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)

27. Chapter 27 - The Conference (Part 2)

Chapter 27 - The Conference (Part 2)

Marcus

The last ten seconds had been the worst of his life. One instant he'd been carefully watching a single PsyForce Tribe grunt. Then, before he could register what was happening, one grunt was replaced by dozens upon dozens of Mr. Mime and Medicham, cutting him off from his younger brother. Milo was now stranded, alone, with three of the Tribe's five Mind Queens bearing down on him.

"NO! COME ON, ABSOL!"

Marcus and his loyal Absol threw every attack they could come up with at the blocking Pokémon nearest their position, but to no avail. Desperate, panicking, Marcus almost immediately made to trigger his blessing of Zoroark to make absolutely certain that he could get to Milo in time…

"Stop", said a voice he recognized, "It's too late."

Karen's hand clasped the back of his shoulder. Still in the heat of battle, Marcus whirled to face her, but she cut him off, pointing;

"Marcus, look."

As the two experienced Shadows backed instinctively away from the Psychic Pokémon impeding them, the Hearthome Leader's eyes went wide. Through the wall, he saw a massive Dark sphere engulf the space where he knew Milo and the Mind Queens were.

He knew exactly what that meant. It meant Milo had triggered his blessings. It meant his brother had been forced to sacrifice everything.

It meant they had failed.

The Leader fell to his knees, weak at the sight before him. As the ominous Dark power grew and grew, and began rumbling and trembling, even the PsyForce Pokémon in front of them wavered fearfully.

Marcus, Absol's voice was urgent, we need to get back. We're not safe here, you know what's coming. I hate it too, but Karen's right. It's already begun and there's nothing you can do now.

Suddenly, a few of the Psychic Pokémon were blasted outwards. From this new hole in the Psychic wall, six brave, loyal, and distraught Pokémon came sprinting out. It was Milo's team.

Azura

"Come on!" Blaze's Heat Wave had cleared the path for them, and the Infernape urged the group forward as Drake and Jet guarded the team's flanks,"We have to get clear! Azura, let's go!"

"NO!"Azura's voice was almost crazed with grief as she ran, "We can't leave! I won't leave him!"

"'Zura", came a tearful response from Aurora as the team passed by Marcus in the mad dash away from the sight of Milo's latest Dark explosion, "'Zura, we d-don't have a ch-choice. He wouldn't want us to stay. He wouldn't want to hurt us"

Azura was still screaming, desperate to turn and do something, and Jet and Drake were forced to almost literally drag her away, with Aurora running close behind her, pushing her forward. Eventually, the shiny Umbreon stopped fighting and ran along in silence, stunned and crying. None of them could quite comprehend just how quickly their dreams had come crashing down around them.

At last, the team's desperate sprint came to a gradual halt, as they got far enough away to avoid the fallout of Milo's blessings. When these blessings had first started, all those months ago, Milo's power had been limited to his enemies, but as that power grew his ability to control and direct it diminished. Yveltal and Zoroark no longer bothered to distinguish friend from foe. It was heartbreaking, but Milo's team, his friends, had no choice but to flee.

As those six Pokémon came to a stop together, up on a hilltop overlooking the scene they so dreaded, Azura collapsed in tears of rage.

"Milo…."

"We all hate this", Drake spoke up grimly, "But you know we can't do anything until it's over."

Below them, the sea of Dark energy was roiling and rippling with power, obscuring their view of the horrors going on inside.

"One thing's for sure", came Jet's hollow tone, the Floatzel's chest heaving from the long sprint, "Those psychic freaks are dead. Nothing could survive that."

"Papa…" Ferra was weeping quietly, kneeling beside Azura, "You have to make it. We'll come and get you. As soon as it's over, we'll find you. Just be okay, Papa…"

The awful scene stretched on and on, as the seconds ticked heavily by. The pulsing ball of Darkness continuously expanded and contracted, like a living, breathing organism of pure black energy.

All that the distraught Pokémon atop that solemn hill could do was to watch, and pray that their Trainer could pull through this ordeal.

Their silent, fearful vigil lasted almost ten full minutes. Then, at last, the Dark power began to fade, leaving a literal crater in its wake. The earth had been churned, the plants uprooted, and some patches were scorched, blackened in strange and eerie patterns. It was a harrowing scene, to say the least. There was no sign of the three Psychic women – they had been utterly destroyed, obliterated by the horrific Dark power that consumed everything it touched.

As soon as they dared, Milo's team rushed back onto the scene. They found that the ground Milo's power had covered was dead and cold, as though the very life of the space had been sucked away. In all likelihood, this was Yveltal's destructive work.

Disregarding this, Milo's Pokémon picked their way rapidly across the blasted terrain, down into the crater. There, in the very center of the chaotic remnants, lay Milo himself.

"Milo", Azura was the first to rush to his side, "Milo, can you hear me? Milo! Milo, please!"

He looked deathly pale. His eyes were open, but glazed over, staring unseeingly upwards into the night sky.

"Wh-what do we do?" Aurora began to visibly hyperventilate at the terrifying sight, "He's out, he's not answering! I don't know what to do, I don't know how-"

"Aurora, hush." Azura had steeled her mind, and took charge as the de facto team leader.

"I know it's scary", she counseled her young teammate, "but we need to focus. Milo's still alive, and we need to keep it that way."

Drake stepped up to the shiny Umbreon, all business in the face of crisis, "What's the play here? None of us can do anything directly, but we can get him to someone who can."

"Agreed", nodded the Umbreon, "Kara. Kara can help. She has Florence, and she'll know who else to contact about this. We need to get Milo back to her as quickly as we can."

*Crunch*

All six of them whipped around as a noise came from behind their huddle. It was Marcus and Absol, picking their way gingerly through the dirt, rocks, and rubble.

It was incredibly rare for Azura to reach out telepathically to anyone but her beloved Milo, but in her fury she didn't hesitate to force a connection through to Marcus, who visibly flinched as her enraged voice came screaming into his mind;

YOU! This is YOUR FAULT!

"I-I'm sorry…" the Leader backed away, not prepared to handle the shiny Umbreon's wrath, "I tried, w-we had a plan-"

Get AWAY FROM HIM! Your 'plan' is the reason he's hurt! You sent him in ALONE! How dare you even APPROACH HIM? LEAVE!

"A-Azura", Marcus tried again, "Don't do this. I know you're upset, and you have every right, but you know I can help."

He took a hesitant step forward, his hands raised in surrender, but a frigid blast stopped him in his tracks.

Aurora, emboldened by Azura's words, had stepped up beside her adopted older sister and released an Icy Wind that froze Marcus' feet in place, preventing him from coming any closer. As Milo's older brother looked up, he saw all six of Milo's Pokémon arrayed in front of him, each as furious and determined as the last.

Leave, repeated Azura. Her tone left no room for doubt or defiance. It was a command.

Silently, Marcus motioned to Absol, who unfroze his feet with a quick Slash. He backed away, unable to find his voice, before at last turning and running from the space. Suddenly, he couldn't be there anymore, couldn't watch any longer. On some level, he found he agreed with Azura.

I did this.

As he hit the woods, Karen's voice called out to him;

"Marcus. How is he?"

The Leader couldn't meet her eyes as he answered;

"He's bad. Really bad. But his team won't let me help. They...blame me – us – for this, for getting him hurt. Maybe...they're right."

"Marcus, listen", the Johto Elite put a firm hand on his shoulder, "There's nothing you could have done. Don't beat yourself up; just do whatever you can to make it right."

"But that's not true", he looked up now as he insisted, "We could have gotten in faster. We could have set up closer. We could have guessed that they'd have a plan of attack. We should have guessed. I mean...how did we not account for that?"

Karen stepped back now, her arms crossed over her chest, her face as unreadable as ever, "We knew there would be risks. There always are, and this was our most ambitious plan yet. Besides, it worked, didn't it? It wasn't ideal, but the end result is that the Tribe is broken. Psyfer lost three Mind Queens today – it'll be years before those freaks pose any significant threat again."

"Not ideal?" Marcus was incredulous, and fired back immediately, "Karen, Milo is laying over there comatose! He's done! He won't be able to finish the Conference; he'll be lucky to make a full recovery at all!"

"In this game", the Shadow Master's voice was soft and serious, "there is no room for emotion. The only way to beat Psyfer is to play this like a game of chess. Sometimes the only winning move is a sacrifice play."

"A sacrifice…?" Marcus' eyes narrowed as his relentless mind put two and two together to arrive at a truly horrific conclusion, "Karen...you didn't fail to account for anything did you?"

