A/N: Thanks for reading up to this point!
If you haven't already, please leave some reviews. I love to hear what people think of what I'm writing, and constructive criticism definitely helps me become a better writer!
Anyways, without further ado... here's the chapter:
3. The Decision
By Legacy
The next morning, Milo awoke to sounds of ruckus.
The window shades in his bedroom worked magnificently, and only the faintest rays of morning sunlight were able to sneak in through the small gaps near the sills. Milo sat up in bed, but couldn't see what was apparently running around and ransacking his tiny room, knocking books and trinkets onto the floor in the process.
Milo ran towards the window and threw open the curtains. Light spilled into the room and instantly Milo saw Fawkes excitedly leaping up and down in the corner, nipping at the suspended talons of the Spearow Milo had rescued the night before. Spearow was jaggedly fluttering in midair against the wall, laboring with its bandaged left wing in an effort to stay out of Fawkes' toothy reach.
"Fawkes! No!" Milo shouted.
Thankfully, Milo's pet Vulpix had always been uncannily obedient for her age. Almost before Milo could finish scolding her, Fawkes stopped jumping at Spearow and walked calmly back towards the bed. Milo had always thought it was strange how well behaved the young pup was (most of the time), but he wasn't going to complain.
"Good girl," he said. "Spearow is our guest, so be nice."
The bird, looking extremely relieved to have been spared, landed awkwardly on Milo's desk and helped itself to the water dish Milo had left it. And after it had drunk its fill, the bird nestled itself to rest in the makeshift nest Milo had made out of a shoebox and bits of crumpled newspaper.
After order had been restored to his bedroom, Milo climbed back into bed. He was keen on enjoying one of the last summer opportunities to sleep in. He quickly glanced to see that his clock read, 10:42 a.m. At noon, he told himself, he'd awaken to start the day.
But just as Milo threw the warm covers back over himself, the piercing sound of his cell phone ring tone interrupted him. Cursing under his breath whoever could be bothering him, Milo reached over to the nightstand for his phone.
It was a text message. It was from Andy:
"having brunch mr. j's house. come over when you get up."
Instantly, Milo remembered. The Battle Quest. His mother had actually given him permission to miss school and go on the crazy journey with Andy. A jolt of excitement ran through him, and before he knew it, he was up and out of bed, getting dressed. He couldn't wait to tell Andy the news.
Milo threw on the same black t-shirt and blue jeans he had been wearing the previous day and ran down the hall with Fawkes hustling behind.
Suddenly, however, Milo thought of something and stopped in his tracks, his socks sliding to a stop on the floor. After returning to his room, he gently picked up the shoe box with the resting Spearow in it. He closed the lid and hurried back out to the kitchen with Fawkes at his heels.
"I'll just ask Mr. J to take a look at your wing just in case," Milo said to the Spearow's box as he and Fawkes made their way to the front door.
The pup's four tails wagged happily as though she fully understood where they were heading. She panted excitedly while Milo put on his shoes.
"Bye, Mom!" Milo called out over his shoulder as he, Fawkes and Spearow stepped outside.
Milo squinted in the bright mid-morning sun and sniffed the sweet summer air. A perfect day, he thought.
Normally not much of a nature lover, Milo was feeling strangely content as they made their way down the scenic dirt road. The lush rolling plains and golden fields stretched far off into the distance. The towering, dark green forest that marked the outskirts of Oak Grove was just barely visible on the horizon against the pure blue, cloudless sky.
"Nice day, huh Fawkes?" he said, feeling uncharacteristically cheerful away from his bedroom.
The young Vulpix barked in agreement before scampering over to the side of the road to investigate a buzzing insect in the weeds. Milo chuckled. He opened the lid of the box he had been holding, and the bird inside peeked its head out, its eyes adjusting to the light.
"Thought you might like to join us," Milo said to Spearow, who stretched its wings appreciatively and climbed up to perch on Milo's shoulder.
He still wasn't used to seeing a wild Spearow behaving in such a domesticated manner, and he had half-expected the bird to try to fly away once it realized they were outdoors, but it didn't. Spearow seemed perfectly content in Milo's company. While he thought this was a little bit odd, Milo just figured that the bird trusted him after taking him in and tending to its injuries the night before. Hopefully, Mr. J would be able to ensure that its wing would make a full recovery.
It felt strangely gratifying to Milo to be walking down the dirt road on such a picturesque day with Spearow and Fawkes, like a sort of small young family on their way to an exciting outing together.
Milo knew when they had reached their destination when he saw near the side of the road beside him the familiar rusty metal mailbox with "Mr. J" painted on the side. He gazed out at the modest green field on the old farmer's property and for whatever reason, he felt a new appreciation for the bulky Pokémon he always saw grazing peacefully in the distance.
Several voluptuous, pink and black-bodied Miltank cows were scattered across the plat of land with two broad-shouldered Tauros galloping through the grass around them, showing off their long horns.
