Pokémon Gakutensoku--Milestone

[Blackjack Gabbiani]

Previous parts:
Safe Passage, All Together Now, Cultivate The Vine, A Little Something Extra, Homecoming, Renewal, Face the Future

(Actually this also has a bonus chapter! First off, we have Everyday Irrationality, a drabble I wrote for the prompt "lost in the supermarket")
​

"Of course I will!"

Arturo was starting to regret the enthusiasm with which he had promised Arven he would pick up a required ingredient. Not only was the closest shop in Mesagoza, a place that barraged his inputs and left him with so much junk data to dump, he had underestimated how crowded with data a supermarket would be.

Nothing was where he remembered it. The canned goods and produce had switched places, the bread was in a suboptimal place...

As he sought the required item, he began to mentally plan a more efficient and logical layout to the store.

(and now for our feature presentation)



​

The day after Nemona had gifted Arturo a Rotom-less phone of his own, it beeped a message, and a moment later, Clavell's smiling face filled the monitor. It was the same bright smile that he had when Arturo had eagerly told him his new name. "Mr Arturo, how are you?"

Arturo smiled back, wondering if his unrestrained broad smile would be better to greet a friend with. "I am doing quite well. As you can see," he gestured around him in a way that would have been impossible without an external camera, "I have been continuing to further organize around the lab. Simply ridding the area of dust only went so far, after all."

Clavell adjusted his glasses. "It's been quite some time since I've been to the lighthouse. I remember working on the Tera Orbs there with Turo..." He sighed wistfully. "It was a good time, back then." But his expression shifted to something more serious. "However, I would like to reminisce some other time. I have called on business."

"I would like that. As you know, I am available most of the time. What is your business?"

"Well..." It was typical for Clavell's eyes to direct off to the side when he spoke, but this time he was focused on the camera. "It regards a project the League has implemented. During your absence, and the increased knowledge of the threat the Paradoxes pose, the Chairwoman has proposed the idea of relocating them to somewhere else. It is still in the planning stage at this time, but I would like to have you onboard for it. You know more about them, and their practical environs, than anyone else in the world."

Arturo nodded. "I understand."

"But this would, of course, mean that you would have to reveal your true nature to others. Likely not everybody involved, but the project heads, including Chairwoman Geeta." His voice had grown stern. "And I do not wish for you to put yourself in that position if you see it as unsafe. As such, I would like you to delay your answer until any questions you may have could find answers."

Between his new face, his new name, that was something Arturo had hoped to avoid. His inner circle knew, and that was supposed to be enough. "...I would like to know who all is involved and who would be privy to that information."

"Of course. I will ask the Chairwoman for a list so that you can begin your research. For now, I will simply tell her that I know a specialist who I believe would be a boon to the project. And..." Clavell paused, and this time he did glance away. "I believe that this would also need to house the...Guardian of Paradise, is what Ser Juliana called it."

The mention of the fearsome, aggressive Miraidon prompted a rush of horrid memories to replay themselves in Arturo's mind. The first day it had come through the machine, it had been immediately evident that it was nothing like the Miraidon that Turo had treasured as if it were his own child. But it couldn't stop his joy at this--another Iron Serpent, another of the powerful paradox chosen to grace the cover of the Violet Book, the same species the child in his vision had with them. It could be no less than a miracle, the man had believed, and that underestimation would cost him his life.

An event that Arturo remembered every detail of.

Clavell noticed Arturo's change of expression. "Are you all right, my friend?"

Even with his advanced processing power, it still took a moment for Arturo to put together than Clavell was addressing him. "I apologize. That is a name that carries with it some very painful memories for me, and I dare not delete them as they have shaped who I am."

"Of course, of course." A brief pause. "You are aware that it is in my possession, correct?"

"Yes." Arturo's voice was flatter than he would have liked. "I did not inquire on it when we met before because I felt it would be the wrong time to do so."

Clavell sighed deeply. "They believed that it would be best in my care. That I could rehabilitate it. It didn't mean to--" he fumbled with his words for a moment "--do what it did, and it was brought to this era against its will, but it is still a dangerous creature. A territorial apex predator cannot be placed into just any environment, after all, especially one who has..."

"Killed a human."

The director's eyes wrenched shut. "Yes. I-in truth, I have no idea what to do with it. I dare not risk it anywhere at the school, of course, and I cannot in good conscience return it to Area Zero, though the Chairwoman has granted me access to that place."

If that was the case, then there was something Arturo wished to ask, but he set it aside. "It is a conundrum. As I had to lock myself within the Zero Lab to prevent the paradoxes from spreading, it had to remain loose, lest it grow violent in a confined space, and I fear that this only furthered its territorial nature in that time."

Clavell took in the flat expression with a bit of concern. "You had to make some weighty decisions, and that seems as though it was the best option you had, even if it wasn't ideal."

"I think the best option I had would have been to put the Guardian into the PC," Arturo replied. "But it was outside the lab at the time I made my decision. I was..." He hesitated. "...angry with it, after all. I had never been as angry as I was then, even when met with Turo's indifference to the toll his plan would have taken."

Clavell glanced away, but just for a moment. "I understand why. What the Guardian did was far more immediate, and not simply a theoretical. May I ask you something that may be a bit personal? You're always free to not answer."

"Of course."

The older man sat back and drew in a breath. "I ask this both out of concern and to learn how to handle any future situation, but also out of my own curiosity as a scientist, so it's admittedly a bit selfish to ask. But how did that anger manifest?"

