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)

13. Chapter 13 - Connections

Milo Chapter 13 – Connections

"Yeah, we're almost there", said Milo, speaking loudly over the commotion behind him, "How does the city look? Do we need to be careful?"

It was late afternoon now, closing in on evening. The group had left Solaceon Town heading North on Route 210 before pivoting East on Route 215, making a beeline for Veilstone City and their next Gym Challenge.

Before entering Veilstone, the two Trainers decided to call Jenks for advice on handling the public aspect of their upcoming Gym matches. The pit stop on the route also gave them a chance to train and strategize for Maylene's fighting types.

"It's awfully loud for not being in the city, Milo", commented Jenks, "what the heck is going on back there?"

"Well, we're training to counter fighting types, and Blaze is taking his job as our resident fighting type very seriously, so…"

"Figures", laughed the journalist, "well, it seems your camera-shy self is in luck, my young friend. Turns out the media are all over Veilstone, but not for you. All the chatter is centered on the upcoming Veilstone Showcase. Some well-known Sinnoh native performers are coming in, but the main focus is on the Rookie class, I hear there are some real up-and-comers. I may even take an early flight tomorrow and scout the talent myself."

"Whew, I'm glad we aren't the center of attention. Maybe we can actually explore the city for a change. I haven't gotten to do that openly since…well, almost since Oreburgh, come to think."

"Oh, come on, Milo, it's not that bad. Trust me, you'll learn to handle it soon enough. I think-"

"EEEAAAAHHH! CORAL! BLAST THIS THIIIING!"

Milo jumped and yelled himself in surprise at Amaya's outburst. He turned quickly back to his call and said,

"Uh, I'll call you back later, I guess. Sorry, bye…"

He hung up hurriedly and ran over, "What in the world is going on here?"

Coral was Hydro Pumping and Ice Beaming everything within a five-foot radius of an apparently empty spot about ten yards behind Amaya, who had tripped over herself while running away from…whatever it was that had startled her. What Milo really couldn't understand was Blaze, who was rolling around on the ground, laughing. Azura stood nearby, barely repressing a chuckle herself.

Umm…fill me in here? Milo looked to his Shiny Umbreon for an explanation.

Well, hehe, it seems we picked up a stowaway of sorts from the Lost Tower. I'd sensed something off, but because of…everything going on, I didn't give it much thought-

Blaze interrupted, This Gastly was following us as a joke and – haha! – it just showed up out of nowhere – ha! – right behind Amaya! Oh, that was great…

Still somewhat confused, Milo cast his eyes about, but could find no sign of the Ghost type.

"Uh, Amaya? Where's this Gastly that was apparently here?"

From the ground where she'd fallen, she responded, her voice shaky, "It…it showed up there, where Coral was attacking…Ugh, crap, that was scary…"

"Not a fan of ghosts?"

"It's not that, I just – whew, that was one hell of a shock. Alright, I'm better, now where is that damn ball of ethereal junk? I'm going to beat it into the ground, Ghost or not."

At that moment, an Ice Beam flew inches past Milo's face, and it was his turn to fall over in shock.

"WHAT the-"

"GAST!"

Milo wasn't the only one taken aback by Coral's powerful blast. It seemed that the Gastly in question had tried to sneak up on Milo as another prank, but Coral had spotted it and preempted its surprise with one of her own, that froze the Gastly in place.

"You know what…" An evil grin spread across Amaya's face, "I have another idea. Milo, move. Coral, thaw this thing out with Water Pulse."

Milo took the hint and jumped away as fast as he could, escaping the blast radius of the Water Pulse by inches.

"Geez, watch it! That nearly hit me!"

Amaya was totally oblivious to his complaint. Gastly had been frozen by the Ice Beam, but the Water Pulse broke its icy shell, and Amaya hit it with a Pokéball as soon as it emerged. Unprepared for the onslaught, the Gastly struggled within the ball, but after a few shakes, the ball pinged. Amaya had a new team member.

Breathing heavily, Milo pulled himself off the ground and said, rather grumpily,

"Seriously? I mean, come on, give me more than half a second to dodge! Coral almost took my head off!"

Unfazed, Amaya waved off the protests of her friend, "Oh, you're fine, quit whining. Have a little faith in her aim. Now, let's see my new battler!"

She threw the Pokéball, and Gastly reemerged. Oddly enough, it looked as ecstatic as Amaya about the new arrangement. So thrilled was Gastly, in fact, that it gave Amaya a giant Lick straight to her face.

Milo took note of the newcomer's size and the color of its ethereal ghostly aura before proclaiming;

"Hmm. I'm pretty sure your Gastly is female, Amaya."

"Female, huh?" Amaya carefully distanced herself from her new capture while she considered naming her, "how about Spirielle, then? No idea where it came from, but it's got a ring to it. Like it, Spirielle?"

The newly christened Spirielle did a mid-air loop-de-loop in celebration, and Amaya made a round of introductions to the rest of the Pokémon.

"You know, Milo", she said when she was done, "there's one thing I'm excited about that could tip the tables between us."

"Yeah? What's that?"

"When Spirielle evolves, which she will, she'll be a Gengar."

Milo raised a curious eyebrow, "Okay…good on you for knowing basic evolution chains? What's the point here?"

"So that means I'll have a high-power special attacker that's really naturally fast and damn near impossible to pin down. I have a perfect counter for your whole strategy."

Milo nodded approvingly, before smugly pointing out, "Yeah, you know, that's true…but you do realize that Gengar are weak, first and foremost, to Dark and Ghost moves, like Azura's? They also have no effect on Normal types, like Aurora for instance, who also just so happens to have a Ghost move. How's your strategy breaker look now?"

He walked off smiling, leaving Amaya glowering speechlessly in his wake. He called over his shoulder as he returned to his team's training, "Just pushing you to improve, 'Maya!"

They had something like another hour before they really needed to get into Veilstone, so they spent it putting the final touches on their specialized training for the Gym challenge. Amaya had finally cracked and asked for help in strategizing against Maylene, and Milo was only too happy to give advice.

"Well, you'll definitely want Spirielle, because every fighting move she's got won't touch a Ghost type. Leon's probably small enough to slip through the cracks and frustrate her. You can use that to draw her out if you have to. If memory serves, Maylene goes for three on three, so you'll want Spirielle and Leon, with Coral as a failsafe."

"Hmm…alright. What's your plan, then?"

"Actually, I'm thinking Blaze, Ferra, and Aurora."

"You're putting in two Pokémon that young? Against one of the most intense Gyms in the region? This I've got to hear."

"Her kingpin is Lucario. That'll be Blaze's job. Aurora's got a Shadow Ball that'll do well, and Ferra can run circles around the rest of her team. She'll come out swinging, so my plan is to hit and run."

Compared to their recent experience sneaking into Hearthome, walking into Veilstone through the big western gate was rather anticlimactic to the young Trainers. As soon as they were into the city, however, Azura stopped and took a good look around, seeming disturbed by something.