Having lived next door to this small farm his entire life, Milo normally would have just ignored the familiar sight of the cattle roaming the field. But for whatever reason, today was different. Perhaps it was the sunshine or the soothing cool breeze caressing his skin on that warm morning, but something made Milo pause for a moment to admire the majesty and beauty of the creatures.
His whole life, Milo realized, he had pretty much just thought of monsters as house pets or tools for battle by trainers on T.V. But as he gazed at one particular Tauros, who seemed to be suavely attempting to court one of the Miltanks by showing off his muscular backside, Milo was reminded that these creatures inhabit all corners of the world and each live their individual lives, just like humans.
After a moment or two, Milo and his Pokémon continued down the dusty dirt driveway towards Mr. J's house, which sat atop the knoll at the center of the field. The red-shingled house, while small, was actually quite nice having been remodeled and maintained by Mr. J himself. The house was a warm, inviting sight with its fresh yellow paint and neatly trimmed bushes in front.
Before Milo could reach the front door, it swung open and a lively, surprisingly springy older man with a full head of dark gray hair emerged from inside. He wore tattered blue jeans and a plain white t-shirt, which revealed his sun-toughened tan skin and age-defying, toned physique.
Mr. Alvin Jacobs, or Mr. J as he was called by almost everyone in town, was Oak Grove's senior-most resident. During his time owning and living on his farm, Mr. J had watched the town's once-barren agricultural land sprout families, homes and small businesses all around his property over the past few decades. But even as the town developed, Mr. J's farm always preserved the sense of peacefulness and nature in Oak Grove, and for that, Milo figured, was why Mr. J was so popular with everyone.
"G'morning, Milo! I've got some breakfast on the table if you'd like," Mr. J greeted and crouched down to pet Fawkes. Then he noticed Spearow on Milo's shoulder. "Well, well. Who do we have here?"
"Morning, Mr. J," Milo replied. "This is Spearow. Found it in the yard last night with its wing broken. I was hoping you could take a look at it. I'm not sure where its mother went, but I don't want to let it back into the wild with a hurt wing."
"Poor fella," Mr. J muttered as he carefully scooped up Spearow in his callused hands to inspect Milo's bandage work. "Looks like you did a good job with the split though. Should be good as new in a week or so."
Spearow chirped appreciatively and hopped up onto Mr. J's shoulder. He chuckled.
"You sure he's wild? Best behaved bird I've ever seen. You gonna name him?"
"How do you know he's a he?" Milo asked.
"Males have these distinct red markings under their eyes," Mr J explained knowingly. "They use 'em to attract females, don'cha boy?"
Spearow chirped again cheerfully and both Milo and Mr. J laughed.
"I'll have to think of a name for him then, I guess," Milo said as he made his way into the kitchen.
Andy was seated at the small wooden dining table, his face buried in the newspaper he held open in front of him. But it was the enticing aroma of the food on the table that grabbed Milo's attention.
Milo's mouth started to water when he looked at the impressive spread: fluffy, yellow scrambled eggs, a mound of crispy bacon, fresh baked bread and a pitcher of ice cold milk. Without much hesitation, Milo plopped down in the chair beside Andy and helped himself to some breakfast.
"You're awfully quiet this morning," Milo commented in between bites after Andy had remained uncharacteristically quiet.
Andy didn't respond for a few moments, but then finally, he tossed his newspaper down in disgust.
"What's wrong with you?" Milo asked.
"Politics, man," Andy sighed.
Milo nearly choked on his food. Out of all the possible upsetting topics in the world, Milo never thought he'd live to see the day when Andy Greenway would care about politics. Milo was shocked that the newspaper section Andy had been reading wasn't the funnies or the sports section.
"Uh... what?"
"Haven't you been reading about what President Matthews is doing?" Andy replied angrily.
Milo was vaguely familiar with the current events. President Robert Matthews, the newly elected leader of Kanto, had already made some major changes to the country since taking office. The most controversial of which concerned national security and oddly enough... Pocket Monster laws.
For decades, ever since the invention of the pokéball had allowed humans to control monsters, one of the most controversial political issues around the world had been and continued to be the treatment of monsters and ethics behind one species (humans) holding such merciless dominance over another (monsters). But it wasn't until recently that technology had become so advanced that the stronger countries of the world were now able to subdue even the strongest monsters and use them as weapons, as fighting machines much stronger than any bullet or man-made gun.
In Kanto, there had been a growing sense that the country was lacking in the area of Pokémon rights. Organized crime all around the country centered around monster trafficking and the gambling involved in the brutal, unsanctioned underground battle leagues that were going on had been giving Kanto a bad reputation. But that all stopped when President Matthews won the election just a few months ago.
He had promised to crack down on those underground fight clubs and make sure that monsters were treated with more respect and dignity under his administration, and he was doing just that. Since Matthews had taken office just a few months ago, the list of endangered species of monsters that humans were forbidden to "own" with a pokéball tripled. And Pokémon duels were being strictly sanctioned with several major rule changes. And perhaps most controversial of all, was the president's decision to ban all use of monsters in the Kanto military forces.
