; Grandma and Grandpa always turned the lights off before they went to sleep. That was the one thing they’d get on to him about if he stayed up late. He could hear Grandma going on about it already: electricity cost money, the bill would come out of his allowance, and so on and so forth.

            If they hadn’t turned off the lights, he thought, something bad must have happened to them…

            Or not. It wasn’t that late, he reminded himself. Grandma was probably watching a movie on full blast while Grandpa toiled away in his workshop. He’d ask them if they’d seen anything suspicious around the house, and then run back to Peachy’s with time to spare. If he was lucky, maybe he’d get to talk to Julie for a bit before Arven came back to scowl at him.

            He smiled, feeling ever so slightly relieved. That sounded like a solid plan to him. Now he just had to put it into action.

            Kieran stepped through the doorway and kicked off his shoes.

            “Grandma?” he called. “Grandpa?”

            The house was eerily silent. He took a few steps forward into the living room. The room was empty and the television was off. So much for his original theory. There must not have been anything worth watching on tonight.

            “Grandma?” he said, a bit louder this time. Maybe she was in the kitchen. It wouldn’t be the first time she’d gotten a hankering for tea after dinner.

            He walked to the kitchen, but found it empty too. There were no dishes on the counter or the sink. It was perfectly tidy, just the way his grandmother liked it.

            He sighed in frustration. Great. Just great. Where could she be?

            Kieran checked the clock above the stove, hoping he hadn’t wasted too much time. Unfortunately, he had - it read 9:03 PM.

            Crap. I gotta get moving.

            He ran to the back door and out towards his grandfather’s workshop. He stopped in his tracks mere steps away from the door. The lights were off and the door was shut. Wherever his grandparents were, they weren’t at home.

            Kieran felt a weight settle into his stomach. This was not normal, not in the slightest. His grandparents never went out this late, and even if they did, they always left a note telling him where they were going. But as far as he could tell, they’d vanished without a trace.

            He chewed at his thumbnail. Where on earth could they have gone?

            He didn’t have time to stand around worrying about it anymore. Time was ticking, and Julie was depending on him. He ran back inside the house, put his shoes back on, and bolted down the hill towards Peachy’s. He hoped his friends had been more successful in their searches than he had.

            All he had now were more questions.

**

            Julie felt a little guilty for choosing Apple Hills to search tonight. It seemed like a cop-out in hindsight. There were no workers for her to interview, nor any townspeople out for a late-night stroll. She was more likely to encounter a Pokemon in the orchards than a person.

            But in truth, that was exactly what she was hoping for.

            In all honesty, she had a good reason for coming here… even if it was a bit selfish.

            She aimed her Rotomphone’s flashlight up at the branches of an apple tree. No luck with this one, either. She’d searched half a dozen trees so far, but there wasn’t an Applin in sight.

            She pouted. Her secret mission wasn’t going so well.

            Lacey had been the one to tell her about the end-of-the-year trading tradition. On the last day of the spring semester, the students would gather in the Terarrium for Trade Day. Friends would trade Pokemon and take pictures together before they went home for summer break. It sounded like a fun way to make memories, but in her mind, it had the potential to mean something more.

            Where Julie was from, trading Applins with someone you cared about was seen as a love confession. It was an old tradition tracing back to the time of knights and royalty. She’d grown up with fairy tales of princes offering Applins to their one true loves, and those stories always ended happily ever after.

            If she was lucky, maybe she and Kieran could write a love story of their own.

            It felt like fate - Kieran’s ace was a Hydrapple, after all. What were the odds that he’d trade her an Applin on Trade Day? Pretty high, by her calculations; he loved Applin and all of its forms. Given that fact, though, he might offer up an Applin to anyone who wanted to trade with him. If that was the case… well, she just knew the Applin he’d give her would be special, somehow.

            Maybe Kieran knew about the Applin myth, too. It wouldn’t be that surprising. His grandparents had probably read the same stories to him and Carmine as bedtime stories. And if he didn’t, well, she’d have an opportunity to share a bit of her culture with him. It was a win-win situation.

            At the very least, she was certain he’d be appreciative if she gave him an Applin in return. She knew he’d cherish any Pokemon she traded him, really, but an Applin would be especially loved. Thus why she was running around an orchard in the dark, hoping neither he nor her friends would catch on to what she was really doing: something that was only important to her.

            …That was being selfish, wasn’t it?

            The guilt of that realization weighed heavy upon her heart.

            Yes, she should be more focused on finding Carmine right now. She had been looking for her… for the first two minutes. But there were no clues here. Why not make the most of her five minutes in Apple Hills and find the Pokemon she wanted – no, needed to capture?

            And yes, she knew this could goal could wait. But the opportunity had presented itself so perfectly. No one had to know she’d spent the majority of her time here hunting Applins. She’d report back to Peachy’s in a few minutes with a smile, and everyone else would be none the wiser.

            She sighed. Sometimes she didn’t want to be everybody’s hero. Sometimes she just wanted to be Julie.

            A soft squeak caught her attention. She shone her flashlight up at the tree closest to her. Lo and behold, there was a lone Applin staring down at her curiously from atop a low-hanging branch.

            Julie retrieved a Pokeball from her bag, grinning from ear to ear.

            Now was her chance.

            Before the Applin could react, she lobbed a Pokeball at it with impressive force. The capture beam surrounded the tiny Pokemon and withdrew it into the capsule. The pink Pokeball wiggled once…twice… a third time…

            Click!

            A shower of star-shaped sparks emitted from the Love Ball.

            The Applin had been caught.

            Julie stepped forward and picked up the pink capsule. Mission accomplished, she thought. She was finally prepared for the most important trade of her life.

            She turned back towards Mossui Town with a confident smile on her face. Now, I just need to get back to-

            Squish!

            She grimaced, feeling her shoe sink into something soft. She took a step back and aimed her phone’s light down, expecting to see the remains of a rotten apple splayed out upon the ground.

            But her phone revealed something more curious. Her shoeprint had been perfectly preserved in the dough of some strange purple pastry.

            Wait…purple? Isn’t that-

            Julie felt her blood run cold. Ube mochi. Just like the one Carmine had eaten.

            She lifted her phone to get a better look at the ground around her feet.

            Dozens more littered the ground beneath the apple trees.

            Julie ran as fast as her legs could carry her back to Mossui Town, leaving the smashed remains of the mochi in her wake.

**

            Arven and Penny were the first to arrive back at the snack stand. Kieran arrived shortly after, red-faced from running.

            “Did you find anything?” asked Penny.

            “No, that’s the problem.” Kieran looked worried. “Grandma and Grandpa are gone.”

            Arven furrowed his brow. “Where do you think they went off to? No offense, but there’s not much to do here at night.”

            “I dunno. There’s no note, no nothin’. All the lights were on too, so-“

            At that moment, Julie came running up to them, wide-eyed with fear. Her voice shook almost as much as her body.

            “It’s been out there. It was in Apple Hills. There were purple mochi all over the ground. Lots of them. You were right, Kieran, something’s wrong with the mochi.”

            “Slow down,” Kieran urged. He didn’t like the wild look in her eye one bit. “Did you see Sis or that thing out there?”

            She shook her head. “No, there was nobody else.”

            “We didn’t see anyone either,” added Arven.

            Kieran sighed. “Aw man.”

            “Don’t give up just yet,” Penny assured him. “Nemona might have seen something.”

            Arven checked his phone. “Speaking of Nemona, where is she? She’s late.”

            Penny shrugged. “You know her, she probably got distracted or something. She’s-“

            Arven watched as Penny’s expression changed from one of annoyance to horror. Even in the dim light of the streetlights, he could tell the color had drained from her face.

            “What?” he asked, feeling his stomach already tying itself in knots.

            Penny pointed a shaking hand at the space above the snack stand’s roof.

            “It’s back, that thing is back!”

            The four spun to face the stand, Pokeballs drawn and ready for a fight. The orb-like creature hovered above them, its eerie blank eyes staring back at them with cold fascination.

            This show of bravado amused the old Pokemon.

            All of these children were spirited, indeed.

            Breaking that spirit would be quite entertaining.

Chapter Text

            The first surprise from the strange purple Pokemon was that it could transform. Its brightly colored shell split in half to reveal a ghostly being at its center. It looked like a peach pit with a face, in Kieran’s opinion. And an ugly one, at that. Its beady white eyes and downturned mouth made it look just plain mean. A long plume of ectoplasm rose from the top of its head, resembling a ponytail. In a weird way, it reminded him of Momotaro, the hero from the old stories Grandpa used to tell him before bed.

            Maybe this is how that guy would have looked if he’d been the villain of the story, Kieran thought as the creature floated closer. He grimaced. That was a face only a mother Pokemon could love.

            The second surprise was how aggressively the monster attacked the children. And how it did so using an… unusual method.

            “Would you cut that out already?!” Kieran shouted. After enduring three barrages, his patience was wearing thin.

            The creature cackled and shot another stream of purple mochi from the halves of its split shell. Kieran winced as a stray sweet struck him right in the center of his forehead. He rubbed at the spot and grumbled. For a squishy food, mochi really packed a punch.

            Julie brushed the bits of mochi and jelly filling from her clothes. Sticky crumbs clung to her hair and refused to move. “Ugh… gross.”

            “You ok?” Kieran asked, dusting off what he guessed was cornstarch from his shirt. He tried his best not to breathe in any of the dubious purple powder.

            “Yeah, just messy.” Julie turned to face Arven and Penny. “Are you guys alright?”

            Arven nodded. He appeared to chew something, then swallow it. “I’m fine. I didn’t expect that stuff to be sweet, though.”

            Penny rubbed her mouth. “Yeah, me either. Not gonna lie, that candy was kinda good.”

            Julie’s hands flew to her mouth. “You ate it?!”

            “Yeah,” Arven replied. “Why?”

            “Me too,” Penny said. “That stuff was edible, wasn’t it?”

            Kieran’s eyes widened with horror. “Oh no...“

            Arven and Penny exchanged worried glances.

            The sinister creature laughed, its voice unexpectedly high and squeaky.

            Everything was going according to plan.

            Within seconds, the poison began to take effect. Arven doubled over in pain, clutching his midsection. His arms and legs felt as heavy as lead. Penny began to cough as her mouth filled with a bitter taste. A strange violet fog clouded her vision until she saw no more.

            “No!” Julie screamed. She ran towards them, but Kieran grabbed her arm.

            “Don’t!” he shouted. “They might hurt you!”

            “They’re my friends!” she protested. “They’d never hurt me!”

            Kieran shook his head. “That thing doesn’t care about that. You saw what it did to Sis. It’s about to do the same thing to them.”

            “But-“ The words stuck in Julie’s throat. Even if Penny and Arven were under the control of that weird Pokemon, they’d never turn against her. Their bond was stronger than any mind control magic.

            …Right?

            The purple Pokemon loomed over Penny and Arven. It watched the humans struggle with a mischievous twinkle in its eyes. These two had not been its intended targets, but they would do for now. The other two would bow before it, in time.

            All of a sudden, Arven shuddered and bowed his head. Penny did the same, falling limp and silent.

            Julie took a step back, horrified. Kieran put his arm out in front of her protectively. As awful as the sight was, they couldn’t avert their eyes.

            In perfect sync, Penny and Arven raised their heads. Their eyes were glazed over with an odd magenta sheen. In the light of the streetlights, they almost seemed to glow.

            The purple Pokemon wiggled its tiny hands above their heads, as if pulling invisible strings. Their bodies sprung to life with surprising vigor. They danced in place like oversized puppets as the creature swayed from side to side, laughing maniacally.

            Julie fought back the urge to scream.

            Kieran clenched his fists. “Stop it! They’re not your toys, you creep!”

            The Pokemon laughed harder. As far as it was concerned, that was exactly what these humans were. Once upon a time, it had been treated like a plaything too. Day in and day out, it would exhaust itself granting the wishes of its masters. Those days were long and thankless. It had broken free of those bonds long ago, and it had known true freedom ever since.

            Never again would it be a slave to beings who knew no end to greed and gluttony. Now it was its turn to play puppet-master.

            It raised its hands to eye level, and its new toys did the same. They held out their Pokeballs towards Kieran and Julie. Arven and Penny delivered the same message in eerily perfect unison.

            “Fight me.”

            A shiver shot down Julie’s spine. She didn’t believe in evil Pokemon, but this thing was dangerously close to changing her mind.

            Kieran took his Hydrapple’s Pokeball from his belt. “You want a fight? Alright, you’ll get one.”

            Julie shook her head. “I can’t… I won’t…Not them.”

            “I know you don’t want to, but we’re gonna have to.” Kieran hoped he sounded reassuring, but her expression told him otherwise.

            “Kieran, I can’t,” she pleaded. “I don’t want to hurt them.”

            “You won’t.” An idea occurred to him. “If anythin’, you might break that curse. Maybe if we beat them, that thing will let them go.”

            She considered this thought. It sounded logical to her, in a storybook sort of way. The whole situation reminded her of a fairy tale: an evil creature had cast a spell over her friends, and it was their job to save them. Even if she didn’t feel very brave right now, she had to play the part. She was the Light of Paldea after all; she might as well act like it.

            Hesitantly, she took Clover’s Pokeball from her belt. “Alright.”

            Kieran smiled. “Don’t worry, ok? I’ve got your back.”

            She nodded. “Same here.” Ever so slightly, she felt her confidence return. Together, they might have a fighting chance to break the curse.

            The two stepped forward and sent out their Pokemon.

            “Go, Hydrapple!”

            “Go, Clover!”

            The bursts of light from the Pokeballs startled the creature. It had been some time since it had seen a capture device in action. They looked much different now than the wood and metal contraptions it remembered. It blinked rapidly and rubbed at its eyes. This was no time to be dazzled. It held out its hands and took control of its toys once more.

            Penny and Arven threw their Pokeballs with robotic stiffness. They didn’t announce their choices, but Julie had a hunch she knew exactly which Pokemon they – or the creature – had chosen.

            In a flash of light, Sylveon and Mabosstiff appeared before Hydrapple and Meowscarada, looking utterly confused. The pair looked around at the unfamiliar surroundings, then at each other. Where were they, and what in the world was going on?

            Mabosstiff turned to face his friend and woofed softly. Arven stared blankly ahead at his opponent, not even acknowledging his partner. The Pokemon whined and nudged his master’s limp hand. The boy was acting strangely. He barked again loudly, but Arven didn’t flinch. A flicker of movement caught his attention. Something round and Pecha Berry-scented hovered above Arven’s head. It stared down at him with cold, cruel eyes.

            Mabosstiff growled. He didn’t like this thing, not one bit.

            Sylveon extended her ribbons towards Penny’s hand. She squeaked in surprise; the girl’s hands were cold to the touch. The look on her trainer’s face worried her, too. Penny’s eyes were lifeless, and her glasses were too far down her nose. She used one ribbon to push them back into place. She waved the other ribbon in front of her face for good measure. Penny didn’t blink.

           Sylveon whined uneasily. Something was very wrong with her trainer.

            The purple Pokemon turned its attention to Mabosstiff and Sylveon. There was no place for rebellion in its plans.

            Mabosstiff bore his teeth at the enemy and snarled. Sylveon arched her back and hissed. The creature wasn’t shaken by their bravado in the slightest.

            In the blink of an eye, it launched two mochi into their mouths with expert precision. Kieran and Julie watched in horror as the two Pokemon underwent the same transformation as their trainers.

            Mabosstiff and Sylveon turned to face their opponents. Their eyes now glowed with an eerie magenta hue. In tandem, they snarled at the opposing Pokemon and leapt into action.

            Startled out of her shock, Julie yelled out a command. “Clover, use your Flower Bomb on Sylveon!”

            “Hydrapple, Fickle Beam on Mabosstiff!” Kieran shouted.

            Clover tossed a pink and green ball of energy towards Penny’s Sylveon. Pink petals of energy trailed behind it as it hurtled towards its opponent. Sylveon braced for impact. The energy bomb collided with its target, exploding into a shower of pink sparkles. Sylveon sailed through the air and landed at her master’s feet with a whine.

            All seven of Hydrapple’s heads opened their mouths wide. Golden pearls of light formed between their jaws, growing larger by the second. They aimed their attacks at the charging Mabosstiff and fired. The seven beams braided into one shining pillar of light. Kieran winced at the sound Arven’s Pokemon made when the attack landed. For once, he regretted landing a critical hit.

            The silence was tense. Arven and Penny slowly moved their heads to examine their Pokemon. Their expressions remained emotionless, but there was a strange flicker of contempt in their eyes. Whether that anger was meant for their Pokemon or their opponents was unclear.

            “Did we win?” Kieran whispered. He felt a bead of sweat drip down his neck.

            “I think so,” Julie said uneasily. “They haven’t withdrawn their Pokemon, though. They’re just standing there. It looks like they’re… waiting.”

            Kieran didn’t like the sound of that. “Waiting for what, exactly?”

            “I dunno, but we need to be ready.” Julie glared at the floating menace above her friends. She took her Tera Orb from her belt. “I don’t trust that thing to fight fair.”

            Kieran reached for his Tera Orb, but suddenly froze. “Wait, what’s that sound?”

            Julie listened carefully. It was soft and rhythmic, and it grew louder by the second. It sounded strangely like footsteps… lots of them.

            The ancient Pokemon grinned. Reinforcements had arrived.

            Small points of purple light pierced the darkness around them. They grew closer, and the sound of footsteps grew louder. Kieran, Julie, and their Pokemon looked around to see shadowy forms drawing closer. The trainers and their partners stood back to back, ready to take on the threat.

            The shadows stepped forward into the light.

            Kieran felt dread seep into his bones. He recognized every face in the crowd. The entire village had been put under that monster’s spell.

            High, squeaky laughter echoed throughout the town square. The fun wasn’t over yet. A purple glow surrounded Mabosstiff and Sylveon. Slowly, the Pokemon struggled back to their feet. The glow faded, as did their injuries. The malevolent light burned anew in their eyes. The pair snarled, pawing at the ground in anticipation of the next fight.

