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Even after all these years, Julia still wasn't totally sure what had happened between MATIAS SILPH and Josh Devlin when they'd first entered Galar. She didn't see much of the former during their time in Hammerlocke until one day, the land around them began to change. She saw him with Eva Morales, moving his arms to terraform the land to be more hospitable. Despite what had happened before, she grinned.[break][break]

---

[break]The opening of travel meant that Hammerlocke got plenty of visitors from folks looking to reunite with loved ones. Julia's heart swelled every time she caught sight of joyous faces seeing each other for the first time in over a decade. (Had it really been that long? Sometimes, it felt like time was racing even faster than Josh Devlin.) One face, however, made her freeze in her tracks. What the hell was Tempest Quinn doing here?! And with El Sunderland, of all people?!

[break][break]Fifteen years of defending the town and going out with the Adventurer's Guild made it easy to steel herself and step forward, ready to protect El at all costs. Temp stepped forward, arms open... and then gave El a hug? Julia came to a halt again, this time out of sheer confusion.[break][break]

---

[break][break]


[break]An apocalyptic knell rang out across the region. Crimson clouds choked out the sun and dyed the sky red. A pillar of magenta light shot into the sky from the south, and a terrible creature emerged from it: the Skeleton. The Black Knight appeared soon after to clash with the serpentine beast. Julia didn't watch their battle for long. She had a Guild to rally.

[break][break]"Adventurers!" she called. "This will no doubt be the hardest battle we have ever fought."

[break][break]Some of them looked at each other, uncertain.

[break][break]"But I know we will emerge victorious," Julia continued. "I have seen each of you grow stronger and overcome every obstacle in your path. Even when you've been knocked down, you've gotten back up again to fight back twice as hard. No matter what may await us on the battlefield, I know we're strong enough to take it down. So ready your weapons, adventurers! We ride into battle together!"

[break][break]The Guild members cheered and raised their weapons in solidarity. Julia smiled proudly, but her face fell when she saw a certain person among the crowd.

[break][break]"Conrad," she said, approaching him. "Stay here and help defend the city."

[break][break]Conrad's eyes widened. "What? But I wanna fight with you!"

[break][break]"It's too—" Julia stopped herself. Saying it was too dangerous would just make things worse. "We need people to defend the city while we're gone."

[break][break]"I'm a member of the Guild, too! I should fight with the rest of them!"

[break][break]"Conrad—"

[break][break]"Mum!"

[break][break]A dual-headed squawk interrupted them. Chester's left head looked sadly at the two, while his right glared at Julia. Even the joyous middle head wore a blank expression. Looking into the Dodrio's three pairs of eyes brought Julia right back to her days in Hoenn, specifically her arguments with her father.

[break][break]Julia sighed, defeated, and smiled softly at her son. "You're right. Just promise me you'll be careful, okay?"

[break][break]Conrad smiled back. "Only if you promise the same."

[break][break]The two hugged, sealing that promise.

[break][break]Julia and her Guild gathered around the illusory Zamazenta with the rest of the city's trainers. kyle lopez summoned Raikou and Suicune from ash and gave the former to Josh Devlin and the latter to Julia. She excitedly mounted her temporary partner and stroked its side. The Zamazenta howled and ran to the south, leaving an ethereal trail behind it. Hammerlocke's army followed it, enhancing their speed as they raced to the final battle.

[break][break]A huge army of poisoned Pokémon met them there. They were guided by two Galarian Slowking and one Galarian Slowbro and backed by Gigantamaxed Rillaboom, Cinderace, and Inteleon. Behind them, the Skeleton and the Black Knight continued their battle. Isaac Merlo's speech further roused Julia's fighting spirit. It was just like she'd said before: No matter what stood before them, they'd get through it. No army would stop them after all they'd been through.

[break][break]Julia pointed her sword forward. "Adventurer's Guild, chaaaaaaaarge!"

