Milo and the Big Six

by NanobotEX

Eight long years have passed since Milo and Amaya's breakout Rookie season. Now one of them is a Champion, while the other is the biggest Pokémon battling celebrity on the planet. The winds of life blow much more harshly at the top of the world, though. New foes with old faces, friendships built and broken, and impossible choices...It's time for the World Challenge.

1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1 - The Board is Set

Kara settled with a smile into her VIP box seat under the bright lights of the Sunyshore Arena, waiting along with tens of thousands of other spectators for the evening's marquee battle to begin. It had been a very long week, but today marked the end of the International Masters Exhibition Tour, affectionately known as the Hype Circuit.

The purpose of the Hype Circuit was to advertise for the World Challenge, a massive, international tournament that took place every other year. To get people excited about seeing the world's best Trainers in action, the biggest names from the biggest leagues all traveled together for a week and put on a series of exhibition battles to get 'warmed up' and perhaps garner a few new fans with flashy victories. Champions, Elite Four, notable Gym Leaders, anyone who qualified as a major battling celebrity was invited, and those with no prior obligations usually came, at least for one or two days. This was the Hype Circuit.

There was nothing riding on the results, just pure entertainment. Now they had come to the final battle of the last day; the culmination of all the anticipation.

"Feeling the excitement yet?" asked Cynthia with a grin as she situated herself next to the Performer. The two women had built a rather refreshing friendship over the years. Cynthia herself had participated in the Hype Circuit earlier in the week, when her busy Champion's schedule would allow. She'd been solid, as always, with two wins from two fights. She'd beaten Lt. Surge of Vermillion City with ease, before a much closer victory against Steven Stone, Champion of Hoenn.

"It'd be hard not to," responded Kara, "Though I still wish he wasn't so selective about his matchups. Imagine if it were you or Lance down there facing him. Now that would be quite the conclusion for the Hype Circuit."

As the crowd began working itself to frenzy, dying to see the last battle begin, Cynthia gave a chuckle;

"Normally I'd agree, but his is a unique case. He's not afraid to lose to a Champion, he's afraid he might win. Besides, this promises to be quite the thrilling matchup as well."

Kara looked askance at the Sinnoh Champion's odd assertion, but didn't have time to question her about it. At last, the first of the two combatants had walked out to take his side of the field. A sharply dressed man who looked quite young for his early thirties, wearing a slick black button-down shirt under an open black blazer with brick red pants and black dress shoes stepped forward with cool confidence.

Marcus, Gym Leader of Hearthome and world-renowned Dark type specialist, strode easily into his box, acknowledging the crowd's raucous cheers with a small wave and a cool grin.

"WOOHOO!" A wild cheer came from just a couple rows behind Kara and Cynthia, "Go do it, you crazy hunk! If you lose, you're sleeping on the couch tonight!"

Performer and Champion alike found this hilarious;

"Now that seems harsh", Kara laughed, "You'd make your husband sleep on the couch just for losing an exhibition battle? For shame, Gardenia!"

The former Leader of Eterna (she'd retired and moved to Hearthome after the birth of their son) answered without hesitation;

"I wouldn't care if it was against anybody else, but there's no way I'd let him lose this battle and get away with it!"

The aforementioned son, little Martin, was currently being entertained by his young Aunt Myrian a few seats away, but took a moment to glance down towards the field. His three-year-old face lit up and he began bouncing around in his seat and pointing;

"Daddy! Look, Mommy, look! Daddy battle!"

Gardenia smiled at her son and nodded fervently;

"That's right, buddy! Daddy is going to have a battle! Let's cheer for Daddy, okay?"

Overcome with excitement, Marcus' son leaned a bit too far forward and almost fell out of his seat. Luckily, he was rescued by his grandmother. Zoe couldn't resist her adorable grandson;

"Come here, little Martin, sit with grandma. Let's cheer your Daddy on together, okay? Can you say 'go, Daddy, go'?"

"Daddy go!"

As the young Martin enchanted those around him with the charms only a child could provide, Marcus' opponent had been duly hyped up by the announcer, and now he emerged from the other side of the Sunyshore Arena. The noise for Marcus had been quite loud, but now Zoe actually covered her grandson's young ears; the bellow from the crowd at the second competitor's arrival was downright deafening.

Marcus' opponent was a good six or seven years younger than the Hearthome Leader. His short, dark, unruly hair shifted easily in the light breeze. His t-shirt was white on top, fading to black at the bottom, and his black cargo pants cut off at the shins. His name was printed in stark, imposing letters across the back of his shirt, like a jersey, but nobody needed it to identify him on sight.

Everybody knew Milo.

"Come on Milo!" It was Kara's turn to stand and cheer for her boyfriend of eight years, "You got this! I know you won't lose!"

In many ways, this battle was the most exciting of the Hype Circuit; not only was it a sibling grudge match, but Milo was riding a two-year competitive win streak, stretching all the way back to his loss in the last World Challenge. Since then, the young star had redoubled his efforts, taken on all comers, and emerged victorious time and again. Could his older brother be the one to finally best him?

Milo

He stepped into his box and pulled a Pokéball from his belt. He released Azura, not onto the field but beside him in his box. The iconic Trainer-Pokémon duo took in the screams of delight with practiced confidence.

Feeling good? The shiny Umbreon looked up at her Trainer, having no trouble reading him after eight years together.

Yeah, he replied casually, I only brought you and Ferra as insurance, so this should be basically a workout for the second tier against his main lineup. Should be fairly even.

Ah, the Dark-type nodded understandingly, Ferra gets to deal with Absol, then? She'll enjoy that.

I think so, he answered with a grin. He hadn't really been paying attention, but evidently the referee had finished explaining the rules and they were ready to get the battle started. Milo caught Marcus smirking and gave him a curt nod in return. The older brother raised an arm and called;

"Let's make this interesting. Spiritomb, you're up first!"

"Alright", Milo smirked, "Looks like I've got you figured pretty well after all. Nina, time to work!"

One of Milo's 'second tier' Pokémon, a Whimsicott, shot out of her Pokéball like a rocket.

WHEEEHEEEE!