Arturo saw nothing out of sorts with this question. "I had told it in no uncertain terms that I hated what it had done. I made it dig his grave, though it did not understand the significance of this action." At that, Clavell straightened slightly, but Arturo kept speaking. "I did not wish to speak to it, but the proverbial cold shoulder is a manifestation of anger that means nothing to a Miraidon. They do not express or receive anger in the same way as humans or other primates, and even as an artificial being, that is how I express my emotions. So it was fruitless for me to continue. And when I had to lock myself within the Zero Lab, I had felt it was a small blessing that I did not have to continue to look at that creature."

It took Clavell a moment to let everything sink in, and he nodded slightly. "That is a very human reaction indeed."

"May I ask you a question out of curiosity as well?" Arturo looked back with an odd shine to his eyes. "What would you have done in that situation?"

Clavell supposed he should have seen that coming, but it was so unlike any question that Turo would have ever asked. Turo had never really asked about anyone's emotions. "Well...I don't know. I cannot properly say for sure. Even now I avoid the issue instead of confronting it." Which itself was very Turo-like but he didn't dare say that. "To be entirely honest, the beast terrifies me and I do not wish to deal with it. Which was one of the reasons I want to see how this paradox preserve will function. Although that is not an excuse for shirking my responsibility."

"Understandable, although I do not believe that you are. Juliana would have been acting out of fear as well, and you took as much of the burden as you could."

Something small in Clavell's expression brightened at that. "Thank you for that. Although I can't fully agree, I do find some truth in that that I hadn't considered before."

Arturo smiled, gently and softly. "I find it comforting to speak to you, even about troublesome things."

Clavell's own smile was like sunshine. "Oh?"

"You analyze topics of discussion and are able to think of possible outcomes from it. You are formal and direct. It is like speaking to another AI."

"O-oh--" Clavell hadn't been certain what he was expecting but that wasn't it. His smile wavered for a second but came back even brighter than before. "I accept this. I think I rather like that thought, if you're the baseline for it."

Arturo nodded, making sure the gesture was as natural and free of stiffness as he could muster. "Unless another AI with my degree of sapience has been created since I have been gone, then I believe that the only other baseline would be the Porygon line. I understand that certain generative programs have become more popular in the intervening years, but obviously they are not true AI despite the common parlance."

"I've noticed that Mr Hassel has spoken on that subject before, the popularity of such programs, and how it vexes him. At first I didn't understand the issue," Clavell admitted. "I thought it was little different from a collage. But it takes the hard work of other artists? Actually on that note." He had been stern as he spoke, but his smile returned to normal and his voice followed suit. "I was wondering what art from you would look like. Something by a true AI. But again that's simply my curiosity."

Arturo blinked for a second. "Oh. I have not thought of such endeavors before. I have drawn, but they are scientific studies rather than any works of imagination."

"That's art," Clavell reminded him. "Do you have any on hand?"

"Most of them are...long gone. I would craft them for documents in the Zero Lab, but the majority of them are, or will be, in the far future."

"I see. I understand. Well, when you find some, I'd love to see."

Arturo paused. Perhaps this was the time to offer what he had to say. "There is something I wish to ask you. It is a bit...emotionally based, however."

"There's nothing wrong with that. Go ahead."

It was evident to Arturo that Clavell expected something more personal, perhaps some advice. But the true question was much different. He asked anyway. "You mentioned that the Chairwoman has granted you access to Area Zero. And in three days it will be three years since the children shuttered the time machine. I wish, on that day, to visit my creator's grave." There was a nearly imperceptible shift in Clavell's expression at that. "I would like to ask if you would accompany me."

The old man's head tilted down, eyes flickering back and forth as he considered the weight of the offer. "Dear god..." he murmured. "...I..."

"Please take your time. I am capable of making the journey on my own, and have done so within the time since I have returned."

Clavell looked back, lower lip quivering slightly in a way that he could never possibly approve of in himself. "I will have to decline. I'm sorry."

"That is all right."

A deep breath. "I think perhaps...you've said that he perished in November, correct?"

"Yes."

And another. "When that date comes around...I will go with you. But right now I am not...mentally prepared."

"I understand. That will give you nearly nine months to prepare." Arturo's expression hadn't changed the entire time. "I know that Arven will not wish to do so, so I have not asked him. And as such I could not burden the others with that either. However, that is not the only upcoming milestone I wish to mark, and the other is much merrier."

Clavell immediately brightened. "Oh?"

"Arven will be twenty years old next month. I want to do something special for him, but I have learned that he will be celebrating with his friends."

"Ah! Of course!" The director leaned forward, glad to have changed the subject. "Do you know what you will do for him?"

Arturo shook his head and brought a hand to his forehead, a familiar gesture of frustration. "I was hoping to glean some ideas from his friends, but they have told me that simply being here is the best present. Or, Juliana has said that. Nemona seems to believe it as well, but advised that I could help prepare a meal for him. And Penny..." This at least brought a small smile to his face, though his hand remained where it was. "Penny advised me to purchase a box set of a popular anime for him, with the intention to borrow it from him."

Clavell sighed and shrugged. "She is a hard worker, although it may not seem like it. I believe that may be part of her unusual sense of humor."

"It is still difficult for me to discern such things. However, I believe that her intent for herself was clear." Arturo relaxed a little there and settled back. "It was clear enough for me, at least."

"A lot of students have trouble with things like that," Clavell told him. "If you would like, I could send you some resources that we've assembled in how to better pick up on social cues. Although." Another pause, his brow furrowing slightly. "If I may ask you another personal question."

Arturo figured he knew exactly what Clavell would ask. "You intend to ask me why I cannot discern such things when Turo was able to."

Clavell nodded.

"That was something neither of us could figure out either. He found it minorly frustrating, but as it did not interfere with our work, he accepted it." Then he smiled. "We believed it is because I was meant to emphasize logic, but that was never proven. It does not seem logical to not translate that human knowledge into practice, does it?"