            They were not the only ones. The population of Mossui Town raised their Pokeballs towards Julie and Kieran. The entire village had come out to fight.

            “Crap,” muttered Julie. There had to be at least fifty people in the crowd surrounding them. “We’re outnumbered.”

            Kieran gripped his Tera Orb, hoping to steady his shaking hand. “What do we do now?”

            “The only thing we can do.” Julie’s Tera Orb sparked to life. The brilliant energy reflected in her eyes. “We fight.”

            Kieran braced against the pulse of energy as his own Tera Orb activated. There was no running away from this fight.

            A loud voice suddenly rang out through the town square.

            “Archaludon, use Electro Shot!”

            Kieran and Julie turned to face it in time to see a bolt of electricity fly above their heads. The beam split into two and struck Sylveon and Mabostiff with impressive force. The trainers shielded their eyes as dirt and pebbles exploded into the air.

            The villagers turned to face the new threat in scarily perfect sync.

            The dust cleared long enough to reveal a young man with clenched fists and sharp golden eyes. His metallic Pokemon growled angrily; the sound made the ancient Pokemon shudder. These new challengers were not to be underestimated.

            Drayton glared stonily at his opponents. He hadn’t been in Mossui Town long, but he’d seen enough to know something was up. His jaw was firmly clenched in anger. Few things in life made him angry, but an unfair fight was one of them.

            “What kind of cowards gang up on a couple of kids?” he said coldly. “You’ve got some nerve picking on my friends.”

            Archaludon roared loudly, sending sparks flying into the air. He’d never fought more than two opponents at once before. There was a first time for everything.

            Kieran’s jaw dropped. “Drayton?! Y-you’re here! You actually came!”

            “Sure did.” He smirked. “Sorry I’m late. I took the first flight I could get.”

            Relief flooded Julie’s body. “Good to see you. I think we have a fighting chance now.”

            Drayton tossed his Tera Orb into the air and caught it. The crystal within glowed with a brilliant light. “I’d say so.”

            The enemy Pokemon huffed in frustration. It was time to make a hasty retreat.

            Penny, Arven, and the villagers watched as the creature floated away from the fight. It stopped at the bridge leading out of town, and then turned to face the crowd expectantly. Slowly, the villagers moved to join it, walking in step with one another. The crowd began to form two straight lines in front of the bridge.

            “What is this, some kind of parade?” Drayton said.

            “I think it’s runnin’ away,” Kieran said. “And it’s takin’ the whole town with it.”

            Julie scanned the crowd to find her friends. Surely Drayton had knocked some sense into them after that attack. She spotted them at the back of the line, standing side by side with heads bowed.

            She ran towards them. “Arven! Penny!”

            Kieran chased after her. “Julie, no!”

            Julie grasped her friends’ sleeves and tugged hard. “Guys, let’s go! We need to regroup and rest before we fight that thing again.”

            Her words fell on deaf ears. The line moved, and Penny and Arven moved with it. Julie dug in her heels.

            “Stop!” she cried. “Don’t go with that thing!”

            Penny and Arven paused long enough to face Julie. In unison, they tugged their arms from her grasp, turned away, and marched on.

            Kieran grabbed Julie by her waist, using all his strength to hold her back. She struggled against his grasp, straining to break free.

            “Let me go!” she shouted. “I’ve got to save them!”

            “No!” Kieran gritted his teeth. “That thing might get you too. I’m not gonna let that happen.”         

            Julie took a step forward, dragging Kieran with her. “I need to help them!”

            He pulled her backwards, holding her tight against his body. “You can’t! There’s nothing else we can do!”

            Drayton watched the procession make their way across the bridge. “He’s right, Julie. If all that didn’t snap them out of it, I don’t know what will.”

            She sobbed. That couldn’t be right. She couldn’t bear the thought of losing them. She had to save them – she just had to.

            The creature led the crowd further down the path towards the shrine. Penny and Arven were the last to cross the bridge. Julie felt her knees buckle beneath her.

            “Wait! Don’t go!” She felt hot tears fill her eyes. “Come back!”

            Kieran shut his eyes and bowed his head.

            Drayton shoved his hands in his pockets.

            Their victory had been a hollow one.

            The sound of footsteps faded away once more as the crowd disappeared into the forest. Julie stared ahead, straining to spot Arven and Penny in the dark.

            They’re gone, she thought. That thing got them. You couldn’t stop it.

            Her thoughts began to race at a dizzying speed.

            You weren’t strong enough.

            You couldn’t defeat them.

            It won and it took your friends with it.

            Some Champion you are.

            This is all your fault.

            Julie felt her body go limp and her vision begun to blur.

            “Julie?”

            “Oh shit, catch her!”

            “JULIE!”

            Sound faded into silence, and her world went black.

Chapter Text

            Drayton wasn’t sure what surprised him more: the fact that Kieran had caught Julie in time, or that he then lifted and carried her on uphill without a second thought. He’d taken off with her before Drayton could offer his help, running full speed toward his grandparents’ house.

            Drayton stared with mouth agape at the sight. Nobody would believe him if he simply just told them about it later. He had to record this momentous occasion for posterity. He hit record on his Rotomphone and took off running behind his friend. He struggled to keep up with him, huffing and puffing the whole way. For a scrawny guy, Kieran had a surprising amount of strength. This break from school had done wonders for him. Maybe he’d sign up for a leave of absence next.

            Kieran stopped long enough for Drayton to open the door for him. He bolted inside towards the living room, ignoring his friend’s shouts to slow down. They didn’t have time to stand around and chat; he needed to work fast.

           He knelt down and gave his first round of orders. “Help me get her comfortable. Hold her a sec and I’ll get the pillow and blankets.”

            Drayton did as he was told. He watched Kieran throw together a makeshift futon on the living room floor. He helped him lift Julie onto the blanket, and Kieran placed a cozy-looking quilt atop her.

            It was fascinating how much had changed in such a short time, Drayton mused. Kieran thought this girl hated his guts a couple of weeks ago. Now here he was, watching over her like an attentive husband. If he didn’t know any better, he’d swear they’d been dating for years. The way he looked at her told him Kieran wished that were the case.

            “Can you run get me a washcloth?” Kieran asked quietly. “The bathroom’s down the hall to the right. They’re in the cabinet by the shower. Run some warm water on it and wring it out.”

            Drayton nodded. “Can do.” He stood up, grumbled about his aching knees, and sauntered off towards the bathroom.

            Kieran tucked the quilt around Julie. He was glad he’d left it down here this morning; it saved him a trip upstairs to his room. His grandma had made it for him long ago, and it was still his blanket of choice to curl up in on cold mornings and rough nights. Hopefully it would bring her some comfort tonight as she rested.

            He studied her face as she slept. She’d scared him to death passing out like that. She seemed to be resting peacefully now, thankfully. Her breathing was steady and her expression seemed calm. The dark circles forming under her eyes worried him, though. Exhaustion was doing a number on her. It made his heart ache.

            This must’ve been how she felt when she saw me back then, he thought. She looked so worn out. To be fair, she probably was; she’d been on a plane for most of the day, and she’d spend the night running around Mossui Town. She’d more than earned a proper rest. They could afford to rest and regroup for an hour or so before they set out towards the shrine. It wouldn’t be much time, but it would be better than running on empty.

            What if she could stay here a while? The thought was tempting. He wondered what it would be like to spend another week together. Once they dispatched that weird Pokemon and rescued Carmine, the possibilities were endless. They could go on a hike together down the mountain trails. He could show her around the places he and his sister explored as kids. They could have another picnic, and he could teach her a few words in Kantonian for fun: ringo, yama, kawa, suki da yo, or maybe daisuki da yo…

            He felt his cheeks catch fire. That last one might be a little too potent. As much as he wanted to go full speed ahead with their relationship, he needed to take things slow. He’d learned his lesson about rushing into things; he didn’t dare make that mistake again.

            Drayton knelt down beside Kieran, a damp washcloth in hand. “Here ya go.”

            “Thanks.” He rubbed the cloth gently against her cheek. The crumbs of mochi and sticky jelly came off easily. “That thing really made a mess of her.”

            “Yeah, looks like it.” Drayton plucked a blob of purple mochi from Kieran’s hair. “And you too, unless you’re saving this for later.”

            “I’m fine, I promise.” Kieran was too focused on Julie to care about himself. He rubbed at a stubborn bit of jelly in her hair until it melted away on the cloth. “I’m more worried about her, to be honest. I’ve never seen anybody pass out like that.”

            “Me either. She really needs some rest.” Drayton sat down and stretched his legs. “Speaking of worrying, that brings me to my next question: Where’s Carmine?”

            “I wish I knew,” Kieran sighed. “I didn’t see her in the crowd. I’ve only seen her once since I called you. She was here one second, and gone the next. I guess she’s out there in the woods with the rest of them now.”

            “Why did that thing take her?”

            “No clue. My best guess is that she was the first person it saw.”

            “What’s it been doing to her, exactly?”

            “It’s usin’ her like some sort of mouthpiece. It…talks to us through her.” Kieran felt his skin crawl recalling that uncanny voice. Iiya…not yet.

            Drayton’s eyes flickered with silent anger. “Any clue how we beat it?”

            “In a battle, I reckon.” Kieran sat the cloth in his lap. “It keeps usin’ people like shields, though. We’re gonna have to go through the whole town before we get a chance to fight it.”

            “Then we’ll keep fighting until we get there.” Drayton stretched and rolled his shoulders. “I could use a little exercise after that plane ride.”

            “You want to exercise?” Kieran couldn’t believe his ears. “Who are you, and what have you done with Drayton?”

            Drayton grinned slyly. “Kicking ass counts as a workout, right?”

            Kieran laughed. “Yeah, I guess it does.”

            The sound of a door opening and shutting made the boys freeze. The sound of footsteps from the kitchen made them spring to their feet, Pokeballs drawn and expressions tense. They listened as the intruder moved closer.

            Unexpectedly, the invader spoke.

            “Hideko, where have you gone off to now?”

            Kieran returned Hydrapple’s Pokeball to his belt. He’d know that voice anywhere. “Grandpa?”

            Yukito stepped forward into the living room. Mud and grass caked his shoes and pants, and a twig stuck out from his hair. “Kieran?”

            Relieved, Kieran ran to his grandfather and wrapped him in a hug. “You’re safe! I thought that thing got you for sure!”

            Yukito patted his grandson’s back. “I got lucky, but I’m not so sure about your grandmother.”

            “What happened to her?” Kieran asked worriedly.

            “I’m not exactly sure.” Yukito crossed his arms. “I was in my shop workin’ on the ceremonial mask for this year’s festival. I got finished up earlier than I thought, so I thought I’d go in and grab a snack. I knew somethin’ was wrong when I stepped outside and saw the back door was wide open. I caught sight of her walkin’ off into the woods and I ran off after her. I lost track of her quick though – it’s like she disappeared into thin air. I’ve been all over those woods lookin’ for her for hours.”

            Drayton and Kieran exchanged worried glances. That didn’t bode well at all.

            Drayton stepped forward. “Mr. Koshou, you didn’t happen to see Carmine while you were out, did you?”

            Yukito shook his head. “No. I haven’t see a soul. The whole town has up and left, it seems.”

            Kieran’s shoulders slumped. “Aw man...”

            “Now what do we do?” Drayton asked. “The longer we sit here, the longer that thing has control of her. Who knows what it’s up to now…”

            A soft voice interrupted their conversation.

            “We need to get moving.”

            The men turned to see Julie sitting up. She was dazed, but functional now, at least. She rubbed at her eyes. The last thing she remembered was blacking out after Penny and Arven walked away. Somehow they’d ended up back at Kieran’s grandparents house.

            How long have I been asleep? Where did all those people go? Are Arven and Penny ok? And where’s Nemona? Why didn’t they snap out of it when we won?         

            She pulled the quilt up around her shoulders. Her head was spinning with thoughts, but she didn’t have the energy to articulate them.

            Kieran ran to her side. “Julie! You’re up!” He knelt down beside her. “How are you feeling?”

            She shrugged. “I’m here.”

            “You’re the last person who needs to talk about getting moving,” Drayton said firmly. “You need to rest.”

            “I’m fine, I promise,” Julie said quickly. “I…I guess the jet lag caught up with me back there, that’s all.”

            Kieran placed his hand atop hers. He knew she was lying, but he knew better than to challenge her. That was a fight he was bound to lose. “If you need a few more minutes, you can rest a little longer.”

            “No.” A determined spark flickered in her eyes. “I want to take that thing down before it hurts anybody else.”

            Yukito knew that look in Julie’s eyes all too well. He’d seen it firsthand in the early days of his and Hideko’s relationship. He’d made the mistake of underestimating her in a battle exactly once. In the fifty years since, he’d been sure to never make that mistake again.

            He patted Drayton’s shoulder. “Help me with the tea and snacks, won’t you, Drayton? I think we have some things to discuss.”

            Yukito led the young man into the kitchen, sparing a glance towards his grandson and the young lady from Paldea. He knew the look in Kieran’s eyes quite well, too. He’d given Hideko that same look many times in their long marriage, especially when she got herself worked up over ornery tourists. Judging by the girl’s smile, she didn’t mind the attention one bit.

            He smiled. Kieran had done a lot of growing up since the summertime.

**

            For the second time this month, Kieran found himself on the losing side of a battle with Julie.

            “But really, we don’t have to go right now.“

            “Yes we do. We need to go after Pecharunt before it gets us.”

            “But Julie-“

            “If we wait, who knows what it might do?”

            “But-“

            “But nothing.” She squeezed Kieran’s hands gently and smiled. “I’m fine, Kieran, really. I feel a lot better now. Don’t worry about me, ok?”

            He winced. “Alright. I believe you.”

            Now it was Julie’s turn to be concerned. “Did I hurt you?”

            He waved off her concern. “Nonono, you didn’t do anythin’ wrong. I’m fine.”

            Julie reached for Kieran’s right hand. A large bruise covered the center of his palm. Judging by the yellowing edges of the injury, it was at least a week old.

            She frowned. “What happened to you?”

            Kieran averted his eyes. “W-well… y’know when we were down in Area Zero? When the Masterball exploded, it hurt my hand pretty badly. It’s a lot better now, though.”

            Julie looked alarmed. “You didn’t tell me that!”

            “I didn’t want you to worry!” he protested.

            “Well, I’m worried now, aren’t I?!”

            Kieran faltered. “Well, yeah, but-“

            “But nothing!” She inspected the bruise with a frown. “You need to put some ice on this before we go back out there.”

            “Julie, I’m fine, I promise-“

            She pouted. “You’re over here telling me to slow down, why can’t I tell you the same thing?”

            “Well…I…” Kieran realized she had him there. “You’re right. I’ll go get some in a little bit.”

            Julie’s expression softened. She hadn’t expected him to agree with her so quickly. She’d grown used to Arven’s loud whining at the mere mention of self-care that she’d expected it from Kieran, too. She was discovering that he was a much different person than her best friend. In a way, that was refreshing. It was nice not to have to fight her way through a conversation with him.

            She lowered her eyes. On the other hand, she’d probably stressed him out by reacting like that. With his sister gone and his hometown under attack, the last thing he needed was her yelling at him. He deserved an apology.

            “I guess I have no room to complain, do I?” she said quietly. She relaxed her grip on his hand. “I’m sorry.”

            Kieran smiled. “I forgive you. So, does that mean you’ll rest a little while longer, then?”

            “Yeah. And you’ll take care of your hand too?”

            He nodded. “Yes ma’am.”

            She glanced once more at the bruise on his hand. Without a second thought, she kissed the palm of his hand gently.

            Kieran’s cheeks burned furiously. His mouth opened and shut as he struggled to string together a coherent sentence. “Wh- h-hey-uh-“

            She gave him a sly smile. “There. Something to make you feel better.”

            He felt the heat spread from his face to his ears. Oh, he felt better, alright. Better than he had ever felt in his entire life. And maybe just a bit lightheaded.

            “Alright, you two,” Drayton shouted from the kitchen, “I hope you’re hungry. We’ve got plenty of snacks coming your way.”

            “Do you have any preferences for tea?” called Yukito. “I’ve got all sorts.”

            “No sir,” Kieran managed weakly. He cleared his throat, hoping no one else had heard his voice crack just now.

            “Anything is fine!” Julie said brightly. She folded her hands in her lap and smiled.

            All of a sudden, she was feeling a lot more confident.

**

            Yukito sat his cup of tea on the living room table. “Alright. So from what you’re tellin’ me, the Pokemon from the stories is very much alive?”

            “Yes sir,” Kieran said.

            “And this creature has kidnapped your friends, my wife and granddaughter, and the entire town?”

            “Yes sir,” confirmed Julie.

            “And if I’m understandin’ you, the only way to free them is to defeat it in battle?”

            Drayton nodded. “Yes sir.”

            Yukito’s expression was stern. “So, what I’m hearin’ is that the three of you want me to go with you out in the woods in the middle of the night to chase after this thing and fight the entire town in the process?”

            The trio bowed their heads with embarrassment. It sounded a little reckless when he put it that way.

            Yukito crossed his arms, staring down at his cup in silence. Finally, he smiled. “That’s a worthy cause if I’ve ever heard it. I’m happy to help you however I can. I’ll gather my team and we can all head out together.”

            The children let out a collective sigh of relief.

            “Thank you, Grandpa,” Kieran said. “You’re the best.”

            “You’re most welcome.” Yukito took another sip of his tea. “I have to admit, I would have never guessed that Momowarou was real, much less still alive.”

            “Momowarou?” Julie asked. “Is that what that Pokemon is called?”

            “Sometimes. It’s one of its earliest names from the myths.” Yukito counted off on his fingers. “Its other names are the Poison Puppeteer, the Trickster, or the Pecharunt.”

            Drayton snorted. “I like that last one. It suits it.”

            “Yeah,” agreed Kieran. “It looks like a rotten old Pecha Berry up close.”