"Azura", Milo asked, "what's the matter?"

I think I remember this place. This…this is where I first met humans.

"First met humans? What do you…oh. After the forest, you came here, didn't you?"

Yes. I was scared, hungry, and alone.

Hang on, Blaze jumped in, I think I remember this place too. Is there a breeder here?

Milo wasn't sure, so he asked out loud, "Hmm…Is there a breeder here, Amaya? I know the biggest one is back in Solaceon, but I can't remember if there's one here too."

"Actually, yeah", she responded, "I remember hearing something somewhere about the Veilstone Breeding Center. Why?"

"Blaze may have come from this Breeding Center. I mean, how many other places could supply a constant stream of starter Pokémon to Professor Rowan's lab in Sandgem?"

Milo's travelling friend shrugged and kept walking, "Hmm. Cool, good to know. Let's find the Pokémon Center, I'm starving."

The Jubilife Trainer rolled his eyes with a grin, and the whole group followed the road signs to the Center, where Nurse Joy was, as always, more than ready to provide them with accommodations and food. This time, the Nurse Joy on duty had a little something extra for them;

"Oh, you're Milo and Amaya, that's right! I almost forgot", she dropped her voice low, as if sharing a secret, "I have a note for you here regarding your Gym battles. Please read it at your earliest convenience, and I'll be happy to pass along your response."

As the two young Trainers got their food and sat down in the Center's cafeteria, Milo opened the handwritten note and read it aloud, quietly so as not to be overheard;

"Milo and Amaya,

Hi, Maylene here. I hear you're finally in town. The Gym is being used for the Veilstone Showcase for most of tomorrow, so we'll have to work around that to schedule your battles. Sorry for the inconvenience, politics once again interferes with the real business of Training (that's between you and me). I've scheduled both of you for tomorrow anyway, one before the Rookie Showcase at 9:00am, and one afterwards at 3:30pm. If this works for you, let Nurse Joy know and she'll tell me we're on. Looking forward to a pair of great battles, I expect greatness from you both. See you on the battlefield.

Maylene – Gym Leader, Veilstone City"

"Ugh", was Amaya's immediate and eloquent reaction, "I can't stand Showcases. It's just a bunch of shallow girls competing to be the prettiest girl with the prettiest Pokémon. Most of them do it because they could never make it as real Trainers."

Milo gave her a questioning look, "That's pretty cynical. I've known some girls who got into being Performers. It takes as much skill as anything else. What, were you never invited to join the pretty girls and be a Performer?"

"Please", scoffed the small Trainer, "as if I'd ever even consider that kind of life. Whatever. As long as we can still battle Maylene tomorrow, I don't care. You get the early slot though; I'll need the extra time to work with Spirielle."

"Fair enough", Milo stood up, "I'll go tell Nurse Joy."

After dinner, they took the opportunity to explore Veilstone. They had to be careful; everyone knew that Veilstone had some not-so-great neighborhoods that were best avoided, especially after dark. It was a much more imposing city than any they'd seen so far. Eterna had been rather subdued and comparatively quiet, Jubilife was bustling with friendly locals, and Hearthome was constantly humming with tourists and travelers coming to see its many attractions. They wandered for a few hours, bought some small souvenirs and stocked up on supplies, and then made their way to the Pokémon Center to settle in for the night.

-o-

Milo! Milo, Milo, Milo, Milo, Milo! Wake uuuuup, Milo!

The mental barrage and the force of an Eevee bouncing up and down on his chest woke Milo up at 7:30 the next morning.

Ehhh? Good morning, Aurora. You're excited, huh?

YEAH! I get to help you win a Gym badge today!

Yep, Milo pulled himself groggily to his feet and went about getting ready, that's right. Give me a chance to get breakfast real quick and we'll head over early to warm up.

One bowl of oatmeal later, Milo shocked the huddle of reporters lined up outside the Gym. They were clearly waiting to get the first chance to interview the Performers, but had not expected Milo to turn up first.

"Huh? Is that-"

"That's Milo! Milo, can we ask you about – Milo! Milo!"

With no small amount of smug pleasure, he turned to them from the door of the Gym and said, "Sorry, no questions right now, I have to prepare for my Gym battle at 9."

He heard a satisfying buzz break out behind him as he walked into the Gym to see the simple martial arts arena he'd seen so many times on television back in school.

"Hey there", came a voice. Its owner soon came jogging lightly into view from a back room around the corner, "I'm Maylene. Ah, Milo! Good, you're early."

"Yeah, I was hoping to get some last minute prep and warm up in. Is there a place I can do that?"

"Sure, follow me."

Maylene was one of Sinnoh's youngest leaders, only just in her early twenties, but she had been running her Gym successfully for over a decade. Her distinct shade of pink hair never failed to stand out no matter where she was, though she wore it in a long braid these days. Out of curiosity, Milo ventured a question while they walked,

"So what was that comment about politics yesterday? Are you not a fan of the Showcase?"

"Ugh, that's a whole…thing. Don't get me wrong, I totally don't mind Showcases, but I'm not a fan of having one here. I use this Gym, day in and day out to train myself and my students as well as accepting challenges. Then, because the League wants to show its support of Performers and help legitimize them on a national scale, I'm expected to drop everything for almost a week to host a Showcase in the Gym to demonstrate cooperation between Trainers and Performers."

"Ah", Milo's head was spinning. It was always a surprise to him how much Gym Leaders had to play politics, "I can see how that'd be frustrating."

"No kidding!" Maylene was venting now, "I mean, I'd gladly attend a Showcase hosted anywhere else in the city, but no, they insist that having it here shows the right 'symbolic support' for the Performer's Association from the Sinnoh League."

Shaking her head, the pink-haired Gym Leader stopped and took a breath before saying,

"Anyway, I'm sorry for dumping that on you. As you can tell, I've never been the best at dealing with that kind of thing. Playing diplomat is my least favorite part of this job."

"My brother always says the same thing", grinned the young man in response, "He always came and told me the wackiest stories when I was in school."

"I bet he did, Hearthome is even crazier than Veilstone from what I hear. Here's the practice gym, feel free to do whatever here until the battle, and I'll see you in – uh, what time is it now? – I'll see you in a half hour."

Milo and his team spent their last half hour doing light drills; running, dodging, anything small, just enough to get their blood moving and, in Milo's case, burn off any excess energy built up by the pre-battle jitters. His planned strategy was only going to work if he was completely in control of himself, and Maylene was an expert at ramping up the intensity of a battle in order to force mistakes.

In the middle of his warm up routine, he got a message on his watch from Amaya;

'Hey, I'm here', it said, 'Do your thing. Kick her butt. -A'

He smirked, and before too long, a man in a martial arts robe, one of Maylene's students, came to get him. He had hoped that Jenks' plan to use the Showcase to sneak his battle under the public radar would work, but he found to his disappointment that he would not be so lucky. There were easily a thousand Veilstone citizens in the stands, eagerly awaiting Maylene's first big Gym challenge of the season.