Nina, always insanely energetic, zipped all around the battlefield twice before settling in front of Milo, ready to battle;

I'm ready, I'm ready, I'm SO ready!

Okay, time to be serious, Nina, he coached her mentally, We're going to focus on landing Moonblast attacks since that thing is half-Dark, okay?

Moonblast, got it! I'll whack him up good!

"He's too slow for you, Nina", called Milo aloud, "Go for it! Moonblast!"

"Shadow Sneak, Spiritomb!"

Unfortunately for the Ghost, Milo was correct. Spiritomb was naturally one of the slowest Pokémon around, and Whimsicott were among the fastest. Spiritomb was halfway done launching its attack when Nina's Moonblast came in from behind and sent it spinning painfully.

"Alright, then Pursuit!"

Milo had to think fast, but that was his specialty.

"Nina, to me! Then turn and hit him again!"

The Pursuit would have smashed into Nina's unsuspecting back, but at her Trainer's command, she zipped forward, turned around, and had a Moonblast ready to go by the time her slower opponent emerged. Things weren't looking good for the Forbidden Pokémon, but not everything was as it seemed.

"Why isn't Marcus switching?" Myrian asked Cynthia, as she could see no way back into the battle for the Leader's first Pokémon, "I mean, the type matchup is bad, and the speed difference is worse. Why not save Spiritomb for later and use something else against Nina?"

Cynthia frowned for a moment, her brows furrowed;

"You know, I'm wondering that myself. I've always been terrible at following Marcus' thought process. His out-of-the-box stuff can really throw me for a loop…"

After another few seconds of consideration, during which time Spiritomb took another Moonblast to the face, Cynthia tossed out a suggestion;

"My best guess it that he's relying on the other natural differences between these two to even things out. Spiritomb are very strong defensively, and Whimsicott aren't known for their attack power."

Gardenia heard their discussion and chimed in with a thought of her own,

"Marcus is either trying to wear Nina down by tanking a bunch of hits, or he's just buying time to think and hoping to confuse Milo in the process. I guess we'll see before too long."

"Alright", called Marcus, seemingly undaunted by the super effective hits raining down on his Pokémon, "Hang tough, Spiritomb, and show me a Shock Wave!"

"Tank it, Nina, and blow him away!"

Milo's Whimsicott wasn't nearly as sturdy as her opponent, but she was able to withstand the Shock Wave attack before launching a Hurricane in response. Marcus was clearly expecting more hit and run tactics and wasn't prepared to deal with this new strategy. As Spiritomb was flung into the air, Milo prepared to capitalize;

"Perfect, Nina, now snipe him!"

"Spiritomb, evade with Shadow Sneak!"

The Forbidden Pokémon did its best, but once again it was helpless against Nina's raw speed. She never stood still for more than a split second, and Spiritomb took at least three more Moonblast attacks that seemed to come from everywhere as it spun painfully through the air.

"Alright, now finish him, Nina!"

On a desperate whim, Marcus yelled;

"Dark Pulse, straight down!"

He'd figured on Milo's Whimsicott going for the direct, stylish approach to a guaranteed victory, and he was right. Nina dashed into place directly underneath the falling Ghost, preparing for one last Moonblast, only to be met by a predictive Dark Pulse to the face. She wasn't down, but she was certainly worse for wear after taking her second sizeable hit. Spiritomb, on the other hand, hit the ground hard and was at last knocked out.

"Well, I never thought it would be easy", said Marcus, "My team's got plenty left in the tank. Houndoom, let's go!"

Houndoom was a staple of the Leader's team, and Milo knew this would be one of the most telling sections of the battle. The quicker he could get through his brother's aptly named Dark Pokémon, the better his team would fare against the much stronger Absol that was surely still to come.

Nina, you think you can stay?

Milo's Whimsicott stared coolly at the Fire type facing her, and replied easily;

Yup, I can take him, no problem! Leave it to me, Milo! Whoo, this is fun!

With that, the excitable half-Fairy was off again, zipping here and there and everywhere around the field.

"Keep your cool, Houndoom", Marcus warned, "this thing is fast, but fragile."

"Whenever you're ready, Nina, give him a Moonblast!"

"Now, Houndoom! Behind you!"

Houndoom was alert to the danger, and experienced enough to handle this situation with aplomb. As soon as Marcus gave the signal, the Dark type whipped around in place and spewed the biggest Flamethrower he could straight into the unfortunate Whimsicott.

That's the second time that's happened, Milo noted, Nina's got the speed, but her positioning is still too predictable. We'll work on that before the World Challenge. She has to learn to be one extra step ahead.

Milo could see that after taking the Shock Wave and Dark Pulse in the last round, that high-powered Flamethrower was just about enough to knock her out. The brave Windveiled Pokémon tried to get back up with a grimace, but Milo had already made the call;

"Nina, return. You did a great job."

He signaled the referee that the half-Fairy was officially done battling, and grabbed his next Pokéball. It was another new member of his team, one he was rather proud of;

"Alright, Lithos. Time for you to shine."

Milo's Kabutops was discipline incarnate. He valued absolute adherence to Milo's every whim as his utmost virtue. He had perfected the art of predicting and reading Milo's commands almost as well as his Trainer's main team of Pokémon; the world-famous 'Big Six'. He lacked their raw power, of course, and their ability to improvise within the plan, but he was coming along very well indeed.

Plan?

"Don't give him time to think."

Understood.

Without any further instruction he jumped in close, sidestepping the attempted Crunch counterattack to land a Slash to Houndoom's side.

"Back off!" Marcus wanted to break his brother's stride, but Milo had already called;

"Lead him!"

Houndoom jumped away as fast as he could, but Milo's powers of prediction were too good. Lithos understood exactly what was going on, and a Bubblebeam followed the Fire type and hit him almost before he was done moving.

"Aqua Jet", called Milo, knowing Houndoom would take a second or two to get up. The Dark Pokémon scrambled to the side, out of Aqua Jet's path, but Lithos was ready for this as well. This was a textbook training move he'd run hundreds of times.

As though Houndoom's escape was written in a script somewhere, Lithos cancelled his Aqua Jet and launched a Mud Shot that left Marcus' Fire type on his last legs.