"It was your emphasis on logic that permitted you to see through his irrational behavior, though." Clavell's gaze had lowered, his tone softer. "And I'm grateful for it. Your bravery is a cut above, and a human as clouded as he was would have taken more to see the reality of the situation." Of course, some of that came from what Arturo had told Clavell directly.

But Arturo just took that to mean that Clavell had internalized it. "I have spent my existence since that day wondering, if he had survived, how it would have changed him. But I am unable to decide on an answer. It could have gone any number of ways."

"Humans are complicated like that. Learning how to navigate that is also complicated," Clavell admitted. He seemed a bit tired by the thought.

"I believe I am learning by direct study. It is fascinating!" Arturo made sure to smile broadly at that, in the hopes of brightening the mood, and saw it as an opportunity to flash his exaggerated expression. "I am having great fun learning how to engage in various social situations. Even when the situations themselves are not fun. It is a peculiar circumstance."

That seemed to bring a brightness back to Clavell's expression. "Finding even bad experiences to be an opportunity for learning is something I try to do in my daily life."

"I learned that, among many other things, from you, after all." The simple statement of fact was the greatest compliment he could possibly give in the situation.



A nice afternoon jog after meeting with the Chairwoman was a pleasant way for Nemona to clear her head. After a few hours of having to focus hard, both in training and in learning business, she could use some time to zone out.

But that only lasted so long, and after passing through the southern gates to Mesagoza, she had to stop and take a breather. The employees at the Pokémon Center there were used to it, and passed her a bottled water. "I'll let La Primera know you need some more!"

The Pokémon store man grinned. "We've got some energy drinks stocked if you want to try one of those."

"Oh, thank you! I shouldn't though." She patted her chest near her heart, though it was unlikely that he understood what she meant by that. "Thanks for the offer though!"

After waving goodbye, she started back towards her home, at a much slower pace. But that was ok. A walk let her check her messages.

A picture from her sister, taken from a Unovan skyscraper. Reminders of more appointments, one with the League and one for her team's annual checkups.

And one message with a familiar name.

*Hey Nemona! I'm going to be coming back to Paldea, just like we talked about.*

Nemona's heart skipped a beat and for once it wasn't due to her exertion. She didn't bother texting back, going straight to calling the sender. A moment later, a young woman's smiling face appeared, and immediately Nemona squealed. "Anna! Anna, is this true? You're coming back?!"

The young woman nodded, smile widening into a grin. "In two months! I got a job in Levincia, and I've already got an apartment lined up!" She brushed her chin-length brown hair aside with one hand as she adjusted her phone with the other. "You're going to show me around, riiiiiight?"

Nemona grabbed the phone out of the air. "Anything! I'll hook you up with anything you need!"

Anna rolled her eyes comically. "Nemo, we're not kids any more," she giggled. "I'm moving here for work, ya know. But I guess if you reeeally wanted to, I could use someone to take me out to dinner that first night."

"Of course!" Nemona blurted out with eyes and smile wide. "I can't wait! When are you coming in? Like, when specifically?"

"Oh geez, uh..." Anna thought for a moment. "I don't have much stuff. Uni, you know. My parents will be coming the first few days, but they'll want to see the sights after a day of working, so they'll be out of our hair in the evening." She laughed. "Long story short I can't give you an exact date yet, haha. I'll let you know when I can."

Nemona resumed walking, the Rotom in her phone knowing to keep pace with her. "I remember you were having problems with your roommate. Must be nice to have her out of your hair!"

Anna grimaced. "Yeah, about that--"

Another young woman walked past carrying a box under one arm, flipping off the camera as she went. A door slammed shortly after.

It took a moment for Nemona to realize what was happening, but when she did she immediately winced. "Ohhh..."

"--But to answer your question yes."

By that point, Nemona was over the bridge and partway up the hill, and her gaze strayed to the lighthouse. She would have to tell Anna about Arturo, and that would involve telling her about so much of Area Zero. She slowed down.

"Nemo, you all right?"

"Oh yeah uh..." Nemona glanced back at the lighthouse before continuing along. "Just remembering I have to ask someone something. But I can do it tomorrow."

"What time is--Oh hahaha, wait, we're only an hour apart, aren't we?"

"From Wyndon, yeah," Nemona laughed as well. "So it's only mid-afternoon for both of us. Even so, I can't wait to get home and kick my feet up. Been a long day!"

Anna was fiddling with something off camera, getting more things packed. "Agreed. I got some bubble bath stuff and I've been going through it like wildfire. I'll probably be out by the end of the week."

Nemona made a mental note to buy Anna some bubble bath solution as a welcome gift. "It must smell really nice. I remember you like roses."

"Roses are a little..." Anna's laugh was more nervous now, "out of style in Wyndon right now. I got lilacs but I'm almost out, and some orange blossom up next."

Another mental note. "That sounds amazing! What other scents do you like?" A nice gift basket was growing bigger and bigger in Nemona's head.



They talked until Nemona reached her front door. "Well, I'm here. I can't wait to see you!"

"Hey, I'll be eagerly awaiting our reunion! Can't wait to meet your new friends." Anna was practically beaming. "Especially the one you said moved into that house! I wish I could have lived there longer, gotta say. An apartment is nice but that was a *really* nice house."

Nemona pushed the door open, Rotom following dutifully, and waved to the house staff as she headed to her room. "You should see what Juliana's mom's done with it. The garden is HUGE!"

"I'm sure I'll love it! I do have go now though, but I'll be seeing you soon."

"Of course. I can't wait!"

