Chapter 24 – At The End of the Tunnel
Kara chuckled to herself as her boyfriend peeled himself off the floor with a groan.
"Need a break, Milo?"
He was so focused, however, that he completely missed her question. It was a matter of seconds before he was once again laid out on his back on the training mat, pushing himself laboriously upright.
We're an odd bunch, she commented mentally to Florence.
How do you mean, milady?
Not even bothering with telepathy, Kara explained herself with a wry grin;
"Look at us, Flo. I bet 19 out of 20 guys, human or Pokémon, would take one look at us hanging out here, alone and available and oh so beautiful", here she gave a joking flip of her hair, "and I'd have to ask you to use Psychic just to maintain our personal space."
Ah, the Gardevoir gave a demure nod, I believe I do take your meaning, dear Kara. It seems our Milo is simply cut from a different cloth, as the saying goes.
As if on cue, the aforementioned Milo gave a yell and dashed in, managing at last to catch Drake with a flying left foot to the abdomen before a rough wing caught him in the side and he went down (again). The group was working in the Sunyshore Gym's training space, courtesy of the marvelously hospitable Volkner. Amaya, headphones on, was off on the other side of the space, observing what basically amounted to a full pitched battle between Leon and Terrus.
"Well", Kara answered her Embrace Pokémon, "I know Milo's different, but I meant Drake, too."
She felt Florence stiffen, "Flo, for the last time, I'm not telling anybody, I'm just saying. You can at least admit it to yourself, can't you?"
I…I admire his strength, I suppose. B-but there is nothing further to discuss!
Kara rolled her eyes. It was a start, at least.
"Anyway", she gracefully moved the conversation along, "I guess we're not so normal, ourselves. I mean, most girls with a boyfriend like Milo would be downright paranoid."
Needlessly paranoid, added Florence, Milo is loyal to a fault. I do believe he rather despises the thought of other young women attempting to pry him away from you.
Ordinarily, Kara would be training right alongside the others, but after the Snowpoint Invitational, her Rookie season as a Performer was officially over, and she was just waiting for that magic ticket to Kalos that would change her life one month after the upcoming Lily of the Valley Conference. So, here she was, watching Milo throw himself over and over again at his Garchomp, with more or less the same result each time.
"Ow", came his latest grunt, as he stood and wiped his face.
"Keep it up", called the Performer teasingly, "You've got him on the ropes, he'll go down any minute now!"
"Enough from the peanut gallery", he shot back with an exhausted grin, "Or I'll chase you down for a big sweat hug."
"Whoa, gross!" Kara shivered at the thought before laughing as Milo threw himself one last time at Drake…who once again swatted him aside without much difficulty.
"Urgh…Alright, fine", Milo put his hands up, "That's good for now."
Drake grunted, a victorious smirk on his face, though the outcome of their training bout was never really in question.
"Dinnertime, Ms. Peanut Gallery?" Milo asked.
"Only after you shower, Mr. Sweat Factory."
"Eh?" Milo looked down at his bare chest and arms, glistening with the signs of a good, long bit of training, "Oh. Right, yeah. I'll be right back. Can you let 'Maya know? She's probably hungry, too."
Kara nodded, and walked over to get her friend's attention.
"Finally", grunted Amaya, "Milo's done being a masochist?"
"Yeah", Kara rolled her eyes, "Points for dedication, I guess, but fighting a Garchomp never ends well."
After Milo was done cleaning up, they waited until a car came to pick them up.
"Good training?" Milo's father, Alexander, was inside. Milo's family was ecstatic to host him and his friends while they stayed in Sunyshore, and the three teenagers knew better than to turn down free room and board.
"Pretty good", nodded Milo, "But I could really go for some food."
When they got back, they were greeted enthusiastically by Zoe, Milo's mother. She was thrilled beyond belief that her son was staying with them while they waited for Volkner to accept their challenge – he was currently occupied with teaching and with making repairs to the famous Sunyshore Lighthouse. They weren't overly concerned; they still had plenty of time to earn the last badge before the Conference brought an official end to their Rookie season.
Media coverage around their impending Gym battles was at an all-time high. Volkner's Gym team only lost, on average, a handful of times per season, and it had been over a decade since any Rookie beat him. The only people who beat the Gyms these days were established professionals looking to bolster their status amongst the Trainer community.
"Your team looking good, son?"
The group had just arrived back at the house.
"Yup", answered Milo with a grin, "Drake could probably sweep it if I let him, but I also want to give Aurora a piece of the action. Her new Ice tactics should make things interesting. Anything cool at the clinic today?"
Alexander worked at a local physical therapy center for injured Pokémon (and Trainers). He and his Feraligatr were seasoned veterans in their own right, and it was from his father that Milo had picked up his deep and abiding care for Pokémon so early in life.
The beaming father clapped his son's shoulder and settled into his favorite armchair.
"What kind of Ice tactics are you thinking of? That's one heck of a fragile type, especially against speed and power like Volkner has."
Just like that, with a gleam in his eye, Milo was off, explaining this and that, how one move should transition perfectly into another, unless Volkner had this trick move or that off-type ability…
It was the kind of conversation where Kara had learned to just nod and fix an easy smile on her face until Milo spun himself out of words. Alexander, however, was right there with him, nitpicking and questioning and approving every detail of every strategy.
"Now there's a beautiful sight for a mother", remarked Zoe to the Performer, "My boys getting all excited about their Pokémon."
"It really is heartwarming, isn't it, ma'am? Oh, can I help you with anything?"
Zoe didn't really need help, but she appreciated the propriety of her son's girlfriend, and took it as an opportunity to get to know the lovely young lady. So, the household dissolved into pairs – Milo and his father went on and on and on about battling and tactics and whatever else, Kara and Zoe chatted amicably as they prepared a nice pasta dinner, and even Amaya was enjoying herself, playing quietly with young Myrian.
It was a wonder that Amaya, of all people, would be so captivated by the small girl, but then perhaps it wasn't such a surprise, after all. Myrian had met and loved the Twinleaf girl when she came alone to Sunyshore months previously, had seen her at her most vulnerable, and wasn't fooled for a second by her tough exterior. It made for a comical sight; the dead-faced young Trainer, headphones hanging about her neck, paraded a Skitty doll across the carpet as Myrian bounced a stuffed Buneary alongside it, singing happily to some internal melody as the two Pokémon dolls 'had a tea party'.
The golden moment stretched for a few minutes. However, it soon came crashing down in a big way. Alexander flipped on the television to watch the news;
"-reports of a massive cover up surrounding one of the biggest Rookies in years."
Three young heads snapped up to the television as the reporter elaborated, and a dramatic headline scrolled across in huge, red letters;
MILO A FRAUD? WEB OF LIES REVEALED.