Easy, Milo, he told himself, Veilstone's a big place, of course people are going to show up.

As usual, his battle mentality kicked in as the referee began explaining the rules, and the jitters melted away. He had a plan, he was ready.

"BATTLE BEGIN!"

"Meditite, let's go!"

Milo took a deep breath. So far so good.

"Aurora, let's get to work!"

"Interesting", called Maylene from across the field, "I'll admit I was hoping for your Monferno, but this should be interesting. Meditite, Drain Punch!"

"Protect, then Shadow Ball!"

Meditite's Drain Punch collided safely with Aurora's Protect shield, but Maylene had a similar trick up her sleeve.

"Detect!"

With impossible precision, Meditite's eyes glowed and it avoided the Shadow Ball that would've landed a solid, super effective hit. Stalemate.

"Confusion! Then close in and Drain Punch again!"

"Aurora, Quick Attack, Bite!"

Meditite's eyes glowed again, blue this time, as it prepared a psychic blast, but Milo's little Eevee was too fast. Her Quick Attack carried her straight through Meditite, and the Bite she added in was a strong one. Before she released her opponent, Milo called a follow-up attack;

"Throw it, Aurora, then Shadow Ball before it lands!"

Aurora's hard work was evident as she tossed Meditite up and backwards and sniped it twice with Shadow Ball attacks before it landed. Milo had hoped that would end the round, but Maylene called confidently,

"Fake Out, now!"

The perfect counter-move would have been Quick Attack, but Milo was a fraction of a second too late, and Aurora cried out as she took the hit and went tumbling across the plain dirt field.

I'm sorry, Aurora!

I'm alright, Milo! Let's beat that meanie!

"Aurora, Return!"

Aurora summoned all her love for the best human she'd ever met and sent a blast of white energy at the exhausted Meditite. This time the round really was over.

"Meditite is unable to battle, Eevee is the winner!"

Maylene congratulated her young challenger as she recalled her defeated Pokémon, "Hmm. I underestimated that Eevee, Milo, I thought type advantage and trick moves would be enough, but you never fail to surprise. Let's try power next; go Machoke!"

This was the most crucial part of his strategy. He needed this round to go perfectly for Blaze to have a clear run at the Lucario that he knew would come in last. He took a deep breath and said calmly;

"Aurora, return. It's time. Ferra, let's get to work."

As the small Emanation Pokémon appeared, she immediately felt the calm attitude of her Trainer and looked back at him with a nod;

I'm focused, Papa. Let's go win, just like the practice.

There was a pause while Maylene took stock of the situation, one eyebrow raised, and Milo waited for her to make a move. He didn't have to wait long;

"Rock Tomb, Machoke!"

"Focus Blast those rocks, Ferra."

Milo's heart swelled with pride as his self-appointed 'daughter' blasted each and every incoming rock without moving and completely nullified the Superpower Pokémon's attack.

"Brick Break, Machoke!"

Without hesitation, the Leader's battler threw itself towards Ferra, who stood her ground defiantly.

"Quick Attack behind, and Force Palm!"

Ferra's Quick Attack took her in an arc around the onrushing Machoke, and as it slowed to locate its slippery target, she slammed it in the back with a Force Palm. Not waiting to see what the counter would be, Milo called immediately,

"Buffer! Now! Get your space, Ferra!"

Thus it was that Ferra was already backing off as fast as possible when Maylene yelled, "Karate Chop! Keep after that Riolu!"

"Crunch, Ferra!"

Ferra again refused to be intimidated by her much larger opponent, but this time she misjudged its advance and began her Crunch too late. She took the full force of the Karate Chop, and Milo struggled not to panic. Unsure of how to respond, he heard a welcome voice in his mind as the dust began to settle,

I'm…still okay…but I bet he thinks I'm down…

"Focus Blast!"

The bright blue sphere came out of seemingly nowhere and crashed violently into the unprepared Machoke, who was thrown bodily into the air. As he fell, Milo called again, his confidence returning;

"Follow him, Ferra! Blaze Kick!"

Ferra sprinted across the field, using a Quick Attack to make sure she got to Machoke before he landed. A split second before he hit the dirt, Ferra jumped at him and, with the extra momentum of Quick Attack lending power to her move, smashed a Blaze Kick into his side. Machoke landed and slid twenty feet before colliding with the wall of the arena, knocked out.

The referee stared open-mouthed at what he'd just seen for a second or two before recovering himself enough to call the round

"Uh, M-Machoke is unable to battle! Riolu is the winner!"

Maylene gave her young opponent a wry smile as she initiated the final round;

"You've done well, Milo, but next up is my strongest!"

"Then I guess you get the matchup you were hoping for!"

"Go, Lucario!"

"Blaze, let's get to work!"

Milo was working very hard now to keep himself calm. If he showed any signs of cracking, Maylene would know, and take advantage. He refused to be the weak point of his team.

I have to hold it together for one more round, he thought to himself.

"Ferno", came Blaze's voice from the battlefield. His fire starter flashed him an encouraging smile and a thumbs-up. His team had confidence in him. They could win this, together.

Across the field, there was a pause. Maylene and Lucario had adopted identical fighting poses. Like many gyms, this wasn't the Pokémon that Maylene was famous for, but another of the same species. This was a different Lucario. It wasn't as strong as Maylene's renowned partner, but it was certainly strong enough to provide Gym challengers a stern test.

The breathless pause continued, until the room felt as if it would burst in anticipation. Finally, Maylene started.

"Bone Rush!"

"Up, Blaze!"

Blaze jumped, and Milo saw Maylene's eyes flash triumphantly.

"No you don't! Follow it, Lucario! Knock that monkey down!"

She knew, realized Milo, she knew we would jump! Okay, okay, calm, keep calm, just think fast…

"Double Team!"

It was a rather clumsy escape plan, but it did the trick, as Blaze copies appeared all around Lucario, and Bone Rush took out only illusions. The real Blaze had bought himself enough time to land, but Maylene knew better than to give her opponent time to regroup.

"Again, Lucario, Bone Rush!"

The dangerous bone club once more came swinging towards Blaze, and this time Milo tried a new strategy,

"Low Kick, Blaze. Then Ember while you back off."

He was forcing himself to keep his voice level and breathe as normally as he could. Blaze ducked, just barely, under Lucario's wild Bone Rush and swept its legs, bringing the aura Pokémon crashing to the ground. Milo's Monferno backed away quickly while shooting the Fire attack for super effective damage to the half steel type.

"So that's your game now, huh Milo? Alright then, Lucario, Aura Sphere!"

"Return to sender, Blaze. Brick Break."

Lucario's signature move zipped across the field, and Blaze gritted his teeth. He timed his Brick Break perfectly, and the two Fighting moves bounced off one another. Blaze took some damage and slid backwards, but Lucario was not ready for its own Aura Sphere, and took another big hit. Milo wondered momentarily whether Lucario was still okay to battle.