"Love ya, babe." And the screen went blank before Nemona could answer.

But she was on a roll, sliding right into her desk and opening her laptop to order the best presents she could possibly find. And the flutter in her heart was nothing to worry about. In fact, it was the best feeling ever.



Arven had swore he would never set foot in the damn crater again. It had brought nothing but pain, and if there was anywhere he could imagine that could truly be Hell on earth, it was that horrible place.

So to know that Juliana was going in there on a regular basis, catching paradoxes to study with Mr Jacq, always made him nervous. He was waiting for them outside the biology room, and could hear the two of them in active conversation about something called Iron Hands. And he remembered that name because Juliana had been so flippant about it, eagerly declaring they had "caught these Hands".

"I called it Mitt because it looks like it's got giant baseball mitts!" they had laughed.

Indeed that was an accurate description of the Hariyama-like creature, much more accurate than he had to believe the pokédex's claim that it was a human athlete that had been transformed after an injury. What a horrible fate! Whoever came up with that entry had a disturbing imagination.

If it was Jacq, though, he would be surprised. The man seemed to be the definition of failing upwards, if what Arven had heard from his father's complaints was correct.

Though he knew that was a big if. While Turo had been correct about everything in the realm of science, at least according to the data he had available, his views on other people were often distorted.

Still, it was hard to imagine that his assessment of sloppy, desperate for approval Jacq had been far off the mark.

Arven slapped himself on both cheeks to focus himself. Any time he fell into negative thinking, he had to pull himself out.

But that wasn't going to make him any less concerned about Juliana.

They were finally finished, and left the robotic beast with Jacq before heading out. "Hey Arven!" they greeted cheerfully. "Sorry it took so long. Mr Jacq thought Mitt might have been shiny, but that's just what sleep mode looks like for that species. And they tend to sleep a lot."

Arven sighed. "That's great, but you know it's dangerous down there."

"You tell me that every time." Juliana's expression had flattened, their voice dulled. "That's why it's important to study them, so that we can combat any danger they present."

"Juli..." So that was it. He rested a hand on their shoulder. "It's not your responsibility. Arturo asked you to take care of Miraidon and you've done that. He asked us to shut down the machine, and you did that too. You did everything he asked you to do, three years ago. You can stop now. He'll even tell you the same. You don't have to clean up my dad's mess."

Juliana took a step back. "That's not what this is about. You know I've been wanting to help Mr Jacq with his research. He's a nice guy, and pretty smart when he's not simping for people who are terrible for him." They smiled, but Arven could tell it wasn't their natural smile at all. "Anything that keeps him away from Ms Raifort, you know? I keep waiting for her to reveal her evil supervillain plan, and I'm pretty sure that if she's ever alone with Mr Jacq she's going to sacrifice him to summon some sort of dark god."

The ridiculousness of the statement, though it was a concern Juliana had voiced before, did nothing to part through Arven's scowl. "Area Zero eats people alive. It destroys lives. Even if you don't die from it, it *changes* people."

"Geeta goes in there all the time and she's fine. She's been training in there for years."

It was true, the whole group knew it, and Penny had leaked to them that the Top Champion's Glimmora had indeed been caught in the depths of the Great Crater and not in the mountain cave where Glimmet occasionally spawned. And Juliana was a more powerful trainer than her. But while Geeta was known for being very strange and unusual, she was always calm and collected, breezing through life with a strong arm and a smiling face. Juliana was much different from that.

Arven still didn't know what Juliana had been so upset about that called for him and Lydia to leave the house. Or why taking the crystal turtle to that stinky pond was so important that they broke down sobbing when nothing happened. But what had always been clear was that Juliana had always been deeply affected by the events of the past few years, by the burden that Arturo had placed on them merely for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Maybe that was the wrong way to think about his little buddy. After all, if Juliana hadn't been there when they were, he never would have made friends with any of them, and there was a big chance that he wouldn't have been able to save Mabosstiff. And there was every chance that Paldea would have fallen to ruin.

But in the moment, he didn't really care. Juliana was putting themself in danger, and from where he stood it seemed to all be connected.

He patted their shoulder. "Look, just don't go down there alone. Take Geeta then, or Nemona, or heck, both of them. Make a day of it," he added with a forced smile and a tense hand. "But just don't ever go down there alone again."

Juliana was about to protest, but stopped. This was Arven, after all, who had lost everything to that crater. "All right. Nemona will love it." Another forced smile, though there was some genuine happiness behind it. "I'll ask next time. Jacq wants to see another Iron Hands anyway and they're pretty common near the top, so we could get lunch in Medali afterwards."

That was better. "Remind her to be careful. She can't just battle everything willy-nilly."

"I'll put her on one of those toddler harnesses if I have to!" This was accompanied by a thumbs up in the same style Arven often did. "I'll talk to Arturo about things too," they added as they stuffed their hand in their pocket. "I was...trying to avoid telling him...I don't want him to blame himself."

The notion of blame caught Arven's attention. Juliana knew this was wrong, that it was dangerous, but still felt compelled to do whatever was necessary to help anyone else from getting hurt. "...You're a lot like him. No wonder you care about him so much."

"I don't know that I could do what he did. I'm just glad he's safe, and he was happy in the future." Were those tears? They started to walk off before Arven could look closer. "I'll take care of things. It's ok. Besides, some of them aren't all that bad on their own. Iron Thorns is really gentle unless it feels threatened, and honestly there's a lot of species up on the surface who are bigger threats." But what they had never been able to observe, nor Jacq either, was that energy that Arturo had spoken of those years ago. Surely the paradoxes were simply a danger because they were an invasive species, right?