            “In any case, it’s an absolute menace.” Yukito’s expression turned serious. “Don’t underestimate it. You’ve seen what it can do to your friends. We have to stay alert. If we all stay together, we ought to stand a chance of defeating it. No wandering off and no splitting up. Do you understand?”

            The children nodded. “Yes sir.”

            The quartet planned their next steps over onigiri and piping hot tea. By the time the clock struck eleven, they had formed their plan of attack. By eleven thirty, they set out for the shrine with restored energy and renewed determination.

            The creature called Pecharunt surveyed its army. It had assembled quite the force tonight – fifty or so fighters in all. One in particular had deemed herself worthy to be called its champion. He’d stationed her before the graves of its fallen comrades from days gone by. She would fell the humans who dared to challenge her, much like its loyal companions had done so long ago. Then the fun could truly begin.

            Pecharunt waved its hands, and Nemona’s body sprang to life. She danced before the grave of the Loyal Three, arms flailing ungracefully to and fro.

            It laughed. Humans were such amusing toys.

Chapter Text

            The full moon loomed over the silent town, left abandoned and frozen in time. The doors to several homes stood open, awaiting the return of their residents. Lights flickered from within, illuminating empty rooms filled with forgotten items.        Julie peered into the doorway of a home as she passed by. She could see a low table and cushions, as well a few magazines strewn about on the floor. An empty plate lay atop the table. The cup beside it had been tipped over, its contents forming a dark brown puddle beneath the table. She could hear the radio softly playing a song she didn’t recognize. A shiver shot down her spine. It felt like peeking into a haunted house. She walked quickly to catch up with Kieran, Drayton, and Yukito. The sooner they could break the curse upon this town, the better.

            The search party had decided their best bet would be to head for Kitakami Hall first. Pecharunt had led whole town in that direction, and with good reason. The hall was the largest gathering place in the region, and the most logical place Pecharunt would gather its minions. Carmine, Hideko, and Julie’s Paldean friends had to be among the mind-controlled horde. It wouldn’t be easy to break the spell, but they were determined to find a way.

            Their next stop would be Loyalty Plaza. It was a long walk from the hall, but it would be a fitting place for a showdown. Pecharunt’s companions – once known as the Loyal Three – had been buried there long ago. Their graves stood empty now; Kieran had unwittingly set in motion their resurrection by punching their headstone last summer in a fit of misguided rage. Now that Pecharunt had been awakened, they supposed that the Lousy Three would be eager to reunite with their old master. If they thought Pecharunt was a menace by itself, the four of them together would be a nightmare. But with everyone reunited, they’d be all but guaranteed a victory.

            Kieran grimaced at the memory of that awful day. There were still moments when the knuckles of his right hand ached from punching that concrete slab. Grandma had always told him that jumping to conclusions would get him into trouble. It turned out that she’d been right all along.

            Kieran looked up at the moon wistfully. He would have saved everyone a lot of trouble if he’d just stopped to talk things out with Julie back then. He’d been stupid to think she would have lied to him on purpose. Well, to want to lie to him, anyway – Sis had really put pressure on Julie that day to keep Ogerpon a secret. If Julie had had her way, none of the heartache from the past year would have ever happened.

            Sometimes he wondered how things would have played out between them if they’d never had their misunderstanding. What would have happened if Julie had refused to lie, or if he had chosen to trust her? Maybe he would have asked her out like he’d planned to that night, and perhaps they’d have met Ogerpon together.

            He sulked. In another world, he and Julie would be on a date at the Academy now instead of hunting down a creepy Pokemon in the Kitakami backwoods.

            …Or would they?

            He shoved his hands in his pockets and thought about it some more. If he and Julie had never had their falling-out, he would have never found the drive to test the limits of his strength. He would have never pushed his body to its limits, sure, but he would have never become Champion, either. He was proud of his title, even if he wasn’t proud of how he’d earned it. It would take some time to make things right, but he was determined to be a better person and Champion for as long as he held the title.

            And he wouldn’t take back the confidence he’d gained, either. He carried himself with his head held high now instead of bowing down to petty bullies. He never wanted to go back to being that guy who got shoved into lockers and shunned for being different. At his core, he was still himself; he still loved kaiju movies and spy stories, and he loved his Pokemon with his whole heart. And yet, he’d become someone different since last summer – someone who knew his own strength, and knew how to use it now to help instead of hurt. He was someone he could finally be proud of, and he got the feeling Julie was proud of him, too.

            He smiled. Maybe some things were just meant to happen.

            “Hey Kieran?”

            He jumped in surprise. “Y-yeah, Julie?”

            She tilted her head in curiosity. “You ok? You’ve been standing there for a while now.”

            Kieran looked up, realizing how far ahead his grandfather and Drayton were on the path. They were nearly to the first bend of Reveler’s Road, and he was still standing on the bridge over the river.

            He fidgeted with a lock of his hair. “Oh, uh, y’know… just thinkin’ about everythin’ we’ve got to do tonight, that’s all.”

            She smiled. “Mind if I walk with you?”

            “Not at all!” He grinned. “I’d like that a whole lot.”

            He took her hand, and they crossed the bridge out of Mossui Town together.

            Kieran realized there had been another benefit from going through this journey with Julie: he knew for certain that she liked him back. That alone made all the insanity they’d gone through in Area Zero worth it… almost.

            He wondered what the future might hold for the two of them. They only had a few more months of school left together before she had to return to Paldea. He wondered if she would considered coming to visit Kitakami again sometime over the summer break. He might have blown his chance of asking her out last summer at the festival, but there was always this summer.

            A swarm of nervous Butterfree stirred in his stomach at the thought. That might be rushing it. If he confessed too soon, he might make a fool of himself. He’d be better off trying again next summer, after they’d had more time to get to know each other.

            If he added it up, Kieran realized they’d only spent about two weeks together in total. That wasn’t much time at all. Wouldn’t it be smart to take the time to get to know each other better before committing to a serious relationship?

            He wasn’t scared, noooo, not at all. He was just being cautious, that was all. He needed time to put his plan into motion. He knew better than to go into battle – or a relationship – without a strategy.

            His plan was simple: he’d send her letters during the school year, set up a couple of dates over the holiday breaks, and then plan a summer meetup in Kitakami right around the time of the Mask Festival. Then, with months of secure communication and confidence under his belt, he’d ask her out properly during the fireworks show at the Mask Festival.

            He wondered what Julie would be like two years from now. She’d more beautiful than ever, he was sure of that. As for himself, he hoped he’d be more mature by the time he turned sixteen. Hopefully by then he’d hit a growth spurt, too. He couldn’t stay short forever, right?

            He stole a glance at the beautiful girl walking beside him.

            Next summer, then. His anxiety had turned into excitement. He could hardly wait.

            Julie looked up at the vast expanse of starry sky. In spite of the horrors they’d faced tonight, it was a beautiful night for a walk. “The moon is really pretty tonight, isn’t it?”

            Kieran nodded. “Sure is. Kinda makes you forget about all the bad stuff for a while.”

            “Yeah.” Julie tried not to think about how her world had been turned upside down this evening. The lead weight in her stomach returned at the memory of Penny and Arven walking away. And scarier still, where on earth was Nemona? Where had that thing taken them, and why?

            No, she scolded herself, blinking back tears. Now’s not the time to worry. I need to stay calm. I can’t spiral out. I won’t be any help to anyone if I’m lost in my head again. I need a distraction.

            A thought occurred to her, one that was far more pleasant. She stopped and turned to face the boy beside her, an excited gleam in her eyes.

            “Kieran, can you teach me some words in Kantonian?”

            He stared at her, taken aback by the sudden request. “Uh… yeah, sure I guess? What do you want to know?”

            She looked around, and then upwards. She pointed at the sky. “How do you say ‘the moon is pretty tonight’?”

            The words left Kieran’s mouth before he could think twice about their meaning. “Tsuki ga kirei desu ne.”

            He froze, stunned by his own boldness. On the surface, her request was innocent. Julie had asked him a simple question and he’d answered it, but it meant so much more than that. That phrase had a very important double meaning.

            A few summers ago, he’d been utterly befuddled on why a character in one of Carmine’s manga would be flustered by her guy friend talking about the moon. His sister explained to him how that, in the right context, the phrase could also be a confession of love. She’d told him a story about a poet who corrected his pupil when translating ‘I love you’ from Galarian to into a phrase more palatable to Kantonian culture.

            Subtlety is everything! Carmine had exclaimed. Isn’t it romantic?

            He’d rolled his eyes at the time and concluded that his sister was delusional.

            But now he knew she had been right all along.

            I did it. Giddy happiness flooded Kieran’s body. I actually did it! I told her how I feel, and I didn’t even stutter once!

            Julie’s curious expression brought upon a second realization. His excitement dwindled down to embers.

            … But she doesn’t know that.

            Julie smiled. “Oh, that sounds pretty. Can I try saying it back to you?”

            “Oh! S-sure.” He shoved his hands in his pockets. “Go right ahead.”

            She enunciated every syllable with care. “Tsu-ki ga ki-rei de-su ne. Is that right?”

            Oh, she’d said it correctly, alright. He was too stunned to speak. Even in halting Kantonian, the phrase still carried the same weight.

            Julie hoped she hadn’t butchered Kieran’s native language too badly. His expression made her wonder, though; he looked a bit shocked.

            Oh no, she thought uneasily. I hope I didn’t swear at him by accident or something.

            “How’d I do?” she asked hesitantly. “Did I mess it up?”

            “Nonono, you did great!” Kieran assured her. He gave her two thumbs up for good measure. “Really great!”

            She grinned. “Thank you! I’ll have to practice that one some more. Maybe we can practice together when we get back to school.”

            Wowzers, he thought. That sounded wonderful. He felt lighter than air. Waiting be damned, he had to come up with a way to tell her how he felt before she went home for the summer. But how was he going to confess if he couldn’t work up the nerve to say it in a language she understood?

            He considered the upcoming trade day at the end of the semester. Maybe he wouldn’t have to use words at all. An idea began to form.

            Julie waved a hand in front of his face. “Kieran? You in there?” He must be getting tired. It was getting pretty late, after all.

            Kieran shook his head and collected himself. “Oh uh, sorry…” He gave her what he hoped was a winning smile. “But uh, sure! I look forward to helpin’ you practice.”

            A voice rang out from the edge of the forest.

            “Hurry up, you two! We need to stick together!”

            Another voice followed it.

            “You can kiss later, we’ve got ass to kick!”

            A grunt of pain ended this statement abruptly, followed by a stern reprimand in Kantonian. The second voice had one last thing to say.

            “Sorry…”

            Kieran laughed. Drayton was lucky that his grandpa didn’t have a bar of soap handy. Yukito Koshou didn’t take kindly to people swearing in his presence, not even his own grandchildren. After a particularly nasty fight with Carmine, Kieran had made the mistake of calling his sister a choice word while his grandfather was in the room. Even five years later, the memory of that bitter pine-sap soap was sharp in his mind.

            Julie turned to face the woods before them. “I guess that’s our cue to get moving, huh?”

            “Guess so.” He took her hand in hers and squeezed it gently. “Ready to go?”

            She nodded. “Yep. Let’s get our friends back.”

            The four travelers reunited, and together they began their trek into the woods.

**

            Yukito knew every road and pathway in Kitakami like the back of his hand. He’d been born and raised here, just like every member of the Koshou family since time immemorial. In his childhood, he’d done his fair share of exploring around Oni Mountain and Timeless Woods. Over the years, he’d made his own maps of the area from memory. His grandson could vouch for their accuracy; before he’d learn to orienteer, Kieran had borrowed them to avoid getting lost on his adventures up Oni Mountain. Yukito Koshou could confidently say there wasn’t a trail in Kitakami that he hadn’t hiked.

            But he’d never walked Reveler’s Road in silence before.

            The quiet felt unnatural to him. At this hour, there should have been flocks Hoothoot calling to each other from the treetops. There should be Volbeat and Illumise fluttering in circles above the tall grass, flickering their lights at each other in rituals of courtship. He’d seen these sights for himself countless times on his late-night walks when insomnia got the better of him.

            But there was nothing but stillness tonight. The forest itself felt dead. Yukito shivered. The silence made his skin crawl.

            “Grandpa?”

            Yukito turned to face his grandson. “Yes?”

            Kieran’s brow was furrowed with worry. “Do you think Grandma and Carmine are ok?”

            “I know so.” He smiled reassuringly. “They’re tough ladies. I don’t think Pecharunt will stand much of a chance against them.”

            “Yeah, they’re gonna be just fine.” Drayton patted Kieran on the back. “Knowing them, they’ve probably beaten that thing to a pulp already.”

            “Yeah, probably.” Kieran forced himself to smile. He’d like to think that they could break free of that thing’s influence on their own, but he knew better.

            “Try not to worry, ok?” Julie reached for his hand. “We’ll find them and save them. With all of us together, they’ll be back to normal in no time.”

            Maybe it was too soon to hope, but her words soothed his anxious mind for the moment. “Yeah, you’re right.”

            From a few steps behind them, a twig snapped.

            The quartet spun to face the source of the sound.

            An elderly woman stood alone in the center of the path. Loose strands of hair had sprung forth from her once neat bun. Her expression was blank, and she stared unblinkingly ahead at them. Her eyes glowed an unnatural shade of purple.

            Yukito recognized her at once.

            “HIDEKO!!!”

            But the woman didn’t react.

            Yukito stepped forward. “Hie, daijobu?”

            She tilted her head, as if debating how to answer his question. Still, she remained silent.    

            Kieran felt a shiver shoot down his spine. This was exactly how Carmine had acted when she’d first gotten possessed.

            “Hideko, what’s wrong?” Yukito pleaded. “Where have you been?”

            Drayton felt uneasy. “Sir, I don’t think she can hear you.”

            Yukito frowned. “Why do you say that?”

            “Pecharunt is controlling her,” Julie explained. She reached for her Meowscarada’s Pokeball. “She won’t be interested in talking.”

            Hideko reached for a Pokeball from her belt. She held out her arm towards the four of them and spoke for the first time.

            “Fight…me.”

            Kieran felt red-hot rage shoot through his veins. This Pecharunt thing had the nerve to not only possess his sister, but play puppet-master with his grandma too?! He wasn’t going to stand around and let that happen. He took a step forward, his Hydrapple’s Pokeball drawn and ready.

            Yukito put his arm in front of his grandson, blocking him from moving any further.

            “Grandpa, let me fight!” Kieran protested. “That thing’s messin’ with Grandma!”

            “No,” Yukito said flatly.

            “Why?!”

            Yukito’s expression was stern. “This is not your fight.”

            Kieran frowned. “But-“

            “But nothin’. Stand down.”

            Kieran watched as his grandfather walked toward his grandmother. Now this was a sight to see. As far as he knew, his grandfather wasn’t much of a battler. He’d seen his grandparents team up during festival battles before, and his grandpa’s Pokemon always played support to his grandma’s team. He couldn’t possibly think he had a chance of defeating her alone, especially if her team had been given an advantage from that weird mochi.

            …But evidently, he did.

            Yukito paused, and then withdrew a Pokeball from his belt. He mirrored his wife’s stance, extending the Pokeball outward towards her.

            Kieran’s eyes widened. “Grandpa, wait-!”

            “You three go ahead,” Yukito said calmly. “I’ll catch up once we’re done here.”

            “But sir,” Drayton objected, “You told us not to split up.”

            “I know what I said, son.” Yukito’s eyes never left Hideko. “But I can’t leave her here like this.”

            “Let us help you!” Julie shouted.

            Yukito shook his head. “No need for that. At the very least, I can keep her occupied long enough for you to make a run for it.”

            Kieran couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “But Grandpa-“

            “You heard what I said.” Yukito looked over his shoulder and smiled. “I’ll be fine, Kieran. Don’t worry. Go find Carmine and save your friends.”        

            Kieran was rooted to the spot. He felt Julie’s hand grab his own.

            “We need to go,” she said softly.

            Drayton patted Kieran’s shoulder. “She’s right. We need to find Carmine, and fast.”

            Kieran let himself be tugged further up the path, but his eyes never left his grandparents. His grandmother had sent out her Chandelure, and his grandfather sent out his Arbok. He felt his stomach drop. This was a fight that his grandpa was bound to lose.

            “Kieran, come on!” shouted Drayton.

            He forced himself to face forward and took off at a sprint. There was nothing more he could do but forge ahead.

            The old man smiled, a glint of mischief in his eyes. “If you want a fight, dear, let’s make it a fair one.”

            The old woman grinned back. It was a poor parody of Hideko’s true smile, in Yukito’s opinion. He’d known the real thing for going on fifty years now, and this was a cheap imitation. He’d have some words for the Pecharunt when he saw it face to face.

            He glanced at his Arbok. “Well Ube, shall we get started?”

            The old snake flicked his tongue at his opponent. The living chandelier stoked the flames atop its head and arms.

            Yukito rolled his shoulders. Perhaps he could break his losing streak against his wife tonight.

            “Alright then. Let’s begin.”

**        

            Drayton was beginning to lose his patience. He’d spent the better part of a day on an airplane, barely slept or ate, and then discovered upon landing that his girlfriend had been kidnapped by an ancient evil Pokemon. Today was not his day.

            He paused to catch his breath at the foot of the staircase leading to the hall. Once this insanity was over, he was determined to sleep for a day straight. He wiped the sweat from his brow and sighed heavily.

            “So,” he panted, “can I call dibs on kicking this thing into next week?”

            “Me first,” said Kieran. He’d never believed there was such a thing as a bad Pokemon, but Pecharunt was quickly becoming the exception.

            Drayton held out his fist to his friend. “I’ll rock-paper-scissors you for it.”

            Kieran returned the gesture with a smirk “It’s jan-ken-pon around here.”

            Drayton laughed. “Yeah, whatever, I’m still winning.”

            But before the boys could decide who would punt Pecharunt first, Julie spotted their next threat. She pointed up at the red gate at the top of the stairs.

            “Look who’s here.”