Milo could feel the blood draining from his face as the woman's words filtered sluggishly through his brain;
"...Massive report coming from a well-known SBBN correspondent. What we know is that, within the last few hours, this correspondent has come forward with what appears to be evidence that Milo has manipulated or faked the vast majority of his star-studded Rookie campaign. Sinnoh News Nightly has assembled a panel to go through this evidence and give us an idea of just how massive this report really is. That breakdown and more is coming up next."
As the show went to a commercial break, Alexander fumbled with the remote before finding the mute button. Absolute silence ruled the household. The first to speak was Amaya.
"It's fake."
"Well, obviously!" Kara found her voice and was now practically frothing at the mouth, "That goes without saying! Anyone with half a brain knows Milo would never do that! I mean-"
"Kara", came Milo's voice, small and heavy, "Please. I appreciate it, but let's keep watching for now, and see what 'evidence' they've got. Can someone call Jenks? We're going to need his help."
"On it", replied Amaya, already scrolling through her contacts to locate Jenks' information.
Young Myrian, eyes wide, curled up to her brother;
"Milo? Why do these meanie-heads think you cheated? You'd never cheat, right?"
He rested a calming hand on her soft brown pigtails as she wrapped her tender arms around his stomach;
"No, Myrian, I'd never cheat. Someone made up some lies about me."
As he was speaking, the house phone rang, and Zoe ran to press the button. It was Marcus.
"Hey, family", his voice was devoid of any real cheer, "Talk to me, what's the damage? Did any of you get any requests for comment?"
"No", replied Milo and his father simultaneously.
"Good", nodded Marcus, "That should help us refute all this sh-junk", he corrected himself as Myrian's young and impressionable face popped up;
"Marcus! Some bad people made up lies about our bro!"
"I saw that, Myrian", answered the Gym Leader calmly, "I'm going to try to help tell everyone that it's not the truth. I need to talk to Mom and Dad and Milo, okay?"
"O-okay. Grown-up stuff, right? Just make sure nobody else tells lies about Milo; our bro isn't a cheater."
"I'll make double extra sure, I promise. You need to make sure Milo and his friends don't get too sad, okay Myrian? It's a really important job, and Mom and Dad and I are all counting on you."
"I'll make double extra sure, too. Bye, Marcus!"
He waved to his little sister, and then immediately snapped back to serious mode.
"I assume someone's contacted Jenks?"
"Done", came Amaya's voice from back in the living room. Within seconds, the phone rang again, and the media manager's face popped up next to Marcus.
"Perfect, we're all here", began the journo quickly, "Milo – I know this is a big shock, and I need you not to panic. The most important thing right now is that you keep your appointment with Volkner tomorrow morning. No games, no experiments, don't worry about making it close or looking for a challenge, just crush him. No questions asked. Sweep him, if you can. You need the biggest win you can come up with."
"I – I can do that", nodded the young Trainer, "I'll just use Drake."
"Marcus", Jenks addressed the Leader, "I have a theory. This report came from Kierran Hogan, a guy I've known for a long time. This is nothing like him – the report has no fact-checking, no objectivity, and no professionalism. He's better than this. He even told me months ago that he's a big fan of Milo's battles. After what happened with Candice...well, I don't really think this is a coincidence, do you?"
"I get you", answered Marcus grimly, "I'll look into it on my end. Milo, no matter what you have to keep your head, okay? Don't ignore this, but don't let it get to you, either. Just go in tomorrow and thrash Volkner. Let your battling be your proof."
With that, the call ended, and not a moment too soon. The television commercial break was over, and the 'expert panel' was going over the 'evidence' against Milo. This panel consisted of some high-brow former pro-level Trainers, and...Volkner. Milo's brow creased as the Electric type Leader nodded along with the discussion;
"This report claims Milo's underhanded swipe at the Gym Circuit began early – records of a late-night meeting with Roark after that first Gym battle, and choosing to stay at the Eterna Gym instead of the Pokémon Center the day before his fight with Gardenia. Ladies and gentlemen, what does this tell you, first off?"
"Well", Volkner stepped in first, "If the Leaders themselves are involved, I'm inclined to doubt this report. It's shadowy and shaky enough as is, and to suggest that Roark and Gardenia would both collude with a random challenger to push him through the Gyms? I know my colleagues would never stoop to that."
"Hmm", one of the other panelists cautiously voiced an opinion, "In my experience, this could be the tip of the metaphorical iceberg. I hate to say it, but this feels like one of those 'where there's smoke, there's fire' situations."
"I tend to agree", said someone else, "it's not just Roark and Gardenia who are implicated here - we've got, let's see, under the table messages from Maylene via the Veilstone Nurse Joy. He used a rival's former Pokémon against Wake out of nowhere. His brother inexplicably gave him a six-on-one battle for the Shadow Badge. Heck, according to this, Candice actually went so far as to visit his hotel suite – multiple times – at odd hours of the night. That's a lot of smoke to be nothing."
"...How?" Milo was incredulous, "How do they know all that? I mean...all those things actually did happen. Crap, this is going to look really bad…"
On the screen, Volkner was frowning, and once more leapt to the defense of his fellow Leaders;
"Pardon me for making this personal, but I would the logical next target, and I have never – not once – been contacted about helping push Milo through the Gyms by any illegitimate means. He'll fight me tomorrow morning, in fact, and I expect a tough fight against a highly qualified opponent."
"How do you account for everything that's already here, though?" A woman pressed him, leaning across the table to shoot the Sunyshore Leader an almost accusatory look. He didn't back down, staring straight back at her;
"Traveling Trainers often have contact with Leaders before and after their challenges, it's beyond common. I'd be more surprised if there was no contact between Milo and any of these Leaders. Besides, I don't have to sit here and defend them. If you honestly think that the overwhelming majority of Sinnoh Leaders have simultaneously become corrupt and underhanded, then by all means bring them your questions and we'll sort this out real quick."
"Okay", jumped in the news anchor nervously, acting as moderator, "Let's, ahem, let's move on for now. This report also raises questions about Milo's qualification for the upcoming Lily of the Valley Conference through the Iron Island tournament – oh! I beg your pardon; we're going to go now to live footage from Eterna, where Gardenia has been asked about her involvement in this alleged cover-up."
Sure enough, the camera cut to shaky footage of Gardenia storming down the sidewalk, visibly furious.
"Gardenia! Gardenia, can we get a reaction to the news about your involvement in the whole Milo affair? Does this have anything to do with your alleged relationship with his brother Marcus?"
The fiery Grass Leader whirled around and fixated the man with an absolute death glare, hissing her answer at him;
"You want a comment? You'll get a bit more than that. I've seen that piece of trash you're calling a report. Anyone who thinks that's even a little bit true is deluded."
"So", the reporter cut in, nervous but eager to get some juicy live action news, "You deny offering Milo housing before his Gym Challenge here in Eterna?"