"Stupid government, always making up new stupid rules," Andy whined as he consoled himself with a heaping spoonful of eggs. "They're the ones who made those stupid summer education classes mandatory for battling, and it says here, that starting this season, they're outlawing the use of any dragon-species monsters!"
"Wow, really?"
"Yeah, you can't even own them anymore!"
"Are you planning on suddenly going out and catching a Dragonair? There's only like two or three people in the history of the KPL who've been able to catch any sort of dragon."
"Well, no," Andy said defensively. "But that's not the point. The point is that now I'm not allowedto even if I could. It's the principle of it. And that's not right!"
Milo rolled his eyes. He should have known Andy was only upset about how the new laws would affect monster duels.
"Forget about all that," Milo said suddenly, the excitement of what he had come to tell Andy in the first place swelling up inside of him. "Guess what?"
"What?"
"My mom said I could go! I can do the Battle Quest!"
Andy dropped his fork, apparently forgetting all about his political rant. "You're kidding?" he shouted.
"Battle Quest, you say?" Mr. J said as he came striding into the kitchen with Spearow on his arm and Fawkes at his feet. "Is that that contest I heard about on the news last night?"
The boys spent the next few minutes explaining every known detail about Hugo Bowers' competition to Mr. J, who seemed genuinely interested.
"And your mother really gave you the okay to skip out on school to do this thing, Milo?" Mr. J asked.
"Yeah, I know it sounds crazy!" Milo replied, getting more and more excited by their shocked expressions. "I didn't believe it either, but yeah, she said something about it being a really good learning experience or something... what? What's wrong?"
Andy just took a swig of juice and looked away from Milo, apparently trying to stall in order to think of what to say.
"Uh, Milo," he said finally. "I... I know we were both really excited about the competition last night, with the big announcement and all..."
"Yea?"
"But, we weren't really being serious about it were we? We were just kidding around..."
"Ugh, come on, Andy!" Milo groaned, realizing where the conversation was heading.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I know."
"Don't tell me you're backing out now!"
"Well, I didn't think there was any way in hell your mom was gonna let you just drop everything to travel around the country! You said so yourself! My parents weren't too thrilled with the idea either."
"You were the one going crazy over the announcement. You were the one saying we had to join."
"I know, but I thought about it after I got home last night... like, really thought about it. I was really pumped for it, but I mean, do you really think it's a good idea to skip a whole year of school just to do this? We're still just kids. You think we of all people have any chance of winning any of those coins?"
Milo couldn't believe what he was hearing. It was like listening to a recording of himself from last night being played back to him.
"Unbelievable," Milo said with a deep sigh. "My mom loses it and actually agrees to let me go on this crazy trip, and now you're wussin' out on me? This is seriously a once-in-a-lifetime chance, my mom letting me do something like this."
"Dude! I have battle tryouts. And school!"
It was at that moment when Mr. J took an opportunity to join the conversation, which was quickly escalating into a shouting match there at the table.
"Milo, even if Andy can't go on this Battle Quest, maybe it's something you could still think about doing," the man said thoughtfully.
"What? You mean go by myself?" Milo replied, shocked by the suggestion. Even Andy looked a little surprised.
"Yeah, why not?" Mr. J nodded, his careworn, stubbly face not looking at all like he was kidding. "Even if Andy here wants to go to school and try out for the battle team, that doesn't mean you can't follow your own path and do your own thing."
Milo just sort of stared at Mr. J like he had just spoken to him in a foreign language. If the idea of going on a cross-country journey like this had sounded crazy before, it seemed downright laughable to think about doing it all alone.
Andy had always been the one to push Milo during their childhood and even to this day. He had always been the outgoing go-getter, while Milo was always the timid and introverted one who hesitated to do anything. Whenever Milo would isolate himself from humanity for too long, Andy would be the one to drag him away from his computer to go hang out at the mall or the park. Without Andy, Milo was sure that he wouldn't make it more than a few miles before he would come running back home to his bedroom. If he was to go through with this, Andy would have to be his driving-force.
"I can't go alone," Milo insisted, glaring at his friend.
"It wouldn't be that bad, Lo," Andy said, looking annoyed that Milo was so upset with him. "What, do you need me to hold your hand for everything?"
"No! I don't need you to hold my hand," was all Milo could retort as he sulkingly pushed the food around his plate. He was upset at the childish accusation, but even though he didn't want to admit it, he knew deep down that he did need Andy.
"Look," Andy said, softening his tone. "It's not like you'd be all alone. You'd take Fawkes with you, right? And that Spearow too."
Milo looked at his Pokémon adoringly, but as he watched Fawkes chasing her own tail in the corner of the kitchen and Spearow in his heavily bandaged wing splint, Milo was exactly filled with confidence that either of his pets were much good at battling.
"And what if I gave you two an early birthday present this year," Mr. J said, apparently sensing Milo's apprehensiveness.
