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)

26. Chapter 26 - The Conference (Part 1)

Milo Chapter 26 – The Conference

Battle Day One

Eight thousand people were packed into Stadium 5 for Amaya's group battles. Marcus came through for them again, and Kara, Milo, and two sets of proud parents joined him in box seats for the day. This side venue was nowhere close to the scale and grandeur of Lily Stadium proper, but was one of eight smaller arenas that branched out from the huge battling complex. The main stadium wouldn't be used until the pre-quarter round – the second knockout round after the group phase.

Amaya's fate was the question of the day, and battle fans were eager to see whether The Hammer could overcome the odds and get through her group. After a half hour of anxious waiting, the announcer's voice crackled into life and rang out across the arena;

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Group 5! We're looking forward to some great 2 versus 2 battles here today; as a reminder, the top 2 Trainers from this group will advance to the knockout rounds. Without further ado, let's meet the competitors in this group and see the day's schedule!"

Milo clapped dutifully along as the four members of Group 5 paraded out onto the field, 'Maya among them. The assembled friends and family were already on the edges of their seats, and more than a few nervous fingers were drumming uncontrollably as the Group 5 Trainers were introduced;

"First, from Sunyshore, please give it up for…Baron!"

The fourth seed boy, a trainee from Volkner's Gym, stepped out and waved to the crowd, who cheered him politely. He had apparently left his position as one of the Sunyshore Leader's students to make a name for himself in the wider battling world. Predictably, he specialized in Electric types. Talent-wise, he definitely fell in the 'just happy to be here' category, though his arrogant attitude suggested otherwise.

"Next, from the humble beginnings of Twinleaf Town, welcome…Amaya!"

The Hammer naturally received a much larger cheer than Baron of Sunyshore, but she didn't acknowledge the noise. She stood in her place, hands tucked firmly in the front pocket of her favorite baggy hoodie, and simply nodded to verify that yes, she was indeed Amaya of Twinleaf.

"And now, entering her third Lily of the Valley Conference, please give a warm welcome to…Rose!"

Rose was the second seed in Group 5, a third year Trainer still looking for her big break. She was a relatively weak second seed, and she was Amaya's best chance at causing an upset and breaking into the knockout rounds.

"Finally, entering his seventh Conference, put your hands together for…MAX!"

Max, a semi-pro battler looking to bolster his reputation by claiming a Conference title, got a huge roar from the assembled onlookers. He wasn't one of the big-time pros, but he was a well-respected figure nonetheless among those who followed the Sinnoh battling scene. Beating him wasn't out of the question, but in a 2 on 2 it was a lofty aspiration at best.

"And now, ladies and gentlemen, turn your attention to the screen, and we will get our first look at today's battle schedule!"

The big screen flashed into life, and every eye scrutinized it thoroughly.

"Good", murmured Marcus, "This is perfect for her."

"She gets an easy win to start", Amaya's father nodded at the second battle on the list – Amaya's first. She would start her Conference against Baron, the Electric type user.

"Then she fights the big guy, and she wraps it up against Rose", Milo rattled off, "So even if she loses to Max in her second fight, nothing changes. She just has to win that final matchup."

Since Max and Rose were first on the list, Amaya and Baron cleared the field and the crowd settled in. The Lily of the Valley Conference was about to begin in earnest.

Amaya

Her waiting room felt like a prison. There was a small screen in one corner showing her the fight going on just outside.

At least I won't have to wait long, she thought, Max is burning straight through Rose with that Magmortar. I guess I'll have to bring Coral when I fight him, for sure.

In this first round, there were no substitutions, so Rose's Tropius was forced to take a big loss to the heavily favored Blast Pokémon. Next up was a Noctowl from Rose.

She doesn't have a good counter to Fire types, noted Amaya, laser focused on every detail of her opponents' battle. The Noctowl lasted longer than the Tropius, as it was more mobile. Still, it became a game of accuracy for the Magmortar, who had only to keep firing.

As long as he keeps up the attacks, she can't counter, Amaya saw, This guy's good. And…yep, there it is.

A big hit had finally landed – a Flamethrower straight into Noctowl's face. The Owl Pokémon was tenacious, though, and Rose called a swift counter;

"Extrasensory into Air Slash!"

Max's Pokémon was left dazed by the Psychic attack before being blindsided by the respectable Air Slash. Max, however, wasn't about to panic after a couple hits.

"Fire Punch while it's close, Magmortar. End this."

One big Fire Punch later, Rose's Pokémon was down. She had lost.

Damn, thought Amaya as she readied herself to take the field, Max isn't playing around.

She quickly put this out of her mind, however, as she stared down the tunnel that led out into the sunlight of Stadium 5.

"Let's hear you make some noise", called the announcer, "for…Baron and Amaya!"

Battle face on, the Twinleaf girl strode confidently out to meet her opponent in the middle of the field for the customary handshake. It was painfully obvious he had worked under Volkner; even his sense of fashion resembled the Sunyshore Leader.

"Good luck", said Amaya briefly.

"Hey", Baron asked with a smug grin, "When I beat 'The Hammer', do you think I'll get a cool nickname too? Guess I better start brainstorming, huh?"

Dropping her hand, Amaya's eyes narrowed and she answered quietly;

"Remember you said that. You'll regret it."

With that feisty exchange, both Trainers took up position in their boxes.

"Let's do this right", called Baron, "Start us off, Pelipper!"

"Hmph. Glacius."

It was almost too easy. She had done her homework on this Sunyshore clown, and knew he had a Pelipper on his team to counter the Ground types that were always used against his Electric Pokémon. From there, it was easy to guess he'd plan on her using one of her Ground types and flip the script on him. Glacius was rather savage, and scraped her claws together in anticipation, seeing her opponent was a Flying Pokémon, and a slow one at that.

Baron wasn't all stupid. He realized in an instant that he'd been outplayed, and made the snap decision to get out in front of the play as fast as possible.

"Pelipper, Supersonic!"

"Quick Attack around, Icy Wind."

Amaya's Weavile all but disappeared from sight, so fast was her Quick Attack escape. Supersonic missed by a long shot, and the Water Bird squawked in pain and surprise as the icy attack hit him from behind.

"Now in, Glacius. Punishment."

"Pelipper, Protect!"

It was a panic play, but it worked. Glacius' attack was deflected at the last possible second by a frantic shield from Baron's first Pokémon.

"That only works once", said Amaya, "Back off, and give him a Dark Pulse."

This attack struck home, and Pelipper went down in a heap.

"Pelipper", called Baron, "If you're still with me, buy time with Hurricane!"

Amaya frowned as the Water Bird Pokémon struggled back up, and launched a Hurricane that left Glacius scrambling, and gave Baron's Flying type time to escape and get set up to continue.

"Now keep that thing running! Hydro Pump!"

"Shadow Ball, Glacius! Then move, and Blizzard!"

Amaya's Weavile was just able to get the Ghost attack off in time to counter the blast of water that came rocketing towards her. Then it took only a neat sidestep and a straightforward Blizzard attack to end the round.

"Pelipper is unable to continue, Weavile is the winner! Baron, your second Pokémon!"

"Raichu", called the Sunyshore trainee, "Time to put in some work!"

"Move and hit, Glacius. Quick Attack around, then Night Slash."

As the Sharp Claw Pokémon made to move in, however, Baron countered;

"Not so fast! Grass Knot, then Thunder!"

Neither Amaya nor Glacius was prepared for such a play, and the Weavile hissed in surprise as Grass Knot brought her tumbling to the ground, which left a window large enough for Raichu to land a huge hit with its Thunder attack.

"Follow it, Raichu! Brick Break!"

Before Amaya's Pokémon could compose herself, the speedy Mouse Pokémon came dashing in for a doubly super effective Brick Break that knocked Glacius out of contention.

"Shoot", Milo sat back, eyes narrowed as the crowd roared in approval at Baron's comeback, "This guy's no pushover. He's tied it up. Still, he's locked into that Raichu, so Amaya can just pull one of her Ground types and wrap it up."

"Come on, 'Maya!" Kara was out of her seat, cheering as hard as she could for her friend as the Twinleaf Trainer reached for her belt and made the most strategic call;

"Terrus, you're in."

"Get started quick, Raichu! Disarming Voice!"

"Tank it, Terrus. Give me the biggest Earthquake you've got."

The mighty Torterra did not disappoint. Disregarding the Electric type's Disarming Voice as if it were nothing, he roared aloud and set the ground heaving in a frightening display of power. When the massive Ground attack at last subsided, Raichu grimaced, stumbled, and fell over.

Screams erupted as the announcer, all but frothing at the mouth, yelled into his microphone;

"She's finished it in one blow! Unbelievable! Baron's Raichu goes down to a staggering Earthquake, and the battle is over! The Hammer has won!"

Amaya met Baron in the middle of the field for a handshake. The Sunyshore boy, glowering, couldn't seem to meet her eyes…so of course she had to rub salt in his freshly wounded pride;

"Don't talk shit you can't back up. Better luck next year."

The former Gym pupil's body stiffened, and the whole stadium could see him forcibly restraining himself as Amaya walked off with a highly satisfied smirk.

"Whatever she just said", Milo chuckled, "He did not like it. Not one bit."

"Ah, come on", her father rubbed a hand over his face, "Our 'Maya should be above petty trash talk – that's unnecessary."

"If I know her", Kara speculated, "He probably started it. My guess is that he said something before the battle that set her off."

Amaya

Back in her waiting room, the Twinleaf Rookie had just received her Pokémon back from the healing service. She plucked one Pokéball from her belt and released Glacius.

"Hey. Good work."

The Sharp Claw Pokémon nodded, but didn't seem too enthused.

