[attr="class","juliaw"]

Julia made an indignant, stammering noise. "I'm not a child! I'm a certified Ranger!" If there was one thing that Julia hated, it was being taken lightly. Sure, most people did it because of her prosthetic leg, but being called a stupid child throwing a tantrum stung just as badly. That didn't mean she was going to "assault" this woman, though. She was better than that, and she'd prove it.

[break][break]"Chester, Jump Kick the Electivire!"

[break][break]His left head glanced back as if to say, "You sure?" but the other two focused on bending their shared body's legs to leap right over Shizue and aim a downward kick at her Electivire. The bad type matchup probably didn't do Julia any favors in not looking stupid, but it was about integrity, gosh darn it!

[break][break]"Snaily, cover me!" she added, knowing that the Swalot could use Poison Gas at any moment.

[break][break]With an eager sound somewhere between a roar and a squeal, Snaily stood between Julia and the Swalot, ready to Protect her trainer at a moment's notice.

[attr="class","juliaw"]

Julia never thought she'd want someone to stop smiling, but that unnaturally huge grin on Blackjack's face needed to go away. He squeezed her shoulder to the point it was uncomfortable and began to speak again.

[break][break]This isn't real, Julia told herself, glaring at the apparition. He isn't real. He's just a bad dream.

[break][break]Her breathing grew heavier, and a few droplets of sweat formed on her brow. At first, she thought that was just because of her anger, but then a stinging pain on her left arm reminded her of the barb that had been thrown at her. No, it hadn't been just a barb. It'd been a Poison Barb. And it had picked a really bad time to kick in.

[break][break]A huge Volcarona emerged from the Poké Ball that Blackjack let roll to the ground. With a cruel command from its trainer, it began to heat up the air around Julia to what quickly became unbearable levels. The droplets of sweat multiplied until they covered her whole body, leaving her feeling sluggish and sticky. It was getting hard to breathe, and she could no longer ignore the pain that weighed inside and outside her body. Her once-bountiful reservoir of hope had already run dry. She just wanted to rest.

[break][break]Her eyes fell on the pile of stones that had taken Isaac from her, then on the imposter that had taken his place. A nightmare that didn't even bother to wear the face of her friend as it tried to kill her. Isaac deserved better. He didn't deserve to have this thing walking around pretending to be his "future." The air going into Julia's lungs suddenly felt crisper and clearer, and she could feel her blood flowing through her body.

[break][break]This wasn't the time to rest. It was time to wake up.

[break][break]The Key Stone on her Mega Anklet began to glow, as did the Dive Ball on her belt before it burst open of its own accord, releasing Lazuli again. The light of Mega Evolution shone around the Lapras, cocooning her in its shell before bursting to reveal her new form. Without even waiting for an order, she sang out a haunting note that bounced off the cavern walls. A chunk of ice formed in the air and fell toward Valfrey. It wasn't a very effective attack type-wise, but it immediately cooled the air to its normal temperature. The shafts of light that penetrated this cavernous world reflected off the G-Max Resonance, creating an Aurora Veil around Julia and Lazuli.

[break][break]Though she had to brace herself against Lazuli's enlarged shell, Julia straightened up and glared definitely at Blackjack. "I'm not going down. Not yet."

[break][break]She had two fainted Pokémon and four more that were weakened, including Lazuli here. But if her reserves had run dry, then she'd have to create hope herself.

[attr="class","juliaw"]

There was some consolation in seeing Temp get caught off-guard by the Earthquake and wobble as the ground shook, surprise flickering across his face. She couldn't look at it long, though; the scatterbang popping at her feet made her flinch back and cover her face with one arm. Then, the Earthquake got even worse with the Shadow Tyrnitar's contribution. The ground split with a squelch like flesh rather than stone. For once, she wished it was the normally terrifying sound of stone cracking.

[break][break]All these attacks were too much for even the sturdy Snaily to handle. With a desperate squeal, she reached out for her trainer, then collapsed with a heavy thud.

[break][break]Pressure fell over the battlefield. And was that... rain?

[break][break]She uncovered her face and felt her eyes nearly bug out of her head when she saw the Pokémon that had joined the fray. She'd thought they could turn this battle around, even with how powerful their opponents were, but the mere presence of Shadow Lugia seemed to drain any hope from her heart. And given what kind of person Julia was, that was a huge feat.

[break][break]She was so entranced by the dark Legendary's presence that she almost didn't see the barbs being flung at her and Navy. She tried to duck behind the rock she was holding onto, but she winced and sucked in air through her teeth when she felt it graze her left bicep. Of course these two still had dirty tricks up their sleeves...

[break][break]Navy stepped forward, declaring that they weren't done here.

[break][break]"What are you—?" Julia started, but the words came to a grinding halt in her throat when she saw the ground beneath Navy began to crack. "Look out!"

