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It was another busy day at the restaurant. While his more experienced chefs were preparing meals for the hungry customers, Arven was guiding the new employees. Despite his fierce look to some, Arven was an understanding and patient mentor. He too was once in their position- inexperienced and strictly by the books, so he encouraged his staff to make mistakes. After refreshing the new staff on their new autumn menu, he was called to the front of the house.
“Sir, you have a special guest waiting for you.”
Arven left the group to familiarise themselves with the flavours and presentation of his carefully curated menu. As soon as he left the kitchen, he noticed a familiar brunette standing by the door, a summer dress illuminated by the light.
“J-Julie?” He stammered, fingers brushing his face to make sure he still didn’t have any flour on him.
“The one and only~” She gave him a tight hug. Juliana could figure out what he was cooking- sage, onions, chanterelles…
“Trying to guess what we’re making?”
Juliana let go to look him in the eyes. A coy smirk was plastered on the ash-blonde’s face. Juliana studied his face carefully. She couldn’t give him the satisfaction of tricking her again. Her eyes fell onto the small speck of flour on his black apron.
“I smell chanterelles…” Juliana started. Arven nodded with a grin, egging her on to continue.
“Uh…and sage,” She pokes his shoulder, “With some flour…”
“How did that get there?” He lied, trying his best to conceal a smile.
“Chanterelle ravioli?” She raised an eyebrow with a smirk.
Arven quickly shushed her. He looked around the restaurant, making sure that no customer heard her.
“I’m working on it, for our new menu. It’s still in development hell. I just can’t bring out its flavours,” He paused, “What gave it away?”
Juliana shrugged “Just a hunch.” She replied coolly.
Juliana pulled out a crisp envelope from her jacket’s pocket and handed it to Arven. The writing on the front was written in a small, round and neat font. Arven looked at the envelope and then at Juliana.
“Our little girl is surviving out in the wild-”
Juliana raised an eyebrow “Of course.”
“She’s doing fine! Oh thank goodness…” Arven let out a loud sigh of relief.
Juliana rolled her eyes and took him outside to read the letter. The two sat at one of the wooden tables, underneath a large indigo parasol. Juliana carefully opened the envelope, thinking about keeping it as a memento of their daughter’s first steps on her treasure hunt. Inside the parcel was a letter and a laminated photo. Juliana smiled fondly at the photo Piper took before handing it to her husband. It was a photo of Piper with not just Ting-Lu, but also a Larvesta and a Snover. The four of them were posed in front of a picnic set with a neatly stacked sandwich on the purple clothed table.
“That sandwich looks like it’s going to fall over.” Arven remarked.
“That’s the first thing you noticed?” Juliana laughed.
Arven reached over to pick up the letter “Well, that and Piper’s new friends. Isn’t it great Julie?”
Juliana nodded. It was a great step forward for their daughter to have already encountered two Pokémon, from two different areas, on her first week of her hunt! To think that their child willingly braced the extreme cold and the extreme heat in such a short time, it truly was a remarkable feat! Juliana couldn’t help but remember her first Pokémon that she ever caught. She initially struggled for the ball to actually hit the wild Tarountula, but that’s how all trainers started and eventually, it was all second nature.
Upon looking closely at the photo, Juliana noticed small scratches on Piper’s hands and legs. As a mother, she worried for Piper’s safety and would want her to take better care of herself. On the other hand, as a trainer, Juliana could understand her daughter. She remembered that burst of excitement she felt every time she came across a new landmark, registered a new Pokémon in her Pokédex, and defeated her first gym. It was a feeling she dearly missed so much.
“Arceus, I feel old.” She muttered underneath her breath.
“Feeling nostalgic?” Asked Arven.
Was the word nostalgic? It was somewhere around there for certain, but it was also a strong desire to relive her experience. To run free without any predictability…
“Yeah,” She replied softly, “She must be having so much fun.”
Arven nodded in understanding. He knew Juliana had a lot on her plate for the past several months. She’s been working with Nemona to start Paldea’s own Battle Frontier to encourage trainers to challenge themselves. Every night she would come home completely exhausted from the tremendous amounts of planning and the back to back meetings. Yet she came back home with a bright smile, proclaiming that she’s a step closer to her dream goal. Arven was happy for her, of course, but also thought she deserved a well earned break.
“Well…you have been working so hard lately. What if…I took over for you, for a bit?- if you want, I mean.”
“You mean-”
Arven nodded. He had trustworthy staff that he knew could run the restaurant while he was gone, so the only challenge was meeting Nemona’s expectations. And even if he failed, as long as Juliana was happy, then it was okay with him.
Juliana looked up and into his cerulean eyes to make sure he wasn’t messing with her. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Was he really okay with putting aside his own desires to make her own dreams come true? Juliana’s heart was touched by his selflessness. She leaned up to his cheek to peck him gently.
“You’re the best Arven!”
Arven blushed. He gingerly touched the spot where he got kissed. Now it was his turn to feel slightly nostalgic. It was like their first date all over again.
“A date…huh? We haven’t gotten a proper chance to spend time together.” He thought to himself. He inwardly shook his head with a smile “No matter, I’ll prepare the most extravagant date for her when she gets back! That means working on my pasta pescatore! Yes, yes, of course. I can only use the finest ingredients, they must be the catch of the day. Then I’ll have to book an appropriate location for the two of us. I don’t need Miraidon interrupting us just like during our treasure hunt. And then, I’ll find the best bottle of wine and…what else?”
Juliana gave him a weird look. She tugged on his collar to snap him out of his inner monologue.
“H-huh? Oh uh, Julie! Did you say something?” He asked innocently.
“It looked like you were deep in thought. I wanted to make sure you were alright.”
How sweet, Arven thought to himself. He replied by shaking his head.
Juliana put on a playful smile. “Good, I didn’t want you to miss me too much.” She winked.
“I’ll try not to.” He snorted.
The couple sat quietly underneath the umbrella for another hour or so, without worrying about their own personal matters. If they could spend time together, then that was enough, their own responsibilities could be dealt with later. The two looked back on how far they came. From the start of their adventures, through trial and tribulations and until now. It was a momentous achievement in one’s life, one they would never regret. And now, it was their turn to witness it happen through their daughter. The two couldn’t be happier…
No matter how much time passed, nothing would ever change their relationship.