Chapter Text
“So, now that you’ve graduated, what are you gonna do now?” Juliana asked. She sat down on the citrus colored bed and looked up at the young man in front of her. He looked away from her with his solemn teal eyes that she loved gazing into.
“I’m going to Sinnoh to look for my old man. Try and get some answers.” Arven turned towards his Mabosstiff and gave it a scratch behind the ears. It let out a raspy woof. “Based on the journals down in the zero lab, it seems he left for Sinnoh to try and find Dialga and Palkia. With that info, he’s probably attempting to study the properties of space and time. So, I’m headed there first. Arceus knows if he’s still out there.”
“Then I’m going with you.”
“Don’t.” Arven looked over at Juliana and pointed his finger at her. “This is my own family drama, not yours. You don’t need to get yourself involved in an adventure this time. I’m just a broken man trying to piece everything together with my family before I can move on with my life.”
“Arven, that’s a whole other region by yourself. And a pretty huge one, at that. Even so, are you prepared to meet him after what all went down back in the crater?” There was a long pause and the air felt stiff. Juliana stood up from the bed and locked eyes with Arven. There was the sound of a clock ticking and the faintness of breath. “I’m worried about you. You’re one of my best friends! We’ve been through so much together and I’m not ready to be away from you for who knows how long.”
Juliana pouted. Mabosstiff lowered its head and whimpered, as if it was also begging for Juliana to come along. Arven sighed and caved in.
“Alright, pal. But only because you’re my best friend.”
A week passed and they left Paldea together for their journey. For about six months, the two of them traveled across Sinnoh; they climbed Mount Coronet, ventured through Eterna forest, and visited a variety of towns and cities. During those six months they camped under the stars, shared meals, befriended new Pokemon, and learned new things about each other.
“And that’s what started my love for cooking,” Arven explained. He grabbed a spoon and stirred it in the pot that was over the campfire.
“Wow! And you learned so much in such a small amount of time! I wish I could cook even a fraction as good as you do.” Juliana scratched the back of her neck sheepishly. “I only know how to make sandwiches.”
“I can teach you some basics. Here.” Arven grabbed Juliana’s hand and put a knife in her grasp. From there, he guided her hand to cut up various vegetables as well as stir the stew he started. Juliana’s face felt warm and she couldn’t tell if it was because Arven was up against her back or if it was from the fire or both.
The night went on and the two enjoyed the most delicious stew Juliana ever had in her entire life. Afterwards, they looked up at the stars and drew different constellations of various Pokémon in the sky with their fingers. Juliana tried to get closer to the young man, with her stomach full of Butterfrees and her heart that pounded like a Rillaboom’s drum. Those six months together truly were absolute bliss. That is, until they finally found the professor in a lab secluded somewhere.
Arven and Juliana stepped inside of the lab. There were all sorts of books and research materials scattered about. Machines beeped and containers of liquid bubbled. And in the corner of the room was a man with a lab coat and dark hair, hunched over at a desk.
“Are you professor Turo?” Arven demanded.
“Yes, and you are?” The older man asked.
“You’re not an AI, right? You are a real person?” Juliana interrupted. She peeked out from behind Arven and walked up to the professor, looking him up and down.
Turo gave Juliana a weird look. “No, I’m not an AI.”
Arven shook his head and answered Turo’s question. “I’m Arven, your son that you left behind years ago.”
“I never had a son. Anyways, carry on, I’m busy with my research right now” Turo replied. He turned back to his various books and papers before him.
“Do you remember a woman named Sada?” Arven asked. Turo stiffened.
“That woman,” there was coldness in the professor’s voice, “I left her over a decade ago when she went mad over a portal that led to the past. We used to work together back in Paldea.”
“Well, she was my mother. She’s dead now and you’re my father.”
“So why are you here? What do you want?” Turo turned back towards Arven.
“I want answers. Why did you leave?” Arven was inches away from the professor, with his hands balled up in fists.
“I told you. She went mad and I didn’t want to stay. We disagreed and so I left.”
“So you just abandoned your only son?” Juliana interjected. Her dark eyes pierced up at Turo’s. She matched Arven’s stance.
“I never wanted a family. Only research and progress. And that woman hindered it. Now, if all you are here is to interrogate me on family matters, you can now leave. There’s nothing more to say. Carry on.” Turo gestured his hand in dismissal. “I have more important matters to attend to, and work isn’t going to do itself.”