[break][break][break]


[break]Julia sent out Sparkie. "I'll clear a path," she said to the Raichu. "Get ready to Max Lightning that Inteleon."

[break][break]Sparkie squeaked in understanding. Twenty years had made her far less timid than she'd once been.

[break][break]The skies darkened, and Julia looked up to see... Oh, Arceus, Shadow Lugia was gigantic. Seeing it again after two decades sent a shiver skittering up her spine; the only relief was that it was on her side this time. She took a deep breath and focused on the army in front of her.

[break][break]"Let's go, Suicune!"

[break][break]She squeezed her mount's sides and dashed into battle. She didn't go nearly as fast as Josh Devlin on his Raikou, not having the proper training to do so. Instead, water began to form below the Suicune until it swelled into a wave. It and Julia rode the Surf into the fray, Julia letting out an excited "Yaaaaaaaah!" as she raised her sword. She struck at any Pokémon that got too close with her Sacred Sword.

[break][break]Behind her, Sparkie gathered energy from Julia's Dynamax Band and the Dynamax Particles falling onto the battlefield. She grew to an enormous size, took aim at the Gigantamax Inteleon, and let loose a bolt of Max Lightning.

[break][break]

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[break]Julia had no idea why Momo, Snuffles, and Cupcake were so interested in her new egg. It was normal for her other Pokémon to be curious about any new team members, but these three were borderline obsessed with this egg. If it had just been one of them, then Julia would have assumed the egg would hatch into a baby version of them; after all, she had no idea what was actually growing inside the shell. But having three totally different species of Pokémon so attached to this egg was one heck of a mystery.

[break][break]The weirdest part was how well they all got along around it! It was a good kind of weird, but it was still an unusual sight with how often Snuffles and Cupcake would fight over food despite their usual dispositions. Maybe something about caring for an unhatched baby helped calm them down? They all took turns holding and warming the egg, though the other two would still stay nearby whenever they could. Julia could have sworn she saw their noses twitch a few times, too...

[break][break]The three Pokémon and their trainer gathered eagerly around the egg as it began to hatch. Off-white fur with yellow accents was visible through the cracks, and when the shell broke open, a puppy Pokémon emerged. It blinked its beady black eyes as it looked between the four witnesses to its hatching.

[break][break]"Hey there, little fella," Julia said softly. "Welcome to the world."

[break][break]The puppy took a careful step forward, not used to walking just yet. Its body, especially its rounded ears, reminded Julia of uncooked bread, and as the newborn stepped closer, Julia caught a whiff of something sweet. Apparently, so did her Pokémon. They all stepped forward as if in a trance...

[break][break]"RUFF!"

[break][break]The Fidough's high-pitched Roar was mighty for such a little thing. Momo, Snuffles, and Cupcake all stepped back, and even Julia jumped in surprise. She raised a brow at her three Pokémon, and all three turned away, seeming embarrassed.

[break][break]"Is that why you three were so attached to the egg?" Julia asked.

[break][break]Only Momo's soft chitter answered. Julia sighed fondly and reached over to ruffle all three's head fur.

[break][break]"She's a friend, not food, you sillies!"

[break][break]Julia reached out her hand to let the Fidough sniff it. She giggled as her hand was licked. "Aww, good girl! Now what am I gonna name you...?"

[break][break]Julia gently scratched the Fidough's head as she thought. Slowly, Momo inched forward, looking apologetic. The Fidough gave him a suspicious look, but he just reached out his hand like Julia had for her to sniff. She did just that after a few seconds and then gave Momo a smaller lick. Snuffles and Cupcake followed Momo's lead, though Snuffles's legs were too small for her to offer a hoof, so she got a lick on the nose, instead. Julia smiled. How sweet!

[break][break]"Oh, I've got it!" Julia exclaimed. "What about Puppernickel? It's like pumpernickel, only with 'pup'!"