His quiet voice, already cracked with emotion, quickly rose as his grief and guilt flared into anger;

"You knew. You knew they would have a plan! You knew they'd get to Milo! This was your play all along – to isolate Milo and the Mind Queens so he would have to trigger his blessings and you would be rid of them! You never intended to fight for him, did you? Did you?"

Whatever he had expected her response to be, what came next was farthest from it;

"I won't apologize for my actions", she hissed, stepping forward and jabbing a finger in his face, "You think I wanted to do this? Do you honestly think I'd have set this up if there were another way – any other way to destroy the Tribe? I did what I had to do, Marcus. That's what the burden of leadership means. Someday, I trust you'll come to understand that."

Not giving the Dark Leader time to respond, she turned on her heel and was off.

That, growled Absol from his Trainer's side, is truly despicable.

Azura

Back in the clearing, Azura and the others had formulated a plan – or at least something close enough to it. Azura was directing the team's efforts, as they carefully hoisted their fragile Trainer upright;

"Ferra, Blaze, grab his arms. There you go, now get your other hand around his waist, hold him up. Yes, both of you, come on. Good."

"Uuuhhhnnnn", Milo unexpectedly stirred, trying and failing to lift his head up.

Shhh, just rest, Azura spoke instantly into her Trainer's mind, Easy, Milo. Don't talk, don't move, don't do anything. We're going to get you back to Kara. She'll know how to get help.

A-Azura, even his mind was barely capable of basic communication, S-sorry…

With that, he faded back out.

"Hurry", she urged her teammates shakily, "Jet, support him from behind, good…Drake, you take point, I'll keep an eye out behind us. Aurora, you go on ahead and see if you can get to Kara."

Their Glaceon teammate took off in a flash. As quickly as they dared, the rest of the shell-shocked group made their way back through the dark woods. It was late by now, which made navigation a bit trickier, but in the end they were grateful.

"At least the streets are empty", muttered the Moonlight Pokémon, "This would be even worse if people started crowding around."

"Hey", Drake got their attention with a short bark, "Look – in front of the hotel. Kara's already outside."

Indeed, the Performer was standing on the sidewalk; Aurora and Florence were at her side, and she fidgeted nervously as she flicked her head this way and that. She soon spotted Milo's team moving towards the building in a strange-looking huddle, and rushed over to meet them;

"There you are!" She was breathless, and full of questions, "Where's Milo? Is he – oh..." Drake had silently stepped aside to let her see the catatonic Milo, and her whole face fell;

"Oh no. No, this can't be happening, no…"

Florence, Azura reached out to the Gardevoir, Tell her we need to focus. First we need to get him upstairs, where he can lay down. He's fading in and out. Once he's situated, Kara can get more help.

The Embrace Pokémon nodded solemnly, already relaying Azura's plan.

"O-okay. Alright", Kara set herself with a shaky breath and moved towards her boyfriend, "Did you guys bring his belt? We'll attract less attention if all of you aren't walking around the hotel lobby."

Jet stepped around from behind Milo, the Trainer's belt draped across his shoulders. Carefully, Kara took ahold of Milo, supporting him as naturally as she could. With her free hand, she returned his team one by one before stepping back into the fancy hotel.

Once again, they were lucky it was late; the young Performer, her breath still trembling from nerves and the effort of dragging an unresponsive Milo beside her, made her way surreptitiously across to the elevator and then down the hall to her own room.

Once inside, she stepped around to lay Milo on the extra bed before releasing his Pokémon once more.

"O...Okay", Kara forced herself to breathe, "Umm, what to do…Has he been conscious at all since – since it happened?"

A few of Milo's team members nodded hesitantly, and all of them were looking expectantly at her;

Why? Kara felt supremely unprepared, Why are they all looking at me like I should be the one who knows what to do?

My dearest Kara, Florence stepped in to reassure her, Please do your utmost to remain focused on the situation at hand. Our friends have entrusted the care of their most dearly beloved Trainer to you. Surely you are capable of assisting him in a similar manner to the care you have provided him in the past?

It was a good thought – just what Kara needed to hear.

"You're right, Flo", the Performer closed her eyes and took a long, slow breath;

"I can do this. Okay."

With a newfound sense of authority, she looked again at Milo's team, who were desperately waiting for her to do something.

"Alright, gang, here's the plan. Ferra, he'll need some water. Preferably not from Jet; use the sink. Blaze; you check that cabinet for extra blankets. Aurora and Azura, can you two go fetch Marcus? He'll know...he'll…"

Her voice faltered. The second she mentioned the Leader's name, all six of Milo's Pokémon whirled around to stare at her with angry eyes. It didn't take long to put the pieces together.

"What's wrong, you guys? Talk to me. Ah, wait...Marcus...he's responsible for this, isn't he? Somehow he – he had a part in causing this. Otherwise he'd have been the one to bring Milo back himself. I think I understand."

Indeed, Florence took the chance to fill her in, It would seem that Lady Azura chased Marcus away personally. There's...a great deal of hurt there, and it's still quite raw. None of these Pokémon are ready to face him yet.

"Alright, then we can do this without him", Kara put on her best all-business face, rolled up her sleeves, and got straight to it, "Ferra, Blaze, you know what to do. Jet, we'll need a few rags or small towels, one of them wet. Just in case he gets a fever. The rest of you – Drake, Azura, Aurora – you three watch him as closely as you can, and tell me if there's any change, especially if he starts waking up. Okay, go."

As Milo's team set hungrily to their assigned tasks, glad to be doing something to help, Kara released her Leafeon and spoke mentally to her Gardevoir;

Flo, I need you and Verdante to go find Marcus.

Marcus? The half-Fairy shot her a quizzical look, Milady Kara, I'm not quite sure I grasp your intent. Have you not only just decided to undertake this task without his assistance?

I feel bad, but...I lied to them. I know they don't want his help, and I'm sure there's a good reason, but this is going to be almost impossible without him. Like it or not, we're going to need him for Milo to pull through this.

I believe I understand now, nodded Florence, Verdante and I shall go and summon him here as soon as can be.

Wait, Kara specified her odd instructions, Find him, talk to him, but don't bring him here. Let's not make this harder than it has to be. If Azura and the rest don't interact with him directly, this will go a lot smoother. Tell him what's going on – I'm sure he's freaking out about it already – and ask him what we should be doing. You two will be our go-between until we find a way to calm Milo's team down about whatever it is that happened, and bring him in for real.

Marcus

After the terrible realization of what Karen had done to his brother, the Hearthome Leader had retreated instinctively to his own hotel room. There he sat silently, Absol perched like a statue on a neighboring armchair. Both of them stared straight forward, not truly seeing much of anything, lost in their own heads.

Grief, guilt, fury, and exhaustion all chased each other in endless circles around his brain. He couldn't remember ever feeling so lost.

Perhaps, suggest Absol at last, you should call Gardenia.

"And say what? 'Hey, I just got Milo almost killed, what do I do'? I don't think that would go over too great."

You know as well as I do that this is not your fault, Absol replied sharply, The blame lies with the PsyForce Tribe, and with Karen herself. How could you have known her intentions?

"I know, but...I still feel responsible. I just can't have that conversation right now."

So you'd rather have it after you've had even more time to stew in your own negativity? Absol's voice was harsh and reprimanding, and Marcus' dark brown eyes flashed as he looked up at his longtime partner. He made to respond, but the Disaster Pokémon cut over him;

She'll find out soon anyway, with or without you. When Milo doesn't show for his next battle, everyone will know. You must act now. We have 24 hours to make some kind of plan and act on it.

The Dark type's tone was demanding and unforgiving, but it was enough to snap Marcus back into something resembling a functional mental state. Just in time, too;

Sir Marcus, came a new voice. The Leader and his Absol snapped their heads towards the door, as the voice came again;

It is I – Florence, of milady Kara's team.

Marcus leapt up and flung open the door;

"Flo! How is he? What's going on? Please, I need to-"

I'm afraid I have little time for questions, Florence's voice was uncharacteristically grave, I will simply have to fill you in as we go. I am here to act as a liaison between yourself and milady Kara, who is doing everything she can to care for dear Milo as we speak.

Verdante joined her Psychic companion and explained something very briefly to Absol, who translated for Marcus;

I'm told that Milo's team is still deeply angry at us. They don't know Kara is consulting you, so we are to assist as much as we can with information and advice from here.