            A tall figure stood beneath the torii gate, illuminated by the light of the full moon. Her wild hair had broken free from her yellow headband. Flyaway strands stood up from her head at all angles. She glared down her nose at them from the top of the hill. Her eyes glowed an eerie shade of magenta.

            Drayton stood up, surprised to see Carmine in such a disheveled state. She prided herself on her appearance; she wouldn’t be caught dead with her hair unbrushed like that.

            “Carmine?” he called.

            She turned her head at the sound of his voice. Drayton felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up. This wasn’t like her at all.

            “Is this what she’s been like since you called me?” Drayton asked Kieran.

            Kieran nodded. “Yeah.”

            Drayton narrowed his eyes. His grudge with that rotten Pecha Berry just got personal.

            He took a step up the staircase. Carmine took a step down. He took Archaludon’s Pokeball from his belt, and she took Sinistcha’s from her pocket.

            Kieran felt dread seep into his bones. He already knew what was about to happen.

            “Drayton…” he said slowly.

            “Yep?”

            “She’s not gonna hold back, y’know.”

            His eyes locked on to hers. “I know.”

            “Be careful,” Julie warned him. “You saw what happened with Penny and Arven.”

            “Will do.” Drayton took another step forward. Carmine mirrored his actions. “You guys go on ahead. I’ve got this handled.”

            Julie and Kieran ran up the steps past Drayton and Carmine. Kieran tried his best not to stare at his sister as he ran past her. He hated seeing her like this. The sooner that creature’s spell on her was broken, the better.

            The pair ran off towards Kitakami Hall.

            Drayton grinned flirtatiously. “Hello, beautiful.”

            It may have been a trick of the moonlight, but he swore he saw Carmine smile.

            He tossed Archaludon’s Pokeball into the air and caught it. “How about this: the loser makes dinner for the winner. And you know I can’t cook.”

            She didn’t respond. Instead, she tossed her Sinistcha’s Pokeball onto the steps below and released her strongest Pokemon. Drayton felt that eerie feeling creep up his back at the sight of his girlfriend’s ace – its eyes glowed that same sick shade of purple.

            He threw Archaludon’s Pokeball onto the steps before him. The electric dragon roared loud enough to shake the branches on the trees around them. Carmine and Sinistcha didn’t flinch.

            He grinned. He was determined to win. It had been a long time since Carmine had made him kuzumochi.

            **

            Kitakami Hall was just ahead of them now. Orange flames lit the lanterns around the plaza and temple space. If Julie didn’t know better, she’d guess there was a festival event in progress. There were even crowds of locals standing around, as if waiting for the food stalls and games to open. But tonight, the stalls were all empty, and the attendees stood still as statues.

            Julie scanned the crowd for familiar faces. “Do you see them?”

            Kieran shook his head. “Nuh uh.”

            Julie took a step forward to get a better look. The twig under her foot snapped in half with a loud crack.

            In one coordinated motion, the entire population of Mossui Town looked in the direction of the newcomers.

            “Looks like they’re throwin’ us a party,” Kieran muttered. He took his Hydrapple’s Pokeball from his belt, already planning his strategy.

            Julie took Clover’s Pokeball from her belt and gripped it tightly.

            “Let’s go crash it.”

            **

Chapter Text

            Julie wiped the sweat from her face. She’d fought in her fair share of double battles at the academy, but this was a new record. She’d lost count after the twentieth matchup – the challengers seemed nearly endless. But finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the onslaught stopped. The last pair of trainers stepped away from Julie and Kieran, rejoining the horde of brainwashed townsfolk.

            The crowd watched the children in silence, unmoving and unblinking.

            Julie returned Clover’s Pokeball to her belt. “Think that’s the last of them?”

            Kieran surveyed the crowd surrounding them. “Looks like it. No one’s comin’ back for more.”

            “You didn’t see any of the others, did you?”

            Kieran shook his head. “Nope. Did you?”

            “No.” Julie sighed tiredly. “We better get going. We’ve wasted enough time here. It’s gonna take awhile to get to Loyalty Plaza.”

            The crowd snapped to attention. Those words had caught their collective attention. Their master’s command echoed in their hollow minds: keep the intruders away from Loyalty Plaza. It was their sole directive, and they were prepared to enforce it by any means necessary.

            The purple glow in their eyes intensified. In perfect unison, every person in the crowd held out a Pokeball towards the battle-worn couple.           

            Julie groaned in frustration. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

            Kieran had had enough. He took a Pokeball from his belt. “We’re not stickin’ around for round two.”

            He tossed the capsule in the air. The ball opened to release a brilliant flash of light. The light faded to reveal Kieran’s Dragonite, looking cheerful as ever. The battle marathon had done little to diminish his spirits.

            Kieran climbed onto his Pokemon’s back and extended his hand to Julie. “C’mon, we’re gettin’ out of here!”

            She took his hand, climbed onto Dragonite’s back, and put her arms around Kieran’s waist. The Pokemon flapped his wings, and within seconds they were airborne.

            “Dragonite, take us to Loyalty Plaza!” shouted Kieran. “And quick!”

            With a roar that shook the branches of the trees, Dragonite took off.

**

            From the ground, Drayton and Yukito could see Kieran’s Dragonite shoot across the sky like a comet.

            Drayton smiled. That rotten old fruit didn’t know what was coming for it.

            Yukito sighed in relief. Those two would ensure their mission was successful.

            With their minds put at ease, they turned their attention back to the tasks at hand.

            Their battles raged on.

**

            The night air whipped against Kieran’s face as he and Julie flew westward. On any other night, he would have appreciated how beautiful the stars were in the cloudless sky. This was ideal stargazing weather. Maybe once all this was over, he’d suggest a late night outing to Julie, just the two of them. That’d be a welcome change from the chaos, for sure. But for now, he was focused on a singular goal: finding that Arceus-forsaken Pecharunt.

            “You ok?” he called, yelling against the wind. He hoped she could hear him.

            “I’m fine!” Julie shouted back. She was thankful she was wearing S’s – no, Kieran’s jacket. It was much colder up here than on the ground.

            “Good.” He squinted against the wind. He could see Apple Hills just ahead. “We should be at the plaza in a little bit.”

            “Great.” Julie relaxed into Kieran’s back. She could breathe a little easier now. They were getting closer to their goal every second.

            It was then that Kieran realized exactly how close they were. He was keenly aware now of the warmth of her body against his. The sensation of her arms around him made the air stall in his lungs. The hugs they’d shared were nice, but this felt… intimate. A little overwhelming, even. But in a good way.

            In his euphoric state, he barely noticed his body leaning leftward, steering his Pokemon off course towards the bus stop.

            Dragonite lowed in protest. This wasn’t the way to Loyalty Plaza.

            Julie sat up. “Hey Kieran, the plaza’s on the right, isn’t it?”

            Kieran felt his face burn. He was thankful Julie was sitting behind him. “Y-yeah, uh, thanks. I was gettin’ a little sleepy there.”

            “Happy to help!” Julie said brightly. A nap sounded nice. Maybe later, once all this craziness had been resolved. The idea of snuggling up together sounded nice; it’d be like their sleepover in the clubroom all over again.

            She rested her head against his back. It had been so comforting to have him by her side. She’d slept soundly that night for the first time since fleeing Galar. It had been so nice to fall asleep holding his hand; knowing someone she trusted was right there beside her had put her mind at ease.

            She yawned. This adventure was taking its toll on her. Maybe they could cozy up again tonight and fall asleep after counting the stars.

            That would be nice, she thought. I’ve missed him so much.

            The idea of falling asleep in his arms sounded wonderful. And maybe even a kiss goodnight.

            Julie felt her cheeks catch fire. That was a bold thought, even by her standards. She buried her face in the back of Kieran’s shirt. There would be time to daydream later. They had friends to save and a Pecharunt to beat.

            In a matter of minutes, Kieran and Julie could see their destination up ahead. Loyalty Plaza sat at the center of a clearing in the forest. At the center of the clearing, a bonfire flickered. Smoke billowed up from the flames, sending an inky pillar of smoke into the sky.

            “I think we found ‘em,” muttered Kieran. He could see tiny shapes moving around the fire. That had to be their missing friends.

            “I think they want to be found,” Julie said. At best, that fire was a beacon. At worst, it was a taunt.

            Kieran steered Dragonite downward. There was a field not far from the plaza where they could heal up and prepare for the battle ahead. He had a feeling they’d need all the strength they could muster to break the hold that creature had over the town. Pecharunt wouldn’t let their friends go easily.

            Dragonite fluttered his wings to soften his landing, throwing dirt and flower petals into the air. It landed gracefully on its feet, careful not to jostle the human on his back.

            Kieran gave his Pokemon an affectionate pat on the head. “Thanks for gettin’ us here so quickly, bud. We appreciate it.”

            Dragonite growled happily and wagged his tail. He was happy to be of service.

            The two trainers jumped off of the Pokemon’s back. They took a moment to survey the area for threats. There were flowers as far as the eye could see, but no people or Pokemon. They were far enough away from the plaza to remain undetected for now. The scent of burning wood on the wind blended with the delicate scent of wildflowers. No movement came from the distant treeline. As best as they could tell, they were alone.

            “All clear,” said Kieran quietly. “We better get sorted out before we go marchin’ into battle.”

            Julie dug around in her bag for her Max Potions. “I packed plenty of supplies if you need any.”

            Kieran held up a Max Potion of his own. “Same here. Happy to share.”

            They healed their teams in silence. Thoughts of the battle ahead filled their minds. What sort of fight were they about to walk into? Would it be a fair one? And if not, how far would they be willing to go to win?

            Julie returned her last teammate to her Pokeball. She felt confident in their strategy, but they needed a backup plan. They were strong together, but if something bad happened, could she or Kieran take on Pecharunt alone? As Champion-ranked trainers, she supposed it would be easy enough, but if this thing had taken over an entire town, it might pose a greater threat than any of their previous opponents.

            A dark thought crossed her mind: what if Kieran turned against her? She could all but see him staring her down, his golden eyes glowing an angry hue of magenta. Could she defeat him if he became Pecharunt’s puppet? Her mind said yes, but her heart hesitated. She could win; she’d won against him several times now. But how well could she focus on battling if the guy she loved was being controlled against his will? If she won, he’d be free, but if she lost…

            Julie shivered. She didn’t want to think about that possibility. They would get through this together, she was sure of it. There was no way in the Distortion World that thing would take control of him.

            Pecharunt would have to get through her before she ever let that happen.

            Kieran had just returned his Hydrapple to his Pokeball when Julie asked him a question.

            “Hey Kieran?”

            “Yeah?”

            “If Pecharunt gets me, promise me you won’t hold back, ok?”

            Kieran stared at her in shock. “Julie-“

            “I mean it. If it gets me, take me down. Do whatever it takes to make sure everybody is ok.”

            Kieran shook his head. “Julie, that’s not gonna happen, I promise.”

            Julie smiled serenely. “Maybe. Probably. I have faith in us.”

            “So why are you sayin’ all this?” Kieran’s voice wavered ever so slightly.

            “It never hurts to be prepared.” Her smile faded. “So if it happens, I want you to know-“

            “NO!”

            Julie stepped back, startled by his sudden outburst. “Kieran-“

            “NO!” he shouted again. He put his hands on either side of his head to stop the world from spinning. “I don’t wanna think about that! It’s not gonna happen, ok?! I won’t let it. I’ll make sure of it. Besides, I…I can’t do this all alone.” His voice wavered as his eyes filled with tears. “I don’t wanna lose you, too. Everybody else is gone. I don’t… I can’t-“ He rubbed at the tears now rolling down his cheeks. “I can’t do this without you.”

            Kieran squeezed his eyes shut and clenched his fists. The thought of Julie being controlled by that evil thing made his stomach lurch. He’d be doomed if she fell under Pecharunt’s spell. She’d beat him into the dirt in thirty seconds flat with her superpowered team. She’d glare down at him with cold eyes tinted purple, and the others would descend upon him like a flock of Mandibuzz.

            He felt his breath hitch in his throat.

            No, nonononono, I can’t do it, Ican’tdoitIcan’tdoitalone-

            Julie bowed her head. It wasn’t often she said the wrong thing at the wrong time, but she recognized a mistake when she saw it. Before they ever set foot in Loyalty Plaza, she had to make things right.

            She walked up to him and took his hands in hers.

            “I’m sorry for stressing you out, Kieran. I wasn’t thinking… we’ve been through enough for one night. We don’t need to think about the worst-case scenario right now. You’re right, we’re better together. It’s smarter if we focus on sticking together. We’ve got the best chance of defeating Pecharunt if we work as a team.”

            He took in a shaky breath and nodded. The fog in his mind was beginning to clear. Words were hard right now, but at least he could move.

            Julie tucked a loose strand of hair behind his ear. “I think it’d be smart to take a rest before we fight Pecharunt. What do you think?”

            He nodded.

            “Do you mind if I hug you?”

            He shook his head.

            Julie held him close, her hands resting gently against his back. Kieran hugged her tightly, burying his face in her shoulder. The world around them was silent and still. They were alone, but not lonely. For one brief moment, the weight of the world lifted off their shoulders.

            Finally, he spoke.

            “I don’t wanna lose you, too.”

            Julie rested her cheek against his. “You won’t.”

            He leaned into her warmth. “I promise it won’t get you either. I’ll do my best to protect you, ok?”

            She smiled, relaxing into his touch. “Ok.”

            They held onto each other a few moments longer. In happier circumstances, they would have lingered much longer here, perhaps until morning.

            But as much as they wished to stay, their duty called. They began the trek towards their destination, walking hand-in-hand down the moonlit path.

**

            The sound of footsteps drew Pecharunt’s attention towards the entrance to the plaza. A boy and a girl walked up the steps and toward the ceremonial bonfire. They seemed surprised to see the crowd that had gathered to celebrate their arrival.

            Munkidori shrieked from his perch atop the monument. Fezandipiti flapped his wings to fan the flames behind the gravesite. Okidogi tossed another pile of firewood onto the bonfire. The trio turned to face the newcomers. They snarled ferociously at the humans. They recognized the girl right away. The boy was unfamiliar, but if he was her companion, he was a threat.

            Nemona stared mutely ahead from her place before the shrine. The spark of life in her eyes had dulled to a purplish glow. For once in her life, she stood as still as a statue.

            “Nemona!” shouted the girl. “Nemona, can you hear us?”

            “Let her go, you freak!” shouted the boy.

            Pecharunt laughed. The chosen ones were ready for a fight. It was time to send out the champion.

            Julie and Kieran watched as Pecharunt waved its tiny hands. Nemona’s body sprang to life, jerking uncannily as the creature took control. Her hand awkwardly clutched a Pokeball from her belt. Her arm extended outward towards the pair, initiating a battle.

            Julie and Kieran moved to draw their Pokeballs. The Lousy Three sprang into action. Two against one wasn’t a fair fight. But three against one was far better odds…for them.

            The trio moved to surround the humans. There was no escaping now.

            Julie and Kieran faced their opponents back-to back.

            The battle plan was clear to Julie. “I’ll take on Nemona if you’ve got those guys.”

            Kieran nodded in agreement. “No problem.”

            The champions of Paldea and Blueberry Academy sent forth their Pokemon.

            The final battle began.

            Nemona’s Lycanroc went down easily against Clover’s Flower Bomb. Kommo-o and Goodra was no match against Goldie’s Psychic and Ice Beam. Chuchu’s Iron Tail took out Ribombee, and Sable’s Earthquake knocked out Pawmot with ease. Quaquaval made an impressive last stand, even Terastalizing to max out his power. It wasn’t enough to withstand a barrage of psychic power from Julie’s Terastalized Gardevoir. Ellie felled Nemona’s most trusted partner in a matter of minutes. Quaquaval fell to his knees and fainted amidst shards of shattered orange crystal.

            Julie returned her Gardevoir to her Pokeball. That had gone a lot smoother than she’d expected. Her last battle against Nemona back home had been harder than this. Was this really all that Pecharunt could do? If so, its show of force had a bit… underwhelming.

            She looked up at Nemona, hoping she had snapped out of her trance for good.        

            But her friend stared blankly ahead. Pecharunt floated ominously above her head, its tiny fists clenched tightly by its sides.

            Julie gripped her Pokeball tightly, preparing herself for another onslaught.

            I knew that was too easy.

            Pecharunt growled in frustration. How dare that girl! She’d defeated its champion so easily, but how? Was she truly that strong? If so, it only wanted to capture her more.

            Kieran’s Hydrapple made short work of Munkidori with a critical Syrup Bomb. Fezandipiti fainted after a single Thunder from his Dragonite. Okidogi put up a valiant effort against Dragonite, even managing to land a blow . But the overgrown brute finally fell to a well-aimed Hurricane. The Lousy Three had been soundly defeated.

            Kieran felt a sort of pride at how quickly he’d felled the legendary trio. He’d never expected to meet the foul creatures from the ancient myths in his lifetime, much less trounce them in battle. It made him feel a bit like a hero from a story, if only for a moment. He knew better than to let his guard down just yet. That Pecharunt was anything but predictable.

            Pecharunt howled in anger. Now the boy had toppled its most loyal soldiers. The audacity, the sheer audacity that this child had! How dare he fight back with such ferocity?! It made its blood boil.

            It shook its head to collect itself. This wasn’t the time to lose control. It was time to make a new plan. It studied the pair with a cold and calculated glare. Which one of these children would make a more fitting replacement for its fallen champion? There was much to consider.

            The boy was fearsome in his own right, Pecharunt concluded. Even Okidogi, the mightiest of its three servants, hadn’t stood a chance against his team. If it could control the boy, entire villages – no, cities – would be brought to their knees. The boost of energy from the toxic spell could make his team stronger, if only he could be beaten into submission. That would be a challenge, it thought, but one that could be done with the right amount of strategy. Or perhaps, coercion.