"No, I don't deny it. Yes, Milo stayed at the Gym before his challenge, not the Center. You want to know why? I'll tell you – it's because people like you were swarming our city's only Pokémon Center waiting for him to show up. You think a 16-year old kid with one badge is ready for a media storm? Heck no! For the record, I was the one who went looking for Milo and Amaya, and I offered to let them stay at my Gym. If you don't believe me, go ask Nurse Joy, she was far from pleased that a crowd of reporters was preventing her from doing her job that day."
Abruptly, the camera switched back to the studio, where the panel's faces ranged from intrigued to uncomfortable and, in Volkner's case, livid. No doubt hungry for another fiery comment, the moderator dug in;
"Volkner, you seem less than pleased by Gardenia's comments – your thoughts?"
"Her comments?" He was quickly losing his composure, and the people seated next to him looked as though they were wishing for a bigger buffer zone as a rant came pouring out;
"Let me say right here and now that I have no problem with her comments – I'll gladly put the full weight of my trust and support behind my esteemed colleague Gardenia. What I'm not a fan of is a news crew ambushing a public figure in the street for an unsolicited interview, especially when they ask loaded questions about a bogus report that has no place on a major news network. While I'm at it, I'm ashamed of this media crowd that was apparently waiting to ambush Rookie Trainers at a Pokémon Center. That kind of thing is out of control and should never happen."
"Well", began a man at the other end of the panel, "Let's take a step back, here. I mean, we can debate the ethics of how to cover the news at a later date, but you're unquestionably taking Gardenia at her word while totally disregarding a news report from a trusted professional who has the same level of authority behind his words. Doesn't that seem a bit hypocritical?"
Volkner refused to back down, and the debate raged back and forth for several minutes more before the news segment ran out of time.
"Wow", said Amaya, seated around the TV with Kara and the rest of Milo's family, "Volkner really went to bat for you there."
"Yeah", Milo's heart was fluttering, "And Gardenia, too."
"It only makes sense", offered Milo's father, "After all, this is an attack on them just as much as you."
Thankfully, no more Leaders were ambushed with questions about the report. No further updates were forthcoming, so Milo went to bed that night feeling small and quite unsettled. He tossed and turned that night, and was grateful for the little sleep he got.
Kara
If I was a fingernail chewer, she thought, I'd have probably chewed straight through my fingers by now.
She sat, fidgeting and nervous, in one of the box sections of the Sunyshore Gym as a tired-looking Milo squared up against a fiery but grim Volkner.
As the news report had disseminated overnight and into the morning, public opinion had more or less split down the middle. A large faction of ardent Milo supporters denied it outright, and an equally large segment of Sinnoh battling fans began cynically reviewing all of Milo's publicly available battle footage, claiming things like "His battles all feel scripted" and "Leaders don't fight as hard against him". It was turning seemingly every online space into a veritable battleground of fierce opinions.
Defeating Volkner would not silence the critics, Kara knew. Instead, both sides would claim it as 'proof' of their opinion. One side would say that a big win against the toughest Leader in Sinnoh was 'irrefutable' proof of Milo's genuine skill (which it was). The other side would scoff and say that Volkner was clearly as dirty as the rest of the League, and all his bravado and bluster in the initial breaking news segment had been merely a poor attempt at misdirection.
Either way, Milo had been instructed by Jenks, Marcus, and his father to go in and hold nothing back.
Here we go, thought the nervous Performer as the battle began, Just do it, Milo, come on…
"Drake", called the Jubilife Trainer, "Show them we're for real."
A murmur swept through the crowd, which was significantly larger than it likely would have been one day ago. It was much harder to doubt Milo's magnificent team in person, and Drake was the perfect Pokémon to exemplify just how intimidating they could be.
Volkner's eyes narrowed, and he thought for a second before making his call;
"Hmm...I like it, Milo. But I've fought my share of Ground types. Luxray!"
He's leading strong, Milo instructed his Garchomp, We can't afford to hold back here. All out from the get-go.
Heh, Drake had a dangerous smirk on his face, Just watch me work.
"Luxray", called the Leader, "Get in there, and use Crunch!"
"Quick release, Drake!"
Like a flash, Drake disappeared, leaving nothing but the telltale hole in the floor to suggest what his plan was.
"It's Dig, Luxray! Watch out, and get go-"
It was already too late. Drake had perfected the art of speeding up his Dig attack, once Milo had pointed out that the move's greatest weakness was that it was easily predicted and avoided by experienced Trainers.
Before Luxray could react, it was slammed from below and sent tumbling to one side as Drake shot out like a rocket.
"Add a Dragon Rush on the way down!"
"No! Luxray, dodge and try for an Ice Fang!"
Drake's enthusiasm worked against him this time. As he fell, he was so determined to get the quick KO that he couldn't react fast enough when his opponent scrambled away. He hit the ground hard and roared in pain when Luxray leapt in for an Ice Fang follow-up.
Damn, I hate ice! That freakin' hurts!
Make him pay, Milo saw an opportunity to turn the tables, he's still close!
"Dual Chop, Dragon Breath!"
With no exit strategy at the ready, Luxray was stuck, and took the first Dragon move head on. The Dual Chop sent the Gleam Eyes Pokémon sprawling, where he was helpless to avoid the mighty Dragon Breath that ripped across the field soon after. Just like that, the first round was over.
"Luxray is unable to continue! Volkner, your second Pokémon!"
What a recovery, thought Volkner, This kid really is as intense as they all say. I love it! I guess I put Raichu in now to rack up some damage and then count on Electivire to sweep it...
Up in the stands, Amaya frowned;
"Drake took a hit."
"It was still a good win, though", countered Kara hopefully.
Amaya wasn't having it, "No way should Milo have taken damage there. He's definitely shaken up. Any other day he gets a perfect win out of that."
"I still think he's got this in the bag", insisted the Performer, as Volkner's Raichu began squaring up cautiously with the ever-aggressive Drake.
"Oh he'll win", shrugged 'The Hammer', "The question is how he's winning. It should be easier."
Down on the field, the evidence supported Amaya's worried observation. Raichu was doing everything in its power and using every ounce of its considerable speed to avoid presenting a clean target to Milo's Mach Pokémon, only striking back occasionally with a well-placed Grass Knot or Iron Tail.
"He's trying to wear him down", came a groan from Milo's father, "Volkner's already setting up Drake to go down to his sweeper, probably an Electivire."
Kara bit her lip. She'd learned a lot about the art and anatomy of a high-level battle over the past months, but most of the mind games and meta-battling still went over her head. The important thing was that Milo was winning, but he wasn't as firmly in control as it would seem.
"Come on, Milo!" She cheered, and half pleaded, "Show them what you've got!"
