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)

18. Chapter 18 - Low Tide

Milo Chapter 18 – Low Tide

"Attack, my glorious Dusknoir! Show your might!"

"NOOOO!"

A desperate lunge. A huge impact. Pain. The feeling of soaring through the air….

"Gah!"

Milo sat up, breathing heavily, sweating in his bed at the Pastoria Pokémon Center. The same dream, the memory of that night. Every night since he'd come out of his coma that vivid nightmare had haunted him. He checked the clock on the dresser; it was just after six in the morning. Knowing he'd never be able to fall back to sleep, he rubbed his face and got up quietly.

As hard as he tried, he couldn't keep from rousing his Pokémon, who were all strewn about the room, sleeping however they felt most comfortable. The first to poke their heads up were Azura and Aurora, curled in a ball together in the sheets at the foot of Milo's bed.

You're up early again, noted Azura as she stretched, same dream?

I…yeah. Same dream. Sorry, you can go back to sleep, don't mind me.

The shiny Umbreon leapt down to rub against his legs, and answered with a soft purr;

Nonsense. You know I'd never let you go off by yourself. Not like this.

He sighed resignedly, but leaned down with a smile to rub her head nonetheless.

Thanks.

The rest of his team were now beginning to shake themselves awake, so he addressed them;

"Morning, guys. Sorry to get you all up early, again. How does training at the beach sound for today?"

Training was the magic word. Milo's Pokémon all shared one thing in common; all of them would jump at any chance to grow stronger, both individually and together. They all eagerly agreed, and within the hour they had relocated to the southern shores just outside Pastoria. There at the beach, the difference in Milo's attitude since the attack became most apparent.

"Come on guys, keep up!"

It had been almost an hour since they started now, and his lungs felt ready to burst. He'd never pushed himself or his team this hard before. He looked back to see his two youngest team members struggling.

"Aurora, Ferra, pick it up! I know you can do this! Let's go guys, this isn't a game anymore!"

With a resolve that inspired him, the Eevee and Riolu simultaneously put their heads down and, panting, forced themselves forward to rejoin the main group.

As they made a wide loop to come dashing back the way they'd come, not a one of them complained. All of them were terribly exhausted, but nobody questioned this new, harsher training.

Flashback

Two days previously, on the morning after Milo and Kara's rainy first date, the young Jubilife Trainer had assembled his team for a very official 'team meeting'.

"Okay guys. Aurora, I need you to sit and listen now, okay? Thank you. Alright. So, I'm asking you guys this, not telling you, because we're a team here, all together."

Yeah, yeah, we know that part, Drake cut in, eager for the news, Cut to the chase, huh?

Milo chuckled, "Okay, Drake, just for you. Here it is: I want to jack up the intensity of our training regimen. Like, a lot. I've been thinking hard about this. It's bigger than just winning badges and proving ourselves in competitions now; we have to be able to protect our friends. I almost couldn't keep Kara safe when that Primal ambushed us. We almost weren't strong enough, as a team, to protect one another. Next time we might not be so lucky. What do you guys think?"

They were quiet for a moment as Milo waited patiently for their thoughts, and the Pokémon took their time gathering said thoughts together. Drake spoke up first.

I'm all for more training. The harder I push myself the sooner I'll be Garchomp. Nobody, and I mean Nobody, messes with a Garchomp or anyone under its protection. I'm all in.

Surprisingly, it was Aurora who next voiced an unusually mature opinion, Me too. I love us – all of us. Our team, 'Maya and Kara, and their teams, too. I was so super scared when Milo wouldn't wake up, and…it made me want to be stronger, too. So nobody can scare me like that ever again. I'm ready to work to be strong.

I'll work to be strong, too, Roro, came little Ferra's voice. My daddy's spirit told me he was proud of me, and how I was growing. I'll train hard and help protect my friends and my Papa and keep making him proud.

Milo didn't trust himself to speak, so moved was he at their commitment. He looked silently at Blaze and Azura. His two first Pokémon looked at one another and smiled before Milo's Fire starter answered for them both;

Milo, we've been with you since the beginning. You know we'd do anything for you, for the family we've built together. To protect our own – hell yeah, we're in. Let's train like there's no tomorrow.

End Flashback

It had been a unanimous decision that the team had wasted no time putting into practice. Their runs were faster and longer. Their fights were no longer academic and experimental; now their training bouts were conducted at real battle pace and with full effort at all times.

Currently, Blaze and Aurora were fighting Drake and Ferra. Milo was sparring with Azura, working on his Dark Aura abilities. The Trainer leapt over a Shadow Ball, already firing a Dark Aura Sphere down at Azura. Rather than dodge, she retaliated with a Quick Attack-powered jump that smashed into Milo's abdomen. Without bothering to get up, he rolled over and fired a one-handed Dark Beam at the Moonlight Pokémon, who was hit by the unexpected counterattack.

This gave Milo the opportunity to scramble back to his feet, just in time to dive to the side to avoid Azura's Tackle. Before either of them could come up with another attack, they were all blown back by a wave of intense heat from the neighboring battle.

"Whoa", Milo picked himself out of the sand, "what was – Blaze?"

Yep, answered the Flame Pokémon with pride, that was me.

"I think that was Heat Wave, bud. Very nice!"

Whatever it was, grunted Drake, who had received the brunt of Blaze's new move, it hurt like all hell. That'll come in handy for sure.

HEY, STOP!