"Ever the perfectionist, huh? Yeah, that Raichu was good. Next time, recover a bit quicker and you'll win those punch-outs."

Glacius always took advice and criticism better than praise. She didn't care how good she was, only that she could still improve. Amaya talked a while longer with the Ice type before returning her and settling in to wait through the half hour rest period before the next two battles.

This time, she was up first, against the top seed in the group; Max.

Alright, the Twinleaf Trainer prepared herself for her toughest group matchup, I have everything to gain and nothing to lose here. Time to prove I've got what it takes for a seat at the big kids' table.

"Now, ladies and gentlemen, grab ahold of your seats; Amaya versus Max promises to be one heck of a wild ride! Let's watch them go at it here in Stadium 5! Please welcome our next battlers!"

Amaya strode out to the middle of the field, still not acknowledging the noise of the crowd.

"I've been watching you", said Max when they met for the pre-battle handshake, "You're pretty good – I'm not sure how you got seeded so low. I'm looking forward to this, let's have a good one."

"…Thanks."

She knew this battle would test her, but she had done her homework. She knew which two Pokémon Max would use and what they could do. All she had to do was…well, beat them.

"Magmortar", called the semi-pro, "Light it up!"

"Coral", responded the Rookie, "It's time."

Max wasn't waiting around, "Start with a Smog!"

"No! Coral, use Twister, keep that Smog away!"

She couldn't afford for her ace Milotic to be poisoned, especially right at the start. The Twister also gave her an opening to be aggressive;

"Now Hydro Pump straight through!"

"Easy, Magmortar. Thunder Punch!"

Hydro Pump missed by a longshot; the Blast Pokémon had moved as soon as Twister had obscured him from view. He had a clear shot, and Amaya could do nothing to prevent her Tender Pokémon from taking the first hit. As her body crackled with electricity from the super effective attack, Coral heard Amaya call one of her go-to counterattacks;

"Dragon Tail, Coral! Get your space back!"

"Back off, Magmortar! Get clear!"

This time, Amaya came out ahead. Magmortar couldn't evade Coral's favorite close range move, and took a walloping hit to the stomach.

"Follow with Water Pulse!"

"Do what you can, Magmortar! Hang tough!"

The bulky Fire type knew he couldn't dodge in time, but a well-placed Lava Plume at least mitigated the damage a bit.

"Let's change it up! Charge in!"

After two big hits, Coral was unprepared for the sudden frontal assault by Magmortar, and her instinctive Dragon Pulse attack was well wide of the mark. Max's heavy hitter punished her with another direct Thunder Punch, and Coral definitely didn't look too good.

"Oh, geez", Marcus shook his head up above with some disbelief as the battle raged on, "She really needs to get control of this thing. This should've been an easy win for her, but now I'm not even sure Coral will make it to round 2."

"Max is definitely good", agreed Milo, "I wouldn't count Coral out just yet, though."

"Hydro Pump!" Amaya had found another opening.

As the attack struck home, though, Max had one last play, "Help out the team, Magmortar! Smog!"

As he slowly collapsed, the Blast Pokémon released a huge wave of poison gas that took effect quickly. Coral had won, but now she was poisoned.

"Magmortar is unable to continue! Max, your second Pokémon!"

Max nodded, his face alight with a dangerous energy, "What a thrill! We can still pull this one out, Mamoswine! You've got this!"

"Quick, Coral", Amaya was clearly shaken at having her ace crippled so suddenly, "Use Recover!"

"Blitz, Mamoswine! Use Freeze Dry!"

"Dang it", Milo flung himself back in his seat, frustrated, "If she would've just stuck to her usual offense-first style, Coral could've at least dented Mamoswine. She's freaked out."

His point was painfully evident; Coral was far too tired and weakened by damage and poison to mount an effective Recover, and the super effective move from the Ice type sent her crashing to the ground, unconscious. The unbeatable Coral, backbone of Amaya's whole team, was down.

"This doesn't look good", murmured Marcus, "That Mamoswine is his anchor. Amaya's strong, but Max and Mamoswine have had years to build power, experience and chemistry together. I'm not sure what she could bring against that thing."

"Terrus", called the Twinleaf girl, "Bring it home."

The mighty Torterra, to his credit, emerged with a roar and a glare. His demeanor reflected Amaya's own attitude perfectly; nobody was going to intimidate them.

"Lead with Grass Knot", ordered Amaya.

"Use those tusks, Mamoswine, then respond with Blizzard."

As Terrus' Grass move targeted the Twin Tusk Pokémon, Mamoswine simply stabbed his tusks through it with ease before striking back with a savage Blizzard that actually pushed Amaya's starter backwards with its raw force, not to mention the massive damage it caused.

"Giga Drain!"

Amaya was desperate to regain some of the control that was rapidly evaporating from her grasp. Unfortunately, Max had seen this one, too.

"Time to close in, then! Mamoswine, Take Down!"

"That's the same thing", Milo was frowning, "She needs a new idea, something besides just trying to hit it outright. Her moves are too obvious. That Mamoswine is too good a counter-attacker to lose a punch out. He'll keep tanking hits and hitting back even harder."

"This isn't her kind of battle", admitted Amaya's father, "Power won't do the trick, but that's all she's got left at this point. He's smarter and more experienced than she is."

It was increasingly hard for Amaya's friends to watch as everything she and Terrus tried was rendered ineffective or simply irrelevant by Max and his prized Mamoswine. She wasn't even given time to think, as Max kept the pressure ramped up;

"Add an Ice Fang!"

Mamoswine had just rammed Terrus with Take Down, and before Amaya's starter could recover, a pained roar escaped his throat as Ice Fang added further super effective damage.

"Earthquake, Terrus!"

Amaya was looking to score a hit – any hit – but Max gave her no room to breathe.

"Go for broke, Mamoswine. Blizzard."

The Twinleaf Trainer was helpless, watching with wide eyes as her brave Continent Pokémon came crashing down to the ground. Terrus was down. She had lost.

The assembled friends and family looked around nervously at one another, but nobody spoke until Milo asserted in a rather shaky voice;

"It's okay; she's still got a chance. This is what we expected, right? It was always going to come down to Amaya or Rose for the number 2 spot."

On the field, Amaya had silently offered the victorious Max the obligatory post-battle handshake and quickly retreated, stone-faced the whole way.

Whew, thought Kara, Deep breaths, it's all good. She's got this.

"What a feeling", commented Amaya's father, "Only Pokémon battling puts you on the edge of your seat like this."

"Truer words, my friend", responded Alexander encouragingly, "But your daughter is a resilient one. She'll come out swinging against Rose. I'm sure she'll take second without too much difficulty."

As the two dads fell eagerly to talking about the particulars and hypotheticals of the remaining group battles, the rest of the group settled in to watch Baron battle Rose. The Sunyshore trainee met his opponent in the middle of the field for a handshake, smug smirk firmly back in place. Just as in his battle against Amaya, the cocky young man couldn't resist a jibe at Rose's expense;

"You're hot, I'll say that much. It's too bad you've got more looks than talent. How many sleepless nights did it take to buy a spot in the Conference this year?"

Nobody else heard his remark, but there was a collective gasp as Rose whirled about and delivered an almighty slap to Baron's face. So forceful was she that the offensive young man was sent spinning and tumbling to the floor, clutching his face in shock and disbelief. He looked up, his eyes wide, to see Rose standing furiously over him, her face flushed and her chest heaving, looking as though she was about to hit him again. Frantically, the referee dashed out to separate the two.

"Holy crap!" Milo was out of his seat, "Where in the world did that come from?"

The chaos inside Stadium 5 grew and grew as every spectator voiced the same question as Milo. Rose was nothing if not polite and mild-mannered…what could have prompted her, of all people, to actually hit Baron? After a long couple minutes waiting for the official to determine what had happened and consult via earpiece with a higher-up tournament coordinator, the man stepped into the middle of the field, and held up his hands to ask for quiet.

As the crowd hushed, he tapped his ear, asking the sound tech for the Stadium to project his microphone over the loud speaker;

"Ladies and gentlemen; we apologize for the confusion. It has been determined that an official personal conduct violation has been assessed to Baron of Sunyshore, disqualifying him from further participation in the Lily of the Valley Conference. A warning has also been issued to Miss Rose, who will be allowed to continue so long as there are no further concerns regarding her conduct during the Conference. Thank you for your patience and understanding. Rose will be credited with a 2-0 victory over Baron, and we will now begin a 15 minute break before the last battle of Group 5!"

"Wow", Kara murmured, "Whatever he said to her was bad enough to get him kicked out. What a jerk."

"Yeah", Milo narrowed his eyes, "That's just awful. That also means Max is guaranteed a perfect group phase. Baron was the only one he had left to fight, and now he'll be given an automatic victory. It's all about this last battle now. Both 'Maya and Rose got a win over Baron and a loss to Max, so the winner of this battle goes through, and the loser is out."

It was a tense 15 minutes, to say the least, but the crowd eventually settled back down just in time to watch the critical battle between Amaya and Rose.

You promised me, thought Milo as the two girls shook hands and took up position on opposite sides of the field, You promised me we would meet in the Conference. Come on, 'Maya, you have to win this. You've got this, come on…

On the field, Amaya's face was just as steely as ever, her fierce demeanor completely unreadable as the referee got things underway;

"Battle…begin!"

"Lopunny", called Rose, her eyes narrowed with focus.

"Glacius, it's time", Amaya chose to lead with her Weavile once more.

"Interesting", Milo's brain was already in overdrive, analyzing every detail, "Their instincts are similar. They both went for versatility, not knowing what type of Pokémon the other would open with."

"Get to it, Glacius", Amaya was quick off the mark, knowing she needed this victory, "Quick Attack, then Brick Break."