"Flamethrower!"

"Stone Edge. Aqua Jet."

Another relatively simple move. The Kabutops' Stone Edge both nullified the Flamethrower and obscured the Rock type from view for a crucial couple of seconds. The overwhelmed Houndoom saw the second Aqua Jet attack coming in from his flank, but it was too late to do anything but brace himself. With one last massive hit, he went down.

The crowd was in ecstasy at Milo's genius display of lightning-fast offense. Up in the crowd, his father, Alexander, nodded slowly;

"He made that one look easy, but Marcus usually handles those changes in pace much better."

"You're right", Cynthia had just about managed to decipher the astronomical level of psychological warfare going on between the two brothers, "but Milo found his weak point. Kabutops and Houndoom were more or less equal in terms of power and speed, and type advantage alone isn't enough to beat Marcus."

"It should've looked like a closer fight then", said Kara as Marcus paused below to consider his next move.

"True, but all of Marcus' 'miracle plays' come when he can find a break – even a small one – to put them together in his head. Milo cut away his thinking time, and Marcus was forced to play it one step at a time like anyone else. He's still quite a dangerous opponent, but one step at a time is never enough against Milo."

Kara's head was spinning just from Cynthia's explanation, but the mind games were still raging below;

"Absol, you're in!"

"What?" Gardenia was dismayed at this, "Aww, you could've held out a bit longer, Marcus! Two Pokémon down and you're already pressing the panic button? Come on!"

Alexander was never more proud than when he could watch his two sons battle like this on the big stage;

"Aha!" He applauded excitedly, "That's the way, Marcus! I like what you're thinking, boy!"

A questioning look from his wife was enough to elicit an explanation;

"He's throwing off the rhythm of the fight. If he didn't, they would just keep trading knockouts and Milo would get an easy win."

"You know", laughed Zoe as she bounced her grandson on her knee, "that's the kind of thing you would've done, back in the day."

As the battle began below, Absol was steadfastly frustrating Lithos' attempts at clean hit-and-run tactics.

"Back in the day?" Alexander flashed a teasing smile, "Who's to say I haven't still got it?"

"Oh, pardon me", Zoe rolled her eyes, "I forgot I married Alexander the ageless wonder."

"You're darn right!" His rolling laugh was infectious, "I don't care how big a deal they are, I bet me and ol' Gator could still show those boys of mine a thing or two. Nobody outgrows their old man!"

A blast from down below drew their attention, as Lithos was sent flying by a massive Dark Pulse. As tough and disciplined as the Kabutops was, he had no answer for Absol's raw power. He was finding out the hard way just why Absol and Marcus were one of the most dangerous partnerships in all of Pokémon battling. Still, Milo was visibly calm. After all, he and Azura were another such duo, and his famous Umbreon sat patiently in the box beside him, watching every detail as the battle unfolded.

"You'd think Milo would care that his Pokémon is getting knocked around like a rag doll", frowned Myrian. She was almost 14 now. A few years ago, she had moved to Hearthome to train under Marcus at his Dark Gym and, with her incredible instincts, she had quickly become her older brother's star pupil. She was already Marcus' right-hand apprentice; challengers to the Hearthome badge had to get through her before they were given a shot at his Gym team, and her win rate was climbing steadily all the time.

"If I know Milo, he's just testing Lithos", responded Kara without looking away, "If this wasn't in the plan he wouldn't look that relaxed."

She gestured to the field, where a long and laborious shootout had finally ended in Absol's favor. Still unfazed, Milo recalled his fallen Kabutops with a nod.

"Hmm", the hint of a smirk flashed across the younger brother's face, "There's your ace, Marcus. All your cards are on the table. Hunter, let's go."

Hunter was yet another one of Milo's second-tier Pokémon; a Dusk Form Lycanroc. His speed and firepower were not to be underestimated, but…

"Now why would he do that?" Cynthia wondered aloud, "He knows his Lycanroc isn't ready to take down Absol - not yet, at least."

"This feels like part of a larger play", commented Kara, "maybe Azura is up next?"

"Hunter, give them a Stealth Rock."

With a menacing snarl, the Wolf Pokémon brought spikes shooting up all around Marcus' half of the battlefield. It was a long-term move, and Marcus was able to punish the opening;

"Now, before he sets up!"

A whopping Dark Pulse came in and struck the vulnerable Hunter, who got up with difficulty.

"Time to get moving, buddy", coached Milo, "Accelerock into Crunch."

At full strength, Absol could easily have anticipated and prevented the Lycanroc's movements, even with the impressive speed of Accelerock. However, the extended bout with Lithos had taken the edge off Absol's reflexes, and he took both attacks.

"Now back off", called Milo to his Rock type, wary of Hunter's flimsy defense.

"No escape, Absol!"

Just as Lithos had done to Houndoom, Absol predicted Hunter's retreat perfectly, and followed him with a Pursuit attack that sent the Lycanroc sprawling.

"Recover, Hunter! Another Accelerock!"

Despite his lack of defensive solidity, Milo's Wolf Pokémon was a consummate competitor. He wasn't as rigidly disciplined as Milo's more experienced fighters, like Lithos, but he had a never-say-die attitude that often overwhelmed opponents who expected him to stay down.

With a snarl, he leapt back at Absol, who had indeed expected him to stay down for at least another couple seconds. It wasn't the biggest of hits, but Milo could tell that the damage was slowly piling up on Marcus' ace.

Perfect, Hunter, Milo instructed mentally, Keep at him for as long as you can. Don't let him keep you down.

Hah, Hunter was panting with exertion, but his grit shone through, Easier done than said! This punk is – whew – is going down one way or another! C'mon, you!

The Disaster Pokémon scowling at him from across the field began charging another Dark Pulse, and Milo's Rock type responded instinctively, charging in for another Accelerock hit.

Milo said nothing, opting to let Hunter make his own mistakes and take this as a learning experience. Absol cancelled the fake Dark Pulse and smacked Hunter with a Sucker Punch the second he was within range, just as Milo knew he would. It was enough to send the Dusk Lycanroc sprawling, unconscious at last.