"RAAAA!"

Lucario was definitely ready and willing to keep battling. It was glaring furiously at Blaze, who stared back cautiously.

"Lucario, I need every Aura Sphere you've got!"

With another ferocious yell, Lucario began firing rapid fire Aura Sphere's at Blaze, who dodged nimbly on instinct as Milo's brain jumped into action to help his partner escape.

"Another Double Team, Blaze! Then Mach Punch!"

It almost didn't work. Lucario's pace was blistering; it could take out the Double Team copies almost as fast as Blaze could make them. Ultimately, it was too tired to keep it up, and Blaze got up enough copies to work his way around behind Lucario. He had the split second he needed to launch a Mach Punch from behind Lucario. The lightning quick super effective hit was enough to make the Aura Pokémon stumble, drop to its knees, and finally fall over, unconscious. Exhausted from the intense battle, Blaze smiled tiredly at Milo, who recalled him gratefully amidst thunderous applause and cheers from the onlookers.

Maylene approached him and shook his hand vigorously;

"That was incredible! I knew you could plan well, but that was also an exhibition of absolute trust from your team! I'm honored to present you with this Cobble Badge. I also really hope you'll let me post that on the BattleNet for everyone to see."

"Go ahead and post it. Thank you for the badge!" Milo winked at the Gym Leader and added, "Best of luck against Amaya later, too. She's got a lot more firepower than I do."

As Milo went to heal his team and congratulate them, he met Amaya outside the Gym.

"Nice battle, as usual. That was really gutsy, putting Ferra in against a Machoke like that."

"I knew she could do it. Machoke probably doesn't fight many small opponents like her."

"Fair enough. Well, I'm headed to the Center, I think I'll spend my time training there until my battle this afternoon."

"Good idea", agreed Milo, "I'll heal my team, and head back to the Gym. Maybe watch some of those 'pretty girls with pretty Pokémon' as you call them."

"You're such a guy", Amaya rolled her eyes, "I'll see you over there in a few hours."

The more he thought about it, the more Milo was excited about watching the Showcase. He'd never seen one in person before, and it was a totally different way of working with Pokémon. Many Trainers looked down on Performers, like Amaya, but some were more accepting. After all, Ash Ketchum had married a Performer – Kalos Queen Serena herself, no less. After Nurse Joy kindly healed Milo's team he released and congratulated all of them on their victory. It was far from a flawless victory, but it was still a clean sweep, 3-0. After promising to go over their battle in more detail later, he returned his friends and headed back towards the Gym.

As it happened, he was almost late, and had to hurry in to find a seat before the first round began. The first round was themed according to the Gym setting; each Performer and their Pokémon partner had to complete a two-legged obstacle course and break several martial arts boards. It seemed that most Performers opted to take the first leg themselves, to give their Pokémon an example to follow for the second leg. Milo watched with some amusement, noting that some of the obstacles were similar to drills that he put his team through regularly.

When the first set of Rookie Performers had finished, most were breathing heavily. Only the winning team was granted passage into the second round. Milo politely applauded the first winner, who was positively brimming with excitement.

"And now, ladies and gentlemen, we present to you our next three lovely Performers! Please welcome…Shian! Marie! And Kara!"

Milo's ears perked at the last name on the list. He remembered watching Kara perform on television when he watched the previous Veilstone Showcase from the Eterna Pokémon Center.

Sure enough, it was the same Kara. She was quite stunning, with bright blue eyes that accentuated her bright face, framed by her long honey blonde hair.

Milo shook himself, focusing back in on the Performance round that was about to start.

Marie and Shian both lined up to do the first leg themselves, like the first round Performers, but Kara gestured to her Leafeon to take the first run. As the master of ceremonies signaled the beginning of the round, Milo remarked to himself;

That's really interesting. Kara trusts her Leafeon enough to let it go first so she can close out the round herself. I like that decision a lot.

He was satisfied to see it pay off, too, as Leafeon elegantly put the two Performers to shame through the obstacle course, moving with stunning grace. At the end, Leafeon barely had to stop moving as it used two perfectly aimed Leaf Blade attacks to sweep through the boards and release Kara herself for the second leg.

By the time the two other Performers finished the first leg, their Pokémon were already a good fifteen seconds behind Kara, who was sprinting through the obstacle course with a focused serenity that rivaled that of her Leafeon. She struggled to break the boards, though, and in the end was almost caught by a Machop that made a valiant attempt at a comeback. Still, when all was said and done, Kara was moving on to the second round.

The last two sets were not nearly as breathtaking as Kara's first round showing, and Milo was almost bored, when at last the MC congratulated the four finalists;

"And now, please put your hands together for our second round Rookie Performers! Here to dazzle us with spectacular freestyle Performances – Janice, Kara, Michelle, and Bridget!"

Only when the names were announced did Milo realize how invested he was in seeing Kara perform firsthand. She had impressed more than anyone else in the first round, and he couldn't help but notice that she was definitely the prettiest girl with the prettiest Pokémon.

Milo released his Pokémon to watch, and settled in as the freestyle round kicked off.

First up was Janice, who used a Mothim with several psychic moves to bounce projectiles gracefully off of the solid head of a Shieldon, who added rocks and artistic metal displays to the mix. It was an unusual combination, but decently aesthetic. She received healthy applause.

Next came Bridget. Bridget's Pokémon were far more hyperactive than Janice's, she had a Pachirisu and a Wooper. Pachirisu's electric bolts were absorbed, dispersed and reflected by Wooper, whose Ground typing rendered them harmless. Bridget herself danced about the stage, often coming within inches of the colorful electric shocks racing between her Pokémon. Her Performance attracted a lot of attention, certainly more than Janice.

As the next name was called, Milo sat forward in his seat, prompting a wry grin from Azura;

It seems Marcus isn't the only brother in the family with a weakness for beautiful girls with Grass types. Her Leafeon is a joy to watch, she's been very well-raised.

"Please welcome out third freestyle Performer…Kara!"

Milo blushed slightly and shot Azura a look, I don't know what you're talking about. She's the best Performer here by a mile, of course I'm excited to see her freestyle!

To his Trainer's chagrin, Blaze jumped in, Sure, sure, Milo. Still, you're a lot more excited about Kara than the rest of them put together. I do believe you have a crush.

….Shut up, both of you.

His two partners chuckled conspiratorially, but the Jubilife Trainer paid them no more heed as Kara began to perform, using a Froslass and a Scizor.

Each Pokémon showed a great command of its powers. Scizor and Froslass did some individual moves that alone were impressive as all-get-out. The real treat, though, was the finale.

Froslass kicked it off with a weak Blizzard that, combined with an earlier Aurora Veil, set a magical scene, as gentle snowflakes fluttered about the stage.

"Now, Frost! Ice Shard! Zexon, jump, Acrobatics and Metal Claw!"