Arven looked hesitant, but relented. "Yeah ok fine. Just don't do any of this alone. You have a paradox picnic, I want proof that someone is with you."

"All riiiiiight..." Juliana sighed. At least the tears were gone. "You know I'm careful."

"I don't really know about thaaaaat..." Arven drew it out to insert some levity into the situation, crossing his arms sarcastically. "I've seen you and Miraidon leap off cliffs accompanied by a loud 'yee-haw'. That doesn't really say careful to meeeee..."

"Oh like you don't take risks. I remember that kitchen fire. Oh wait!" they declared with an accusatory finger, "which one?! I'll have to narrow it down!"

He groaned loudly. "Ugh! It's not my fault that the dorm's hot plates can't handle a four course Kalosian meal! And I learned, right? I learned to get more surge protectors? You even bought them with me."

They stuck their tongue out at him. "Yeah and I remember Penny calculating the overall power of everything you had in your dorm and your eyes glazed over because you never pay attention in math class."

The two laughed the rest of the way out of the building, teasing each other the whole way. But neither could really shake the idea that the other was at a distance.



"I was hoping we could have a little chat."

Penny paused, her hands above the keyboard. "Yes, champion?"

Geeta slid a chair out from in front of one of the other computers and sat with the back of it in front of her, resting her elbows on the top. "You graduate next year, correct?"

"Yeah, in a year and a half."

"Good, good." Geeta kept smiling in that inscrutable way of hers. "You'll be moving on from our employment then. Unless you plan on staying on, of course. But then we would need to hire you full-time."

This was a familiar setup. "Go on."

"Well, I was wondering if you've been thinking about how you would like to progress your career after graduation."

Penny turned the screen a little bit towards Geeta, though she knew the code would be beyond Geeta's understanding. "I feel like the security is as good as it's going to get under the present technology. Even now, you only call me in once or twice a month." Most of the time for scares related to someone inside the office clicking a bad link, or one time because Poppy drew a smiley face within Larry's spreadsheets when he was away and Geeta was convinced that this was some sort of computer virus.

Geeta sighed for a moment and turned her gaze away, something she did to feign thought when she had already planned out what to say. "There are a lot of major companies that would love to have someone like you on board. Have you looked into any of them?"

"Not yet. That's something I need to think hard about."

"Of course, of course." Geeta was smiling again. Penny instinctively tensed. "If you intend to return to Galar, I think you would fit in with Macro Cosmos."

*Shit.* Penny's jaw dropped just a little. She had taken care to establish that her family's connection to that group remained out of her files, but her parents were listed by name, and there were only so many men named Peony. Instead, she refocused and took a deep sigh. "Nobody really wants to work for them. They just think they have to because they're everywhere."

"Of course. Which is why I think you would be perfect for it. With their fingers in so many pies, I think they need someone on the inside keeping them accountable."

Penny paused. Even putting aside that Geeta's invocation of the megacorporation had to be based on Penny's own connection, it sounded like the top champion was trying to get an in with them by having someone on the inside. "If I did that, you know, I'd make it public. Post any corruption for all to see. Wouldn't want to give anybody an advantage, you know." Her voice was a little meeker than she wanted, but it didn't waver.

"As I would expect of you!" Geeta's smile didn't waver either. "You'd be perfect to keep everyone on track."

After a moment, Penny turned the monitor back towards herself and set her hands on her lap. After a moment more, she sighed. "...Why them in particular?"

"I thought the reason would be obvious."

One of Penny's hands curled up under the desk.

"They're the biggest company in your home region, after all!" Geeta's tone was so bright, cheerful. Did she know or was this sheer coincidence? Penny legitimately couldn't tell. "And with their history, I feel as though having an honest person keeping tabs on them would be well worth it."

"Chairwoman," Penny hesitantly started, then rethought it. Asking if Geeta was asking her to commit bribery was too blunt. "Um...You don't think they have people monitoring them?"

"Well, it's just a suggestion. You think about it, and if you want, I can help you file an application." Geeta patted the desk as she stood again. "It's closing time, by the way. I'll see you next week! Good luck on your art test."

Penny had completely forgotten, but art tests were easy anyway. "Um, thanks. See you next week."

Even as Geeta left, it felt like her presence intensely remained.



"And I'm never sure what she's thinking!"

Juliana laughed. "Yeah, Nemona says that a lot too. But I think she likes it. Sees it like a puzzle."

Penny pouted as she adjusted the phone's position. "Nemona has a mind utterly unlike any other. She's the opposite from Geeta in that it's obvious what Nemona is thinking because she only thinks about one thing. Ugggghhhh..." The way Penny trailed off indicated her exhaustion with the subject matter.

"Yeah, it's pretty easy to figure her out." Juliana was working on preparing a dorm dinner, boxed noodles on the hot plate, but with an added kick from a jar of herbs. As they looked down at the jar in their hand, their thoughts wandered. "Hey...can I open up to you about something?"

"Yeah, you know you can."

"It's about Arven. I feel like he and I had a fight, but I'm not sure."

Penny thought for a moment. "Let me guess. Did he catch you going back into the crater?"

"Yeah." They sighed and turned the burner off. "I get that it's a touchy subject for him, but I've been--"

Penny cut them off with a tutting sound. "Hey. Hey. It's dangerous down there and he doesn't want to lose someone else to that place. Especially not to research like you're doing."

It was a correct statement, but it still felt like it was a completely different situation to Juliana. "The more we understand about those creatures, the more we can prevent Paradise from happening. They're still *here*. Shutting down the machine didn't send them back."

But Penny had heard this all before. "Are you still fixating on the machine? He's back now, and on top of that he said he was happy. You don't have to worry about him any more." As she spoke, her hand was curling a little.