Rose heard the call, and was alert enough to escape, "Lopunny, use Bounce!"

It was not a second too soon. Just as Amaya's Weavile was coming in for the Fighting type hit, the Rabbit Pokémon gave a mighty leap, leaving Glacius' Brick Break to swing harmlessly below.

"Stop, Glacius", The Hammer would not be denied, "Wait underneath it. Land that Brick Break."

It was a clever play, if risky;

"Whew", Milo sat back as Amaya's Sharp Claw Pokémon at last got her move in, laying Lopunny out flat on the field, "That could've backfired quickly against a sharper opponent."

Rose's first battler was pulling itself off the ground, but Amaya didn't give her an opening to get back into the fight;

"End it, Glacius. Blizzard, Night Slash, then another Brick Break."

The unfortunate Normal type was walloped by a ferocious Blizzard that also served to disguise the dangerous Glacius as she flanked her opponent to land a Night Slash that saw Lopunny crash to the ground again. One Brick Break follow-up later, the round was already over.

As she cheered the crucial first round win, Amaya's mother fanned herself with a hand;

"Oh, goodness. My poor nerves! I just hope our 'Maya can wrap this up before it causes me any more stress from watching!"

They shared a chuckle as Rose revealed her second choice;

"Okay, Toxicroak, we need this!"

Amaya made to begin the second round just as she had closed out the first, but Rose wouldn't be caught out twice;

"Get in with Quick Attack, Glacius!"

"Sucker Punch!"

It wasn't super effective, but Sucker Punch threw the Weavile off her balance, and Toxicroak was ready to capitalize;

"Now, Cross Chop!"

Galcius could only brace herself as she was rocked for super effective damage. Amaya knew she had to reset, get her space, and make some kind of plan before the situation became unrecoverable;

"Icy Wind, get away!"

She'd borrowed the idea for this tactic from Milo and Aurora, and it worked to perfection. Now with the advantage of surprise, Amaya got back to her usual offensive blitz strategy;

"Aerial Ace! Then point blank Blizzard!"

As Aerial Ace struck home, Rose shouted frantically;

"Quick, Toxicroak, Revenge!"

Glacius was caught as she readied her large Blizzard attack, and another big Fighting-type hit left her on her last legs. It was now, though, that the Sharp Claw Pokémon recalled Amaya's advice;

'Next time, recover a bit quicker and you'll win those punch-outs.'

Fighting through the pain, Glacius forced herself back up immediately and launched the Blizzard she'd been trying to fire earlier. Unprepared for such a ferocious counter so soon, Toxicroak crumpled at last. As the action at last fell to a standstill, the referee made the call;

"Toxicroak is unable to battle! The winner is Weavile, and the battle goes to Amaya of Twinleaf!"

As the crowd roared their approval, and cries of 'HAAAAAMMEEEERRRR' echoed through the stands, Amaya closed her eyes and exhaled deeply.

That's it, she told herself, I'm in. I made the bracket. Holy crap, I can't believe this is real…

Setting herself shakily, as the adrenaline holding her focus together began to fade, Amaya removed her now-famous headphones and crossed the field to shake Rose's hand;

"That was a great battle", she said courteously.

"Yeah", Rose was understandably down, "I really gave it my all, but you just outgunned me. Fair play, Miss 'Hammer'. Best of luck going forward."

"Hey", Amaya called to her fallen opponent, "Umm, about that thing with Baron...I've dealt with that crap before too, wouldn't wish it on anyone. Sorry it happened to you."

"…Thanks." Rose gave a small, sad smile and took her leave.

Amaya was left standing alone, still breathless at her victory, listening with savage pride to the cheers raining down.

Stadium 5 was still buzzing as the fans began filtering out of the stands, including Kara, Milo, and the rest. It was now close enough to dinner time, so they found a relatively nice restaurant willing to take a reservation for a group as large as theirs (again, it was truly amazing the kind of strings a Gym Leader could pull) and sat down to revel in Amaya's defiance of the odds. The restaurant had set up a large TV to watch highlights and replays from Battle Day One, and Amaya was more than willing to elaborate on each and every detail of her success.

"I guess that's a dad thing", muttered Kara to Milo as Amaya's father kept perfectly in stride with his daughter, going over every little memory, glowing with pride, "Your dad does that, too."

"Well", answered the Jubilife Rookie, "let's just hope I can prove you right tomorrow. I may be the top seed, but I still have to get the results like anyone else."

"Hey, you'll be fine!" Kara gave her boyfriend an encouraging shoulder bump, "Have some faith in your team, Milo."

"Yep, I know", he flashed a grin, "But...really, they're not what I'm worried about."

"Then what's up?"

"I...have to go out again tonight."

Kara took a second to connect the dots, "Go out? What do you...wait, you're baiting that trap for the Psychic people? Again? Milo, you can't! Your Conference starts tomorrow! What are you going to do if they actually take the bait this time?"

"Shh", Milo cautioned her, as they were still at dinner with everyone else, "I know it's risky, but...this is a really big deal. I have to do this."

Despite further resistance from Kara, Milo did indeed make his way out to the same clearing later that evening. For the second night in a row, he released his loyal team and led them in some light drills, wondering every single moment whether he was about to be attacked.

Milo, Azura pulled him aside after a while, Can I ask you something?

Sure, his brow furrowed, You know you never need my permission. What's up, girl?

I didn't want to bring it up with too many others around, but...I share Kara's concerns about all this. I know I'm not the only one, either.

What do you mean, 'all this'? The operation? Come on, Azura, we knew this one was risky. We'd never be able to break the Tribe without some danger.

No, it's bigger than just this operation, though that's part of it.

Milo looked out at his team. It was tough to spot, even for him, but...after a full year with them, he could see the signs. They were just going through the motions. Their drills had none of the heart, the passion for progress that had carried them to this point. They looked...dead. Disinterested. Mentally, they just weren't in it.

What's going on? Milo looked to his shiny Umbreon for an explanation.

The Order, Milo. What exactly are we a part of? And why?

What, you don't believe in the mission anymore?

That's not it, the Moonlight Pokémon paused to consider her words very carefully, It's more the way we've been forced into it. I know you've had your doubts about it, too.

You're right, but...we're protecting people here, Azura. We can't just give up on that, can we?

Protecting people? Milo, since we've joined, what exactly has happened? We've all been injured more times that I'm comfortable counting. We've had to save Kara's life because she was targeted to get to you. Ditto Gardenia, as well as Ark Monty. Milo, the PsyForce Tribe has done everything in their power to destroy your career, because of the Order. You saw the way that affected all of our friends, not to mention your family. Would any of that have happened without the Order?

How many other people might have been hurt if not for us? We have a responsibility to do our part. Better us than innocent bystanders.

That's a responsibility that the Order handed you blindly when they gave you Dark Aura control. How long did it take them to even mention the history of the Order after we joined? Not to mention the blessings. You never asked for that curse. Now those blessings are the sole reason the Order values you. We're a tool to them, Milo – a weapon to be used, not a team to be protected.

This time, Milo had no response. Azura was voicing the same concerns he himself had been fighting to suppress. Karen's voice filtered through his memory;

'We can't risk one of the Order's most valuable assets on a blind raid'

No, he thought darkly to himself, Instead of a blind raid, I'm being used as bait for the most dangerous possible trap.

Several threads spun their way through his mind, and he asked his Umbreon;

You said you're not the only one who has concerns about this?

Azura made to respond, but a new voice jumped in first;

No...I-I'm scared too, Milo. I hate when you get hurt, no matter why.

Aurora…

Milo knelt down to rub his impressionable Glaceon's ears as she curled herself affectionately around his legs, her body a strange combination of warm and chilled.

I'm not so mad about getting hurt, cut in Drake, You do what you have to and take your lumps. It just feels like all we've really done is paint a target on our own backs, though. I can't really figure out who we've actually helped in all this.

Milo looked around. All his team had now stopped to tune into the mental conversation.

I...look, guys, I hear you. I get your points on this, and part of me really does agree. How about this; we finish this job, beat the Tribe back one more time, and then reconsider. Okay?

His team agreed, some of them rather grudgingly, and he looked at his watch. They'd been out 'training' for just over two hours already, and he was too mentally weary to keep up this charade any longer.

Let's pack it in for tonight, gang. Big day tomorrow.

Dejected and nervous, Milo returned his team and made the lonely journey back to his hotel, where Kara was once more relieved to see him safe. Knowing he was under a good deal of mental stress, she had a small plan of her own to help him get back on track;

"I have a surprise, Milo!"

"A...surprise? Uh, thanks, Kara, but I'm really tired right now, and I've got my first battles tomorrow, so…"

"Trust me", she insisted, "This will help."

Milo took a breath and gave in. Kara pulled him into the living room and shoved him down onto the couch before settling in net to him.

"Kara", he protested weakly, "What is this?"

"Just a sec", she waved him off before reaching to the coffee table in front of them, "Here. Bowl of popcorn, and the remote."

"Are we...watching a movie? Thanks, but I can't-"

"I'm not stupid, Milo, it's not a movie. Look", she grabbed the remote herself and flipped the TV on, "I looked up the other Trainers in your group and found all the footage I could of their previous battles! Now you can analyze them just the way you like. I'll be right here with you, as late as you want to stay up, okay?"

"Kara", Milo was overcome with gratitude, "Kara….thank you. This is – I mean, this is exactly what I needed. You're the best."

"Thanks…" Kara's voice softened a bit, "I guess this is also my way of apologizing. You know, for our argument earlier. I know you're just doing what you think is right; I was being selfish and scared."

"No", Milo assured her, "I totally understand your reaction. Honestly I'm not sure about all this myself. I'm going to follow this mission through the way Marcus and Karen have laid it out, and then…well, my team and I have agreed to reconsider our involvement in all this."