So it began. None of them – Pokémon or human – got much sleep if any that night. At first, Marcus answered Kara's questions about caring for Milo. Then he was forced to bite the proverbial bullet; he made the call he had been dreading. As he suspected, Gardenia was livid at his failure to protect his brother, but she eventually forced herself to put that aside. She got on the phone with the barely-not-panicking Kara to advise her and keep her as calm as could be expected. This left Marcus free to begin planning for the inevitable fallout from the incident.

He got ahold of his father, and delivered the best story he could fabricate – there had been a terrible accident. Milo had been caught in the crossfire when a group of wild Pokémon attacked his team during training outside the city. He was stable, but impossibly weak. It would take him days at least to get back to his old self.

Marcus' next call was to Jenks. He told the media manager the truth as well as the story he'd come up with. If this was going to hold up to the scrutiny of regional media, it had to be convincing, organized, and defensible – something only Jenks could accomplish.

Milo

Everything hurts.

It took several sluggish seconds for his brain to make any other meaningful kind of connection. Eventually, he recognized what he was feeling;

Ah, crap. The blessings.

At last, his mind registered the noises around him. A familiar voice...then a second voice – Kara's – answered it...now the first voice...what were they saying? He just couldn't seem to make it out. There was something soft and warm against his left side.

'Zura?

He reached out automatically, knowing it would be his loyal Umbreon.

Milo? Milo! Can you hear me? Are you awake?

He felt her shift, probably standing up to peer over him. Her movement prompted a flurry of other activity around him as well.

I'm...awake, he managed, I'm...sorry.

"M-Milo?"

He heard the tremor in Kara's voice. It told him everything he needed to know, and he felt his heart sink.

I'm such an idiot, he berated himself, I should never have let this happen.

Taking a deep breath, he forced his eyes open. What he saw more or less met his expectations. Azura was at his left, Aurora on his right. The rest of his team was crowded eagerly around, and Kara held his hand, her face full of a mixture of emotions – relief, fear, sadness, and exhaustion.

"Where…?" Even using his voice seemed to take a great deal of effort.

"We're in your hotel room", answered his girlfriend quickly, "Your team brought you all the way here as soon as they could. H-how are you feeling?"

"Me?" the corner of his mouth twitched – the closest he could get to a smile in his state – as he responded, "Great…"

His lame attempt at humor sent visible shockwaves of relief through the assembled watchers. No matter how incapacitated he might be...he was still their Milo. Her voice still warbling as a fresh set of tears trickled down her soft cheeks, Kara joked back;

"Oh, g-good. You c-could've fooled me – you look awful."

"...Gee, thanks", came the weak response.

This brief conversation had already depleted Milo's miniscule energy reserves, and he felt himself fading back out;

"...G'night…"

Kara

She checked the clock, as Milo sank back into unconsciousness. It was just after three in the morning. Still, that small interaction fueled her determination, and she threw herself into her work with renewed vigor. She updated Florence, who was still stationed with Verdante keeping an eye on Marcus, feeding the older brother news on the care process. She changed the rag on Milo's head – he had developed a fever shortly after being brought in – and she fetched a fresh set of blankets, some new bandages, and a new pillow.

The next few hours flew by almost without her noticing. At around 5:30, help arrived for the young Performer. Zoe was never going to sit idly by while someone else cared for her son. Even Amaya was determined to do whatever she could to help out. The Twinleaf girl took Milo's Pokémon out a couple at a time to get them some exercise and light training, at least enough to burn off their pent-up energy.

Milo himself was in and out of consciousness a few more times as the morning dragged on. The good news was that each time he woke up he was able to remain conscious for just a bit longer, and his memory seemed to be intact each time.

Around the fourth or fifth time he stirred, he started asking for Ferra and Azura. It took a few minutes, since both of them were out with Amaya at the time, but they were brought in. He addressed them mentally, since using his voice still took a lot of work;

The Conference, he started, Round of 16 is tomorrow.

Milo… Azura had guessed he might ask about this, but it saddened her to have to say the words, We already know. We don't have a choice, we have to forfeit. You can barely talk, you won't be in any shape to even walk tomorrow.

No, his voice was firm for the first time, We won't forfeit. I have...a plan.

Incredulous, Azura and Ferra exchanged a worried glance;

Papa, began the Lucario gently, None of us wants to give in, but you have to consider your health. You physically can't make it. It's not your fault, but it's the truth. You haven't let us down, Papa.

No, he repeated, I have a plan…

Azura

Half an hour later, the shiny Umbreon was back out on the private training field. She and Ferra had just finished relating Milo's unlikely plan to the rest of the team.

"That's absolutely nuts", said Jet quite candidly.

"Damn right it is", laughed Drake, "I like it."

"No guys", their Water type companion insisted, "I mean, seriously. I hate giving up as much as the rest of us here, but...he knows this'll never work, right? I'm just afraid he'll put all that effort in and end up humiliated. That might actually be worse than just forfeiting."

Ferra snarled at this and took a step towards him;

"What", she challenged, "You don't trust me to pull it off?"

"Easy, little thing", Blaze was alert to the rising tensions, "Let's all keep it together, here. We're all worked up right now, but we still have to focus and prepare if we're going to pull this off."

Jet made to argue again, but Azura cut him off;

"Jet", she was as calm as she could be, all things considered, "Think about it. This is crazy, you're right, but it's the kind of crazy thing we would do. Maybe you're right, but I think there's a chance we could pull it off – together – because we're the only team that could."

"We're betting an awful lot on that", protested the Floatzel, "I don't think you guys get how much it would hurt to try this and lose. You don't know understand how much a big loss like this can wreck you. I do. Last time I lost under this much pressure...I got released by Nova."

That shut his teammates up, at least temporarily. It was worth considering, too – after all, he would know. After a few seconds, Azura spoke up once more;

"If it makes any difference", she stated simply, "Nova is our opponent tomorrow. Your improvisation would really come in handy."

Jet's head snapped up at that. His eyes narrowed.

"It's...Nova? Damn...I still think...ah, hell. Fine, I'm in. If Milo wants to go for this crazy stunt, I'll take my shot at her new team."

It was just after noon when Milo next regained consciousness. This time, Azura was ready with news of the team's readiness to back their Trainer's crazy idea. The instant Milo's eyes fluttered open, he found his Umbreon seated patiently beside him;

Hey, he greeted her groggily, How'd they take it?

Jet took some convincing, she rolled her eyes, But he couldn't resist the chance to take a shot at Nova. We're in if you are, Milo.

Good, he grinned weakly, I figured he'd push back, but he's too competitive to pass up the chance for payback. Make sure Marcus doesn't call in a forfeit for us. He should be in on the plan.

Azura's whole body stiffened at the mention of Marcus, something Milo noticed immediately;

What's up, girl?

Get Kara or someone else to talk to him, she spat coldly, I'm not going near him or his pathetic excuse for an Absol.

Whoa...you okay? What happened with Marcus?

What happened? Azura stood up, her anger boiling up all over again, Milo, look at you! This is his fault – his and the Order's! He's responsible for this mess!

Milo's brows furrowed, and he stared past Azura, his mind at work as he answered her accusation;

That's not true. He had every intention of pulling me out. This is Karen's doing; don't blame him.

Karen?

Yeah. I've been thinking…I'm sure she knew the Tribe would isolate me. She needed me to beat them. She lied about 'having a plan', and we bought it.

How can you just...just say it so casually? Azura was deeply wounded by this, and a bit upset that Milo didn't seem to take much interest in the injustice that had been done to him.

He actually chuckled aloud before responding;

What else can I do? All I can do is leave. I wasn't sure, but now there's no question. I'm done. No more Order for me.

Well, Azura wouldn't let her anger go so easily, That still doesn't excuse Marcus. Karen's fault or no, he completely failed to pull you out.

Azura, Milo's voice in her mind was sharp, You know he couldn't break that line. They specifically intercepted Dark types. Still, I know he was trying to trigger his blessing. He tried to help.

You don't know that, protested Azura weakly.

Of course I do, he settled back with a tiny grin, It's what I would've done for my brother.

With that, he faded back out. He could probably have stayed awake a bit longer, but he let himself sink back into sleep. After all, he'd need every ounce of strength he could save to pull off his insane scheme for the coming battle against Nova.

Azura sat quietly by his side for a few minutes, going over what he'd told her. Eventually, Zoe and Myrian came back with lunch, and the shiny Umbreon took this as a cue to get back to the rest of the team.

They, like her, were reluctant at first but eventually agreed to (grudgingly) forgive Marcus. Azura and Ferra were sent as an 'envoy' to the Leader, to express the shared sentiment to him in person.