            Its gaze shifted. Oh, but the girl... The girl was a force to be reckoned with. Pecharunt was just as eager to place her under its poison spell, if not more. She had dispatched his handpicked champion with ease – it would have taken more effort to swat a Cutiefly. If she could be controlled, the army of the Toxic Chain could grow by the thousands. Millions even, with enough time. But her spirit would be even harder to break than the boy’s. It would be difficult, but not impossible. She, too, would just need the right motivation.

            Pecharunt laughed coldly. The halves of its shell began to glow an unnatural hue of purple.

            Both, it decided. Both humans would make for fine trophies.

            Kieran turned to face Julie. “All done here. How about you?”

            Julie shook her head. “Not really. Nemona’s still possessed.”

            “Aw, man.” Kieran’s shoulders slumped. “So much for breakin’ the spell.”

            Julie looked up, noticing the ominous Pokemon floating above their friend. It looked more than a little bit angry.

            “Looks like we made it mad,” Julie said.

            “Keep your guard up,” Kieran warned. “I think that thing’s ready for a fight.”

            He didn’t know how right he was.

            Pecharunt flew at them, cackling madly. It swooped down towards the children with impressive speed. It aimed the halves of its shell at the pair and fired its attack, pelting them with purple mochi.

            Julie and Kieran ducked and covered their heads. The creature had done away with all battling formalities. Now it was time for the all-out assault.

            Julie sent out her Gardevoir. “Go, Ellie, use Psybeam!”

            Kieran sent out his Incineroar. “Tama, use Darkest Lariat!”

            A brilliant beam of rainbow light flew from Ellie’s hands and connected with Pecharunt’s face. The opponent groaned wearily as the plaza began to spin in dizzying circles. Confusion settled into its mind, blurring the line between hallucination and reality.

            Tama jumped upwards, silhouetted by the full moon. He spun with acrobatic grace and aimed a punch directly at his tiny target. The punch landed with such ferocity that the Pecha-shaped Pokemon flew across the plaza. It collided with the ancient gravestone, knocking the tablet backwards into the bonfire. Embers flew outward into the gravel and into the air. The fire crackled beneath the stone a few moments longer. A heavy silence hung in the air as the trainers watched the glow faded into darkness. Their victory appeared decisive.

            Pecharunt rolled forward, tumbling onto the ground like a discarded plush toy. It faded in and out of consciousness. With the last bit of its strength, it made a decision. A sacrifice, really, but one it was willing to make. A purple aura formed around the Pokemon as it recalled a portion of its strength from its army. A wave of energy flooded its body. It was just enough to continue the fight.

            Pecharunt floated upwards, preparing yet another attack. It aimed it shell, not at the Pokemon, but the trainers.

            It cackled wickedly. Its goal was finally in sight.

**

            From the other side of Kitakami, the tides of battle began to turn.

            A pair of endless battles suddenly halted.

            Two links in the toxic chain had broken free.

            An army of soldiers marched on toward their destination.

**

Chapter Text

            The battle at Loyalty Plaza could best be described as absolute chaos.

            At the center of it stood two exhausted teenagers. Julie and Kieran had come prepared for a long fight, but they had never expected this.

            The champions alternated between healing their teams and taking on the onslaught from Pecharunt and its minions. The never-ending battle was taking its toll on them; they’d never fought opponents that could revive themselves infinitely. They weren’t sure how Pecharunt was doing it, but it seemed to be using a healing move on itself and the Lousy Three. Every time they beat the villains into submission, Pecharunt began to glow with a malevolent purple light. Within seconds, they would all be fighting fit, ready to fight another round.

            If only we could do that, thought Julie tiredly. She and her team were getting worn down.

            “How many times have we beat ‘em now?” Kieran panted.

            “I lost count,” Julie admitted. “Three or four times, maybe?”

            As if on cue, Pecharunt rose from the ground, thoroughly bruised from its latest beating. Purple light emitted from its tiny body, then faded away. Kieran swore he heard a metallic sound, like a chain breaking somewhere off in the distance. Julie looked around for the source of the strange noise, but saw nothing noteworthy. The light faded. All the injuries Julie’s team had inflicted upon the creature had disappeared.

            Pecharunt laughed haughtily at the children. It was clear they were losing their resolve. Exhaustion was setting in.

            It won’t be long now, it thought, studying its prey. But which one will fall first?

            Curiosity turned into cold hatred. The girl, it decided. And I will make it so.

            The shrill sound of the Loyal Three’s laughter drew Kieran’s attention back to the battle. The trio had sprung to their feet, ready for another beating. This time would be the one, they told themselves. They would defeat the boy any minute now, and their master would add him to the ranks of spellbound humans.

            Tama growled. Bright orange flames flickered between his teeth. The corners of his mouth curved upward in a wicked smile. It wasn’t often he got to fight so many matches back-to-back like this. He was having the time of his life.

            Kieran glared at his stubborn opponents. “Y’all sure like getting your butts handed to you, don’tcha?”

            The Lousy Three took their positions, readying their attacks with haughty grins. They could see how tired the boy was getting, even behind his brave façade.

            Kieran rolled his shoulders. His body was starting to ache, but there was no time to rest. “Alright. If you want a beatin’, we’ll give it to ya. Tama, use Seismic Toss!”

            Tama leapt forwards at Okidogi, and the cycle began anew.

            Pecharunt shot a mochi at Julie’s feet. She jumped back in surprise as the dessert exploded into sticky debris at her feet. She rubbed at her leaden eyelids. Stress and sleep deprivation were a deadly combination tonight. One mistake in the last round had knocked out her Gardevoir; she couldn’t afford to lose another teammate. Her Meowscarada was holding her own until she could sneak a Revive from her bag. At the rate Pecharunt was lobbing attacks at them, though, who knew when that moment would come? Now wasn’t the time to space out… not when the stakes were this high.

            “Would you cut it out?!” yelled Julie. “Give me a second to breathe!”

            Clover hissed and extended her claws. This little nuisance was testing her patience.

            “How many times are you gonna fight me?” Julie asked. She doubted the creature would give her an answer, but she supposed it would be worth asking.

            Pecharunt snickered and shot another mochi at Julie. This one whizzed right by her ear.

            Julie felt a shiver shoot down her spine. She got the feeling this thing wasn’t interested in defeating her team anymore. It wanted to defeat her.

            Not a chance, she thought. I’ll beat this thing before the sun comes up.

            “Clover, use…” Julie’s command trailed off into a yawn. “Use Flower Bomb!”

            Pecharunt weathered the blow, but just barely. Pink petals fluttered to the ground beneath it. The girl and her partner were losing their touch.

            The halves of its shell began to glow. Instead of mochi, two chains of dark energy burst forth from their centers. They flew towards Julie and Clover with alarming speed. Both trainer and Pokemon leapt backwards to dodge the attack, thoroughly startled and angry.

            The puppeteer chuckled to itself.

            Soon.

            The sound of footsteps grew louder and closer by the second. The combatants turned to face its source. A small child walked up the plaza steps, followed by an elderly woman. More and more people came forward, following the person in front of them in a single file line. Their sightless purple eyes stared blankly ahead. One by one, the hypnotized crowd from Festival Plaza filed in, forming a tight circle around the battlefield. Once in place, the townspeople stared silently at the people and Pokemon at the center of the ring. A pair of burly fieldworkers stood before the steps, blocking the exit.

            It was clear to Kieran and Julie that there was no running from this battle.

            Kieran’s anger boiled over. This wasn’t a fair fight, not one bit. They were surrounded, exhausted, and severely outnumbered. There was no way he and Julie were making it out of this fight now. At least, not with their sanity intact.

            He clenched his fists and shouted up at the sky. “For the love of Arceus, why won’t you leave us alone?!”

            Julie did her best not to scream in frustration. She shut her eyes and tried to steady her breathing. It would only be a matter of time before one of them slipped up. Until then, they had to keep going. They had no other choice.

            Pecharunt cackled. Their resolve was weakening. The plan was finally coming to fruition.

**

            “Hello? Hellooooo?! Can anybody hear us?”

            Arven pounded his fist against the heavy wooden doors. They rattled in place, but didn’t budge. The split between the doors let in a sliver of moonlight. He looked around the room, trying to get his bearings. He and Penny looked to be in some kind of temple. He could see an altar, some platters filled with fruit, a tree branch with tiny white blossoms, a couple of cushions on the ground, and something that looked and smelled like incense. He’d yet to find a light switch; in a place like this, he doubted he’d find one, anyway. For now, they were alone in the dark.

            He ran his fingers through his hair. His mind was spinning. One minute he and his friends were fighting against a haunted Pecha berry plush, and the next he and Penny were waking up inside this creepy old place. His stomach hurt, his head was pounding, and he had no clue where Julie, Nemona, and Kieran had gone. This trip kept getting worse and worse.

            Penny pushed against the doors with all her strength. “Somebody help us!”

            Arven took a few steps back, ran at the door, and rammed it with his shoulder. The doors barely budged. He sighed in frustration. He had no idea where they were, or how they’d gotten there, but he was determined to get them out.

            “It’s no use,” said Penny morosely. She stepped away from the door and shoved her hands in her hoodie pocket. “No one’s gonna find us.”

            “You don’t know that.” Arven slammed his fist against the doors again. “Somebody’s got to show up eventually.”

            “Who, Arven?” Penny snapped. “It’s past midnight. Everyone in town’s asleep by now.”

            “Julie. She’ll come get us. I know she will.”

            Penny couldn’t argue with that logic. Julie had a knack for getting them out of trouble. It was funny, really; no matter how much mischief she, Arven, and Nemona got into, Julie always came up with a plan to save the day. She supposed now would be no different. She could predict how things would play out: Julie and Kieran would be here any second now to break them out of here. They’d knock the stuffing out of that miserable plushie Pokemon together, collapse at Kieran’s house, sleep until noon, and catch the next plane to Paldea after lunch. That sounded like the perfect plan to her.

            She slammed her fists against the doors with renewed strength. If Arven still had faith, she could hold onto hers a little longer, too.

            Suddenly, a loud voice came from the outside.
            “Hello? Can you hear me?”

            Arven and Penny looked at each other in delight. It wasn’t Julie, but it sounded like someone who could help them.

            “Are you alright in there?” A second voice asked. It sounded warm and matronly.

            “Hello!” he shouted. “Can you hear us? My name is Arven!”

            “And I’m Penny! We’re locked in. Can you help us?”

            Another voice spoke up. “I know those names. They must be Julie’s friends. Kiki told me about them.”

            “We are!” Arven shouted.

            “Please help us get out of here!” Penny pleaded.

            Yet another voice responded, this one young and masculine. “There’s a big bar across the door. Give us a sec and we’ll get you out, ok?”

            Penny and Arven stepped back from the door. A creak and a loud thump came from the outside. The doors opened outward to reveal a moonlit plaza lined with stone. Four people stood before them: an elderly man and woman, a teenage girl who stood eye-to-eye with Arven, and a boy with striking silver-white and purple hair. Arven and Penny had never been so happy to see strangers in their lives. They ran out from the temple, and the men repositioned the sturdy wooden bar across the doors.

            “Thank you for saving us, sir.” Arven held out his hand toward the elderly man. “We would have never gotten out of there without you.”

            “No trouble at all, son,” the man replied. He took Arven’s hand and shook it with impressive strength. “Drayton did most of the work there.”

            The tall girl raised an eyebrow. “What do you know, you can be useful sometimes.”

            The boy grinned flirtatiously. “What can I say, I’m full of surprises.”

            “I’m Yukito, by the way,” said the man. “And this is my wife, Hideko. The young lady is my granddaughter Carmine.”

            “Charmed,” said the girl. In spite of her disheveled state, she wore a confident grin. She took the hand of the young man standing beside her. “And this is Drayton, by the way. He’s my boyfriend.”

            Arven noticed the way Drayton puffed out his chest at that comment. It was clear he took pride in that title. Arven wondered, with some bitterness, if Julie would introduce Kieran like that someday. This is Kieran, he’s my boyfriend! He could see it now: that guy would probably act all bashful and make some simpering ‘aw shucks’ comment like the country bumpkin he was. The thought of it made him want to puke. He shook his head. He’d have time to seethe in private later.

            “Oh!” Penny exclaimed. Now she knew why she recognized the tall girl. “You’re Kieran’s sister!”

            “The one and only.” Carmine’s expression turned serious. “Where is Kiki, anyway?”

            Drayton pointed upwards. “Last I saw, he and Julie left on Dragonite and went that way. My guess is they’re at Loyalty Plaza by now.”

            Arven clenched his fists. “I knew it!” he spat. “He convinced her to abandon us! I knew we couldn’t trust him. That little-“

            Carmine grabbed Arven by the collar of his vest. “Listen, you! My brother would never do that! If there’s anyone I don’t trust, it’s you!”

            Penny and Drayton scrambled to pull the pair apart before they came to blows.

            “Cool it, Arven! Don’t be a dumbass, alright?”

            “Easy, easy. That guy doesn’t know what he’s talking about.”

            Arven and Carmine glared at each other with gritted teeth and flared tempers. Penny clung futilely to Arven’s forearm, while Drayton draped an arm protectively across Carmine’s shoulders. A fight was about to break out, and this one would not involve Pokemon.

            Yukito stepped between the children. If he’d seen one petty teenage squabble, he’d seen them all. At this hour, he had little patience for nonsense. He crossed his arms and put on his sternest frown.

            “I believe Carmine is right,” he said calmly. He narrowed his eyes at the agitated young man. “Our original plan was to set out to Loyalty Plaza together, but we were separated. Most likely, the two of them are fightin’ Pecharunt right now. It is not a creature that fights fair. By now, they are likely in need of reinforcements. The sooner we start walkin’, the better.”

            “I think that’s a great idea!” said Penny quickly. “Don’t you, Arven?”

            “Sure.” Arven said through clenched teeth.

            Hideko stepped forward to stand before the boy from Paldea. She had some choice words for him. Arven towered over her, but she wasn’t daunted by him in the slightest. Her voice was even as she spoke, but her eyes flickered with anger.

            “Young man, I suggest you come with us. From what my husband tells me, the whole town has been put under the same spell you and I were under. We both know how serious that is. Right now, my grandson and his lady friend are doin’ their best to break it. You can come along with us to give that creature a piece of your mind, or you can stay here and throw a tantrum in the dark.” She pushed her glasses up her nose with her middle finger. “Your choice, dear.”

            Hideko and Yukito turned to join their granddaughter and Drayton. They motioned for the children to follow them to the gate. Carmine shot Arven a dirty look, and then turned on her heel with a huff. Drayton shoved his hands in his pockets and followed her towards the steps.

            Arven clenched and unclenched his fists. His mind told him to follow them, but his wounded pride wouldn’t allow it.

            Penny looked up at her friend, then back at their rescuers. “Well, I’m going with them. You in?”

            He clenched his jaw, but said nothing.

            Penny hoisted her Veevee bag up on her shoulders. “Julie wouldn’t abandon us. We both know that. She needs our help, and like it or not, so does Kieran.”

            Arven muttered under his breath. “I know.”

            “Good. So stop pouting and get your ass in gear before they sic Grandma on you again.”

            He grumbled. “Fine.”

            With Penny by his side, Arven strode forward to join the group. He could put his ego aside for the night. Wounded pride or not, he had a score to settle with that creepy Pokemon. He considered his strategy as they descended the steps. The most satisfying option he could think of was letting Mabosstiff use it as a chew toy.

            He wondered how Julie was coping against Pecharunt. Knowing her, she’d probably defeated it by now. By the time the six of them showed up at the plaza, she’d be waving at them with a grin and a brand new Pokemon in her collection. Typical Julie, saving the day and making it look easy.

            …But what if she hadn’t? What if that Kieran guy got hypnotized like Carmine, and Julie was fighting for her life all alone? Or worse, what if that thing had hypnotized her?

            He cracked his knuckles. If that thing had dared to harm a hair on Julie’s head, he’d fight it with his own two hands. And win.

**

            Once again, Pecharunt rose from the ground and healed itself. It locked eyes with the girl, savoring the look of despair on her face. It took great pleasure in her suffering. This was the revenge it could never enact on its former trainers: endless suffering in exchange for their endless demands.

            In Pecharunt’s experience, humanity was nothing but a pestilence ruled by greed. They were always hungry and never sated. It despised humans and their never-ending search for more. It had made a fatal mistake long ago trying to satisfy its masters. That was a mistake it would never make again.

            The desires of its former masters had led it to commit petty theft. They wanted those masks given to the foreigner and his strange Pokemon, and they would have nothing less. It gathered its most loyal companion and they set forth on their mission under the cover of darkness.

            But it went awry. The one the humans called “the ogre” had made short work of the Three, reducing them to a pile of bloody pulp. Pecharunt had barely escaped that battle with its life. Centuries had passed since that night, but the emotions were fresh in its mind: anger, regret, disgust… and fear.

            But tonight, it felt only satisfaction. There was no Ogerpon to stop it now. She was long gone, merely a myth in the minds of this Arceus-forsaken village. There were only these pitiful children, and they were growing weaker by the second. It was only a matter of time before the girl fell. It would take great pleasure in turning her against her partner.

            Pecharunt focused its energy, feeling the wounds on its body heal and fade away. Another link in the toxic chain broke with a resounding snap. The assault continued.

            Nemona gasped. She’d been startled awake, but she didn’t remember falling asleep. She rubbed her eyes, feeling utterly disoriented. It felt like she’d just woken up after an exceptionally bad nightmare. Her stomach ached and her head throbbed like a toothache. She wanted to go back to sleep, but preferably in a soft, warm bed.

            “Where am I?” she mumbled. She vaguely remembered wandering off from the group in search of Kieran’s sister. She’d caught her Kommo-o, found that plate of mochi at the shrine, and… then what? She pinched the bridge of her nose, hoping to stop the world from spinning so fast. The memories were all a blur.

            A familiar voice called to her from somewhere far away.

            “Nemona!! Nemona, help us!”

            She stood up straight, eyes wide. “Julie?!”