Milo and Andy turned and their eyes grew wide when they saw the old man reach into his jeans pocket. He pulled out two shiny, red and white metal balls, one in each hand, and tossed them at the boys. Milo and Andy both caught one, Milo a bit more awkwardly.
"Whoa! What are these, Mr. J?" Milo gasped, even though he knew perfectly well what the object itself was.
"Mrs. Bateman, the lady who works down at the market," Mr. J explained. "Her grandson, Lenny, worked at that zoo that closed down in Richmont. Most of the monsters were transferred to other zoos, but no one had room for these two little guys. So he sent them to me."
"So these monsters are from the Richmont Zoo? They really sent these to you?" Andy was amazed.
"He knew I had the space for him," Mr. J said. "It's not like you can keep 'em cooped up in a pokéball forever. Pokémon need a proper place to live, like a farm. A lot of people forget that. They watch the battles on TV and think they're like little genies who only come out when we want them.
Milo rolled the half-red, half-white metal orb around in his hand. He was in awe. He had never held a pokéball that had contained an actual monster before. The suspense was killing him. He had to know what sort of Pokémon resided inside. He was sure Andy felt the same way. Heck, even Fawkes and Spearow seemed to be interested.
"Go on, just toss 'em on the floor, boys," Mr. J said with a smile.
While Milo carefully dropped his ball on the linoleum floor, Andy reared back and threw his wildly in a perfect KPL trainer imitation. Both landed with a clang and burst open with a spectacular eruption of white light. Milo reveled in the awesomeness of it all. He couldn't believe it. A ritual he had seen so many times on television: the summoning of a Pocket Monster from its capsule.
Almost like magic, the white light condensed and materialized right where both Milo and Andy's pokéballs had landed. Slowly, the solid forms of both creatures began to take shape.
The first was a small, burnt-orange colored reptile with smooth skin, large beady eyes and a long whip-like tail, the tip of which seemed to be glowing bright like an ember. It was roughly the same size as Fawkes except that it crawled on all fours lower to the ground. Milo instantly recognized it: a Charmander, a rare, but well-known reptilian species that lived mainly in warm, dry climates down south.
A few feet away from the Charmander materialized a feline creature with a gorgeous deep midnight blue coat and piercing gold eyes with tufts of electric blue colored fur. It was only slightly bigger than a house cat, and looked kind of like a fiercer and darker version of his grandmother's Persian. Neither Andy nor Milo had ever seen this kind of creature before.
"Holy shit!" Andy yelled. "What is that, Mr. J?"
"Watch your mouth!" the man scolded. "This little fella's called a Luxio. A kind of jungle cat from Sinnoh. Pretty rare and can grow up to be really powerful with some training."
"Powerful, huh? Sweet, I'll take the Luxio, then!" Andy announced, bending down to scoop the cat up into his arms. "C'meer boy."
Not a half-second after Andy had picked up Luxio, the cat began to growl and hiss in the boy's arms. Thousands of tiny sparks began to emanate from each of his individual hairs on his back until they crescendoed into a large flashing blue current that shocked Andy like a lightning strike.
"OWWW!" Andy howled as Luxio escaped his grasp and hopped down to the floor.
When the effects of the jolt subsided, Andy recoiled and swore loudly. His hands were bright red with the burns he had suffered.
"Okay, never mind. Milo, he's all yours. I'll take the Charmander," he said angrily.
Milo was about to object when suddenly the Luxio calmly walked over to where Milo was seated and started to playfully rub up against his leg. Hardly able to believe it, Milo bent down and carefully stuck his hand out to pet the feline's dark and shiny blue fur. When Luxio didn't object, he ran his hand over the smooth coat and his hand tingled from a much gentler static charge. Luxio purred.
Andy looked shocked. "Well, he sure likes you. Doesn't he?"
Andy looked down at Charmander. Since Luxio had apparently accepted Milo, Andy had an expression on his face as though he expected the reptilian monster to do the same to him. He reached over slowly to try to coax Charmander to jump up into his open hand. Charmander ignored Andy and helped itself to some scraps of bacon that had fallen on the floor. Andy, embarrassed, just sort of took his hand back and scowled.
Milo and Mr. J laughed.
"Not to worry Andy," Mr. J said. "They're just youngsters, but they could be pretty strong fighters some day if you train 'em up good. I figured you could use 'em for the battle team at school. That is, if you decide to attend school this year, eh Milo? If not... I'm sure Luxio here would love to go and see the country."
"Look, I've already told you guys, I'm not going alone," Milo said.
"Yeah, I know," Mr. J replied. "But even though it sounds scary, Milo, being on your own might even be a good thing for you."
"A good thing? How?"
"Well, it's a Pokémon battling competition isn't it? I might be old, but I still know a thing or two 'bout raising monsters. Whether you're raising 'em to be good plow-pullers on the farm or if you're training 'em to be good fighters... being a good trainer is all about the relationship and closeness you're able to establish with 'em.