"What a victory!" The announcer was practically frothing at the mouth with excitement, "After a strong start, Milo's team has hit an Absol-shaped brick wall! He now finds himself down by one Pokémon! How will the younger of these two brothers overcome one of Sinnoh's very best?"

From the stands, Gardenia was going wild;

"That's the way, Marcus! Show him who's top dog in this family! Keep him on the ropes!"

"You've got this, Milo!" Kara would not be out-cheered, "I know you have plenty left in the tank! Enough with the warm-up, time to get serious! Send in Azura!"

Interestingly, the only one who didn't seem thrilled by this turn of the tides was Marcus. He was up by one, sure, but his biggest challenge was, as Kara had noted, still sitting in Milo's box, her blue-ringed ears and tail flicking patiently as she watched and waited for her shot.

Absol is getting run ragged out here, the older brother knew, and Azura is still fresh. I've already played my hand; I've got nothing left up my sleeve and he knows it. Maybe I should've waited to bring Absol in after all. It's going to be a tough slog from here. Still, I didn't have much choice, did I? Milo's at it again, and now I'll have to take whatever we've got left to deal with Azura.

All eyes in the stadium were turning slowly, expectantly towards the shiny Umbreon, desperate to see Milo's ace take on Marcus' famed Absol. Instead, Milo pulled another Pokéball from his belt and yelled;

"Alright, Ferra, just like we planned!"

At last, Milo had revealed one of his famous Big Six, but it wasn't Azura. There was a sharp intake of breath across the crowd as Milo's masterpiece of strategy at last sunk in. Marcus had planned around beating Azura, only to find that she was nothing more than an incredibly dangerous decoy. Absol was now exhausted, drained, and up against an elite Fighting Pokémon.

The numbers were in Marcus' favor, but the fight had just become Milo's to lose and anyone who could read a battle knew it. Screams and cheers erupted. If the stadium had a roof, it might have blown off. This was exactly the kind of insane mind gaming that made Milo a superstar. This was why people came out in droves to watch him; nobody in the world could match his strategic genius.

I'm ready, Papa, Milo's Lucario was just as dialed in as her Trainer, shutting out the noise that cascaded down from the spectators, Let's go.

Marcus, however, wasn't just going to lie down and take it. He narrowed his eyes, set his feet, and sprang into action;

"Dark Pulse!"

"Match and move," Milo responded smoothly, "Then hit and run."

With incredible efficiency, a Dragon Pulse collided with the oncoming Dark attack. Absol's Pulse won out eventually, but Ferra was already long gone, using the explosion as cover to come around for a Force Palm. At close range, the powerful Fighting move was brutally effective, and Absol was left reeling.

"Night Shade!"

Marcus was trying to counter, but Ferra, as Milo had ordered, was already backing off with a Quick Attack to prevent just such a counterattack. Milo had called four perfect commands with that one sentence, and he was far from done.

"Again. Dragon Pulse."

"Pursuit, Absol!"

Pursuit wouldn't do much, but Marcus knew he had to at least chip away at this Lucario to stand any chance.

"Do it."

Both Milo and his Lucario had known precisely how Absol would respond, and were still a step ahead. With unbelievable speed, Ferra once again cancelled her Dragon Pulse, flashed out to the side with a Quick Attack, and was ready with a huge Aura Sphere as Absol emerged for the Pursuit hit. Ferra's Aura Sphere was not a thing to be trifled with. After surviving two previous rounds and now two massive Fighting type hits, Absol was finally spent. He collapsed to the ground, knocked out.

The crowd was absolutely delirious. In the blink of an eye, Milo had leveled the score at three Pokémon each, and his Lucario had decimated Marcus' strongest team member without breaking a sweat. In fact, he'd made beating the strongest Absol in professional battling look downright easy. He was firmly in control of the battle, just as he had intended from the start.

Marcus could scarcely hear his own thoughts over the stadium noise, and was reeling internally from Milo's bait and switch, so he signaled to the referee for a timeout. In high-profile 6-on-6 battles, each Trainer was usually given one timeout call to use any time during the battle as a respite from the grueling action.

The ref caught his motion, and waved the yellow flag in the Leader's direction to signify a timeout had been called.

"Now that", nodded Gardenia above, "was a veteran move. If he let Milo continue with all that momentum and crowd energy he'd be toast for sure."

Milo

He sat back against the wall in his staging room, perfectly relaxed, waiting idly for the battle to resume. This timeout was the first significant part of the fight so far that he hadn't predicted.

"Figures he'd never let it go all the way to plan, huh?"

The timeout call was definitely clever, agreed Azura from her comfortable position curled in her Trainer's lap, Want me to get a few shots in? Build that momentum back?

Milo chuckled and shook his head;

"Nah, that's alright. You've already done plenty of damage just threatening him from the sidelines. Let Ferra carry the team this time, you know she loves it. Besides, fighting a technical, mental battle like this is a good experience for the others. You two already have this down to a science, but they need to learn."

Hmph. Fine, Azura sniffed with an air of dissatisfaction.

"Oh, don't start pouting now", Milo grinned, "This whole week has been about getting the second tier some exposure, remember? I'm learning a lot about them here, and I don't want to go all out so close to the World Challenge."

You and your mind games, Azura nuzzled her Trainer fondly, Qualification hasn't even started and you're already at it.

"Well sure", he grinned, "That's what I do. You and the rest of the Big Six are going to battle just enough to remind people they should be afraid of you, but no more."

Unless we come up against her?

"Her? Oh, I get you." Milo's grin faded instantly, "Her. Well, in that case we won't have much choice. Still, we'll just have to hope that doesn't happen."

If we're going to win the Challenge, someone has to beat her. If not us, then who?

The Trainer's brows furrowed, and he paused before answering with a sigh;

"Well, maybe Cynthia, but...you're right. Realistically, we'll have to deal with her eventually. Let's just hope we don't match up until late. Hmm? Oh, time's almost up. Let's finish this. Ready?"

Ready for what? Azura asked pointedly as she stretched and accompanied Milo back to the field, I don't actually get to battle, remember?

You never know, Milo responded silently as he waved to the frenzied crowd, If Ferra miraculously goes down and I need another trump card, you'd be in.