Azura yelled both mentally and aloud as she sprinted back towards their stuff, which they had left in a pile to the side. Milo whirled to see a small Pokémon making off with as much of their snacks as it could carry. Milo's Umbreon fired off a quick Shadow Ball, but the thief skillfully sidestepped it and kept running.

Hmph, allow me, Blaze stepped in. With his improved speed, he was quickly able to outstrip the thieving Pokémon and confront it. It looked like a Buizel, and Blaze cocked his head quizzically,

Don't I recognize you from somewhere, thief?

The Buizel looked Blaze coolly up and down, set aside its armful of stolen goods, and settled into a battle crouch, showing no fear in the face of its larger, faster opponent.

Not giving the Buizel time to settle in too much, Milo's Infernape launched a Mach Punch – Low Kick combo that leveled the Sea Weasel Pokémon. The rest of the team began moving as if to join their fiery compatriot, but Milo held them back, saying;

"Hold up guys, Blaze is right; this thing does look oddly familiar. Is that…the Buizel that beat Blaze in Hearthome?"

As Milo spoke, the two had been circling one another, each trying to look scarier than the other. The Buizel was having a hard time with this, trying to crane its neck to stare up at Blaze and still keep one eye on its stolen prize. As the rest of the team watched apprehensively, the Buizel circled back around to its pilfered stash. All of a sudden, it stooped and grabbed the food, firing a Water Gun to buy itself a split second before using Aqua Jet to sprint off with at least half of their supplies.

Instinct took over, and Milo grabbed an empty Pokéball as he sprinted after the small culprit, his team following close behind.

Woohoo! Aurora cheered as they ran, Let's catch that sneaky bastard!

Whoa! Milo turned to glance sharply at her over his shoulder as they ran after the speedy Buizel, Watch your mouth there. I don't want to hear you saying that. Where'd you hear that?

Umm, Drake…

Milo's Gabite roared in protest from off to his right, angry at having been tossed under the proverbial bus, That's not fair, I'm not the only one who-

Stow it, Milo cut him off, We'll talk about this later, Aurora, but we WILL talk about it.

Focusing his attention on the still-retreating Sea Weasel, he instructed his team,

"Fan out, guys. Aurora and Ferra with me, Azura circle left. Drake, I want you around the right. Blaze, follow Drake but keep going, try and cut him off directly. Okay, go!"

His team split off as ordered, but their target was just as clever. It glanced back as they dispersed, and without hesitation the Buizel threw on the brakes, and most of Milo's Pokémon sprinted straight past it, unable to react in time to catch it. Fortunately, Milo had hung back to keep the thing contained, so he was able to twist and lay out like some kind of athlete, making a diving grab at the Buizel's paws as they pounded the ground.

He just felt his fingers catch on its front leg and heard the crash as the Water type tripped and slid through the dirt. Scrambling to his feet, Milo grabbed at the empty Pokéball and hurled it at the Buizel before it could recover. Too late did Milo realize he'd jumped the gun. The slippery Sea Weasel leapt up easily in time to dodge the offending sphere.

As Milo's Pokémon caught up to them, Blaze moved forward and said confidently;

Heh. I got this one, step aside.

"Hold it", Milo stopped him and stepped forward himself, "I'll take this thing myself. Listen here, thief!"

The Buizel's smug look turned to one of confusion. He hadn't expected to face off against a human. Milo continued,

"I'm going to show you that we're something different from other teams. I can only presume that Nova released you for some reason, but on my team we stick up for one another. No matter what. Blaze may be the one you beat back then, but I'm the one who's going to pay you back for it."

"Bui! Bui bui!"

Whatever the Water type had retorted clearly offended Milo's team. As one they snarled and made to step forward. In the end it was Azura who barked at her teammates out loud;

"Bree! Br-r-r-eee!" After convincing them to let her speak for them all, she stepped up directly beside Milo and, glaring daggers at the Sea Weasel, spoke her piece;

"Bree bree! Bree breeoooon! Br-r-r-r-ee!"

The Buizel was unaffected by Azura's no doubt stunning defense of Milo as a Trainer, and launched an impromptu Water Gun. To his shock, the crazy human who had challenged him blocked it directly with some kind of Dark sphere attack!

"That's right", said Milo, "I can fight, too. Not so helpless now, am I? Come on, let's throw down, you little burglar."

Azura stepped back, and Milo began predatorily circling the Buizel, who responded in kind. All of a sudden, the thieving Pokémon launched forward in an Aqua Jet for which Milo was unprepared. He just managed to fire a Dark Aura Sphere in response, but it only dulled the impact slightly.

Milo's team were all cheering him on, but Drake's advice was actually helpful;

SIZE, Milo! You've got size on him, use it!

Before the Buizel could stand back up, Milo threw himself sideways, landing on top of his opponent with one knee. He took a Water Gun directly to the face as the Sea Weasel thrashed and squirmed, but Milo held on for dear life, until at last the angry thief ran out of ideas. Huffing and puffing, it could only lay beneath Milo's knee and snarl up at him.

With a victorious grin, Milo called out behind him, not taking his eyes off the troublesome food burglar,

"Somebody bring me that ball. This guy's joining the team!"

He heard a scramble, and in a few seconds, Ferra emerged at his side, cradling the empty Pokéball almost reverently in her two small paws.

Milo held the ball above the Buizel and said,

"I can teach you to be stronger, faster, and smarter. You have potential, and I can make sure you realize it. This team is headed for the top and I want you on it. Come with us, Buizel."