A frustrated and dangerous Drake was exerting far more effort than he expected to deal with this troublesome Raichu. He hadn't taken any major hits, but the small ones were starting to rack up, which was infuriating to the proud Garchomp.
Finally, Volkner seemed to decide it was time to flip a switch;
"Okay, flash in, Raichu! Brick Break!"
"There it is", called Milo quickly, "Dragon Claw!"
The two battlers traded quick hits, as both attacks landed. Drake growled but stayed up, while Raichu, knowing he'd done his job perfectly, let himself stay down.
"Garchomp is the winner", announced the referee, "Volkner, your final Pokémon!"
"Here we go, Electivire! It's all up to you!"
As soon as the Thunderbolt Pokémon emerged, Milo's eyes narrowed. This thing looked like it packed a real punch. Still, based on its body stripe pattern, it wasn't Volkner's elite level Electivire…
"Time to dig deep, Drake! One more to go! Down!"
As soon as Drake dug into the ground, Volkner recognized the trick and yelled;
"Ice Punch straight down!"
It was a perfect and brutal counter. Drake emerged below Electivire, just as the Leader expected. Instead of the satisfying impact of a clean hit, he was met with a powerful, doubly super effective Ice Punch to the face.
"GGGRRAAAA!"
Milo's Mach Pokémon screeched in agony at the massive damage, but he was not going down.
"Blitz him, Drake! Show me everything!"
Only too happy to lower the boom, a downright murderous Drake came streaking across the field with a Dragon Rush, followed immediately by a Dragon Claw and Iron Head. Eyes wide, Volkner tried to assist his sweeper;
"Electivire, Ice Punch him! Knock him away!"
Another furious Ice Punch came in, and Drake was sent spinning. Weak from two previous rounds of battle and now two huge Ice hits from Electivire, Drake at last had nothing left to give. He went down, still glaring daggers at the thoroughly damaged Electivire.
Stunned, Milo recalled his fallen Garchomp with a grimace. He knew he wasn't entirely himself. He knew he had to close this out, and fast.
"Aurora", he called, "We need you, girl!"
"Aha", Volkner raised an eyebrow, "Your Eevee has evolved at last. Glaceon, eh? I'm intrigued. Let's see what you've got for us. Come on, Electivire, two more wins!"
"Aurora, Hail!"
Just like that, the Leader's excited face fell as he recognized the tactics Milo was going for.
"Oh boy...I should've known. Good play, Milo, but don't think you'll get a free win out of your fancy strategy!"
"Milo was excited about this in training", recalled Kara, "but what's so fancy about using Hail?"
"Well", Alexander was thrilled at his son's genius instinct, "Glaceon are notoriously difficult to track down once they get going. He's gone from a mind gamer to an escape artist. Great job, son!"
Just as Milo's father had predicted, Aurora had long since disappeared into the snowy conditions of Hail, leaving a dumbfounded Electivire spinning in circles looking for her, slowly taking damage from the bits of ice swirling about the battlefield.
"Okay, Electivire", Volkner made an attempt to recover the situation, "Fire Punch and Low Kick, just go wild!"
"Take your time, Aurora", Milo warned, "Find a chance for Blizzard."
It took a few seconds for the Glaceon to work her way safely around to the back of the wildly charging Electivire, but she found the window she needed. Before anyone could react, a furious Blizzard sent Volkner's Thunderbolt Pokémon crashing to the floor. He never even saw it coming.
"YES!" Kara was out of her seat cheering already, as the referee confirmed the result. Milo had earned the Beacon Badge and completed the Gym Challenge in his Rookie year.
After the stress of the last twelve hours, Milo felt huge waves of relief wash over him, and he ran out to congratulate Aurora.
"Oh, that was brilliant, girl! You were perfect!"
Haha! Milo's Glaceon was equally pleased with her own performance, He was all 'oh no, where's that Glaceon' and I was just like 'BAM'! Blizzard to the face! Well, more like his back, but, yeah!
"Very nice indeed", came Volkner's voice. Milo turned to see the Leader beaming down at him with an earnest face;
"Hey, don't listen to the crap in the news, Milo. You earned this."
"Volkner", Milo stood to shake the Leader's hand and accept his badge, "I saw that interview panel thing yesterday. Thanks for sticking up for me. That meant a lot."
"Absolutely", nodded Volkner with a sense of finality, "I know you'd never pull a thing like that, and we Trainers have to stick up for one another. Those vultures will do anything for a juicy story."
With that, the Sunyshore Leader turned to applaud the crowd before raising Milo's arm in triumph like some kind of boxing champion. It was a show of unity, one of faith and defiance that brought a massive roar of approval from most of the crowd.
Volkner's support didn't end there, either. Milo was surprised and humbled when the Leader followed him into the post-battle interview and picked up right where he'd left off when questions about 'that' news report came flying in.
"As it happens", said the Leader, "I was the one pulling tricks today. That was not my Gym-level Electivire. Just like Candice, I decided that a standard Gym battle was too easy for this remarkable young Trainer. That was my second strongest Electivire, he's been training personally with my Elite Electivire for some time now. Milo adjusted brilliantly and defeated me fair and square all the same."
"Milo", came the next question, "Some of our analysts have suggested that you seemed off your game today. Your response to this?"
"Well, I felt off", admitted the young man, "Maybe because it's hard to sleep when your name gets dragged through the mud on national TV out of nowhere."
"You act as if this report was a surprise. Were you not contacted for comment before it was published?"
"No", responded the Trainer with no small amount of bitterness, "Neither I nor anyone connected to me was asked to comment on or verify anything published in that report. It was 100% a surprise to all of us."
"Milo, you've made an image for yourself as someone who is pretty even-keeled off the battlefield – how much would you say this whole issue is getting to you?"
Frowning now, the young Trainer resituated himself in his seat and answered, "I don't really care about my own name. What I can't stand is that my team, the Pokémon I love and care about, have been disgraced and insulted publicly. They've worked too hard to be disrespected like this. That's what really gets me about this whole stupid thing."
Thankfully, the assembled reporter's seemed to decide it was unwise to push either Volkner or Milo any further on the issue, and the remaining questions were all related to the battle. Volkner had nothing but glowing praise for the young man, and after twenty minutes, he ended the interview session and left to prepare for his upcoming fight with Amaya.
As he waited in the stands for his friend's battle, Milo scrolled anxiously through several news headlines. He was relieved to see that the majority of Sinnoh's Gym Leaders had followed the example of Volkner and Gardenia, casting as much doubt and outrage at the malicious report as they could. Those Leaders like Roark and Maylene who had been blatantly accused of collusion were only too happy to explain the purpose behind their communications with Milo;
"I met Milo after our challenge to congratulate him on something else entirely", Roark wrote on his Gym's official website, "I asked him to care for an Egg he rescued from poachers in the Oreburgh Gate cave. That Egg is now his famous Lucario, and should be a source of pride for all of Oreburgh."