"And by the looks of things," Mr. J continued, pausing to look at Fawkes, Spearow and Luxio, "you and these three already seem pretty close."
Milo shook his head, still not convinced. It was hard to imagine Fawkes, as cute and vulnerable as she looked in Mr. J's lap, becoming any sort of fighter. Same with Spearow, a baby bird with a broken wing from Milo's backyard, and Luxio (despite his recent display of electric shocking ability), a young zoo animal who had been bred in captivity for the viewing pleasure of paying zoo goers, not for fighting.
Why couldn't Andy and Mr. J see that he really couldn't do it? Despite whatever moral fiber-building opportunities there would be by going solo on a quest like this, there was simply no way he could go alone. What good would having a bunch of monsters with him be if he didn't know the first thing about training one? Whom would he ask for advice along the way? Who would push him to keep going when he faced any sort of opposition?
"No, I'm serious. I really can't go alone. I really can't."
"Dude, then don't go," Andy said, shrugging. He was obviously tired of arguing. "No one's making you go."
Mr. J simply smiled slightly and nodded as though he agreed with Andy.
Andy was right, Milo realized. Participating in the competition on a whim like this had been nothing but an utterly absurd idea to him the night before. But now, for whatever reason, he found himself clinging to it. No one was holding a gun to his head. Why did he suddenly want to do this so badly? Did he really want to miss school this much?
Milo relented, feeling a little silly for letting himself push so hard for this. He dropped the issue and tried to just enjoy the breakfast and the company that Mr. J provided. As they continued to eat, he watched as Fawkes, who had made her way over to where Luxio was sitting, shyly introduced herself by sniffing Luxio cautiously. Milo held his breath, fearing that he would have to jump in and intervene if the two monsters didn't like each other. But eventually, it seemed as though both were satisfied by the others scent and both laid down near the foot of Milo's chair.
Milo did his best to look interested as Andy started excitedly talking about battle tryouts and the best pick-up lines to use on girls at school. He was too busy trying to block out all the things that terrified him about Viridian Academy to listen. Milo was obviously still very scared, but at least the finality and conviction in his mind provided a bit of comfort in that he no longer had to stress about traveling the country alone.
The final three weeks before school were much the same as the previous couple of months. Aside from the occasional visit to Mr. J's farm to help with cleaning the barn and watering the fields, Milo spent much of his time alone in his room, much to the chagrin of his mother and Andy. Not to mention the fact that Fawkes along with Spearow and Luxio (both of whom had been begrudgingly allowed to join the household by Milo's mother) had quickly grown tired of being cooped up as well.
Milo's recent isolation, however, had less to do with his obsession with video games and more with his crippling anxiety he was feeling now that he had decided to give up on the childish idea of the Battle Quest. His freshman year at Viridian Academy was now just three days away, and Milo was freaking out.
On the final Friday evening before the big day, when Milo finally left his bedroom to let his three Pokémon go outside for some fresh air, his mother called him into the kitchen.
"Yeah?" he demanded rudely once he walked into the kitchen and saw her leaning against the counter.
His mother, who knew the reason for Milo's stress and resulting crabbiness, had given up trying to fight with him about his attitude. She simply held up a letter-sized white envelope and handed it to him.
Milo figured it was some sort of welcome letter or a list of necessary school supplies sent from Viridian Academy and grunted angrily as he ripped the edge of the envelope open. He yanked out the folded sheet of paper, unfurled it hastily and reluctantly read, hoping to find that Viridian Academy had somehow been burned down or flooded.
But it wasn't that. It wasn't anything about school at all. Immediately, the sleek golden letterhead and crisp black font attracted his attention as something much more important-looking.
Dear Mr. Youngblood,
Mr. Ivanovic, the owner of the Greenburgh Lightning, and I would like to take this opportunity to formally thank you for registering for the First Annual Kanto Battle Quest Competition. It is with great pleasure that Mr. Ivanovic and I welcome you as an official participant in this amazing, unprecedented nationwide talent search.
An adventure of a lifetime awaits you as you will travel all around the country in hopes of assembling and training a world-class team of Pocket Monsters for battle. At year's end, the trainers who are able to locate and defeat my seven Coin Keepers will be eligible for the Battle Quest Championship Tournament, to be held at legendary Indigo Stadium next September.
The winner of this grand tournament will be crowned champion of this wondrous competition and will be awarded his or her very own professional contract with the Greenburgh Lightning; the dream of a lifetime for many young aspiring Pokémon battlers across the country.
We invite you to take these next few days before the contest's beginning to get your affairs in order and prepare for your travels. On the first Monday of September, your quest will begin.
Please visit your nearest Pokémon Center on this day to receive your complimentary travel kit, which will include maps, first-aid supplies and other essentials. You will also receive five free pokéballs and a special cell phone application that will help you identify rare monster species that you might encounter on your journey.