A small tear formed in Kara's eye as a fragile smile graced her features;

"Okay. I…I trust you, Milo. I know you'll do the right thing, whatever that is."

Settling gratefully into the couch beside his girlfriend, Milo gave her a gentle kiss, and picked up the remote. He began flipping through the various videos the Performer had found; she'd been remarkably thorough. Kara had found videos of at least a handful of battles from each of his three upcoming opponents, which was not easy considering two of them were virtually unknown Rookies who had only qualified via the entrance exams.

Her hard work to restore Milo's cheer and confidence paid off in full. It was like giving candy to a child with a sweet tooth. He couldn't get enough, and went over every second of footage with a fine-toothed comb. It cheered Kara up, too. Obviously, she didn't bother making much of an effort to understand Milo's furious planning and analysis, but it thrilled her to know that her gesture of kindness, her small offering of love, had elicited exactly the effect she had hoped for. She had helped.

Both young people went to bed later that night feeling refreshed. Tired, certainly, but satisfied and excited for the battles to come.

Battle Day Two

The late morning skies over Stadium 4 were clear blue, with only a few wispy clouds dotted here and there. The breeze was blowing in from the sea, and four Trainers were prepared to duke it out, knowing only two of them would still be in the tournament by the end of the day's battling.

The announcer called them out in seed order. This meant Milo was the first to emerge, grinning and waving, from the tunnel.

"Here he is! The Rookie who has shown he can mix it up with the pros! Fresh out of the storied Jubilife Pokémon Trainer Academy, please welcome...Milo!"

He got a respectable cheer (nothing like the excitement generated by The Hammer the day before) before the announcer kept things moving;

"Next, returning for his second Conference challenge after taking two years to focus on developing his skills; he's tough as nails and as disciplined as they come – please welcome Ansen!"

Ansen was a Fighting-type expert, and he certainly dressed accordingly. His intense expression was perfectly accentuated by his martial arts robe and headband. He made for a hulking, intimidating beast of a man, a comical comparison next to the much smaller Milo.

"And now", the announcer was clearly eager to get through these formalities as quickly as reasonably possible, "Let's meet the third Trainer in Group 12! Hailing from the notoriously strong Veilstone Pokémon College, he will be doing everything he can to put in a good show for his alma mater, put your hands together for...Jackson!"

"Hmph", Amaya grunted, folding her arms over her chest, "Another VPC guy. He looks the part. Almost like him and Damion came off the same assembly line."

It was true. Jackson had the same look in his eye of aggressive confidence, and his eyes narrowed, lingering ever so slightly on Milo – the embodiment of the JPTA's rivalry with his beloved VPC. The pale redhead took his place in line and stared straight ahead.

"Finally, our fourth contender is part of Sunyshore's up-and-coming talent field. He's eager to show the world what he's got on the big stage, let's hear it for Senji!"

Senji was a rather pudgy, dark-skinned boy with a bright face. He waved and smiled excitedly as he all but skipped his way out to join the others.

"Seems like Sunyshore has really been generating better and better Trainers over the last few years", observed Amaya's father, "Or am I imagining that? I'm not used to seeing so many of their folks in the Conference."

"Yeah, they've done a lot of good work", replied Marcus, "I've never seen this Senji kid before, but I think Nova is proof of the progress they've made. I could see her getting as far as the quarter finals this year, with a bit of luck in the bracket. Still, she's the best Sunyshore product in years, which shows you how far that program has left to go if they want to really catch up with Jubilife, Veilstone, and Twinleaf."

This discussion was quickly derailed as the first battle got set up; Milo against Ansen. For all intents and purposes, this looked to be a placement match, nothing more. These two were clearly the best two Trainers in the group; it only remained to see who would qualify first, and who would be second. Still, it could also be the best battle of the group in terms of entertainment value.

"Let's go, Milo!" Kara was in full cheerleader mode, despite never having been a cheerleader in her life.

At last, the time had come;

"Battle...begin!"

"Drake, let's rock!"

"Machamp! To battle!"

Milo was hoping for something of a statement victory in his first battle, but he knew the risks of overconfidence. He instructed his Garchomp accordingly;

Get in some big attacks early, he advised mentally, No matter what, though, pull back if he looks like landing a hit. We're looking for a sweep here, if possible, but the win is more important.

Big win in round one, coming right up.

With that, the Mach Pokémon launched an unbidden Earthquake which caught Ansen's Machamp off guard.

"Hmph! A cheap shot, Machamp. Make them pay! Ice Punch!"

"Back off, Drake!"

The wily Dragon didn't need to be told twice. He knew better than to toy around with Ice moves. Fortunately, he was more than fast enough to avoid the incoming hit, and Milo countered, falling into his familiar battle rhythm;

"Perfect, Drake. Keep him at bay with Flamethrower."

"Machamp!" Ansen kept his cool brilliantly, and had another play at the ready, "Duck underneath that move! Low Kick!"

"Iron Tail, Drake. Sweep it low."

Milo had done his homework. Thanks to Kara's scouting help, he'd noted Ansen's tendency to use Low Kick as an instant counter attack, and he was ready. It worked perfectly, and Machamp stumbled back, looking less than comfortable, while Drake roared defiantly at his adversary.

"Aha! A superb combination attack! Machamp, Bullet Punch!"

"Nothing fancy, Drake, just block it."

Milo's Garchomp complied brilliantly, using a Stone Edge to nullify the incoming Steel move. True to Milo's usual tricky style, Drake also took the opportunity to slip around Machamp's flank; a maneuver the Jubilife Rookie took full advantage of.

"Perfect. Dragon Claw."

"Machamp, on your right!"

Ansen hadn't called a move, but Machamp's instinct kicked in, born of his years of experience, and he threw a blind Karate Chop out to his right side with two of his four arms.

Ow, crap!

This time, it was Drake stumbling backwards, as the desperate Fighting move struck home. Sensing an opportunity, Ansen made to press his advantage.

"Follow, Machamp! Quickly! Ice Punch!"

"No! Down, Drake!"

It was a close call, but Drake's Dig got him safely out of harm's way in the nick of time. Just as Machamp and Ansen put two and two together, the Garchomp burst from below the field and delivered a huge hit. Just like that, it was done.

"Machamp is unable to continue! The winner is Garchomp; Ansen, your second Pokémon!"

"Hmm! I applaud your skill, young Milo. It seems I must be more indirect. Very well! Medicham! To battle!"

Watch it, pal, Milo warned his Dragon, These things can be really slippery. No more showboating, let's just close this out. First step, make him show us something.

"Try a Mud Shot, Drake!"

"Detect! And Shadow Ball!"

Ah, shoot! Drake could only brace himself as Medicham dodged his attack with insane precision, already launching the Shadow Ball follow-up.

"Quick, up and Dragon Rush!"

He was hoping to counter before Medicham expected another attack, but Ansen had changed his style entirely, and was ready once more. As Drake came screaming across the field, he barked;

"Force Palm!"

Medicham's Fighting move smashed the unfortunate Mach Pokémon brutally into the dirt, and Milo was struggling to find the right adjustment.

"Drake, Slash! Buy some time and get out!"

It wasn't the flashiest of moves, but it did the job. From his prone position on the ground, Drake swung a clawed wing at his opponent, who was forced to hop awkwardly backward to get clear. This bought the half-Ground type enough time and space to scramble to his feet.

Okay, he's got counter attacks. Let's make him come to us. Work your way back to me, slowly.

Drake nodded, his eyes narrowed in concentration as he blocked out the pain of the damage that was beginning to rack up. Milo got to work;

"Flamethrower Drake, be ready to dodge!"

Ansen's discipline was impressive. He was determined to wait for another opening to launch a counter-combo and did not take the obvious bait.

"Just dodge, Medicham."

Drake took another surreptitious step backwards as Milo gave his next order;

"Alright, Mud Shot!"

"Another Detect, Medicham! Into Shadow Ball!"

Drake was no idiot, and would never fall for the same trick twice.

"Sidestep, Earthquake."

This time, Medicham's Ghost attack flashed harmlessly past Drake, who was already in motion, firing off the massive Ground move.

Milo had hoped that might be enough, but when the dust cleared both combatants were covered in scratches and scuffs, struggling to keep their wits about them. Drake was just as tired as the Medicham he was struggling to break down.

This is…one hell of a workout, Milo…can we wrap this up?

Yeah, let's do it. Stick with me buddy, we're close. All in here, Drake!

Knowing Detect could only work so many times in quick succession, Milo went for the power play;

"Dragon Rush!"

"Turn him aside, Medicham! Confusion!"

This time, Drake's raw fury won the day. Medicham was too exhausted to muster enough Psychic energy to affect the mighty Garchomp's trajectory, and the Meditate Pokémon took the full brunt of Drake's powerful Dragon move.

As Medicham crumpled, Drake stood proud, roaring his victory to the heavens. Milo could hardly breathe, so shocked was he at his own accomplishment.

"Medicham is unable to continue! Garchomp is the winner, and the battle goes to Milo!"

"Holy...we did it! Drake, that was AMAZING!"

Hell yeah, it was! Damn, that was badass! I want more!

Milo let Drake continue soaking in the cheers of the astonished crowd as he forced himself to calm down and meet Ansen in the middle of the field for a handshake.

"Hmm", the martial arts expert frowned down at him, "That was a thorough and comprehensive beating. You have earned my respect. I shall train even harder to overcome this loss."

"Uh, thanks. That was a great fight, best of luck in your other battles!"