Maylene was a guest on a popular talk show, where she was asked a similar question and answered quite simply;
"Eh, I went ahead and scheduled his battle when I heard they were in town, and I had to let them know somehow, right? I knew they'd end up at the Center, so it just made sense, no big deal. I do it all the time."
There were more, but Milo looked up to see that Amaya's Gym battle was about to start. With her signature look – somehow both bored and fierce – the Twinleaf prodigy stared down the last barrier to her entry into the Lily of the Valley Conference.
"Alright, bring it!" Volkner was amped up as usual, "Luxray, time to shine!"
"Terrus."
Volkner nodded slowly as Amaya's massive Torterra emerged, "More ground types, huh? Good thing I've had plenty of time to scout you out."
Amaya wasn't in the mood for mind games or banter. She was ready to get this done and prove her quality to the world. One more win and she would be deserving of her place in the proud history of Twinleaf Trainers. She narrowed her eyes and got straight to business.
"Earth Power."
"Move, Luxray! Then come around for an Ice Fang!"
"Keep him away", Amaya smirked, "Energy Ball!"
Luxray's eyes shot open, but he couldn't pull off in time, and took the attack face first.
"Get in again, Luxray! Fast!"
Volkner was hoping to catch Amaya unprepared for a quick counterattack, but Terrus was alert to the danger, and took it upon himself to blast the Gleam Eyes Pokémon with another Energy Ball.
"Good, Terrus", Amaya settled on a strategy, crossing her arms over her chest as she said, "Watch him carefully. Don't let him in."
A pause ensued, as Luxray shook off the two big hits and struggled to his feet.
"Hmm", Volkner's mind was whirring, "So it's going to be like that. Makes sense, but I've seen it before. Luxray, Double Kick!"
"Away, Terrus! Razor Leaf!"
The Sunyshore Leader's bright eyes flashed triumphantly;
"Break off, and use Ice Fang!"
Damn! Amaya grimaced, That's a Milo play. A classic bait and switch.
Terrus could do nothing to counter the dangerous move, and roared aloud. Fortunately, Amaya recovered quickly from the nasty shock of being caught out;
"Earthquake!"
"Whoa, come on Luxray! You still with me?"
The display of raw power from the small girl's Torterra brought cheers from the assembled crowd. 'The Hammer' was proving herself worthy of that nickname. Luxray, of course, stood no chance against a Ground move that large from a Pokémon as strong as Terrus. The round was over.
"That was vintage 'Maya", Milo grinned and applauded his friend, "Who needs strategy when you can just tank the damage and hit back as hard as possible?"
"She's about as Twinleaf as it gets", nodded Alexander, "Gritty, determined, and powerful. Nothing fancy, just do the job. I guess 'The Hammer' is an apt nickname."
On the field, Amaya decided to play it cautiously, and switched Terrus out for Granite as Volkner called on his Raichu. Milo, meanwhile, intervened on her behalf to his father;
"Well, there's more to her than only that. This whole counterattacking thing is new. She knows how to tweak her style to find the big hits. She can be proactive when she has to."
"Looks like she'll need to be", replied Alexander, nodding towards the battle.
Volkner's Raichu was running laps around Granite, who couldn't find the time or space for his biggest Ground moves because he was being peppered by Grass Knot and Brick Break attacks. They weren't the biggest hits he'd taken, but the daunting Steelix had already been hit a handful of times, and was increasingly frustrated as Amaya looked to pin down the Leaders' Mouse Pokémon.
"Switch it up, Granite! Rock Throw!"
With a roar, Granite began chucking boulders around the field anywhere there was half a chance he might catch Raichu.
"Focus up, Raichu!"
Volkner's eyes were burning with excitement – this was the kind of battle he lived for. It was battles like this one that truly made his heart pound like nothing else. In the blink of an eye, Amaya had flipped the script on him, and the relentless half-aimed Rock Throw attacks quickly caught Raichu unprepared. As adrenaline flooded through him, Volkner made an instinctive adjustment;
"Tighten up! Quick Attack in close for a Brick Break!"
"Keep him off you, Granite! Iron Tail!"
It was a clever move, but Volkner had spent hours watching footage of Amaya's team. He knew exactly how she dealt with opponents who tried to close in on her bigger fighters.
"Now, jump! Time it, Raichu, you can still get in!"
Milo stood, breathless and wide-eyed, as Granite swung a vicious Iron Tail towards the small Electric type. With determination written on its features, Raichu jumped, and just managed to get over the attack. Granite was caught out, and the Brick Break was yet another big hit to one of Granite's weaker joints. The massive Steelix gave a screech of pain before toppling over, unconscious.
"That's…exactly how I would've fought Granite", admitted the JPTA graduate from the stands.
"Volkner's strength has always been his instinct", said his father, "He's broken through many a foolproof defense in his day, and he's one of the best in the world at battling from a type disadvantage."
Amaya was stunned. How could she have lost Granite to a Gym level Raichu? Volkner really was the toughest Leader in the region.
I still got this, she told herself, This is why I rested Terrus.
"Alright", she brought her starter back to the field, "We need you again, big guy."
Terrus was still showing the effects of his bout against Luxray, but he was more than ready to go another round to bring home the win for his Trainer.
"On the offensive, Terrus", Amaya grabbed the initiative, "Energy Ball, keep him moving."
"Get going, Raichu!"
It became a game of target practice for Terrus, played against an incredibly capable moving target. Volkner's teaching instincts kicked in as he thought to himself;
Let's test her adaptability. If she falls for the same trick again, then I guess The Hammer is all brawn after all.
"Duck and get in, Raichu! Iron Tail!"
"There it is, Terrus! Rock Tomb!"
Raichu was too close to dodge the barrage of rocks that piled on for huge damage; Amaya had adapted perfectly, and caught Volkner flatfooted.
"Earthquake!"
Another huge Ground move put paid to the Leader's second fighter, and the referee made the call;
"Raichu is unable to continue! Volkner, your third Pokémon!"
"Haha", Volkner actually laughed at this turn of events, "That was brilliant! Man, I have missed this! Let's do it, Electivire!"
"It's dangerous, Terrus. Lead Earthquake!"
"Jump, Electivire! Land on Torterra! Ice Punch and Fire Punch, as much as you can!"
Terrus had launched his Earthquake with gusto, and as alert as he was, he couldn't cancel it nearly fast enough. Electivire came flying in to land on the Continent Pokémon's unprotected back, landing one, two, three Ice Punches before Amaya could recover;
"Terrus! Leaf Storm, Frenzy Plant, anything! Get him off you!"
"Wow", Milo shook his head in amazement, "Volkner is crazy smart. That's the strategy I use against Earthquake with Blaze."
"That's probably where he got the idea", answered Alexander with a nod, "He's had the benefit of studying you two for months, now."