This, in fact, proved slightly awkward, given the ferocity of Azura's initial reaction, but…that was why it had to be her. Regardless, Marcus was fully willing to accept their apology, offer one of his own, and help in any way he could with Milo's admittedly far-fetched plan for the Round of 16.

Milo

Fading sporadically in and out of consciousness made his day go by rather quickly. There seemed to always be some piece of news from somebody each time he awoke:

Wake up. The time slots had been announced – he would fight Nova at 2pm, while Amaya would battle Senji, of all people, at 10am. Fall back asleep.

Wake up. The team was, according to Aurora, feeling as ready as they'd ever be for Milo's crazy plan. Fall back asleep.

Wake up. Marcus had passed news of his leaving the Order to Karen, who had accepted it quite easily. She had probably been expecting this turn of events. Fall back asleep.

Wake up. His travelling companions had brought their dinner up to his room, to watch over him. Amaya couldn't seem to look him in the eyes, and Kara couldn't seem to stop staring at him worriedly. Fall back asleep.

Wake up. It was getting late now, and there seemed to be a movie night going on in the next room. He could hear all his friends and family laughing. He was feeling stronger and ever so slightly more like himself each time he came to. Fall back asleep.

Wake up. It was the dead of night now. Kara had nodded off, her hand still limply grasping Milo's own from the armchair at his bedside. Myrian, it seemed, had been allowed to set up a makeshift bed for herself on the floor. A brief smile. Fall back asleep.

Wake up. Breakfast time, on Battle Day Four, and Amaya's nerves were beginning to settle in. With every passing minute, the gruff but sincere Twinleaf Trainer became more like The Hammer; stone-faced, silent, and unyieldingly intense. Another smile; some things would never change. Fall back asleep.

Wake up. Amaya had beaten Senji, of course, and now…it was time.

"This is it, bro", came Marcus' voice as his eyes fluttered open, "I hope you're sure about this, because it's now or never."

He nodded, trying to conserve every bit of mental and physical energy he could for the stunt he was about to attempt.

"Ready to go, Papa?"

Ferra was there, her bright face unusually serious. In one hand, she held his belt, all six Pokéballs in place. Hers was the only one empty. With some effort, he stretched out a hand towards his Lucario. She grabbed it quickly, and hauled him upright for the first time since the scarring events of two nights ago.

"You...okay, bro? Still feel up to this?"

Marcus was still skeptical about the plan, even though he'd agreed to help implement it. Milo just nodded, leaning heavily on his loyal Aura Pokémon to keep him on his feet.

I just have to stay in it, he told himself, You got this, Milo.

"Jenks already fed the organizers the wild Pokémon attack story. It's been carefully leaked to the media, so if you back out, nobody would blame you."

"I would", grunted the Jubilife Rookie.

Ferra half-supported and half-dragged her Trainer out the door and down to the waiting car outside the hotel. Inside the car waited Kara, Alexander, and Jenks, who was driving.

Milo's father grimaced at seeing his son so frail, but he gave a curt nod from the passenger seat and did his best to reassure him;

"If anyone can pull this off, son, it's you. Go show them what teamwork really means."

"Thanks", rasped Milo.

The car ride was a bit of a blur. The one thought on repeat in Milo's brain was 'Just stay awake'. It was the key to everything. He trusted his team to do their part, but if he couldn't keep going long enough to see it through, it would be for naught.

As they got into the stadium to go through the final preparations for Milo's fight, Kara and Amaya and the assembled family all made their way nervously to their reserved seats.

News of Milo's sudden turn of bad health had indeed disseminated almost frighteningly quickly, and the crowd was abuzz, wondering what exactly they were about to see. All the pressure was on the JPTA graduate, with Amaya having demolished the unfortunate (but still jovial) Senji earlier. Damion had also won his matchup, so Milo and Nova were the last two so-called 'super Rookies' left in the round – and the first pair within the illustrious group to square off on the biggest of stages.

"Figures his first battle in the Lily Stadium would be like this", laughed Kara weakly.

"Definitely not how he thought this day would go", nodded his worried mother, "But he'll just have to roll with the punches and hope for the best. Come on, Milo..."

After more than a few anxious minutes, it was finally time. Fifty thousand voices rose to a crescendo.

"Here she is! The flag-bearer of Sunyshore battling, a deserved competitor here in the knockout rounds of the Conference...NOVA!"

Fifty thousand voices roared their approval as the adorably quirky Nova emerged smiling from her tunnel, taking her place in her Trainer box.

"Now, one of her fiercest rivals in this spectacular Rookie class…"

Fifty thousand pairs of eyes were riveted to the same dark opening. Fifty thousand hearts pounded, waiting breathlessly.

"He's been absolutely tearing up the Sinnoh battle scene and he's here to prove himself on the biggest stage of all...you know him, you love him...it's MILO!"

The crowd cheered wildly, but cheers turned instantly to shocked murmuring as not one, but two figures emerged slowly.

On the right was the ashen-faced Milo, clearly fighting just to keep his eyes open, hardly strong enough to support himself on his own two feet. The second figure was a good head shorter than the Jubilife Trainer, her arm wrapped firmly around his waist, her eyes laser focused on their destination – the Trainer box.

It was Ferra. Milo's Lucario had totally blocked out the noise around her as she guided her beloved Trainer laboriously to the box, not moving her arm from his side.

"What's this?" The announcer was beside himself, "Folks, I've just been handed a very special rules clarification! In order to avoid disqualification, Milo has to remain conscious at all times! That being said, he is not required to maintain explicit control over his Pokémon. Let's see if this one-of-a-kind team is up to the task of defeating Nova without Milo's guidance!"

After verifying that a second referee was on hand to make sure Milo remained awake at all times, the main official waved the green flag. The battle was on.

Flashback

"Here's the plan", began Azura tersely, "for tomorrow's match. Milo thinks if he can save up his energy he'll be able to stay awake through the battle, but we're going to need to be at our best."

"We always are", Drake cut in proudly.

"Not like this", Azura shot back, "Just listen. He'll be awake, but not functional. For the purposes of actually battling, this one's going to be all us. Specifically, Ferra."

"M-me?" The Lucario was taken aback, "I – I mean, I can try, but…"

"You're the right height, build, and strength to hold him physically upright during the battle", answered Azura, "And you'll have to do that the whole time. He has to be conscious or we get disqualified instantly, no matter how well we're doing. Also, you can project your voice out loud, meaning you can call out trick moves like we're all used to. Besides, Ferra", here the Umbreon's voice softened with a smile, "We all work well with Milo, but you've always been the best at echoing his thought process perfectly. He's your Papa."

"Alright, then", Blaze spoke up, looking his fellow Fighting type in the eye with a strong nod, "Looks like that's the plan. I'm with Azura on this. You've got this, little thing."

End Flashback – Ferra

She could do this. She knew her Papa perfectly; she knew how he thought, his favorite tricks and when to call them. She'd practiced against Aunt 'Maya and Marcus, and she was as ready as she could be.

Across the field, Nova seemed just as taken aback as the spectators, but she soon made her first call.

"Alright, Roserade", her Bouquet Pokémon emerged with a flourish, "Start us off strong!"

"Aurora", said Milo quietly to his Lucario.

"Roro!" Ferra echoed the call, projecting her voice as confidently as she could.

Her call sent further ripples through the crowd. A Pokémon was about to play the part of Trainer – and in the Conference knockout rounds of all places! This was a historical first; nobody could quite believe what they were witnessing.

Heedless of the disbelief, Aurora emerged, focused and ready to go.

"Set it up!"

Ferra could see what her Papa wanted, just by calling Aurora. Her Ice typing and ability to play hide and seek were perfect for dealing with this half-Grass type.

Totally at a loss, Nova realized only too late what was about to happen.

"Ah, try for a Poison Jab, Roserade!"

By the time the evolved Poison type reacted, Aurora had already brought Hail into effect, and disappeared into the swirling ice. Not one to sit around and accept the loss, Roserade began dashing about this way and that, chasing shadows and tossing out small clouds of Stun Spore.

"Umm, k-keep your distance, Roro! Just hit from far away!"

It lacked the subtlety and complexity of most of Milo's calls, but the idea was sound, and was generally what Milo himself would have planned.

Just read the battle like one of our training matchups, Azura had advised her, Imagine what Milo's advice would be, and call that out. Keep it simple.

Aurora was more than capable of acting independently. She was doing a brilliant job fighting from the icy shadows, and had already landed two Ice Beam attacks by the time Nova found a suitable counter;

"Roserade, switch to Magical Leaf!"