With that he pressed the button, and Buizel was sucked in. The moment of truth…

The ball shook once, violently…

Another shake, still quite vigorous…

A third wiggle, but now the ball was definitely calming down…

PING!

"YES! That's it, we got him!"

Milo pumped a victorious fist in the air and picked up the ball that now contained his sixth team member.

"We're a full team now, you guys!"

Still breathing heavily, from the excitement as well as the fight, Milo and his team walked back towards their stuff at the beach. As they approached, Milo was mentally bombarded by a new voice in his mind;

So THIS is where you've been! My goodness gracious, Sir Milo, milady Kara has been absolutely beside herself with concern for your wellbeing! Milady! Lady Kara! This way!

Florence the Ralts hailed her Trainer, and Kara came running;

"Oh, Milo! Where the heck were you? We came out here to watch you and to train a bit, and you were just gone!"

The ruffled Performer threw herself into her rather bewildered boyfriend's arms;

"I, uh, I'm sorry?" Milo didn't quite know how to respond, "I didn't mean to disappear, I was just chasing after this Buizel that stole our food…"

Drake, meanwhile, stomped his way up to Florence;

What's with the weird talk, Flo? Can't you just speak? You know, like normal?

The prim little Feeling Pokémon huffed at this, putting her small hands on what must have been her hips;

How very uncouth! I would ask that you refrain from making such comments at my expense in the future, good Sir Drake.

Aurora bounded up between them and, as usual, threw out her own unsolicited opinion;

I like when she talks! It sounds all fancy and weird!

While the Pokémon had this little discussion, Milo had hurriedly and excitedly explained himself to Kara, and was now eager to meet his sixth team member.

"Alright", he smiled, his eyes alight with the pure excitement of being a Trainer, "let's meet him! Come on out, Buizel!"

A bright flash revealed Milo's newest Pokémon, and all present fell into a hush, Buizel included. After a moment's silence, the Sea Weasel barked;

"Bui! Bui bui, bui!"

Milo raised an eyebrow, as Aurora sprang forward with a cheery grin towards her new teammate;

Yay! I'm so glad we get to be friends!

With a confused glance, Buizel began frantically dodging the rambunctious Eevee, who chased gleefully after him. The rest of the Pokémon all seemed to relax a bit, and Azura did her Trainer the favor of translating;

He says he's okay with this, as long as you fulfill your promise.

"Perfect", grinned Milo, "that's the kind of ambition I like to see. Hey! Hey, Buizel!"

Milo had to join the one-sided game of chase long enough to convince Aurora to calm down before he could ask;

"Buizel, do you have a name? You know, a name besides Buizel?"

"Bui? Bui bui…"

Azura, who had followed them over, anticipating the need for further translation, cut Buizel's response short, and the two had a short discussion, which Milo assumed involved his Umbreon introducing the concept of mental communication. Sure enough, she looked back at Milo and nodded after a few seconds.

A look of both concentration and suspicion formed on Buizel's face as he faced his new Trainer. Milo nodded in what he hoped was a reassuring way before taking a breath and reaching out with his mind.

…Hey there, Buizel. It's me. Milo.

Hoooollyyyyyy…What the hell kind of creepy power IS this?

Uh, do you want the long or the short version?

You know what, I'm not sure I want to know right now. My mind is already blown.

Milo laughed aloud before asking again;

"Ha! Fair enough. So, do Buizel have names besides Buizel?"

Uh, not really. At least not in my family. And Nova never went for that kind of thing, either. I guess I'm just Buizel.

Milo offered his new Water type some of the food he'd tried to steal as he responded;

"Alright. Well, I am a fan of names. I already know what your favorite move is, so why don't we go with that? I'll call you Jet. Sound good?"

Looking up from the berries he was already plowing through, Jet thought for a minute before letting a fierce smirk spread over his features;

Jet, huh? I like it. It really does suit me.

Milo's brain was already whirring with possibilities…the surprise addition of Jet could produce immediate results if the Buizel proved strong and fast enough to be relied upon for the impending fight against Wake…

The Jubilife Trainer needed time to process this new development, so he decided to give Jet a metaphorical 'baptism by fire';

"Alright guys. You all know how we've been training for the past few days. I want you to give Jet an introduction to our drills and the way we do things on this team. Don't go easy on him! Alright? Go on, then…"

-o-

"Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to the Pastoria Gym for today's battle between our fearless Leader, the mighty Crasher Wake, and the upstart rookie from Twinleaf….AMAYA!"

Seated in the stands, Milo felt his head was still spinning from the whirlwind of the past few days – in fact, it had already been close to a week since he caught Jet on the beach. All three young people had kicked their training into overdrive in preparation for the challenges to come; Milo and Amaya knew they were about to face the toughest Gym Challenge of their career to date. Kara was manically planning and rehearsing for the next Showcase in Hearthome.

The announcer continued hyping up Wake and not-so-subtly casting doubt over Amaya's chances in the match as Milo took a deep breath. The confidence of the people of Pastoria in Wake's ability was far from unfounded. It was common knowledge that while the first three Leaders in the Sinnoh circuit were no joke, Wake was the first one who really twisted the screws on challengers. Roark, Gardenia, and Maylene had a combine average win percentage of 66%. Wake won no less than 85% of challenges to his badge. From the seat next to him, Kara nervously took hold of Milo's arm;

"You guys have a plan, right? You're going to win?"

"You better believe it", answered Milo with much more confidence than he was feeling inside, "You know us; we always a plan to win."

"I – I know… It's just that Wake is such a big deal, he's the halfway mark. I've seen how much this means to you both – you know, after everything that's happened since we got here – and I'm just scared that something is going to ruin all your hard work."

