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With her first school year behind her, Juliana had ample time on her hands to unwind. She excitedly packed her things, hopped on Miraidon and drove home. Flying in a snowstorm didn’t seem like the brightest idea, but neither did walking. Driving it was then. Not for the first time, she bemoaned the lack of options for her uniform. The winter winds chewed through her flimsy jacket like it was made of paper, making her shudder so hard her bones hurt.
Miraidon sped down the road, kicking up clods of snow. It was around one particular bend that something caught her eye. Instinctively, her grip tightened on Miraidon’s handlebars. He skidded to a halt, nostrils flaring.
“Mabosstiff?” she called out.
The hulking Pokémon on the side of the road swung its massive head toward her and let out a deep, throaty bark. It was Mabosstiff - Arven’s Mabosstiff, to be exact. The wild ones were a lot more aggressive, and Arven’s was the biggest softie she’d met. His large saucer eyes practically lit up as she approached.
What was he doing out here all alone? It had only been a few months since his recovery. No one - other than perhaps Professor Turo and Heath, the Violet Book’s author - knew anything about the Herba Mystica and its medicinal properties. Though Heath claimed the herbs were a panacea, there wasn’t a guarantee. All they could do was hope the effects were permanent.
She made to jump down from Miraidon when she heard the heavy crunch of footsteps in the distance. A figure was trudging up the road from the lighthouse. Fine strands of salt-and-pepper colored hair blew in the wind, and a thick brown jacket was zipped up to their chin. Mabosstiff wagged his tail faster than she thought possible, racing to meet them. Arven knelt down to wrap him in a hug, laughing. The sight warmed her heart.
Miraidon pulled up beside them and chirped by way of greeting. His throat-treads sparked with electricity, illuminating the road in yellow.
Arven threw up an arm to shield his eyes from the harsh glow. “Hey, guys. I thought I saw you there. On your way home?”
“Yeah,” Juliana said. “What about you?”
While the lighthouse was technically his home, Arven didn’t much care for it. She couldn’t blame him. It was a place filled with years of painful memories he’d rather forget.
Arven patted his backpack. “Had some reading to do. And Mabosstiff needed to stretch his legs.”
As if in agreement, Mabosstiff barked.
Her eyes rounded. “You came all the way down here for books?”
His sigh clouded in the air between them like a disgruntled Ghastly. “Hey, not all of us can breeze through our exams without studying.” He hugged his arms to his chest and shivered.
Arven had missed so many classes trying to save Mabosstiff’s life that he kinda failed the semester. Even if he had aced his exams, his absences were enough to set him back. He hadn’t said a word about his predicament to his teachers at the time, even though it might have helped his case. Perhaps he thought they wouldn’t take him seriously, considering he was chasing a legend from a book many dismissed as fiction. Whatever the case, she wasn’t about to stay silent after everything he’d done for her. So Juliana confided in Director Clavell about the issue after the dust had settled.
The director just put his head in his hands and went quiet for a long, long time. “I see. Thank you for letting me know,” was all he’d said.
Arven came knocking at her dorm a few days later. An arrangement of sorts had been made. In exchange for scoring well on his finals and completing some other assignments the teachers had given him, Arven would be able to take next term’s classes, if he so wished. She smiled as he explained how the director had said that his exemplary behavior within Area Zero should be commended.
“I don’t think I did anything all that special, though,” he’d said. “But man, there’s a lot of catching up to do.”
Juliana tugged her beanie down over her ears and said, “Get on.”
“I’ve hiked in worse conditions, it’s fine.”
“This isn’t a hike!” She slid forward, patting the empty space behind her. “Come on. Look at Mabosstiff, the poor thing’s shivering.”
His Pokémon leaned against his leg, trembling. Guilt flashed over Arven’s face. “Oh man. I’m sorry, bud.” He returned his Pokémon to his Poké Ball and stared down at it, looking like he was considering walking back to the academy despite her protests. To her relief, he eventually climbed onto Miraidon. “Thanks.”
