Milo and the Blue Umbreon

by NanobotEX

Milo is about to embark on his Pokémon journey, when he unexpectedly makes a new friend. His journey begins ten years after the exploits of Ash Ketchum, and he discovers that Pokémon journeys are not as simple as they once were. Milo may soon find himself pitted against forces beyond anything he had imagined! (Not too much Romance, just enough to keep things interesting)

9. Chapter 9 - Unleashed

Milo Chapter 9 – Unleashed

Milo sat nervously on his bed; hands clenched together. He lifted his head when Marcus emerged from the bathroom, wearing snug black pants and jacket, and a cover over the lower half of his face. The face shield, as well as his fingerless gloves, bore in stark white the symbol Milo had seen before; the symbol of the Order of Shadows.

"Your turn, bro", said Marcus, throwing a similar outfit at Milo from the duffel bag he'd arrived with, "The sizes should be right. Be quick, it's getting late."

"Yeah", Milo answered shortly as he went to change himself. Marcus could tell his younger brother was subdued, and he supposed this was natural. This had all been thrown at Milo very quickly and now he was expected to be the number two operative on a full raid. The Gym Leader released Absol, his lifelong partner, and began absentmindedly stroking his friend's head fur.

What was command thinking, Marcus asked himself, I know he's got talent, but this is dangerous. For him and me.

You know they'd never do this without a reason, Absol chimed in, having overheard his master's thoughts. They too had received the power of Dark Aura, and could thus communicate through Marcus' mind, though they knew one another so well that even this was often unnecessary.

They trust you to take care of him.

I know that, replied Marcus, but a full raid on the Spirit League is not the time for this kind of experimentation.

Well, whatever you do, Absol cautioned, don't let him see that you're nervous. He's about to pop from sheer nerves as is. His Pokémon, too, though they're trying to hide it.

…I know. I'm sure it'll work out. But we both need to be on extra high alert, just in case.

Milo emerged now, still looking over his new clothes;

"I look like a ninja or something. Do I get throwing stars?"

"Nice try, bud, but no. Now let's get going."

Milo nodded and started for the door, but Marcus pulled him back, and pointed to the widow, saying, "Hold up, there. Remember the secret part of the whole secret mission thing? This way."

Night had fallen like a soft blanket, and the two brothers slipped out the ground floor window of the Pokémon Center as silently as possible.

Marcus motioned to Milo and they crept off away from the streetlamps on the sides of the road, and left Floaroma, heading east. They were especially cautious, at least until they left the last outskirts of the town behind them. Then Marcus gave a thumbs-up, and Absol, Blaze, and Azura all appeared in a flash as their Trainers brought them out for the raid. Off went the whole group at a run, and without much trouble they reached the Windworks in half an hour, unnoticed by a soul except for the occasional wild Pokémon.

When the tall, dark building came into view around a protruding bunch of trees, Marcus signaled a halt, and Milo could feel his pulse quicken, and his breath came in shudders.

"Here it is, Milo", his brother began, not giving any time to dwell on his renewed fears, "there's a moderately secluded wing around back with a window we should be able to get through. Once we're in I have no idea what to expect, besides fast and furious fighting. The Spirit League are no slouches, they'll be vigilant and well-guarded. Any element of surprise we have will only last a few minutes, and we'll need to make the most of it. Whatever you do, follow my lead. Let's move."

Silently, the two brothers and their three Pokémon slipped around the back of the building, skillfully avoiding the open windows to remain unseen. Marcus signaled another pause when he found their entrance. Looking back at Milo, the Leader pointed at himself, gave a number one, and then pointed at Milo with a number two.

Simple enough, thought Milo, Just get through the window. Okay. I got this. Yeah…

He felt a warm paw on his side, as Blaze looked determinedly up at him with a serious nod, saying,

This is the right thing to do. We've got your back.

Marcus stole forwards and leapt up to the window. Carefully, he pulled himself over the edge, and when he saw the coast was clear, he waved at Milo down below. With one last big breath, Milo steeled himself, ran straight at the building, and jumped with all his might. As his body hit the wall, Marcus' strong hands grabbed ahold of his own and his older brother hauled him into the building.

The two shared a look, and then Marcus' face twisted into an evil-looking smile. With a wink, he turned and sprinted down the hallway they were in, Absol keeping pace with him.

After a brief moment of shock, Milo followed, running as fast he could, silence no longer a concern.

"ABSOL, DARK PULSE!"

Milo skidded to a halt as his brother's prize Pokémon unleashed a titanic black wave at a small patrol squadron of Gastly and Duskull. Chaos erupted all around them, alarm bells began sounding, and Marcus dashed forward, leaving Milo to follow once again. He turned a corner to see Marcus and Absol squaring off against a man in a pale grey uniform wearing a creepy looking mask with a ghostly symbol emblazoned on it. Absol looked ready to go, but their opponent had three Pokémon advancing simultaneously.

A noise from the other end of the dark hallway drew Milo's attention. As Absol launched itself ferociously into the fight, Milo was horrified to see a Dusclops and two more Gastly zooming towards Marcus from behind. He knew his brother was too focused on the battle in front of him to notice, and instinct grabbed him.

"Azura, Pursuit! Blaze, Ember!"

Azura slammed viciously into an unsuspecting Dusclops with a massively effective Pursuit, and Blaze forced the Gastly to stop where they were with a well-placed Ember attack. Milo himself took the next move, and with a roar he charged a Dark Aura Sphere, hurling it as hard as he could at the Dusclops.