Ansen whirled on his heel and strode briskly from the field. The stadium was in disbelief. Sure, Milo had been given the title of 'top seed', but to actually sweep someone like Ansen? Nobody had expected such a strong showing from the Rookie in his first-ever Conference battle. Still, as they say, the show must go on.

Rein in the screaming, big guy. Time to give up the spotlight, Milo teased his Garchomp as he returned the triumphant Dragon.

He was still taking deep breaths, trying to control the rush of emotions as he sat back in his staging room to watch Jackson and Senji's battle.

Marcus

"I was worried", admitted Alexander to his oldest son, "When Milo got thrown in against a Fighting specialist. He's got no direct counter for that right now."

"I think that's part of why he chose Drake", answered the Leader, "There's no doubt that Garchomp is his most fearless Pokémon. I watched that thing stare down an Onix back when it was just a Gible, in Milo's first Rookie Challenge. Not a flinch, and he almost won the round, too. It was crazy, and he's only gotten tougher since then."

The second battle, between the Sunyshore kid and the Veilstone product, had gotten underway now. Jackson's Abomasnow was having a hard time dealing with the offensive output of Senji's Gyarados.

"Geez", commented Kara, "For such a cheerful-looking guy, Senji's Gyarados has absolutely no chill whatsoever."

"It's a Gyarados", pointed out Amaya, "What did you expect?"

It became something of a battle of the wills. Jackson and Abomasnow were determined to stand strong under the relentless pressure of Senji's Atrocious Pokémon, but their staying power was being stretched to the absolute limit. Eventually, his resistance was broken, as a furious Dragon Pulse at last put paid to the Frost Tree Pokémon. Still, the victory wasn't as promising for the Sunyshore newcomer as it might have been.

"That was basically a tie", commented Amaya, "Gyarados burned up a lot of energy pounding Abomasnow into the dirt."

Jackson evidently had the same thought, as his Dusknoir very quickly evened the score. Within seconds, both Trainers were down to one Pokémon. It was Dusknoir versus Senji's Bibarel.

"Interesting choice", noted Marcus, "Senji's relying on Bibarel's immunity to Ghost moves, but…well, Bibarel isn't exactly your go-to choice for a powerhouse closer."

Senji very quickly found that not everything was as black-and-white as type immunities. Dusknoir was more than capable of dealing damage to Normal types. Making marvelous use of Thunder Punch, as well as one or two Dark moves, Jackson's Gripper Pokémon turned the half Water type into a punching bag, and the comeback was complete. Jackson beat Senji 2-1.

"Okay", Alexander already had one eye on the score sheets, "That means Milo's in first after Round 1. He got the clean sweep and Jackson only won 2-1. Milo's got one win, and a +2 victory margin. Jackson's tied with one win, but he's only got the +1 differential."

Zoe leaned confidentially over to Kara and said, "Sometimes I swear my husband is convinced he can think his sons to victory."

The only one of them not stressing over the battles was little Myrian.

"Hey", Marcus checked in on his little sister, "You all good?"

"Yup", came her carefree response, as her favorite Buneary doll bounced along the seat in front of her, "Nobody can beat our bro. Milo's the best!"

Marcus

Chuckling at his sister's naïve confidence, Marcus ruffled her hair and excused himself from their box seats.

The next battle was Ansen versus Senji. The Hearthome Leader could see this was only ever going to go one way; Senji was the fourth seed for a reason. He stepped out under the pretext of getting food and a breath of fresh air. Besides, he had something else that needed to be addressed urgently.

He sent a quick text, waited for the expected response, and then made a call, keeping to himself as he did so;

"Karen?" He asked quietly.

"Go ahead", came the curt response.

"It's about the operation."

"News on the Tribe's movements?"

"No. Not since we saw them watching Milo last night. Absol overheard a discussion Milo had with his team just before they quit for the night."

"Why does that matter? He did his job perfectly, what's the problem?"

"He's having second thoughts about the Order."

"Marcus", the Johto Elite's voice was sharp and authoritative, "Get to the point, and be specific. What's going on?"

"I'll be blunt", he answered, "We may have mishandled Milo's blessings. I know we only called him in when we thought we needed to, but he and his team feel like they're being taken advantage of."

"…You're sure about this?"

"Pretty much. All I got was what Absol related to me, and he didn't catch all their conversation, but I can say for sure that it's enough to be concerned. I know the final call is yours, but the way I see it we have to bring him into the inner circle, give him the full big picture, or we'll lose him."

There was silence on the other end of the call. Marcus waited patiently while his shadowy superior considered this. Finally, she answered;

"This is nothing we haven't seen before. I say we let it play out. Until he comes to us about this himself, we take no action. You've had your doubts before too, we all have. He'll get over it. You did."

"I…respectfully disagree", Marcus was careful, but he had to insist, "I got over my doubts because you brought me into the circle with you, Sydney, Grimsley, and Nanu. I'm telling you, unless we add Milo to that list, we could lose him."

"Marcus", Karen was clearly testy at having been challenged, and she almost hissed her rebuttal, "I brought you in because you earned a spot amongst us. Not just through power; you proved you had influence. You were mature and you were a Gym Leader. Milo may have a great deal of Dark power, but at the end of the day he is a 16-year-old Rookie Trainer. I will not bring him into the circle just because he's feeling unhappy. That's final."

Marcus made to respond, but closed his mouth and thought better of it. After taking a second to control himself, he said, in a calm voice;

"Okay. I just wanted to bring this to your attention. Like I said, I know this is ultimately your call. By the way, assuming he gets through his group today, can I tell him not to bait the trap tonight? Surely we can give him one night to celebrate."

"One night", her response was firm, "It would look unrealistic if he was out there right after winning, anyway. He needs to be back out there tomorrow night, though. This is our best shot at breaking the Tribe in…well, maybe ever. We can't lose this."

Karen hung up abruptly, and Marcus was left shaking his head, left with more questions than answers.

Sometimes I wonder whether he's right. Are we using him just as a tool in this war? Ugh, I can't think about that right now. There'll be time later for all that.

Still wrapped in his thoughts, he got a fresh bucket of popcorn (evidently a minor popcorn obsession ran in their family) and made his way back to the seats. What he saw on the field truly surprised him.

"Marcus", called his father, "Look at this! Senji's actually giving Ansen the business!"

"Dad", remarked the Leader, "Nobody says 'giving him the business' anymore. What's going on, now?"

"Senji brought a Ghost! He's got a Misdreavus out there wreaking havoc on Ansen's Fighting types!"

"A Misdreavus?" Marcus' curiosity was piqued. Indeed, the Screech Pokémon below seemed to be evenly matched against a Toxicroak.

"Huh. I would've thought Ansen could handle a basic type mismatch, even Ghost on Fighting."

"He's been trying", answered Alexander excitedly, "That Toxicroak's got a couple Dark moves, but Misdreavus is just so slippery! Toxicroak is his second Pokémon, too! Senji already took out Machamp!"

"What? He took out Ansen's Machamp with that Misdreavus? That's nuts!"

All thoughts of Karen and the Order vanished as the Dark type Leader glued his eyes to the battle below. The pressure inside the stadium was palpable; nobody could quite believe what they were seeing. If anyone was to cause an upset in this group, the most likely option would have been for Ansen to upset Milo. Instead, he was fighting not to get swept by some fourth seed nobody!

It was going to be close either way. Misdreavus had put in an astoundingly superb load of work, but was clearly exhausted from the effort. Toxicroak was also on its last legs, glaring at the infuriating little Ghost who had pushed it to the brink.

"End this, Toxicroak!" Ansen roared, "Sludge Bomb!"

"Get out of there!" Senji was clearly frantic, "One more Psybeam, Misdreavus! I know you can!"

With a scream of effort befitting her name, the little Screech Pokémon hauled herself out of harm's way and fired off a respectable Psybeam that caught the Toxic Frog squarely in the chest. The doubly super effective hit was enough to send Ansen's second Pokémon crashing to the field, unconscious.

An explosion of noise broke out before the referee even made the call. Milo's sweep had been impressive, but not nearly as shocking as this! Senji, the fourth seed who had lost lamely to Jackson in the first round, had just swept Ansen! Group 12 had just been blown wide open, with three battles left to come.

With all the disbelief and shock still echoing through the crowd, the energy was pulsing as Milo and Jackson squared up for their battle. If Ansen could be swept by Senji, what else was possible? Could Milo be the next favorite to fall? Was Jackson strong enough to pull off a second consecutive miracle? The two met in the middle of the field for their handshake;

"Classic matchup", commented Jackson, "JPTA and the VPC. You may be a Jubilife snob, Milo, but I have to give you mad props for kicking Damion Parr's ass. Always hated that jerk; I was so glad when he graduated and was finally gone."

"Uh, sure thing", Milo wasn't sure how to take the rather backhanded compliment, "Best of luck, I guess. Let's make it a good one."

This, it turned out, might have been too much to hope for. It was a bit of a buzzkill for the crowd when Milo and Azura obliterated Jackson's Dusknoir in the first round.

"Yikes", snorted Amaya, "Milo's taking this chump to school. If that Dusknoir couldn't make a dent, I don't know what the hell he expects this Ambipom to do."

As she spoke, Azura commenced running the unfortunate Long Tail Pokémon ragged. Naturally, Jackson's Normal type should have been much faster, but with Milo's Umbreon peppering it with attacks from every possible angle, there was simply nowhere to go.

After another minute or two of desperate flailing from Jackson and Ambipom, the VPC Trainer unwittingly gave Milo the perfect window to end the fight;

"Ambipom, make it stop moving! Astonish!"

"There it is, girl. Pursuit, Dark Pulse."

