Pokemon: A Marvelous Journey (COMPLETE!) (2024)

Chapter 61: The Quarrelsome Sisters

In the months that followed Julia's departure from home, Cherrygrove City's trees had long since shed their lustrous foliage, their once emerald leaves having wilted, curled inward, and forming a colorful blanket all across town. But the suburban homes that lined the streets were still as clean and stately as ever, with some citizens having set some pots of flowers just outside their windows. The gardens were still neatly trimmed and well taken care of, with lively pansies, vivacious zinnias, delicate forget-me-nots, and many other blossoms placed within brick lined beds or in grassy areas around town. Some gardens were lined with bushes that were trimmed so neatly, not a single leaf was left out of place. With her friends, both human and Pokemon, following behind her, Julia happily skipped across cobblestone sidewalks, humming a merry tune as they made their way towards a large, whitewashed, modern-looking building that loomed over everything else.

"See that big building over there?" Julia pointed across the street, right at the building in question. "That's where I go to school!" Big, silver letters on the front of the building read Cherrygrove Middle School.

Perrine held a hand just above her eyes to get a better look without the sun beating down on her. "It's a little smaller than my school."

Caiseal shrugged. "It's bigger than mine, I can tell you that much."

A short way off, Julia turned to find a small, fenced in park, with the ground consisting entirely of sand. There was a set of swings, some monkey bars, a jungle gym, a rusty carousel, a big slide, and three Pokemon spring riders made to resemble a Rapidash, a Dragonair, and an Arcanine. "There's the park! I know it's not much, but when I was younger, my parents would take me and my sister there on occasion, usually back when Amara was doing cheerleading!"

Ladybug sat down on the Arcanine spring rider, her round hands gripping the handles, but she couldn't make it move. Neji gently pushed on the front of the Arcanine, making it wobble just a bit. Ladybug bounced up and down, making it move right along with her. Neji cheered, clapping his small paws together as his attempt at helping Ladybug proved successful.

"Amara used to be a cheerleader?" Perrine asked, eyebrow raised. "I can't picture her doing that at all."

"Yeah! She used to be a cheerleader back in third and fourth grade!" Julia explained, pointing to a large, empty, grassy field just across the street from the sandy park. "Mom, Dad, and I would go and watch her practice at times, or watch the soccer games whenever they were going on. But I never liked going to them. They were always too loud, so sometimes I'd go to the park to get away from it."

Julia remembered all too well. Big, shiny lights that brightened up the entire field. Young girls in green and white uniforms dancing, shouting, and shaking big, puffy pom-poms. The cheers of the audience ripping into her eardrums, making her skull vibrate. Sneaking off to play on the swings, go down the slide, or spin around in the carousel when she had the chance, sometimes with other kids who happened to be there. Wishing she could just go back home and get away from all the lights and the noise.

"Pika?" Then, Hikaru's ears stood up.

"Hm?" Caiseal was the first to noice. "What's up, Hikaru? Hear something?"

"Pikapi!" Hikaru pointed a little further down the field, past a cluster of trees.

"She says she hears someone and a Pokemon down that way," Julia translated.

"Want to go check it out?" Perrine asked.

The kids and Pokemon nodded, wasting no time running towards the area Hikaru was pointing to. After going through the forest, they made it into a clearing that overlooked the main neighborhood. Once they got closer, the noises became clearer. "Chiko! Chiko!" They all heard a high pitched cry a few feet down. The kids made their way towards an empty, flat lot. Empty save for a young girl, a Chikorita, and another Pokemon. The mammalian Pokemon was a dull beige color, with brown ears, a matching tuft of fur around its neck, brown stripes on its wrists and ankles, and a long tail that ended in a tuft of fur covered with what looked to be green paint. Upon closer inspection, it also had a round structure on its head that resembled a hat or beret, with a single horn sticking out from its head.

"Smeargle!" The Pokemon stood proudly on a rock, swinging its long tail like it was a rope.

"Hey! It's a Smeargle!" Caiseal exclaimed, pulling his PokeDex out to examine it.

"Smeargle, the painter Pokemon. The special fluid that oozes from Smeargle's tail is used to mark their territory, and the color is predetermined from birth. Said secretions change the intensity of its hue depending on Smeargle's mood and emotional state. There have been 5,000 confirmed Smeargle markings and symbols found and recorded over a period of 700 years. When Smeargle become adults, their comrades plant paw prints on their back. Many towns occupied by Smeargle are covered in graffiti. Many famous artists have collaborated with Smeargle since the thirteenth century, with some paintings having been preserved in museums and sold for millions of dollars. Unlike most Pokemon, Smeargle cannot learn attacks entirely on its own, so it compensates for this by using its own special move, Sketch, allowing it to permanently copy whatever attack its opponent is using against it in the moment."

From the looks of it, the girl and her Chikorita were battling this Smeargle. Julia could see a PokeBall in the girl's hand. Was it her Chikorita's, or was she saving it for that Smeargle?

"Chikorita! Use Razor Leaf!" The girl commanded, pointing right at Smeargle.

With a swing of its leaf, Chikorita sent a barrage of sharp leaves flying in Smeargle's direction. The painter Pokemon leaped off the rock and landed nimbly on the ground. More leaves went flying at it, but Smeargle kept doing cart wheels, dodging every attack. Only two of the leaves managed to scrape the beret on its head, and even then, Smeargle managed to leap onto the remnants of a rusty pipe that led to the roof of a house. Smeargle looked down at the girl from above, wondering how she was going to try and get it to come down.

"Nnngh!" The girl gave a displeased grunt. "Stay still already! I wanna catch you!" She gave a sideways glance toward Chikorita. "Razor Leaf again!"

As ordered, Chikorita swung the leaf on its head, sending several leaves barreling toward Smeargle. The painter Pokemon leaped out of the way once more, landing back on the ground, feet first. Before the young girl could call out another attack, Smeargle attempted to flee the scene. Julia and Neji locked eyes, knowing what the other wanted to say without saying it. They nodded, and Julia pointed towards Smeargle. Neji hopped away gracefully, outrunning Smeargle and blocking its path. Smeargle attempted to run past it, but Neji kept blocking its way.

"Hey there, Miss!" Julia called out to the girl. "Need some help catching that Smeargle?"

The girl swirled around, seeing the trio of trainers just a few feet behind her, eyes wide from their unexpected appearance. But she caught a glimpse of that Furret making sure Smeargle didn't get away. Were these trainers trying to help her? As surprised as she was by this turn of events, she smiled.

"Look out!" Caiseal cried out.

Smeargle's tail glowed in a pale blue light. The painter Pokemon aimed it right at Neji, and before anyone could react, the air around them dropped several degrees, and out from Smeargle's tail came a blast of freezing cold wind, snow and all. Neji was hit so hard by the blizzard that he fell to the ground easily. Even Ladybug couldn't help but shiver, nestling herself against Julia in an attempt to keep warm. Frigid wind cut through their win, sending ice through their veins.

"Neji!" Once the attack dissipated, Julia wasted no time running to her fallen friend, cradling the upper half of his body in her arms. Wasting no time, the Smeargle hopped away from the scene.

"Hey! It's getting away!" Perrine yelled, sprinting down the sidewalk. But when she turned a corner, Smeargle had completely disappeared. It was as though it had disappeared into thin air.

"Awww. Guess I couldn't get Smeargle today," The little girl groaned ruefully. Chikorita nuzzled her leg in an attempt to comfort her.

Julia put Neji back in his PokeBall and got a better look at the girl. She looked to be about Violet's age—nine or ten—with long, straight black hair that went down to her lower back. Her deep brown skin contrasted sharply with the bright red dress and pink cardigan she wore. The girl bent down to stroke Chikorita's head reassuringly, smiling as she did so. A pang of guilt shot through Julia. Despite her attempt at helping this kid, it seemed all she did was make things worse.

"Hey there," Julia walked up to the girl with furrowed eyebrows and a sad smile. "Sorry for getting in your way and making that Smeargle escape. I had meant to help, but I guess I messed up instead."

Oddly enough, the girl shook her head. "That's okay! I really do appreciate your help! I can catch it next time!" She replied cheerfully, balling her hands into fists and standing on the balls of her feet. "I'm not gonna give up just yet! Are you guys Pokemon trainers?"

"Yep. We sure are," Perrine said, introducing herself and her friends right away. "I'm Perrine, and these are my friends, Julia and Caiseal."

The girl's eyes sparkled with delight. "Ooooh! You guys have cool names!" She exclaimed. "The name Julia comes from the male name Julius, which has ancient Roman roots, and comes from the Grecian word ioulos, which means downy-bearded. It can also be spelled with a G and an I, Giulia, and pronounced Yoo-Lee-Uh or Khoo-Lya. The name Perrine is a feminine version of the Kalosian name Pierre, which itself is a Kalosian translation of the name Peter, and it means pebble, and Caiseal…" The girl paused for a brief moment. "That's a new one. I've never heard the name Caiseal before. How do you spell it?"

The kids exchanged glances. All they did was introduce themselves, and this girl was telling them where their names came from. Some of them, at least. Still, it was nice to learn these little bits of knowledge, and from the delighted look on her face and how high her voice rose, Julia could tell she was pretty enthusiastic about it.

"It's spelled C-A-I-S-E-A-L," Caiseal spelled his name out.

"What's your name?" Julia asked.

"Oh!" The girl gasped, realizing she had forgotten to introduce herself. "Sorry! I didn't mean to be rude. I'm Merlin!"

Julia had only one thought in her mind: Thank Arceus this kid isn't anything like Abby!

"And this is Chikorita, my best friend!" Merlin picked her friend up to give the kids a better look. Chikorita gave a friendly chirp as it waved its leaf at them in greeting. Merlin put it back down soon after. Hikaru approached it, and the two Pokemon began chatting amongst themselves, becoming fast friends already. "Is that a Pikachu? It's soooo cute!" Merlin cooed over Hikaru straight away.

"Yep. That's Hikaru. She's mine," Julia told her.

Caiseal crossed his arms again. "Are you here all by yourself, Merlin?" He asked, concerned. "From the looks of it, it seems like you're a fairly new trainer."

Merlin nodded, confirming his suspicions. "I turned nine this past September, and Chikorita is my Pokemon, but I don't have a trainer license just yet," She explained, her sweet voice not losing a beat. "I plan to get one next year, though! Then I can travel all over the place! Plus," She pointed towards an area further down from the lot. "I live just down that way, so I'm not too far from home."

"You should still be careful, though," Perrine warned. "You're just starting out, and any wild Pokemon could easily hurt you if you and Chikorita aren't strong enough. That Smeargle's no exception."

Merlin shifted her feet a little bit before giving a response. "I understand. But I still want to catch that Smeargle, because my big sister—"

Before she could elaborate further, a voice from around the corner interrupted her. "Merlin! There you are!"

Another girl came bounding down the sidewalk, her fluffy black ball of hair bouncing as she caught up with Merlin. Once she got close enough, she put her hands on her knees and stopped to catch her breath. Julia's eyes widened when she got a better look at the older girl. Her skin was slightly lighter than Merlin's, and she was wearing a pale yellow sweater, a short, peach colored skirt, white thigh-high stockings, and tan boots. A perfectly normal looking girl, but Julia's heart pounded anxiously, with each beat sounding with greater urgency than the last one. Her voice disappeared, her throat closed, and a subtle ringing echoed in her ears. Her whole body turned rigid, but her arms and legs were wailing in protest, every blood cell in her body screaming at her to run.

Then the girl stood upright, and it hit Julia right then and there. She knew this girl!

"Arceus, Merlin! What have I told you about—huh?!" The girl took notice of the three trainers, Julia in particular, and her jaw dropped in an instant.

Finally, Julia regained her voice. All that came out of her mouth was a surprised, "…Lakeisha?!"

The older girl, Lakeisha, immediately recognized Julia and pointed right at her. "Whoa! Am I seein' things?! Is that you, Julia Parisa?!"

Perrine and Caiseal's eyes went straight to Julia. "You know this girl?" They asked in unison.

"Yeah. Lakeisha Knowles. She and I go to school together," Julia replied, her previous enthusiasm evaporating straight away.

"You do?" Merlin asked. "Wait, did you say your last name is Parisa? You go to school with my sister?"

It was Julia's turn for her jaw to drop. Merlin was Lakeisha's sister? Lakeisha was Merlin's sister? Julia's mind reeled from the impact this revelation made on her psyche. Perrine and Caiseal exchanged worried glances, noticing Julia's discomfort immediately.

"Huh. I always wondered where you went after sixth grade started," Lakeisha said, her previous surprise having faded in an instant. "Mrs. Cabanos said you left on a journey, but I didn't believe a word of it!"