Warmth spread through Milo, and he smiled genuinely,

"Kara, this is one of those things I love about you. You're not even the one battling, but you're worried for us because you care for your friends so intensely. Thanks, Kay."

The Trainer withdrew his arm carefully, only to wrap it reassuringly about the shoulders of the now-blushing Kara. At last, the battle seemed ready to begin. There were at least a few hundred Pastorians as well as a couple of local news crews hankering for the match to kick off as the announcer finally called out;

"Let the match between Wake the fearsome Leader and Amaya the challenger…BEGIN!"

Wake was slowly but surely aging, but had not as of yet lost his unique flair;

"AHAHA! Let's put on a show! Gyarados, on the water!"

"Spirielle, just like we planned. Let's do this."

Kara turned immediately to Milo with a questioning look;

"Why Spirielle when Gyarados has a double weakness to Leon?"

Milo answered quickly without taking his eyes off of the battlefield, where Amaya's Haunter was making Gyarados' attacks hit nothing but thin air;

"Leon's probably her failsafe. Plus, Wake's got a huge size advantage over Leon with Gyarados, especially when most of the field is water. Not even his Electric typing could overcome that. Wake might even have planned that on purpose, he's probably scouted her – our – Pokémon in advance."

"Hmm…That's like something you would do. Go 'Maya! Take him down!"

On the field, the Twinleaf Trainer wore her customary smirk, saying virtually nothing as Gyarados failed to get anywhere close to her Haunter. Spirielle was just too fast for the Atrocious Pokémon, which only served to enrage Wake's proud beast. After another couple of attacks, Amaya seemed to decide the game of hide-and-seek had gone on long enough;

"Our turn, Spirielle. Lick."

Vanishing once more, Spirielle reappeared in front of Gyarados, sticking her tongue out and making a rather rude and disrespectful face. Gyarados fell for the provocation and fired yet another unbidden Dragon Rage at Spirielle, only to find she had already disappeared.

Before the Water-Flying type could react, Spirielle was behind him with a paralyzing Lick that left him with crippling spasms.

"Hmm, that's smart", noted Milo, "she manipulated his size advantage and turned him into a sitting Psyduck. Now she'll go full Amaya on him, I bet."

Sure enough, once she was sure that the Lick had succeeded, Amaya called out rapid fire attacks;

"Lay it on, girl, no mercy! Shadow Ball, Sludge Bomb, Psychic!"

As Spirielle complied with ruthless efficiency, Kara remarked,

"Spirielle's definitely different from when she was a Gastly. She couldn't focus to save her life before, but now she just toys with people and then whoops their butts."

"She's still a bit immature", countered Milo, "she tends to toy with them a bit more than necessary. But you're right, she's much more invested in battling than before."

The Ghost type in question was currently bludgeoning the furious Gyarados into submission, but it seemed Amaya had underestimated the massive sea serpent's staying power. As one attack after another pummeled the already-poisoned beast, Wake's Gyarados gave a ground-shaking roar and, of his own accord, began firing any attack he could come up with.

"Back off", cried Amaya as she realized her miscalculation, "Spirielle, back off now!"

Spirielle was having too much fun tormenting her dangerous opponent. Seeing the brief miscommunication, Wake made one of his favorite dramatic-finish type plays;

"Gyarados, OUTRAGE!"

With an impossible noise that could only be described as a scream and a roar put together and magnified, Gyarados flung himself bodily at the now frantic Spirielle, pure draconic energy glowing in his crazed eyes.

"Spirielle, forget about hitting back, just MOVE!"

"Oh crap", Milo was on the edge of his seat, "she's losing control of this thing in a hurry. She needs to keep her cool, this is exactly where Wake wants to be right now."

Somehow, with Amaya's frenetic encouragement, Spirielle kept just barely ahead of Gyarados' wild charging. After the most stressful twenty seconds of her battling career, Amaya noticed Gyarados at last pause due to his paralysis.

"NOW, Spirielle, Psychic! Take this thing down!"

The Haunter completed one last inch-perfect dodge before unleashing a vicious Psychic that was strong enough to visibly bend the space around Gyarados. With a final ear-splitting roar, the mighty Atrocious Pokémon toppled into the water, unmoving.

As the crowd exploded in raucous applause, the referee made the call;

"Gyarados is unable to battle, Haunter is the winner!"

"HAHA! That was spectacular", called Wake confidently across the watery field, "but that's only one down! You've got two more to go through before this is over, girl! I'll admit, I was hoping for your Milotic to show up first, but no matter! Let's see how you handle this one; Quagsire! On the water!"

"Hmph", Amaya had regained her composure, and with it her unflappable attitude, "Be careful what you wish for, Wake. Spirielle, return! Coral, let's do this."

Anticipating Kara's question as she leaned over once more, Milo said briefly;

"Quagsire is half Ground type. Not a well-known fact, but in this case it matters. Clearly 'Maya did her homework; Coral's Water moves will be just as effective as usual."

On the field, Quagsire had immediately submerged itself to present less of a target. Coral was firing wide-range moves into the water to try and smoke it out.

"So, why not use Terrus against this thing?" Kara asked, "Isn't he the obvious choice?"

Milo gave a wry smile and said, "He is, for sure. She really should have picked him over Coral. But can you honestly imagine 'Maya going through a Gym battle without Coral on the team? She's slowly learning to branch out, but that part of her style will never change, as long as it keeps working."