In addition, you will also receive your first clue to help locate the first Coin Keeper. These seven elite trainers are living all around the country, and will accept battle requests from any trainer. Your challenge will be twofold: first, to seek out all seven, and secondly, the obvious challenge of training your Pokémon team to be powerful enough to beat them.
In closing, we would like to say once again how excited we are to have you as part of this nationwide event. We hope that it will be a fun, safe and exciting experience for you and your monsters.
Thank you once again for your enthusiasm and adventurousness. We wish you the best of luck.
Sincerely yours,
Hugo Bowers
Milo's mind was racing by the time he finished reading. Despite the fact that he was sure Hugo Bowers hadn't personally written the letter, it was still amazing to see Bowers name on the same sheet of paper as his own. He looked up from the letter and saw his mother giving him an appraising look.
"You did this," Milo said simply, not asking but declaring. "You registered me for the Battle Quest."
Cindy smiled when Milo didn't express displeasure. She nodded.
Milo looked back down at the unfolded letter he held and read it over again. Despite making the decision weeks ago not to participate in the contest, Milo was now at least mildly curious after reading the letter. He felt a strange feeling of pride as though he had just been invited to join some sort of prestigious club.
"I know you said you weren't going to do it, but it's been killing me to see you panic so much about school, Milo," his mother said when he didn't speak. "I figured I'd register you just in case you changed your mind."
"Aren't mothers supposed to tell their kids to, you know, face their fears and not run away from them?" Milo asked.
"You're not running away, sweetie. This'll be good for you. When you do go back to school next year, hopefully this contest will have helped your self-esteem and confidence."
"Yeah, or it could kill it even more," Milo said under his breath.
He continued to read over the neat, black printed words as if they were being spoken by a calm, soothing voice. At this point, while Milo was still very much afraid of braving these uncharted waters all by himself, suddenly traveling on this journey definitely seemed like the lesser of two evils, especially with how soon the first day of school was.
Why had he been so scared of traveling on his own anyway? For years, his mother and Andy had practically had to drag him away from his bedroom to interact with others. Solidarity had Milo's closest friend, even closer than Andy at times. Why was he suddenly so reluctant to embrace it now?
He scanned the letter once more. He was beginning to like the idea of going on an epic quest like this. Reading about the journey, the excursion to find the seven Coin Keepers, and about cultivating his team of monsters for battle reminded Milo of many of his favorite video games. A real life adventure like this terrified Milo, but he also felt a definite feeling of excitement beginning to grow inside him. He couldn't believe what he was suddenly considering.
"It says here I'm supposed to check in at the nearest Pokémon Center," Milo said, reciting the words from the letter. "What's a Pokémon Center anyways?"
"Well, there are a bunch of them scattered around the country," his mother replied. "Your father used to go–" She paused when she saw Milo's reaction to the mention of her former husband. "I... uh, sorry. What I meant was... people who own monsters and travel a lot with them can visit a Pokémon Center to rest and seek medical attention."
"Medical attention? So what's the difference between a Pokémon Center and the vet we take Fawkes to?"
"Well," his mother said. "They're more like rest stops for travelers. Like a motel, a bathroom, a diner, a gift shop and a hospital all in one."
"Okay... but what's the point of them? There's a ton of motels and restaurants all over the place."
Milo's mother smiled and gazed thoughtfully upward as she spoke.
"Well, when I was a little girl, before all these computer games and internet came along, a lot of kids... teenagers mostly, used to spend their summers hiking, exploring Kanto and enjoying all the beautiful countryside and nature along with their monster companions. They'd basically take the entire summer and just travel on foot... camping out under the stars... exploring the world we live in."
"What? Why? You mean, they'd just go walk around? Where would they go?" Milo asked.
"No where. Anywhere. It didn't matter."
"Huh?"
"Milo, it's like what I was talking about before with your competition. The destination isn't as important as the experience. Back then, we didn't need a destination. We made those summer journeys because it was a chance to get out of the house and explore and really see the world around us. We weren't traveling to get somewhere, we were traveling for the experience. We'd take the monsters with us for protection if we knew we'd be traveling around where they lived in the wild... and also just because it was fun to take them with us."
"'We'?" Milo asked. "You mean you went on these crazy Pokémon journeys too?"
Cindy nodded. "When I was probably a year or two older than you, I did travel up north as far as Arden Hills one year. Got to hike over mountains and beautiful forests. I'll never forget it."
"Okay, I get it, you were becoming one with nature and going on some spiritual quest to 'get to know yourself better,'" Milo said somewhat mockingly. "But what does that have to do with Pokemon Centers?"
"Well, with all those teenagers traveling across Kanto every summer, the idea of having rest stops for them to visit came about. Somewhere inexpensive where we and our monsters could rest, get food, supplies, use the telephone and get patched up if we were hurt along the way."
"And they still have these Pokemon Center things up and running today?"
"Yeah, well there are less of them around nowadays. But judging by the sound of that letter, it seems like they might be making a comeback with this new contest."
"I still don't get how I've never heard of these places."