[break][break]The newly dubbed Puppernickel's bark was quieter this time. Julia didn't know if that was her approving of her new name or just joining in Julia's excitement, but that was okay. Puppernickel was part of the family now.

[break][break]She just had to make sure nobody tried to eat her again.

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When the Rangers were called to investigate a Glimmora swarm on Route 120, Julia sprang into action. Swarms were great for people looking for a specific Pokémon, especially rarer ones, but they could also be bad for the local ecosystem or a sign of an environmental problem. Glimmora were supposed to live in caves, so seeing so many above ground was concerning.

[break][break]She probably should have thought a bit more before taking on this job. If the Glimmora didn't go back to their usual habitat on their own, Julia might have to go underground to investigate. The last time she'd been in a cave, it had been a harrowing experience. Granted, it had also been a warzone leaking Dream Mist, but that didn't stop the memories from giving her chills.

[break][break]Well, she was here now, so she might as well do what she could to help out. That was what a good Ranger did, after all.

[break][break]She saw what looked like a huge flower blooming on a tree trunk. That was definitely not normal. The petals reminded her somewhat of wolfsbane, only with more purple and green. She moved closer to investigate, only for the flower to detach itself from the bark and turn around to look at her! So that's what Glimmora looked like when they weren't all folded up!

[break][break]"It's okay," Julia said soothingly. "I'm not gonna hurt you."

[break][break]The Glimmora hovered in the air, staring at Julia. After a few tense seconds, it turned back around to reattach itself to the tree.

[break][break]"Buuuuut you also can't be stabbing trees."

[break][break]Before it could turn around again, Julia threw a Poké Ball.

[break][break]

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The cat canteen was an unexpected addition to the city, but Julia was definitely not complaining. She just wished she had her own feline Pokémon to help out! Just visiting was fun, though, especially with El Sunderland's Bidibi using her Telekinesis to create dazzling displays. Julia swore up and down that it made the food taste even better.

[break][break]El Sunderland wasn't the only medic in town. They worked alongside Kaname Fujihara and his teacher, Marie, at Hammerlocke Hospital. Julia wasn't sure what clicked in her to make her ask a sudden question one day:

[break][break]"You're the one who gave me that Helping Hand, weren't you?"

[break][break]There wasn't an inch of suspicion or wariness in her voice or her expression, only gratitude. The line between League and Rocket might as well have not existed anymore. They were all just people working together to not just survive but thrive in Hammerlocke.

[break][break]The only exception was Zev Harcourt, and even he got little more than a side-eyed glance whenever he was out on the field with Julia. He and kyle lopez struck a sort of balance as the Kings of the Day and Night, and Julia couldn't deny that he was a powerful fighter. And he hadn't tried to destroy the city yet; that was always a plus!

[break][break]At some point, Julia befriended a peasant-turned-adventurer named Emil. Emil was a bit timid at first, but he was determined to get stronger and protect Hammerlocke after nearly losing his family in an attack. At Julia's side, he blossomed into a true warrior and adventurer with a heart of gold. It felt natural for them to get married.

[break][break]Julia was stubborn about staying on the field when she discovered she was pregnant. She didn't want to just lay around doing nothing when there was a city to protect and adventures to be had! Finally, Emil managed to convince her to stay within the city's walls for the sake of their unborn child. That didn't mean Julia was idle, though. She continued to train until she physically couldn't anymore, and even after that, she kept herself active with some light exercises.

[break][break]She gave birth to a healthy baby boy that she and Emil named Conrad. He was the pride and joy of Julia's new family and their Pokémon. A tear fell from her eye when she realized her parents couldn't be here to meet their grandchild. Neither could her other Pokémon or her other friends. Ah, dammit, this was why she liked keeping herself occupied with the Adventurer's Guild: It was harder to think about missing Hoenn that way.