Milo turned his full attention to the battle below, as Amaya called;

"Coral, Ice Beam all around. Freeze this thing in."

"Now that's a good one", Wake roared approvingly as he was forced to counterattack at last, "Quagsire, Water Pulse! With gusto!"

Coral had already frozen over half the field, but with its window of escape shrinking quickly Quagsire burst from the pool like a shotgun shell, Water Pulse at the ready. The Milotic was walloped before she could cancel her Ice Beam, but now Quagsire's camouflage was gone.

Wake's decades of experience shone through as he transitioned seamlessly to this new circumstance, "Alright, Quagsire, Earthquake!"

Milo winced as Coral took significant damage from both the Earthquake attack and the chunks of ice that cracked open from its force.

"Yes, now Mud Shot!"

"Retaliate, Coral, Hydro Pump."

The Milotic's water attack easily overpowered Quagsire's Mud Shot, and pushed it back.

Wake should have pulled out, observed Milo as Quagsire was hit by Hydro Pump as well as its own rebounded power, but she challenged him in a straight power play, and he couldn't pass it up.

"That could be helpful", he muttered aloud. Still, Amaya hadn't yet won. Not by a long shot. Quagsire had, with some effort, dragged itself up to continue battling.

"Twister!"

"Quagsire, to the side! Don't take that hit!"

"Forward, Coral, and Dragon Tail!"

Milo's brow furrowed at this. Coral typically operated best when she remained stationary. What was Amaya trying to do? Sure enough, Wake spotted the Tender Pokémon's discomfort in coming out to attack, and took advantage.

"Jump back, Quagsire, and Rock Tomb!"

Coral wasn't accustomed to tracking down a dodging opponent, and Dragon Tail missed – badly – before she was partially buried by the Rock Tomb. She was now stuck in a corner, facing the wrong way. Amaya's 'strategy' was a failure, and Wake knew it.

"We've got her now, Quagsire! Mud Bomb, Water Pulse, Mud Shot!"

Quagsire positioned itself squarely behind the trapped Coral and began pummeling her without presenting a clear target for a counterattack.

Coral cried out as the Water Fish's attacks slammed into her ruthlessly, and Amaya had totally lost her cool;

"Coral! Ice Beam, Hydro Pump! Twist around and hit this thing! Come one, you can take it down!"

Coral did indeed manage to land a respectable Ice Beam, and her Hydro Pump smashed into Quagsire's Mud Shot. As the two attacks collided and obscured the two battlers, Milo stood, along with most of the stadium, in excitement and anxiety at what had happened below.

Slowly, the dust settled, and the referee made the call;

"Both Quagsire and Milotic are unable to continue! Trainers, your next Pokémon!"

"I have faith", roared Wake dramatically, "in this last one! Floatzel, on the water!"

"Leon, let's do this", answered Amaya.

Her Luxio emerged and coolly eyed his opponent, who responded in kind. Amaya wanted this over quickly, and called her first attack;

"Thunderbolt, Leon."

As the bolt arced across the pool, Wake didn't even bother calling a counter. He just huffed confidently, crossed his massive arms, and nodded at his trusty Floatzel, who understood perfectly. The evolved Sea Weasel Pokémon easily sidestepped Leon's hopeful Thunderbolt and just stood there, daring Amaya to try again.

"Hmph. Leon, get in there with a Thunder Fang."

"Into the pool, Floatzel."

Wake's Water type was underwater long before Leon could get to it. Finally, Wake called an actual attack;

"Now Aqua Jet!"

Floatzel came flying out of the water behind Leon, slamming into the unfortunate Luxio, who yowled in pain and anger as he was thrown into the water himself.

"Leon, get out of there! Hurry!"

Amaya and Leon were both floundering very badly, and Milo could just make out the sleek form of Wake's Floatzel streaking through the water towards the Spark Pokémon. Amaya must have realized this too, because she screamed,

"Just Thunderbolt from where you are!"

"Amaya, no…!" Milo could see it happen almost in slow motion. Amaya had forgotten that with Leon in the water, his Thunderbolt would hit himself as well as Floatzel. Both Pokémon cried out, and in the aftermath, Leon dragged himself wearily out of the pool. Floatzel had fought Electric types before and was sturdy enough to take a hit, though he clearly wasn't happy about it.

"A risky play", commented Wake, his tone subdued, "I wonder if it was worth it. Let's find out. Floatzel, Pursuit!"

Leon's instinct was to jump forward, but there was nowhere to go but back into the water. On a whim, he tried to meet his attacker with an impromptu Thunder Fang, but he was just too shaken from the damage he'd already taken. Floatzel's Dark type move smashed right through Leon, who had to scramble to get back out of the water as quickly as he could.

Milo's hands went to his face, and his eyes widened, as a horrible thought occurred to him;

Is this…can she even pull it off at this point? Somehow? Come on 'Maya, please…

"Swift, Leon!"

It was a smart play. Swift couldn't miss. But Wake was too calm, too experienced; he pulled yet another trick from his sleeve;

"Meet it with your own Swift, Floatzel!"

"Now, Thunderbolt!"

Leon shot a hopeful bolt through the explosion from the meeting of the two Swift attacks. It was a highly improvised play, but it worked out.

"Oh, that was clever", Kara was doing a brilliant job remaining optimistic, "what a good plan! Woohoo, go 'Maya!"

Floatzel took the hit with a growl, and Wake's response was immediate and vicious;

"Aqua Jet, now!"