[break][break]Too late. Navy fell into a swirling void, shouting for Julia to run. She inhaled a shaky gasp, eyes wide and fearful. She was alone now. These two Rockets had powerful Shadow Pokémon at their side. And now even Shadow Lugia was here. She tried to reach inside herself for that last bit of hope to give her strength, only to find that what she'd thought was an endless reserves had been scraped dry.

[break][break]She couldn't do this.

[break][break]One hand scrambled for Snaily's Poké Ball to recall her back to safety. The other fumbled through a pouch at her waist and managed to grab something soft and round. She threw the Sticky Glob on the ground between her and the Rockets, and then she turned and ran as fast as she could, trying to ignore the pain and exhaustion that ran through her veins.

[break][break]That wouldn't be enough, she realized in a panic. They had Lugia on their side. Even if it wasn't a Legendary, it could fly. Some sticky patch of floor wouldn't stop it. She clumsily reached into a different pouch for a piece of the mysterious ore the League had stockpiled. She had no idea how it worked, but she threw it hard against the ground and kept running. Behind her, she heard rumbling and the unnerving squelch of the realm's stone shifting. She glanced back to see it had risen into a fleshy wall. Normally, that'd be disgusting. Right now, it was the only thing standing between her and Gavin's shadowy patron.

[break][break]She didn't stick around to see how long it'd hold.

[attr="class","juliaw"]

Julia glanced back to check on El once they were in the tunnels and saw that Akero was masterfully avoiding hitting any of the rocks. That race training had really paid off!

[break][break]It took a few moments for El to start speaking again, their words slow and uncertain.

[break][break]"Being strong is more than just being good at Pokémon battles," Julia said. "Heck, I think what you did to help that little girl find her Zigzagoon was really strong of you! You dove right into the danger zone and came out the other side okay." She looked away, ostensibly to focus on the path ahead. "But sometimes, you've gotta battle. It sucks, but sometimes, you just run into a bad person who doesn't wanna play nice."

[break][break]Two League officials flagged Julia and El down once they'd reached a lit crossroads. "What are you two doing down here?" one of them asked. He sounded like he was trying to keep his voice light in the company of two friendly faces, but there was a wary edge to it.

[break][break]"We've got a message to deliver," Julia said. She held up the sealed envelope, letting the other official inspect it. "Which way to the outpost in here?"

[break][break]Apparently satisfied with Julia's explanation, the other official nodded and said, "Just head through there and take the tunnel to the left. Stay safe."

[break][break]"Thanks! You, too!" Julia turned back to El. "Let's go!"

[attr="class","juliaw"]

Oh, man, that Aurora Veil was putting in more work than Julia had expected. That was okay, though! Spot had his not-so-Nasty Plot to help mitigate it. Or, at least, he would have if he hadn't been interrupted by Tsume's Taunt. He could withstand the insults to his person, but to say such things about his late father and his beloved trainer, who'd saved his life?! The power building up within him drained out all at once, replaced by rage that had him snarling at the Zoroark.

[break][break]Okay, so things weren't exactly going according to plan here.

[break][break]Spot and Momo both held a paw in front of their face at the blinding Dazzling Gleam that hit them both at once, but that didn't protect them from the damage. Julia's mind raced through the moves her two Pokémon knew, but neither could affect the whole battlefield like that. She'd just have to focus on taking out the biggest threat first.

[break][break]"Momo, Yawn before they can Taunt again! Spot, Aura Sph—"

[break][break]The command wasn't even out of her mouth before the enraged Spot channeled his aura into his fist and charged at Tsume with an Aura Sphere. Momo, meanwhile, opened his mouth again, this time for a leisurely Yawn aimed at Tsume.

[attr="class","juliaw"]

"That sounds perfect for you," Julia said to Shalin Nariya. "All right, see you later!"

[break][break]Julia smiled as Josh Devlin introduced Raikiri as the next incarnation of Raikou. In a way, he was finally living his dream of bonding with the Legendary.

[break][break]"Sure thing!" Julia said. "It sounds like a heck of a ride." It was only as she was petting Raikiri that she realized Josh hadn't suggested the Gym. Maybe he just wanted a more natural environment?

[break][break]"Wait, what?" she asked when Josh announced his Interim Gym Leader. Only his saying he wasn't at liberty to elaborate on the circumstances stopped Julia from asking for more details. Was that why he said Route 111 instead of his Gym? What the heck was going on?

[break][break]Josh Dragomir's mention of almost being done with the eyepieces got Julia excited. They'd been in the testing phase since the last big Rangers meeting, and hearing they were almost done was awesome!

[break][break]Oh, hey, Julia's question was used as the segue into the Project Sapphire talk! Neat! It was different from what had been in the game, but the fact that the two projects shared a name and involved Legendary Pokémon was still a weird coincidence. No wonder Rondez-View was under so much scrutiny...