Her heart in her mouth, Ferra racked her brains for a way to dodge the never-miss attack. Aurora used Quick Attack to run away from it, buying an extra couple seconds for Ferra to find a rather unconventional answer;

"Play it like Aunt 'Maya! Hit straight back!"

For all the intensity of the battle, some in the crowd actually laughed aloud at this. Ferra's reference to Amaya's more brutal, straightforward style – as well as her referring to the Twinleaf Trainer as 'Aunt' – seemed quite unconventional, albeit intelligent.

Aurora, meanwhile, understood perfectly.

Great idea, she complimented her teammate, Here we go. Yowch!

The energetic Glaceon gritted her teeth as she came to a halt, letting the Magical Leaf strike her cleanly in the side as she charged a counterattack of her own. Blinded by the bits of ice flying at random about the field, Roserade was helpless to dodge the massive Blizzard that came crashing out of seemingly nowhere. Just like that, it was over. Roserade went down, and Ferra and Aurora had miraculously won the first round of the battle!

Ferra's excitement was reined in abruptly when she felt her Trainer shift at her side, and heard him grunt;

"Can't...switch. Magmar."

Easy, Papa, counseled the Lucario nervously, Just keep staying awake. We'll win this for you.

Even Milo's mind felt weak as it connected to the Aura Pokémon;

Aurora is our first...can't switch her...Nova's got a Magmar.

Sure enough, Nova took a moment to set herself, still trying to get over the absurdity of battling a Pokémon being directed by...another Pokémon. Then she grabbed her next Pokéball and made the obvious tactical move;

"Magmar, get in there!"

Ferra quickly understood the danger, but wasn't sure how to go about countering it.

"Stay away, Roro! Use Shadow Ball!"

"Magmar", Nova's sense of strategy had improved since the beginning of her Rookie season, and an idea struck her, "Use Smokescreen to hide!"

Shoot! Milo's Glaceon was at a loss, He's got camouflage, too! Aww, man, that's supposed to be our trick!

She tried a couple Shadow Ball attacks, as requested, but they were no help in finding the suddenly elusive Spitfire Pokémon.

"Now Flamethrower, Magmar!"

The befuddled Fresh Snow Pokémon screeched as the super effective attack struck her head-on. Ferra's heart was in her throat;

"D-dodge, Roro! Keep dodging!"

Up in the stands, Marcus shook his head;

"That won't help. This is where Milo's raw instinct would've saved them. That Lucario knows all the tricks they've practiced, but the team can't compensate for Milo's creativity. What usually sets them apart are the tricks they haven't practiced – the ones Milo just spins up on the fly."

"That looks pretty unwinnable no matter what", Amaya responded, as the floundering Aurora took another Flamethrower, "I don't know if even Milo could get past a Magmar with a Glaceon."

"Couldn't he, though?" Marcus' eye twinkled, and he speculated with a grin, "If I recall correctly, that Glaceon has Protect, Return, and Mirror Coat. Each of those could turn this around if used carefully and effectively."

"Well", Amaya frowned, forced to admit the Leader was right (again), "Ferra won't be able to pull that off. Not with all this pressure on her."

Sure enough, despite getting in a couple of Shadow Ball hits, Aurora was helpless to defend against the third Flamethrower, and she went down in a heap, as the Hail subsided at last.

"No! Ah, uh, return, Roro. Sorry."

Ferra was half hoping Milo would have enough wits to recommend her next move, but when she looked over at him, she saw him staring determinedly at the ground, fighting to keep his eyes from closing.

Think, she racked her brains, Keep it simple, what would Papa do...Umm, Magmar uses fire, so – Jet? Okay, I'm out of time anyway.

"Go, Jet!"

Those fans who had their ears closest to the metaphorical ground regarding the Rookie class gasped; word had gotten out about how the infamously unpredictable Floatzel had gotten onto Milo's team. The announcer confirmed this for the unaware;

"The tension continues to skyrocket! Milo – or at least his incredible Lucario – pulls out none other than Nova's former ace in the hole to face off against the Magmar that now carries her team! It's a battle of the new and the old here, folks!"

"Heh", Jet shot his replacement a menacing, toothy grin, "So you're the new blood, eh? Come here, flame boy, maybe I can teach you a thing or two."

Not bothering to respond verbally, Nova's Magmar lunged forward with a Brick Break, which Milo's Sea Weasel just laughed off;

"Too easy", he chuckled as he sidestepped the wild attack with ease, "Lesson one, kid. The simplest thing in the world to dodge is an attack that's just an attack."

"Jet", Ferra felt rather bad for the Fire type, and tried to cut off Jet's smack talking, "Aqua Tail. Look for an opening."

"Yeah, yeah, I'm on it", came the easy response as Jet flipped an almost casual Aqua Tail into Magmar's side, "I can handle this. You just keep an eye on Milo."

"Well", the announcer offered, "Milo's Floatzel seems rather chatty today! We can only assume that he's attempting to coordinate with his teammate and make a plan! Let's see if he can use this type advantage to close out the round!"

Ferra grimaced, but allowed Jet free reign over the battle. It gave her a slight mental reprieve and a chance to nudge Milo carefully, to make sure he was still conscious enough for them to continue the fight.

Almost immediately, there was a roar from the crowd – Ferra's head snapped back up just in time to see Magmar crash to the ground, drenched in the aftermath of a watery blitz from the prideful Jet.

"HAHA!" The Floatzel roared aloud in exhilaration, "Replace that, Nova! Keep 'em coming, I can do this all day!"

Unexpectedly, it was Milo who tempered the arrogant Water type;

"Jet...focus...Luxray."

His brain was still incredibly foggy, but the semi-conscious Jubilife Rookie remembered Nova's Luxray from his preparation before the...incident. His advice was perfect, and not a moment too soon.

"Right", Jet gave his head a shake, telling himself, "Yeah, head in the game, Jet. Put in the work."

Sure enough, the incapacitated Milo had still managed to anticipate Nova's play;

"Luxray, show him what we can do!"

"Counter play, Jet", barked Ferra, doing her best to implement a Milo-esque strategy, "Let him move."

"Good thought", Jet encouraged her, "I'm on it."

Jet's own instincts kicked in, and he decided to bait his opponent into giving him an opening for the requested counterattack. He launched into a Quick Attack, aiming for a wide open space to Luxray's right side. Nova reacted the way any sensible Trainer should;

"He's on the move, Luxray! Thunderbolt on your right!"

As soon as he heard his former Trainer's call, Jet came to a dead stop with frightening agility, and hammered the exposed Gleam Eyes Pokémon with his favorite Aqua Jet move.

"Back off!"

Ferra alerted her teammate to his own vulnerability just as Luxray lunged in, his jaw crackling with electricity.

"Yes! Come on Luxray, Thunder Fang!"

Crap, Jet thought as he employed a rather ungainly Quick Attack escape, I got sucked in. Can't forget he's got those Electric moves. Note to me – ranged counters when the type matchup is – AAHH!

His awkward scramble had been far too readable, and the reeling Water type was struck with a Thunderbolt for his efforts. As he tried to clear his head, the Gleam Eyes Pokémon compounded the damage with a Spark, and sprinted in to land a Thunder Fang. Just like that, Jet was on his last legs, and the crowd was roaring its approval for Luxray's massive play.

"Gah...Screw you…"

Noting that his opponent was still in close from the Thunder Fang, Jet's training with Milo kicked in; he struck out with a Brick Break that sent the Luxray sprawling. He followed this in with another Aqua Jet, slamming the Electric type. Having learned his lesson, he backed away much faster this time, and unleashed a monster of a Hydro Pump that put his opponent in the dirt, ending the round.

"WOOO!"

Kara screamed her support for Milo's team, as Jet's counter-blitz turned the tables yet again in this high-pressure match that lived up to every bit of the hype it had generated.

"Wow", Marcus shook his head in awe, "That Floatzel is insane. He just won't stay down."

"He's insanely lucky", snorted Amaya, "I mean, three consecutive Electric hits onto a Water Pokémon and no paralysis? Come on."

Nova was having much the same thought as she returned Luxray, who had been her best chance at taking out her former ace Pokémon.

I can't...there's no way, she sighed as she looked over at the obviously struggling Milo, He cares so much. His raw willpower is obvious in his team's battling. That's one thing I can't match. You've raised one hell of a team, Milo.

Still, determined to finish the battle out properly, Nova called forth her final Pokémon. After all, there was always a chance Milo himself would black out and she would get a free win;

"Gastrodon, you're in!"