It went down for the count, but there were still the two Gastly to contend with.

Milo, Azura hailed him urgently, I…I feel something; a new power.

Do it, commanded the young Trainer without hesitation.

From Azura's mouth burst a jet black fire that looked remarkably like something Blaze would have done. It engulfed the Gastly, and their unearthly screeches resounded up and down the hallway with a horrid wail.

Marcus and his opponent stopped at the noise and turned to see. Marcus was dumbfounded, and his opponent went wide-eyed in terror at this unimaginably Dark power. The man backed up, froze for a second, then ran back the way he'd come.

"That was unreal", Marcus said, "but we have to keep moving. If they get organized and cut us off, even we won't last long. Come on, their ringleader will be at the top, two more floors up."

Milo nodded, and the pair of them sprinted to the end of the hallway, past a series of computer labs and monitoring stations that looked completely destroyed. The Spirit League certainly had no interest in using the Windworks as anything but a testament to their destructive power.

The brothers had just turned a corner, Marcus in the lead, when suddenly the Gym Leader stopped on a dime and leapt back, pressing himself against the wall, and motioning frantically for Milo to do the same.

The young Trainer and his Pokémon obeyed without question, and Milo understood why in just a few seconds, as another Spirit League fighter came dashing past, two Haunters floating behind him.

Marcus jabbed a finger at Milo, demanding that he do something, and fast. With a gulp, Milo gathered himself and, imitating his brother's earlier strategy, yelled,

"DARK PULSE!"

Azura sprang out of concealment and within seconds, the two ghosts and their human leader were thrown against the wall by a dark wave of power. As they roused themselves for a counterattack, Milo struck again with ruthless efficiency;

"Dark Fire!"

The same black fire issued from Azura like a tide of pure Dark inferno.

That heat even feels like a real Fire move, Milo thought to himself. Neither human nor Pokémon was going to recover from that any time soon, and so the two Shadow brothers continued on their way.

They found a staircase on their left that went up – they were making progress. Unfortunately, the stairs didn't go up to the penthouse lab, and they came out one floor below where they needed to be.

They were at the intersection of three dark hallways now, and within moments another Spirit League member came running towards them from each one.

"Time to use those Dark Aura powers, bro."

Milo's eyes widened. He'd only learned that stuff in training a couple days ago! Now he was supposed to use it against these guys?

Focus, Milo! Blaze's voice rang in his Trainer's head, You can do this! People need you!

"…Okay. What's the play here, Marcus?"

Without taking his eyes off the onrushing enemies, Marcus responded quickly and concisely, "I'll take these on the left, Absol and your team will take the middle, you've got the right wing."

Just like that, the fight was upon them. Milo had a split second to be proud of his two Pokémon as they charged fearlessly into the fray before he had to focus maniacally on his own side of the conflict.

He was up against a Spirit League grunt, as well as a pair of Duskull. He hit the ground as a Shadow Ball flew past his head, and leapt up with a yell and a Dark Aura Sphere.

I have to keep these guys contained. If I let their attacks go flying, they could hit Marcus or the Pokémon behind me.

He'd hit one of the Duskull with his sphere, and now the other came Shadow Sneaking at him in a hurry. He braced himself, unable to dodge, and felt the impact. He landed awkwardly on his back, but was up in a flash, throwing his arms out to produce a Dark wave of energy that shoved his opponents back to give him the second he needed to reset.

"Flank him", came the order from the ghost Trainer, and Milo felt the panic rising in him as the Duskull swiftly floated around to get on opposite sides of him. A wave would only delay them; he couldn't make one strong enough to truly defeat them.

Focus Milo, he told himself, I can do this. I must do this. It's just like a Pokémon battle; look for an opportunity to strike.

He watched his opponents like a hawk as they circled around him. The pause lasted only a couple of seconds before the Spirit League grunt yelled,

"Now!"

As a pair of Shadow Ball attacks came flying in at him, instinct claimed Milo and he tucked into a neat backwards roll that carried him into close range on one of the ghosts. He fired off a point blank Dark Aura Sphere with his right hand, and was already turning to face the other side. He used his left hand to shoot a beam attack into the face of the other Duskull, and only then did he stop moving.

When his brain finally caught up with itself, he realized with no small amount of surprise that both of the Duskull were down. He was about to run and help Marcus and his team when a new pair of eyes floated out of the darkness before him. His heart sank as he recognized the cruel and terrifying face of a Gengar.

He didn't even have time to prepare himself before the ghastly monster launched a Shadow Punch that sent Milo flying into the wall behind him. He only just recovered in time to duck and scramble away from a second attack. Thinking on his feet as best he could, he flung a makeshift Dark wave behind him to buy enough time to turn and set himself.

"Show no mercy, Gengar!"

"GAR!"

Milo jumped as the Gengar's face suddenly flashed before his eyes – an Astonish attack – and before he knew it, he took another Shadow Punch to the gut. He struggled now to lift his head, but somehow rolled himself sideways as a Shadow Ball slammed into the spot he'd just left. As he emerged from his roll, he found the Gengar floating just above him, and without thinking he fired a Dark beam directly at its eerie face.

He heard it recoil in pain; his desperate ploy had worked!

I need to press this advantage! Come on, Milo, you got this! GET UP!

He forced himself to his feet with a grimace and began firing off as many Dark Aura Spheres as he could come up with.