If Ferra goes down? Milo, huffed his Umbreon, We both know that's not happening. Only Absol stood any chance, and we saw how that turned out. Ferra could sweep the rest of this on her own if she wanted to. I'm not battling today.

Milo ruffled his partner's ears with a wink as they took up position together in their Trainer's box, I think you'll live, Azura. Just sit there and look menacing.

Kara

Back up in the stands, Kara took the chance during the break to ask about something that had been picking at her mind;

"Cynthia", she turned to the veteran battler, "What did you mean earlier about Milo being afraid he might win against a Champion?"

"Honestly", Cynthia answered, "I'm surprised he hasn't explained it to you himself."

"He's tried", Kara waved a dismissive hand, "All I got was that he wasn't interested in the politics of it all. I still think he could just battle you somewhere like this, when it's not an official title challenge. That'd be fine, right?"

"Well, it's not that simple", Cynthia explained patiently, "If he doesn't want to be a Champion because he's not interested in politics, that's a valid concern. As far as battling outside of an official title challenge, that's where it gets tricky. If he beats a Champion but doesn't claim their title, their implied authority as the 'strongest in their region' goes up in smoke."

"That still sounds like an excuse", Kara argued, "because everyone already knows Milo's stronger than at least some Champions."

"Do they?" Cynthia posed the rhetorical question with a knowing grin, "They suspect he's stronger, but without an actual victory to back it up, that's just speculation. The mystique of being 'a Champion' remains intact. For the League to work as it does, we Champions rely heavily on that aura of intangible power to establish our political and social influence and get things done in our regions. Milo can't risk breaking that by defeating a Champion even in a casual battle. If he did, everyone would know that he was more powerful than anyone in that region and the Champion is left with an empty title."

"Well", Kara was still processing all the politics Cynthia had laid out, "I love Milo, but I don't think he has the social wherewithal to work through all that on his own."

"Of course not!" Cynthia laughed aloud, "I was the one who explained it to him in the first place. I'd love to fight him, honestly, and if he asked for a battle behind closed doors, I'd be thrilled. Unfortunately, the political reality is that he just can't risk stripping an entire region of the presumed authority of its figurehead."

"That's some crazy stuff."

"Crazy indeed. As I said, Milo isn't afraid to lose to the Champions - he's afraid of the consequences if he won. I don't mind all that much", she joked, "I mean, if Milo wanted to be a Champion, I'd probably be out a job."

The time had come now for Milo to resume his bout with Marcus. He had been impressed by the power of Marcus' team thus far; he knew Absol's strength beforehand, but Spiritomb and Houndoom had both proved quite capable as well. They'd gone down, of course, but that wasn't a fair estimation of their ability. Even Milo's second tier Pokémon were just too much.

"Alright", called Marcus, "let's get this thing rocking, bro! Honchkrow, time to do some work!"

"Hmm, okay. Tika, this one's yours."

Tika was Milo's Flygon. He was anxious for her to get used to these types of situations, given her naturally shy nature.

Oh...I'm up now? A-are you sure? She asked softly in her Trainer's mind.

Yeah, you got this, he gently encouraged his Dragon, I have complete faith in you.

Umm, alright, Milo. I'll do my best.

"Lead with a Sandstorm", called the younger brother.

As the Mystic Pokémon quickly whipped an impressive Sandstorm into effect, Marcus was alert to the danger;

"Quick, Dark Pulse while you can see it!"

"Dodge and counter, Tika."

This was a tactic Milo had gotten used to using with Aurora, the Glaceon member of Milo's Big Six, whose Hail and Snow Cloak served to generate similar problems for her opponents. In this case, Tika slipped easily into the swirling sands before coming in with a Dragon Claw from below the blindsided Honchkrow.

"Don't let it escape!" Marcus' brain was racing a mile a minute as he tried to work out just how he would beat a Flygon in a Sandstorm, "Chase it down! Wing Attack!"

Milo watched closely as a fast-paced round of Meowth-and-Rattata ensued. Tika moved this way and that, perfectly at home diving in and out of the sand streams that swirled about. Honchkrow, to its credit, clung gamely to her trail, never letting the Dragon completely out of sight.

Marcus was calling moves left and right as Honchkrow tried desperately to pin down the slippery Mystic Pokémon, but Milo was silent.

She's going to freak out soon if you don't step in, commented Azura after two full minutes had gone by.

She'll be alright, Milo was confident, I trust her to dodge, and she needs to be able to act independently like this. She needs to work through these nerves, or at least get used to them.

After almost five minutes of what had become an infuriatingly impossible game of chase for the Big Boss Pokémon, Milo decided he'd made his point, and stepped in.

"Tika, you're doing great! Now down, then Rock Slide!"

"Honchkrow, dodge low!"

"There it is, Tika! Pinch with Dragon Rush!"

It was a classic pincer move from Milo, and the still-raging Sandstorm left Marcus and Honchkrow powerless to do anything to stop it. As Honchkrow dodged the first Rock Slide missiles, Tika came barreling out of the sand from below with a Dragon Rush that smashed Marcus' Flying type upward...straight into the rest of the Rock Slide that was still raining down from above.

"She's close, Honchkrow! Turn and Drill Peck!"

In a truly even fight, Marcus would've risked a Brave Bird to make the most of this rare chance to hit Tika. With Azura still waiting, though, he couldn't take unnecessary damage – not when Milo was already dishing it out in spades. He needed to hold out as long as he could.

Thankfully, Honchkrow's alert Drill Peck connected, and Tika gave a pained cry. Instinct grabbed her, and she slipped away immediately into the sand, relying on Milo to guide her next move.

"Okay, Tika, hang in there!"

Milo was taking a much more active role in this round now, for Tika's sake, and he had a strategy ready in a flash.

"Drive him low again, Tika! Dragon Tail and Dragon Claw, keep after him!"

This was not only a clever change of pace, but it was yet another test for Tika. This type of aggressive offense was not her natural style, and Milo had to know she trusted him enough to work through it.

As he watched, his concern turned to pride. Her discomfort was clear, but she still fired move after move right above Honchkrow, forcing the Dark type to dodge closer and closer to the ground. Knowing his brother would catch on soon, Milo played his hand quickly;

"Perfect, now Stone Edge!"