One last time, Milo offered a few forced words of counsel to the Lucario supporting him;

"No...Water…"

Ferra wasn't sure what to make of this, but Jet came to her aid;

No Water, right? I remember this guy from my old team. He's got that Storm Drain thing. Any Water hits will only power him up.

"Don't use water!" Ferra knew she had to make the call aloud, "You're still faster, Jet! Come on, one last round!"

As Jet took off, sprinting in circles around the easily confused Gastrodon, Ferra glanced over to check on Milo;

Stay with me, Papa, please just stay awake. It's working, we're winning, we just need you to stay awake.

Her mental voice reached Milo in a haze. He could feel the cold sweat now, dripping down his clammy skin as his body begged him to just shut down, to fade out, to sleep.

I can...do this, he shifted his weight, feeling the protests of his groaning muscles.

My team...needs me. Jet.

The Floatzel, still grimacing from the pummeling he'd received at the hands of Luxray, was embroiled in a cautious standoff with Nova's Gastrodon.

Yeah, Milo? Hang in there, pal. I got this. Just give me a couple more minutes, yeah?

I'm still...here, Milo replied, feeling the strain of even using his mind to communicate, Just...hurry…

A glimmer of desperation appeared in Jet's eye. He could feel Milo weakening by the second. His time was running out. It was now or never, he knew, to throw caution to the winds and go all in.

"Jet!" Ferra had the same thought, "Get in there! Do it! WIN, JET!"

With an adrenaline-filled roar, Jet made his move. His lightning fast Quick Attack got him in close, and he started wailing on the hapless Sea Slug, using Crunch and Brick Break.

He barely even felt the multitude of Mud Slap and Sludge counterattacks that smashed into him. He completely shut out the frenzied screams of the tens of thousands surrounding him. All that mattered was this final round. Victory was his top – no, his only priority.

"RRRAAAAHHH!"

With one final Brick Break, he flung Gastrodon away from him like a ragdoll, dropping to his knees with exhaustion, chest heaving. The deed was done. Nova's final Pokémon was unconscious.

As the crowd went strangely quiet, thousands of breaths caught in thousands of throats, even the referee could barely make the call;

"G-Gastrodon is...is unable to battle! Floatzel wins, and the match – the match goes to MILO!"

All at once, Lily Stadium exploded with raw energy. Up in the box, Milo's friends and family were delirious, screaming incoherently with joy and disbelief. Nobody could believe, or even comprehend, the magnitude of what had just occurred. As Jet, still on his knees in the middle of the field, took in the noise that reverberated for miles, those assembled could only stand in awe and show their appreciation for the Pokémon team that was so strong-willed and strong-minded that they won a Lily of the Valley Conference knockout match on the biggest possible stage...without their Trainer to direct them.

"IMPOSSIBLE!" The announcer was practically frothing at the mouth, "UNBELIEVABLE! With Milo himself barely able to move, his team has come out and put on an absolute showcase performance to knock Nova out of the Conference!"

Suddenly, cheers of delight turned to screams of concern as both Milo and Jet collapsed simultaneously, flat out on the field. Like a flash, Marcus and Kara reacted, with the rest not far behind;

"We need to get down there", the Leader's instincts kicked in automatically, and he took charge, "Kara, you're with me. We'll need Florence. Everyone else, get back to the hotel, set everything up as best you can. We're bringing him back. Go."

Galvanized by adrenaline born of fear, they all sprang into action, leaving their box to sprint towards the Trainer tunnel. Out on the field, Ferra had scrambled for Jet's Pokéball and returned him. When Milo had fallen, she'd been pulled down with him, and now she was struggling to get him back up. He was completely limp.

Suddenly, another pair of hands took careful hold of Milo's unsupported side, and the Lucario looked up.

"Nova?"

"Come on", said the Sunyshore girl, "Let's get him off the field first."

The Lucario could only stare at the Trainer they had just defeated, who was now helping as determinedly as she could;

"Look", said the beaten Rookie, "We're done fighting. You guys were amazing. Now let me help him so your team can keep going."

With a small shake to snap back into focus, Ferra nodded. Together, she and Nova lifted and carried Milo gingerly off the field, away from the prying eyes of Lily Stadium.

-o-

Another pair of eyes had been watching closely. As Milo went from victorious to unconscious, she had observed everything as only a truly experienced professional could. She had seen Marcus and company flee their box as soon as the situation turned sour.

They'll never be allowed to get him, she knew, The medical staff won't let anyone close to him. Unless…

Her eyes narrowed, and her hand instinctively moved towards her watch, considering her next move;

If this were any ordinary sickness or injury, they'd have gotten him medical help long ago. Something else is going on. I'm making the call.

Her instincts were rarely wrong, and they were screaming at her to make sure Milo was given into the care of his friends and family. She found the number quickly, and waited as the line dialed;

"Jenny?"

"Cynthia!" The voice on the other end was urgent, "Listen, this isn't a great time. Can I call back?"

"It's about Milo. His brother and friend are on their way to you. They'll ask to take care of him themselves; I need you to let them."

"I – you know I can't do that", frowned Lily Stadium's chief security officer, "I'm sorry, Cynthia, but he's in really bad shape. He needs professional care."

"Jenny, please", insisted the Champion as calmly as she could, "I would agree, but something feels off. I heard the story about a wild Pokémon attack, but have you ever seen an attack leave someone…well, like that?"

Jenny made to respond, but closed her mouth with a frown, "I...what's your point? Pokémon attacks are totally unpredictable when used against humans. If he wasn't attacked during training, what could have done this to him?"

"I don't know", admitted Cynthia, "I realize I'm going out on a limb, but think with me here. If he was attacked during training, why wasn't he checked into a hospital? If he had seen a doctor, they surely wouldn't have allowed him to battle today. Something is going on; Marcus is playing some game behind the curtains here, for his brother's sake."

Jenny's brow furrowed, and she glanced around before stepping carefully out of earshot of the other officers and medics buzzing around her;

"...What exactly are you insinuating, Cynthia?"

"Jenny", the Champion moved quickly to assuage Jenny's concerns, "You know as well as I do that there have always been unseen forces moving behind the scenes. I won't venture to guess what Milo's involved himself in, but this isn't the first time he's 'suddenly fallen ill'. Whatever is going on, Marcus knows about it, and he knows how to handle it. I'm asking you to have faith in one of Sinnoh's best Gym Leaders. Please, Jenny, can you trust my judgement on this?"

There was a long moment of silence between the two women, until Jenny at last gave a slow nod;

"Alright. Your gut feelings are usually spot on, and I do follow your logic. I'll make sure Milo's given to his brother. I'll still be keeping a close eye on him going forward, though."

With a confident grin, Cynthia nodded;

"I'd expect nothing less, Officer. Thank you."

-o-

So it was that, less than a minute later, Marcus and Kara were surprised to find Milo already laid gingerly in a car that was waiting to take them all back to the hotel. When he asked about this, Marcus was taken briefly aside by the Officer Jenny in charge of stadium security;

"We're trusting you to know what's best for him. I'll still be keeping an eye out for the rest of the Conference. Understand?"

The slightly bewildered Leader could only nod. Taking a breath to set himself, he got into the passenger seat of the car, which promptly sped away in the direction of Milo's hotel, with Kara in the back carefully supporting her still-unconscious boyfriend.

That evening, by all accounts, should have been joyful. There should have been celebration. Milo and Amaya had secured their places in the quarterfinals of the prestigious Lily of the Valley Conference. Yet, with Milo's condition, the mood was subdued. He and his team had managed a miracle to get through Nova, but that only meant he'd have to do it again in the quarterfinals. How long could he keep this up?

"Well", Amaya spoke up, "he's got another break day to improve."

"Right", Kara nodded shakily, "I-I'm sure today was the worst of it. He'll be in much better shape for the next round."

Nods all around. Nobody seemed to have many words. The room was quiet until Marcus found a topic worth some discussion;

"You've both got interesting quarterfinal matchups coming up. Milo's will be more sentimental, but 'Maya – you get the chance at payback. The way the bracket played out, you're up against Max."

"Max?" Amaya's mother looked up, "Wasn't he the one who beat you before, dear?"

"Yeah, Mom", The Hammer grimaced at the memory, "I'll get him this time, though. He whooped me in a 2-on-2, but those two carry his whole team. The quarterfinal is 5-on-5, and my team is much deeper than his."

"I'd agree", grinned the Leader, "Milo will get to face off against Evan."