Julia narrowed her eyes into slits. "I did go on one. I'm still on it right now!" Her voice hardened, giving it a sharper edge than usual.

Lakeisha huffed. "Whatever," She grabbed Merlin by the arm and yanked her away. "Sorry my stupid sister bothered y'all. She ain't got no sense of personal space."

"You shouldn't say ain't!" Merlin admonished her. "It's not a real word!"

"Shut up! You ain't the boss o' me," Lakeisha got right into Merlin's face, hissing the sentence out like it was poison. "And I told ya not to go off somewhere without tellin' me!"

"I did tell you!"

Julia wanted to disappear. Of all the people she had to run into, it had to be this girl, Lakeisha Knowles. But before she could go on a painful trip down bad memory lane, she noticed Merlin trying to wriggle from her sister's grasp. Lakeisha didn't let go one bit, and her hand was getting slightly pale from gripping her sister's arm so tightly. Merlin also flapped one of her hands up and down, grimacing from Lakeisha's fingernails digging into her skin. Why was Lakeisha being so rough with her? Merlin hadn't done anything to them.

"She's not bothering us," Perrine chimed in. "We saw her hanging out with her Chikorita and we stopped over to have a chat. We were telling her about our adventures."

Lakeisha raised an eyebrow at the orange haired girl, giving her the stink eye. "Who are y'all supposed to be?"

"I'm Perrine, and that's Caiseal. We're Julia's friends."

For a moment, Lakeisha stopped, finding herself staring right at them. Feeling her sister's grip lighten up, Merlin took the chance to slip away, running right to her Chikorita before using her other hand to rub her wrist in an attempt to soothe the pain. Then, Lakeisha snorted and broke into laughter, so much so that she held a hand to her stomach and bent over, like she heard the funniest joke ever. Perrine and Caiseal exchanged bewildered glances. Red flowered all across Julia's cheeks from shame, and Merlin could only stare at her sister with a disappointed look.

"You's pullin' my leg!" Lakeisha roared through her laughter. "You guys? Friends with Freak Girl over there? Yeah, right! She ain't got no friends last I checked!"

Merlin narrowed her eyes at Lakeisha. "Why are you laughing? You shouldn't laugh at people."

Julia put her hands on both Perrine and Caiseal's wrists without warning. "Well, sorry to bother you guys! We'll be leaving now! Bye!" Just like that, she ran away from the two girls, dragging Caiseal and Perrine with her like she couldn't get out of there fast enough.

But she could only go as far as two blocks before she ran out of breath and stopped to rest. Perrine and Caiseal weren't quite sure what they saw, but from the looks of it, Julia was under quite a bit of duress. Then, Julia let out a loud groan before slumping to the ground.

"Uuuuuugh! Why did I have to run into Lakeisha Knowles of all people?!" Julia yelled, covering her face with both hands. "And of course, the first thing she does is call me Freak Girl! Why can't she leave me alone?!"

"Pika?" Hikaru ran a paw over her friend's leg to console her, though the mouse Pokemon knew it wouldn't do much.

"I take it you two don't get along, do you?" Caiseal asked, pointing his thumb behind himself.

Julia's hands flew off her face as she exploded into an angry tirade. "Understatement of the millennium!" She shouted. "She and her friends pick on me all the time! They hate my guts! They're always calling me names and calling me a dummy or a freak and all sorts of stuff! They somehow found out I can talk to Pokemon and they think it's some kind of ploy I made up to get attention, which it isn't!"

Perrine's eyes widened. "Wait, that girl bullies you?"

"Yes! I admit, I did something bad to her once when I was in fifth grade," Julia's voice softened just a smidge. "One time, I had trouble with a science test and had no idea how to study for it, so I looked at her test and copied the answers. I know now that's cheating, and I apologized and stopped, but Lakeisha's had it out for me since then. She never lets me live it down, and I can't stand it!" Julia shook her fists up and down to get the lingering anger out of her, but it didn't quite work.

"Oh wow. We had no idea," Caiseal said, running a hand through his hair. He and Perrine remembered Julia telling them that she had to deal with bullying, both from kids and adults, but they didn't expect to run into one of them on their journey, much less said bully and her sister. Then again, Cherrygrove City was still a fairly small town. Not as small as New Bark Town, but still a tight knit neighborhood. It would be possible for them to run into someone she knew, and sure enough, they did.

"For what it's worth, Merlin seems nice," Perrine told her reassuringly.

Julia let out a sigh before wrapping her arms around herself. "I guess…" She started to have second thoughts about staying here for another day. If Lakeisha was still around, Julia didn't want to stay here a minute longer. Just as she stood up and opened her mouth to suggest leaving, another voice stopped her from doing so.

"Julia?" The kids turned around to find Merlin walking toward them with Chikorita at her side. "Sorry my sister was mean to you. It wasn't nice of her to laugh at you and say that stuff about you."

It didn't take long for Julia's body to relax. Merlin was apologizing for what her sister did? Her frown turned upward. At least Lakeisha's sister wasn't mean. She hadn't expected someone she just met to be so considerate and stand by her so quickly. Her heartbeat slowed to a steady rhythm. "It's okay, Merlin. You don't need to apologize."

"She's always mean to me too, so I know how you feel," Merlin explained. "She hates that I'm autistic."

Wait, what?

Julia's ears perked right up. Did Merlin just say she was autistic? Was this really possible? "You're autistic?!" In an instant, her irritation morphed into euphoria, and Julia smiled so big her cheeks hurt. "So am I!"

Just like that, Merlin lit right up. "You are?! You're just like me then! I've always wanted to meet somebody like me!" She cheered, jumping up and down, flapping her hands simultaneously.

What were the odds that she'd find another autistic person in Cherrygrove City, much less one who was the sibling of someone she hated? Julia didn't like Lakeisha, but she did find herself liking Merlin. Maybe she could be a new friend? But she didn't want to associate with Lakeisha any more than she really needed to. Putting up with her in school was bad enough. But Merlin had mentioned Lakeisha was mean to her as well. Perhaps sticking together would be a better idea, and Merlin could probably learn a thing or two from another autistic person. It certainly explained her interest in names and their origins, and they both liked Pokemon, so that was one thing they had in common.

Suddenly, a low grumble echoed from Julia's stomach. Caiseal stifled a laugh. "Guess we better get lunch started, huh?"

"Yeah," Julia mused. "We haven't eaten much since this morning."

"Oh! Oh! Can I join you guys?" Merlin asked excitedly, bouncing on the balls of her feet. "I'd love to hear about all your adventures! Can I see your Pokemon, too?"

Julia smiled again. She really did want to get to know Merlin better, so why not? "Sure you can."

"Hold up!" And she turned rigid as soon as Lakeisha walked onto the scene. "You can't just go off with people you don't know! Besides, you shouldn't poke your nose into places yer not wanted!" She scolded her right away.

"But I asked nicely and they said yes!" Merlin told her.

Lakeisha pointed to herself with her thumb. "I'm in charge here, and I say y'all can't go, 'cause I know all you gonna do is bore them to death with yer talkin' 'bout names!"

What was her problem? Julia couldn't help but be quite miffed with the way Lakeisha was shooting Merlin down and stomping all over her interest in names. Why was she making Merlin out to be some nuisance? Merlin hadn't done anything as far as she had seen. Was this what Merlin had to put up with every day? It reminded her of how she and Amara had fought and argued before Amara ran away. It was like Lakeisha was convinced Merlin was some walking disaster who would cause chaos if she wasn't there to constantly watch over her. Julia's hands clutched the straps on her backpack tightly, and she remembered she was a different person from before. She wasn't going to let Lakeisha boss Merlin around like that. Not on her watch.

"Come on, it's no big deal," Julia stepped in right away. "We're just going to have a picnic on the soccer field over there, and we all have Pokemon with us, so if anything happens, we can handle ourselves and protect Merlin," She made sure to choose her words carefully and spoke in a calm, collected manner. The last thing she wanted was to make things worse for Merlin and rile Lakeisha up even more. Then again, a lot of things riled her up no matter what Julia did or didn't do. "Why not let her have a little fun?"

A brief silence fell upon the five kids. Hikaru and Chikorita exchanged worried glances. Lakeisha balled her hands into fists before sighing in defeat. "Fiiiiine. But I'm goin' with you! I'm still her big sister, so as much as I hate it, it's my job to make sure she don't run off or cause trouble or do somethin' stupid!"

Merlin facepalmed. "You always think I'm gonna do something bad!"

"Cause you always do!" Lakeisha barked.

It was Julia's turn to sigh. "You don't have to come with us, you know. Nobody's forcing you to stay."

Lakeisha crossed her arms. "Believe me, I'd love to sit at home right now, but I can't. Mom says I gotta keep an eye on Merlin, so you're stuck with me!"

That was the last thing she wanted: to be stuck with Lakeisha. Julia sighed, but a reassuring hand rested on her shoulder seconds later. She turned to find Perrine next to her.

"Don't worry. If she picks on you, we have your back," Perrine whispered. "Plus, we can keep her occupied, and you can have some private time with Merlin."

Good point. Julia nodded, remembering that as long as her friends were here, she'd be just fine.

***

There were a few wooden picnic tables near the soccer field, so the kids decided to have their lunch there. They had plenty of food for five people, since they brought some food with them from Julia's house, and most of the Pokemon were let out to play. Julia stayed with her friends as much as possible, sitting opposite of Lakeisha. At one point, she saw Merlin struggling to open a pack of fruit gummies. Lakeisha wasn't doing much except for staring at the trees with a bored look on her face, and Julia could tell asking her to help was just going to make her snap at her.

"Hey, Merlin. Want some help with that?" Julia asked.

"Yes please!" Merlin replied. Julia walked over and gently pulled the fruit gummy pack open with two fingers on each side. "Thanks, Julia!"

"Don't mention it."

Merlin gave a merry grin and her hands flapped up and down to further convey her joy. Lakeisha stole a glance at her in that moment, but she quickly slammed her hand on the table, making Merlin flinch inward.

"Merlin! I told ya to quit flappin' yer hands all the time!" Lakeisha snapped. "You look stupid doin' that! You gotta learn to act like a normal person!"

Julia could only stare at Lakeisha, bewildered. Why was she yelling at Merlin over something so harmless? She could see that Perrine and Caiseal didn't mind, and as far as she could tell, Merlin was happy doing it. Julia had done it plenty of times herself, and her friends never made it into a big deal. They knew she did it to let out some extra pent-up energy or when she was really happy. But she could see the fury in Lakeisha's eyes, and her teeth were tightly clenched.

"It's no big deal," Julia told her, winking at Merlin, letting her know she was on her side rather than Lakeisha's.

"Maybe not to you, freak," Lakeisha hissed back.

Julia recoiled, like she had been slapped in the face. The second Julia opened her mouth, Lakeisha never wasted an opportunity to call her some mean name. It was all too common in school, and even now, Lakeisha seemed to insist on making Julia miserable, even among her friends.

"Hey. Nobody's a freak here," Caiseal asserted sternly.

In an instant, Julia's smile returned. Leave it to Caiseal to step in and let Lakeisha know he wasn't going to tolerate her messing with his friends. Merlin slipped off the bench and walked over towards Florian, who was lying on the grass playing with Chikorita. Merlin smiled and petted Florian's side. The green sauropod smiled back, enjoying the affection this new girl was showering on him. Julia stole a glance in her direction. Did Merlin like Pokemon just as much as she did? Whatever the case, Julia was happy Merlin was enjoying herself at the moment.

"Hey!" Lakeisha shouted suddenly. Julia's hands flew to her ears. "Merlin! You gotta ask before pettin' somebody else's Pokemon! Are you stupid or somethin'?!"

Merlin's hands flew to her ears as well. Both Chikorita and Florian shot a glare in Lakeisha's direction, looking at her like she broke a priceless vase.

"Will you calm down?" Perrine exclaimed. "She's fine. She can pet our Pokemon if she wants. You don't need to scream at the top of your lungs, and calling her stupid isn't necessary."

Lakeisha crossed her arms and let out a grunt, not saying anything in response. Caiseal and Perrine were starting to see why Julia hated her so much. Julia herself took this moment to slip away from the table and join Merlin, not wanting to waste another minute on Lakeisha and her screaming and name calling. The atmosphere at the table was awkward, with only Perrine, Caiseal, and Lakeisha there. What could they possibly talk about? They could tell Lakeisha wasn't interested in saying much, and the contorted grimace on her face and her furrowed eyebrows told them all they needed to know about how much she hated being here. But they couldn't sit here and not talk. They didn't want to make her feel like she was being left out.