"Honchkrow, UP!"

The Big Boss Pokémon just didn't have the agility. A vicious Stone Edge came flying out of the ground, and scored yet another super effective hit. After being weakened by the previous attacks, and exhausted by the effort of battling through the Sandstorm, Honchkrow went down.

Eyes narrowed, Marcus recalled his fourth fallen team member. He knew he could overcome this stubborn Flygon, but...then he'd have to deal with Ferra and Azura, and Absol was already down. His odds weren't great. Still, he'd never go down without a fight.

"Alright, Milo, let's see your Dragon deal with this! Weavile!"

His moment of triumph was quickly soured as Milo recalled the Mystic Pokémon, letting the Sandstorm subside at last.

"Let's not press our luck, Tika, return. Ferra, you're back in."

Hmm, a Weavile, noted the Aura Pokémon pointedly to her Trainer.

Yep, Milo gave a sad smile, Brings back memories.

Ferra nodded somberly, It does, Papa. Happy memories, right?

...Let's focus up, girl.

Ferra knew he was avoiding the topic, but she let it drop. Across the field, Marcus had taken the initiative to get the round started;

"Weavile, let's be relentless! Quick Attack!"

Milo just nodded. Ferra knew what to do. As Weavile flashed in, Ferra launched a Bullet Punch in place that crashed into the onrushing Sharp Claw Pokémon's face for big damage.

"Don't worry, Weavile, just keep at it! Revenge!"

"Don't move. Aura Sphere."

Weavile was sent flying again, helpless against the powerful Fighting type move.

Up in the stands, Cynthia chuckled;

"Now that's creative. Myrian," the Sinnoh Champion called the young Gym apprentice over, "See what Milo's up to?"

Always ready to soak up free advice, the girl sidled eagerly down the row of seats to listen;

"Which is naturally faster", prompted Cynthia, "a Lucario, or a Weavile?"

Myrian had the answer in a flash, "Weavile."

"Correct, and by quite a bit. Milo knows that very well, so instead of chasing that Weavile down, he's forcing Marcus to come to him and relying on counterattacks."

"Oh…" Myrian's eyes glazed over as she mulled this strategy over, "I guess Ferra's got a huge type advantage, too. Fighting over Ice and Dark, and Steel over Ice again."

As they discussed, Milo and Ferra were implementing their strategy to devastating effect. Weavile couldn't get close enough to hit Ferra without opening itself up to her devastatingly powerful counterattacks.

"Very good, Myrian", it was easy to see why Cynthia was renowned for her teaching abilities, "Can you see why this is so effective against Weavile in particular?"

"Their defense is naturally weak."

"Close, but no. Weavile aren't very defensive, it's true, but this actually works because Weavile are primarily physical attackers, so Marcus has to get in close to do any real damage. He can't strike from long distance with enough power to trouble Ferra at all."

"Wow", Myrian's eyes were wide as she looked again at the one-sided battle going on below them, "and Milo knew all that in a split second...He's planned this."

"Yes", chuckled Cynthia, "In a way that only he could. However, if there's anyone who could outthink him, it's Marcus. Watch your brothers carefully, Myrian, they're both exceptional Trainers."

On the field, Weavile had taken an absolute beating, but Ferra was still standing stock still, in exactly the same place where she'd started.

Chest heaving, Weavile paused for a moment to glare angrily at his unflappable opponent. Milo's self-appointed 'daughter' smirked confidently back, showing no sign of exertion, and Marcus urged his fighter onward;

"Come on, Weavile, we can still make something happen here! Dark Pulse!"

"Dragon Pulse", answered Milo immediately, "Just block."

"Now Night Slash", Marcus called. It was a move right out of Milo's playbook – fake a Dark Pulse to make room for a real attack.

"Metal Claw. Block again."

Calmly, Ferra cancelled her own attack and had a Metal Claw ready to deflect Weavile's next Dark attack, until Marcus pulled one last trick;

"Now Pursuit! Then Assurance!"

"Away, then Aura Sphere!"

It was so, so close. For the first time in the round, Ferra was forced to move from her starting position. As Milo's command came in, the disciplined Lucario sprang into a Quick Attack to get away from the incoming Pursuit. She escaped, but it was a matter of centimeters at most. As Weavile slowed, shocked that his attack hadn't connected, Ferra did a sharp 180 and fired an Aura Sphere into his face.

He went down, unconscious. Milo was up 3-1.

"Well", Myrian crossed her arms and nodded, "If it wasn't over before, it is now."

Cynthia raised an eyebrow at the girl with a knowing grin, and the Gym trainee elaborated;

"I know Marcus' team like the back of my hand - all he's got left is Drapion. A Dark and Poison type is completely useless against any Lucario, much less Ferra."

Sure enough, Marcus sighed as he pulled one last Pokeball off his belt;

"Alright, Drapion, let's give it all we can!"

Milo actually considered switching Ferra out and putting Tika back in.

Don't, advised Azura, She was already pretty nervous fighting Honchkrow, I think she's learned everything she can take for one today. Just let Ferra wrap it up.

In principle, Milo would've liked to press Tika to go one more round, but…

Hmm, I guess you're right. This has already gone on long enough anyway, let's not prolong it any further.

"Okay", he called aloud, "This one's yours, too, Ferra. Bring it home, girl."

Marcus grimaced. Not only was Ferra immune to any and all Poison tactics, she was also resistant to Dark and doubly so to Drapion's off-type Bug moves. He had only one real option.

"Okay, Drapion, hunker down and stay alert!"

Milo smirked. Marcus was trying to use the same tactics he'd just used to beat Weavile.

"Let's see how alert he can stay, Ferra. Find a blind spot."

Just like that, the Aura Pokémon was off, dashing this way and that at a breakneck pace. Every few seconds she would stop and fling a Bone Rush towards the bewildered Ogre Scorp Pokémon, who did his level best to block each one with an Iron Tail.