"GARRR! GENN-GARRR!"

His opponent writhed and struggled in pain before giving up and fading away. Milo was left staring at an empty hallway, the Spirit League grunt had run off. As he turned to look, the other two grunts left as well. He, Marcus, and the Pokémon all turned to look at one another, and Marcus asked incredulously,

"Did…did you just beat a full-grown Gengar into submission?"

"Umm, yeah? I guess I did. Ow, my body hurts like hell, though."

Azura and Blaze came over full of concern, but Marcus encouraged him, and said,

"We're almost at the top, Milo, keep it together for just a bit longer. Come on, this way."

They took off towards the elevator shaft, and Marcus pried open the doors;

"They – ah – turned off all the power, so we'll have to – ngh – climb up here to get to the top level, where their leader will be… Ah, there we go. Let's climb!"

With the doors now open, they all began climbing as best they could, and Milo asked cautiously, "Who is this leader you keep mentioning? What are they like? I feel like I don't know a whole lot about what's happening here."

Grimly, Marcus responded, "This is a classic Spirit League job. They never bring that many people, usually around ten; but they've always got plenty of Pokémon doing their bidding. That way they don't put themselves at any great risk. That also means that there's probably one of the Primal waiting for us at the top."

Milo was just about to ask what the heck that could mean when Marcus held a hand to his lips for silence as they reached the top of the elevator shaft and climbed out. The top floor was essentially a research penthouse; a single large room that had untold amounts of fancy equipment packed around the edges, with a large open space in the middle. It looked as though most of the equipment would need replacing, though, as it had been smashed or damaged severely.

In the middle of the room stood – or rather, hovered – a bone-thin man wearing baggy pants with no shirt and a blindfold the same color as the Spirit League uniforms they'd seen earlier. His skin was freakishly pale, paler than pale, and when they entered, he gave a slow, evil grin that showed a full mouth of pointed teeth. He seemed to be glowing with an unidentifiable aura, and the overall effect of his presence instantly gave Milo the shivers.

"So", began the man in a slow, rasping hiss that reverberated eerily about the room and seemed to come from all around them, "The pitiful Shades have arrived at last, like dogs nipping at the heels of their masters."

"I was right in assuming at least one of you would be here, Primal", Marcus answered, unfazed, "You're Jeru, right? Where are Meru and Keru? With no support, I think you'll soon find out that these dogs bite worse than they bark. Absol!"

Milo copied his brother, "Azura! Blaze! Get ready!"

"Children. Mere children. My glorious spirits will devour you all. Come forth!"

From the far wall, opposite Milo and Marcus, emerged a Duskull, Dusclops, and Dusknoir, all with Shadow Balls at the ready.

"Destroy them utterly."

As the three ghosts released their Shadow Ball attacks and charged in, Azura and Absol diffused the incoming spheres with a pair of Dark Pulses.

Blaze, called Milo to his loyal partner, you won't do much good attacking for damage, but you can disrupt them. Throw an Ember in their path every time they look like they're going somewhere. Other than that, stay out of the way so they think you're less of a threat.

Blaze nodded, and with a determined look in his eye, jumped at the nearest ghost, the Duskull, and laid down a fiery barrier just as it was attempting to get around Absol's flank.

Azura, Milo turned his attention to his shiny Umbreon, Keep on pounding them. Blaze will do his best to interrupt their movements, but you have to keep the heat off him.

Perfect, she answered, and almost pulverized the trapped Duskull with a savage Pursuit.

The Primal's face fell from smug confidence to concern as he realized that his forces were being overwhelmed.

"You fools! Beat them down! Dusknoir, put an end to their futile resistance! Ominous Wind!"

The Dusknoir opened the mouth on its stomach and began preparing something quite powerful, but he wasn't fast enough.

"Predictable as ever, Jeru", called Marcus over the din of battle, "Absol, Punishment!"

"NO! ATTACK, YOU USELESS BRUTES!"

Dusclops and Duskull tried to intercept the attack, but Milo and Azura were faster;

"Azura, take the Dusclops, I've got Duskull!"

Azura launched a Pursuit that stopped the Dusclops in its tracks, while Milo used his new powers to fire a Dark Aura Sphere into the face of the onrushing Duskull.

Free of obstructions, Absol smashed into the vulnerable Dusknoir moments before it could launch its monumental Ominous Wind attack.

"NOOIIIIRRR!"

The Gripper Pokémon howled in pain and fell to the floor. Suddenly, all three ghosts vanished and the Primal also began to simply fade away, saying as he left,

"You may have won this round, Shade, but chaos will be achieved eventually; the will of Aeon demands it! This isn't over!"

Just like that, the room was empty. The whole building went silent. The Spirit League had fled.

Milo and Marcus, both breathing hard from the stressful fight, turned to look at each other. There was a moment of silence, and then both brothers began to chuckle, which soon turned to delirious laughter.

"Milo! That was amazing, bro! I knew you were strong, but Azura's power is insane!"

"Azura? What about Absol?! I've never seen anything like you two; that was totally crazy!"

"I can't believe you kept up that well on a full-on raid for your first mission! Seriously, bro, you are some kind of natural talent."

"Thanks", Milo flushed at the genuine compliment, "but all I really did was follow your lead, like you said. I was just trying not to be in the way."

"Not be in the way? Heck, man, you saved my butt a few times at least! Whew…that was a crazy one. Hey, focus up, though, we still need to find any hostages they may have been holding."