“Hold on to something, Miraidon’s treads sometimes slip over ice.” Juliana turned them around, preparing for the drive back to Uva. Stinging snow whipped into their faces.
Her Pokémon’s claws dug into the ground as if to mentally brace himself for takeoff.
Arven had to yell to be heard over the rising winds. “Are you sure? It’s getting really bad!”
Uva wasn’t too far away, but it was an uphill drive in inclement weather, and the winds were growing even stronger, making Miraidon unsteady on his feet. She glared up at the darkening sky, swollen with storm clouds. Shivering so hard her teeth chattered, she turned them back around. “We’ll have to wait it out,” she said. “Hang on!”
Miraidon streaked down the road. The sudden momentum sent Arven crashing into her back; his arms tightened around her middle.
Juliana recalled the time he’d grabbed her arm as Miraidon leapt down into the Great Crater. The dizzying rush that accompanied their descent, the way her stomach fluttered at the wide smile Arven tossed her. A smile she’d never seen before: bright with pure, unadulterated excitement.
Ever since, those feelings kept rushing back whenever he was around. It was like her body was constantly about to enter free-fall. It was maddening.
She concentrated on driving, though, knowing one wrong turn could send the three of them flying. The lighthouse blurred past like a discarded memory.
“This isn’t what I thought you meant by wait it out,” Arven said when they finally reached her home.
“We’re not holing ourselves up in some cave,” Juliana told him. She raced up to her front door after returning Miraidon to his ball. If it hadn’t been so cold out, she would’ve suggested they retire to a cave. His sandwiches were improving a lot. “Kick the snow off your shoes unless you want my mom throwing her sandals at you.”
The door swung open. “What was that, dearie?” Her mother arched an eyebrow, amusement sparkling in her eyes.
“Mom!” Juliana wrapped her in a hug.
“Welcome home. I hear you’ve been pretty busy,” she said in a knowing tone. Juliana’s smile twitched. Right, she hadn’t exactly kept her up-to-date on everything. Whoops. “Is this one of your friends?”
Arven looked up from the welcome mat, which he was currently using to clean off his shoes, and nodded. “Nice to meet you. We, uh, we go to Uva.”
“It’s nice to meet you too. Now come inside, it’s freezing.” As soon as the door closed behind them, trapping them in cozy warmth, Juliana sighed happily and rubbed her cold hands together.
“I didn’t count on a guest tonight, so I apologize for the mess. You’re more than welcome to stay for dinner. I imagine this storm won’t let up anytime soon.” She pulled a couple of mugs down from the cabinets and set them on the countertop. With a hand on her hip, she said, “Arven, was it? You don’t happen to be related to Professor Turo, do you? I was told one of the students at Uva was his son.”
Arven averted his gaze. “That would be me.”
While he busied himself with setting his pack down on the floor, Juliana subtly shook her head at her mom, whose mouth formed a small ‘o’. Her gaze flitted toward Arven, then back to Juliana, a silent conversation happening between them. Don’t mention his dad, got it, her expression seemed to say. “Sit down and I’ll make you two some hot chocolate.”
Arven looked completely out of his element as they settled down across from each other at the table. She supposed it was rather surreal. “So Nemona mentioned that she lives next door,” he began.
“She does. That huge mansion is her place.”
He shook his head with disbelief. “I still can’t believe how filthy rich her family is. Then again, she totally seems the type.”
“She can be a bit out of touch -”
“A bit?”
That made her smile fondly. Down in the Great Crater, her friend had been so jazzed about the prospect of battling Miraidon someday (while they were discussing its potential trauma) that even Penny had found her comments a little insensitive.
“Nemona’s got a good head on her shoulders,” Juliana said. “I don’t understand why you don’t like her.”
“I never said I don’t like her. She’s just… a lot.”