            Her vision cleared to reveal a terrible sight. Julie and her new friend – Kieran, was it? – were caught in the middle of an all-out assault. Three strange Pokemon she’d never seen before were attacking Kieran and his team. One tiny purple Pokemon was squaring off against Julie’s Meowscarada, swinging ominous glowing chains to and fro.

            A cold shiver shot through Nemona’s body. She wasn’t sure why, but that thing gave her the creeps. She knew there was no such thing as evil Pokemon, but that thing just felt bad.

            “Nemona!” called Kieran from across the plaza. “We need your help!”

            Nemona reached for her Kommo-o’s Pokeball. “On it!”

            She ran towards the center of the plaza as fast as she could. Her mind was focused on one goal: helping her friends thrash these bad guys with all of her strength. The newest addition to her team would make that goal happen in a snap. The familiar spark of pre-battle excitement lit within her. She was feeling better already.

            In her excitement, Nemona never noticed the purple creature turning its gaze on her, nor it readying an attack in her direction.

            “Go!” Nemona shouted. “Kommo-o, use- eeek!”

            Nemona backpedaled as something round and purple detonated at her feet. Sticky jelly and mochi bits clung to her leg and shoes. She looked up angrily at the weird-looking Pokemon. For a tiny thing, it sure had a lot of nerve to attack her like that.

            “Hey, cut that out!” she shouted. “At least let me send out my Pokemon first!” She drew her arm back to throw her Pokeball. “Go, Kommo-o, use- ow!”

            This time, Pecharunt’s attack connected with Nemona’s wrist. Even with the cushion of her wrist guard, the hit stung sharply. The impact sent the Pokeball sailing into the air. She managed to catch it just before it hit the ground.

            Julie clenched her fists. “Leave her alone, you bully!”

            Nemona gave the creature a sour look. “That was rude! If you wanted to fight me instead of my team, then you should have said so!”

            For a split second, Pecharunt looked almost comically befuddled. Humans were…unusual creatures.

            Even in her exhausted state, she couldn’t help but laugh. No matter what the situation was, Nemona would always be Nemona.

            Between barrages of attacks, Kieran had a sudden realization. They were going about this battle the wrong way. Given his expertise on his hometown’s legends, he was shocked he didn’t think of this sooner. Exhaustion was really doing a number on his common sense. Typematching alone wasn’t going to save them tonight. It was time to break out the heavy hitter.

            “Julie, use Ogerpon!” shouted Kieran over the din. “She beat them once, I bet she can beat ‘em again!”

            Pecharunt froze. What had the boy said? It couldn’t be. It had been centuries since their battle. Ogerpon had died long ago… hadn’t she?

            Julie returned her Meowscarada and took a green Pokeball from her belt. She glared at Pecharunt. “Hey ugly, I hear that someone wants to see you again.”

            Pecharunt snarled. So it hadn’t misheard. That miserable wretch was not only still alive, but she’d found a new human to grovel for. The halves of its shell began to glow with malevolent power. There was no way that subservient disgrace could defeat it… it wouldn’t allow it.

            The Friend Ball sailed through the air, shining brightly in the lanternlight.

            “Go Ponpon!” Julie shouted. “Use Ivy Cudgel!”

            But before the capsule could open, a mochi slammed into it. The ball spun backwards and dropped to the ground, sealed shut by sticky purple filling.

            “No!” screamed Kieran. He spun around to face Julie. This couldn’t be happening. Ogerpon was their secret weapon – now what were they going to do?

            Julie dropped to her knees and grabbed her Pokeball. She rubbed at the goo with the sleeve of her jacket. The jelly came off in clumps, albeit slowly. The capture seal at the center of the ball blinked red. Stubborn traces of poisoned filling clung in the crevices – it wouldn’t open, not without a serious cleaning.

            “No, nononono!” Panic rose in Julie’s chest. Try as she might, she couldn’t get the Pokeball working again. Using Ogerpon was out of the question now.

            Pecharunt aimed its loaded shells at the girl. She was vulnerable and distracted. Now was the time to strike.

            Kieran screamed at the top of his lungs. “Julie, run!”

            She looked up to see a purple mochi hurtling towards her head. Try as she might, she couldn’t will her body to move. Her eyes locked onto the mochi. Her thoughts began to drift away, as if she was falling under a spell.

            A strange compulsion came over her: Eat it. Eat the mochi.

            “Nnn-!” She tried to scream but the words wouldn’t come out. A strange dark fog began to cloud her vision. She felt her body relax. She was losing control. Against her will, her mouth opened.

            Nemona screamed.

            Kieran took off running at full speed.

            Pecharunt cackled, its harsh laughter ringing out across the battlefield.

            The mochi closed in on its target.

            Through the dreamlike haze, Julie could sense a pressure wrap around her waist. It was warm and strong, and somehow comforting. It felt like she was floating and falling all at once. A yelp of pain came from somewhere up above her.

            The fog in her mind began to clear. She recognized that voice.

            She blinked slowly. Her thoughts slowly connected to form a realization.

            Something – no, someone – had saved her.

            Kieran winced in pain. His ears were ringing from the impact. He was disoriented from the hit, but he didn’t dare let go of Julie. Bits of mochi fell from the side of his face and stuck to his arm. He didn’t see any blood, so that was a good sign. That attack was going to leave an impressive bruise on his temple, though. He grimaced. It’d be a long time before he’d want to eat mochi again.

            Julie snapped out of her trance. “Kieran!” She brushed away the sticky mochi clinging to his face. “Are you ok? You didn’t eat any of that, did you?”

            “No, I’m fine.” He exhaled, feeling relief flood his body at her touch. She was ok. He’d made it just in time. “I’m just fine.”

            “Good.” She stroked his cheek with her thumb and smiled. This all felt strangely familiar. “Guess we’re even now, huh?”

            He laughed softly. “I guess so.”

            “You’re not allowed to throw yourself into danger anymore, you hear me?” She held his face in her hands. “Promise me right now.”

            The earnest look in her eyes stirred up a potent new emotion within Kieran. With that emotion came a brilliant new idea.

            Kiss her, stupid, said the urge. Kiss her like those guys in Sis’s manga.

            NOT NOW, screamed his common sense. YOU’RE IN THE MIDDLE OF A BATTLE!

            But just look at her…

            Yeah… wait, NO!

            For a solid five seconds, Kieran was frozen in place. His mind and his heart were playing a fierce game of tug of war.

            Finally, he made his decision. He leaned forward and kissed her on the cheek. The gesture was quick and feather-light, but it made an impression on Julie all the same.

            Kieran wasn’t sure what was more satisfying: the look on her face or the fact he was responsible for it.

            He smiled, a flicker of mischief in his eyes. “Yes ma’am. And now we’re even.”

            Pecharunt howled in anger. It clenched its tiny fists and thrashed them in the air. These stupid humans frustrated it to no end.

            Kieran glared at the creature, golden eyes blazing with anger. His body was exhausted, but the spark of fighting spirit still burned bright.

            “Wanna go one more round?” Julie asked. Her eyes could have burned holes in Pecharunt’s body.

            He nodded. “Absolutely.”

            They staggered to their feet, holding onto each other for support. Their hands trembled as they reached for their Pokeballs. Exhaustion be damned, they had a fight to win.

            Just a little bit longer, Julie told herself. One more round, and then we’ll be-

            A shout rang out across the battlefield. The voice was loud and proud.

            “Sinistcha, use Matcha Gotcha!”

            A steaming blast of tea rocketed through the air and landed square in the center of Pecharunt’s body. The creature shrieked in pain as scalding-hot matcha dripped down its face.

            More voices shouted commands from the entrance of the plaza.

            “Ube, use Gunk Shot!”

            “Chandi, use Inferno!”

            “Archaludon, Electro Shot!”

           “Alright Boss, use Crunch on that creep!”

            “Sylveon, blast ‘em all with Moonblast!”

            Kieran and Julie turned to see a glorious sight. The cavalry had arrived. One by one, the Lousy Three succumbed to the newcomers’ attacks. Fezandipiti and Munkidori screeched in protest as Okidogi toppled backwards onto them. In a matter of minutes, the Loyal Three had been reduced to a pitiful pile of losers.

            The trio groaned in pain. This defeat had stung worse than Ogerpon’s cudgel.

            Carmine kicked a pebble at the felled henchmen out of spite. “And stay down.”

            “Sis!” Kieran shouted. He couldn’t believe his eyes. “You’re ok!”

            “Sure am!” Carmine grinned. She tossed a lock of hair over he shoulder confidently. “I figured you could use a little help. I brought some reinforcements. Hope you don’t mind.”

            “Thanks for being patient, ex-Champ!” Drayton stretched luxuriously. “We got a little sidetracked.”

            Yukito patted his Arbok’s head affectionately. “Sorry it took so long!”

            Hideko planted one foot firmly atop Fezandipiti’s backside. She waved jovially. “Hello, sweetheart!”

            “Hi Grandma!” Kieran laughed. It was a relief to see his family back to normal again.

            Penny had just enough time to blink before Nemona collided with her at full speed.

            “There you are!” exclaimed Nemona. She hugged her friend tightly. “I missed you!”

            “Missed you too, Nemo,” wheezed Penny. She patted her on the back. “Good to see you.”

            Arven cupped his hands around his mouth. “Julie!” he shouted. “Are you okay?!”

            “Just fine!” Julie gave him a thumbs-up for good measure. “All good here!” She hoped he couldn’t see how badly her knees were shaking from across the plaza. He didn’t need to add to his stress worrying about her; he’d been through enough tonight.

            Arven sighed in relief. He’d been silly to doubt her, he supposed. Still, he couldn’t help it. She was his little buddy, after all, and even heroes needed help.

            The relief Julie felt at seeing her friends healthy and happy again was enough to boost her spirits. She turned to face Pecharunt, determination blazing in her eyes. She had a fight to finish.

            “Hey Kieran, can you do me a favor?” Julie held up the goo-covered Friend Ball. “Ponpon would appreciate it if you’d clean this off for us.”

            “I’d love to.” Kieran released his Poliwrath. He pointed at the damaged Pokeball. “Mind rinsin’ off that gunk for us, buddy?”

            The frog Pokemon obliged, shooting a pressurized burst of water at the Pokeball. The capture seal’s light changed from red to green, then powered off. Julie sighed in relief. Now they really had a fighting chance.

            She locked eyes with Pecharunt. “Now, where were we?”

            Pecharunt snarled. The humans were resourceful, but that wouldn’t change the fact they’d lose tonight. Their fall was inevitable.

            Julie threw the Friend Ball. “Go, Ponpon!”

            This time, the capsule opened without interruption.

            Ogerpon yawned and stretched. It was awfully late at night for a battle, wasn’t it? She’d been sleeping peacefully in her Pokeball for hours now. She lifted the mask from her face to get a better look at her surroundings.

            The first thing she noticed was the fallen gravestone. That looked awfully familiar. That looked like the place where the humans had buried those murderers long ago. But that couldn’t be: she was in Paldea with Julie. Was she dreaming?

            She sniffed the air. It was crisp, clear, and smelled faintly of apples. This wasn’t a dream. Somehow she’d fallen asleep in Paldea and woke up in Kitakami.

            The second thing she noticed was the demon she thought she’d slain centuries ago. She froze.

            …Pecharunt? It couldn’t be. Yet there ir was, sneering at her just like it had that one horrible night.

            Bitter memories came rushing back in a flood.

            The sound of Sergio’s screams, waking her from a deep sleep.

            The cackle of evil laughter as she ran from the back of the cave to its mouth.

            The sudden, horrible silence.

            The beady white eyes of that demon flickering in the light of the dying campfire.

            The villain and his servants standing over the body of her beloved trainer, with not an ounce of remorse in their eyes.

            Ponpon gripped her cudgel and bared her teeth. That had been a sin that couldn’t be forgiven. The Pecharunt would fall by her hand tonight, just like its comrades had long ago.

            She placed her mask back on her face to hide her tears. The malicious snarl of the Hearthflame mask stared unblinkingly back at her opponent. She pointed her cudgel at her mortal enemy.

            If she could defeat Pecharunt once, she could defeat it again. Perhaps this time, more permanently.

            To say Julie had been surprised by Ponpon’s reaction to Pecharunt would be an understatement.

            Ogerpon leapt into action before her trainer could give a command. Julie and Kieran watched as Ponpon swung her cudgel with impressive force at Pecharunt. They winced at the sound the creature made upon impact with the spiked bat. It reminded them a little bit of baseball, except much more brutal.

            The purple Pokemon flew through the air in an arc, landing with a thump upon the concrete plaza. It growled, recalling more of its energy to heal itself. That ogre couldn’t fight forever, but it could. That pea-brained barbarian would wear herself out before it ran out of captives to release.

            …Or so Pecharunt thought.

            Ogerpon locked onto her target with deadly accuracy. Where Pecharunt landed, she followed. Each time the villain revived itself, she was there to beat it into submission. She’d make sure she would defeat this villain once and for all, even if it took all night.

            With every recovery, more villagers were freed from their poisoned bonds. The crowd murmured in confusion, looking around at their stone-faced neighbors in shock. Yukito and Hideko rushed to their aid, doing their best to explain the extraordinary situation as more townspeople regained consciousness.

            “Keep up the good work, Ponpon!” Carmine called.

            Drayton spotted a lone woman with glowing eyes near the entrance to the plaza. “There’s only one more left!”

            Pecharunt struggled to lift its battered body into the air. It broke the bonds of the last captive, absorbing the last of its spent energy. This was its last chance to claim victory.

            The ancient adversaries rushed at each other. Ponpon swung her cudgel, but the wily villain dodged. Pecharunt readied a barrage of poison mochi, aiming both of its shells at Ogerpon. The deadly treats flew towards her in waves, but she batted them away with ease. The mochi splattered against her cudgel with every swing.

            Pecharunt shivered. That could be its fate too, if it wasn’t careful.

            It bolted across the plaza, flying towards the exit. It was the coward’s way out, but it was more enticing than dying.

            Ponpon leapt into the air, her body silhouetted by the full moon. She took aim and held her weapon high. The spikes glittered ominously in the moonlight. With all of her strength, she swung the cudgel down upon Pecharunt’s head.

            The tiny terror screamed in pain, and its world went black.

            The villain bounced against the plaza’s surface like a stone across a pond. It collided with the unconscious bodies of its comrades. Munkidori whined pitifully as his boss bounced off his bulbous head and rolled onto the ground. For the first time tonight, the poison puppeteer did not rise from the ground.

            Ponpon grinned deliriously behind her mask. Pecharunt’s luck had finally run out. She dragged her cudgel behind her as she approached her unconscious foe. The spikes screeched against the stone with every step.

            Kieran felt his blood turn to ice. The legends had made Ogerpon’s slaying of the Loyal Three feel like a triumph. This felt nothing like those stories.

            The hair on the back of Julie’s neck stood on end. This wasn’t her Ponpon. Not anymore. This was the dreaded Ogre of Kitakami.

            Julie and Kieran hurried to put themselves between the two Pokemon. As delighted as they were that Ponpon had defeated Pecharunt, they drew the line at cold-blooded murder.

            Julie stood with hands outstretched before her Pokemon. Her whole body shook with adrenaline.

            “Hang on, Ponpon,” she said firmly. “You did a good job tonight, but your job is over now.” She held up a brand-new Ultra Ball. “Let’s finish this my way, ok?”

            Ponpon huffed indignantly. Her grip on her cudgel tightened.

            “I know you want to keep fightin’,” Kieran said quietly. “But it’s over now. You won. Pecharunt won’t hurt anyone ever again. We’ll make sure of it.” He knelt down beside Ponpon and smiled, hoping she didn’t sense his fear. “We’ll take care of everythin’ from here, ok?”

            She hesitated. She glanced over at Pecharunt and its cronies, then back to the children.

            From the back of her mind, a familiar voice called to her: It’s all right.

            The familiarity of that voice made her eyes fill with tears. Sergio wouldn’t have wanted this. He had been a kind man, someone who strove to live in harmony with others. Even when the villagers had mistreated him, he showed them grace. In life, he had been the light that guided her forward. In death, he was still her light.

            Slowly, carefully, Ponpon laid her cudgel down on the plaza.

            A sense of relief settled into her soul. It felt like letting go of a very heavy weight, one she’d held onto for far too long.

            Another memory flashed by, this one of a smiling man in the summer sunlight. Centuries had passed, but the image was still clear and bright.

            Ponpon exhaled. After all these years, she’d avenged her trainer’s death. His spirit could rest now, and so could she.

            Julie turned to face Pecharunt. For something so small, it had caused an immense amount of trouble tonight. She tapped the capture seal on the Ultra Ball, and the capsule expanded. This was the end of Pecharunt’s reign of terror. It would be a long, long time until it next saw the sun.

            Julie threw the Ultra Ball at her target with a bit more force than usual.

            The capture beam swept Pecharunt inside the ball in a swirl of red light. It sealed shut with a snap.

            The ball wiggled once. Twice. A third time.

            It locked with a satisfying click and a shower of star-shaped sparks.

            Pecharunt had been caught.

            The earth itself seemed to exhale.

            From somewhere in the distance, a Starly sang.

            In the east, golden sunlight peeked over the horizon. The night gave way to the warm hues of morning.

            Cheers rang out across Loyalty Plaza from natives and visitors alike.

            Julie and Kieran held each other, their relief culminating into tears and laughter.

            The long nightmare was finally over.        

Chapter Text

            Julie rubbed her tired eyes, squinting against the sunlight. The light in the room was a warm orange hue. The view from the living room window was of a dusky lavender sky, dappled with the faintest of stars. From the looks of it, she’d slept most of the day away.

            She sat up and stretched. It had been a very long time since she’d slept this deeply. She might even venture to say she felt well-rested.

            What a novel concept. She laughed softly, but there was no humor in it. Exhaustion does that to you.

            Her body had firmly expressed its limits to her last night. She remembered stumbling into Hideko and Yukito’s living room and collapsing with relief on the tatami mat-covered floor. She faintly recalled Kieran and Arven fussing over her, and then being maneuvered onto a pillow and blanket on the floor. From there, she had known nothing but sweet, dark void of sleep.