"Umm...I like your hair," Perrine said. "It looks cool all up in that fuzzy bun."

"Whatever," Lakeisha waved her hand at them dismissively, brushing off the compliment.

"So...do you want to be a trainer as well?" Caiseal asked.

"Yeah, but I can't be one yet," Lakeisha replied tersely. "I'm grounded until next month, and my parents say I gotta bring my grades up and do my chores and be more responsible before I can get one," There was a sharp undercut of bitterness in her voice. "Every one of my friends and classmates have Pokemon already and I don't! It ain't fair!"

Perrine brushed some hair behind her ear. "It'll be worth it in the end. You'll get a Pokemon eventually."

Out on the soccer field, Merlin and Julia were leaning against Florian's back, enjoying some alone time together. "So Merlin, you're a big fan of names and their meanings, aren't you?" Julia asked, curious about Merlin's interest. "How come you like them so much?"

Merlin stretched her legs out, relishing the feel of the blades of grass tickling her legs. "I don't know. I just do. I think it's cool how some names can be spelled or said differently depending on where you live," Merlin explained. "Did you know there's an actual term for people who study names? I looked it up and they're called...ono...ma...tologists, I think," She carefully sounded out the big word by pausing at various intervals.

Julia had never heard of an onomatologist before. She wondered if that was what Merlin wanted to be when she grew up. If she did decide to be one, Julia was sure Merlin would be a great onomatologist. "I didn't know that. Thanks for telling me."

"Umm…" Merlin shuffled her hands together. "I heard Lakeisha picks on you a lot in school. She talks about you, and not in a nice way."

"Why am I not surprised?"

"She says you're weird and stupid and full of yourself and a big cheater."

Despite having been called those things many times before, every utterance of them was like having an anvil dropped onto her head. "Even less of a surprise!"

"But I don't think that's true at all!" Merlin exclaimed, balling her hands into fists and looking right at Julia. "I think you're really cool and nice and smart!"

Warmth flowered in her chest. Julia averted her gaze, scratching her cheek with her finger. "You think so? You don't need to flatter me…" She was suddenly bashful upon hearing Merlin's barrage of compliments. Were they genuine, or was Merlin just flattering her? Julia wished she could tell for sure. She never was good at being able to figure out whether someone was genuinely trying to be nice or simply being sarcastic, unless it was really easy to see.

Suddenly, Merlin stood up. "That reminds me! I want to show you something cool!" She said, gesturing for Julia to get up.

The two girls stood up and made their way into the forest, with Hikaru, Papillon, Neji, and Chikorita following from behind. Perrine noticed Julia waving at her and pointing into the forest, letting her know that was where they were going. Perrine smiled and flashed a thumb's up, telling her it was okay to go in. Permission received, the girls and Pokemon entered the forest, reminding themselves not to go in too far, lest they get lost.

Caiseal felt something pull on the back of his shirt. He looked down to find Electra looking up at him expectantly. "Bibi!"

"What's up, Electra? You hungry?"

"Bibi!" Electra nodded.

"Alright. I have some food for ya," Caiseal set down a bowl and poured some Pokemon food in it. Electra sat right down and began eating, taking pieces of food into her hands and swallowing them one by one. The electric Pokemon beamed as she relished the taste of the spicy spheres of food provided for her.

Lakeisha stood up, walking over to Electra with a curious look in her eyes. "This your Pokemon?"

"Yep. That's Electra. She just hatched from an egg yesterday," Caiseal told her.

"Huh. Never seen an Elekid in person before," For the first time, Lakeisha spoke in a soft voice as she got a better look at Electra. Her brown eyes gladly took in the sight of the happy Pokemon savoring its meal, and she found herself smiling. She had to admit, this Elekid did look cute.

"Careful," Perrine warned before taking a sip of water. "She can be mischievous. She might zap you."

That was all it took for Lakeisha to back away two steps. But she stole a glance towards the field and noticed two people were missing. "Where's Merlin?"

Perrine used her thumb to point behind herself. "They went into the forest just now. I saw them," She said. "They'll be fine."

Lakeisha shrugged, her lips curling in distaste. "Yay, now I can get some peace and quiet," She mused out loud. "No more addle-brained freaks leechin' offa me like parasites."

What did she say? Both Caiseal and Perrine whipped their heads in Lakeisha's direction. Parasite? Leech? Addle-brained? They weren't quite sure what that last word meant, but from the smug way Lakeisha said it, there was no doubt she meant it as an insult, and that was the second time she referred to Julia as a freak. Caiseal balled one hand into a fist. What was with this girl? They were not going to stand around and listen to her degrade and demean their friend like that. Perrine stood up from her bench, but Caiseal spoke first.

"Alright, I think I've heard enough of this," Caiseal wasted no time marching right up to her, his angry eyes locking onto the girl with a hard, steady gaze. "What is your problem? This whole time you've done nothing but talk trash about our friend!" He exclaimed. "Not once did you even call her by her name! You keep calling her a freak!"

Lakeisha scowled at him, crossing her arms. "Y'all are probably blind or somethin' 'cause she is one!" She a big ol' weirdo! Y'all could really benefit from stayin' as far away from her as possible!" Lakeisha sneered. "You be committin' social suicide by hangin' with that freak!"

"Sorry, but you don't have the right to tell us who we can and can't hang out with," Perrine asserted. "She's a great person, and I don't know why you hate her so much."

"Her? A great person? Puh-lease!" Lakeisha rolled her eyes, like the idea of Julia being a good person was something out of myth. "I known her since fifth grade, and lemme tell ya, she ain't no little miss nice girl!" Lakeisha gesticulated at them as she told her side of the story, wildly wagging her index finger at them. "Last year she had the nerve to cheat off my science test, and she wasn't sorry for it at all! She say she can talk to Pokemon, but my friends and I know nobody can do that! She lyin' through her teeth just to get attention! She don't even act or dress like a normal girl and she makes weird noises and cries a lot in class and she act like she better than everyone else!"

With every second Lakeisha talked, both Caiseal and Perrine wanted to duct tape her mouth shut. They couldn't believe this girl was spouting this nonsense at them. Julia did admit to cheating off of Lakeisha's test, but they could tell she was remorseful. Sure, they didn't know what she was like before they met her on their travels, but they knew for sure she was nothing like how Lakeisha was making her out to be. Even some of Julia's other Pokemon sent glares in Lakeisha's direction.

"First off, a lot of the crap coming out of your mouth is straight up not true," Perrine held her hand up, silencing the girl. "We've been by her side since April, and not once has she ever acted like she was better than everyone else. She's kind and caring and sweet and always tries to make people and Pokemon happy. She doesn't do it in conventional ways, but she's earnest and nice all the same. You'd know that if you, oh, I don't know, maybe got to know her better instead of jumping to conclusions about her. Or by whatever lies your girl posse fed you. She's saved our butts more times than we can count. Second of all, she already told us about the cheating incident, and she apologized to you for it. Why are you even holding it over her head?"

"And third, so what if she's not normal? We really couldn't care less about who's normal and who isn't," Caiseal said.

"Well, you should care!" Lakeisha snapped back.

"It's not like she's hurting anyone with being the way she is."

"Yeah? Well, it's annoying and embarrassin'! I know my friend Kirsten wouldn't want me hangin' with no weirdos like her!"

"And one other thing: Why are you so hard on Merlin?" Perrine asked. "She's barely done anything, but you've done nothing but scream at her and call her names and act like she committed murder. You really need to take a chill pill."

"You ain't the ones who gotta live with her! She needs to learn to act like a normal person and not like some drooling freak who screams if she don't get her way! You saw her flappin' her hands like some ninny!"

Caiseal shrugged. "Doesn't bother us a bit. Don't see why you have to get all wound up about it. Plus, we only just met her, but even we can tell she's not the person you're making her out to be."

Lakeisha kept trying to contradict their arguments one by one, but she could tell they weren't going to budge. She huffed and turned away, with her back facing them. "Man, first Merlin and now Freak Girl. I swear, am I some kinda autistic people magnet or somethin'? I don't wanna be surrounded by no weirdos all the time," She hissed under her breath.

But it was just audible enough for Perrine and Caiseal to hear. They exchanged knowing glances. So it wasn't just Julia she hated. Then again, they had seen her be nothing but harsh towards Merlin, so it wasn't that big of a surprise. Even so, it was clear she had some kind of beef against autistics. Why?

***

"They're over here!" Merlin guided Julia and the Pokemon through the forest, taking care to step over some stray tree roots poking out from the ground. The trees were evenly spread out, so the path was just big enough for the girls and the Pokemon to maneuver through without having to worry about getting lost or forgetting where they were coming from. After a bit, Merlin finally stopped.

"Found it! This is my secret spot!" Merlin exclaimed, pointing to a tiny clearing just a few feet away.

Since it was fall, the trees were turning brilliant shades of orange and red, but plenty of branches were bare enough to let just as much sunlight filter through, giving the clearing an ethereal glow about it. A big log lay in the middle of said clearing, probably a tree that fell down long ago, and some vegetation was growing out from some of the cracks. But on the left side of the log, a cluster of pink and purple wildflowers sprang out from the ground, a splash of color amongst the thick forest landscape.

"Ooh! These are pretty!" Julia crooned, kneeling down to get a better look at them.

"Those are Johtoan anemones," Merlin explained, sitting on the log. "They grow around here a lot, and I like them. In fact, whenever I'm sad or want to get away or just whenever I feel like it, I come here and play for a while. I've been bringing Chikorita here with me, too."

It didn't take much for Julia to figure out why, but Merlin wound up explaining it anyway. "At least when I'm here, I can flap my hands and spin around and make Pokemon noises whenever I want and nobody will yell at me or tell me to shut up."

"I can relate," Julia sat down on the log next to Merlin. She knew that feeling all too well. Wanting to find a special place to run to in order to get away from the noises and sights that overwhelmed her, or when she wanted to cry or play by herself in peace, without anyone scrutinizing and judging her. Yet another common thread the girls shared. Julia wondered if Merlin often came here so she could get away from Lakeisha and her constant scoldings. It seemed possible, considering their strained relationship.

Both Hikaru and Chikorita stopped to sniff the anemones, relishing their sweet scent. "So...I take it Lakeisha's mean to you a lot, huh?" Julia asked, mentally hoping she wasn't crossing a boundary she wasn't supposed to.

"Sadly yeah," Merlin admitted, flashing a sad frown. "She didn't used to be like that, though. When we were babies, we got along great, and she always played with me. She even protected me from bullies."

"Same as my sister and I."

"But she started hanging out with this girl named Kirsten, and that's when she started being mean."

Kirsten? A bell rang in her head louder than a Hyper Voice attack. "Kirsten Seeley, right?"

"Yep! That's her! Lakeisha really wants to be friends with her, so she's started acting like her and doing stuff she's not supposed to, like not doing her homework or chores, back talking Mom and Dad, staying up past bedtime, saying mean things to people, all that stuff. One time I heard Mom and Dad yelling at her because she tried to sneak out of the house to see Kirsten. They say she's a bad influence."

Yet again, Julia wasn't surprised. "They're kinda right. Kirsten's terrible. She's been picking on me since fourth grade," She said. Bad memories flashed through her mind in that moment. Scornful laughter echoing in her ears. A clique of girls with their hands over their mouths, whispering to each other about how weird Julia was. Nasty comments about her fashion sense, her awkward ways, her interest in Pokemon and drawing over the things they liked such as makeup, clothes, boys, and hip hop music. The scrutinizing, hateful looks they shot her way that seemed to scream, "Are you serious right now?" whenever she said or did something. Just thinking about it all made her bristle like a Jolteon readying its spikes to defend itself. No wonder Lakeisha was such a snotty priss, and Merlin was suffering for it.

"Just last week, Lakeisha used her phone to record a video of me when I was really upset and shared it with her friends."

"Wait, what?!" Julia yelped, swirling around with eyes wide as saucers. From the way Merlin explained it, it sounded like Lakeisha did it without Merlin's knowledge. "She did that?! Isn't that, like, an invasion of privacy?"

"Yeah. She wanted to show it to all her friends and make them laugh at me," Merlin's voice trembled the more she elaborated. At one point, Julia could see her eyes moistening just a bit, like Merlin was trying really hard to hold back tears. "But they all know me and they were really mad when Lakeisha showed it to them, so they don't talk to her anymore."

It was like Julia saw a dragon Pokemon drop meteors onto the planet. Lakeisha actually recorded a video of her sister without her knowledge and showed it to her friends as a way to bully her? What did Merlin do to deserve that? As far as Julia knew, nothing. It was great that her plan backfired, which she felt was the best case scenario, but now she hated Lakeisha even more. To think she would stoop so low as to throw her own sister under the bus just to get into some girl's good graces. Adding the fact that she hated Merlin being autistic, it just made the transgression even more diabolical.