Both brothers immediately snapped back into serious mode, and Marcus gave quick orders, "You check the offshoot rooms on the left, I'll sweep the right. Last I heard there were about half a dozen employees unaccounted for."

Milo ran to the left and directed his Pokémon as he went;

Blaze, you start down there. Azura, take the other side, work towards the middle. I'll stay here in case one of you finds something.

His two partners jumped immediately to their jobs. Milo was proud of them; he knew they were as mentally and physically worn out as he was from the night's fast and furious action, but they showed not one sign of slowing down. His musings were interrupted by an urgent call from Azura,

I found them! Six people, nine Pokémon, all in bad shape. Get down here!

"MARCUS", he yelled as he sprinted down to the room Azura was standing just outside of, "GET OVER HERE, WE FOUND THEM!"

He skidded to a halt and swung open the door to see, just as Azura had said, six scientists and nine small Pokémon with them. None of them seemed injured, but they were all certainly weak and malnourished.

Marcus arrived seconds later, and instantly took charge of the situation;

"Alright. We are here to help you get out; the intruders have been dealt with. Can anyone still stand and walk?"

One or two hesitantly raised their hands. Gently, these two, along with Milo and Marcus, helped the rest to their feet and supported them. Then they gently gathered up the small Pokémon that lay on the floor, shaking with exhaustion and fear. All told, there were two Azurill, five Cleffa, a Budew, and a Starly.

"Thank you…young man", gasped the woman leaning heavily on Milo's left shoulder, "they hadn't…fed us since they…captured us. That was…three days ago."

Unsure of how to respond, Milo tried to console the woman as they made their way to the elevator, which Marcus had just managed to turn back on,

"It's okay now, ma'am. We're going to get all of you back safely to Floaroma and you'll get the help you need there. Just stay with me until we can get there."

It took a while, but they at last got everyone outside safely. They sat them all down on the dark front lawn of the Windworks, and Marcus called the police;

"Hello? Officer? Yes, we're at the Windworks facility. The violent takeover has ended, and there are some people here who need emergency medical care…No, there's no longer any immediate danger…Yes, they'll need transport…Six people, and nine Pokémon…Yes, they'll be safe until you arrive…Perfect, thank you."

Marcus got off the phone and said as encouragingly as he could, "Good news, everyone, they'll be here within ten minutes. We'll stay with you until you arrive, but we'd appreciate it if you kept quiet on any details about us."

There wasn't much conversation in those ten minutes; the former hostages simply didn't have the strength for it. Now that the constant adrenaline and fear had passed, most of them fell asleep almost immediately.

As they waited, Milo and Marcus sat and held a hushed talk;

"So what the heck was that guy? He freaked me out."

"That's the point. He's one of the Primal. They are the 'admins' of the Spirit League, the bosses. There are three of them, triplets who have been altered by their ghostly powers. They report only to Aeon, the group's leader. She's the one who calls all the shots. We know barely anything about her, she's too hard to find."

"Does that other group…the PsyForce Tribe? Do they have freaky people like that, too?"

"Yeah, they have a much more structured system. Their leader is a man who goes by Psyfer. He's the most powerful psychic in the world. Directly below him are the five Mind Queens, all women who have crazy amounts of power. If you ever see them you'll know them by their eyes; they glow and they can really freak you out if you're not ready. Each Mind Queen has about a dozen or so chieftains that serve under them, and each chieftain has about a dozen bosses. Each boss commands a squad of about 5 or 6 grunts, so they're a pretty hefty organization."

Milo nodded and fell silent. He really wasn't sure how to feel. He could hardly process everything that had happened in the last couple of hours. They'd attacked a building full of hostile ghost-type users, blown through tons of enemies, attacked their leader head-on, and won, before rescuing over a dozen hostages and bringing them safely to the authorities. It sounded like superhero stuff; it simply didn't feel real.

He looked to Marcus to see his brother wearing a knowing smile.

"First mission always feels like that. Hard to believe. Trust me, though, you're stronger than you give yourself credit for."

At that point, they caught the sound of sirens wailing in the distance, rapidly getting closer. Within a minute, they could see the accompanying lights of a whole squad of emergency vehicles. Marcus signaled silently to Milo and they crept surreptitiously to the back of the group. They stood there for another few seconds before melting away into the night.

The brothers took their time getting back to Floaroma, arriving well after the emergency vehicles returned and rushed both people and Pokémon into the local hospital for immediate care.

It was well after eleven when they got back. As soon as they reached the edge of town they returned their Pokémon before making their stealthy way to the window of Milo's room at the Pokémon Center. After a brief look around to ensure the coast was clear, they popped it open and climbed smoothly into the room.

"Change back quick", advised Marcus, "we're not quite done covering our tracks yet."

Milo gave him a confused look, prompting a whispered explanation, "Look, we need to change into what we were wearing, then go back out the window and come in through the front. That should do the trick. Remember, we've just been out talking this whole time, okay?"

Milo nodded and quietly got changed. Feeling a little awkward, he followed Marcus back out the window and around the building. It took but a few seconds to put the finishing touches on their preemptive alibi. They strolled in the front door of the Pokémon Center as casually as could be, seeming to be in the midst of a discussion on the possible outcomes of various Dark type vs Dark type matchups;

"No, most Umbreon are based on defense. Azura's the exception to that rule, but-"

Marcus cut in, "But that's it exactly, you've proven my point! You can't just generalize about these things."