Down on the field, Electivire had landed at least four big punches on Amaya's starter before a desperate Leaf Storm at last shook him away. Terrus could feel himself blacking out, and as he toppled over he roared and let off a Return blast that sent Volkner's Thunderbolt crashing violently into the wall.
"Torterra is unable to battle", called the referee. He paused and looked at the other side of the field, where Volkner's sweeper was peeling itself laboriously off the ground, "Electivire is ready to continue – challenger, your final Pokémon!"
Amaya looked ready to spit fire, so furious was she at having lost both her big Ground types to an Electric team. Without a second thought, almost by pure muscle memory, her hand snapped to the Pokéball at the front of her belt. With a face harder than steel, she called;
"Coral, wrap this up!"
Volkner paused, eyebrow raised;
"Milotic? Really? Hmm…Unexpected. Then again, perhaps not, all things considered. All right, one more round! Winner takes all! This is what it's about, right here!"
Electivire fed off his Trainer's energy; bruised and battered though he was from his fight with Terrus, he came sprinting back to take his spot on the field, staring down the imposing Tender Pokémon with practiced confidence.
"Coral, I need it all! Scald, Twister! Get ready for more!"
In a single moment, the pace of battle skyrocketed. Electivire jumped instinctively out of the way of Scald, and Volkner took a few seconds to regain control;
"Up, Electivire! Now left! Don't lose it, get in there! Wild Charge around, look for an opening for Discharge!"
The Thunderbolt Pokémon was still reeling from the speed and power of Coral's attacks, but he wasn't out of the woods yet.
"Now Bulldoze, Coral!"
The Hammer was ruthless. She and her famous Milotic read Volkner's dodge perfectly, and smashed the Electric sweeper with a brutal Bulldoze.
"Follow with Hydro Pump!"
With no time even to stand all the way up, Electivire flung himself desperately sideways from where he'd landed, avoiding the Hydro Pump by mere inches.
"Wild Charge, Electivire! Just get away!"
"Keep him running, Coral! Dragon Pulse!"
Another massive range move came blasting in, barely behind the speedy and frantic Electivire. Now, however, the ever-crafty Volkner saw a tiny window;
"Dodge in! Thunderpunch!"
Coral was already preparing yet another big move, but Electivire had the speed advantage, and the Milotic cried aloud as she took quite a bit of damage.
"Dragon Tail! Bulldoze!"
The relentless Twinleaf Trainer rattled off her commands automatically. It was triflingly easy to punish opponents who countered Coral by getting in close. Sure enough, the final fast and furious round was over with that second Bulldoze.
Amaya stood, breathing just as heavily as Coral, as the referee made the call;
"Electivire is unable to battle! The victory goes to Amaya the challenger!"
Cheers exploded through the crowd as Volkner returned his fallen Thunderbolt Pokémon and crossed the field. The referee passed him a microphone on his way over, and his voice rang out loud and clear;
"What a fantastic battle! Amaya of Twinleaf, it is my distinct pleasure to award you", he paused to fish a badge out of his inside jacket pocket, "the eighth and final official Gym badge of the Sinnoh Pokémon League! Having earned this Beacon Badge, I also declare you qualified to enter the prestigious…Lily of the Valley Conference!"
The noise inside the stadium swelled, and as Amaya accepted the badge, a chant rose;
"HAM-MER! HAM-MER! HAM-MER!"
Milo clapped along, ecstatic at his friend's success, before commenting to Kara;
"I didn't get a big announcement and a cheer…"
"Well", the Performer shot back, "You had already qualified. It was just a Gym battle for you."
"True", he nodded, "Oh well, doesn't matter. Woo, way to go, 'Maya!"
They filed out of their seats along with the rest of the crowd – Milo received quite a few enthusiastic claps on the back from the many people who recognized him – and paused outside to watch part of Amaya's post-battle interview live on one of the Gym lobby's many screens.
"Amaya, you're the first Rookie to qualify for the Conference via the Gym Circuit in five years; can we get your initial reaction to all this?"
"I…I don't…I'm still processing it", answered Amaya breathlessly.
"It's funny", Kara smiled, "She never talks more than she has to, but at the same time I've never seen her actually speechless before."
Eventually, of course, the Twinleaf prodigy regained her typical sassy confidence, and the assembled reporters got their fair share of headline-worthy soundbites.
The next few hours seemed to rush by for both young Trainers. The excitement of actually finishing the Gym Circuit brought a welcome relief to Milo; he was at last able to forget, even temporarily, about the shocking accusations that had been publicly made against him.
Both battles were enthusiastically rehashed as soon as the group got back to Milo's family's house;
"…so I was totally freaking out when Drake went down, but I just got this feeling, you know? Like I knew Aurora was going to make easy work of that Electivire. I just absolutely knew it. Then when she…"
"…and I should've known he'd have something for Ground types, it's the counter for an Electric team. I still can't believe I was dumb enough to go for two Earthquakes in a row, like he wouldn't have a plan for the second one…"
Even Milo's father got in on the fun;
"…I knew he had you figured; you fit the Twinleaf mold to a tee. You adapted so fast, though, I have to admit I was amazed when you thought to…"
Once Zoe was able to calm them all down enough to sit still, they all sat down to a delicious homemade dinner, and little Myrian proudly presented a cake that 'she had helped with'. Zoe had, of course, made this as well, and Milo's little sister had only helped apply the icing on the top, but nobody was going to burst her proud bubble of happiness. The cake was a delicious chocolate one, and the icing on top said, in an awkward scribble,
You Win!
Once dessert was over, Milo led his two travelling companions up through his room to the attic and out onto the roof of their small house.
As they stepped carefully out into the late evening air, with a cool breeze gently passing over the tops of the buildings around them, Milo sighed with a contented smile;
"I used to come up here with Marcus when I was really little. We'd imagine ourselves hitting the big time, battling at Lily of the Valley or Mt. Silver or the Indigo Plateau, or wherever else. Then when I got to visit back here from the JPTA he'd come up here with me and tell me all about how his career was going and I just…"
He broke off as his reminiscences overtook his mind;
"It was pure gold to me as a kid. I would listen to him talk and talk…for hours…"
They sat on the sloping shingled roof, and looked out over Sunyshore City as it drifted into its evening rhythms. As a silence settled over the trio, it truly felt as though their hearts all beat with the same energy, their minds overcome as one with the same sense of wonder and disbelief.
"Damn", said Amaya at last, "This is real."
"Hard to believe", nodded Kara as a car horn blared far off on the streets below, "You two have all your badges, and I'll be in Kalos a month after the Conference. Seems so…you know?"
"I get you", Milo gazed out at the faraway neon lights of Volkner's Gym; the shining center of the city's bustling downtown, "It feels like it can't be happening, but…here it is. We did it, you guys."
