The violet book- a Pokémon violet fanfiction

Chapter 14

Juliana walked slowly towards the small town named Cortondo, thinking nervous thoughts. What if I can't beat her? What if I'm too weak? What if- Juliana stopped herself. No. No, no, no. I can do this. I have two Pokémon that have fire moves, one with flying, and two backup Pokémon. There's no way I can lose this.

She wouldn't necessarily call Sweetarts and Nibbles 'backup', they were just as useful as any of her other Pokémon, but she wasn't really planning on using them.

Fire. The crackling sound rang in her ears, making her wince from the memory.

Danger. Danger.

It wasn't me. I swear.

"Ring ring! You have a callzz!" Her rotom cried. She flinched, snapping out of her remembrance of her terrifying memory.

Juliana sighed internally, still continuing to walk towards the town.

Joy. She thought sarcastically. "Answer it, please." Juliana replied with forced sweetness.

"Hi, Juliana!" A familiar voice shouted through the phone. Oh. It's Nemona-! Juliana realized, feeling a twinge of excitement, and a small amount of loneliness. It would be hard to admit that she didn't miss her new, loud, exciting, extraverted, energetic best friend.

Best friend! Didn't think I'd be calling someone that so soon.

"Hi Nemona!" Juliana said with genuine happiness. She continued walking until she was right outside the bug-type gym.

Juliana grabbed her Pokéballs, who should I use? She could use Cheezits, he needed to level up anyways, but the argument of 'Doodle has more type advantages over bug' also ran through the back of her mind.

Argg. Alright, I'll go with Cheezits, and if he faints, I have Doodle.

"I'm at the bug gym right now." Juliana revealed, trying to stop thinking about how the fight will go.

Nemona gasped through the phone. "Really? I'm also really close to that area, wait there!" There was a beep, then her phone went silent.

Juliana felt like she probably should be annoyed, stuck waiting on someone else again, but she wasn't. She had missed Nemona in the couple of days they hadn't talked outside from school.

It took her a moment to realize, but Nemona was already in sight, only about 25 feet away. Juliana found it awfully suspicious that it took Nemona that little amount of time to get outside the bug gym and to her, but she ignored that feeling, excited to see her best friend again.

"Nemona!" Juliana beamed. Her best friend ran towards her, stopping right before she fell into her, then bumped her side.

"Hi, Juliana!" Nemona giggled. She put her hands together excitedly. "Isn't it insane, that you and me were both here, in Cortondo!?"

Juliana raised an eyebrow with a grin. "Yeah, weird." She said slowly.

Nemona beamed at her. "Man! I can tell from since I last saw you, you've gotten stronger, haven't you?"

If you call getting cut by a rock and defeating a giant grab getting stronger, then sure."I would totally challenge you right now, but I have to go."

Juliana was slightly upset about Nemona having to go, but tried not to show it.

"Oh- okay. Bye then! Have fun with whatever your doing!" Juliana forced out. She tried to sound upbeat about Nemona leaving while missing her first gym battle, she tried to not show how much it felt like her best friend was leaving her for good.

"Bye, good luck with your gym!" Nemona shouted, turning to start bolting in another direction. "Byeee!~" Juliana shouted after her.

Alright, let's do this.

AFTER THE GYM CHALLENGE...
"Alri-Alright, I'm done." Juliana panted. Pushing a giant ballon olive around an obstacle course she wouldn't exactly call impressive. It was tiring, but not something worthy of a gym challenge.

"Great! Hopefully the olive fest will go well this year." The man at the gym counter said. He picked up a clipboard that had writing on it. "Are you ready yet, miss Juliana?"

She nodded eagerly."Yeah! Let's get this show on the road!"

         . . .
Juliana pressed her right hand up her her left, cracking her knuckles. I'm ready. She reached down to her belt and clicked off Cheezit's Pokéball.

The Cortondo gym leader, Katy, smiled in an unsettlingly sweet way. "Let's make this battle sweeter than my pastries!"

Juliana smirked and held Cheezit's ball up near her neck. "Well your in for a sour surprise! Cheezits, let's go!"

She threw Cheezit's ball into the battle field excitedly. Katy flashed a smile, tossing her Pokéball delicately into the battle area.

Something about it. something about having an intense important battle gave her flash backs to her battles in Hoenn. Her swampert knocking aside challenger's Pokémon excitedly. Acro swarming the opposing zangoose. Her hand shaking the challengers Pokémon no matter if they won or not.

That also reminded her of the 'accident'.

Her eyes widened as she stared nostalgically at the area. Breath. Don't think about it. You can do this.

"Cheezits!" She commanded, throwing her hand forward. "Fire spin!"

Her small Charcadet jolted forward, spinning in an elegant circle, before engulfing itself in flames and smashing into the small bug Pokémon. It chirped weakly, but stood up nonetheless.

Fire! Run!

Juliana winced.

Even now, about a couple months from the accident, she still got flashbacks from the fire.

Juliana could still remember the horrible smell of smoke rising to her nose and filling her lungs as she stared in terror at the lab in front of her.

That was a memory no one could ever forget.

Juliana shook her head fiercely, trying to focus on the battle.

"Nybm!" Nymble cried. Katy smirked a tiny bit beyond her usual smile. "Alright, if that's the case, I'll go all out. Nymble, struggle bug!"

It nodded determinedly. "Cheezits!" Juliana shouted commandingly. "Another fire spin, now!"

Nymble screeched with its mouth open wide, springing into Cheezits with as much strength as it could muster.

Cheezits cried out weakly, falling to the ground with a single hit. Juliana gasped, running forward to pick up and return her.

No! She thought. It wasn't supposed to go like that!

She lifted up Doodle's Pokéball, and threw it into the field.

"Fletch! Fletch!" Doodle cried. Juliana tried to look determined. "Peck! Now!" She shouted.

Doodle chirped loudly, flying quickly towards the Nymble to peck at it.

"Nymb Nymb!" It screeched as it fainted.

Ha! I know we can do this!