The crowd roared as the bout continued. Drapion was barely keeping up with Ferra's attempts to snipe him, but she never stopped long enough to present a target for a counterattack. Finally, Milo tried something else;

"Okay, he's got some reflexes. Try a one-two, Ferra, then follow it in."

Marcus recognized the veiled language his brother always used to call his trick moves, and he tried to preempt it;

"Watch for a fake, Drapion, it's coming!"

This time, when Ferra stopped, she fired two Aura Spheres in quick succession. Drapion hesitated, doubting for a crucial second whether this was the fake he should beware of, before once again swinging an Iron Tail to block.

He only deflected the first attack, and was hit head on by the second Aura Sphere. As he made to recover, Ferra dashed in, and delivered a brutal Close Combat.

"Ah, crap", Marcus knew this was more or less it for him, "Fire Fang, Drapion! Make her back off!"

Milo said nothing, smirking as Ferra instinctively repelled Drapion's Fire attack with one of her own, a Blaze Kick that dazed the flailing Poison type.

Backing off in case of another unexpected attack, she fired off one final Aura Sphere that brought Marcus' final Pokémon crashing to the ground, unable to rise.

With that, the battle went to Milo, by a comfortable 3-0 score line. As the referee made it official, there was an ear splitting roar from the tens of thousands gathered in the stadium. Milo's win streak lived on, and the dramatic conclusion to the week's battling had more than lived up to all the hype. If Milo could bring that kind of firepower and more to the World Challenge, who could stand up to him? Could anybody beat that kind of mastermind strategy?

As the two brothers shook hands in the middle of the field before waving to the crowd, a chant arose;

"MI-LO! MI-LO! MI-LO!"

The younger brother just clapped along and smiled as he headed for his exit tunnel, Azura still at his side, like a seamless extension of her Trainer. As he headed down the tunnel and out of sight, he gave himself a little shake and replayed some of the crucial bits of the battle in his head as he prepared mentally for the media awaiting him.

Jenks, still his friend and loyal media manager, found him quickly and directed him around a corner to a waiting group of journalists;

"Hey, great work", the expert journalist clapped him quickly on the shoulder, "I think you played it just right."

"Thanks", Milo grinned, "I tried to make it a good one. Let's see if it worked, huh?"

With that he stepped up to the podium and looked expectantly towards the first reporter to grab the master microphone;

"Milo, congratulations on a comfortable win. Your overall thoughts on the battle? What does it mean for you to beat your older brother?"

"Well", Milo switched on his inner diplomat as he responded coolly, "Marcus is always a tough opponent, so I'm glad for the win. All in all, today was a mixed bag for me. My team came out and worked hard for the win, and I'm proud of them, but I also saw my second tier struggling against elite Pokémon like Absol and one or two others. I think without Ferra, today could've ended quite a bit differently. So, yeah, a great win, but there's still plenty to improve on."

"You say 'without Ferra'", came the next question, "but you also had Azura, right? Surely she could've put in the same work and gotten the win?"

"Maybe," Milo answered noncommittally, "but my focus right now is mainly on raising the bar for my second tier, so that's where I'm coming from on that."

"Milo, for the sake of context, how would you compare your second tier to the Big Six right now?"

"I'll let you imagine that one", he said with a sly grin, "But consider that while my second tier Pokémon are about even with Marcus, Ferra just swept half of his team without breaking a sweat. Absol included."

"Let's take it the other way", came a follow-up question, "You said this was a mixed bag from your second tier; they already look pretty strong, where exactly do you see a need to improve?"

"The most obvious thing is that power gap", Milo had considered this in depth during the battle, "But that will always be there; the Big Six are improving just as fast as the second tier can catch up. I think, beyond that, the first pain point I saw was confidence. Tika had a lot of nerves against Honchkrow, and Lithos had a few moments of hesitation against Absol. The other thing is discipline. Nina and Hunter both went down because they forgot to stay ahead of the play and were too predictable. I think those two things will improve with experience, so I'm not overly concerned. They've definitely improved quite a bit in the last year or so."

There was a quiet moment of scribbling on notebooks and rustling of papers, and Jenks grabbed the microphone. He'd arranged a couple 'loaded questions' ahead of time;

"Milo", he began, "I see you're sporting your new clothing line; the K&M brand looks great. What's that been like, dabbling in the business and marketing world?"

"It makes my head spin, to be honest", there were a few good-natured chuckles as Milo rubbed the back of his head, slightly embarrassed, "I've had a lot of help from some very smart people, not least of all Kara; she's been a huge help getting this off the ground. One thing I'd like to mention is that one third of every K&M sale goes to establishing scholarships for underprivileged Trainers, to help them get the education they need to compete."

"Awesome", Jenks had been hoping to highlight the opportunity the young couple was presenting for these disadvantaged young Trainers, "One last question. Since you're not a Champion, Leader, or Elite, you'll have to qualify for the World Challenge from the bottom of the ladder. The question on everyone's mind, I think, is this; where exactly will you be starting your qualification campaign?"

"Aha, the big question!" Milo chuckled. He knew this was a matter of significant public intrigue; qualification for the World Challenge started at grassroots local tournaments for everyone except the aforementioned League officials of each region. This allowed every single Trainer in the world a fair chance to battle their way to the top. Milo's official title was 'Sinnoh League Ambassador', and thus he had no designated entry point later on in the process. He would have to work his way all the way up from the very bottom.

"Here it is", he leaned forward with a grin, "I will begin my World Challenge where my Pokémon journey started all those years ago. You'll see me in one week at the Jubilife Open."

A massive buzz broke out. Finally, the big reveal; Milo's entry point to the Challenge was secret no longer! As the reports and phone calls began to fly thick and fast (more than a few journalists were trying to book tickets to Jubilife that very second, knowing the prices were about to skyrocket), Jenks coughed politely into the microphone and concluded the interview.

"Thanks, Milo. Alright, that about wraps up the time we have. Thank you all for coming!"

The assembled journalists knew they had been dismissed, and began filtering anxiously out, more than happy with what they'd heard.

Milo breathed a tired sigh and sat back, running his hands through his hair. Jenks, who had just finished ushering the last of the reporters out of the room, gave a deep breath of relief himself, turning back to 'The Mastermind'.