Juliana shrugged helplessly and said, “Okay, maybe a little. But she’s sweet. I would’ve felt so lost on my first day at Uva if she hadn’t been there to show me the ropes.”
She half-expected him to counter with something like She did a lot more than show you the ropes, but he said nothing. Juliana took that to mean he was slowly warming up to her and continued. “I think she wants to succeed La Primera some day.”
That earned her a wry smile. “Of course she does. Her brain is filled with nothing but Pokémon battles.”
“And yours is nothing but picnicking.”
“Okay guys, here you are,” Juliana’s mom interrupted, setting a pair of steaming mugs down on the table. Puffs of whipped cream floated on the surface, slowly melting into rich, decadent chocolate. Steam curled sweetly into the air. Juliana’s mouth watered.
When Arven didn’t move to grab one, Juliana pushed them toward him. “What’ll it be? A Skwovet with a chipped tail for a handle, or an Eevee with a badly painted ribbon?”
He stared a second too long at the Skwovet, immediately giving himself away. Their fingers brushed as he took it from her. “Does this make me predictable?”
“Only a little.”
“Thank you,” he told her mom, dipping his head. “You didn’t have to.”
She waved off his comment. “Nonsense, I wanted to. Alright, enjoy. I have to get back to work. Dinner’s in an hour so don’t spoil your appetite with too many snacks.”
With that, she headed upstairs. They listened to the sound of her footsteps fading, sipping their hot chocolate in comfortable silence. Juliana’s shoulders relaxed as warmth seeped into her.
“Better than huddling in a cave?” she teased, eyeing him over the rim of her mug.
“Since when did I suggest that? But… Yeah.”
She could tell he was brimming with questions, but seemed uncertain whether it was polite to ask them. Every so often she’d catch the way his gaze snagged on the photo of her and her mom near the foyer. His attention bounced around the place, as if searching for clues into her family situation, a furrow deepening between his brows when all he found were oil paintings.
“My dad’s out of the picture,” she said casually, hoping to put him at ease.
He looked up at her with faint surprise.
“Said he felt like he was destined for greater things. He left one night without a word.”
‘That’s horrible,” he said.
Juliana shrugged. “Yeah. Mom’s been the sole breadwinner ever since.” She drummed a rhythm on the ceramic, needing a distraction. “She writes gardening manuals.”
“Really?”
She nodded. “Not to brag or anything, but they’re in our bookstore.”
The teachers at Uva only allowed certain texts for their catalog. It made her proud to know her mom’s knowledge was so highly regarded. She suspected that was partially why Director Clavell was so intrigued by her. Despite not having gone to school herself, her mom had accrued an impressive wealth of knowledge about the affects of flowers on Pokémon and their moods.
“I think there’s one of hers in my – in the lighthouse,” he said, adding with a touch of acid, “Has your dad found this so-called destiny he was looking for?”
Juliana’s fingers stilled. “I don’t know.”
He snorted. “Figures.”
Was this even a good time to broach the subject? It was evident he wasn’t really handling everything that had happened with his dad all that well, despite his best efforts. But every time it was brought up, Arven always changed the topic, claiming he was fine. She was afraid that, one day, bottling it all up might break him.
She went for it.
“Back in Area Zero, I found a photo on your dad’s desk. Of you and Mabosstiff.” She took out her Rotom phone to show him. “I didn’t know when the best time to tell you was, but it’s yours if you want it.”
Arven’s lips thinned as he stared down at the screen.
Panic flooded her. She really should’ve thought this through before she’d opened her mouth.
But Arven just handed her back her phone before sagging back into his chair with a sigh. “Man, he could’ve at least tried to talk to me. Just once. Even if he wasn’t exactly my dad then.”
“I’m sure he wanted to.”
Wanted to, but didn’t. The unspoken words hung heavy between them, and Juliana nervously sipped her drink.
Arven’s voice was quiet. “Does yours ever call?”
“He used to on Christmas, but I haven’t heard from in like, seven years.”