The whole audience held their breath at the result. Frost, the Froslass, summoned several sizeable ice spikes about fifteen feet above the stage and let them start to fall. The spikes were in a ring around the stage's perimeter, with one falling in the center of the circle – straight towards an unmoving Kara.

While Frost had been summoning the spikes, Zexon, the Scizor, gave a mighty leap and then flew into an impressive Acrobatics attack, flying almost faster than the eye could see around the ring, his Metal Claw shattering each ice spike. The masterful display culminated when Scizor landed on the final spike, now less than five feet from Kara's head, and smashed it with a giant Flash Cannon. Prismatic slivers of ice fluttered to the ground along with the last of the snow from the Blizzard, and Kara stood, breathless herself, beaming safely at the audience from the center of the stage.

Milo joined in the massive cheer that arose from those present.

"Holy…did you guys see that?"

Whoa. I don't think even we would've tried that Milo, noted Azura respectfully.

Even Blaze, who had enjoyed a good laugh at the Performers' expense during the first round, was on his feet showing his appreciation of the dominant display of trust and control.

I feel kind of bad for the last girl though, said Milo mentally to his team, Imagine having to follow after that.

Good point, chuckled Azura, I don't envy her job.

Unfortunately, Michelle was too intimidated by Kara's performance to put up any kind of a fight. She did okay, using a Glameow and a Wingull to create some interesting combinations, but everyone knew it was barely and afterthought given that nobody but Kara could possibly win. Sure enough, when the MC called for the audience to place their glowcaster votes, Kara won by a landslide, and was duly awarded the Princess Key.

Milo, Azura got his attention, I know Amaya's battle is coming up, but…I'd like to go explore the city a bit.

Why?

Something about this place, it – it takes me back. I remember parts of this city from right after my parents…well, from when I was younger. Being here again, I guess it reminds me how far I've come. How lucky I am.

At this point, Blaze hopped up on the empty seat next to Milo and asked, Can I go too? I'd like to go find my old neighborhood.

Milo considered this carefully. He trusted his Pokémon, but Veilstone was known as Sinnoh's most potentially dangerous city for those who didn't know how to be careful.

As long as you both stick together that's fine. Remember to be careful, especially if you end up in a rough section of town, okay?

Yep, Azura was already on her way out, Blaze in tow, We'll see you later, we shouldn't be too long. Thanks!

-o-

Milo only had to wait another half hour for the Gym to begin buzzing again in anticipation of Amaya's battle with Maylene. He was rather looking forward to the element of surprise, he'd not yet seen anything of Spirielle's battling.

Kara

She allowed herself a sigh of relief and a small chuckle as she let herself out the back door of the Veilstone Gym. She just didn't feel like answering five million questions about Serena today. It was always going to be like that, she remarked to herself, no matter how well she did. It would always be 'How do you compare to Serena when she was your age?' or 'Has Serena given you any advice?', that kind of thing. That was the only problem with having a famous cousin; nobody cared about Kara's career. Not even her parents.

She gave herself a little shake. This was no time to be down about that again, she'd just won another Princess Key!

"You were great in the theme round, Verdante", she smiled at her Leafeon, who was walking next to her, "thank you again. You put the rest to shame."

"Fee", responded the Grass Eeveelution with a bright, genuine smile, "Fee Feon!"

"Anyway, do you have any idea how to get back to the hotel from here?"

Verdante had no clue, and Kara was left walking aimlessly down the street, hoping for some kind of map or someone who looked like they might know how to direct her. Neither of these was forthcoming, so she kept on wandering.

Nerves started creeping in as she noticed her surroundings starting to look more and more disheveled. She returned Verdante to her Pokéball to attract less attention. The people who hurried past her seemed more and more suspicious-looking, too.

Okaaaayy…This doesn't look like the best neighborhood to be lost in. Time to turn back.

Just as she turned around and tried to make her way back as unassumingly as she could, a psychic force yanked her into an alleyway. She landed hard on the concrete and cried out as she felt her wrist twist painfully. Now she was really starting to panic. She fumbled in her bag with her other hand for her Pokéballs, her nervous trembling not helping matters.

"Hey there, girly", came a sassy female voice, "What's in the bag? There wouldn't be any – I don't know – Pokémon in there, would there?"

A woman with a black cutoff shirt and black pants with pink highlights emerged from the shadow of a building, an Espeon trailing behind her. Kara could feel her heart pumping inside her. Suddenly, on instinct, she turned and tried to bolt down the alley, but she was stopped by a menacing Ariados and a similarly dressed woman, who laughed softly,

"Why are you running away? We don't want to hurt you. Just let us see those marvelous Pokémon of yours, dear. Now."

Kara could hardly keep herself from hyperventilating with fear, and finally she found what she'd been digging for;

"Zexon, I need you!"

Zexon, her Scizor, emerged and took stock of what was going on in an instant. Before he could act, a Swift and a Pin Missile flew down the alley, and Kara screamed as she was caught in the crossfire. She fell back against the wall behind her, hurt and terrified. Her voice failed her, and she could only look desperately, pleadingly at her Scizor.

"Zor", was all he said before firing every attack he could muster in both directions, attempting to drive off the Pokémon who dared attack the human he had long since sworn to protect. His barrage seemed to be working, at least for a time. After a few seconds, though, Annie and Oakley – for it was indeed Team Rocket's two best hunters who were attacking Kara – reclaimed control of the situation, and began coordinating their attacks to take advantage of the two versus one matchup.

Zexon was an experienced and skilled fighter, and fended off his assailants for a good few minutes, but eventually he started to be overwhelmed.

Just as Kara was thinking that surrender might be her only option, two Pokémon jumped down from the roof above the whole scene and began bludgeoning Team Rocket; it was a Monferno and what seemed to be a blue Umbreon.

"You?" Oakley was furious, "Not possible! What the hell are they doing here?"

Invigorated by the unexpected support, Zexon threw himself heroically back into the fight which now swung in favor of the defenders. In seconds, Annie called a retreat;

"We'll be back. You just watch yourself, girl. Oakley, let's scram for now."

"Agreed, Annie. Come on, Ariados."

Just like that, they were gone, and Zexon collapsed to the ground, exhausted from the sudden and intense battle. The Umbreon and Monferno held a short conversation, before the Monferno sprinted away faster than Kara would have expected. The blue Umbreon padded quietly over to the severely injured Kara, but stopped when Zexon growled at her, struggling to pull himself off the pavement.

The newcomer said something to him, and they stared at one another briefly, before the brave Scizor nodded and the Umbreon nuzzled in close to Kara, its blue stripes glowing warmly as it did its best to comfort the terrified girl.

Kara looked at her trusted Scizor, who nodded slowly and confidently. She'd never been one of those to understand Pokémon, but in this case the meaning was clear. Something the two rescuers had said told Zexon that it would be alright. Help was on the way.