"Well, we don't have one in Oak Grove, Milo. There used to be one at our old house... but you were too young to remember that. I think the closest one to us now is actually outside of Viridian Forest right before you get to Rockford.
"Jeez, and I have to walk there?"
"Oh come on, it's not that far. Just an hour or two on foot, I think."
Milo had thought the walk to Viridian Academy each week for his certification classes had been long enough – roughly thirty minutes each way, depending on how fast he walked. But making it all the way past the large town and through the huge forest that served as the border between the next city of Rockford seemed like a lofty goal for one day. Nonetheless, he hadn't lost interest.
"You can do this, Milo," he heard his mother say in a very genuine tone.
Milo didn't say anything. He just nodded and tried his best to force a smile. He thanked her for registering him without giving her a definitive answer about what he was going to do and made his way back up to his room, still lost in his thoughts.
He could do this. His mother was right. Milo sat down on his bed and close his eyes, imagining what it would be like to leave home and travel around the country on his own. As he had his eyes closed, however, he felt something jump up onto his bed with him. He opened his eyes to see Fawkes and Luxio giving him loving looks while Spearow, whose wing was now almost completely healed, flew over from its perch to land on Milo's shoulder.
Andy had been right. With his three new companions, Milo wouldn't be alone. And while Milo was definitely fearful about his ability to train these three to actually win a battle, nothing compared to the anxiety he felt when he imagined what high school would be like.
For the next few hours, Milo tried to think of reasons not to go through with it. He tried to think about all the potential dangers he might face, about the untamed, wild monsters he might encounter and about the prospect of venturing so far away from home for the very first time. But the more he thought about it, the more excited he became.
Much to Milo's utter surprise, he realized that his excitement had begun to be less about having the opportunity to escape school and more about legitimate enthusiasm to partake in an adventure unlike any he had ever been on. As he crawled into bed, he realized that after spending so much time out of his teenage life fantasizing about becoming one of the characters in his video, this was his chance to do just that. This was his chance to actually live the adventure.
At last, when the first Monday of September finally came, Milo awoke to the rumbling sounds of thunder.
He opened his eyes; the gray daylight sneaking in through edges of the window shades let him know that the morning he had both dreaded and excitedly welcomed was finally here. The steady pitter-patter of rain drops against the roof directly above seemed to act as tiny shouts of encouragement as Milo quickly swung his legs out of bed.
Milo threw on his favorite jeans and black hooded sweatshirt. He grabbed the black backpack that he had stocked the night previous with a change of clothes, toiletries and small food items with a small rolled-up sleeping back attached to the top. Seeing that Fawkes and Luxio were not there and Spearow was not on its perch, Milo assumed they had all gone to the kitchen for breakfast already. He secured the bag on his back and headed down the hall as well.
Once he reached the landing, Milo was shocked to see Andy and Mr. J sitting alongside Milo's mother at the kitchen. Mr. J was cradling Fawkes in his arms.
"Mornin' Milo," he greeted warmly.
"Ready for the big day, bud?" his mother said.
"I can't believe you're actually doing it!" Andy chimed excitedly.
Milo, who was already unspeakably nervous and scared, wasn't too pleased to see that he had his own farewell brigade. He was going to have a hard enough time actually going through with this without the tearful farewell from the adults and the good-natured ribbing from Andy.
"Uh, yeah," Milo said uneasily. "I think I'm ready."
"Fawkes here sure is fixing to get goin, aren't you, girl?"
Fawkes barked excitedly and responded favorably to Mr. J scratching her behind the ears. He and Milo's mother chuckled at the furry pup's exuberance.
"Where's Luxio and Spearow?" Milo asked. "They weren't in my room."
"Here they are," Mr. J said with a smile as he held up two pokéballs, one in each hand. "You forgot Luxio's ball at my house, and I figured Spearow could use one too. Easier to carry this way."
Milo took the orbs from Mr. J and tossed them on the floor. With a flash of light, both Pokémon appeared next to Milo. He chuckled at the two monsters' expressions once they were released, like they had just been in a dark room for a long time before the lights had been turned on.
Once the three Pokémon saw Milo had his backpack on and was dressed to leave, all three signaled that they too were ready to go on an adventure. Fawkes leaped up out of Mr. J's arms and scampered over to the boy and stood tall and proud, barking once again to show that she was ready. Luxio did the same, and Spearow fluttered over and took his normal spot on Milo's shoulder.
"Oh, that's so precious!" his mother whaled. "Hold on! Don't you go anywhere yet, I gotta get my camera!"
"Oh, dear god," Milo groaned as his mother dashed out of the kitchen.
Mr. J chuckled and took a sip of coffee. He smiled at Milo and shook his head.
"I remember when you were barely knee-high on me, kid. It's true what they say, you kids do grow up fast, lemme tell 'ya."
"Don't you start too, Mr. J," Milo replied, still standing by the door with his pets and feeling foolish standing and waiting for his mother to return with her camera. Andy was struggling not to laugh.