She couldn't hold it in anymore. "That's awful! Lakeisha should never have done that!" She cried out, slamming her hand onto the log. "Sisters shouldn't hurt each other like that!"

Merlin nodded in agreement. "I was pretty mad, too. But…" She stole a glance at some trees nearby. Dappled sunlight danced across the dirt, filtering through the foliage in a beautiful, silent performance. "I thought maybe if I did something really, really nice for her, something that'd really make her happy, maybe she'd love me again like she did before. That's why I'm trying to catch a Smeargle. It's her favorite Pokemon ever, and she loves Smeargle."

Julia's heart broke for the girl in that moment. She's been through so much already, yet still believes in her sister and wants to do something nice for her in the hopes of making her happy. Julia wanted to support her little goal with every fiber of her being. She had done the same thing herself once before, but it had ended in bitter disappointment. Considering Lakeisha's current personality, she was sure it would end the exact same way. What could she do? Encourage her, or tell her that it might end up backfiring horribly, like Julia's attempt at making Amara happy on her thirteenth birthday did? The last thing she wanted to do was get her hopes up and then wind up disappointing her. Maybe it was better that she didn't sugarcoat it.

"It's great that you want to make Lakeisha happy," Julia began, hoping she chose her words carefully. "But there is a chance it won't work, and for all we know, she might just get mad and yell at you again. I tried to do the same with my sister once, and she got mad and said I got her the wrong size shirt, even though she never mentioned wanting that shirt in a certain size. I'm not trying to discourage you or anything," She quickly added. "I'm just saying anything can happen. But I could be wrong and she might end up liking it after all. I don't have the right to tell you what you can and can't do."

Thankfully, to Julia's relief, Merlin gave a sheepish smile. Julia really didn't want to hurt her feelings, but what was the point of trying to sugarcoat things? "I get it. I like that you're straight up with me. You don't try to make things all confusing or lie to me."

"Well, I try...but I usually wind up making things worse or hurting peoples' feelings more than anything, even when I don't mean to…" Julia stammered, running a hand through her own hair. But there was something she did want to say to Merlin, and now was the time to say it. She shifted closer to Merlin and in that moment, a switch in her brain flipped to give her a newfound confidence.

"In all seriousness though, what Lakeisha did to you isn't okay," Julia told her, sounding determined and resolute. Any trepidation in her voice had vanished into thin air. "The way she treats you is not okay. Calling you names, telling you you cramp her style or are useless and that you'd be better if you weren't autistic...she's wrong about you. I can tell you're a good kid. You're smart, nice, creative, and compassionate. There's nothing wrong with you, nor is there anything wrong with being autistic. Anybody who says so and tries to make you feel bad about who you are isn't worth your time. I think your love of names and their meanings is cool, and if you want to jump up and down or flap your hands if you're happy, I say do it! I do those, too!"

It was possible that anything she attempted to say to Merlin in that moment only came off as hollow lip service. She wished she could come up with something better to say to her, something that proved for sure that Lakeisha was wrong in her faulty perceptions of her. But she was dead serious about everything she did say, and hoped Merlin wouldn't feel like she was alone in the world. They were both autistic, so why not support each other? Merlin deserved to know someone who was in her shoes, who understood the struggles of trying to navigate a society that only wanted her to be something she wasn't instead of accepting her for who she was.

Merlin smiled again. "Now I know for sure. I wanna be a great trainer like you someday!"

That was the conclusion she came to? Julia's brain reeled, not from disgust or bewilderment, but with joy. Merlin really wanted to be like her?

"Ohhh!" But before the two of them could talk some more, Merlin let out a sharp cry, pointing towards some trees. "There's that Smeargle again!"

Sure enough, a Smeargle was using its tail to paint something on a tree. Merlin leaped off the log and balled her hands into fists. Understanding what she wanted, Chikorita ran right in front of her, its body in a battle stance. "I'm gonna catch you this time!" Merlin exclaimed. "Chikorita, use Tackle!"

Chikorita made a mad dash toward Smeargle, running as fast as it could. Unfortunately, Smeargle could hear the leaf Pokemon coming and jumped in the air, evading the attack. Julia pulled out her PokeDex and held it over Chikorita.

Then, Smeargle let out a yell and held its tail in the air. The tip of its tail glowed in a white light before generating a cluster of small, sharp rocks. Smeargle aimed its tail at Chikorita, and the rocks went flying towards it. Chikorita dodged a few of them by running around, but some of them managed to strike the leaf Pokemon in all directions.

"Chikorita!" Merlin cried out.

"It's okay!" Julia reassured her. "That was Rock Throw. Chikorita's a grass type, so Rock Throw doesn't do a lot of damage."

"But it keeps jumping around! Chikorita can't get a hit on it!"

Merlin was right. Smeargle leaped from branch to branch swiftly, never losing its balance in doing so. Chikorita used Razor Leaf at one point, but hardly any of them landed so much as a cut on the painter Pokemon. The girls had to admit that Smeargle sure was agile. But there was one thing that might be able to put a stop to it.

"Hey, Merlin. See if your Chikorita knows Vine Whip!" Julia suggested.

Vine Whip? Merlin raised an eyebrow. Did Chikorita even know that attack? The only ones she saw it ever use were Tackle and Razor Leaf. Well, there was only one way to find out. "Chikorita, use Vine Whip!"

On cue, two long vines sprouted out from the buds circling Chikorita's neck. Smeargle attempted to leap off another tree branch, but the vines coiled around its legs, dragging it right down to the ground. Smeargle's body landed on the grass, and it was unable to prepare itself for a landing.

"Wow! It worked!" Merlin cheered, jumping up once. "I should have done that sooner!" It didn't take long for the gears to start turning in her head. Now she could finally land some hits on Smeargle. "Chikorita, don't let go of Smeargle no matter what!"

Chikorita nodded, tightening the vines around Smeargle's legs.

"Now use Razor Leaf!"

With one swing, Chikorita sent a barrage of sharp leaves in Smeargle's direction. Finally, all of them bombarded the helpless painter Pokemon, cutting through its fur in all directions. Because its legs were caught in Vine Whip, Smeargle couldn't run, and therefore was unable to escape. It couldn't even reach its tail, as it had fallen too far out of its reach to use it.

"Yay! Chikorita's attacks worked!" Merlin exclaimed, wasting no time pulling out her PokeBall. "Alright! Let's do this! PokeBall, go!" With a great heave, Merlin threw the PokeBall with all the strength she could muster.

The PokeBall landed on Smeargle, turning it into light and sucking it in. Chikorita withdrew its vines, and everyone watched in anticipation as the PokeBall swayed from side to side. The red light blinked rapidly, seemingly without end. Both Julia and Merlin crossed their fingers, praying Smeargle would stay inside the PokeBall. The minutes seemed to move at a Slugma's pace. Finally, the PokeBall dinged, the red light disappeared, and the PokeBall stopped swaying.

All the joy that they had kept inside finally bubbled over. Merlin and Chikorita both jumped up and down, cheering and rejoicing in their victory. "Yay! Yay! Yay! I finally caught Smeargle!" Merlin yelled loud enough for the whole forest to hear, and Julia wasn't even bothered by the noise. She could only smile, proud that she helped a new trainer catch her first Pokemon all by herself. Merlin gave Chikorita a tight hug before scooping up the PokeBall.

"I couldn't have done this without you, Julia. Thanks so much!" Merlin wrapped her arms around her new friend. Julia's cheeks flowered red, a little cowed by the sudden affection being showered on her. But it felt good all the same. She stroke the back of Merlin's head with one hand, her fingers gently running through her thick, dark hair.

"You and Chikorita did all the work. All I did was ask if it knew a certain move," Julia told her. She actually did use her PokeDex to examine Chikorita's moveset, and sure enough, it did know Vine Whip. From the looks of it, Merlin didn't have a PokeDex, nor did she mention ever getting one, so she probably had no way of knowing whether it knew anything other than Tackle and Razor Leaf. Or maybe Merlin just didn't think to ask Chikorita if it knew any other moves. But that was okay. Things turned out alright in the end.

Merlin held the PokeBall aloft. "I'm gonna go show Lakeisha! This'll make her happy for sure, and maybe she'll love me again!"

And Julia's doubt and worries came rushing right back. Merlin made a mad dash for the soccer field, with Chikorita following from close behind.

"Wait, Merlin!" Julia and Hikaru both gave chase. "I don't think that's such a good idea!" Her past experience with Amara told her that there was only one way Lakeisha would react to Merlin's gift. It was the most likely possibility, and things were sure to get ugly. Julia and Hikaru decided to follow her out, if only to be there for her and have her back in case the inevitable happened.

Sure enough, when they got back to the picnic tables, Julia and Merlin could only watch in bewilderment as Lakeisha and Perrine were in the middle of shouting at each other in a heated argument.

"What the heck is going on here?" Julia asked.

Caiseal wasted no time answering. "Lakeisha was going on and on about how awesome her new friend Kirsten is, and Perrine, who's not a moron, pointed out all of her flaws and how her bad influence is clouding her judgment and on how she treats Merlin, and then this happened."

The two girls didn't notice Caiseal, Julia, and Merlin, as they were too busy arguing.

"Like I just told you, your bullheadedness is what drove your other friends away, not Merlin! You need to cut that Kirsten girl out of your life and make better choices for yourself! And you wonder why you got grounded!"

"Y'all ain't got no right to boss me around! Don't be actin' all smart and full 'a yourself just 'cause you went on a journey and stuff! No way am I gonna hang around no weirdos!"

"Arceus, do you even listen to yourself?! Do you ever NOT say anything without putting other people down?! Even your own family?! Do you ever say anything but no?! Are you actually from Nopeville in Idunwannaland or something?!"

"I don't gotta listen to you! And by the way, you's a fashion disaster! Kirsten could teach you a thing or two about how to actually dress cool! Sleeveless vests are so last season, and yer skirt's so dirty and ripped you look like a dang hobo, and you say you's rich?! When's the last time you even took a bath?! Maybe you should be the one to ditch Freak Girl and Blondie and hang out with people who're actually worth somethin'!"

"Who peed in your cereal this morning?! Why does everything have to be some sort of problem for you?!"

"I ain't the one with the problem! You guys are the ones with all the problems! Y'all should be grateful I got the decency to point them out! It ain't my fault I'm surrounded by nothin' but lame-o losers like y'all!"

Both Julia and Caiseal facepalmed. Now Lakeisha was just being petty and deliberately reaching for something to snipe at her about. Perrine's clothes weren't dirty or ripped, and everyone had taken a shower last night. Who was she to boss them around about their personal hygiene or their tastes in friends? She wasn't their mom.

Merlin was quick to put an end to the verbal brouhaha. "Lakeisha! Look look look look!" Merlin got right in between them, moving so close to her sister that she was almost centimeters from her face.

"Ugh! Back off, will ya?!" Lakeisha shoved her back with one hand. "I told ya a million times not to get all up in my face!"

"Calm down," Caiseal chided her tersely. "Jeez."

Merlin presented Lakeisha with the PokeBall. "Ta-da! I caught your favorite Pokemon, big sis! A Smeargle!" She proclaimed proudly, her brown eyes twinkling with joy.

A heavy silence fell on the quintet. Merlin was smiling, but the kids could see Lakeisha's eyes flashing fire, and her mouth was in a very prominent frown. Oh no. This wasn't good.

"I know Mom and Dad say you can't have your own Pokemon yet, but I decided to catch a Smeargle for you so you don't have to get one from Professor Elm!" Merlin chirruped, holding the PokeBall closer to her sister, prompting her to take it.

But Lakeisha didn't take the PokeBall. Julia shivered in anticipation of what was to come. Already, everything she feared would happen was unraveling right before her. Merlin's eyebrows furrowed once she saw that Lakeisha didn't smile.

"What's wrong?" Merlin asked, confused.

Everything came crashing down not seconds later. Lakeisha raised her hand and smacked the PokeBall right out of Merlin's hands, sending it rolling on the grass. Caiseal was quick to grab it, but everyone's mouths fell agape, and Lakeisha exploded in a blaze of fury.

"You serious?! What is wrong with you?!" Lakeisha roared, shouting right in Merlin's face, not even caring that her little sister folded into herself and covered her ears. "I don't like Smeargle no more! Arceus, you's so stupid! Beyond stupid! Why'd you hafta come here and humiliate me like this?!"