"Hey, there you two are!" Amaya greeted them from a booth in the lobby as she pulled off her big headphones, "You were out for a while. Everything alright?"

The two brothers grinned at each other before Milo answered, "Yeah, we just got caught up talking Dark types and didn't realize how late it had gotten. Sorry, you didn't have to wait up for us!"

"Well, I wouldn't have, but I have to tell you something."

She gestured to the empty seat opposite her and Milo sat, curious as to what news Amaya might have.

"That Egg started moving while you were out. I walked into your room to check on it and I swear it was kind of wiggling in the blankets you left around it."

Leaning over the table in excitement, Milo asked, "Are you sure? I mean, that makes sense, Nurse Joy said it shouldn't be much longer, but…you're absolutely positive it started moving?"

Amaya nodded very seriously, "I'm totally sure. I double, even triple checked because I could hardly believe it. One other thing", she called, as Milo stood to go check on his Egg right away, "the Nurse Joy here in Floaroma says that Aurora and Leon will need one more day's rest before they're ready to hit the road with us. So it looks like we're staying here for tomorrow."

"Alright", said Milo over his shoulder as he dashed down the hallway to his room, "thanks, Amaya."

He burst in the door and released Azura and Blaze. They gathered around the Egg in expectant, awed silence. Sure enough, it was pushing itself ever so gently back and forth. The young Riolu inside was very close now – very close to hatching.

Milo and Blaze huddled close to the precious Egg, but Azura hung back.

Milo, she spoke to him hesitantly, can…I spend tonight in Aurora's room? She's been through a lot for one so young, and…

She trailed off, her voice low and solemn, but Milo gave a gracious smile and stood up, scooping the Egg gently into his arms. He replied as consolingly as he could,

I understand. She needs us all to be her new family. Let's all spend tonight with her.

As they gathered some spare pillows and blankets before crossing the hall, Milo could feel a deep sense of sympathy and heartbreak from Azura. She cared desperately and deeply for this unfortunate young Eevee. She remembered only too well the emotional and physical shock and trauma the poor thing was dealing with. She was just as excited about the Egg as Milo and Blaze, but more than anything her heart went out to Aurora, like a big sister.

Milo, she tried to put her feelings into words, I just…I want her to-

I know, he replied respectfully, taking a moment to kneel down and wrap his arms around his partner, I understand, Azura. She'll need you to look after her and care for her. I know you'll do a great job. Come on, let's go over.

Aurora stirred slightly as they entered her room, and her small body tensed, but Azura was by her side in a flash;

There now, little one. No need to fear. We're here to keep you safe and keep you company. It's just us, Aurora.

'Zura? The young Eevee visibly relaxed as the Dark-type huddled in close, Thanks for coming back, 'Zura. I was scared in the dark by myself.

I know, but we're here now, Milo could see a tear making its telltale way down Azura's face as she lulled Aurora back to sleep, We'll stay with you all night. Me, Milo, and Blaze; we'll all be right here next to you.

Aurora nestled herself into Azura's chest gratefully and was almost instantly asleep again. Azura held her adopted little sister close, tears of both joy and sorrow flowing together to fall softly on the pillow. A pat on Milo's knee drew his attention to Blaze, who had been dutifully laying out the extra blankets and pillows. With a glance at the Egg in his arms, Milo said mentally,

Thanks buddy, I really appreciate it. You take that side and I'll be over here. We can make a little nest for the Egg here, right in between us.

Sounds good, said Blaze, uncharacteristically solemn, Hey Milo…I don't know a lot about humans, but I've met a few, and I've heard quite a bit. Still, I think you're the only one I know of who would or could do so much for Pokémon in need; like the Egg, like Aurora…and like me. Thanks, Milo.

Overcome, Milo could only respond, Thank you, Blaze. Good night.

Usually, when one's head is spinning with things to think about it becomes difficult to sleep, but perhaps Milo's brain that night was so jam packed with things to think about – the mission, the Primal, Marcus, Marcus and Gardenia, the Egg, Aurora, Azura – that it simply decided to give up before driving itself mad. Whatever the reason, Milo was asleep within five minutes of lying down on the makeshift floor bed.

He slept long and deeply. It wasn't until around 9:30 that he was awoken by a strange feeling on his face. His eyes snapped open to see Aurora standing curiously over him, having just licked his cheek.

"Hey", he started, feeling quite groggy, "you're out of bed. What's that about? Feeling better?"

I think I'm ALL better! The little Eevee's youth was, as always, evident in her jovial voice, 'Zura says I have to stay and rest more, 'cuz I might still have some hurts leftover.

"She's right", Milo didn't bother with telepathy, "You need to stay in bed. Tomorrow you can come with us when we head out for Eterna, okay?"

What's Eterna? Rather than getting back in her bed, Aurora was bouncing about playfully, now climbing over Blaze, who didn't seem to mind.

"Eterna", said Milo with a yawn, "is a city. I'm going there to win a Gym badge."

What's a Jimbaje?

Aurora, come back up here, Azura cut in from the bed where the young Eevee was supposed to be resting, you're not supposed to be jumping about like that. Stay put and we'll bring you breakfast soon, alright?

Okay, 'Zura! Hurry up, though, I'm hungry!

Aurora hopped back up and snuggled herself deep into the blankets on her bed to wait for food. With a grin, Milo beckoned his other two Pokémon from the room and they went and found Amaya in the cafeteria.

"Up late, Milo?"