[break][break]In the tenth year of their stay, a huge multifaceted stone with pentagonal pillars crashed into the kingdom. Wishing Stars, apparently. Julia had always imagined them being a lot less destructive and more star-like. At least no one was hurt.

[break][break]It turned out that Dynite Ore could be processed into Dynamax Bands! They only worked near the Power Spot and within the Deep, but still, how cool was it to be able to make your Pokémon gigantic? Julia gave each of her team members a turn at it. Yep, it was just as awesome as she'd imagined. Conrad loved seeing the Pokémon he was growing up with turn gigantic, giggling and clapping in Julia's arms.

[break][break]Curiously, when Lazuli Dynamaxed, she took on a larger version of her Mega form. No power came from Julia's Mega Anklet, though, nor could she summon any. Weird... but still cool![break][break]

---

[break]Time took its toll, especially from poor Snaily. The Hisuian Goodra had trouble hardening her shell these days, and she looked even droopier than she usually did. Her skin began to dry out, too. Julia found herself missing having to wash slime out of her clothes. It was clear that Snaily was in no shape to battle anymore. Instead, she became like a godmother to Conrad, watching over him whenever Julia and Emil were called to action.

[break][break]One day, it was announced that the poison was beginning to retract from the land, making it possible to travel between the other cities. The news filled Julia with energy, making her feel 15 years younger again. As soon as she had an opening, she hopped on Chester's back with Conrad in her lap. Emil had to rent a mount, but it was worth it; Julia wanted to see her old friends and introduce them to her new family.

[break][break]Her first stop, of course, was Motostoke, where she presented herself for an audience with King Isaac Merlo. Much as she tried to appear formal and official, excitement radiated off of her until her reunion with her old friend, and all of that energy coalesced into a big hug.

[break][break]"I've missed you so much," she said. This was a billion times better than exchanging letters.

[break][break]She introduced her husband and son to Isaac and his family (including his wife, ana fell, if she wished). Emil was way better at the whole being-formal thing, and Conrad proved to be just as sociable as his mother.

[break][break]She'd only met Oliver Shrakes once, but she still greeted him like an old friend and eagerly spent some time at his training camp. Even Conrad would join in if allowed, for that was just how things worked in Hammerlocke.

[break][break]Cillian Quinn and Tempest Quinn were apparently two of the kings of Circhester. Julia figured she could skip that stop.

[break][break]That just left Ballonlea. The road on the way was lined with various wooden and stone sculptures that she would later learn had been carved by John Sullivan. He apparently traveled a lot, but if Julia was lucky, she might run into him during his downtime. Hideo Kino, meanwhile, had opened up a school. It was too bad that Julia wasn't the studious type, but Emil and even little Conrad showed some interest. luka chêne, the girl who'd dug a burial mound for Calyrex and fixed his statue, had become a queen. Julia didn't know her outside of that one encounter, but she thought that was a fitting position.

[break][break]It wasn't all celebrations and joyous reunions, though. As the final confrontation drew closer, the realm grew darker, scourges of the Skeleton and the Black Knight clashed across the land, and earthquakes became more and more frequent. Julia wouldn't let that discourage her, though. She took up her Sacred Sword and continued to hone her skills alongside her family. For Hammerlocke. For Galar.

[break][break]For a way home.

[break][break]

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"Of course! I wouldn't miss this for the world." She reached out to pet the large Zeraora while she still had the height advantage of being on Chester's back. Man, how had this big fella even fit in the Rangers' conference room? Maybe it was true that all cats were liquid.

[break][break]She returned Chester to his Poké Ball and climbed into the saddle behind Josh. That grin on his face all but confirmed Julia's assumption that they'd be going fast, and his words cemented it.

[break][break]"How many minutes are we talking?" Julia asked. She figured it had to be something in the double-digits with how long Route 111 was, right?

[break][break]As she adjusted herself in the saddle, she thought of something else: "Am I just gonna have to hold onto you while we ride? Or do you have, like, an extra-long set of reins or something?" She wouldn't mind, either way; she just didn't want to fall off!