The neatly executed combo left a battered Ambipom in the dirt, unable to get up. Milo had swept Jackson with almost militaristic efficiency; Azura had taken barely any damage whatsoever. This was, of course, very impressive, but nowhere near as exciting as Senji's sweep over Ansen. Still, Milo got a respectable cheer as the 2-0 score was made official. Only two battles remained now, and everyone was making frenzied hypothetical calculations, trying to determine who had the best chance of claiming the coveted top 2 spots. Milo was firmly in the lead, the only one with two wins, but the race for second was a bit more complicated.

"So", Amaya was having trouble fitting the puzzle together, "Milo's guaranteed a spot, right? No matter what?"

"Umm", Marcus, his brow furrowed, double checked his mental calculations before answering, "Yes. He's not guaranteed to be first, though. It would take a miracle, but if Senji sweeps him, they'd both be 2-1, and Senji would be at +3, and Milo would only have a +2, so he'd be first and Milo would go through in second."

"Senji won't sweep him", Amaya's father said disdainfully, "All due respect to the kid, his win over Ansen was impressive as all get out, but Milo won't let it happen again."

"Does that mean Senji can't get second?" Kara was rooting for her boyfriend, of course, but she was also partial to an underdog, "I mean, if Milo beats him, is he done for?"

"Well, 'done for' might be a bit dramatic", chuckled Marcus, "But no, he could still go through. Even if Milo sweeps him, it would depend on what happens between Ansen and Jackson. Basically, if Jackson can pull off the same upset that Senji did, he gets second place. But he absolutely must win. If Ansen wins, Senji gets second, no matter what."

The Performer's head was spinning, but she just about understood the situation. What mattered to her was that she could root for the underdog and still cheer for Milo in his third battle.

"Alright", she nodded, "I guess I'm rooting for Milo and Ansen, then. Let's go!"

First up in the third pair of battles was Milo versus Senji. Milo had, of course, been running all the possible scoring scenarios through his head as well during the break. He knew the pressure was more or less off at this point; he could go for a statement win, and the worst case scenario was that he got second instead of first.

As the two met in the middle for the customary pre-battle handshake, Senji gave him a jovial smile;

"Hey, you've been great! This should be a lot of fun!"

"You too", Milo answered, "Let's give the people a show, huh?"

Once the two were settled, the referee got things started, and Milo gave his third team member their Conference debut;

"Ferra, you're in!"

"Come on, Bibarel!"

Well, Milo noted immediately, I know what his plan is. If he's not leading with that Gyarados, it'll certainly be his closer. Works for me. Ferra, this should be straightforward, but conserve your energy; the second round will be the real battle.

You got it, Papa. This is the big stage, let's light it up.

"Ferra, lead with Dragon Pulse."

"Rollout, Bibarel!"

Ferra, knowing Milo's usual trickery was afoot once more, had already canceled her fake Dragon Pulse and easily sidestepped the first pass of Rollout, waiting for Milo's command to fire off a counter.

"Snipe him. Aura Sphere."

The super effective hit sent the Beaver Pokémon spiraling through the air, and Milo moved in to close out the round as quickly as possible.

"Follow him, Ferra. Force Palm, then try a Focus Blast."

"You have to get up, Bibarel! Come on, go for a Headbutt!"

Ferra needed no command to dodge this simple tactic. She hardly even paused as she spun away from Headbutt to land a Force Palm to the flank of Senji's battler. Bibarel went flying once again, and Ferra took careful aim before letting loose a monstrous Focus Blast. These were much harder to aim than Aura Sphere, but Milo's self-appointed daughter took great pride in her precision, and her aim was true. After three big Fighting-type hits, Bibarel was down for the count.

"Whew", Senji shook his head, "That was rough. Alright, Gyarados, let's show them what we can do!"

Called it, thought Milo, You good, girl?

Hmph, Milo's Lucario was not impressed by the ferocious scream of the Atrocious Pokémon, This bully's not as scary as he thinks he is. Let's prove it, Papa.

"Gyarados, show them your Hurricane!"

Milo narrowed his eyes in concentration, and decided to go out on a limb;

"Ferra, stay where you are."

It's going to hit you, he warned her, but when it does you'll be in perfect position to strike back. Okay?

No problem. Tank it and hit back. I feel like Aunt 'Maya doing it this way.

Sure enough, the big Flying type move roared across the field and did its best to batter Ferra, who stood strong.

"Now", yelled Milo over the howling winds of Hurricane, "Dragon Pulse! A big one!"

Senji's Gyarados roared in pain and surprise as the mighty Dragon move came blasting out of the center of the Hurricane to land a direct hit.

"No!" Senji was unprepared for such aggressive tactics, and struggled to respond;

"Uh, Gyarados! Use Hydro Pump!"

"Get around him, Ferra, and find an opening for Shadow Claw."

Ferra got out of Hydro Pump's path not a moment too soon, and Senji was left flummoxed yet again as his big Water type took a Shadow Claw to the side from the slippery Aura Pokémon.

"Thrash!"

Crap! Milo should have expected such a move from a Gyarados, but he'd been caught flat-footed, and Ferra was walloped by a flailing tail, and landed hard.

You alright, Ferra?

Heh, I'm fine Papa, grunted the half-Steel type, It'll take more than that to keep me down.

Still, Hurricane and Thrash were both powerful moves, and Milo could hear the effort in Ferra's voice as she hauled herself upright. Gyarados was still thrashing about dangerously close by, so Milo switched back to long range efforts;

"Get out, Ferra! Quick Attack to me, then another Dragon Pulse!"

His quick thinking was enough to get Ferra away from danger, and also to bring down Gyarados once and for all. As the massive Pokémon hit the dirt, the applause from the audience was almost disappointed. Sure, Milo had recorded a third impressive sweep, and that was great, but…many people had been hoping for another big shock victory from Senji. Nonetheless, Senji himself was brimming with excitement as usual;

"That was a fantastic match", he vigorously shook Milo's hand, "Your Lucario is absolutely stunning! You'll do great in the bracket, I know it."

"Thanks", Milo grinned, "Maybe I'll see you there, depending on what happens next."

"We'll see", laughed the Sunyshore boy, "I'm just thrilled to have been here, really. I thought it would take me years to earn a spot."

These niceties were all well and good, but it was no secret that the upcoming matchup between Ansen and Jackson was the real difference-maker. The last battle of Group 12 had the biggest implications by far.

Milo settled in to watch it play out back in his staging room. Luckily, the room was big enough that he could release his whole team to watch with him.

"Heh", Milo laughed, already drawing conclusions as the first Pokémon were released – Jackson's Dusknoir and Ansen's Toxicroak, "Ansen read him like a book."

I mean, it wasn't hard to figure, reasoned Drake, Anybody who watched his fights knows Jackson will always count on that Dusknoir to come in for him. Only makes sense for Ansen to bring out the Toxicroak with Dark moves.

Sure enough, Ansen got straight to work using his Toxic Frog Pokémon to nullify Jackson's heavy-handed Dusknoir.

Jackson looks kind of silly, commented Ferra, Flailing around like that. Granted, Ansen's already lost to one Ghost today, he'd never get beat by another one.

All in all, it was a remarkably poor display of strategy from Jackson, and his Dusknoir paid the price, losing the first round convincingly.

"Okay, fine", spat the VPC graduate, "Let's call in Alakazam!"

"Really?" Milo was in disbelief, "He had an Alakazam on his team, and he went for the Dusknoir first? That's pretty dumb, he deserves to lose for that."

Still, sending out an Alakazam at any point against a team of Fighting Pokémon was better than not using it at all.

Why is that Toxicroak being so aggressive? Aurora couldn't quite figure out what Ansen was playing at, as he directed his half-Poison type on an all-out offensive blitz.

"He knows Toxicroak can't beat an Alakazam when it's already tired. He's hoping to do as much damage as possible before going down. It's a kamikaze play. Just the kind of thing I'd expect from someone as disciplined as Ansen. Team first, and all that."

The round was over quickly, though Ansen's battler did indeed manage to put a dent in Jackson's Psi Pokémon. It all came down to this, then. Group 12 would be decided by Jackson's Alakazam and Ansen's Gallade.

Wow, muttered Jet as the round kicked off at a blistering pace, Seeing two Psychics go at it really makes your head spin. Teleport battles are hard to watch.

Evidently, the cameramen agreed. After a frenetic few seconds of trying to find the combatants, only to have them Teleport away again, the live footage reverted to a simple full-field view. Gallade was one of the few Fighting types who could fight an Alakazam without fear. In fact, the Blade Pokémon had the statistical advantage, according to Milo.

"Alakazam are powerhouses", he explained to his team as the bout continued, "but their physical defense is pretty bad. Gallade specialize in physical attack and move variety, so Ansen's got the upper hand here."

The battle soon turned into a game of chase. Jackson was desperate for his Pokémon to get enough space and time to launch his big special Psychic attacks, and Ansen was equally determined to keep hounding the Psi Pokémon, and coming in close for moves like Night Slash and Fury Cutter.

Eventually, experience shone through. As Alakazam teleported away yet again, Jackson could only yell;

"Come on! Keep going! Psychic! Just hit it!"

"This is it, Gallade", responded Ansen, "One more Night Slash."

Jackson's Psychic turned frantically, looking for its target, but it took an instant too long to find the Blade Pokémon, who had appeared directly behind its opponent. The Dark move left Alakazam on the ground, out for the count.

The announcer could barely be heard, as the crowd erupted. Not only had the final match proved to be a thrilling battle, but Ansen's victory meant that fourth-seeded Senji would finish in second place behind Milo. The big screens confirmed this. Milo sat back in both relief and disbelief.

I did it, he thought numbly, I swept my group. I'm through into the bracket rounds. I'm…I'm one battle away from fighting in THE Lily Stadium.