"Nah, just tired. We slept in Aurora's room to keep her company."

"Fair enough. What's the plan for today? We have all day to kill. Is Marcus still around?"

Milo hadn't thought of that, "Marcus? Oh, uh…to be honest I thought he was still here, but he may have gone already. Maybe", Milo grew a mischievous grin, "maybe he went back to Eterna to spend another day or two with Gardenia before heading back to Hearthome."

Amaya shook her head in disbelief, "I still can't picture two Gym Leaders dating, you know?"

Milo shrugged, "It sounds weird when you say it that way, but after all, they're people too, right?"

"I guess. Hey, since there's not really a lot of training space around, what about practicing against each other? I think there's a field out back."

"You're on."

Milo, Azura cut in, before we battle, we promised to take food to Aurora, remember? Also, do you think she may want to watch?

That's a great idea. Let's go find out!

Milo gathered up a plate of food and made his way back, to find Aurora once again asleep. Apparently her boundless energy hadn't lasted quite as long as she had thought it might. The young Trainer quietly placed the food next to her bed so she'd see it when she woke up, and went out to see about the battle he'd promised Amaya.

True to form, she was already standing in a Trainer's box on the field, and she called to Milo the second he emerged from the Pokémon Center's back door;

"Come on, line up. What're the rules here? Straight up battle? My team against yours, substitutions allowed?"

"Fine by me", answered Milo as he hurried to his place and released both Blaze and Azura, "but you call first, since you've got the numbers advantage."

"Alright then", she smirked, "that's fair. Granite, let's do this."

With a roar, the pumped up Onix crashed onto the field.

Makes sense, thought Milo, as he took a split second to consider his options; She went for the option that doesn't give me a clear choice based on type. Just like that, he had a strategy.

"Azura! Let's get to work!" Mentally, he added, She thinks she's gotten control of this battle already by forcing us into a corner. If we let her think she's right, we can flip her whenever we want. But we have to be careful not to actually give her control.

Got it, answered Azura, adopting a defensive position, I'll dodge normally but pull my punches.

Good girl. Remember, it has to be convincing.

Amaya

It figured that Milo hadn't chosen Blaze, who had a half type advantage. He was probably too worried that Blaze also had a half disadvantage.

"Rock Polish."

Granite coated himself in a sheen that dramatically increased his speed, though Amaya knew full well she'd never completely match Milo's Pokémon for agility. Still, closing the gap might throw off his rhythm.

"Azura", he called, "Pursuit! Get in behind!"

Amaya had seen this trick before; "Iron Tail."

It worked like a charm. Azura's Pursuit snapped her straight into the path of a full-strength Iron Tail that smashed her in the side. But she wasn't beaten yet.

"Shadow Ball!"

Amaya was surprised at how quick the attack found its mark, and by the time it did, the nimble Dark-type was off again, Quick Attacking her way all across the battlefield like a hyperactive bolt of energy.

"Granite, go for Rock Tomb."

The powerful Onix gave another roar as rocks popped out from the ground and flew towards Granite's best guess was at the best spot to trap Azura.

It looked like a hit until Milo called the one thing she hadn't considered; "Azura, STOP!"

On a dime, Azura's constant zigzagging motion came to a complete halt, and the Umbreon stood and coolly watched as the rocks intended to trap her flew harmlessly by.

"Now Dark Pulse!"

"Counter with Gyro Ball."

When the dust settled after the attacks collided, the two Pokémon stood staring at one another, signs of exertion already showing on both. With another of her trademark smirks, Amaya thought to herself,

Perfect. Granite's done his job. Time to bring in the closer; Coral's much better suited to deal with Azura, then I'll have a full team to knock out Blaze.

"Granite, return. Coral, let's do this."

Coral emerged majestically, her quiet intensity immediately casting its aura over the field. Undaunted, Azura settled herself into a comfortable attack position.

She could see Milo's eyes narrow in concentration.

Yeah, that's right, she thought, I've got you in a corner now. Think your way out of this one, Milo.

"Azura, Night!"

Amaya forced herself not to react in annoyance as the familiar cloud of impenetrable darkness descended on the field. Thinking as fast as she could, she called out,

"Water Pulse, wide range."

Coral obliged wonderfully, judging by the sound from within the cloud, but the battlefield was far better suited to Milo now, and she heard him respond instantly,

"Pursuit!"

"Dragon Tail", Amaya hoped that Granite's counterattack strategy would work again. It didn't.

"Jump and use Dark Pulse!"

The black cloud dissipated in time for Amaya to see Milo's Pokémon leap gracefully over Coral's blind Dragon Tail and unleash a massive Dark Pulse that sent the Milotic skidding across the field.

Taking hits is okay, she reminded herself, If I can land the next hit, I'm still in control. Azura can't keep going indefinitely.

"You should've kept your hiding cloud up, Milo. Coral, Ice Beam."

"Get moving, Azura. I know you've got enough to keep ahead of her."

For a time, it seemed Milo was right, but after three failed Ice Beams, Azura stopped for a breath, worn out from using Quick Attack repeatedly as a dodging mechanism.

"Now!"

This time it worked, and Azura took a massive hit from Ice Beam. Luckily for Amaya, it also froze one of her back paws to the ground.

"Shadow Ball, Azura! Full power!"

Amaya was unprepared for the massive attack that walloped Coral cleanly in her midsection. She toppled to the ground, and couldn't get up. Amaya was stunned. But she still had the advantage; she was still in control, as long as she made the next play correctly.