“You’re an asshole,” Arven grumbled. “And a sorry excuse for a father. Thanks for nothing.” He took his arm across one of the counters and considered pushing all the research materials onto the floor. He decided against it and left the lab, slamming the door behind him.
“Arven, wait!” Juliana called out to him. She placed her hand on his forearm and looked up at him in concern. “A-are you alright?”
“Let’s go back home to Paldea. I’m done here.”
“Hey, Arven,” she tugged at his arm, “You don’t need to worry about them anymore. Instead of pursuing information on your parents, why don’t you pursue your own dreams instead?”
“What dreams?” Arven stared back at her.
“Well, you like cooking, right? And you even did lots of research on special types of ingredients used to heal Pokémon! Surely there’s something perfect out there for you!”
“Yeah, I suppose so.” He glanced back at the lab once more, then turned his head back forward. “Let’s go home.”
Several months passed since the meeting with Turo, when Arven received a notice addressed to him from somewhere located in Kalos. He told both Nemona and Penny as soon as he opened it, and they were both overjoyed at the great news for their friend. Arven decided it would be best for him to talk to Juliana privately about the matter, though; he told the others to keep it a secret until he had discussed it with her himself.
“What’s up?” Juliana asked when she arrived to meet up with him.
“I received this letter the other day. I was offered an internship in Kalos to work under the head chef and elite four member, Siebold.”
“That’s amazing, Arven! You’ve always enjoyed cooking, so I think that would be perfect for you!” Juliana said with a grin. “Maybe you can introduce herba mystica to the cuisine of Kalos.”
“I can suggest that, yeah,” Arven paused. He crossed his arms and looked off to the side. “Listen, Juliana. I was considering what you told me, about going on to pursue my own goals and dreams. So, I’m going to do just that. I’m going to take that internship and go to Kalos. But you need to do the same and find your own dreams to pursue. You can’t keep chasing after me forever. You need to let me go and move on.”
“But Arven! I want to stay by your side. What I want is to continue going to journeys together with you. I love being with you. I love you!” She blurted the words out and covered her mouth with her hands.
“I know. But this is why I’m letting you go now. I don’t want to lead you on. You can find someone better out there.”
“But I don’t want someone better, I want you!” Juliana sniffled. Hot tears began to form in her eyes and rolled down her soft cheeks. She clenched her fists tightly. Her body trembled and there was a tight feeling in her chest. Her vision blurred while the room spun. She sunk down onto the citrus bedspread. Why am I still fighting this? I know he doesn’t feel the same. And yet, just yet, I can’t help but hold onto just a little hope that he might change his feelings.
“Jules. Pal.” He sat down next to her and pulled her close with his arm. “It’s going to be okay. But I’m sorry, I don’t love you the same way you love me. I mean, heck, my parents didn’t really love each other and were barely ever around. I didn’t have a role model on how to love properly. But even still, you’re like a little sister to me.”
“A little sister?” She sniffled. Arven gave her head a pat and hugged her tightly.
“Yes. And I know that you’re strong. You faced titan Pokémon countless times, defeated Geeta and gained champion rank status, and even went to Area Zero and back alive. If there’s one person who can do anything they dream of, it’s you.”
“Anything except getting to love you,” Juliana mumbled.
“Take care, okay pal? As your absolute best friend, I’ll always support your dreams.”
Juliana opened her eyes to her dark room. It was only illuminated by the little slivers of moonlight that peeked through her blinds. Why was I dreaming about that? It happened over a year ago. She rolled over and grabbed her rotom phone from the nightstand next to her. The time read 4:12 a.m. Ugh. I need to be up in less than three hours from now. She got up from her bed and went out into the kitchen for a glass of water.
As she walked out from her room, Juliana noticed that Nemona’s bedroom door was open and empty. She must still be caught up at the league doing work. In the past year, Larry had retired from the elite four and Geeta offered the open position to both Juliana and Nemona. It just so happened to work out that Nemona was dying to get the job, and Juliana wanted nothing to do with battling or being a part of the league. It surprised both Geeta and Nemona that Juliana declined such an offer, but it was shrugged off.
Juliana gulped down her glass of water and placed the empty cup in the sink. Any lingering dishes would be saved for her to worry about tomorrow. She crawled back under the covers and fell back asleep while her Meowscarada curled up on the floor at the foot of her bed. I wonder how Arven has been doing.