Milo

Well, thought Milo as Amaya's Gym battle started, looks like she took my advice after all.

Leon had just been called against Maylene's Meditite. The opening exchanges were guarded, to say the least. Neither side made any move to close the distance. Leon's Crunch was enough to beat back Meditite's Confusion attacks.

"Let's pick this up a notch", said Maylene with a confident grin, "Rock Tomb!"

Amaya had learned her lesson; Leon wasn't the type to take a hit in order to respond.

"Get out of there, Leon!"

"Now Drain Punch, Meditite!"

Oh, that's good, thought Milo. Maylene had forced Leon to dodge in order to open him up for the real attack – the Rock Tomb was only meant to force Amaya to make a move. As Drain Punch struck, Amaya grimaced, but then called out;

"Thunder Fang!"

As Meditite stood still briefly to absorb the energy from Drain Punch, Leon pushed himself up with surprising alacrity and landed a big Thunder Fang that belied his small size. Meditite was reeling, but Maylene recovered just as quickly,

"You're okay, Meditite, Fake Out!"

"Don't let it get away, Leon! Spark!"

Milo shook his head. Amaya had played right into Maylene's hands again. Fake Out did its job, and Leon took another hit, getting up more slowly this time.

"Come on, buddy", Amaya encouraged him, "We need this!"

"Another Drain Punch!"

"Dodge!"

The dodging tactic had worked when Leon was less tired and working against a slower move, but this time he was helpless as another big hit came in. Meditite refreshed itself as Leon growled, forcing himself upright.

Geez, 'Maya, thought Milo, slightly worried, Get a grip. You're better than this…

"Leon, Crunch!"

"Shiiii-"

The little Shinx instead stood perfectly still and began to glow. Every onlooker held their breath as the Flash Pokémon evolved before their eyes.

"LU! LUXIO!"

"Yes! Leon, this is perfect! Alright, now show me a Crunch!"

The rejuvenated Leon instead leapt forward with a glowing dark claw, delivering a whopping Night Slash to the bewildered Meditite.

"Great!" Amaya wasn't going to argue with a new move, "Now show me what kind of electric firepower you've got!"

Another new move zipped across the field. Helpless to counter, the hapless Meditite took a Thunderbolt to the chest, and was down for the count.

"Meditite is unable to battle, Luxio is the winner!"

Milo was still applauding his friend when he heard Blaze in his mind;

MILO! Milo, come quick, we need help! It's Team Rocket again!

Instantly serious, Milo stood and unobtrusively made his way out of the stands before breaking into a sprint to get out of the Gym.

Blaze, where are you? Talk to me, what's the matter?

Milo's Monferno came flying around the corner, clearly out of breath, and nearly collided with his Trainer. He took a second to gather himself before reporting as quickly as he could;

We heard some yells, and saw Team Rocket attacking that girl from the Showcase. Her Scizor was protecting her, but it was losing, so Azura and I helped out. They left, but – Milo, she's hurt, and they're in a bad area. Come on, they need our help!

Take me there, said Milo. Blaze nodded and ran off with Milo hot on his heels. Luckily, the place in question was only a few minutes from the Gym, as the Monferno sprints. Milo arrived, gasping for air, and saw Azura huddled protectively against the girl who'd just won the Princess Key – Kara.

He stood stock still in the alley. He had never in his life been in a situation like this, and panic started to set in. Azura noticed and spoke sharply in his mind without moving from Kara's side;

Milo, focus. We need you. Call for help and help me get her up.

"Yeah", stammered Milo, "Yeah, call for help, sure…umm…"

Milo! Do it now! She's unconscious, and still bleeding!

Milo gave his head a big shake and snapped into action at Azura's insistence. He pulled up the emergency number on his watch, and a screen popped up with an emergency responder, who asked,

"Veilstone Emergency Center, what's the nature of your emergency?"

"Hi, I'm a few minutes north of the Gym, there's a girl here who got attacked and she needs help, but she can't move on her own. Can you send someone to us?"

"Just a moment, sir, we're pulling your location…okay, we can be there in ten minutes. It seems you're in Northtown, I'd advise you to move back towards the Gym if you think you can move her without causing further injury. We will meet you along the road and get her the rest of the way to the hospital. Can you do that?"

"Uh, yeah. Yes", Milo was slowly regaining his confidence and composure, "Yes, I can do that. I'll get her up and get moving towards the Gym."

"Okay, thank you, sir. What's your name, and what's hers?"

"I'm Milo, and her name is Kara."

"Alright. Thank you Milo, we'll see you as soon as we can."

Milo hung up, and took a breath to gather his nerve. As he approached Azura and Kara, he released all his Pokémon, and gave instructions;

"Okay, guys, I hope we'll be alright, but just in case I want you to walk around us as we get her out of here. It's not our strong suit, but I need you to try to look mean; we really need people not to mess with us. Got it?"

Drake got a fiery look in his eyes, and responded instantly;

Oh, I can look mean, alright. Just watch.

With that, as if on command, he began glowing, and within five seconds a Gabite stood in his place with a confident smirk.

What are you staring at? This is much meaner than a Gible. Let's go! Come on!

"Wow", Milo was at a loss, "okay, uh, cool. You just – okay, you're right. We need to get going."

He knelt down very carefully, and found an open Pokéball next to Kara, who was already very weak. He used it to return her injured Scizor, and gingerly lifted the young Performer in his arms.

"Okay, I've got her", he said, "let's move."

As quickly as they dared, Milo and his team moved south, back towards the Gym, with the newly evolved Drake leading the way, glowering at anyone who got too close. As they walked, Milo heard a very small, rasping voice;

"Thank you…please make sure…Zexon is okay…"

He looked down to see Kara's eyes fluttering, half-open. He gave her the most encouraging smile he could come up with and reassured her,

"We've got you, and the ambulance is headed this way. You and your Pokémon are going to make it, Kara, no doubt."

A fleeting grin flashed across her bruised face before she faded back out. Milo was beyond relieved to hear the screaming sirens as they approached the Gym. The ambulance met them two blocks from the Gym and the paramedics, both human and Pokémon, immediately took Kara and placed her in the back of their vehicle. Milo felt rather cut out, as if he was suddenly going to be left behind after everything he'd just done, but Officer Jenny pulled up a second later, and said,

"You were the one who called it in?"

"Y-yes, Officer. That was me. My Pokémon alerted me to her situation."

"We'll need your statements then, please come with me."

Wordlessly, Milo returned his team and jumped in the sidecar of Officer Jenny's motorcycle. The way she drove, they maneuvered manically through the Veilstone streets to reach the precinct within five minutes, a real feat.

Milo told Officer Jenny everything he knew, and related everything that Blaze and Azura told him as well. Jenny was at first suspicious of his mental connection to his team, but the information they had was too clear to disbelieve. It was fifteen minutes into his narrative that Amaya burst into the police station and hurriedly found Milo.