"Alright, Terrus, you're in. Let's do this."

The determined Grotle materialized on the field, eliciting a competitive snarl from Azura, who was still trapped by the ice.

"Azura, Dark Pulse!"

"Use Energy Ball."

She knew she should've dodged, but taking the Dark Pulse was a calculated risk that allowed her to get a hit in. Both attacks landed, and when everything settled, Terrus was definitely feeling the effects of Azura's trademark move, but the Umbreon herself was unquestionably down for the count.

Rather than returning her to her Pokéball, Milo walked out himself and carried her gently to the ground next to his Trainer's box.

"Blaze, it's your turn to close it out! No more holding back, let's get-"

"Milo! Milo?"

Both Trainers turned to see Nurse Joy jogging out to their field, carrying Milo's Eevee in her arms.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but this Eevee was causing a racket and wouldn't settle down until I told it I would bring it to you. Would you please take her? Thank you! Again, I'm sorry to interrupt."

She went back inside to return to her duties, and Amaya waited, somewhat impatiently, as Milo held what seemed to be a brief staring contest with the Eevee before she gave a happy little squeal and jumped to the ground next to the awake but exhausted Azura.

As she waited, Amaya reconsidered Milo's instructions to Blaze;

What did he mean by 'no more holding back'? Why would he hold back?

She was out of time, though, as Milo again grabbed Blaze's ball and yelled,

"Time to really show our stuff, Blaze! Let's get to work!"

"Ferrrr-nooo!"

Blaze was more than ready to battle, and Amaya was pleased to see Terrus dig in a little harder at seeing his childhood rival as his opponent once again.

"Energy Ball, Terrus."

"Dodge!"

Blaze dodged the attack easily, rolling underneath it cheekily as Milo called out,

"Straight into Blaze Kick!"

Terrus couldn't move fast enough, and took Blaze Kick head on, his second powerful direct hit. A flutter of worry crossed Amaya's mind, until she reminded herself;

I still have this. Terrus will probably go down, but Granite can finish off Blaze, I'm sure. He didn't take that many hits from Azura, he's still more or less fresh. I just need to land something on Blaze to make double sure.

"Now he's in close, use Crunch."

"Nice try, Amaya! Low Kick!"

Ducking once again, Blaze swept a leg viciously underneath Terrus, overturning the Grove Pokémon as well as dealing damage.

"How many Fire Punches can you land, bud?"

The answer was three. That was all it took until Terrus was unconscious. Grimacing, Amaya at last realized what Milo had done. He had played her like a fiddle. She'd thought she was in control, but now a completely fresh Blaze would go up against a tired Granite with a plethora of fighting moves. He'd totally turned the tables on her without her noticing!

"Alright, Granite, let's do this."

The Rock Snake Pokémon reemerged and Amaya wasted no time in trying to head off Milo's inevitable barrage of kicks and punches;

"Rock Tomb, go."

"Double Team, Blaze, and use Mach Punch!"

To Amaya's chagrin, Mach Punch landed perfectly, as the real Blaze slipped easily past Granite's very confused Rock Tomb, which succeeded only in burying one or two of a dozen copies of Blaze that flickered all over the field.

"Now Brick Break!"

"Iron Tail, Rock Throw, do something to get him away!"

Amaya's inscrutable exterior was breaking as she watched her best chance at beating Milo slip away like all the rest.

Sure enough, Brick Break landed and Granite was on his last legs. He'd sustained damage from Azura earlier and had now compounded that with two direct super-effective hits from Blaze.

"Slam, Granite!"

"Blaze, jump!"

Blaze got out of the way just in time, as the mighty Granite slammed himself down onto the ground in a failed attempt to take his opponent down with him. It seemed, embarrassingly, that in the process he had knocked himself out. Unceremoniously, the morning's practice battle went to Milo.

"Tch", Amaya kicked at nothing in particular, frustrated with herself, "how the hell did you plan that all out from the beginning?"

"I knew you thought you had it in the bag", he shrugged, "all I had to do was keep you thinking you were right. I told Azura to pull her punches and she managed to tire out two of your Pokémon and knock one out before you caught on. It was a gamble, though; if you would have caught on sooner I'd have been toast."

"Yeah, whatever. I'm going to heal up and check on Leon."

Milo

Amaya trumped sorely back inside. Milo smiled to himself as she left, knowing she would only be driven to new heights by this.

"Hey", he called to his victorious Monferno, "great job, Blaze! You worked the plan to perfection! You're looking like a pro out there!"

I can't believe Terrus went down so easy! He just wasn't ready for my speed.

Well, Milo teased, aren't we confident in ourselves. How well do you think you could do against me, then? Come on, let's go!

Are you sure that's wise? Azura cut in, I'm worried that you'll overexert yourself. Aren't you still sore from that Gengar last night?

Oh I've got plenty left to kick Blaze's butt!

Just like that, Milo and his Monferno partner squared off in the middle of the field. Blaze moved in first with an attempted Mach Punch. Milo was fast enough to duck left and swing a Dark-charged punch to Blaze's gut. Unfortunately, he realized just too late that Blaze's leg was swinging, and before he knew it he landed hard on the ground.

"Are you fighting your own Pokémon, Milo?"

Amaya was back, and she seemed to have calmed down.

As Pokémon and Trainer alike continued trading fast blows, Amaya sat down amusedly next to the still-tired Azura and Aurora, who was once again jumping about, rather enjoying the fight between two of her new family.