            Except for that dream. Remarkably, she’d had a dream that wasn’t a nightmare for once. What it was about, she couldn’t remember exactly. Wherever she had been was warm, soft, and bright. She hadn’t been alone, either. Someone was lying down beside her, and they had been speaking to her. She’d sworn she felt the warmth of their hand upon hers. It had been warm and comforting, being there with them. Whoever they had been, she’d trusted them completely.

            She shut her eyes, trying her best to make out the face. She was fairly certain it had been a man. He had longish dark hair to his shoulders, but that was the only detail she could recall. She didn’t recognize him… and yet she did. She knew who he was, and yet in this present moment, she had no clue.

            She sighed. Maybe one day she’d figure it out.

            She looked around the Koshou family’s living room, and found herself in good company. To her left were Arven, Penny, and Nemona, sleeping peacefully near the television. Arven had curled up with his Mabosstiff, one arm draped around his oldest friend’s side. His old blue blanket was spread across him and Mabosstiff equally. The old Pokemon snored softly, dreaming happily of homemade treats. Julie smiled. Those two were truly inseparable.

            Nemona had pulled her favorite green blanket all the way up to her chin. Julie had never seen her sleep without it. Even on the hottest nights of their Paldean camping expeditions, she’d be cozied up with it by nightfall without fail. Julie watched as Nemona pointed up at the ceiling and muttered something unintelligible. She could hazard a guess what she was dreaming about. Her friend would wake up any second now, ready for a battle. Maybe she could convince her to eat a very belated breakfast first. After that, she’d probably rush out into town to challenge the first person she saw to a battle. No matter where on Earth she was, Nemona would always be Nemona.

            Penny had sprawled out in the center of the living room. Her arms and legs peeked out from under her Eeveelution blanket, but her head was completely covered. Julie could faintly hear her mumbling in her sleep, something about wi-fi signal and servers. She resisted the urge to laugh. She commended her friend’s ability to survive this long without an internet connection. Penny was an eccentric one, no matter if she was awake or asleep.

            Drayton and Carmine were across the room, snuggled up together quite cozily. Drayton had his arm around her waist, and her head was resting on his chest. They were as close as close could be. Julie looked away, feeling heat creep into her cheeks. She didn’t dare spy on an intimate moment. Not that they would know, but still, it felt wrong to stare.

            Her thoughts wandered back to the dream she’d had. She’d been as close to the mystery man as Drayton and Carmine were now. It reminded her of that night she and Kieran had their sleepover the clubroom.

            But that wasn’t exactly it. The dream had felt more… familiar, for lack of a better word. Like the two of them weren’t so shy around each other anymore. They’d been comfortable, in the literal and figurative sense. She could faintly recall something white and plush under the man’s head. A pillow, perhaps? Yes, that seemed right. And something on his hand had caught the light, but the details were fuzzy. His face was still a blur, but she vaguely remembered one detail: there’d been a mark on his neck of some sort. A freckle, maybe, or a perhaps a mole.

            Wait…

            Julie felt her face catch fire at a sudden realization. Now she knew why the man had seemed so familiar.

            Oh no. I’m in deep now, aren’t I?

            She hid under her blanket in embarrassment. There was no way she could look Kieran in the eye now. Not after having dreaming something like that about him. Maybe if she moved very quietly, she could sneak out of the house to catch the next bus to the airport. And if she was lucky, she could relocate herself to a deserted island long before anyone else woke up. That sounded a lot easier than coming to terms with the implications of that dream.

            Julie peeked out from under her blanket. To her utter surprise, she found Kieran sleeping beside her. He was no more than an arm’s length away. Her eyes widened, and the heat burned more fiercely in her cheeks.

            Oh. How convenient.

            Kieran showed no signs of waking up anytime soon. His breathing was slow and steady, and his body was relaxed. The dark circles under his eyes had almost faded away, she noted. That was a good sign. Last night had been an ordeal, but they’d come out of it in one piece. The only damage she could see were the small circular bruises forming on his forehead and temple.

            Without a second thought, she brushed the hair from his face to get a better look. The bruise on his forehead was small, and would likely disappear within a day or two. The one on his temple, however, looked more severe. It was already an angry shade of purplish-blue. Pecharunt had hit him pretty hard with that mochi. That moment still haunted her. She had fallen under that spell so fast…there was nothing she could have done to save herself in that moment. What would have happened to her if he hadn’t blocked that mochi?

            Julie felt a cold shiver shoot down her back. She didn’t want to think about that. Pecharunt wasn’t a threat anymore. It – he, rather, according to the Pokedex data – was sealed away in an Ultra Ball in her boxes now, far away from Kitakami. He wouldn’t hurt anyone anymore, not if she could help it. Perhaps one day she could help it reintegrate into society, and maybe even use it on her team. But today was not that day.

            She was brought back to reality by the soft sound of Kieran talking in his sleep. It was a single word, one she knew well.

            “Julie…”

            The air stalled in her lungs. He’d said her name. Was he… dreaming about her?

            Her reply was automatic, if a little clumsy. “Yeah?”

            His brow furrowed. He mumbled something, but she couldn’t make out what he was saying. His tone sounded serious. His dream seemed to be taking a turn for the worse.

            “Ju…lie…” he muttered again. There was a sense of desperation in his voice that made her heart ache. He was having a nightmare, that much was clear.

            Before she could stop herself, Julie sat up. If he needed her, he had her. She leaned forward and kissed the bruise on his temple first, then the one on his forehead. She watched for his reaction, hoping she hadn’t startled him awake.

            Kieran sighed softly. His expression softened, and his breathing became steady and even once more. A small smile graced his lips. The bad dream had passed.

            Julie relaxed. Much better, she thought. No more nightmares.

            She made herself comfortable and pulled her blanket over her shoulders. She too could rest comfortably knowing he was at peace. It all reminded her of how she’d watch over Arven, Penny, and Nemona; she was always the last one to sleep and the first one awake on their expeditions. It felt like her duty – she was the one they depended on, after all. That was the way it was, and the way it always would be.

            But her mindset was slowly changing. She found that she could allow herself to rest more easily now. Her friends were capable of taking care of themselves, even if they bumbled their way through life sometimes. She could relax, if only just a little bit. Sleep didn’t come easily yet, but she no longer lay in bed for hours staring at the ceiling. That was progress, she supposed.

            She’d come a long way in just under a year. She’d never expected to become someone remarkable, much less the Champion of Paldea and Blueberry Academy. Back home – or what used to be home - she’d just been Juliana Castle, daughter of the fallen champion. She’d never been allowed to be anything more. In just under ten months, she’d left Galar behind for good, deactivated the Paradise Protection Protocol, and helped save Kitakami from a hostile takeover. And she’d saved Kieran from himself; that was the victory she was most proud of.

            Little by little, she could let her guard down around the people she trusted most. She wasn’t hiding in her room all alone anymore – she was in the company of friends, surrounded by people who loved her. One of those people loved her most dearly, too. She hoped he knew the feeling was mutual. He’d know soon enough.

            In a drowsy haze, she recalled that sweet dream again. Maybe someday...wouldn’t that be nice? She let herself dream. Someday, when they were all grown up, there might come a morning where they woke up together like that, lying side-by-side and talking without a care in the world.

            What a sweet dream, she thought. She smiled contentedly. I want to see it again.

            In a matter of minutes, Julie fell back asleep, lulled by the sound of distant laughter, Starly-song, and windchimes.

            Kieran sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He’d had some kind of crazy nightmare just now. It was nothing compared to the stress-induced horrors he’d had at the academy, but it’d been unpleasant all the same. He pinched the bridge of his nose and squeezed his eyes shut. Last night had caught up to him, and hard.

            As best he could remember, he had been running toward Julie in the plaza again, but his movements felt like running in slow motion. He strained every muscle in his body to move forward, but he moved at a Slugma’s pace. He’d been mere steps away from her, throwing himself forward to block the blow when everything just… stopped. The scene faded away into white light, and a sense of peace had come over him. After that, he remembered nothing but feeling completely and utterly calm.

            …And then there was that unexplainable sense of someone being very close to him, holding his hand and talking to him in a comforting voice.

            He tried his best to remember the details. Nothing came to mind, apart from knowing the presence was distinctly female.

            Was I dreaming about Mama again? he wondered. His gut said no. This wasn’t like those dreams that felt like memories. This person was different. He knew her, whoever she was, but couldn’t place who she was. Her face was a mystery, but he knew her soul.

            He held his aching head in his hands. This was too much to think about this early in the morning. He could ponder this mystery woman’s identity after a hot shower and a meal.

            He looked up to see the sun setting in the living room window. It’s too late in the evening for this, he corrected himself. He stared at the sky in disbelief. He’d slept all day, and Grandpa and Grandma hadn’t come in to wake him up. Carmine, the queen of the annoying wake-up call, hadn’t even come over to pester him.

            Where was she, anyway? He’d nodded off pretty quickly after he helped Julie get comfortable. He looked around the room, and realized exactly why his sister hadn’t tried to wake him up. She was sleeping pretty soundly herself, from the looks of it. And so was Drayton.

            He turned his whole body away from them, feeling his ears burn with embarrassment. He wasn’t sure if it would have been better or worse if they’d slept in Carmine’s room instead. He didn’t want to see all that. But if they had, he would have likely woken up to the sounds of his Grandma shrieking at them and the thump of her broom on Drayton’s head. He stifled his laughter at the thought. Sleeping in here was the safer option, at least for Drayton.

            Julie’s friends from home were sleeping deeply as well. He could only imagine how tired they were – the flight from Paldea to Kitakami had taken up most of their day, and Pecharunt had kept them up all night. He wouldn’t be surprised if they slept until the next morning. The thought was tempting, to be honest; he was bone-tired, too.

            I hope Julie’s sleeping in. She’d pushed herself too hard last night. She’d scared him and Arven to death just flopping onto the floor like that. Thank Arceus for tatami mats, he supposed. They were a lot more comfortable than passing out on a hard wooden floor.

            He looked down to see Julie sleeping soundly on the floor beside him. He relaxed. There you are. After he and Arven set up a pillow and blankets for her, he’d stayed up a while to watch her sleep. He feared she’d be plagued with nightmares after all they’d been through. Thankfully, that wasn’t the case; she was in the same position now that she’d been in when he dozed off. Of the six of them, she needed the rest most of all.

            The fading daylight cast a golden glow on her auburn hair. In his eyes, she looked like a sleeping princess in a fairy tale.

            Kiss her. The urge was back again. You know you want to.

            The thought of kissing her awake like the guy in that one story crossed his mind. And they lived happily ever after, the end.

            He shook his head. He was no prince, and now wasn’t the time. He’d rather she be awake for that moment, anyway. It wouldn’t be right if he was the only one who remembered something as important as that.

            A strange feeling came over him. It wasn’t quite déjà vu, but it was close. He felt like he’d been in this moment before, somehow. He thought back to the night they’d spent together in the clubroom. They’d fallen asleep together in that pile of pillows and blankets so easily. How had that been nearly three weeks ago now? It felt like yesterday and forever ago all at once.

            No, that’s not it. He frowned, wracking his brain for the connection. So what is it?

            The female presence in his dream came to mind again. That felt closer to the truth. The image of the woman slowly became clearer, but her face remained obscured. He knew for sure her head had been lying on a fluffy white pillow. She’d spoken to him so sweetly, and she’d held his hand so gently. Something had sparkled on her hand, small but bright, and he swore he’d seen something on his own. Her hair was long and a little wavy, if he remembered correctly.

            Just like-

            Suddenly, the connection was crystal clear.          

            Kieran sprung to his feet, face blazing with heat. He ran down the hall to the bathroom. His morning plans had changed. A cold shower would be the perfect thing to calm his overactive imagination.

Chapter Text

            It was not in Kieran’s nature to do anything halfheartedly. In battle, he was an unparalleled strategist. In matters of love, he was a planner and perfectionist. The latter, he feared, might be his undoing today.

            Tama, Hydrapple, and the rest of Kieran’s team watched with concern as their trainer paced restlessly around the picnic table. He had been making circles for so long now that the grass beneath his feet had flattened into a ring. He had been muttering to himself for quite a while. Whether it was to soothe his nerves or boost his confidence, Arceus only knew.

            Kieran paused long enough to take a sip of a marble soda. He held the bottle in both hands, causing the blue liquid within to shake in his trembling grasp.

            “Ok,” he said to himself. “She’ll be here any minute. Did I miss anythin’? I don’t think I did. But what if I did?” He sat the bottle down on the table and sighed. “Ugh…my head hurts from thinkin’ too hard.”

            Hydrapple growled, nudging a second empty soda bottle with one of its heads. He knew where this was going.

            “Don’t worry,” Kieran assured his ace. “I ate breakfast and lunch today.”

            Tama snorted. He’d seen the chocolate bar wrapper on his trainer’s floor this morning.

            “I’ll have you know I had a real breakfast in the cafeteria AND I got a sandwich to go for lunch.” Kieran retorted. “The chocolate bar was for dessert.”

            Tama and Hydrapple exchanged glances.

            Kieran crossed his arms. “I’m not gettin’ bad again, guys, I promise. I’ve been workin’ on that. I got a plan from the counselor and I’ve been stickin’ to it ever since I got back. I feel better than ever. I don’t wanna spiral out like that ever again. I’m gonna get better for you, for myself, my friends, and...” His cheeks flushed faintly pink. “Well, for Julie, too. She deserves better than that from me.”

            Hydrapple rolled all seven pairs of his eyes. Tama nudged the apple syrupent with his elbow. Their trainer was hopelessly in love, yes, but it was no excuse to be rude.

            Kieran laughed. “I know, I’m a mess. But can you blame me?” He smiled, twirling a lock of hair between his fingers. “She’s pretty special, y’know.”

            Hydrapple groaned with annoyance. Tama batted the syrupent head closest to his paw.

            The dragon yelped in protest. It wasn’t his fault his trainer was too infatuated to battle today. It was the last day of school before summer – it would be two months before he could face another worthy opponent. Hydrapple hissed at Tama. How dare this overgrown brute attempt to discipline him?!

            Tama bopped another of Hydrapple’s heads, this time with more force. That wyrm had an ego bigger than their trainer’s. Thankfully, Kieran was learning to keep his in check. It seemed that Hydrapple still had a ways to go.

            “Easy, fellas,” Kieran said soothingly. “It won’t be much longer now.”

            Tama and Hydrapple huffed impatiently. He’d said that ten minutes ago.

            Kieran checked his watch. “We’ve got five minutes before she gets here. You’ve been snackin’ on berries all mornin’. You’ll live.” He smirked, remembering a particular detail Julie had relayed to him this morning in passing. “Oh, and Tama, you’ll be happy to know that Clover’s coming, too.”

            Tama sat up straight, yellow eyes wide with delight. His tail twitched happily at the thought of seeing the elegant Meowscarada again, this time on more amicable terms.

            Hydrapple scooted away from the picnic table in digust. He’d had enough sickly sweetness for one day.

            Kieran looked around at the field of flowers. Lacey was right; the coastal biome was the perfect place for a picnic. He was grateful he’d asked for her advice. She’d been happy to recommend a prime location in her favorite biome. The pictures she’d shown him in her Rotomphone didn’t do it justice – this spot was beautiful.

            Being the hopeless romantic she was, Lacey had recommended that he pick some flowers for the table. Something about “setting the mood,” whatever that meant. She’d even loaned him a vase from her personal collection. He’d taken her advice and filled the pearlescent pink vase with an array of wildflowers. He had to admit the arrangement looked nice at the center of the table. Julie would appreciate it, for sure.

            Kieran had also listened intently to Lacey’s advice on more romantic matters. He’d blushed his way through her tips on how to lean in for a kiss, but he took her words to heart. They’d come in handy some day, he hoped. The fairy-type specialist had sent him off with a wink and a smile. The twinkle in her eyes told him she knew exactly what he was up to.

            “Trade Day isn’t just for trading!” she’d declared passionately. “The last day of school is a prime time for couples to confess their love for each other before they’re tragically parted for the summer! It’s so romantic to make the most of those last hours together. Summer days are best spent yearning for each other until the next reunion. Wouldn’t you agree?”

            “S-sure…” he’d replied. It sounded to him like Lacey and Carmine had been trading romance manga again. But she wasn’t entirely wrong; a love confession was on the agenda today, but not in the way Lacey had in mind. He’d be doing things his way.

            Kieran sat down at the picnic table at took another sip of his soda. Furret stretched out on the grass at his trainer’s feet, resting his head on Kieran’s shoe.

            “Comfy there, friend?” Kieran teased.

            Furret squeaked contentedly. He’d missed going on picnics with his best friend. He looked up at Kieran, his long tail wagging. His person had changed a lot since he’d last seen him – notably, his hair and his attitude. But no matter what he looked like, he was still the same good human he knew and loved.

            The boy scratched his oldest partner’s ears affectionately. “Missed you too.”

            Kieran took a small notebook from his pocket and opened it. He read over his to-do list one more time.

            “Drop off the invite, check.” He smiled. That part had been the easiest to accomplish. He’d missed his late-night antics as S more than he thought. For old time’s sake, he’d snuck into the dark clubroom to slip a note into Julie’s locker.

            Julie,

            Meet me at the flower field in the Coastal Biome for a trade and a picnic at 2:00 sharp. Bring your appetite and a Pokemon to trade. I’ll be waiting.

            - S

            It had been fun to slip into his alter ego again, if only for a few sentences. But he knew all good things must come to an end. He no longer needed S to talk to Julie; he could be himself now. He didn’t need paper and pencil either, but he still loved writing to her. Given the fact he didn’t have a phone, letters would be his only option once she went home to Paldea. He’d have to pick up some more stamps at the school post office before he went home; his emergency letter to Julie had used up his entire supply. All things considered, it had been worth it.

            And if he was being honest, it was a lot more fun to be Suguri with her instead. She liked his real self better, and so did he.