"Who's Evan?" Alexander hadn't been brought up to speed on the recent revelations. Marcus was only too happy to explain;

"It's actually a heck of a story, dad. Evan's an Eevee Trainer. He makes it his personal mission to rescue Eevee-line Pokémon from being poached, which happens far too often. He's got Azura's parents and baby sister on his team."

"That's so heartwarming!" Zoe was instantly moved, "It's almost a shame they have to battle."

Eventually, their hunger (it was dinnertime) outweighed their need to all be at Milo's side. A delegation of Kara, Amaya and her mother, and Myrian, was sent on the all-important task of retrieving take-out pizza for them all.

They were about halfway through eating the greasy but delicious food, when Milo finally stirred;

"Guuuhhh…"

As he slowly reoriented himself, everyone crowded around;

"Hey bro", Marcus kept his voice soft, "How are you holding up?"

"Needed that sleep", groaned the Rookie, "I collapsed...did people freak?"

"Like you wouldn't believe", Kara laughed with relief and rolled her eyes, "Welcome back to the forefront of national news, you spotlight hog."

"Anything for a headline", Milo offered wryly, "Where's my team?"

"They're here", Alexander held up his son's belt, Pokéballs included, "We'll give you some space with them, come on folks."

He shepherded the watchers out into the next room over (Amaya's) and released Milo's six Pokémon, who were just as eager to greet their recovering Trainer.

"Hey guys", he gave them the biggest smile he could, "You're unbelievable! Jet, wow!"

Heh, the Floatzel knew he'd only earned most of the credit, Wasn't just me. I'll never get how you knew that crazy plan would work.

"I trust you", was Milo's simple response, "All of you. Ferra and Aurora, you were great, too."

They were spared the embarrassment of coming up with a response to his flattery when Milo continued, pointing weakly at Azura;

"You're up next."

What do you mean? Azura frowned, worried that she'd perhaps missed something.

"The bracket", Milo explained, "We fight Evan next. Up for it?"

Now she understood. The shiny Umbreon took a few moments to sort out and control the rush of emotion she felt, and collect her thoughts;

I...I have a chance to prove myself to my parents, and to you. Of course I'm up for it, Milo.

Wait! Aurora had a sudden thought, and in typical Aurora fashion began jumping around, spewing random snowflakes about the room, That means I get to battle my almost-family! Wow, I can't wait! Hey, 'Zura, you think they'll like my ice? I hope they do!

Milo just chuckled as his loyal Dark type admonished her young teammate;

Enough with the snow, Aurora. I'm sure they'll be very impressed, but you need to behave yourself. Milo's still not back to 100%.

Speaking of which, Blaze cut in, What's the plan? Is Ferra doing her best Milo impression again?

Milo settled back, his eyes narrowed in thought. He was glad to find he had significantly more mental energy, at least, even if he was still pretty out of it physically.

"I think...I'll still need physical support. It's a 5-on-5, so Ferra will be with me in the box, not fighting. This time, though, I should be able to run the show like normal. I can take charge of the calls."

Thank goodness, Jet smirked, I thought Ferra was going to pop from nerves if she had to do that again.

Oy! Milo's Lucario protested jokingly, I don't see you offering to help out, Mr. Floaty Sacs! Who tried to convince us not to do it, huh?

Oh please, scoffed the Floatzel, That was….I was just giving you the chance to be confident. And lay off my flotation tube! This thing is damn helpful! At least I can hug people without stabbing them!

Blaze decided to jump in, goading his Water-type teammate;

Sure, because you give so many hugs, Jet.

You shut up, too! The competitive Sea Weasel rounded on the Fire type, When I do give hugs, they don't cause third-degree burns!

I think 'Zura gives the best hugs, commented Aurora, Her rings glow all warm and pretty when she's happy.

Why thank you, young one, replied the prim Umbreon, At least someone here has a reasonable, complimentary voice of reason.

That's crap, grunted Drake with a mischievous grin, Azura can only hug with one paw at a time or she falls over. Little snuggle things don't count as hugs. Yo, Milo! Settle this thing. Who's got the best hugs on the team?

Milo was beside himself with laughter at the team's antics, but gave a rather diplomatic response;

"Well, maybe me, but I think Kara and her team far outclass us in hug quality, guys. That's just not our strongest feature. I think Drake particularly enjoys getting hugs from a certain Embrace Pokémon..."

Hey! Drake's grin disappeared instantly as the rest of the team all but collapsed in laughter, What the hell does that mean? Since when am I supposedly getting touchy-feely with that fancy-pants Gardevoir?

Hey, nobody said anything about 'touchy-feely', prodded Blaze, Not trying to cover something up, are you?

Shut up, flame-brain!

They carried on this way until Milo was tired enough to take a good, long rest. None of them had to say it, but they all felt a nervous knot at last come undone in their hearts. They were immeasurably relieved to feel that normalcy was restored once more, just in time for the home stretch of the Conference.

Of course, the one-day break between the Round of 16 and the quarterfinals brought its own revelations. Jenks, who had been running around like a madman coordinating everything he could get his hands on, was in his purest element amidst all this logistical chaos.

On the evening of the break day, he and Amaya came to Milo's room.

"Alright", he told the two Rookies, his hands rubbing together in anticipation, "I have good news. I've been in contact with representatives from various regional Leagues, and they all seem to agree. Your contract offers are no longer theoretical. Making a deep bracket run like this in your first ever Conference definitely qualifies as a 'favorable performance'."

With that, he slapped a fresh stack of folders and papers on the bed, quickly sorting out Milo and Amaya's official contract offers.

As they looked in wonder at the overwhelmingly official documentation, Jenks elaborated;

"You'll notice there's nothing there any more from Sinnoh. I spoke to Cynthia personally; she's just as enamored by you two as the rest, but she's got no space for prospects on the Sinnoh roster, and a junior spot would feel disrespectful. Her words were 'making their mark abroad will be a good formative experience'."

Milo's face was alight, giddy with the idea of what the future could hold. Amaya, however, seemed to shrink in the face of this news.

Jenks gave them a moment to process everything, before asking rather cautiously;

"It, uh, would help me greatly if I could get a feel for where your heads are at with this decision. Mind if I ask what you're thinking here?"

"Kalos", answered Milo immediately, "The style fits me perfectly, and Kara's going there to Perform."

The veteran journalist had already more or less guessed this answer, and simply nodded in acknowledgement before looking expectantly at Amaya.

"Uh...I d-don't know", said the Twinleaf girl, "I'm not sure yet."

Jenks' brow furrowed, and he pressed a bit;

"Well, do you have a shortlist, at least? Have you narrowed down any of the options?"

"Yeah", replied the Twinleaf girl, "I'm stuck between Kalos and Johto."

Their media manager nodded sagely, and with a wry grin he deduced her reasoning in a heartbeat;

"I see. Head and the heart, is it? Johto is the logical choice stylistically, but it'd be a shame to break up the dream team."

"Uh, y-yeah…"

The normally feisty Rookie was uncharacteristically shy and reserved. Beside her, Milo was deeply affected by her indecision. He didn't show it, but he felt almost...insulted. Instinctively, he reached out to Azura, who was watching the exchange with interest;

Would...she really do that? Split up the group?

She's got every right to act as she chooses, answered Azura, her voice subdued, She's got her own career to consider, after all.

I-I know...but...I just never imagined that we wouldn't keep going together. It never crossed my mind, you know?

It's quite a startling concept.

Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, none of them had much time to dwell on this. They, after all, had the quarterfinals to prepare for. Milo chose to focus on Eevee-line specific training bouts, pitting Azura and Aurora against one another to learn what types of movements they had in common. Even Verdante, from Kara's team, was brought in occasionally, though she didn't nearly measure up in battle.

Though still reliant on Ferra for physical support, Milo – indeed, everyone – was relieved to find that his mind no longer tired at the alarming rate that it had when he first began the recovery process. That night, Milo consulted Azura once more regarding the...personal nature of the coming battle;

You still feel good about this? Say the word and I'll use someone else instead, okay?

I'm...actually kind of excited. Is that weird? I mean, it's not so different from your battles against Marcus. Or if you were to battle your father. I...I really can't wait to show them how far I've come.

Well, the Trainer smiled, When you put it that way, I think it makes perfect sense. Still, if you have a change of heart about it, let me know, okay?

Of course, Milo. I always do.

As the young man settled in for the night, his shiny Umbreon stayed awake, perched on the windowsill, looking out at the moon for which her species was named.

How far I've come, she repeated to herself, I suppose it's quite astonishing, really. Looking back now on those happy days in the forest, I feel like a different Pokémon entirely. I suppose that's true in a literal sense…

Her musings brought her around to her beloved Trainer, as they usually did.