Milo had thought his new Buizel's Aqua Jet was impressive, but this Floatzel packed even more of a punch. With a sickening smack and a huge splash, Leon hit the water yet again. This time, when he surfaced, he was unconscious.

Amaya could only look on, stunned, as the referee made it official;

"Luxio is unable to battle, Floatzel is the winner! Challenger, call your final Pokémon!"

Wordlessly, Amaya returned Leon, the customary red beam recalling him from the still turbulent water. Milo and Kara watched from the stands with bated breath as their friend's face went through shock, to anger, and…could it be? Was Amaya…afraid?

Come on, 'Maya, Milo found himself silently urging her, you've still got Spirielle, it's still an even fight. Just come on, come on!

After a few seconds, the Twinleaf Trainer shook her head in a vain attempt to restore some order to it, and released her Haunter back onto the field;

"Spirielle, I need you again. Let's do this."

Amaya's voice was still level, but her face told the whole story. She was not fine. She was in full panic mode. Wake's Floatzel looked tired and hurt but more than ready to grind out a second victory.

"This one's just too close to call", murmured Milo.

As the battle below began slowly, with some cagey opening exchanges as neither side wanted to risk an early hit, Kara heard Milo's remark and punched her boyfriend in the arm angrily;

"Hey, no it's not! Come on, have faith! She's got this one in the bag. Come on, 'Maya! You can beat this thing!"

Despite Kara's insistence, Milo couldn't take his eyes off of Amaya's face, which was stuck in something like a pained grimace.

"Yeah…" Milo tried to find some reason to hope, "Come on, 'Maya…please find something special here…"

Finally, Wake seemed to decide the guarded, defensive battling was done. In a single instant, he switched it up entirely;

"Alright, Floatzel, let's turn it up and end this! Aqua Jet!"

"Spirielle, behind him, and Shadow Ball!"

"Now Pursuit, Floatzel!"

The Aqua Jet had been a ploy; Wake's Sea Weasel cancelled its attack early and Spirielle took a big hit from the super effective Pursuit. Wake still wasn't done;

"Crunch, before it's gone!"

"Spirielle, MOVE!"

But the Haunter was still too bewildered by Floatzel's ability to sneak up on her, and the Crunch compounded Amaya's woes as it struck home.

"Back off, Spirielle! Confuse Ray!"

Wake's eyes narrowed in concentration as he roared;

"Aqua Jet, Floatzel, straight ahead!"

Milo could only admire the brilliance and audacity of the Gym Leader's play. Floatzel's attack pushed right through the Confuse Ray and slammed into Spirielle. Such a hit came at a price; Floatzel was undeniably confused. If Spirielle wasn't down, then the win was all but free for Amaya.

The crowd fell into a hush, and Milo and Kara craned their necks like all the rest, trying to see what had become of Amaya's Haunter…

It was the referee who saw it first, and he made the call;

"Haunter is unable to battle! Floatzel is the winner! The victory goes to the indomitable CRASHER WAKE!"

As he and Kara left their seating section, Milo looked back one last time over his shoulder, and saw Amaya just standing there – frozen in place. She had recalled Spirielle and was just standing immobile in her Trainer's box, staring out at the field like some dead-faced robot.

His heart broke for his friend as, with difficulty, he wrenched his gaze away and hurried out, wracking his brains to think of the fastest way to get to Amaya.

-o-

"It's fine, 'Maya-"

"Stop it, Kara."

"No, really, you can just-"

"Please leave me alone."

"…No."

At that, Amaya looked up. The two of them were seated in Amaya's room at the Pastoria Pokémon Center. Milo had left a while ago to prepare for his own Gym battle.

"Kara, why are you even here? You know his fight starts in five minutes, right? Go watch your boyfriend's battle."

"That's very considerate of you, 'Maya", responded the Performer quite graciously, "but sometimes girlfriends take priority over boyfriends."

With that, Kara settled herself on the bed, grabbed the remote and flipped the TV on; it took only a few seconds to find a local channel that was broadcasting what everyone assumed would be another triumph for the great Crasher Wake.

The two girls sat quietly and watched the last of the lead-up, and at last the battle began. Still neither Kara nor Amaya said much of anything. They watched passively as Azura used hit-and-run tactics to brilliant effect as Gyarados grew increasingly frustrated.

"Kara…thanks", said Amaya at last, "and I'm sorry."

Kara smiled and wrapped her friend in an (unsolicited) hug, "You're welcome, of course, but why are you sorry, 'Maya?"

"I just feel like I've been really needy lately."

"You?" Kara laughed aloud, "When are you ever needy, girl? You're the last one of us to ever need anything, like, ever!"

"I thought so too", the Twinleaf girl countered, as Azura took shelter from Gyarados' latest Outrage by triggering Night, "but Jenks sent me to Sunyshore because I couldn't handle being here, waiting for Milo. Then I scared the crap out of Milo's family because I couldn't hold my own head together under pressure. Now I lose to Wake by making stupid, rookie mistakes and here we are having an Amaya Pity Party instead of actually going to support Milo. Ugh…I hate feeling melodramatic, but I can't help it."

"That…might be the most words I've ever heard you say at once."

Amaya tried to glare at her blue-eyed friend, but found she just couldn't hold it together. Both girls cracked up briefly, before Kara continued;

"Besides, I think what you really hate – oh, Azura wins! Woo! – what you really hate is needing help."