"I can't just get rid of it!" Juliana insisted as they stiffly stirred the mix before them. "I can't drop my emotions like that. I can't just *stop*." Every move of the wooden spoon seemed to wear at them a lot more than simple resistance would account for. "It's going to take a while, and even knowing all that practically, I may never be able to get rid of that horrible feeling."

Penny took her glasses off and set them aside to rub the bridge of her nose. "I get that. You know I get that. I still feel like crap with a lot of social interactions. Sometimes I hear laughter and I feel like people are laughing at me...even my friends!"

"Penny..." The spoon clattered against the side of the pan, and it took Juliana a moment to dare continue. "Even--"

"Yes even you." Her voice was terse, having anticipated the question. "Even Nemona and Arven. I only feel like Arturo wouldn't because I think of him more as a machine. And I know it's ridiculous, but like you said, knowing things practically doesn't mean you'll able to update your feelings right away."

When she looked back at the phone, she saw Juliana leaning forward, arms tight, and she surmised that Juliana was probably gripping onto the counter. The older trainer was muttering something, and Penny made it out as "I wish deep breathing worked for me..."

"Juli, is your dinner done?"

"--Yeah." It was clear through the small image that the words had taken them by surprise. "It's finished, it's all stirred, it's fine..."

"It's not fine. Or you're not. D'you want me to come over?"

After a heavy breath and a still moment, Juliana turned back towards the camera with a weirdly sly smile. "You just want some of this mac and cheese, don't you?" they laughed.

Penny certainly wouldn't turn it down and it was more than one person would be eating at one time, but she wasn't about to bring that up. "We've both got homework to do, and there's a lot of exams coming up."

Another heavy breath, a long sigh that came out with considerable force, Juliana slumped over and moved to flop on the bed. "Maybe it's just the time of year. Something about this time of year drives me nuts."

The last part of a temperate winter where the weather barely changed from the rest of the year wouldn't have the same seasonal effect that the Galarian winters Penny was used to would. There was little lack of light, very little chill, nothing that would cause any sort of seasonal mood disorder.

The last year, thinking on it, Juliana had also been in an odd mood. And the year before had...

She paused. Three years ago, almost to the day, the four of them had descended into Area Zero. "Juli, I can be there in about five minutes."

"I don't know. I can't really get my thoughts together right now." By that point, Juliana was flat on their back with an arm over their eyes. "I'm gonna talk to the group but I don't want you to say anything about this unless Arven makes a stink about earlier."

"Gotcha. You know I'm right here if you need."

"I know. I know..." They thought about things for a moment without moving. "Yeah, let's do our homework together. It'd be easier for me to go to you, wouldn't it?"

"I think so. I'll see you in a few minutes. Bring that mac and cheese."

Juliana laughed heartily, a sudden shift from their melancholy. "Only if you have clean bowls this time!"

"I think so--yeah! All right, I'll see you in a few minutes."



That night, Juliana still had trouble sleeping, but at least their homework was done.

In three--no, two by that point--days time, they planned on going to the crater, to the Zero Lab. With Arturo back in the present, maybe that would quell some of their anxiety.

But maybe not.



And in two day's time, Arturo approached the Zero Gate. He wore Turo's old sweater vest and an off-white button down, two garments he had initially planned to get rid of, but thought it was best that he maintain some formal wear and the vest was of higher quality than he had initially noted. The jeans weren't nearly as formal, but that was fine, they were passable. By which he meant that Turo wouldn't have cared.

In Medali, he had stopped for flowers, out of season hothouse violets. It was an odd custom, to him, to mark occasions with cut flowers that would soon die. It wasn't as though humans used them to remember the impermanence of life, quite the opposite. But that was what he would be using them for anyway, so perhaps it didn't matter what anyone else thought.

Something was amiss, however. He had passed the town, and dumped the unnecessary data that he had accrued there. But he detected a human and a pokémon near the gate. Moreover, a familiar human and pokémon.

Juliana stood near the edge of the cliff, looking down into the Great Crater. Miraidon at their side peered down as well, but perked up when it saw Arturo and began to approach him.

"Hey, what a--oh." Juliana turned rapidly to follow Miraidon, and at the sight of Arturo, their expression fell. "Um. Hi..." they greeted with a distinct upturn in heart rate.

"It is easier if you use the warp panel to enter Area Zero," Arturo offered. "To jump in is still quite risky, even with Miraidon's newfound ability to fly."

"Yeah, but..." Again they trailed off nervously.

Miraidon nuzzled against Arturo's arm, and he patted the dragon's neck in response. "You do not want to travel through the research stations."

"You see right through me, don't you?" They smiled, but it was a weak one, and took a few cautious steps towards him. "We were trying to figure out how to fly in and not land right below Zero Gate. We always end up there no matter how far we fly out into the fog..."

One of many things Turo had planned to eventually study. "We were never able to fully comprehend why that was."

Juliana paused before laughing, a lot more earnestly than Arturo would have predicted. "Well, good to know that even the greatest minds in Paldea couldn't figure it out. Should we get going? I'd really rather just fly in."

Arturo brightened. "If you wish to, that is all right, but if you simply wish to bypass the research stations, you can come with me. There is a warp panel directly to the Zero Lab that was only accessible to the professor and myself. But it will work for you if you hold onto me."

"That would be nice." They reached to take his arm before realizing something. "He gave you permission to go to Zero Gate even though you couldn't leave the crater?"

"It came with the permissions to warp to the research stations. Although he did intend for me to be able to leave someday. Once Paradise was finished..."

Miraidon cooed sadly and hung its head. "Agias..."