"This actually ought to be good. Kick his butt, Blaze!"

Milo was about to make a witty response until he had to hop back awkwardly as Blaze's left foot missed his chest by mere centimeters. He had to continue retreating as Blaze pressed his advantage. Finally, after one particularly neat dodge roll, he got in a leg sweep of his own and landed one or two punches before Blaze kicked back up powerfully and slammed him hard, square in the ribcage.

"Alright", wheezed Milo from the ground, not getting up, "you win, buddy. You got me. Good match, Blaze, you're definitely improving. But I'll get you next time."

I don't think so, Blaze responded, but you're welcome to another beating whenever you want.

"Alright", Milo said to the group at large as Blaze helped him to his feet, "I'm about ready for lunch, how about you guys?"

Yay, more food! Aurora bounded happily up to Milo and he picked her up as they all headed back toward the cafeteria.

During lunch, Milo got up and said, "I'm going to go check on the Egg. It's definitely close to hatching; I just want to see how it's doing."

He opened the door to his room and saw to his surprise that it was no longer in its protective bundle of blankets, but was rolling jerkily across the floor! He rushed to pick it up, and then called out to his Pokémon mentally,

GUYS, IT'S HATCHING! Come on, get in here, hurry!

He set the Egg on the bed and watched transfixed as it shuddered. Azura, Blaze, and even Aurora came charging in moments later and they all gathered around, wide-eyed.

Now a crack appeared in the shell. Seconds later a piece came flying out just past Milo's ear.

Amaya walked in, standing behind to observe, and now another piece popped off.

Finally, at long last, Milo's precious Egg cracked in half and fell apart…to reveal a beautiful baby Riolu.

"Hi", Milo whispered, his whole face glowing with pure joy, "Hi there! I'm Milo!"

It's a girl, Azura said softly, what will her name be?

"Name? She'll be…Ferra. Right, Ferra? Welcome to the team!"

The newborn Pokémon barked happily and stood up, smiling at Milo.

The young Trainer could hardly breathe at the miracle standing before him. He reached down carefully and picked up the tiny Riolu, who responded by enthusiastically jumping into his arms, and rubbing her head on his chest.

Azura, what's she doing?

She thinks you're her parent. She's learning your scent, your feel, your look, everything she can.

Milo hardly dared to breathe, he was so thoroughly overwhelmed.

Would you like to speak to her? Azura asked gently.

Can she even talk?

Young Pokémon learn fast. I'll show you.

Azura put her face close to Ferra and spoke softly to her, out loud. Ferra looked a bit confused, but then turned to stare expectantly at Milo, who took a deep breath before introducing himself properly,

Hey there, Ferra! I'm Milo, your Trainer!

Overjoyed, Ferra pressed herself as close as possible to Milo, Hi Milo! I love you!

Milo felt a tear run down his face, as Aurora and Blaze introduced themselves as well. Ferra greeted them all with the same joyful smile, and all present shared a chuckle when Aurora said to the new team member;

You're so little! The world says hi!

Thanks, Roro! You're little too, like me!

Even Amaya, after some convincing, stepped forward to introduce herself, though she cited the limited space as reason not to pull out her own Pokémon to meet the new arrival.

"Speaking of which, Milo, I think we could head back out to the field for more training. You can bring Ferra and Aurora to watch."

"I like that plan", Milo answered before consulting his Pokémon.

Azura and Blaze were excited as ever to get back to training, and Aurora was content to hang out with Milo and her new team no matter what was going on. It was Ferra's response that most surprised Milo. She was deeply, genuinely excited, even awed, at the prospect of training, once it was explained to her. As an added bonus, Amaya went and checked on Leon, who it turned out was also ready to watch the training session, if not fully participate.

Once they arrived back at the training field, Amaya brought out her team, inspiring much awe from Ferra, who couldn't believe that there were Pokémon as large as Granite and Coral. As Amaya fell to her usual routine of improving her Pokémon's power, Milo lined up alongside Blaze and Azura for a sprinting drill. He heard a bark on his left, and saw Ferra toeing the line herself, a determined look in her eye.

Well, Milo thought to himself, no time like the present to start training, right?

For the next few hours, then, both Trainers drilled their Pokémon with the utmost rigor and dedication. Ferra, it seemed, loved nothing more than to join in whenever she felt she could, though Milo stopped short of allowing her to spar.

When they were all satisfactorily worn out, Milo and Ferra included, they went gratefully back inside for a big dinner. Ferra and Aurora were already fitting in splendidly with the team, and now the time had come to look onward.

So much had happened in the last couple days, Milo could hardly believe it. Believe it or not, though, he was now the proud Trainer of four Pokémon. The next morning they were planning to leave for Eterna, and hopefully win their second Gym badge. Along the way, Milo thought, perhaps even Aurora and Ferra might start seriously training, so that before too long they could take part in real battles, just like Azura and Blaze. The general air of excitement and anticipation made it hard for the young man to fall asleep that night. Yet again, he knew, he was on the verge of a very big day.

Chapter 9 Thoughts: You lucky readers, you. You got Milo's first Order of Shadows mission and a battle between our two main characters. As always, I'm dying to know your thoughts (pretty please)! I obviously don't own Pokémon, just my OC's.

If you like it, keep reading, and feel free to follow/favorite. That way you can keep up to date with Milo and other people will be more likely to find this story! Thanks for reading! Cheers, all!