"Nah, let your mom be, boy," the man said. "You're leaving home for the first time. She raised you, Milo. She fed you and wiped your ass... and she did it all by herself. You let her take whatever pictures she wants. She wiped your ass, Milo."
Milo and Andy laughed at the man's comment. It felt good to laugh; it eased his nerves slightly. He knew Mr. J was right. His mother deserved this moment.
"You think I got a chance, Mr. J?" Milo let slip suddenly. He didn't care if Andy heard him sounding so vulnerable. He realized he had be dying to ask someone besides his mother the question.
"A chance?"
"Yeah, you know. A chance to win any of these coins... to actually do well in this contest?"
Mr. J looked surprised to hear the question.
"Why wouldn't you? You got the same chance as anybody else."
"I dunno about that," Milo argued. "There's gonna be people with tons of powerful monsters who've probably been in a bunch of battles before. I mean, all I have is these three."
Even though he doubted Fawkes, Spearow and Luxio could understand the indirect insult, Milo grimaced at the insensitivity of his comment. Unfortunately, it was true though, he felt. While he was happy to have all three of them around, they weren't exactly full-grown fighting machines.
"Look boy, have you ever heard that old saying, 'It's not about the size of the monster in the fight, it's about the size of the fight in the monster.'?"
"Sounds corny," Milo said.
"Well, maybe, but the point is that it doesn't matter what kind of shiny, fancy Pokémon the other people have. It doesn't matter if you've got Fawkes and they have a damn Gyarados. It's all about how much heart your monsters have and how well the trainer prepares them."
Milo rolled his eyes a little, but hoped Mr. J hadn't seen. What the man was saying sounded good, like something from an after-school special, but definitely corny. Milo knew well enough from watching the KPL that the sheer power and strength a Pokémon possessed was way more important than "heart" and determination.
Just then, Milo's mother returned with her camera. She also held something red in her other hand, though. It wasn't until she handed the object to Milo that he realized what it was.
"Figured you could use a hat on your journey so you don't get sunburn," she said, looking at Milo with red, puffy eyes, as though she had been crying. "This Battle Quest thing is something I know Danny would have loved to go on."
Milo took the familiar tattered red baseball cap that had once belonged to his older brother and held it without saying a word.
"I know it sounds silly," Cindy continued, sounding a bit embarrassed. "But maybe it might be nice to take a piece of Danny along with you, sweetie. Might make you feel a little less alone. He'll be with you every step of the way."
Milo didn't think that sounded silly at all. Certainly not any sillier than talking to a photograph of his late brother before bed every night. It was true that Danny Youngblood had been an exceptional Pokémon trainer during his short lifetime, and the childish hope that wearing his old hat might somehow pass some of that skill to Milo was enough to convince him.
Milo glanced over and saw that Mr. J was giving him an approving nod. He donned the red cap, which fit surprisingly well over his shaggy hair, and his mother began to cry again as she snapped multiple photographs of Milo and his three young monsters at the door.
"Thanks, mom," Milo said, forcing himself to look her in the eyes. "I think I'm ready to go now."
Milo couldn't believe he was saying it, but it was true. After all the anxiousness and fear he had felt over the past few days leading up to this moment, Milo was surprised at how ready he was. The front door was right there... the idea of just walking through it seemed easier than he would have imagined.
So after enduring the nearly ten minute long photo shoot his mother insisted upon, Milo returned Spearow and Luxio to their respective pokéballs.
"Good luck out there, dude," Andy finally said as Milo opened the door to leave. Up until now, Andy, who had never been very good with emotional situations, had been unusually quiet. "Go out there and catch a ton of monsters and kick some Coin Keeper ass."
Milo laughed. "Good luck at tryouts, man," he replied. "And good luck with school. Let me know how bad it is."
Both boys tried their best to remain stone-faced as they gave each other a spirited high-five. Cindy proceeded to cry even more vocally when she saw this.
"Good luck, Milo," Mr. J said. "Just do your best, and remember that we're all just a phone call away."
With a deep breath, Milo opened the front door, revealing the rainy weather and the surprisingly stiff, cool breeze. The muddy dirt path and the gloomy gray skies certainly didn't provide the ideal conditions for this milestone in Milo's life. He tried to ignore the magnitude of this moment, the first time he would be leaving home like this.
"Here, take your umbrella, Milo," his mom instructed in between sobs and handed it to him. "You know how much Fawkes hates the rain."
Deciding that now was as good a time as any, Milo bid his final farewell before forcing his right foot to stride forward. It took more effort to will his left foot to follow. He repeated this until he was standing just outside of the door, feeling the rain drops falling over him. Realizing the weather conditions, Milo's Vulpix leaped up into his arms, and he opened the umbrella to shield them both from the cold shower.
He took one last look back at his mother, Andy, Mr. J and the comfy, warm house in which they were standing. But he forced himself to turn back and continue to walk.
And with that, Milo Youngblood, with Fawkes in his arms and Luxio and Spearow in his pocket, began his journey.
To be continued...
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