"That went just about perfect, wouldn't you say?"

"Yep", Milo smiled, "You're the best, as usual. You've got these interviews down to a science, Jenks."

"Why thank you", chuckled the media manager, "but I was talking about the battle, too. That was a strong showing."

Milo nodded carefully, and asked, "Yeah...but not too strong, right?"

"Milo, I'm not sure what you expect. Nobody's going to be under any false sense of security, even against your second tier Pokémon. Everyone's going to be scared to fight you all the time, no matter what."

The young man frowned as he walked with Jenks out of the media room to collect his things and head back to his hotel,

"Hmm...Maybe I should start even lower, then. I could go with my third tier Pokémon up until the Sinnoh Finals, I bet…"

Jenks just shook his head with a rueful grin;

"Milo, Milo, Milo...When are you going to get it through your head that you're just too big to play the underdog anymore? Everybody knows – everybody knows – what you're capable of, no matter what Pokémon you put on the field. Everybody's scared of you."

"Not everybody", Milo's face fell as he replied.

Jenks stopped short, his head down;

"I...yeah. You're right. Not everybody. If we're being honest, though, you need to deal with that, too. Soon. You know what's coming, and you should have your head on straight when it does."

Milo receded into silence as they walked. It was a touchy subject, one that he was loathe to even think about, but…

Jenks is right, Azura was still faithfully padding along next to him, You need to face up to her, one way or another.

"I just...where do I even begin?"

His question was put on hold as they emerged into the early evening sunlight outside the stadium. A path had been cleared for him to get to the car, but people were lined up on either side, desperate to get a look at him, and he reflexively began signing everything that was handed to him, smiling for every camera stuck out in front of him, doing whatever he could to appease the screaming fans.

After a few minutes, he finally slid into the sleek, black car that hummed to life and took off towards the Golden Dome Hotel.

"Congrats!" Kara was waiting for him in the car, and planted a quick kiss on his cheek, "That was a really fun one! You also just condemned Marcus to a night on the couch, according to Gardenia."

He gave her a half-hearted grin and mumbled a vague 'Thanks', but was still concerned with the issue Jenks had reminded him about. His question still burned in his mind; where could he begin?

"What's up?"

Kara had, of course, quickly picked up on his sour mood.

"That's my fault", said Jenks bluntly from the front passenger seat, "I told him he has to do something about that before it comes up during the Challenge."

"That? Oh. Amaya."

Milo winced at the mere mention of the name, something Kara was sharp enough to pick up on;

"Milo, he's right. Look, you can barely even hear her name without freaking out. I know you don't want to hear it, but...it's time to grit your teeth and do something."

"Come on", Milo wheedled, "Not now; I'm supposed to be celebrating a victory!"

Kara fixed him with an eyebrow-raised glare that dispelled his feeble excuse instantly.

"Fine...So what the hell am I supposed to do, anyway? She hates me, there's nothing I can do about that!"

"Well, for one, you could publicly acknowledge her existence. You've completely ignored her for way too long."

"Yeah, because anything I say will kick off the biggest, most pointless drama of the decade."

Jenks insisted, "Yes, you're right, it will. But the longer you hold off the worse it will be, and if you try to just let it slide, it's going to blow up on its own sooner or later."

They continued back and forth like this all the way back to the hotel, and on up to Milo's suite. Kara and Jenks kept telling him that, essentially, the only way out of this was to get through it. Milo, on the other hand, had a bundle of half-hearted excuses.

'Not before the Challenge' was his go-to, though he also tried 'People will eventually just forget about it' and 'She might eventually want to be friends again', which the whole world knew could never happen. The fallout between the two former companions had been both nasty and public, a combination that never led to spontaneous healing later on.

Eventually Milo, quite worked up by this point, flung himself dramatically onto the couch in his suite's living room;

"Alright, fine! Since nobody will just freaking drop it, I guess I don't have a choice! What exactly do you expect me to do?"

With a gentle smile, Kara sat down next to him and rubbed his arm;

"Don't be so dramatic, you. This doesn't have to be super painful; you can let Jenks set up a scripted interview with someone we trust and talk about it that way."

"Sure", Jenks nodded with relief, "Heck, I'll even conduct it myself if that makes you feel better. I really think this will work best in the long run, Milo."

Exhaustedly, Milo nodded, "Fine. Let's do it. If we're going to make it happen, I'd rather do it before the Open, though. I don't want to be worried about some interview when my qualification starts."

"You got it", Jenks replied immediately, "I'm just going to go make some calls and find a big enough network that will air it on short notice."

"Great", Kara stood and beckoned her boyfriend, "Come on, Milo. You and I should practice, okay?"

This was the biggest thing that had helped Milo get better at public appearances over the last few years; before any big interview, he and Kara would sit down and role-play their way through the most likely questions so Milo could be ready.

So, as they had done so many times before, the two of them sat opposite one another at the kitchen table, shook hands, and Kara began;

"Milo, thanks for being here today. I understand you're here to talk about a particularly sore subject for you. We've heard bits and pieces for years regarding the rift between yourself and Amaya, the current Champion of Johto, but we've never gotten your side of the story. What exactly happened to rip you two apart so violently?"

Author's Notes:

And we're off! Welcome to Milo and the Big Six! In case you're unaware, this is a direct sequel to another story of mine; Milo and the Blue Umbreon. If you haven't read that, you probably should. Please?

First things first here, what do you guys think of the time skip? I'm pretty excited about it, honestly, but I know some people don't go for that kind of thing, and I really hope I pulled it off well (so far). If not, don't be afraid to call it out! Criticism is helpful!

If you've got questions about what the world of Milo looks like eight years after Blue Umbreon, I urge patience. I'm doing my best to supply answers smoothly as needed, instead of doing a huge, ugly info dump up front. That being said, you're also free to go ahead and ask questions in reviews or PMs, and I'll answer as best I can without spoiling stuff.

I'm already hard at work on Chapter 2 of this story, but I may also take an occasional break to work on some of the other non-Milo ideas I've had since I started on Pokémon fanfiction.

But hey, I'll shut up now. I don't own Pokémon. I wish you a good life. Cheers, and thanks for reading!

-Nano