Humiliate? What in the world was she implying? That Merlin caught a Pokemon for her just to make her look bad in front of complete strangers? Where was the logic in that? Or was there any? Now the kids knew she was just being petty and needlessly cruel for the sake of it.

"Hey! Stop that!" Julia yelled, but Lakeisha paid her no heed, continuing her spiteful tirade.

"I wasn't-" Even Merlin tried to get a word in, but again, Lakeisha wouldn't let her.

"Do you get off on ruining my life?! Ugh!" Lakeisha ran both hands through her hair, ruffling the strands that kept her bun in place. "You's the absolute worst! All you do is eat away at my life! I wish I never had no sister, especially not a freak like you! The whole world is better off without you, and I wish you'd never been born!"

Nobody said a thing. The hateful words hung suspended in the air before clattering down around Merlin like raging, ice cold hail. Any joy she had vanished, and Merlin's eyes shrunk smaller and smaller until they were little more than dots. Merlin just stood there, completely still, unable to move or speak.

"You take that back!" Julia reached her arm out and shoved Lakeisha to the side. "Stop being so mean to her! You can't say stuff like that!"

"I can say whatever I damn please! Somebody gotta tell her what you guys don't wanna!"

It was Perrine who swiveled around and saw Merlin's cheeks drowning in swift waterfalls of tears. Her dark eyes blurred under the liquid onslaught, and she broke into despondent sobs. Her passionate wails cut through the arguing, and Perrine was quick to rush to her side, consoling her right away.

"Quit yer crying you-" Lakeisha attempted to needlessly admonish her yet again, but this time, Merlin wasn't going to let her walk all over her.

"FINE THEN! I HATE YOU!" Merlin screamed through her tears. "You're always mean to me for no reason and I'm sick of it! I wish Julia was my big sister instead of you!" With that rhetoric, Merlin ran into the forest, bawling like no tomorrow, with Chikorita giving chase. The kids could only stay in the field, figuring Merlin needed some time alone. Lakeisha turned on her heel and ran into another part of the forest, growing sick of being ordered around by Julia and her friends.

"Wow," Caiseal was speechless.

Julia knew this would happen, but it didn't make her any less angry. Her entire being burned with fury, and she curled her hands into tight fists. How could Lakeisha say those things to her sister? She didn't even care that she stomped all over Merlin's kindness and generosity! Or maybe she knew and did it purely out of spite? There was no excuse for this. Any of this. She had gone way too far, and all over Merlin wanting to do something nice for her. The anger she had when Fergus kicked Caiseal around rose right back into her soul, threatening to explode from her being at any moment.

Using it as fuel, Julia walked in the direction Lakeisha went. "You guys go check on Merlin," She ordered.

"What are you gonna do?" Perrine asked.

"What else?! Give that heartless brat a piece of my mind once and for all!" Julia snapped, her eyes flashing fire. Perrine was so surprised by the unbridled fury her friend displayed she recoiled backwards. "She is NOT getting away with this! I won't let her!"

Perrine and Caiseal could only exchange worried glances, but they did make their way to the clearing to see if Merlin was okay.

***

Julia stamped her feet as she trekked her way through the woods, her green eyes scanning the area for Lakeisha. She couldn't have gone too far, since this was her neighborhood. Julia made no attempt to soften her footsteps, as leaves crumpled and twigs snapped under her feet. Good. Merlin's tears and angry face flashed through her mind once more. No way was she going to let Lakeisha get away with hurting her sister like this, especially when Merlin went out of her way to catch a Pokémon for her! What did Merlin even do to deserve that? Julia hated Lakeisha before, but now she wanted to rip her head off.

It didn't take long for her to notice Lakeisha's fluffy black ball of hair and her bright yellow shirt a few feet away. Julia pursed her lips together as she stomped over to the girl, put a hand on her shoulder, and spun her around so fast and so hard, Lakeisha almost tripped on a stray tree root. Lakeisha's brown eyes shrunk from the shock of seeing Julia's contorted red face staring right at her.

"Wha?! Hey!"

Julia wasted no time letting loose. "What is wrong with you?!" She bellowed. "You should be ashamed of yourself, treating your little sister like that when she went out of her way to catch a Pokémon for you!"

As she expected, Lakeisha crossed her arms and scowled. "She's the one who oughta be ashamed! All she ever does is embarrass me and make me look like a fool in front of everyone!" Lakeisha snapped back. "Why do you even care, anyway?! This ain't none of your business!"

Of course. Classic Lakeisha. Always blaming everybody for the problems she herself causes. What did Julia even expect at this point? Someone needed to give this girl an attitude adjustment. "I care because she doesn't deserve to be treated the way you treat her! All she's done is be nice to you, and she caught you that Smeargle out of the goodness of her heart, and you act like she freaking pooped on your shoes!" Julia didn't even try to lower her voice. She yelled in Lakeisha's face and had no intention of stopping any time soon. Being civil with her didn't work. She refused to listen to reason, nor did she seem to want to understand why Merlin does what she does. What was it going to take to make this girl listen? "What did she ever do to you that was so bad?!"

For a brief moment, Lakeisha said nothing. But as far as Julia was concerned, her silence spoke volumes.

"Oh, wait. Don't tell me. You hate the fact that Merlin's autistic, don't you?" Julia asked, scowling right back at Lakeisha. "That's it, isn't it? You yell at her if she so much as does anything, like flap her hands or talk about name origins or repeat words over and over or jumps up and down. I'm not stupid. I've seen the way you treat her, and what you're doing to her is wrong. You think she's an embarrassment, don't you?"

Lakeisha stamped her foot and let out a grunt. "Yeah, I do! I always gotta put up with her actin' like a baby over everything! I can't even be around my friends without being told to bring her with me! She cramps my style! I don't wanna have to babysit her in front of my friends!" Lakeisha spread her arm out for extra emphasis, her fluffy ball of hair bobbing with every movement of her head. "She's nine years old yet she acts like a freakin' baby! Who wants to be around a kid whose sister flaps her hands and makes weird noises and goes on and on about names?! It's her fault all my friends except Kirsten abandoned me! My parents like her way more than me!"

"Your parents don't like her more than you, and she's not hurting anyone. You're making her out to be some life ruiner," Julia said. "Come on. You know she doesn't do that stuff to deliberately annoy you."

"So what?! It ain't normal, and I'm sick of havin' to put up with her!" Lakeisha barked back. "She ruins everything!"

"She caught a Smeargle for you!" Julia exclaimed. "She went out of her way to catch you a Pokemon, and you repaid her by calling her names and telling her the world would be better off if she'd never been born! Do you have any idea how cruel you've been to her all day?"

"I never wanted no Smeargle, and I don't want no stupid sister like her!"

That did it for Julia. Hearing this girl go on and on about her little sister like this was too much for her to bear, especially when Julia knew that none of what Lakeisha was saying was even true. Merlin didn't deserve this. No wonder she told her she wished Julia was her big sister instead of Lakeisha.

"Shut up, Lakeisha! Just shut up!" Julia snapped, raising her hands in the air like she was getting arrested. "You know what? I understand now! Merlin's not the problem here! You are! If anything, you're the one embarrassing her and ruining her life!"

"Oh, great!" Lakeisha face palmed. "Now you're takin' her side!"

"Somebody ought to! You certainly won't!" Julia couldn't believe how thick-headed this girl was. "All day, she's done nothing but try to please you and make you happy! I'd be over the moon if my sister caught a Pokémon for me! You should have been happy and said thank you to her! Instead all you've done is treat her like dirt and humiliate her in front of everyone! If anyone's the embarrassment here, it's you!"

Julia hoped this would get through her thick skull, but she had her doubts. She could see Lakeisha's hand curling into a tight, trembling fist. The girl looked down at the dirt beneath her shoes, seeing nothing but earth. It was Julia's turn to cross her arms.

"This is what I hate about you autistic people," Lakeisha hissed through her teeth. "You're all liars and cheaters and fakers and whiners who want everything handed to you!" She snapped, her face contorting into a twisted snarl. "Why can't you all just leave me alone?! I have to put up with you people all the time and I'm sick of it!"

What was she going on about? Liars, fakers, and cheaters? Where did she get that idea? Julia stood her ground. "That's not true and you know it."

"It is so!" Lakeisha pointed her index finger right at Julia. "You cheated off my science test!"

It was Julia's turn to face palm. Why was she bringing that up? She should have put that to rest long ago. "Ugh! That was last year, and I already apologized to you for it! You need to let that go!" Julia yelled.

"How do I know you don't cheat off other kids' as well?! You cheated off me even before that, too!"

"I stopped!" Julia told her. "My parents and teachers explained what I was doing was wrong, I learned from it, they taught me how to study on my own, and I know better now. Have I cheated off your work since then? Huh?"

"You lie! You crazy people just don't wanna work hard and want everything spoon fed to ya! You're all whiny babies! You and Merlin both!"

It slowly dawned on her. Lakeisha hated Julia because she thought she was Merlin all over again, and she believed autistic people were little more than spoiled brats who threw tantrums 24/7. Julia let out a sharp, exasperated groan. Why was she even listening to this girl whine about stuff that wasn't true? It was time to set her straight.

"None of that is true. What's it going to take for you to understand that?" Julia lowered her voice but remained stern and hard as stone. "Did you ever even consider how Merlin felt while you were calling her names, putting her down, yelling at her, and treating her like dirt? Or do you think she has no feelings or can't feel at all? Well, guess what?! She does! How do you think she feels, being continually told that she's an embarrassment, a burden, an inconvenience, and making her cry just for something that isn't anyone's fault?! By her own sister, no less?!"

For once, Lakeisha said nothing. Any words she tried to say had instantly dried up in her mouth. That was good, since Julia was sick and tired of hearing her whine and moan. She was in no mood for excuses or frivolities.

"I've been in her shoes," Julia hissed. "I know exactly what it's like to be shunned and treated like dirt because I'm not like everyone else. You should know! You and Kirsten and the rest of your girl posse pick on me all the time, even when I didn't do anything to you or talk to you!"

"That's—"

Julia held her hand up. "Shut up and listen for once!" She bellowed, leaving no room for Lakeisha to talk. "And by the way, I know about the video incident. Merlin told me about it earlier. I think I understand now. Merlin's not the one ruining your life! You're ruining hers and your own! You're the one creating problems for yourself and blaming others instead of, y'know, taking responsibility and apologizing!"

"Shut up!"

"No, you shut up!" Julia slammed her hand on a tree right next to her. The bark rattled against her palm, and her hand vibrated soon after. But in all honesty, it felt good. "You want Merlin to not be autistic, right? Well, guess what! Merlin's always going to be autistic! There's no cure for it, and as far as I'm concerned, there shouldn't be! You need to suck it up and deal with it instead of acting like a spoiled brat! The world doesn't revolve around you, and nobody should have to change themselves just so they can meet your stupid standards!" Her voice grew hoarse from all of her yelling. She stopped to catch her breath, but each gulp of air burned her throat and lungs. But she wasn't done yet. At this point, Lakeisha couldn't bring herself to say anything more.

"She's your sister. She's a good kid and I really like her. Why can't you love her for who she is and accept her? She's the only sister you have," Julia's voice was no longer sharp with anger. Instead, it softened to a hoarse whimper. "You really hurt her, and you don't even care. I doubt you can even fix it at this point. If you keep this up, you're going to wind up being all alone. How many more people are you going to end up driving away? Do you really believe yelling at her and treating her like dirt is going to make her normal? Is sucking up to Kirsten really that important to you?"

Lakeisha took two steps back, recoiling like she had been slapped in the face. Even Julia found herself surprised by the change in her expression. This wasn't the confident, boastful girl who always had that smug look on her face. Here she was, small, weak, and wracked with doubt.

"I…" Any words Lakeisha could come up with were stuck in her throat, the hollow sound of her voice breaking in her ears. But as far as Julia was concerned, that was an answer in and of itself. No excuse Lakeisha could come up with would ever absolve her of her actions, before and after today.

Neither girl spoke to each other for several long moments until Julia turned away from her. "Since you're too busy acting like a brat and wallowing in your unfounded self-pity, I'm going to go check on Merlin. That should really be your job, you being her sister and all, but honestly, I doubt Merlin wants to even see you after your little tantrum. Call me when you decide to stop being an awful person. Kissing up to Kirsten isn't all there is in life," Julia told her bitterly before marching away, leaving Lakeisha alone in the forest.