There were another few minutes of silence as each of them tried to come to grips with their own accomplishments.
"I'll never get used to that look when people see me", chuckled Amaya.
"That always feels so weird", Milo cracked a grin himself as he leaned back to look up into the darkening sky, "Like they're seeing someone else. Someone really cool and famous – but it's actually just me."
His Twinleaf companion just nodded silently in agreement as Kara settled herself next to him. With every breath they took, each of the three felt some measure of nervous energy, of leftover adrenaline, leave their system. It was a familiar feeling, coming down from the high of winning a big match or a Showcase. This time, however, it was the last of its kind. The next one, they knew, would be a totally different beast. There was now nothing, not one single thing, between them and the holy grail of Sinnoh battling; the Lily of the Valley Conference.
"Six weeks", said Amaya quietly, her arms wrapped around the knees curled into her chest.
"Six weeks", Milo confirmed it.
Marcus
Far off to the north, in the shopping district of Veilstone, Milo's older brother stood outside on the sidewalk, staring up at one of the many loft buildings. The hood of his jacket was up to hide his face. Veilstone didn't seem to care that it was nighttime – the city was just as hyperactive as ever, with people bustling here, there, and everywhere. Marcus took a deep breath to set himself.
"You good?" Jenks stood next to him, his brow furrowed in concern.
"I'm good", asserted the Dark type expert, "Let's go in."
A nod passed between them. Marcus stepped up to the residential building and flashed a card at the door. It beeped quietly and the two men stepped into the building, crossing quickly across the lobby to the elevator.
"Number 402", said Jenks.
"I remember", Marcus replied shortly, poking the button. Not another word passed between them as they rode the bumpy elevator up to the building's fourth floor. In just a minute they were standing at the door of apartment number 402. Marcus poked a button on his belt, and one of his off-type Pokémon emerged – a Medicham.
"Be ready", he instructed the Meditate Pokémon, "Just like we discussed."
I understand, she replied coolly, I won't fail you.
Marcus nodded to Jenks, who said;
"This better work, Marcus."
With that, the journalist cleared his throat and stepped up to the door. He knocked sharply – once, twice, thrice…
"Kierran? Kierran, it's me! Robert!"
A stocky balding man with square glasses answered the door cautiously. The moment he could, Marcus grabbed ahold of the door and force it open. At the sight of the Leader, Kierran Hogan – the man behind the slanderous news report – backtracked and began blubbering in a panic;
"Wh-what is this? Y-you! You're here! Please, please don't – don't do anything to me, it wasn't me! I swear I didn't-"
"Medicham", said the Hearthome Leader.
The half-Psychic Pokémon stepped forward and extended a hand, expecting to find a partial Psychic hold similar to the one Florence had removed from Candice. After a second, the Psychic Pokémon frowned.
There is no hold on this man, relayed Medicham telepathically to her Trainer, His mind is entirely his own.
"Kierran", Jenks stepped forward, "We know you were…coerced into publishing that report against Milo. We're trying to make things right for him. You've been influenced and this Pokémon is here to get you back to yourself, alright? We just need to-"
"He's already clean", growled Marcus.
"I – I…" Kierran gulped, "I don't know how you know about that, but…I can explain."
"You had better", the Leader was in no mood for tricks or games. His stare was downright murderous. Jenks stepped between the two as Kierran edged away from the dangerous Dark master.
"Ehe…I was influenced, like you said. I can't explain it, but I just had to expose Milo as a fraud, even though I knew it was all falsified. I – I couldn't make myself stop. It was like a pressure in my brain was controlling me."
"So why are you clean now?" Marcus demanded.
"I – well, whatever it was, it disappeared the moment I put the report out. It was like flipping a switch; the instant it was out, I was myself again. Just like that."
Marcus was silent at this, but now it was Jenks who stepped forward with a frown and a crease of his brow;
"That was over 24 hours ago, Kierran", began the journo softly, "If you've been free of the mental hold for that long…why is the report still out there?"
Kierran looked up, fear in his eyes. He opened his mouth, but couldn't seem to find any words. Jenks continued, his voice rising;
"You published a story to major news outlets, with the full weight of your experience and authority behind it, knowing it was false. You did so under duress, but you've been free to publicly retract it now for over a day. Why haven't you?"
"Robert, I", the man stuttered, terrified, "I can't, I just can't. How can I admit to something like that? How can I just come out and say one of my biggest reports ever is a total fraud?"
"Easy", Jenks shot back, "You just do it. Journalistic integrity demands you do the right thing here, Kierran. For Milo's sake, you have to come forward and admit it was fake."
"For Milo's sake? Robert, what about my sake? What happens to me when that kind of crap hits the fan? I'll be through – finished! My reputation will be trashed within the hour; I will lose everything if I come forward."
"My brother could very well lose his career to scandal if you don't!" Marcus was furious at this man's cowardice.
"He's young", answered Kierran, "He can get through this. It'll blow over when I don't follow it up. Everyone deals with bad press eventually, he'll be fine."
"Take the damn report back!"
"I can't do that!"
Marcus made to confront the man, but Jenks stopped him with an outstretched arm;
"Don't, Marcus. If he won't do it, we'll have to fix this without him. If he's not going to retract it, we'll poke it so full of holes that everyone can see how rotten it is."
Struggling to control his breathing, Marcus returned his Medicham and whirled about, storming out of the room.
"Kierran", Jenks said with a sigh, "I respected you. As a colleague and as a friend…I thought you were better than this. I hope you change your mind."
One last time, the scared reporter whispered, "I…I can't."
Milo
The group remained in Sunyshore for two weeks, training and training and training. The long-term fallout from Kierran Hogan's ill-fated report had been thoroughly damage-controlled by Jenks, who had made it his personal mission to prove Milo's innocence in every possible way. All the same, the young man had been forced to watch, helpless, as half of Sinnoh solidified its assertion that he was a fraud, no matter what evidence to the contrary was presented. He'd grown a tough skin about it, but it took its toll nonetheless.
At long last, four weeks before the long-awaited Conference, the three young Rookies found themselves seated in the first class section of a plane from Sunyshore all the way to Lily Island.
"While we fly", Jenks turned his seat around to face Milo and Amaya, "I want to share something with the two of you, mostly for transparency, and also so you're aware of what's at stake. I want to talk about next season."
"Next season?" Milo quickly put the pieces together, "Do you mean keeping an eye out for scouts? I guess we should be thinking about semi-pro deals pretty soon. Though I'm not sure what region would want to sign a supposed cheater."
The media manager answered immediately, "Milo, anyone with half a brain knows you're innocent. Any league official who's seen your battles would gladly back you up. They'll be tripping over themselves to sign you up."
"Yeah, if we haven't caught any attention by now", added Amaya, "I don't know what else we'd have to do."
"Check this out", said Jenks with a smirk.