Amaya tried to argue, as on the screen Milo called out Ferra to take on Wake's Quagsire, but Kara once again cut her off quite assertively,

"Listen, 'Maya, you're always there to be the helper, but you don't know how to be a, umm, helpee? Sure, helpee. You know what I mean. When I needed help, you were the first one to invite me along. Milo needed help in the woods that night, and you and your team leapt in no questions asked and literally saved our lives."

"You're exaggerating my helpfulness, and I still don't get the point you're making."

Amaya was frowning now, still staring resolutely at the battle on television. Ferra was doing a good job against Quagsire, but Wake was able to catch her out once or twice. It was an interestingly even bout. Kara tried once more to get through to her downhearted travel companion;

"You've been there for Milo and I so many times, that's what I'm saying. Now you have a rough patch of battles – which is perfectly natural, by the way – and you're freaking out because it's time for us to be here for you. It's…okay to not be okay. Does that make more sense?"

It felt weird, but to Amaya it did finally make sense. She remembered once more the words Milo's mother had spoken back in Sunyshore;

I know you feel alone, but please remember you aren't. Just know that. You are not alone.

Very slowly, Amaya took a deep breath and leaned her head to the side, to rest on Kara's shoulder. Kara responded by wrapping her arms consolingly around her friend.

This is girly and foolish, said a voice in Amaya's head immediately.

No, she told herself, I'm just…getting used to not being alone. It feels good.

Milo

"Quagsire is unable to battle, Riolu is the winner! Leader Wake, call your last Pokémon!"

"Brilliant work, young man!" Wake, still his usual confident self, congratulated Milo from across the field, "I'm sure you already know that your hardest challenge starts now! Floatzel, on the water!"

I have a plan for this. I also have a backup plan, he reminded himself, Nothing crazy, just work the plan. That fourth badge is mine if I just fight my own way.

"Jet, here's your debut! Let's get to work!"

Milo's new Buizel appeared in a flash, and Wake laughed heartily;

"AHA! I like a surprise; I see you've rounded out your team with a Water-type! Great choice! Now let's have this battle; Floatzel, straight to it! Into the pool!"

Wake's proud Sea Weasel leapt easily into the water and Milo nodded to Jet;

"Easy, Jet. You know what to do."

Wake's brows visibly furrowed, but he seemed to decide it was worth the risk to spring the trap and see what came of it;

"Now, Floatzel! Up, and Ice Punch!"

"Do it, Aqua Jet!"

Milo's newest team member had more speed than most, and his reactions were impressive as well. As soon as Floatzel began to emerge, its fist glowing white, Jet launched his favorite attack straight into its chest.

"Now, Aqua Tail follow-up!"

"Pursuit!"

Wake was no slouch. Floatzel landed a perfect Pursuit attack into Jet's back that sent the younger Sea Weasel hurtling headfirst into the water.

Oww, came Jet's voice in his Trainer's mind, Can I hide under here for a bit? That didn't exactly tickle.

No! Milo's reply was frantic, He's even more dangerous underwater, remember? You're better off fighting up here! Trust me, Jet, trust the plan!

"Jet", he cried aloud, "Up and Swift!"

Jet leapt out of the water to the side of his opponent and launched the unfailingly accurate Swift. It didn't do much damage, but it was a hit nonetheless.

"Floatzel, Aqua Jet!"

"Jet, MOVE!"

But Jet sneered and launched his own Aqua Jet straight at the oncoming Floatzel. Milo's Buizel lost the power matchup, and badly. He flew backwards past Milo and slammed into the wall. Worried, the Jubilife Trainer fingered the Buizel's Pokéball, until he heard his battler's voice in his mind;

Oh, that is IT! He is MINE now!

Easy, Jet, we have a plan. You have to trust me here.

Yeah, yeah, sure, answered the Sea Weasel offhandedly as he rushed back to the battle.

Something in his tone made Milo uneasy, and he made the snap decision to stick to the basics just to see the fight through.

"Quick Attack", called Milo shortly. Jet obliged, and Floatzel was again forced backwards with a grimace. All the smaller hits it had taken would surely begin to add up very soon…

"Fight back with Ice Fang!"

Wake's Gym team ace lunged at Jet, but the Buizel proved too slippery, barely escaping into the water. Wake's face split into a grin as he thought of something;

"Floatzel, to me!"

Unquestioningly, the grown Sea Weasel leapt back to the platform nearest his Trainer. Milo couldn't guess what Wake was up to, but he had to do something, so he ordered;

"Jet, up and Swift! Keep your distance!"

Jet popped up halfway across the field, but Wake's plan was already in motion. As soon as Milo made his move, Wake had called out;

"Aqua Jet, Floatzel!"

Jet went flying yet again, and Milo was having serious doubts about his Buizel's ability to win this match. Still, he would keep trying to the very end.

"Alright, Jet, give me a Water Gun from there."

Milo's eyes widened as Jet instead went sprinting past him;

Screw that, I'll take this guy down face to face for playing me like that!

"Jet, NO!"

Jet wasn't listening. Wake crossed his arms with a smirk and said calmly,

"Floatzel, Ice Punch."

"Stop, Jet! He's going to-"

It was too late. The disobedient Buizel launched the best Aqua Jet he could muster, and was thus smacked all the harder when Floatzel threw a perfectly-timed Ice Punch into his face. This time there was no question; Jet was down.

"Buizel is unable to continue! Floatzel is the winner! Milo, call your next Pokémon!"

The choice was easy, and Milo made the call immediately;

"Jet, return. Azura, you're back in."