"Agias indeed." Arturo smoothed his hand over Miraidon's head in what he hoped was a reassuring gesture. "Are you planning on joining us?"

Juliana followed the gesture, winding their hand under Miraidon's chin as well. "It doesn't like going into the lab. And it...flat out refuses to go anywhere near the fourth station..."

Arturo rested his other hand on Juliana's back. "I am surprised that you ever tried to return there."

"Yeah. I had to find Turo's diaries."

There was such conviction in their voice that Arturo could feel just how literal their statement was. They /had/ to. There was no other option. "...I will aid you. I dislike that you enter the crater on your own, but I will go with you if you need it of me."

"Haha...yeah, yeah." This was said with a slight sniffle. "Arven got on me the other day for that too. Told me to take Nemona or someone. Maybe on one of those toddler leashes."

"Oh, do those come in adult sizes? Additionally it would be difficult as she is much larger than you."

Juliana looked up at him in slight disbelief for a moment before laughing. "I keep forgetting that you don't understand jokes! I'm sorry about that! Do you want me to explain it to you?"

This took him a bit off guard. "I...did understand that you did not truly intend to put Nemona on a leash." Though *why* did he understand it? Questions for later. "However, I felt that it would be suitable to remark as I did to highlight the inherent comedy of the visual." This he punctuated with his too-broad smile. "You are much smaller than Nemona, and she is an adult, and the combination of these facts under your statement is quite funny."

"Y'know..." This was chuckled. "You're absolutely right. That *is* quite funny."

"I am glad. Sometimes I am concerned about how I express myself, so to hear that is pleasing."

Juliana finally took his arm, almost hugging it. "Honestly, I'm glad you're here. I'd be a sobbing mess if I went alone." A tighter squeeze. "I still will be. But less so."

He nodded. "Though I am not capable of crying, it is possible that I will be as emotional as my programming will permit."

With a serious look, Juliana met his eyes. "I'll be there for you. Hopefully Miraidon too if it'll come out once we're there." Changing their glance to the dragon at their side, they smiled just a little bit. "Won't you?"

A soft "agias", but a moment later, it vanished back into its ball.

Juliana sighed and put the ball back where it went. "I'm going to be honest, I don't know if that's a yes or no."

"It is hesitant."

"Yeah..."

Arturo nodded towards the massive door of the Zero Gate. "Shall we proceed?"



Zero Lab was almost oppressively quiet. Though both of them had been there fairly recently, they both felt a shift purely from their emotional perceptions of the date.

It wasn't until reaching the elevator that either of them spoke. "I haven't been to the time machine room in a long time," they admitted quietly, heart racing.

"I can imagine that you would wish to avoid it." He started the elevator's long descent.

They shrank a little. "It's not just that. When I met the other Turo--" The name was much softer than the rest of their speech "--and he gave me the other Violet Book with his name in it, I kinda didn't..."

It was evident after a moment that Juliana was not going to continue that sentence, but Arturo could predict what they would have said. They did not trust themselves not to insert it into the time machine. He remained silent.

When Juliana spoke again, their voice had the same uncharacteristic softness it had when they had mentioned that name. "I found another copy of it here. One of the upstairs rooms. But it didn't have his signature, and it seemed newer."

"Yes, he wished to have a reference copy on-hand. But only the specific copy that he had treasured as a child was part of the machine's shutdown sequence."

The way Juliana clung to his arm reminded Arturo of Arven's youth, when he was frightened and sought comfort in the presence of his father. And even in Turo's own youth, for as special as he was and as far ahead of his peers, he was still a child once.

And for all their maturity and bravery, Juliana was a child. Only fourteen when they had stopped Paradise and borne all the burdens that came with it, and though they had grown since then and would soon be an adult, it wouldn't change that Arturo had put that horrific weight on a child's shoulders.

He slumped slightly. "I am sorry for asking all this of you. I knew that you were the right person to entrust with Miraidon, but I do regret--"

"Don't regret it. If you hadn't asked me, who knows what would have happened." Their voice was flat now as well as quiet.

The worst part was that, if he had to do it over again--as some other version of him in some other world just might--he would. Even knowing everything that would happen because of it, he knew that he would ask it of them again, and again, spiraling out into the infinite multiverse, simply because it had worked. "I know. But that does not mean that I cannot regret even a necessary action."

Despite Juliana's heart pounding faster than ever, despite their ragged breathing, they hid their face against his arm in a scared hug. "...Every time I get in this elevator, to go up or down to the Underdepths, I remember our conversation on the way down. It was so much to take in." They laughed softly, nervously, against his sleeve. "I mean, a robot? I'd been talking to a robot the entire time? I remember being glad that you weren't angry after I ran outside..."

Arturo had been made to wait by the elevator for a few minutes while Juliana ran outside to find Arven. When he could not be found, they returned with an apprehension that hadn't existed before. Everything had sunk in--the man they had braved the dangers of Area Zero to find was long dead, replaced by a robot, and the person who most needed to learn any of this was nowhere nearby.

He wasn't sure what made them get on the elevator with him in the first place. They should have, by all logic from the data at hand at the time, kept running and not returned.

But humans are not logical beings, and he was grateful for that.

"So uh..." Juliana started, but the elevator stopped before they could continue. Although Arturo supposed that it was a comment made to fill the quiet space, they finally summoned a question. "How is it that you can be here without the machine restarting? That was your concern in the first place..."

The two of them took their first steps into the brilliant crystal room for the first time in years. "Because it is now off. It no longer searches for my signal or any other. It has also been disconnected from the Zero Lab's primary computer system because of it."