He let out a low whistle. “I hope he never finds what he set out for.” Arven set his empty mug down on the table and said, “Can you send that to me?”
“Of course.”
She didn’t point out that he could’ve done so himself. Maybe he wanted it to feel more personal by having someone else share the photo with him. Juliana couldn’t help but glance up at him as she sent it to him. He had called her his best friend down in the Great Crater, in that over-confident yet timid way of his, like he was trying so hard to convince himself that it was true. That he did have friends or someone who cared about him, when for so long he’d been alone. The other students were afraid to approach him; he was either grumbling about something or scowling at the world. But the second she needed help, he was there. He was steadfast as the mountain ranges they’d climbed together, never crumbling under pressure. It hurt to know he thought no one considered him a friend. It was time she fixed that.
She sent him a second text.
His eyes widened as he read the message.
Juliana: Wanna take photos on our next picnic?
She took the last sip of her hot chocolate while he typed out a response, relishing the sugary flavor.
Arven watched her as she opened it, fighting back a smug grin.
Arven: If u wanted a background photo of me all you had to do was ask, bud.
Juliana held up her phone and said, “Then say cheese, you big dork.”
He barely had a chance to react before the flash went off. She laughed at the dumbfounded expression on his face, turning her phone around for him to see. He guffawed, turning an amusing shade of pink before lunging for her phone. She easily evaded him. Then he was taking photos of her with his own phone, and she was ducking under the table to escape, squealing with laughter as he chased her into the kitchen, snapping photo after photo. She took more of him in retaliation.
“You have to delete those,” he said between laughs.
“No way,” she said, briefly showing him her latest masterpiece: a blurry, unrecognizable blur of his hair and brown jacket. “You look just like a Skwovet.”
“Please, I’m much prettier.”
She snapped another photo of him point-blank. “You sure about that?”
Arven's hand caught her wrist, gently reeling her in. “You tell me.”
Juliana forgot words. They died on her tongue like the last snowflakes drying in his hair. Face aflame, she averted her gaze, all too conscious of the warmth of his skin on hers, the way her pulse pounded in her eardrums.
“How can you see with those bangs in the way?” she blurted.
“I don’t. The price of beauty is pain, as they say.”
Up close, Juliana noticed small details about him as if for the first time. Details she’d never given a second glance before. Now they were all too mesmerizing: the little indent in his chin, the thick set of lashes fringing his eyes, a muted green clear as the scales of a Cyclizar; and the curl of his hair against the sharper planes of his cheekbones, softening his features. He was pretty. But admitting that would only feed his already bloated ego.
“Hold still,” she said, freeing her wrist to retrieve one of the clothesline clips her mom kept in a drawer. Juliana smoothed back his silken hair and slid the clip in place, revealing the entirety of his face. It made something in her somersault. “There,” she said, patting him lightly on the cheek, “much better.”
He scowled, looking more and more like a sullen Skwovet. A much prettier one. Maybe there was something to the whole ‘People look like their Pokémon’ line after all.
She snapped another photo while he was busy examining his new look on his phone camera. “I don’t know. I look much cooler with the whole mystery vibe going on.” He glanced at her suddenly, assessing. “You don’t happen to be good at math, do you?”
“You’re gonna take the finals then?”
He shrugged. “May as well. Unless you’d rather I wind up in the same class as you next term.”
Julianna’s jaw dropped. “Why would we be in the same class?” Though she’d tested into a more advanced course than what Uva had originally recommended, Arven should be too far ahead of her for them to share a math class. He was her senior by at least two years. Unless…
He winced.
“Oh.” Juliana took a good look at him, and he glumly held her gaze. “You must be dreadfully bad at math then.”
He let out an exasperated sigh. “You don’t have to say it like that! Why do you think I asked for your help with the Titans?”
“Because you can’t work with Nemona.”
He balked at her. “No! I mean – yes, but no.”
“I’m kidding, I’m kidding. When are your exams due?”