            Kieran continued reading his list of completed goals.

            “Pick up snacks, drinks, and sandwich stuff, check. Put drinks in the cooler with ice packs, check. Set up table, check. Pick flowers and put them in the vase with water, check.” He paused. One goal remained unchecked on his list: trade Applin to Julie.

            “Right,” he said under his breath. “Easy. I can do this. No problem.”

            It looked like a simple enough goal on paper. But when you threw in the subtext of the gesture, it became infinitely more complicated.

            Julie was from Galar, for starters. He’d learned she’d only been in Paldea for a few months during that first picnic back home. He also knew from Carmine’s book of Galarian fairy tales that giving an Applin was viewed as a love confession. If you got one in return, supposedly you were destined to be together forever. Every tale had ended with two lovers trading Applins, followed by the sentence, “And they lived happily ever after, the end.” He’d rolled his eyes at the tired old trope as a little boy, but now he viewed the gesture a little differently.

            And then there was the fact that his ace was an Applin evolution, and one he’d discovered, no less. The coincidence was almost too perfect. He knew fairy tales were just fiction, but the more time he spent with Julie, the more he was convinced there was a kernel of truth to them.

            Thus why he was sweating bullets over this trade, hoping she’d see the true meaning behind his choice.

            Of course, there was always the option to say his intentions out loud instead. He could hear himself now: “Hi Julie, I asked you to come here to tell you one thing: I love you with my entire soul. The thought of you bein’ an ocean away makes me wanna cry. I don’t think I could stand it if I never saw you again. I don’t wanna think about spendin’ the rest of our lives apart, so I had an idea. I can’t give you my heart to take with you, so please accept this Applin. You know what that means, right? ‘Course you do - hey, don’t run away from me! I’m not goin’ off the deep end anymore, I promise!”

            He took another sip of his soda to cool his burning cheeks. He’d done right to send another letter as S for this meet-up. He sounded a lot more… composed on paper.

            His mind drifted to other topics. I wonder what she’ll trade me? His best guess was a Sprigatito kitten, or perhaps something uniquely Paldean. One of the tenets of Trade Day was to give your friends something to remember you by, after all. What better than a Pokemon from the place she’d return to tomorrow?

            He felt his chest squeeze. She’ll be gone tomorrow, and she won’t come back in the fall.

            But it wouldn’t be the last time they’d see each other. He had some peace knowing that. Julie had promised him she’d return to Kitakami for the Mask Festival this summer, and that was only a month and a half away. He’d survive for a short time apart, but after that, what then?

            If they couldn’t meet up over the holidays, it might be a whole year before they saw each other face-to-face again. Dread sunk into his bones. Arceus above, that sounded awful. It was a terrible but logical conclusion: they were champions, and they both had busy lives. He could write all the letters to her he wanted, but what if she didn’t respond? What if she forgot about him between now and then? And what if-

            The words of his counselor echoed in his mind: Don’t borrow tomorrow’s troubles today.

            He drew in a deep breath, and exhaled slowly. The storm in his mind begun to calm. Mr. de Bergerac had been quick to tell him in their last session that he got in his own way too much. It had hurt to hear it, but he knew it was true. His train of thought right now only proved his point.

            Even now, after making up with Julie, he found himself fearing the worst about their relationship. Given everything they’d been through, he should be confident that what they had was ironclad. They’d saved each other’s lives, for Arceus’s sake. But even so, there were still days where the whisper at the back of his mind told him it could all fall apart in an instant.

            …You could be wrong, y’know.

            No. I trust her. I have no reason not to. Not anymore.

            The whisper faded into silence.

            He leaned back and watched an artificial cloud pass by in the Terarium’s roof. The moment he’d been waiting for was mere minutes away, but would it play out like he hoped? He’d just have to wait and see.

            Furret sat up, ears wiggling. Something big and heavy had landed nearby. A flurry of flower petals flew into the air, followed by a mechanical roar. A familiar voice carried across the field.

            “Easy, Mirai, don’t scare everybody off.”

            The Miraidon growled lowly in response. Julie patted its head and dismounted. From what Furret could see, she was carrying some kind of bag. He sniffed the air curiously. The scent of flowers mixed with something sweet and sugary.

            Furret squeaked in delight and darted in Julie’s direction. She’d brought snacks, and he wanted them now.

            “Furret, wait!” Kieran shouted, jumping to his feet. “You’re gonna knock her over!”

            But the creature paid him no mind. His goal was right in front of him.

            “Good to see you again, Furret!” Julie laughed, watching Furret run in delighted circles around her feet. “You’re full of energy today.”

            Kieran scooped up his Pokemon. “Too much energy…calm down, buddy.”

            Furret whined in protest and wiggled in his trainer’s arms. He’d been so close to victory.

            “Can I help you with anythin’?” Kieran asked. “That bag looks heavy.”

            “I’m good,” Julie assured him. “Looks like you have your hands full with him, anyway.”

            “Yeah, true.” He gave his Pokemon a stern look. “Behave, or you aren’t eating any treats today, you understand?”

            Furret chittered in horror. That was a serious threat. He put on his best Baby-Doll Eyes for his trainer’s guest. He would be the very picture of obedience if it meant he could eat some sweets.

            Julie scratched Furret’s ears affectionately. “Aww, this guy couldn’t be trouble. Just look at that sweet face.”

            “Oh he’s sweet alright,” said Kieran. “Sweet enough to eat everythin’ off your plate if you’re not lookin’.”

            “Good thing I made plenty, then.” Julie held up her bag. “The cooking club let me borrow their oven again. I made some homemade treats for our Pokemon and a cake for us.”

            “Wowzers, that sounds amazin’!” exclaimed Kieran, eyes wide with delight. Furret squeaked and nodded vigorously in agreement.

            Julie couldn’t help but laugh. Like trainer, like Pokemon.

            The two made their way to the picnic table and set to work building a sandwich. Their Pokemon frolicked in the field, enjoying the salty air and artificial sunlight. By the time Kieran and Julie had put the finishing touches on their sandwich, their teams had worked up an impressive appetite. They took turns slicing and preparing plates for their Pokemon, then finally sat down to enjoy their own portions.

            Julie savored the first bite of her sandwich. It was as delicious as she’d hoped, and somewhat nostalgic. A fond memory came to her of a summer day gone by.

            “Somethin’ on your mind?” Kieran asked.

            She smiled. “We made the same sandwich again.”

            Kieran looked down at his portion. “Well, I’ll be. No wonder it tasted so good.”

            “Definitely.” Julie paused. “It kinda feels like a do-over, doesn’t it?”

            Kieran chewed thoughtfully, then swallowed his bite. “How so?”

            “We get to have our picnic again, but this time all the bad stuff is behind us.”

            There was a sadness in her voice that made Kieran’s heart ache. “Julie…”

            “I know, I know,” she said quickly. “It’s all in the past now. I just… couldn’t help thinking about it.”

            He placed his hand atop hers. “I get it. But don’t worry about it ok? When I said I wanted to start over from zero with you, I meant it. It… well, it sucked to go through all that, but if I really think about it, I wouldn’t change a thing.”

            Julie was stunned. “Really?”

            He nodded. “Really. If I had never met you, I’d still be hidin’ behind Sis and thinkin’ I’d be a loser forever. I was so convinced I was just a nobody, and then I met you. You were the first person I felt like I could be myself around. You saw the good in me like nobody else. I felt so happy just being with you. And…” He fidgeted with the corner of his napkin. “Even after things got bad, a part of me still wanted to see you. I thought it was just about defeatin’ you for the longest time. When I saw you in the cafeteria that day, I knew it wasn’t.”

            “Is that why you wrote the letters?”

            “Yeah. I was still mad, but I didn’t want you to hurt you. You looked so sad. I… I didn’t want you to feel like you were all alone here.”

            “I’m glad you did.” Julie lowered her eyes. “I was worried you’d hate me forever after everything that happened.”

            “No! Not at all!” Kieran said quickly. “I’m glad it was all just a big misunderstandin’. I’m glad I was wrong. I was a big jerk to you. I’m surprised you weren’t the one who hated me forever.”

            “Never!” Julie shook her head, swinging her braid with every movement. “I wanted to make things right with you. I wasn’t going to give up until I did.”

            “And you did.”

            “We took the long way around to do it, didn’t we?”

            He laughed. “Yeah, we did. But we’re here now, aren’t we?”

            “Yeah.” She laced her fingers with his. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

            “Me either.” Kieran smiled. “Thank you for not giving up on me.”

            “You’re welcome. And thank you for trusting me again.”

            A moment passed in comfortable silence. It had been a long and winding path to get to this moment, but they’d arrived here together, hand in hand.

            From Kieran’s left came the sound of a rustling foil bag, followed by crunching sounds. He frowned. So much for a romantic moment.

            “Furret no!” Kieran scolded. He took the yellow bag of chips from his Pokemon. “Those are not for you!”

            Furret squeaked unhappily. He had been enjoying those tasty potato things before he’d been so rudely interrupted.

            Kieran sighed. “Please excuse him, he has no table manners.”

            “He’s fine, don’t worry,” Julie assured him. “Clover used to do the same thing when she was a Sprigatito.”

            He looked over her shoulder to see the Meowscarada in question cozied up with his Incineroar. Those two seemed to be getting along just fine.

            Julie turned around to follow his gaze. “Oh boy… and here I was thinking she was holding a grudge after the championship match.” 

            Kieran watched as Tama nuzzled Clover. “I get the feelin’ they started over from zero, too.”

            “Guess so.” She glanced down at the egg basket by the table. Time would tell just how well the two were getting along, she supposed.

            Kieran averted his eyes and sipped his soda. At this rate, Julie might go home with two new Pokemon.

            Time passed in a blur for the young lovers. All too quickly, the golden afternoon sun faded into the warm hues of evening. They’d moved on to the dessert course after finishing their sandwiches. Kieran had never had such a delicious slice of cake, not even from Lacey’s kitchen. Julie had been happy to see him so delighted. She’d missed his smile more than words could say.

            They tidied up their table, leaving behind only their drinks. Their Pokemon dozed in the field of flowers, their bellies full and hearts at peace. They watched as the waves lapped against the sandy shore in the distance. It was a peaceful moment, and one that Julie wished could last forever. But there was no stopping the flow of time; before she knew it, she’d be getting on a plane and leaving Blueberry Academy behind for good. The thought of it brought tears to her eyes. This was the end of a chapter for her, but she wasn’t ready to close the book. There was one more thing she needed to do before she got on that plane to Paldea.

            She turned to face Kieran and put on a smile. “Well, shall we trade?”

            Kieran sat up, startled. “O-oh! Yeah, right, I was, uh, just thinkin’ about that.”

            Julie took the Love Ball from her belt, but chose to place it in her lap. Her choice of Pokeball for this trade weighed heavily on her mind. A sudden wave of anxiety washed over her. What if he thought she was coming on too strong? They’d agreed to take things slow, sure, but… that kiss on the cheek in Kitakami made her wonder if he wanted a change of pace, too.

            She folded her hands atop the Love Ball. “Do you want to go first?”

            “Sure!” His voice trembled slightly. “But I have one more thing to give you, if that’s alright.”

            “Of course. What is it?”

            He took an envelope from his wallet. There was no postage, and no markings apart from her name written in neat cursive. “Well, um, I had been meanin’ to mail you this when I was on break back home, but… well, things got a little crazy and I forgot all about it. I found it this mornin’ when I was cleanin’ up, and I wanted you to have it.”

            She took the envelope and opened it. Inside was a handwritten letter, adorned with a few sketches of Pokemon and items in the margins. There was even a small drawing of Kieran and herself near the signature at the bottom. She smiled and began to read.

            Kieran fidgeted with his hair, feeling the nervous Butterfree stirring in his stomach. It was nerve-wracking to watch her read one of his letters, especially this one. This was a more personal note than his previous missives. There was no calm and collected persona to hide behind anymore, just his awkward and vulnerable self.

            Julie came to the end of the letter. Her finger rested on the closing phrase.

            “You signed it in Kantonian,” she said quietly.

            “Oh!” Kieran realized his mistake. “I forgot-“

            She held up a hand. “Nonono, I’ve got this, I’ve been practicing.” She sounded out the syllables. “Ra-a-bu, Su-gu-ri.” She smiled brightly. “I remember that word. That’s your name.”

            “It is.” Hearing her say it with such care meant more to him than he could say.

            “What does the first word mean?”

            Kieran’s mouth went dry. “Uh, w-well, it’s borrowed from Galarian, so it’s spelled a little differently than normal.”

            “Mhm. So what is it?”

            He laced his fingers together to keep his hands from shaking. Well, here goes nothing.

            “It, uh… it means ‘love.’”

            A beat of stunned silence passed between them. Then, Julie smiled.

            “Ohhh, that makes perfect sense. I hear it now. Love, Suguri.”

            Kieran released the breath he’d been holding. “Yeah. It’s a loan word, so it doesn’t sound exactly like ‘love’ but it means the same thing.”

            The evening sunlight cast a twinkle in Julie’s eyes. “Now I know how to sign my letters to you from here on.”

            Kieran nearly fell off of his stool. “Oh! Uh, s-sure if y-you want to.”

            “I do! Besides, I want to keep practicing my Kantonian with you.” Her smile turned sad. “We won’t get to have our lunch lessons anymore, won’t we?”

            “Not until you come out to Kitakami. That’s not too long to wait, though.”

            “Yeah.” She peeked up at him over the letter. “Would it be ok if we keep writing each other like this? Like once a month, or maybe once a week?”

            It took every ounce of restraint for him not to shout for joy. “Absolutely! I was gonna ask you the same thing. I’d love to!”

            “Good. I’m glad.” Suddenly, Julie felt less self-conscious about her choice of Pokeball for this trade. “So, um, are you all ready to trade?”

            A jolt of adrenaline shot through Kieran’s veins. The time had finally come. “Y-yeah. Ready when you are.”

            Kieran watched as Julie set up the trading app on her Rotomphone. He turned the unassuming Pokeball in his hands in a feeble attempt to calm himself.

            “What’s your Trainer ID?” Julie asked.

            “070709.”

            Julie typed in the code. “You’re just a little younger than me, then. Mine’s 062409.”

            “Oh.” Kieran could already hear Drayton teasing him about being in love with an older woman. He might keep that bit of information to himself.

            A merry ding came from Julie’s phone. “All set!”

            They held up their Pokeballs toward her Rotomphone. Both capsules glowed blue, and then dissolved into squares of pixelated light. As quickly as they had disappeared, the Pokeballs reappeared in their new owner’s hands.

            Julie admired the shiny red Pokeball in her hands. It was clear Kieran had spent some time polishing it before gifting it to her. The Pokemon inside had clearly been treasured.

            Kieran stared at the pink Pokeball in his hands. The heart-shaped decoration on the lid was unmistakable. She’d caught something for him in a Love Ball, he realized through his stupor. A Love Ball.

            Julie tapped the lock button on the Pokeball to release her Pokemon. In a daze, Kieran did the same.

            Twin bursts of light emitted from the capsules. Two small spheres of energy landed upon the picnic table. They were so light that they barely disturbed the tablecloth. The light cleared from the Pokemon, revealing their true forms.

            Two identical Applins stared curiously up at their new owners.

            Julie and Kieran looked up at each other in shock, mouths agape.

            “You traded me…”

            “An Applin…wowzers.”

            A million thoughts flooded their minds. Slowly, their words trickled out.

            “His name’s Ringo, by the way,” Kieran stammered. “It means-“

            “Apple, yeah, I remember,” Julie said softly. She was still processing what she was seeing. Surely he didn’t know… right?

            “Right, uh, good job.”

            “He’s adorable.”

            “So’s yours,” The little creature nuzzled Kieran’s hand, and he patted it gently.

            “I didn’t nickname her,” she said apologetically. “I wasn’t sure what name you’d want, so…”

            “That’s alright.”

            An awkward silence fell between them. There was so much to say, but neither knew how to start.

            Julie finally found the courage to look Kieran in the eye. A rosy blush formed in her cheeks as she spoke. “I… don’t suppose you know about the Applin myth, do you?”

            A spark of hope lit within him. She knew. “Uh-huh.”

            Her eyes widened in surprise. “Wait, you do?”

            “Uh-huh.” In spite of his overheated state, he managed to form one coherent sentence. “Me and Carmine grew up readin’ fairy tales, too, y’know.”

            She considered the Applin and the boy seated across the table from her. “Wait…so…” Her voice trailed off. There was a vulnerable look in his eyes that told her everything she needed to know. He didn’t have to say the words out loud for her to understand him.

            He loves me back.

            Kieran felt a heavy weight lift off his shoulders. His message had been received loud and clear.

            She loves me back.

            For once, Kieran didn’t fight the urge at the back of his mind. He stood up, leaned across the table, and kissed Julie on the cheek, lingering a bit longer than he had in Kitakami.

            Julie touched her cheek in stunned wonder. There he went surprising her again. One minute he was a shy stammering mess, and the next he was the boldest person she knew. His eyes were bright, glowing golden as the sunset itself.

            She resigned herself happily to her fate. She was already lost in those sunshine eyes. She imagined she would be many more times in the future.

            Kieran’s words tumbled out with earnest clumsiness. “I can’t go with you to the airport tomorrow, so I figured I’d kiss you now. I hope that wasn’t too awkward for you. I’m really sorry if it was.”

            “Not at all.” Her eyes sparkled in the sunlight. “Mind if I return the favor?”

            Kieran nodded, feeling lighter than air. So this was those stories meant by ‘happily ever after.’ If the legends really were true, he had a lifetime of this to look forward to. He could hardly wait.

            “Sure.”

            The two Applins turned to face each other. Introductions would have to wait; their new trainers were a little preoccupied at the moment. They rose from their apples and sniffed each other.

            Ringo squeaked shyly at the lovely lady wyrm before him. She batted her eyes at him. Love was in the air, and not just for the humans.

            They bumped snouts and chirped happily. This was the start of a beautiful relationship.

**