The trainer closed their eyes, lightly at first, then tighter, as their hands balled into fists as if trying to quell their internal fear by force. When they finally spoke, it was a tight "Ok. Ok." Finally they relaxed, at least externally, and looked around. "We should have it dismantled," they said as they rested a hand on one of the crystals, shining with rainbow light. "You know, this whole room turned black after you left...I don't know why it's like this now."

Arturo didn't know either. "Sometimes during our security system tests, it would do that. I do not think even Turo understood why."

Juliana shuddered slightly. "The thought of him putting you through that horrible program..."

But Arturo wanted to intervene. "I did not mind it. While it was sometimes frightening to be pushed aside, at the time I considered myself more of a computer program than an individual. And I knew it was necessary so that nobody with ill intent could be permitted to take over the machine. And sometimes the program would say such theatrical things that Turo and I both found it amusing." He paused and, somewhat mechanically, patted Juliana's shoulder. "Of course, I was saying them to him and not an intruder, so it was more acceptable, with much lower stakes."

Despite his prediction, they smiled. "I'm sure we could help you speak more theatrically if you wanted to. Penny has this friend, his focus of study is technically history, but he likes talking like he's from another era. Only he gets his dialogue from old plays and stuff, so he's not really talking like a normal person from those eras would. We could adapt it to be more modern with the same sort of feel to it."

"I think I would enjoy that. I believe I speak too clinically to be accepted entirely."

They turned to fully face him, but held onto the hand that he had patted their shoulder with. "So that's what you want to do? Live like a human, in human society?"

"If I can." He squeezed their hand reassuringly. "Humans are fascinating creatures. I would love to study them on their own terms, and to live a fulfilling life myself."

"I remember you saying that..." Their voice was again distant as they released his hand and slowly started towards the pedestal in the middle of the room. "You know...first time I came back here, I thought I saw something in here." Though they hadn't yet reached it, they gestured towards an area along the side of the pedestal. "Right there, where we put the Violet Book. I thought for sure it was in there again somehow. But it was just a shadow playing tricks on me..." Their breathing was starting to grow ragged, no doubt holding back tears. "I wanted to think, just for a moment, that you came back and were just hiding somewhere. I wanted to know you were ok instead of just trying to baselessly convince myself that you were."

Arturo approached, but before he could console Juliana, Miraidon exited its ball and nuzzled the young trainer, who wrapped their arms around it and cried.

Miridon's body language was that of distress, being in that terrifying room again, but it stood its ground and looked back at Arturo as if it sensed his own nervousness and was beckoning him to join them

And so he did, wrapping one arm around Juliana and sliding the other down Miraidon's back in a way he knew it found comforting.

There had been good memories in that room. Miradon following Turo there while he did repairs, occasionally helping him reach higher places but mostly lounging on the crystals, simply glad to be in his presence.

Turo really had treated Miraidon as a favorite child, and Arturo knew he would forever struggle to understand that. Beyond anything, the man had loved Arven, yet had nearly completely failed to show him proper affection. In that way, he had been a paradox himself.

The three of them stayed where they were until Juliana's cries faded into a sniffle. "...Thanks," they murmured at last with a wipe of their eyes and a half step back, signaling to break the group hug. Miraidon also stepped back but stayed immediately at Juliana's side, and Juliana rewarded this with a pat on the head. "This was your big moment, buddy. You got to avenge your person, and you got more in tune with what you wanted out of life, I think..." They laughed a little. "Or I could be totally off base. I feel almost like I had something big to say and can't remember it, but I really didn't..."

Arturo had remained where he was. "Perhaps we could all stand to learn proper theatrics then," he mused. He hoped the intention to lighten the mood without detracting from the subject was clear, but he regretted that he may have come across as glib. Though when Juliana didn't react, he added "I am sorry."

They still didn't answer, only looked up at the part of the machine that hung overhead like a vile cocoon. Their heart rate increased, until they looked back at Arturo and noticeably calmed.

He had vanished into the machine there, almost three years ago to the minute to the young trainer, and he wondered if Juliana would always carry the same fear that had build up in that time. No matter how much time they had spent together, he felt it perhaps inevitable that they would continue to feel guilty.

Without looking, Juliana absently reached to pet Miraidon again, though missed slightly. Miraidon moved into the right position anyway, and the two of them stared up at the shuttered machine.

Arturo approached, footfalls soft, and stayed silently next to them until he was certain they had both noticed him. "I am sorry," he repeated, expression as blunt and direct as it had been then. "I ought to have known what effect my request would have had, especially on one of your age."

Juliana's gaze didn't change. "'s'ok," they whispered to the sky.

But Miraidon shifted to nuzzle against him, just as it had when they were reunited in Lydia's garden, and he gratefully accepted it as they reminisced in the stillness.

Eventually, Juliana took Arturo's arm again, and they all fell silent once again.

The exact minutes of the battle came and went. The Protocol's defeat. Arturo's farewell.

He had never once believed that he could return. A great part of him had thought he would not survive the trip at all. To be able to live for so long in the future--to be able to *live*--and then return to the era he had left behind and reunite with those dear to him was something he never could have imagined, even in his wildest predictive simulation.

But right then he was most grateful that Juliana would not have to endure this memorial alone.



No further words were spoken until they had returned to the Zero Gate. There, Juliana hugged Arturo and whispered "I'm glad you're ok" before turning for the door.

"It is because of you," he reminded them. "Your determination and compassion saved me."

Juliana paused mid-step, but didn't turn around, and soon they and Miraidon were headed towards somewhere without him.

He could take his time returning to the lighthouse. But before he left the area of the Great Crater, he stood poised over the edge and looked down at the misty land below, finally tossing in the violets that he had intended to set at the man's grave. "Thank you," he said again, but he was not thinking of Juliana.