“Anytime before the next term.”
Wow, that was a lot of leeway. She thought they’d want them done as soon as possible. She wondered what his teachers had said when Director Clavell had told them the truth about his many absences.
Juliana worried her bottom lip between her teeth, mulling over his options. She was surprised to find his gaze tracking the movement. “How bad at math are we talking here?” she asked.
“Bad enough,” he grumbled, looking decidedly at anywhere but her.
“It’s cuz you can’t see with all that hair in the way,” she said as he removed the clip, letting the fall of his bangs sweep back into place. “Do you have a textbook? We can run through some problems together.”
Arven wasn’t exaggerating about being bad at math.
She stared at his work in silent horror, hoping her expression didn’t give her away. It was perplexing, to say the least. When Arven wasn’t picnicking, his nose was stuck in a book, as if consumed by the need to learn as much as possible. She’d always thought he was one of the top students at Uva. Then again, Mr. Saguaro had roasted his cooking in Home Ec, albeit unintentionally. Poor Arven looked like he wanted the floor to swallow him up that day.
“There,” he said proudly, handing her his paper with a self-satisfied flourish. “I got it this time.”
Juliana stared at his answer. Then stared some more, flabbergasted. “Why did you divide?”
“Because that’s what you’re supposed to do, silly. See,” he tapped his temple. “I listen.”
Well, that was one mystery solved. No wonder he didn’t do well at battling. He didn’t even have the basics down. Juliana said, as kindly as possible, “When you hit a Pokémon with a move it’s weak to, the damage is increased.”
“Duh. I know that.”
So then why did you divide?! “Let’s try this.” Juliana began writing out a second problem for him. “Say Mabosstiff encounters a Lokix…”
Juliana’s mom came down the stairs to start dinner, yawning, and paused at the table, a strange look on her face as she watched them. Arven was staring dejectedly down at a pile of paper scattered over the table, while Juliana was writing down a list of things he needed to review.
“Why are you studying?” She eventually asked. “School’s over.”
“What’s one more repeat, huh?” Arven suddenly said, stuffing all of his papers into his textbook. “I can use a refresher!”
“I’ll never picnic with you again if you quit,” Juliana threatened, holding up her red pen.
Arven gaped at her like she’d called his sandwiches bland.
Juliana’s mom chuckled to herself. “Do you like chili pepper, Arven?”
The drive back to Uva was peaceful. Cold, but peaceful.
Arven said goodbye to her mom, then sat down on Miraidon, facing the opposite direction so he could stare up at the stars. “You’re going to fall,” Juliana warned, easing them down the road.
“Penny didn’t fall.”
“That’s because Penny was holding on for dear life. You, meanwhile, dragged me over the edge of the ramp. I thought I was going to die.”
Arven laughed, then choked off at the glare she threw him over her shoulder. “What? I didn’t drop you!”
“Just turn around please, or I’ll make you walk all the way back.”
With a dramatic groan, Arven did as she asked, reluctantly setting his hands on her hips. “Isn’t this a little, I don’t know…”
“A little what?”
“Forget I said anything,” he muttered.
Miraidon didn’t speed down Poco Path like earlier. He drove at a leisurely pace, allowing them both to admire the scenery. The moon peeked through the cloud covering, painting the snow banks a silvery blue. Juliana breathed in the crisp winter air. It traveled through her like ice, making her skin pucker with gooseflesh. It probably wouldn’t do anything, but she resolved to speak with Director Clavell about their uniforms. There had to be something warmer for them to wear.
Then again, it was her fault she hadn’t changed into something more weather appropriate while she was home.
“Hey, could you stop for a sec?” Arven asked out of nowhere, pulling her out of her thoughts.
She parked beside the path that led down to the beach where she’d first met Miraidon. Her partner was gazing down at the choppy waters through slitted eyes. She smiled at him when their gazes locked, and he rumbled happily in reply.