[break][break]It turned out Josh Devlin was one of the project's leads! It made sense, given his long search for Raikou. Strangely, despite just saying that Raikiri was Raikou's incarnation, he said he had reason to believe that Raikou hadn't truly perished in the Kanto War. "What makes you think that?" she asked.

[break][break]She winced in sympathy as francie myrtle slipped and let out a loud, undignified screech. Poor girl. Good recovery, though!

[break][break]paxton concordas's report on the three spirits that escaped the top of Mt. Chimney reminded Julia of a different Rondez-View route. She'd gotten the bad ending, and her soul had been swallowed by a flame that had turned into a fish-like creature. Surely, that had to just be another part of the game.

[attr="class","juliaw"]

"Attaboy, Drake!" Julia called as her caution paid off. Seventh place! They still had a chance! She felt bad for the person who'd been knocked off the track, but she'd be relieved when she heard they were uninjured later. For now, the race had to go on! She held tight to the reins as the right-angle turn came into view, hoping that Drake's turning would be sharp enough to get them through it!

[break][break]

[attr="class","juliaw"]

If Julia were a Pokémon, she'd definitely have those little Confusion birdies floating around her head right now. Why couldn't this woman just be straightforward? This would be so much easier that way!

[break][break]"You're just being...!" There was a word for people who took everything way too literally, but Julia couldn't remember what it was. She settled for, "You're being roundabout!" More than confused, Julia was getting frustrated with the woman's insults toward her. She narrowed her eyes and popped open Snaily's Poké Ball. Once she'd formed, the Hisuian Goodra opened her arms for a hug but stopped, confused, when she saw how stern Julia looked.

[break][break]"Snaily, make sure she doesn't get away." Julia wasn't well-versed in being serious, but she did her best here. Then, to Shizue: "I get it, it's complicated, but the point is I don't want Rocket to have another weapon against the League. So just put the Zubat down."

[break][break]Snaily understood even less than Julia, but she knew there was a threat in front of her that she had to protect Julia from. She bent her hug-ready arms into a flexing pose, showing she was ready for battle. Behind them, Chester scratched a foot across the ground, ready to charge at a moment's notice. To Julia's credit, at least, she didn't "assault" Shizue. That wouldn't be right, even if she was a potential danger.

[attr="class","juliaw"]

Julia did, indeed, take a closer look at the mask when Blackjack brought it up, including the black veins that seemed to meld it to his flesh. Julia's head was too full of other emotions to even know what to make of that.

[break][break]Her eyes snapped open when, for the second time today, she was reminded of the incident at Mauville Gym. She felt trapped, surrounded by hostile Pokémon and being circled by this fake-Isaac-Blackjack-whoever-he-was. None of that brightness she'd seen in him was present in his eyes. She clenched her hand into a trembling fist at her side, an action that was becoming all too familiar to her today.

[break][break]"You're wrong," she said. She tried to sound determined, but her voice was edged with desperation and still unsteady from her earlier sobs, and her face was still stained with tear tracks. "Isaac wouldn't have let Josh die. The whole thing was just one big accident. Isaac wants to do the right thing, even if he's stuck with Rocket."

[break][break]It was strange. Even though Isaac—the real Isaac—was gone, Julia still referred to him in the present tense. It was as if, despite her earlier mourning, she couldn't accept Isaac's death. But she couldn't accept this thing as Isaac, either.

[break][break]"You're not Isaac," she said again. "You're... You're a nightmare!"

[attr="class","juliaw"]

Julia's eyes widened as she watched Gavin's Lucario fight to stay conscious despite its Burn, the strain of Mega Evolution, and the onslaught of attacks that brought it to one trembling knee. How the heck had it not fainted after all that...?! Julia knew firsthand that Mega Evolution was powerful, but there was something else at play here, something that she was still too innocent to realize, especially in the midst of this hectic battlefield.

[break][break]Regardless, the Lucario was recalled back into its Poké Ball, and in its place came the most horrible Tyranitar that Julia had ever seen. That wasn't something she usually thought about even the scariest-looking Pokémon, but something about the obsidian crystals jutting from its hide just felt wrong. The sandstorm forced Julia to hold an arm in front of her face, but at least she had Snaily out to protect her now.

[break][break]Huh... Something was different about this sand. Almost like it was made of...

[break][break]The enemy Tyranitar summoned a briny Surf, and Snaily stood steadfast in front of her trainer to take the hit. One eye watched the possessed Momo, but he focused on Navy's Tyranitar instead of Julia before collapsing. Julia sighed in relief that it was finally over, then immediately felt bad because that was still her precious Pokémon out there. She recalled him to his Poké Ball for some well-deserved rest.