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"Either way, you'll do awesome. And I bet Josh would know what some good racing Pokémon are, if you wanna find a new one."

[break][break]Julia looked at El with an expression that said, "Wow, did that actually just happen?" It morphed into a slightly awkward smile at El's suggestion. "Good idea." After all, with everything going on, there was bound to be someone who needed a helping hand. She followed El through the curtain, prepared for whatever would come next... and hoping the next recipient would be a bit friendlier.

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If Julia had a nickel for every time a serious discussion was wrapped up in a fun activity, she'd have two nickels. That wasn't a lot, but it was a surprising look into her personality and how she handled these sorts of things. Maybe it was childish, but she didn't do well with talking about difficult subjects. They were important and necessary, but they were also... well, difficult. It was hard to be her usual energetic, optimistic self during such discussions. So having an activity to go with them, like camping or, in this case, Pokémon riding, made them easier for Julia to handle.

[break][break]She arrived on Route 111, the site of Josh's old Gym, on Chester's back. "Hey!" she called to Josh and Raikiri with a wave. She, too, was content to act like nothing serious was about to happen. Chester's middle head chirped in greeting.

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El hesitated at Julia's question, and she could only guess why. Eventually, though, they answered that Isaac did racing, on occasion. The fact that he'd won a major race was further proof that it was the Isaac that Julia knew.

[break][break]"You mean last year's Silph Cup?" she asked. "I was in that one! He did an awesome job with Buffaloman. I wonder why he didn't sign up for this year's..." She knew he had at least one flying mount, so that couldn't have been the reason. She'd have to ask sometime.

[break][break]You know, now that she thought about it, it was kind of weird that she knew both of these siblings but had never seen them together. But then she remembered one very important detail: Isaac was in Rocket. It was easy to forget that sometimes, with how un-Rocket-like he was. She vaguely recalled something about the worst 18 years of his life being in Lavaridge and how he'd been a drifter before ending up with Rocket, too. There was something more to this story, and Julia had no idea what to make of it.

[break][break]El seemed eager to change the subject and brought up their idea of challenging the Mauville Gym. "That's a great idea!" she said. "You've already got racing experience, so you'll do great."

[break][break]Bingo, there was the opening they needed! This time, Julia made sure El didn't get left behind when she slipped behind the curtains, where the commander sat behind a desk, tired eyes looking down at some paperwork.

[break][break]"State your business," she said, only giving the two Rangers a glance.

[break][break]"We have a message from Dewford," Julia said, holding out the envelope. "They said it was important that only you see it."

[break][break]The commander sighed as she took the envelope. "This had better actually be important... Dismissed."

[break][break]Ouch, not even a thank you?

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Julia grinned when Shalin explained how Sygna Suits took a special bond with a long-time Pokémon partner. "Well, I know who mine's gonna be based on," she said, looking at Chester. His middle head chirped proudly.

[break][break]Bass Boost's riding gear blurred a bit as the Seismitoad's bumps vibrated. "I can definitely see why you wanna test that out." It looked a bit nauseating to Julia, but Shalin was probably more used to that kind of thing, and the Sygna Suit would apparently help. "Why Flygon, though? Is it 'cause its wings go so fast?"

[break][break]Julia had seen just how hostile the Pokémon in Space-Time Distortions could be, but she'd never heard of one continuing to be a menace after it was removed. Heck, she'd found Snaily in one of them, and she was the sweetest Goodra ever! (Maybe a bit too sweet, sometimes. Julia had had to learn how to get slime out of her clothes.) But maybe Alpha Pokémon were different.

[break][break]"No, but I'm not surprised," Julia said with a smile. "You're not Hoenn's wildest rider for nothing."