“Here,” Arven said, unzipping his jacket. His breath steamed between them.
“Whoa, wait. It’s literally freezing,” she protested, shaking her head.
He gave her an arch look. “And you’re dressed for fall, my dude.”
“But won’t you be cold?”
Arven set the jacket down on her lap. “I can literally see you shivering. Just put it on. Can’t have you dying on me now.”
“I’m fine, really.” Arven glared. She glared back. “I appreciate it, but it’s not that far and - hey!”
Her vision went black as he tugged her beanie down over her eyes. “Yes, yes, and you wouldn’t let me walk back to my dorm cuz you were worried. Just let me do something for you for a change.”
“You’ve done plenty,” she said, pushing her beanie back, only to falter when she caught the look on his face. “I didn’t mean that I don’t want your help,” she sputtered, regretting everything.
He smiled wistfully, fingers picking at a loose thread on his sleeve. “Y’know, when I went searching for my dad with Mabosstiff in the Great Crater and he got hurt, I…” he broke off, shaking his head. “I really thought he wasn’t gonna make it.”
Juliana’s breath hitched. She remembered the way her stomach dropped when she’d stumbled across a Houndstone en route to tackle a Titan with him. All she could think was: what if he loses Mabosstiff? How do you even comfort someone who’s already beginning to grieve, yet still holding onto hope?
Arven took a deep breath. His nose was pink with the cold. “How am I supposed to repay you?”
“There’s nothing to repay,” she said, placing a hand over his in what she hoped was a comforting gesture. “You said it yourself: we’re best buds. I would’ve helped you regardless.”
His smile was a cracked, broken thing. “Okay, so can’t I help out my best bud too?”
Realization dawned on her. She was so used to assisting others that she didn’t know how to accept any in return. And right now, that’s what he was trying to do. Not out of any sense of obligation or repayment, but simply because it was what friends did. “I’m such an idiot.”
“Yeah,” he laughed. “But it’s okay. I’m an idiot too,” he added proudly, like it was a badge of honor.
She raised an eyebrow at him. “Lots of people aren’t great at math. Don’t worry, I’ll make sure you pass.”
“Would it be so bad if I retook a course?” he said hopefully.
“Yes, because I can teach you all you need to know. Do you want to be held back again? I heard you say something about a previous repeat!” With a flustered huff, Juliana reached for the handlebar. Miraidon’s tail impatiently knocked over a tiny snowman. “Any more stops before we head back?”
“Nah. Just one thing.” He leaned forward. Juliana swore her pulse kicked into overdrive as his shadow engulfed her. Warmth radiated off him like a furnace. His hair tickled her cheek, smelling faintly of hot chocolate, as he draped his jacket over her shoulders and straightened out the collar. The unintentional brush of his knuckle against her jaw made her tense. What was wrong with her? He was always slinging an arm around her shoulders or clapping her on the back for a job well done, and she’d been perfectly at ease then. Happy, even. Now, his nearness had her nerves firing on all synapses.
“Oh, and Juliana.”
“Yes?”
His eyes glittered with mischief. “Say cheese.”
A flash blinded her. She blinked away black dots, stunned.
“There we go. Now I have one of you.” He beamed. “Can’t believe you didn’t see that coming, hah.”
Juliana’s face felt like it was on fire. “Hey, that’s not fair. I didn’t get any good ones of you!”
“Liar,” he snorted. “I saw you try to sneak one. It’s okay, I forgive you.” He flicked her on the nose, making her jump. “We’ll take more on our next picnic.”
She slid her arms into the sleeves. If he insisted she wear it, she’d wear it then. It smelled like him, all pine needles and wood-smoke. Turning back onto the road, she said, “Pass your finals and I’ll take you where you want to go. Deal?”
Arven swore something under his breath. “Okay, fine. Deal. But I get to choose where we go!”
“I just said you get to choose,” she laughed, rounding a curve.
“Oh,” he said, lapsing into awkward silence. “I knew that.”