[break][break]There was sudden heat behind her. Snaily let out a distressed squeal and held tight to Julia, making sure her metallic tail was facing the oncoming Shadow Flame. She winced at the hellfire's Burn on her shell, and even Julia could feel it singeing her despite her protector. Only when it died down did Snaily break away and turn to retaliate with an enraged Hydro Pump. Unfortunately, that left her open to the incoming Leech Life, which she tried to swat away with her Gooey arms. Hopefully, her slime would slow her opponent down a bit.

[break][break]Julia gritted her teeth in both frustration and pain. Hadn't the Flareon been recalled after it had been put to sleep? Shoot, she should have known that these two would try to play dirty like that. Navy was right: You really did have to be aggressive with these types. Right now, they were being backed into a corner and getting mocked for it. Julia clenched a trembling fist.

[break][break]Navy told her to run. "But what about you?" she asked. There was no way she could leave this man alone with these... these monsters. These were the Rockets that the League was fighting against, not the innocents dragged into their fold like Isaac Merlo and countless others. These were the ones who were willing to do whatever it took to win, no matter how immoral or cruel.

[break][break]The ground beneath them started to shake under Junior's power. Not again...! Julia thought desperately. She was so, so tired of all the shaking and the rocks falling and the painful memories. Which was probably better than being frozen in fear, but even she found it hard to look on the bright side right now. At least her head was clear enough for her to heed Navy's warning to hold onto something.

[break][break]Snaily squealed in pain as the Earthquake erupted beneath her. Then, much to Julia's horror, the dark shards of the "sandstorm" dug into the Goodra's hide. But Steel-types were supposed to be able to withstand sandstorms! There was definitely something wrong with this one...

[attr="class","juliaw"]

This time, Julia felt Chester's legs weaken beneath him when the Night Daze hit. She quickly jumped off, landing with a roll that could have been a lot more painful, and recalled him as he began to fall over with a trio of dazed, pained caws. Shoot, that was a strong attack... At least they'd managed to stop the Zoroark from running off with Makoto.

[break][break]"I'm not just letting you get away with what you stole," Julia said back. "Momo, let's go!"

[break][break]The Simisear emerged onto the battlefield jumping and hooting. Already, the tufts on his head and tail were flickering with embers, causing the snow to melt as it fell around him.

[break][break]"Momo, Flamethrower on the Ninetales! Spot, power up!"

[break][break]Momo took a deep breath and shot a stream of fire at the Ninetales. Spot, meanwhile, raised his head and howled to the sky, psyching himself up for the fight to come. Calling the move Nasty Plot didn't really suit him; he had his own way of stimulating his brain to raise his Special Attack.

[attr="class","juliaw"]

"Yeah," Julia agreed. Isaac really did care about other people, and that set him apart from a lot of other Rockets.

Julia thought about El's question for way longer than she usually thought about anything. The silence stretched on for what felt like ages, and the pounding of Chester's feet in the dirt and the wind whipping past them only amplified it. How much could she tell El without giving anything critical away?

[break][break]"I think..." she finally started, slowly, "he's got people he cares about in Rocket. And he wants to stay for them. I wish they could all just leave, but I guess it's not that easy. Like you said, Rocket's proooooobably not a fan of letting people leave." Yeah, these two were masters of understatements, but that didn't stop Julia from smiling at a different thought. "You're right that he'd have friends with us, though."

[break][break]They were quickly coming up on the entrance to Granite Cave. "Watch your head! I dunno how much room we're gonna have to maneuver in here."

[attr="class","juliaw"]

"Isaac" went way too still, like an animatronic that had stopped working mid-performance. "Oops, looks like Blackjack needs a little rest before the next set!" she could hear some attendant say way too cheerfully in her head.

[break][break]The laughter that echoed off the cavern's walls, however, was anything but cheerful. He pointed back at the pile of boulders when he said that Julia was "killing him," making her chest tighten.

[break][break]"Isaac, what—what are you saying?!"

[break][break]With a snap of his fingers, Julia was surrounded. It wasn't just the cold and damp air that made her shiver. These were Isaac's Pokémon, but none of them were looking at her fondly. They snickered, they smirked, they stared at her with hungry eyes and a slack jaw...

[break][break]The sound of a revving motorcycle made her jump. For a moment, she swore she saw the flash of a headlight.

[break][break]"Cut it out, Isaac!" she shouted, voice higher than she meant for it to be. "This isn't funny! This isn't—!"

[break][break]She and El Sunderland had just been talking about how Isaac was a good person despite what he claimed. Julia had wanted to talk with him about it after thanking him for protecting El. This wasn't something a good person would do. And it had nothing to do with Isaac not being a good person. The pink mists, the warping injuries, this twisted Blackjack-Isaac in front of her...

[break][break]"This isn't you," she said, her voice falling quieter as the realization hit her. "You're not Isaac."

[break][break]He couldn't be. She'd just watch Isaac die right in front of her.