From his briefcase, he produced two neatly organized stacks of manila folders. He plopped one pile in front of each of the Rookie Trainers and sat back, waiting.
Milo quickly removed the rubber band and began flipping through the files he'd been given.
This one's labeled 'Johto', he noticed, And here's a Unova folder…and Kalos…and Hoenn…
His curiosity piqued, he popped open the Hoenn folder and the first thing he noticed was a handwritten note, written so neatly it was hard to tell it wasn't typed;
Dear Milo,
I would imagine that this is one of several such letters you will have received, but please allow me to impress upon you the sincerity of my words. Your first year as a Trainer has been nothing short of breathtaking, and I believe Hoenn is the perfect place for you to continue your development.
Your unique style has an aesthetic quality that many fans here in Hoenn would love. The Hoenn League is home to many tough Trainers who could provide you regular competition against challenging opponents. There is a certain finesse about Hoenn's battling that would suit you much better than a more old-fashioned league, like Kanto or Johto, not to mention the variety in battle styles. I would love to see your unique sense of intuition applied to double battling, or even the odd Contest battle.
I could go on, but I'll conclude by saying once more that I believe you and the Hoenn region would both benefit should you decide to sign with us for the coming battle season. If you have any further questions, I would be glad to answer them; you have only to ask!
Best regards;
– Steven Stone, Hoenn Champion
Milo was dumbstruck as he put the note down. A personal letter to him! From Steven Stone, no less! He thumbed through the rest of the Hoenn file, and found a more formal invitation from the Hoenn League detailing a two-year contract, pending his favorable performance at the upcoming Conference.
It simply didn't compute. He – Milo – was getting offers for official League contracts from major regional leagues! Unsure of just what to think, he breezed through the rest of the files. As Steven had predicted, several other Champions had seen fit to include a personal note. The Kalos note was written in formal-looking script with plenty of flourish;
Milo,
I'll not bore you by adding unnecessarily to the massive pile of praise being heaped on you – all deserved, might I note – but instead, let me jump right in and tell you what the Kalos region has to offer for an extraordinary talent such as yourself.
Our League has long been proud of the intellectual, tactical battles that are our hallmark. We have learned to dispense with the flamboyant style of Hoenn while also shying away from the borderline brutality of the power-first Johto League. We have the best combination of talent, class, and strength to be found outside Sinnoh.
No doubt Cynthia will try to entice you with a junior contract to remain where you are, but let me advise you that playing second fiddle to the entire professional Sinnoh roster would be a shameful waste of your prodigious talent. I urge you to consider Kalos as the place to continue your remarkable growth as a Trainer without losing the exposure and momentum you've gained as a breakout Rookie star.
Sincerely yours – Diantha, Kalos League Champion
Numbly, Milo picked up the third note, which was written in a much messier scrawl;
Milo!
Let me throw in my shameless plug for the Unova region;
You seem like the kind of guy who's not afraid to break rank, to defy traditions. Well, hey! That's what we specialize in here at the Unova League! It's a perfect chance for you to get a clean slate and try all kinds of new things! New Pokémon, new battling styles, and we do it with plenty of flair!
Give it some time, and hit me up if you've got questions, but seriously; think about it. Don't you want to try something totally new?
– Alder, Unova Champ
Each of these notes, as well as the Johto file, was accompanied by the same caveat; whatever the offer was, it was always 'pending a favorable performance at the upcoming Lily of the Valley Conference'. A quick glance to his right told him that Amaya was just as stunned as he was.
"As I said", grinned Jenks proudly, "I doubt you'll have to seek out attention from the scouts."
"I really hadn't thought about next season", admitted Amaya, "That's a tough choice. Is there no Sinnoh offer?"
"Not yet", conceded Jenks, "Don't let that get you down, though. Sinnoh is by far the most difficult roster to break into. You'll see there's no Kanto offer, either; that's not a reflection on you so much as the fact that they don't take well to non-Kanto Trainers representing their region. It's narrow-minded, but hey, what can you do."
"I'm so proud of you two!" Kara was positively glowing. She remembered very well the thrill of receiving a prestigious offer such as this, "Now the three super Rookies can be the three super professionals!"
"Jenks", Milo was breathless, "What do you think? I mean, all of these Leagues sound great; how do we even begin to make that choice?"
"For now", replied the journo, "don't think too hard about it. Read over the info, and then put it on the back burner, let your brain chew on it and get a feel for your personal preference. Besides, in the short term this means you both need to put in a solid showing at this Conference, so focus on that first."
"Right", Milo was forcing himself to breathe normally as he stared his future in the face, "Just…focus on the Conference. Our last big thing as Rookies, and then…then who knows what."
Despite his penchant for falling asleep on planes, Milo got no shuteye whatsoever the whole rest of the way to Lily Island.
"Hey", Kara put a soft hand on his shoulder as they began gathering their bags once the flight landed, "Milo? Don't think yourself into the ground here, okay? This is one of those times where tunnel vision can be a good thing. Just get through the Conference and everything else will work itself out."
"We got this", Amaya added, "It's a damn big thing to not think about, but none of that happens if we don't nail this Conference. Let's go. We're Milo and The Hammer, we got this."
Milo nodded and set his face. Suddenly, this tournament wasn't just a celebration of his breakout season. Suddenly his future career was riding on this Conference. As he stepped off the plane and onto the hallowed ground of Lily Island, he braced his mind with one thought;
This is real. Let's do it.
Author's Notes:
This chapter is kind of a buildup to the craziness that will be the Conference. That being said, we are officially in the homestretch! It's no spoiler to admit that the Conference will take at least a couple chapters, and will be the finale of Milo and the Blue Umbreon.
I have zero plans to stop writing or take any extended hiatus or whatever. I have at least one full sequel planned for Milo, as well as several unrelated stories featuring other characters. One such story, which you can find on my profile, is Reclaiming Sinnoh: The Underground Master. I have two additional stories that are unpublished but thoroughly planned. Here's the question; what do you want to see next? Should I keep chugging with Milo and work on that sequel (Working title: Milo and the Big Six) or switch gears and finish Reclaiming Sinnoh? Or, would you rather see something entirely new?
As a teaser, the working titles on the unpublished ones are 'Savage Isles: War of the Titan Master' and 'Ehrida Cold Fire – The Four Fiends'. If you want more info, PM me and I'd be happy to provide a synopsis of any of these stories. Anyway, yeah! Review, or PM me, and let me know what you're most interested in! all opinions welcome (including yours)!
Also, I'd love to hear your thoughts on this lead-in chapter to the Conference! I've got plenty of twists and turns to come, the last few chapters will be chock full of fireworks and emotional roller coasters. Finally, THANK YOU for reading this story! It means a lot to me that people actually want to read what I've produced.
Ciao, good people! Happy reading!
-Nano