As she made her way back to the soccer field, Julia found herself...smiling. It was as if a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders. By Arceus, it was so satisfying to finally tell Lakeisha off for everything she did to Julia back in school! She had wanted to stand up to her for months but never had the courage to do so. Julia reminded herself that she wasn't the same person she was before she left on her journey. Lakeisha didn't have power over her anymore. But more importantly, she needed to see if Merlin was doing okay. Obviously, she wouldn't be, what with everything Lakeisha had said to her, but someone needed to be there for her and give her some much needed comfort and reassurance.

But when she made it back to the soccer field, she found Caiseal and Perrine at the picnic tables. "What are you guys still doing here?" She asked curiously.

Perrine answered first. "We did check on her, but she said she needed some space, so we decided to leave her be."

So that was it. Julia nodded in agreement. That was understandable. After what she had been through just moments ago, Merlin deserved to have some time to herself. She had been through enough already.

Caiseal glared down at the picnic table, resting his chin on his hand. "Tell me you ripped that Lakeisha girl a new one."

"You bet I did!" Julia exclaimed. "I've been wanting to do that for years! Ugh! I can't believe her!" She sat right down next to Perrine and buried her face in her hands. "She's been nothing but awful to Merlin and doesn't even care! Merlin doesn't deserve this at all!"

Perrine looked over her shoulder, towards the forest. "I just hope she's gonna be okay after this."

***

Merlin sat in front of her favorite log and cried pitifully, with Chikorita by her side. She couldn't believe her attempt at being nice to her sister had to end so horribly. Julia did warn her beforehand that it might not work, but a part of her didn't want to believe it. Surely, the older sister she knew and loved was still in there somewhere. But even with the knowledge that it might backfire, it still hurt to know that Lakeisha straight up hated her. This hurt much worse than when she found out about the video Lakeisha took. At least with that, nothing really came of it because her parents made sure Lakeisha was punished and because Lakeisha's friends were smart enough to not spread it around, knowing Merlin wasn't the kind of girl Lakeisha was making her out to be.

And yet, this was so much worse. Merlin knew Lakeisha had always liked Smeargle. When did she suddenly not like it anymore? Did Kirsten do something to her to make her change her mind? Of course. It all came down to that girl. But what could Merlin do about her? They had never met, and there was no way Merlin could go to Lakeisha's school and make her not hang out with Kirsten, no matter how much she wanted to. But Kirsten or no Kirsten, her relationship with Lakeisha was ruined. At this point, Merlin didn't even want to look at her. If she wanted to be cruel, then fine! Merlin was tired of putting up with her garbage. She knew she deserved better than this. Why couldn't Julia be her big sister? She was nice, smart, and never treated Merlin like she was a nuisance.

Chikorita stroke Merlin's hair with a single vine. It knew its attempt at consoling her wouldn't do much, but it didn't want to sit there and do nothing. Appreciating its kindness, Merlin pulled Chikorita closer and gave it a hug, burying her face into its body to cry some more. Her chest hurt, and she hated how all of this anger just didn't go away. Why couldn't it all just disappear already? She didn't want to sit here and be miserable, but what could she do?

"I don't get it," Merlin whimpered, sobs muffled by Chikorita's soft fur. "Everything I do is all wrong to her...she really hates me now. I didn't want to believe it at first, even after the video, but…I want the old Lakeisha back!" She wailed, holding her Pokemon tight. After a while, her chest began to hurt from so much crying, and whatever sorrow she had left turned to anger. Why did she have to go through this? She put Chikorita down and stood up, her eyes red and puffy, but flashing fire all the same.

"Nnnnnngh!" Merlin growled, stamping her feet, hoping this awful anger would just leave. But it didn't. She wished she could just punch something. She found a rock nearby and picked it up. It was about as big as her hand, and with a pained cry, she threw it at a nearby tree, watching as it bounced off the trunk and back onto the grass.

"I hate you!" Merlin screeched, picking up more rocks and throwing them at the trees one by one. "I hate you I hate you I hate you I hate you! I hate you, mean Lakeisha!" She yelled loud and clear. If people were nearby, they would have heard her, but at this point, she didn't care. She threw another rock, watching as it flew into the foliage.

"Spin!" A high pitched shriek pulled Merlin out of her funk. She and Chikorita looked up to find a Spinarak popping out of the tree, hanging from it by a strand of silk. The Spinarak eyed Merlin with its large eyes. The girl could see a small mark on its head.

"Whoops!" In that instant, she realized that rock she threw just now must have hit Spinarak on the head. She had no idea there was a Spinarak in that tree, and the revelation that she hurt it by mistake sent a wave of guilt over her. "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to hurt you!"

Unfortunately, her apology fell on deaf ears. Spinarak let out another shriek, and all of a sudden, more Spinarak appeared, along with a group of Ariados, all of them with eyes shining with anger.

All of which were on Merlin.

"Oh no! We gotta run!" Merlin wasted no time sprinting for her life, with Chikorita following from behind. The army of spider Pokemon disconnected themselves from their trees, landed on the ground, and charged at Merlin, running as fast as their spindly legs could carry them.

"Yeeeeeeek!"

Merlin immediately hid behind Julia. The kids were about to ask her what happened, but the answer came swarming all around them. An army of Spinarak and Ariados surrounded them, eyes glowing with fury.

"Where'd these guys come from?!" Caiseal yelped. Apollo and Mallow were quick to hop to his side.

Julia held Merlin close as Hikaru, Neji, Papillon, and Lavinia all readied themselves for battle.

"As far as I'm concerned, they're gonna go back to where they came from!" Perrine exclaimed. "Kitsune, use Flamethrower!"

"Niiiiine!" Kitsune exhaled a stream of fire at the spider army, sending quite a few of them scattering across the field. Some of the Spinarak spat long threads of string at them.

"Apollo, you do the same! Mallow, block them with Bone Rush!"

Apollo mimicked Kitsune, spitting fire at the Spinarak army and reducing their strings to cinders. Mallow managed to knock away a few String Shots with his bone before proceeding to smack some of the Spinarak like he was playing Whack-A-Diglett.

"Papillon, use Gust!" Julia commanded.

"Freeeee!" The butterfly Pokemon flapped her wings as fast as she could, generating a small tornado that ripped through the soccer field, sweeping up quite a few Spinaraks before spitting them out. Only one Ariados was caught in the tiny funnel of air, while the rest used their sharp legs to keep themselves firmly planted into the ground.

"Hey! I heard a scream!" In that moment, Lakeisha came running. "What's going on—whaaaaa?!" As soon as she saw the army of spiders, she stopped in her tracks. The Spinarak and Ariados didn't pay her any heed, continuing to focus their attention on the group.

"Get back, Lakeisha!" Julia barked. "Lavinia, Slash attack, and don't let up!"

Happy to oblige, Lavinia let out a battle cry as she swiped her way through a group of Spinarak and Ariados, cleaving them to the point of clearing an entire path for Lakeisha to walk into if she could. She didn't slice them to death—Lavinia may like a good fight but wasn't a murderer—but made sure to inflict just enough pain to make them regret ever crossing her. Several Spinarak went flying, and others scurried back into the forest, but a good majority of them remained.

"Ugh! There's too many of them!" Julia exclaimed, continuing to hold Merlin close.

Apollo got down on all fours, set his neck aflame, and roared at the spider army, commanding them to go away. Kitsune did the same, only her tails stood up and she bared her fangs. Unfortunately, the Spinarak and Ariados had them surrounded, and their eyes glowed with an intense desire to eat them alive.

Not a chance.

"Hikaru, use Volt Tackle! No mercy!" Julia cried out.

Hikaru got down on all fours and sprinted towards some Spinarak and Ariados just behind the kids. As soon as she got close, electricity exploded from her body as she barreled through a large group of them. Many of the Spinarak were sent flying, and some of the Ariados scurried back to the forest. Finally, there was an opening.

"Come on! We need to go!" Julia cried, taking Merlin by the hand before making a break for it. The kids and Pokemon, Lakeisha included, followed suit, running from the army of spiders.

"What's with all these Spinarak and Ariados?!" Lakeisha cried. "Why're they attackin' you guys?!"

"I have no idea!" Julia answered back. "We just need to get as far away from them as we can! As soon as we're out of their sight, they'll likely fall back! Just keep running and find a place to hide!"

Lakeisha focused on running, but she noticed the sudden confidence in Julia's voice. Had she ever sounded like that before? Some of her Pokemon stopped to hold off the army to bide time for them to escape. Neji used Quick Attack on a few of them, allowing Papillon to fire another Gust and Lavinia to fire off several Air Slashes at them. Lakeisha had to admit, she was impressed. Normally, Julia would cry if she was in a sticky situation, or even in one that wasn't worth making a fuss about. But here she was, commanding her Pokemon like a pro and keeping calm, like she wasn't about to be eaten by a group of poisonous spider Pokemon. Had she really changed this much over the course of a few months? But the most striking thing was that not once did she let go of Merlin. She kept the frightened girl by her side and attempted to calm her every chance she got.

Something that was supposed to be Lakeisha's job.

"Over there!" Caiseal pointed to an empty alley between two buildings.

Knowing what he wanted them to do, the kids and the Pokemon slipped into the alleyway, hiding behind a dumpster. Lakeisha's hands covered her nose to protect it from the awful stench in the air. The other kids did the same, but they all kept their eyes on the Spinarak and Ariados running past. None of them noticed they were there, and the kids didn't breathe, hoping the army wouldn't be able to notice them. After a while, the spider Pokemon disappeared, and the kids exhaled.

"Good. I think we're safe for now," Julia reassured them.

Perrine ran a hand through her orange locks. "What in the world was all that about?" She asked no one in particular. All everyone could do was exchanged confused looks. Nobody seemed to know why a large group of Spinarak and Ariados attacked them.

Except one, and her guilt overtook her.

"I'm sorry! This is my fault!" Merlin cried piteously, burying her face into Julia's shirt. "I was in my secret spot and throwing rocks at trees to let off steam. One of them hit a Spinarak on the head by accident. I didn't know it was there, honest I didn't! I even told it I was sorry but it didn't work! You're all getting chased around because of me!"

Other than Merlin's remorseful sobbing, nobody said a word. The Spinarak and Ariados were all after Merlin? That was why? Even Lakeisha was quiet despite clenching her teeth together in an attempt to suppress her still simmering anger. She was tempted to admonish Merlin for putting them in this situation, but refrained as she found Julia kneeling to her level and stroking her hair in sympathy.

"It's okay, Merlin. You didn't know," Julia told her in a soothing voice. "I know you weren't trying to hurt it on purpose. Let's just focus on solving this problem for right now."

Lakeisha couldn't believe it. Here was Julia, a person she hated with every fiber of her being, doing everything she can to console Merlin, her own little sister, and not even batting an eye at the situation they're in. She looked up and saw Perrine and Caiseal staring right at her with stern, stony expressions, like they caught her doing something she shouldn't have. They didn't use words, but Lakeisha could read their eyes plain as day.

This is all your fault. If you hadn't been so mean to Merlin, we wouldn't be in this situation. You got us into this mess, and you're too selfish to try to fix it.

The worst part of it was…they were absolutely right. This wasn't Merlin's fault. Lakeisha had caused all of this.

"Watch out!" Perrine cried out, pointing to the top of one of the buildings.

Five Ariados peered down at them from the rooftop, aiming their hind quarters and firing a barrage of purple poison stingers at them. The kids ran out of the way as Apollo and Kitsune spat fire at them once again. Suddenly, three of them jumped right in front of the kids, bearing their fangs, blocking their path. Then, before anyone could react, all three of them fired String Shot.

At Merlin.

"Yeeek!" Merlin screeched as sticky string coiled around her arm. It was tight against her body, and it felt like it was pressing down on her chest. Julia tried to pull her back, but another Ariados fired a barrage of white needles at her. The kids knew it was Pin Missile, so the attack wouldn't cause poison, but the pain was too much. Julia tightened her grip on Merlin's free arm, but the pain forced her to let go, her hand unable to hold any longer. The Ariados quintet took the opportunity to grab Merlin with their fangs, throw her on their backs, and scurry away.

"Merlin! No!" Lakeisha screamed in horror, watching as the spider army made their way back to the forest with a crying Merlin in tow.

"Papillon! Follow them! Don't let them get away!" Julia commanded.

Papillon gave a reassuring nod before flying over the Spinarak army, watching them from five feet above to maintain a safe distance.

The kids nodded at each other, knowing what needed to be done. They were going to save Merlin no matter what it took. Lakeisha could only shiver from the terror of it all, wrapping her arms tightly around herself like a force field. This couldn't be happening! Her little sister was kidnapped by an army of poison Pokemon that were likely to either eat her or straight up kill her, and there wasn't a single thing she could do.