It seemed too good to be true, but…true it was. After a couple minutes celebrating privately with his Pokémon, Milo gathered his things and left to rejoin his friends and family.

His mind was still in a blur that evening. Just as they had the day before, to celebrate Amaya's success, the whole group went out for dinner, rehashing Milo's wins in all their glorious detail. It should have been a much bigger deal, really, but the news was all about Senji's massive win over Ansen, and his subsequent qualification for the bracket. As a result, Milo's sweep of the group, having not lost a single Pokémon through all three battles, was almost a side note. Among those networks and media outlets that did mention it, some still wondered darkly at how 'convenient' it was that Milo, of all people, should get three perfect wins out of such a tumultuous group.

The Jubilife Rookie himself didn't pay this much attention, though. Really, he was just thrilled that Marcus had told him he didn't have to go out and bait the trap for the PsyForce Tribe that night. Before too long, the bracket matchups for the round of 32 were revealed, bringing an unexpected coincidence with them.

"How about that", laughed the JPTA graduate, "I'm fighting one of Amaya's classmates, and she's fighting one of mine!"

In fact, Milo was fighting one of the girls he'd met in Twinleaf before Amaya joined him on the road – Cassy, the loudmouth. Amaya, in turn was fighting one of Milo's old classmates; a girl named Rin. She was nice enough, not one of the ones Milo had particularly disliked, but Rin was as quiet as they came. She often went hours without talking, content to just sit and watch the world happen around her.

There was a one day break between Battle Days Two and Three. With 32 Trainers left in the tournament, each of the eight side stadiums would have two battles on Battle Day Three for the round of 32. Unfortunately, Milo and Amaya's battles were scheduled for the same morning slot. Kara and Milo and Amaya's families were forced to formulate a rather zany plan to keep track of both battles simultaneously. First, however, they were tasked with getting the two Rookies through the break day without popping from sheer nerves.

Break Day

"Whoever came up with this 'break day' is an idiot", complained Amaya bluntly.

"Well, focus on planning, then", answered her father encouragingly, "That's what the day is meant for, after all."

"I tried, Dad. Can't get into it. I never thought I'd get this freaked out. Guess the Conference does a real number on you, after all."

Milo wasn't faring much better under Kara's watchful eye. He, after all, had to be ready for Cassy as well as the potential of being ambushed by the PsyForce Tribe that evening. Karen had insisted that they stick to the plan and send Milo out on the evening of break day. The young Performer was, obviously, not pleased about this. However, after her conversation with Milo previously, she was ready to swallow her…distaste for the plan and support him through it regardless.

"Alright", she was working hard to disguise her trembling hands as she saw him off that evening, "Go out. Do your thing. M-make sure you come back to me, alright? Promise me, Milo."

"I promise", he answered quietly.

"G-good", Kara forced a smile, "After all, I'm in charge of getting you to bed on time, and your mother will have my head if I don't take care of you. Now go on, Milo."

"I'm going", he replied, his head down, "I love you."

"I love you, too."

Unbeknownst to the two Rookies, Marcus watched, already disguised by his Order of Shadows uniform, from a nearby rooftop.

That's a feeling I know a bit too well, he mused, How many times have I had to have that same conversation with Dee? It never feels right to leave, but…that's what I have to do. It's my responsibility to the Order.

Focus, came Absol's voice in his master's head, Milo's on his way out.

So, for the third time, Marcus followed his brother, silent as the shadows for which his Order was named. Just as the first two times, Milo went out to the same patch of field, following the same path through the same woods. A small buzz drew the Leader's attention to his watch. It was a text from Karen;

'I'm in position', it said.

'Same', he replied quickly. Now…now it was just a waiting game. Within minutes, a crack of a branch nearby made Marcus' body stiffen up. From his vantage point high up in a tree just inside the now-dark woods, the Order of Shadows lieutenant watched with eyes sharper than a Staraptor as a PsyForce grunt picked his way rather clumsily through the brush.

'Visual contact', he texted Karen, 'Radio silence.'

This was to ensure she didn't try to text him back; for fear that the buzz of his watch might give his position away. For the second time, then, he stared almost unblinkingly at the Tribe grunt, who was in turn watching Milo as closely as possible.

Unaware of any of this, Milo was nonetheless tense as he continued his routine of fake drills with his team. The blind standoff lasted about thirty breathless minutes. Then, without warning, the PsyForce grunt snapped his fingers quietly, and vanished. Presumably, one of the many Psychic Pokémon that served the Tribe had just locked onto him and teleported him back to their base of operations.

After waiting a precautionary five minutes, Marcus went ahead and texted his younger brother an all-clear message. As exhausted as Milo no doubt was mentally, there was no point keeping him out any longer.

Another night had come and gone, and their dangerous game would have to continue.

Battle Day Three

Kara and Milo's family (except for Marcus) joined the throng of people packed into Stadium 3 for Milo's morning battle against Cassy of Twinleaf.

"Feels kind of weird to be seeing someone from Twinleaf that's not 'Maya", commented the Performer.

Meanwhile, Marcus had accompanied Amaya's parents to Stadium 7 to watch The Hammer take on Rin, of the JPTA.

As soon as they got to their seats, Marcus called Kara. This was their 'master plan' to keep track of both young Conference contestants at the same time; a phone call, over which Marcus could narrate Amaya's battle and Kara could provide live updates on Milo.

"Hey", said Kara, "You good over there? We all good? We just got to our seats over here; the place is almost totally full."

"We're good here", responded the Gym Leader, "I think 'Maya still drew the bigger crowd; they were turning people away at the gates when we showed up."

For the first two knockout rounds, substitutions were only allowed after a Trainer had lost their first Pokémon. These first knockout battles were 3 versus 3. The logistics, pomp and circumstance surrounding the battles took a little bit, but before too long, the opening Pokémon were on the field.

"It's Azura up against a Beautifly over here", reported Kara.

"Looks like Milo will have to counter the status game then", answered Marcus, "Amaya's got Granite versus an Exploud here, she should take it as long as this thing doesn't-"

"Beautifly down!"

"What?" Marcus was incredulous, "Already?"

"Yeah", Kara sounded rather shocked herself, "Milo went freaking nuts on this thing from the get-go, and it just crumpled. He was probably trying to not give it a chance to get those status moves off."

"Geez", Marcus shook his head and updated the Performer on Amaya's progress, "Looks like Granite will take this one soon. I was worried that the Exploud might have some Fighting moves that would've been trouble, but that doesn't seem to be the – oh wow!"

"Wow what? Oh, by the way, Azura's fighting a Staraptor now."

"A Staraptor? Shouldn't be a problem, Milo will just keep it away and beat it from distance. This Exploud just landed a huge Hammer Arm on Granite. Ah, but…! There, she did it! Granite wins! That was one hell of an Iron Tail!"

As he waited for Rin to release her second fighter, Marcus listened to Kara's best efforts at battle commentary from Stadium 3;

"Uh, looks like Staraptor can't really get close to Azura, like you said. Shoot, though, that was…umm, that was Aerial Ace? I think? Azura took a hit-"

"Granite versus a Heracross now, by the way. Continue."

"Heracross? That's a buggy one, right? Anyway, yeah, Azura took a hit, but it looks like she's okay. Yeah, they hit back. Kind of a defensive thing going on right now."

"That'll suit Milo just fine", responded the older sibling, "Looks like Granite might be on the ropes, though. Heracross is fast and full of Fighting moves. There's a Brick Break…come on, 'Maya…nah, that's a Close Combat, too. Not looking-"

"Azura wins! Staraptor just took a Giga Impact to the face and went down!"

"Sweet, Milo might sweep that. Crap, Granite just went down over here. Heracross generated too much offensive pressure for 'Maya to deal with."

"Okay. So, then 'Maya is…tied, right? Oh, okay, Azura's got a Golduck to beat over here. It's Cassy's last one."

"A Golduck? Seems like a bad choice, I'd back Milo to sweep that. Anyway, yeah, 'Maya is tied, 1-1, and now it's Leon versus that Heracross. Looking good so far, he can actually match this thing's speed."

There was a brief respite as both battles settled into something of a slow patch. Marcus soon spoke again over the chaotic phone call;

"Great…yes…Yes! That was brilliant, 'Maya just went full Milo-style on this thing! Leon beat Heracross. Rin is down to her last Pokémon here. It's…it's a Purugly. This should be interesting. How's Milo doing against that Golduck?"

"Uh, good", said Kara as assertively as she could. Actually she couldn't really tell; it was mostly her optimism talking, "He's doing great. They've kind of gone back and forth. This Golduck doesn't know how to stay down, and Azura's tired from the first two fights."

"I'd bet she is", Marcus thought aloud, "But Milo isn't allowed to switch her out, since she's the first one for him. Leon versus Purugly shouldn't take too long one way or the other, it's turning into a bit of a slugfest."

"Oh!" Kara interrupted, and Marcus heard a huge roar from the crowd on the Performer's end of the phone call, "WOO! Milo won! He did it – a perfect sweep! Yes, Milo! Oh, MAN, that was awesome!"

"Alright!" Marcus related the news to Amaya's family on his end before updating Kara on Leon's fight with Rin's Purugly, "Dang, this one's fast. I guess that makes sense, it is a Purugly, but…wow, he's quick. Come on, 'Maya, use that Shock Wave! Shock Wave!"

The Gym Leader's heart was racing. There was pure, jubilant chaos from the other end of the call as everyone in Stadium 3 lost their collective minds over Milo's elimination round sweep of Cassy. Meanwhile, a battered and bruised Leon was just holding his own against a determined Purugly that was also tired, but looked outraged that Amaya's Luxray hadn't yet gone down.

At last, Amaya thought to use the move that both Marcus and her father had now been screaming franticly down at her for almost a minute;

"Leon, he can't dodge Shock Wave!"