"Milo, there you are! I beat Maylene, but – I've been looking everywhere for you, what the heck happened? Why are you here, of all places?"

Officer Jenny gave her a stern look, and said, "Please don't interrupt, Milo is giving a statement as an eyewitness to a mugging gone wrong. Feel free to wait outside."

Amaya's eyes went wide, and she silently backed out of the room, closing the door behind her. It took another half an hour for Milo to finish giving his statement, and for Officer Jenny to ask enough questions that she felt confident about the events. She was unsure whether they would be able to catch Annie and Oakley, but she reassured Milo on that account as best she could;

"Just know your information will be invaluable once we eventually catch up to those two. Someday we will, and then all of this will come back to them in a big way. Thank you so much, Milo, you and your Pokémon are heroes for this, and I'll make sure the proper authorities know about what you did."

"Thanks, Officer Jenny, but I'd really rather this stay quiet. Really, I'm just glad I could be there to help, that's enough for me."

"That's incredibly humble of you, Milo, but I'll still tell the city officials so we can at least quietly give you some kind of commendation, even if there's no public ceremony. You deserve something for your brave intervention."

Milo thought about insisting, but thought it best to drop the issue, "I…alright, Officer. Again, thank you. Uh, do you think they'll let me see her at the hospital? I'd like to check and make sure she's okay…"

With a gracious smile, Jenny picked up the phone and winked, "I'll tell them you're coming. You can head over."

Milo left the interview room, and motioned to Amaya;

"I'm headed over to the hospital. Can we walk and talk? I'm sorry for disappearing in the middle of your battle, I can explain."

"You're darn right you can explain. Get started. What's this about a mugging?"

So, just as he had with Officer Jenny, Milo related every last detail of the afternoon's wild events, answering dozens of questions along the way.

"So", Amaya began once he'd finished, "we're headed to see this Kara girl now?"

"I mean, yeah. When you help save someone, you have this weird vested interest in making sure they're okay…"

"I'm not arguing, just checking to be sure."

As the two bantered, they walked into the hospital's main entrance, and Milo approached the reception desk.

"Hi, we're here to see a girl who just checked in? Kara? Officer Jenny said she would call about our visit…"

"Milo", came a voice from off to their left, "and Amaya, right?"

A nurse, clipboard in hand, had just emerged from the hallway behind the desk.

"Yes, that's us. Can you take us to Kara?"

"Perfect", the lady gave them a smile, "I was just coming out here to see if you were here yet. Kara's this way!"

Milo and Amaya followed obediently, and were led to a room three floors up. They stopped outside the door, and the nurse told them,

"She's awake, and is looking much better. She and her Scizor should make a full recovery fairly quickly. We were able to patch them up before their wounds got to be too serious. She was lucky; if you hadn't gotten her here so quickly, this could easily have gone a lot worse for both of them. As it stands, she'll just need some treatment and some rest."

Milo nodded, and slowly opened the door.

"Zor!" Zexon the Scizor, it appeared, would not be separated from his Trainer. Despite being covered in bandages, the Pincer Pokémon was seated vigilantly in the armchair across from Kara's hospital bed. It stood at the sound of the door, but was relieved to see Milo. Azura walked forward to greet him, and they exchanged a solemn nod before the protective Steel type returned to his seat.

"You're…Milo?"

Kara's voice immediately drew the young man's attention. He released Blaze and strode to the Performer's side;

"Kara, hi. Yes, I'm Milo. This is Blaze, and I think you met Azura down there by your feet. That back there is my friend Amaya."

Kara flashed the group a weak smile, "I've seen you guys. I mean, before tonight. You're the Rookies everyone's going on about, right? The ones going around the Gyms?"

Milo was embarrassed, so Amaya answered, "Yep, that's us. Three down, five to go; we both beat Maylene today, in fact. Also", Amaya seemed suddenly uncertain at how to convey sympathy, "I'm, umm, really sorry about what happened to you. Team Rocket's given us issues before, but nothing like this. Anything we can do, we'd be glad to help…"

"Well", Kara laid a bandage-covered hand on Milo's arm, "thanks to my hero and his brave team, I should be alright. Thank you, Milo. I can't express how grateful I am. Zexon did everything he could, but if you and your team hadn't driven them off…I might not be here."

"I did the right thing, that's all", Milo blushed as he tried to give proper credit, "Blaze and Azura were the ones to jump in. I'm really glad they were there to help. They're pretty cool."

Amaya got Milo's attention and said quietly, "Hey, I think I'm going to head back, three's a crowd here. You should stay, though, I think it'd be good for her to have someone with her, you know?"

Milo blinked, it took him a minute to catch the drift, "O-okay. I can stay. I'll see you in the morning?"

"Yep. Call if you need anything."

So, thought Milo, she's capable of care and tenderness after all. Amaya, you're full of surprises.

After Amaya left, Milo fell back into conversation with the recovering Kara. They laughed about having seen one another on television, and discussed both battling and performing.

"You know", remarked Kara at one point, "I really envy you travelling Trainers. Just going around Sinnoh with your Pokémon, wherever the road takes you… What a life."

"Yeah, I like it", Milo answered with a grin, "but don't Performers do the same?"

Kara's face fell slightly, "Usually we do, but not this Performer. These last couple Showcases in Veilstone have been my first."

"Your first?" Milo's surprise was evident in his voice, "I'd never have thought that, you're a natural. Why haven't you done any other Showcases before these?"

Kara smiled almost apologetically and said, "Truth be told, I'm kind of a runaway. I've always wanted to be a Performer, my whole life, but my parents would never allow it. I did all kinds of unofficial Performances back home in Floaroma, but my parents wouldn't let me compete properly. They're both florists, and they forbid me to do anything else with my life."

"Man, that's rough. So you ran away to compete, huh?"

"I did. I just…Something tells me I was born for this. I love doing it, and it runs in the family."

"The family? I thought you said your parents were florists?"

"They are", Kara rolled her clear, blue eyes and said almost deviously, "but my mom's sister's family is a whole other story."

Milo, who was seated on the edge of the aspiring Performer's bed, leaned in excitedly, "Do tell!"

"My mom's sister, Grace, was a famous Ryhorn racer back in the day, and her daughter, my cousin, is the reigning Kalos Queen."

"Wait", Milo soon put two and two together, and his eyes grew wide, "your cousin is Serena Ketchum? No way, that's crazy! No wonder you're a natural! You know what else, you and I have more in common than you'd think."

It was Kara's turn to be intrigued, "How so?"

"Well, we both have famous relatives, for one; my brother Marcus leads the Hearthome Gym. We're both also surprisingly close to Ash Ketchum; I grew up in Jubilife learning Pokémon care from his mom, Deliah Ketchum."

At that, Kara's bright eyes twinkled, "Oh, I love her! I've met her a few times, when I visited Serena! Small world, isn't it?"