A hand on her shoulder pulled her out of her mind, stopping her from thinking the worst. "Come on. Let's save Merlin," Julia said calmly. There wasn't a single trace of fear in her voice. The familiar timid quiver Lakeisha always heard wasn't present.

It was enough to convince her that this was not the time to sit around whining and moaning. Lakeisha nodded. The kids sprinted back to the soccer field, following the Spinarak army to find where they were taking Merlin. Sure enough, they made their way back to the forest, only going deeper inside. The kids kept a safe distance from them in order to watch them without being seen. The Spinarak and Ariados gathered around one set of trees with a huge web in between them. One Ariados, bigger than the rest, was sitting right at the top, watching as the quintet that caught Merlin stuck her to the web. Needless to say, Merlin cried out and began thrashing despite the string around her preventing her from moving.

"Somebody help meeeee!"

"This is bad," Caiseal said. "They're probably gonna eat her at this rate! Apollo, use—!"

"No!" Julia threw her hand out, preventing Apollo from using any attacks. "Don't use any fire attacks! You'll set the forest on fire and wind up burning Merlin to a crisp!"

Lakeisha looked all around the forest. She was right. One fire attack could set the whole forest ablaze, and Merlin would be unable to escape.

"We can't use electric attacks either," Julia warned. "That might wind up doing the same thing, and we don't want to accidentally electrocute her, either."

"Isn't there some way we can attack them without hurting Merlin in the process?" Perrine asked, her eyebrows furrowed with concern. "Considering there's so many of them, we can't necessarily sneak around and grab Merlin when they aren't looking."

As the kids talked amongst themselves over how to save Merlin, Lakeisha could only watch as the Spinarak and Ariados surrounded Merlin, ready to consume their prey. In that moment, all of the remorse and guilt she had pushed away for so long came crashing down, and Julia's words finally settled into her soul. She was absolutely right. Lakeisha had been nothing but cruel to Merlin, all for the sake of being popular, and this was what it led to. She didn't want Merlin to die. Especially not like this. Everything that had happened today was all her own fault, not Merlin's. She couldn't deny it any longer. She had brought all this on herself, and in turn hurt everyone in the process. When did she turn into this awful person?

Memories of times gone by came rushing back. A young Lakeisha celebrating the birth of her new sister. Lakeisha and Merlin playing together. Lakeisha teaching Merlin her ABCs and Pokemon names. The girls playing on the swings in the park. Lakeisha protecting Merlin from bullies. Lakeisha comforting a crying Merlin when a cousin tried to force her to look them in the eye. Even the memories of all of her recent transgressions came rushing back to her like a tornado barreling through a town. Believing everything Kirsten told her without any thought of skepticism. Her sudden desire to be hyper vigilant and controlling over Merlin and her habits. All the times she yelled at Merlin, pinned her down, and called her names over nothing. Taking the video of her meltdown, and finally, rejecting the Pokemon Merlin caught for her and saying she wished Merlin wasn't her sister.

She also thought about Merlin, and how she must have felt during all of this. Lakeisha had convinced herself Merlin had no feelings and wouldn't be hurt by cruel words and actions. Her brain was way too backward to process such a concept. That was what Kirsten had taught her to believe. But as the image of Merlin crying and running away after her cruel admonishment flashed through her mind, the realization hit Lakeisha like a truck. Of course Merlin would be hurt! She had been hurt many times before. Being bullied by other kids. Learning how and why she was different from everyone else. Her older sister suddenly deciding she didn't love her anymore out of the clear blue sky. Lakeisha's chest ached. Merlin had been so sad and lonely. All she wanted was for Lakeisha to love her again like before, and all Lakeisha did was stomp all over it and treat Merlin like garbage. And for what?

Lakeisha pursed her lips together. Enough was enough. No more. Not when Merlin was going to probably die.

But what could she do? She had no Pokemon, and didn't know how to fight or fend for herself. Then she noticed a PokeBall in Caiseal's hand.

Merlin's PokeBall. The one with Smeargle in it.

"Caiseal!" Lakeisha cried. "Can I borrow Smeargle for a bit?"

"Huh?" Before Caiseal could respond, Lakeisha swiped the PokeBall and released Smeargle. The painter Pokemon only tilted its head, bewildered by the scene unraveling before its eyes.

"Smeargle!" Lakeisha kneeled down to its level. "I know we only just met, but we need your help! My sister's in trouble! I can't help her by myself, so we need your powers! Please!" She pleaded tearfully.

Beside them, Julia sent Neji, Karin, and Papillon out, commanding them to deal with the Spinarak army. Lakeisha and Smeargle locked eyes, exchanging no words. Smeargle examined her in silence, wondering what all the hubbub was all about. But it could tell this was a dangerous situation, and it sensed no malice in the girl's heart. Hearing Merlin's cries, Smeargle nodded. Lakeisha gave a grateful smile.

"Go, Fuwari! Use Fairy Wind!" Perrine sent out Fuwari, who generated a gust of shimmering pink wind that sent a few of the Spinarak flying. The web Merlin was stuck to wobbled just a bit, but the Ariados guarding it didn't move an inch.

"Karin, use Powder Snow!" Julia cried out. Karin exhaled a cloud of glimmering white snow that made quite a few of the Spinarak and Ariados shiver. Finally, several of them scurried away, having had enough. Papillon sent blades of air towards several Ariados with a flap of her wings, and Neji popped out from the ground at one point, driving a few others away.

"Ravenclaw, use Wing Attack on that Ariados! No mercy!" Caiseal sent out Ravenclaw, who wasted no time ramming herself into the Ariados guarding Merlin. Ariados swiped at the little crow a few times with its claws, but Ravenclaw deftly dodged every swipe before pecking the giant spider all over.

"Julia!" Lakeisha tapped Julia's shoulder. "Can you use your PokeDex to check Smeargle's attacks?"

Julia's jaw dropped. Normally, Lakeisha never bothered to ask her to do anything. More than that, she actually called Julia by her name for once. But knowing this was a bad situation, she didn't want to waste time gawking. She pulled out her PokeDex and looked over Smeargle's attacks. "Here they are," She gestured for Lakeisha to look. All she needed was a passing glance, and she memorized them right away.

"I want to battle, too!" Lakeisha announced. "This is all my fault and I need to fix this!"

It must be confessed that Julia was tempted to tell her to stay out of this. In all honesty, she was convinced Lakeisha was just going to make things worse for everyone again. Julia couldn't bring herself to believe Lakeisha was actually remorseful for what she had done. The girl had always been so selfish and boastful for all the time she had known her, never seeing fault in her own actions. What made her think this would change anything? Julia wasn't gullible. Not like before. But a part of her reasoned that maybe Lakeisha was genuine in her desire to help. Why would she even ask about Smeargle or talk to it if she didn't? Besides, this wasn't the time to play the blame game. Rescuing Merlin was top priority.

Reluctantly, Julia nodded. "Alright. We need to get that big Ariados off the web. I think it's the leader," She pointed to the web. Ariados used its body to cover Merlin, as if protecting her from the other Pokemon, but the girls knew it was only protecting its food. "I'll have Caiseal and Perrine focus on the army. You and I will deal with the leader. On my signal, you get Merlin free. Got it?"

"Got it!"

"Karin, use Powder Snow again!"

"Smeargle, use Rock Throw!"

Karin blew another powdery cloud of snow, this time aiming it right at Ariados. The big spider attempted to dodge, but the sudden blast of cold air made its body turn rigid, shivering in the onslaught. Then, Smeargle waved its tail and fired off a barrage of sharp rocks that pelted Ariados in all directions. Ariados then readied the spines on its rear and fired off several poison stingers.

"Protect!" Lakeisha cried out.

Smeargle waved its tail, generating a glowing shield shaped like an oval, blocking off the Poison Sting attack. Ariados raised its spines again, preparing for another attack.

"Neji, use Sucker Punch!"

"Fuuuuur!" The long body Pokemon sprinted towards the Ariados leader swiftly, its arm glowing in a black light. Then, once he got close enough, Neji landed a sound punch right on Ariados' face, with such force that it actually knocked the spider right off the web. Ariados rolled six feet away from its web, its head throbbing from the sudden pain.

Leaving Merlin all alone.

"Now's your chance!" Julia cried out.

Without another word, Lakeisha and Smeargle ran over to Merlin. "Use Fury Swipes, but take care not to scratch her," Lakeisha whispered.

Smeargle nodded and raised its tail, generating a set of long claws that made clean cuts through the web. Just like that, Merlin was free! She almost fell to the ground, as she was four feet into the air, but Lakeisha caught her, softening her landing. Chikorita joined them shortly after.

It didn't take long for the Ariados leader to get back on its feet and crawl back to the kids, its large, purple eyes shining with indignation. Merlin hid right behind Perrine, clutching the edge of her vest. Julia stepped forward.

"Excuse me, Ariados!" Julia exclaimed, balling her hands into fists. "Please, listen! Merlin wasn't trying to hurt your friend on purpose! It was an accident!"

Ariados raised its fangs.

"The heck is she doin'?" Lakeisha asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Trying to talk it down," Caiseal answered tersely. "And considering she's scared of poison types, I'm kinda surprised she's so composed right now."

Lakeisha's jaw dropped. Julia was trying to talk it down despite being terrified of poison types? If it had been Lakeisha, she would have ran for the hills hours ago. But Julia showed no signs of fear. This was not the easily frightened girl she used to pick on in school. She truly had grown since she left school. Lakeisha looked down in shame. Why had she ever been so cruel to her before? She used to think Julia was just some drooling idiot who got off on using others to get her own way, mostly because Kirsten had told her so, but all of her actions today proved she was nothing like Kirsten described...and how Lakeisha imagined she'd be.

"We're sorry we had to resort to battling you guys," Julia continued, her voice calm and collected. "We just want you to listen to reason. Now, will you tell your friends to fall back and leave Merlin alone?"

The two had a brief staring contest, and the air around them was tense. Then, Ariados hissed at the rest of its army, and just like that, the spider Pokemon began scurrying away, back to where they came from. Ariados hissed twice more at Julia before turning away and leaving. As soon as the spider Pokemon disappeared, Julia fell to her knees.

"Uuuugh! I don't ever wanna do that again!" Julia groaned. Her legs felt like jelly, and she was sure she'd have a breakdown any minute. "I could practically smell Ariados' breath on me!"

"Merlin!" Lakeisha cried, flying over to Merlin and twining her arms around her sister. "Thank Arceus you're safe!" Merlin could feel warm tears on Lakeisha's cheeks. They were sticky and wet. "This was all my fault! I put you in danger! I'm so sorry!"

This time, Lakeisha didn't begrudgingly fake being guilty or try to make the whole thing Merlin's fault. This was all her own doing, and the remorse she held in was finally released. Now her little sister was safe, and for now, that was all that mattered. All of a sudden, she felt Merlin's hands pushing on her shoulders. With a grunt, Merlin broke from the hug and walked a few feet away, looking down at the ground, like she absolutely refused to look at Lakeisha at all. Chikorita walked to her side, nuzzling against her leg lovingly.

Lakeisha's eyes blurred. She knew Merlin was mad at her for the things she said earlier, but did she have to continue being mad? Lakeisha shook her head. No, she had every right to be angry. Saving her from a group of Spinarak and Ariados wasn't going to magically undo everything Lakeisha did and said to her. Goods deeds weren't simply rewarded just like that, and Lakeisha knew she had no right to expect anything from Merlin at this point. But perhaps now was a good time to tell her she was at least serious about how she felt now. Lakeisha was hurt, yes, but Merlin was hurting more. What right did Lakeisha have to complain when she was the one who caused all this? She slowly walked over to Merlin but kept herself at a small distance of about two feet, knowing Merlin needed her space.

"Merlin. I'm sorry. For everything. For this, all the mean things I said to you, the video...for being such an awful sister to you for over a year," For once, Lakeisha kept a low, calm tone of voice, and she wasn't tempted to needlessly scold her like she did before. "You have every right to be mad, and if you don't wanna forgive me, that's alright. I know just sayin' sorry ain't gonna change what I put y'all through."

Merlin said nothing. The other kids remained silent as well.

"I was lyin' when I said I didn't like Smeargle no more. It was awful sweet of you to catch 'im for me. I was too stupid to see that," Lakeisha flashed a grateful smile before bending down to Smeargle's level. "You were a great help today, friend."

"Smeargle!" The painter Pokemon flashed a grin right back at her.

Then, Lakeisha walked over to Julia. The latter didn't meet her gaze, but she could hear Lakeisha's voice trembling. "Julia. Perrine. Caiseal. Thank you...for helping Merlin."