Rin, the only Trainer more stoic and silent than Amaya herself, said only, "Feint Attack."

"Turn and Ice Fang, Leon!"

Purugly was caught out this time, and was on its last legs. The Tiger Cat Pokémon tried to escape with a makeshift Quick Attack, but Amaya could almost taste victory, and refused to let it slip away;

"Thunderbolt, Leon! This is it!"

The lightning strike hit home, and despite its best efforts, Rin's Normal type couldn't keep itself upright. It dropped to the field, and the battle was over. Amaya had won, by a comfortable 3-1.

"YEEESSS!"

Now it was Marcus' turn to scream unintelligibly into the phone call. After a solid five seconds of incoherent yelling he calmed down enough to fill in the anxious Kara;

"She did it! Yes, 'Maya, I told you Shock Wave was the way to go! She won, 'Maya won! The Hammer is in the pre-quarters!"

Down on the field, Amaya could hardly believe it herself. Her handshake with Rin had been short and silent, and the JPTA graduate had long since vacated the field, leaving the Twinleaf star alone as the fans chanted down at her;

"NOBODY BEATS THE HAAAAMMEEEERRR! NOBODY BEATS THE HAAAAAMMMEEEEERRR!"

"THE HAMMER STRIKES AGAIN! THE HAMMER STRIKES AGAIN!"

-o-

That evening, over their now-customary celebratory dinner, the whole group was delighted to see Milo finally get the attention he deserved from the news outlets covering the Conference.

Evidently, anyone who could get through four consecutive Lily of the Valley Conference battles without losing a single Pokémon merited some discussion. Milo was in fact the only person in the Conference who had yet to lose a single round. The big question ringing around every analyst and reporter was 'Milo and the Hammer – the dream Rookie final?'

"Man", commented Amaya, "If we both keep winning, it'll happen."

"Crazy, huh?" Milo could hardly believe it, "We talked about it so long ago, but…now it's, like, a real thing. I can't even –it doesn't seem like real life. Wow…the Conference final. Still, that's assuming we both keep these wins up. There's a lot of battling between here and there."

"Don't forget it, either", chimed in Alexander, "You two have some real competitors left to get through before the final. Nova and Damion are still in it, not to mention a few semi-pros, that Ark guy from Eterna, and Max – who's already beaten Amaya once."

This was to be their new focus. This victory was huge – it was proof that they could perform when the pressure was on, when the stakes were win-or-go-home. Yet it was still only the first step. It was only going to get harder the more wins they racked up.

As the delirium of their latest triumphs began to fade at last, and their minds turned towards the next round, Marcus pulled his brother aside, with something of a heavy heart;

"I just heard from Karen, bro. She wants you out there again. Tonight."

Milo's bright smile disappeared in a heartbeat.

"…Tonight? Like…right now?"

Marcus could only nod, feeling his heart sink as he watched his brother's mood go from great to bad to worse in just a few short seconds.

"Okay", said Milo eventually, "Let me, uh, let me just tell Kara. She won't like it, but – she at least deserves to know I'm going."

Marcus nodded silently.

How can I do this to him? To both of them? They don't deserve this.

The Gym Leader was mentally berating himself, but the Order operative in him wouldn't let him turn back. This needed to be done.

Kara, as expected, was furious at the news.

"Milo, tonight's a victory night! They can't make you do this! It's getting ridiculous! Does Karen understand that you're literally battling to earn a contract here? You're putting everything at risk if you go out there!"

"It sucks", he agreed, "But I really just want this to be over, and this is the fastest way to be done with it. Besides, even if the Tribe does finally make their move, I should be protected. Karen and Marcus will both be on hand to handle the fighting. I'm just the bait, that's it."

Kara wanted to argue. She really wanted to argue, to yell, to scream in frustration at the injustice of this ridiculous operation, but…

It's not Milo's fault. I promised I would support him through to the end of this thing. Okay.

"Alright", she said quietly, not meeting her boyfriend's eyes, "Go. Do it. I'll be here when you get back. And you will get back. You hear me, Milo?"

She was trying (and failing) to disguise her tears, and she shuddered at the warmth of Milo's arms, which wrapped tenderly around her trembling form;

"Loud and clear", he whispered in her ear, "I promise."

So, for the fourth time, Milo made his way out to the clearing where he pretended to train with his team.

'In position', Marcus texted Karen, 'All clear so far.'

She replied quickly; everything was fine at her position as well.

As before, it took a while for a single PsyForce Tribe grunt to show up, slinking over to the edge of the woods to observe Milo's 'training'. Marcus watched the man; hardly daring to breathe. Hopefully, tonight would be another nothing night, and they could let this whole thing slide under the rug for one more day.

Come on, you bastard, he pleaded silently for the Tribe grunt to just leave, Don't do it. Not tonight. Go back. Come on, please…

Suddenly, there was a small 'pop', out in front of the concealed Leader.

His eyes snapped to the spot, and time seemed to slow to a crawl. The grunt was gone, but now there were two Pokémon in his place – a Mr. Mime and a Medicham. Marcus was already in motion, leaping down out of his tree, but as he watched, another pair of the same Pokémon appeared next to the first two…and then another pair…and another…

"ABSOL, NOW!" Marcus screamed, desperate to gain control of this before it all spiraled out of control, his heart in his throat, "MILO, RUN!"

Deep down, even as he sprung into combat, Marcus knew it was too late.

His senses sharpened by adrenaline, Marcus saw his younger brother's eyes shoot wide open in fear, as the Leader's feet hit the ground and pushed off immediately towards the Psychic Pokémon setting up a wall in front of him. The line of Mr. Mime and Medicham now extended a good fifty meters to either side of Marcus and Karen's hiding spots, cutting them both off from Milo's team.

Only now did the two Shadows see the brilliance of the PsyForce Tribe's plan. The pair of them had been scouted and tracked just as thoroughly as Milo himself, and now a wall of Medicham brimming with Fighting moves, along with a plethora of half-Fairy typed Mr. Mimes prevented them from reaching Milo, who was quickly surrounded by not one but three of the terrifying Mind Queens.

Everything had come unraveled so quickly, all Marcus could think to do was throw everything he and Absol had at these Psychic freaks, and pray that it was enough;

"NOOO! COME ON, ABSOL!"

He was fighting as hard as he could, preparing already to trigger his own blessing, but the Mr. Mimes had generated some kind of Dark-resistant barrier, likely made of Fairy energy, which repelled every attack he could muster.

Milo

He was helpless. Trapped.

How did I know, he thought grimly as he watched his brother and Karen quickly and efficiently hemmed in, How did I know it would come to this? Every damn time.

There it was. One Mind Queen emerged from seemingly nowhere, grinning evilly down at him. Now a second joined her. Now there was a third. Three Mind Queens and their Pokémon against him, his Dark Aura, and his team.

You, said one of the Psychic women, You are doomed, little Shade.

"Come and get me then", he growled in return, "You may have trapped me, but I'll be damned if I'm going down without a fight!"

Quickly sisters, hissed another one of the freaky Tribe bosses, Take him. Before the Dark powers are awakened.

They began to ready some kind of joint attack. Their intent was clear; they were going to take Milo out for good before he had the chance to resisit.

Milo, Azura's voice was hollow, but desperate, Milo, do it. There's no choice, you have to trigger them now. It's the only way.

For one long second, Milo fought himself, afraid to surrender his conscious self to the two Dark legendary Pokémon. Azura, however, was right. He knew there really was no other way out of this. After all their careful planning, Marcus and Karen were stuck, unable to rescue him. He had only one option.

Reaching back into himself, Milo found the power he dreaded to use.

Do it.

Author's Note:

Oh my goodness, it's finished. This is the most intense chapter yet. Hopefully that's a good thing. I rather like the way it turned out, but I could also see an argument for me having overdone it a bit. Hopefully it's not too rushed. It's supposed to feel kind of hectic, we're building up to the big finale here, but I also tried to keep it well-paced. The last third or so of this was written in one huge burst under the influence of quite a bit of coffee, so…

In all seriousness, I'm asking in a special way for reviewer thoughts, especially on the many battles in this chapter. This is the Conference, so there's only going to me more battles from here to the end, and I want to make sure they're as good as possible! There are over a dozen battles in this chapter, all done in varying amounts of detail and in different styles. I tried my best on all of them, but realistically not all of them will be great. Please, please, PLEASE tell me which ones you likes/disliked and why! That way, when I write the big ones coming up, I can stick to things that are tested and true and reader approved! So, did you like the variety? Were the simultaneous knockout battles too much? Would you have rather seen full detail on all the fights? Tell me, please! I can't wait to hear your thoughts! This is pretty much your last chance to help me get the battles right!

Another important thing I want to try: I don't think of Milo as one story. I already mentioned I'm plotting a sequel, and I put up the Azura backstory one-shot. That said – there are so many interesting stories surrounding Milo and Co. that could be told! I don't have time to do a fraction of what I wish I could with this world, so if you fancy yourself a writer, feel free to help me out! Contribute to the Milo-verse! How did Marcus get to be a Gym Leader? How did the Order get started? What about the rise of Ziron? Tell me about Alexander's adventures before he and Zoe settled down in Sunyshore! So many things that could be done! All I ask is that you toss me a brief mention if you use my characters in any way. In fact, if you PM me to let me know about it, I'll gladly consult, or beta-read, or help brainstorm, or just nod approvingly, or whatever.

Alright, I've run out of words. Finally, right? If you made it this far, you're a real champ. Pat yourself on the back. Alright, readers: thank you from the bottom of my heart for your readership. I mean that. I also don't own Pokémon. Have a brilliant day today. Thanks again. Ciao.

-Nano