[break][break]Strangely, the shiny Espeon that Shalin whistled for didn't have any riding gear. The Pokémon beamed good vibes right into Julia's head, but that didn't stop Julia from being a bit confused. "How does it work? Do you just... get on and hold on to her fur?" She'd used Chester's feathers for leverage when she'd first started riding him, but having actual reins helped both rider and mount be more comfortable.

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Lazuli's G-Max Resonance was powerful, but Julia had never seen it look this strong before! Someone had called for a Helping Hand, and thanks to that, the chunk of ice froze the earth between the poisoned army and then erupted outward like a frozen geyser. Julia beamed.

[break][break]"Awesome! Thanks a—"

[break][break]Her words caught in her throat when she turned to see who'd aided her. Kaname Fujihara was adorned in black clothing and a mask, and there was only one reason that Julia could think of for someone to be dressed like that: Rocket. She knew firsthand that not all Rockets were pure evil—heck, some of them were even good people who'd gotten caught in the undertow—but her recent experience with Cillian Quinn and Tempest Quinn had made even her usually friendly and chipper self wary.

[break][break]At least she had a battle to take her mind off trying to figure out whether this Rocket was dangerous or not! Obviously, he'd helped her out, and that was totally a good thing, but that worry still tugged at the back of her mind. She really didn't want a repeat of the Ultra Deep Sea.

[break][break]Zev Harcourt absorbing the black armor that Articuno had been wearing made the Rocket Beast look even creepier. So why the heck were the people crowning him as one of Hammerlocke's kings?! At least kyle lopez was also crowned to balance things out, creating a King of the Day and a King of the Night.

[break][break]There was a baby Articuno, too! Mirabella Fontaine was so lucky! But as much as Julia wanted to fawn over the little Legendary, Mirabella completely vanished with it for three years. There was so much going on in that time period that Julia forgot all about the little one until Mirabella revealed herself again.[break][break]

---

[break]

[break]Julia had thought they would be in this memory for a few days at most, but a full month passed with no sign of a way home. The better king, kyle lopez, approached Julia one day with his plans to create an Adventurer's Guild. Eyes shining, Julia eagerly agreed to join this project.

[break][break]Eerie writing appeared on the walls of Hammerlocke one day and spelled out a prophecy. Julia didn't fully understand it—she'd leave that to the smart folks—but it sounded hopeful. There was a way out. There had to be.

[break][break]In the meantime, she kept herself busy defending the city from the hordes of poisonous Pokémon and the gigantic ones that emerged from the Power Spot. Lazuli's Heal Bell put in a lot of work curing poison in herself and her allies during these attacks.[break][break]

---

[break]

[break]Travel between Galar's settlements was difficult thanks to the sludge that covered the land, but thanks to Hideo Kino and his Glastrider, it was at least possible for them to communicate. Julia quickly wrote a letter to Isaac Merlo to ask if he was okay, only to find out he'd been crowned one of the kings of Motostoke! She had no idea whether to start her letters with "Your Majesty" or "King Isaac," but he told her that just "Isaac" worked. She still added "King" to that sometimes. It felt right.

[break][break]It was definitely better than King Zev. He'd replaced the makeshift crown the peasants had given him with one that screamed, "I am an evil king, fear me and kneel before me!" Julia didn't understand how the people could still bow to him. Were they just too scared to rebel? Maybe something could be done about that...

[break][break]For now, though, she dedicated herself to her work with the Adventurer's Guild to keep the city and its people safe. Despite the grim situation she'd been dropped into, she had to admit that being a bona fide adventurer was kind of fun. If she thought of it as the fantasy world that kyle lopez was styling it into, it was easier to ignore the reality that she was stuck here for who knew how long.

[break][break]Between jobs, she did her best to keep everyone's spirits up. She was no storyteller like Jack Napier, but she followed his lead in telling people they were heroes from "beyond the sky" here to save them. She had her work with the Guild to back that up, too. When Josh Devlin introduced Pokémon racing to Hammerlocke, Julia and Chester gladly joined in whenever they had the time.