"Seems your Buizel has trust issues, young Milo", commented Wake, "that'll cause you no end of trouble if you can't control it soon. But now, let's finish the magnificent battle at hand! Floatzel, into the water!"

"Azura, Night!"

As the dark cloud obscured everything above the water's surface, the combatants reached a stalemate. Each had their own form of camouflage, and neither wanted to be the first to relinquish the advantage. Wake soon solved that problem;

"Floatzel, up! Swift!"

"Block it, end Night", ordered Milo curtly. Mentally, he added;

This thing is tough, but it'll never back down from a power challenge. We just have to fake one of those and flip it on him.

I see, answered Azura smoothly, as she blocked the oncoming Swift with a Shadow Ball and let the cloud of darkness disperse, Pursuit, then?

Yep, answered Milo, be ready when I call Night Shade.

"Chase that thing down, Floatzel", called Wake, "Aqua Jet!"

"Dark Pulse", countered Milo easily.

Once again, Azura understood her Trainer perfectly. Dark Pulse was enough to throw Floatzel off, giving Azura time to escape to one side before Aqua Jet came plowing through the space she'd just vacated. Shaking his head with a grimace, Floatzel roared aloud in frustration at having been tricked.

One more hit should do it, Milo was being cautious, then we'll play our cards, girl.

Agreed, answered the faithful Umbreon.

"Quick, Confusion!"

Floatzel barked again in distress as the Psychic attack took him by surprise. Wake was frowning now, and Milo judged the time to be right at last;

"Get in there, Azura! Night Slash while he's out of it!"

"Show these rookies what you're made of, Floatzel! Aqua Jet!"

"NOW!"

Azura knew exactly what was coming, and launched a wonderful Pursuit that flung the unsuspecting Sea Weasel hard into one of the platforms before it skid into the water. The whole stadium held its breath…and then Floatzel's unconscious form surfaced and the referee was forced to call the match;

"Floatzel is unable to continue, Umbreon is the winner! The match goes to Milo, the challenger!"

Milo took several deep breaths, hugely relieved as the crowd cheered his name. Feeling a weight fall off his shoulders, he walked around to meet a beaming Crasher Wake on the side of the pool;

"That was a wonderful display of adaptability and fearlessness, young Milo! I commend you, and confer to you this Fen Badge!"

Breathlessly, Milo took the small badge and held it aloft for the crowd to see, applauding them for their generous support.

"I assume", added Wake, "that you won't mind me posting that battle on the BattleNet?"

Milo shook his head, "Go ahead. I have a feeling you'll have another one to post soon; if I know Amaya she won't stay down for long. She'll be back here before you know it."

"Haha!" The Pastoria Leader clapped Milo on the shoulder, "Tell her I await our rematch eagerly! The two of you will go far someday, mark my words! And Milo", he called as Milo turned to head out, "give that Buizel another chance. He's got a lot of potential, but he needs to learn to trust you before he can realize it."

Milo nodded with a tired grin. He'd have to have a long talk with his newest team member. For now, though, that could wait. He turned once more and made his way back towards the Pokémon Center.

-o-

*RING RING*

"Hearthome Gym, you've reached Leader Marcus. How can I –oh, hey, Wake!"

Through the screen, Wake greeted his younger colleague;

"Hello indeed, Marcus! Have you seen?"

"Uh…I guess not. What haven't I seen?"

Wake couldn't resist an eager smile, "Your brother just beat me. The video is up on the Net!"

"Ah", the Dark type Leader shook his head with a rueful grin, "so the two hotshot Rookies burned right through you as well, did they?"

"Well now, give me some credit!" Wake bantered right back, "I managed to at least go one for two!"

Confused, Marcus raised an eyebrow, "One for…? Wait, you beat Amaya? Interesting…Well, then perhaps there's hope for the rest of us! Thanks for the update, my friend."

"Of course", responded the veteran Water type master, "Best of luck to you when they come calling."

As he hung up, Marcus felt a giddiness building up within him. He was always eager to do his job as a Leader, but the prospect of battling Milo at last…he already couldn't wait.

Maybe…Ah yes, I know just the thing. Just wait, little bro, grinned the Hearthome Leader, your unbeaten streak ends with me. I'll make sure of it.

Author's Notes:

This one was a bit tough for me. Once again, I try to set myself a high standard and not just write empty words to fill space and advance the story with useless fluff. I can only hope I've done a good job. We've got a new member of Milo's team, but all's not well, it seems! And how will Amaya bounce back from her latest setback? PLEASE let me know what you thought!

Also, I apologize for being so long with this update. I was just starting to feel the slightest bit burnt out, and I wanted to prevent that before it became a problem, so I took a couple weeks' break. I hope this was worth it, and I promise I won't be quitting anytime soon!

As usual, I encourage you to leave me any thoughts, encouragements, or criticisms you can think of. Also, if you enjoy the story, consider leaving a follow/favorite! It helps me know there's people interested in it, and it helps more people find the story as well.

I don't own Pokémon!

Thank you SO MUCH for reading! – Ciao, good people of the interwebs.

Reviews:

Plague Dog Unleashed – I really tested your theory on this one. Sorry 'bout that…

Mystery Human – I have this mental image of you in a Zorro mask and a cape sitting at a computer dramatically reviewing this story. I really hope I'm right. Thanks as always for the advice! I appreciate the reminder of show-don't-tell, that's always a good tip. Best of luck on your own writing! If you'd like, feel free to PM me so I can read your stuff, I'd be eager to see your writing in action! To everyone else, Guest's reviews are full of great writing advice that anyone could benefit from, take a look!