They talked a while more, until Kara's head began to nod. Milo smiled, and quietly pulled her sheets closer around her, before returning his Pokémon and settling into an armchair to fall asleep himself. He never liked to make his team spend the night in their Pokéballs, but there wasn't enough space in the hospital room.

The next morning, Milo experienced something he never had before. After getting breakfast for himself and Kara from the hospital's cafeteria, a nurse came in, with a Pokémon assistant, an Audino.

"Nurse Audino, can you check her vitals while I examine these scabs and marks?"

Milo stayed out of the way, unsure of what was happening, but seconds later, the Nurse seemed to come to the conclusion that Kara was sufficiently recovered for…whatever was about to happen.

"Okay, I see no reason to delay. Nurse Audino, do you agree?"

"Audino", the Pokémon nodded.

"Very well, then. Miss Kara, if you could just relax, this might feel strange. Nurse Audino, go ahead and use Heal Pulse."

Audino placed its hands on Kara and a warm glow issued from the points of contact outwards over Kara's whole body. The effect was instantly visible; the scars, scabs and bruises from the episode of the previous night simply faded away, and relief was evident in Kara's face.

"That's incredible", Milo blurted out, "how does that work?"

The nurse turned and explained briefly, "We have to use it carefully, because the effects of any Pokémon move on humans can be more complicated than we understand. However, it seems that a patient who is mostly recovered benefits greatly from limited exposure to a controlled Heal Pulse."

"Why wait until they're already mostly better?"

"Well, I'm no expert", the nurse gave a quick disclaimer, "but I think Heal Pulse will just go over a human system and fix superficial injuries, so if a patient has significant issues, they could be healed incorrectly, and make the problem worse."

Kara smiled and patted the Audino's arm, "Thank you so much, Nurse Audino!"

"Aud Audino no!"

"Actually", the nurse addressed Kara, "since the Heal Pulse treatment seems to have been successful, we'll keep you another hour to ensure there's no delayed reaction, and then you're clear to go!"

After the Nurse left, Kara turned immediately to Milo and said,

"Milo, I just…can't thank you enough. You saved me, and then you stayed with me here, there's no way I can repay you."

"Well", he smiled, "I was never going to not help. You should really be thanking my team, they brought me in and fought off Annie and Oakley."

Milo released his Pokémon, and Kara thanked them as well,

"All of you, thank you so much! Zexon and I owe you our lives!"

Aurora, full of her usual energy and positivity, bounded onto Kara's bed and snuggled happily with the Performer, commenting to Milo,

She's so pretty, and nice and soft and friendly! Milo, can we keep her?

"What? Aurora, what kind of question is that?"

As Kara looked bewildered at his outburst, Milo realized he'd responded verbally to a mental question, and explained briefly, and awkwardly,

"Oh, uh, I can sort of…talk to my team. In my head. It sounds crazy, but, well, yeah."

Kara's sky blue eyes got very wide, "That's incredible! What did Aurora ask?"

"Oh, that? Well, she…she likes you and she wanted to know about your Pokémon."

Milo thought his little lie was as convincing as it needed to be, but Aurora protested, shaking her head violently.

Hey! That's not what I said! Don't lie, Milo!

Kara giggled, "It seems Aurora doesn't agree with your claim, there."

"Yeah, alright. You caught me. This is super awkward, but she says you're pretty, and friendly, and stuff and…she asked me if we could keep you. Which is ridiculous, of course. Sorry about that."

Kara laughed before responding, "Well, I'm quite flattered, Aurora. I think you're pretty and friendly, too. Hey, Milo can you help me up? I'd like to stretch my legs."

Milo obliged, holding Kara's hand as she stood, putting his other hand gingerly around her waist as support. Amaya chose that moment to walk into the room, and with a mischievous smirk, said,

"Well, good morning to you two. I see you're getting along just fine here, huh Milo? Hey, wait, Drake evolved! When the heck did that happen?"

Milo was about to tell the story when he realized he hadn't had time to actually find out what caused it.

How did that work, Drake? I've never seen a Pokémon evolve on command like that.

I'd felt it coming on for a while. It just was waiting to be triggered. Then that all happened, and I knew that you needed – well, she needed – me to help, and in that moment I just knew it would work.

"Huh", Milo explained to the two girls, "Seems like he knew it was time, and he knew Kara need us, so he just kind of let it rip. I like it, pal, the new look suits you. One more, and then you're Garchomp!"

The short, feisty Twinleaf Trainer leaned against a wall, "Well, alright then. Kara, what're your plans now? Milo and I are probably headed to Pastoria next."

"I…Truthfully, I'm kind of stuck. I ran away from home to compete here, so I should go back to Floaroma eventually, but I'll have to find a way – I spent my money getting here – and I'll have to deal with my parents. That's never fun, especially by myself."

Kara was still leaning on Milo for support, but the both of them nearly fell over when Amaya shrugged and said,

"Well, you can come with us. We can detour back to Floaroma and take you with us from there. Milo, any objections?"

Aurora began jumping for joy (literally), and all but screamed in Milo's brain;

PLEASE! Milo, can we PLEEEASE take her with us? C'mon, it'll be SOOO FUN!

Azura also padded forward and offered her thoughts, with a devious grin, I don't think you'd mind keeping in company with the lovely young Kara, would you Milo?

Milo gave both of them a look, and said, "You two have made your point, you can stop now. I have no problem with that, I'd love to have you along, Kara, if you want to come."

He looked at Kara to find her staring at him, her whole face brightened with excitement. She wrapped her arms tightly around him and said,

"Oh my gosh, that would be the best! If that's really okay, I would love to come with you two!"

She pulled away from her attack hug and Milo saw a tear brimming in the honey blonde's eyes.

"You have no idea how much this means to me, really. Ah! I almost can't believe this is happening! We're really going on a Sinnoh journey! AH!"

She threw herself at Milo once more, and he flushed instantly, awkwardly returning her hug before glaring pointedly at Amaya, who was silently cackling from her spot in the entry way.

After the allotted hour had passed, Kara was released from the hospital and returned to her hotel room to get her things.

You know, said Blaze when Kara met them in the lobby, she brings up our average fashion level by about a million. Neither of you could wear jeans and a t-shirt and look anywhere close to that good.

Ha ha. You're done, was Milo's response.

With that, they were off, making the multi-day journey to Floaroma on foot. Veilstone had provided them a great deal of adventure and novelty, as well as two Gym badges and a new travelling companion.

Author's Notes: Here's the Veilstone chapter! There's a lot going on here, I had to make a conscious effort to keep it to a reasonable length, but I'm fairly pleased with how it came out. Your thoughts? What is your first impression of Kara? If you were wondering, that's pronounced Car-uh.

I STILL don't own Pokémon, by the way. If you have any questions, comments, concerns, compliments, or anything at all, I'd LOVE for you to leave a review and tell/ask me! I always enjoy hearing from you! If you enjoy the story, be sure to follow/favorite to keep updated, and help others find it here, too! Thanks for reading, cheers to all!