[break][break]All this work in this poisoned land did a number on her prosthesis, though. It had been built to endure Julia's active outdoor lifestyle, but the manufacturer apparently hadn't accounted for being thrust into a medieval world. After the wear and tear caused her to stumble in battle, causing Snaily to jump in front of her to protect her, she visited the blacksmith, Leif Ironson, and his apprentice, Amor Rose. Poor Leif had no idea what to make of the material he saw as he examined Julia's detached leg, but he said he'd see what he could do.[break][break]

---

[break]

[break]Getting used to a metal prosthesis took some work, even with Leif's skills making it as lightweight yet sturdy as possible. It felt like those first days of learning to walk again, only this time, she didn't have a physical therapist to guide her through it. She had to reach back into those difficult memories and remember what she'd been taught. It was frustrating, if she was being honest.

[break][break]It was easier to think of it as another challenge to overcome, though.

[break][break]Her idea of a rebellion against the King of the Night never came to fruition. Zev Harcourt was scarily competent as a leader, even if his tone toward his subjects was always cold, like he just saw them as pawns rather than people. All the peasants Julia talked to said something along the lines of the king's word being law and how they were safer under his protection. Ugh, this would be so much easier if Zev would just do something clearly evil already...

[break][break]"Are you really okay with this?" she asked kyle lopez one day. "Ruling alongside him?"

[break][break]After three years, Mirabella Fontaine reappeared in the public eye. Julia was excited to see the no-longer-baby Articuno again, but Eunice was elusive. When she heard that the Legendary had been seen rescuing and even playing with children, she became even more determined to meet the bird that would later be known as the Mystic Warden.

[break][break]Lazuli and Ribbon, particularly the former with how difficult it was for her to travel on land, lent their abilities to El Sunderland's healer work whenever they could. Lazuli cooled fevers and soothed wounds with her Life Dew while Ribbon gathered what she could from the realm's little uncorrupted flora to form nutritious Pollen Puffs. As the years marched on, though, the Ribombee found that more and more difficult, and her puffs started being used more for offense than defense. At least her aura-reading ability was still useful in diagnosing certain ailments.

[break][break]Julia wasn't a huge fan of sitting around doing nothing, but she still made use of Lucette Castellane's bath house for her overworked muscles. She was surprised at how nice it was to just relax for a little while.

[break][break]Seven years after their arrival—it was hard to believe so much time had passed—Leif Ironson passed away, leaving Amor Rose to run the forge by himself. When the shop reopened a week later, Julia was among the first to enter. She offered her condolences and told Amor he was a worthy successor who'd do a great job running the place. The years would prove her right.

[break][break]Then, in the tenth year, Necrozma attacked. Julia was among those on the front lines, fighting alongside her Pokémon to drive what the people called the Black Knight away. In the end, they were successful, but not without far, far too many casualties. Many of the peasants she had helped inspire and protect lay dead on the ground now; every unmoving body pricked at her heart like a needle. Ten years constantly fighting to survive will dim even the brightest of sparks, and Julia, despite her best efforts, was no exception.

[break][break]Yet there would always be something to kindle that inner flame again. Jack Napier began to tell "tales of the dead" meant to honor the deceased and celebrate their victories. Though her memory of its exact wording was vague, Julia remembered the prophecy and how it had promised hope when all seemed lost. She had to hold onto that. She had to focus on the victories rather than the losses, no matter how much they hurt. It was what she'd been best at ten years ago, and it was time to take that back.

[break][break]The black metals left behind by Necrozma could be forged into a powerful weapon. Julia briefly considered having her leg upgraded, but that was too risky. If something went wrong, she could say goodbye to her ability to walk. That was pretty important. Instead, she went for the classic weapon of heroes: a sword. Naturally, she asked Amor Rose to forge the weapon for her.

[break][break]Time skip Julia:


[break][break]