Julia's jaw dropped. This was the first time Lakeisha had ever thanked anyone, especially unprompted. Better yet, Lakeisha wasn't screaming or complaining this time. Julia could see the sunlight reflecting off the fresh tear tracks on her cheeks. But Julia crossed her arms and locked Lakeisha in place with a stern glare.

"Especially you, Julia," Lakeisha continued. A new set of tears sprung forth, and her voice trembled. "And...I'm sorry. For bein' so cruel to you and pickin' on y'all for stupid reasons. Even before all this. Everything you said about me is true," She wrapped both arms around herself in a futile attempt to keep herself together, but the proud, stubborn facade she kept up had already crumbled. "I am selfish and shallow. I'm always tryin' to be like other people, tryin' to fit in and be popular and be normal. Lettin' people tell me what to do, what to think, how to treat other people even when I know in my heart it's all wrong...I threw my friends and my sister under the bus for Kirsten, and look what happened!"

Smeargle placed a paw on Lakeisha's leg, suddenly feeling sorry for the girl. It didn't quite know what was going on, but seeing how despondent she was broke its little heart.

"Everything I said about you is wrong. You're a better person than I could ever be. You put your life on the line for someone you don't even know and someone you hate," Lakeisha pointed to herself in regards to that last statement. "You've been a better sister to Merlin in a day than I have in the last year. I...I can't say much else other than...I'm sorry…!"

Truth be told, Julia wasn't quite sure how to feel about this. In a way, seeing Lakeisha so despondent and fragile was almost jarring. As much as she wanted to believe Lakeisha and forgive her, she couldn't bring herself to let her guard down. Julia had been through enough bullying and deception. For all she knew, this whole thing could be some kind of farce. But something in the back of her mind convinced her to at least give her an answer.

"Lakeisha," Julia hoped she was choosing her words correctly. The last thing she wanted to do was say something that would wind up making things worse than they already were. Or even start a whole new conflict. "Thank you for apologizing. I won't lie, you really put everyone through the wringer, and I don't think I can forgive you just yet, for both the things you did to me or to Merlin. The only way I'll believe you for sure is if I see for myself that you're committed to being a better person and changing your attitude and the way you treat people, Merlin included."

For once, Lakeisha was silent, staring down at the floor with a resigned, guilty expression.

"But that doesn't mean you can't start now," Julia told her, smiling this time.

Then, Merlin walked back toward the group, looking just as tearful as Lakeisha, her lips pursed together tightly. "Thank you...for saving me…" Merlin whispered.

Perrine knelt down to her level. "No thanks necessary."

Caiseal noticed Lakeisha steal a worrying glance in Merlin's direction. It didn't take much to figure out what it was about. "You'd best not force it," Caiseal told her calmly. "She'll forgive you on her own time. You have to earn her forgiveness first."

Lakeisha gave a slow nod. "I know."

"In case you're wondering," Julia chimed in. "We'll be leaving for Tohjo Falls first thing tomorrow morning at about nine, so you don't have to put up with me for much longer."

"I see…" Lakeisha turned to Merlin. "We better get home now."

Without another word, the Knowles sisters waved goodbye to the trio and made their way back home. The kids began putting their Pokemon back in their PokeBalls in preparation for tomorrow. They began chatting amongst themselves as they made their way back to Julia's house.

"Man, I can't wait to tell Yvette and Geoffrey about this next time I see them," Caiseal mused to himself. "This was just wild!"

Perrine laughed. "I know, right? We practically took on an army of poisonous spiders! You were amazing out there today, Jule," She gave her friend a gentle tap on the shoulder. "You really managed to talk that Ariados down in spite of your fear of poison types!"

Julia blushed. "Oh, it's not that big a deal…" She murmured, cheeks red from the praise. She wondered if she really deserved to be talked up like this. "Ummm...would it seem cruel if I told you I still suspect Lakeisha isn't serious about...changing her ways?"

"Pika?" Hikaru raised her ears, confused by her trainer's anxiety.

"What do you mean?" Perrine asked.

"I don't know. I've been picked on for so many years by so many different people...I guess it's made me inclined to think nobody really changes for the better, y'know? My family is one thing, but people I go to school with…" Julia found herself ashamed of her line of thinking. Nobody was perfect. She herself did things she wasn't proud of, like cheating off of Lakeisha's test for one, and she learned her lesson. Amara was angry at the world until J confessed to being involved in Chanel's death, prompting Amara to realize the error of her ways and finally turn herself in. "I want to believe Lakeisha's apology was genuine. I do. But I think a part of me is convinced she's not sincere or is just trying to trick me again like before. Ugh!" She ran both hands through her hair. "That sounds too mean! I shouldn't be thinking like that!"

"There's nothing wrong with being a little guarded and cynical," Caiseal reassured, pointing his thumb to his chest. "Speaking as someone who is both of those things, having gone through what I did, it can be hard to trust people and tell if someone really wants to be a better person or go back to their old ways. Nothing's ever really set in stone. It's really up to them if they want to make that change."

Good point. Julia nodded. "Yeah, I suppose so."

***

The next morning, the kids ate breakfast and prepared for the trip ahead, with Kassia telling them everything they needed to know about how to get to Tohjo Falls.

"Go east, and you'll find a man and a small boat on a long pier," Kassia explained. "He'll take you to Kanto, but you need to pay a five dollar fee to get on the boat. When you get there, you'll find a small building, and you need to go in there and show the person inside your trainer IDs and PokeDexes so he can run a background check. This is to make sure you're legitimately coming into Kanto for benign reasons and not trying to enter the region illegally. None of you have criminal records, so I think you'll be able to get through border security just fine, but keep your IDs and PokeDexes with you at all times just to be on the safe side."

The kids processed the information, nodding when she finished. "We understand, Mom," Julia told her. "We'll be back when the League is over."

Not a second later, Truman handed the three of them boxes wrapped in colorful cloth. "Kassia made lunch for you all so you won't go hungry during the trek."

"Thanks!" All three of them said in unison.

Kassia smiled before giving Julia a quick hug. "You take care, dear. Be safe. I love you."

Julia savored her mother's warmth. "Love you too."

With smiles on their faces, the kids waved as they made their way east, watching as Julia's parents disappeared into the distance behind them. A great meadow spread out before them, with the ocean about a hundred feet away, almost a straight blue line from where they were currently at. The sun was shining, and the sky was a pure, majestic blue, without a single cloud in sight. A perfect day to head to the Pokemon League.

It was then that it dawned on Julia. "Wow. We're really going into a whole new region, aren't we?" Her hands gripped her backpack in excitement. She had never left Johto before, so Kanto would almost be like a whole new world.

"We sure are, and it's gonna be awesome!" Caiseal exclaimed, throwing a fist in the air.

The kids enjoyed the pleasant walk, as the meadow was so wide and open, they could see far into the distance. The air was frigid, but not so much that they couldn't handle walking a long distance. Even Hikaru was enjoying herself, happily perched on Julia's shoulder and watching the world go by. Then, her ears stood up.

"Pika!" Hikaru chirruped.

The kids stopped walking, turning to Hikaru. "What's up, girl?" Julia asked. Hikaru pointed behind them, and the kids turned to look. A voice was carried on the wind.

"Heeeeey! Wait uuuuup!"

It was Lakeisha! Her legs pushed down on her bike pedals with all the strength she could muster as she rode to catch up to the trio. The kids' jaws dropped. What in the world was she doing all the way out here? Caiseal facepalmed, expecting more drama. Perrine and Julia could only watch with bewildered expressions as Lakeisha finally caught up, panting as she got off her bike.

"Finally...caught ya…" Lakeisha gasped for air with every word she spoke.

"Lakeisha? What are you doing here?" Julia asked.

Once she finally caught her breath, Lakeisha wiped her mouth before talking. "I got...somethin' important to give to ya," She explained, her voice hoarse from biking such a long distance. "I know I'm still grounded, and I had a hard time convincin' Mom and Dad to let me come down and see y'all. I can only stay twenty minutes, and they're timin' me by the clock."

Lakeisha rummaged through her pocket, pulled something out, and opened her hand to show it to her. Julia leaned in to get a closer look. There were two items in her hand. One was a small plush keychain made to resemble a Pikachu. Another was a small slip of paper with a set of numbers on it. A phone number, maybe? Julia gingerly took them into her hands.

"What are these?"

"I wrote my phone number down so you can call and talk to Merlin if you want to," Lakeisha explained. "The plushie keychain is a present from Merlin, to thank ya for bein' her friend and helpin' with catchin' Smeargle for me."

Presents? For her? From Lakeisha Knowles of all people? Perrine and Caiseal exchanged shocked expressions, completely caught off guard by her sudden generosity. Julia was at a loss for words. Lakeisha had come all this way, at Merlin's request, to give these presents and see her off. The Lakeisha she knew in school would never do that for any reason, let alone have anything to do with Julia at all. For a second, Julia thought she was hallucinating or dreaming. Was any of this even real? Did she really deserve this? Or was this yet another trick?

"Are these really for me? Why?"

Lakeisha's cheeks flowered a deep red. "Don't get me wrong, this don't mean we're friends or anything," She stammered. "We's too different from one another. But...it's clear you really make Merlin happy. She really wants to be your friend, and considerin' you two are so much alike...she deserves to have someone like you in her life. As her sister, I don't think it'd be right to stop her from finding people who make her happy. Just because we two can't be friends don't give me the right to ruin this for her."

For a moment, everyone was silent. Noticing how awkward the atmosphere around them became, Lakeisha continued talking. "Also...I know it doesn't mean much just sayin' it, but...I'll work on not being so mean and nasty to you or anybody else. I can't keep lyin' to myself and blamin' other people for problems I caused. I don't wanna be that person anymore. The person Kirsten wants me to be."

Julia looked down at the slip of paper and the Pikachu keychain in her hands. Never in her wildest dreams had she imagined this day would ever come. A school bully apologizing for their cruelty towards her and her own sister. Actively working to make amends for what they had done. Going out of their way to see her off, risking all sorts of consequences on top of her current grounding. Before, Julia had seriously doubted Lakeisha could ever see the error of her ways, but now...this proved she was at least trying. She smiled and stuffed the gifts in her backpack.

"You didn't need to go out of your way to do this for me, but thank you. I really appreciate this," Julia told her gratefully. She did feel like just saying thanks felt hollow. Just saying it didn't seem to fully convey how deep her gratitude was in this moment. She did know one thing for sure. "I think you've made a good first step in doing just that."

Lakeisha hoisted herself back on her bike, avoiding Julia's eyes. "Uhh...that's...about it, I guess. Good luck in the Pokemon League!" With those final words, she pedaled away from the meadow, heading back the way she came.

"Wow. Didn't expect that," Caiseal mused.

"Me either," Julia agreed, pulling the paper and her PokeGear out so she can add the phone number to her list. She did find the idea of talking to Merlin on the phone quite appealing, and she did want to deepen her friendship with her. Lakeisha did risk yet another grounding, or adding more to her current one, by doing this for her and acknowledging her past actions...so maybe there was hope for her yet.

"So! You guys ready to head to Kanto?" Perrine asked.

The kids didn't need to be told twice. The trio raced down the meadow, one step closer to the final leg of their journey.

But this wouldn't be the last time they'd run into an acquaintance of Julia's.

***

A/N: Okay, what is it with me and these long chapters? It's even longer than the previous bonus chapter! But I'm pretty proud of how this one came out, so I have no problem with it. I admit, I guess I made the whole "Don't expose a disabled person's vulnerable moments and invade their privacy" moral pretty heavy-handed. No denying that. But I've seen lots of stories involving autistic people having their private moments exposed to the world for profit and sympathy, usually by their own parents, such as the crappy Autism Every Day commercial by Autism Speaks, and that awful autobiography by Judith Newman called To Siri With Love, where the authoress not only exposes information about her son that the public has no right to know, such as medical info and texts he sent to his friends, but claimed she plans on sterilizing him under the belief that, as an autistic person, he's not capable of raising kids. Yeah, gag me with a spoon. Considering so many people are rather thick-skulled about whether autistics even deserve the right to privacy, why bother being subtle about it? Some anvils deserve to be dropped, and be dropped hard.

Oh, and there's another bonus chapter coming up right after this. Don't worry, it'll be the last one for this arc, and it'll yet again set up the conflict for the next official chapter. Since Pokemon Sword and Shield are out now, what do you guys think of it? Like it? Hate it? Feel it deserved to be better? Kinda meh on it? I'm still playing Shield right now, and I like it fine, even though I'm still bummed about several of many favorite Pokemon not being available in the game. But as a loyal Pokemon fan, I'm not gonna let that dictate whether I can enjoy the game for what it is. I'll probably be playing Shield for a good while yet. Enjoy!