It's really not even fair to ask how far 'I' have come. We're nigh inseparable nowadays, he and I. We're so different in some ways, but...it's like we're two different branches of the same tree. We meld together seamlessly.

The more she thought about it, she felt it would be selfish to contain this line of thought between just herself and Milo;

Really, the whole team is the same way. It'd be more accurate to say that Milo is the trunk of the tree from which we six branch out. We each connect so differently, but so perfectly. How different would all our lives have been without him? Half of us would be orphans, and the rest would be outcasts or misfits. Now look at us.

After a while, her brain spun itself out, and she snuggled in next to Milo for the night. Tomorrow would be stressful, important, and no doubt difficult, but...alongside her Trainer and her teammates, Azura felt only readiness.

-o-

The whole crew was up early the next morning, even Milo. Once again, Amaya was battling in the morning, and he would fight later. In fact, the two Rookies were at the bookends of Battle Day Five; Amaya vs Max was first on the docket, and Milo vs Evan would close out the day.

So there they were. Back on the hallowed ground of Sinnoh battling – Lily Stadium was so revered it was almost a pilgrimage for battle fans to see a match played out in the glorious arena. On one side, the seasoned veteran, hungry to prove himself at last. On the other, the unreadable Rookie, who had all taken on all comers bar this one. The stage was set for the Lily of the Valley Conference quarterfinals. Max versus Amaya was about to begin.

"You're strong", Max conceded as they met for the pre-battle handshake, cheers already raining down on them in droves, "I can respect that. However", his calm voice became something of a low growl, and his grip on her hand tightened, "I'm not playing games any more. I have waited too long for this. You won't stop me. Not this time."

Amaya returned his glare with her own steady, stone-faced gaze, not backing down one inch;

"Good luck, Max."

Her inner fire burned fiercely at his challenge, and she couldn't resist one parting shot as they separated and headed for their Trainer boxes;

"...You'll need it to beat me again."

With that, they were off.

"Granite, time to work."

"Magmortar! Show them what we're about!"

Right off the bat, something felt different. Milo was the first to call it out, seated carefully in the box seats with the others;

"Max seems less friendly this time around. He was pretty nice when they fought in the group."

"Are you surprised?" Marcus had the explanation, "Max has been throwing everything he's got at the Conference for years. You two are the biggest threat to his title run this year, and he knows it. This battle matters much more to him than their last one."

On the field, Magmortar wasted no time reflecting his Trainer's intensity in battle. Even the mighty Steelix was struggling to deal with the raw offensive output of the Blast Pokémon. With Fire Punch and Flamethrower, he was wreaking havoc on Amaya's Iron Snake, who could only do his best to respond with Rock Throw as he was battered back. Finally, Amaya decided enough was enough.

"Granite, tank and Earthquake!"

Max's powerhouse Fire type had no choice but to take the huge Ground move, grimacing as Granite struck back for all he was worth. Still, the exchange had left the Steelix in far worse shape than his opponent, and Max was not planning on letting Amaya back into the fight.

"Back after him, Magmortar! Bring him down!"

Marcus narrowed his eyes, and offered another theory;

"This battle actually gives Amaya a much better chance to win than their 2 on 2 matchup."

"Why's that?" Alexander greatly appreciated his son's expertise.

"It's like Amaya said before; Max's team is carried by his two powerhouses, Magmortar and Mamoswine. So, in a 2 on 2, he's probably the strongest in the Conference. But this is a 5 on 5, so if he's going to win his job becomes much harder. Those main two will have to rack up a few victories each to give his other three a chance to close it out. My guess is those two will bookend his team."

By the time Marcus was done elaborating, his theory appeared to be correct. Magmortar had blasted Granite into unconsciousness. Amaya was down by one.

"Fine", she responded immediately, "If we're playing it that way. Coral, you're up."

"Perfect!" Milo applauded excitedly, "That's exactly the right play!"

Amaya's father was just as pumped, "Yes! If Coral can finish off that Magmortar and get through one or two of his weaker ones, she'll have this well in hand! Come on, Amaya!"

"Max knows that, too", cautioned Marcus, "He's no idiot, he knows exactly what this round means, and that Magmortar has Thunder Punch."

"Coral", called Amaya, "We prepared for this! Twister!"

"Get in, Magmortar. No mercy! Thunder Punch!"

Just as in their previous match, the Blast Pokémon deftly rolled to the side to get out of the way of the mighty Twister. He then launched forward, his fist crackling with the Thunder Punch he'd practiced hundreds of times...but this time was different.

"Coral, Bulldoze!"

It was the last thing anyone expected. Not only did the marvelous Tender Pokémon predict her opponent effortlessly, she had an off-type Ground move, and most unlike herself, she moved. Coral never moved when she battled, but she suddenly lurched forward, and her Ground-type counter not only nullified the Thunder Punch, but dealt super-effective damage to the stunned Magmortar.

"Yes! Now wail on him, Coral! Hydro Pump, Aqua Tail!"

Max's starter tried to scramble out of the way, but there was no escaping Coral at point-blank range. Hydro Pump smashed him back into the dirt, and Aqua Tail flung him across the field like a rag doll. For good measure, Coral sniped her ambitious opponent with a Scald attack before he landed. Magmortar was down for the count.

As the crowd roared their approval, Max's jaw was visibly grinding in fury. He had only one Pokémon left who could compare to the raw power of Amaya's team. He clenched his fist as he faced the real possibility of losing his best shot at the Conference to this – this upstart Rookie.

No, he told himself, Stick to the plan. We'll just have to pray for a Mamoswine miracle.

"Staraptor", he was struggling to keep his voice even, "Come on."

This gave Amaya pause. She'd been planning to switch Coral out, but…

He...knows I have Ice Beam on the field, right? Is he that freaked out, or is there something else going on? I don't think Staraptor has any moves that would really trouble Coral…

"Okay, we're going for it, Coral! Lead with Twister!"

"Staraptor, use Aerial Ace to hit through it!"

It was a clever play, but Amaya had seen it before – namely, against Damion's Staraptor, whom she'd fought frequently in Rookie tournaments.

"Do it, Coral. Ice Beam."

"No, no! Pull off, Staraptor!"

It was too late. All the Predator Pokémon could do was brace for impact. Once again, Amaya had forced an opening that she took full advantage of;

"Follow up, Coral! Hydro Pump and Scald!"

"Escape, Staraptor! Quick Attack!"

There was nothing the Flying type could do to avoid the Hydro Pump, but it did manage to evade the Scald attack.

"Circle around, Staraptor!"

"Snipe him, Coral! Ice Beam!"

"Flash in! Close Combat!"

There was a round of oohs and ahs from the spectators as Max at last managed to turn the fight to his advantage. As the hits began to rain in from the Fighting move, Amaya knew her favorite strategy – using Dragon Tail to escape close range situations – would be useless against the airborne Staraptor. She did her best to improvise;

"Coral, Water Pulse!"

The wide-range move had the desired effect, and Max's second Pokémon was forced to back off and regroup.

"Another Twister!"

"Easy, Staraptor, just stay out of the way."

"Water Pulse", answered The Hammer, "Left side."

It was a calculated guess. A Pokémon like Staraptor would instinctively stray to one side, so as not to present an easy target. The question was...which side? Amaya had called for an attack on the left, not having time to do better than a 50-50 chance. Unfortunately, she was wrong, and Max had his window of opportunity.

"Perfect! Forward, Staraptor, use Brave Bird!"

Amaya's eyes shot wide open, but instinct saved her;

"Coral, DOWN! Then look for the Ice Beam!"

Somehow, the awkward strategy worked out. The Milotic flattened her long body to the ground, ducking under the attempted Brave Bird. The Tender Pokémon quickly twisted her serpentine self to face her airborne adversary and fired off a quickly aimed Ice Beam that struck home.

With a screech and a tumble, Staraptor crashed to the ground at last, defeated. The whole play had taken little more than a fraction of a second, but the crowd was on its feet – The Hammer and her ace Milotic simply refused to be defeated.

"YEESSS!" The girl's father roared in exhilaration, leaping out of his seat as she took the lead for the first time in the match.

Max wasn't waiting around to let her bask in her success, though. He was already calling on his next Pokémon;

"Purugly, take this thing down!"

"Coral, switch", came Amaya's quick response, "Spirielle's got this."

Max was nonplussed as the very damageable Milotic was replaced by a frighteningly fast Gengar that was a far trickier matchup for his Normal type.

There was a breathless pause on the field, before Max tried to make a quick first strike;

"Shadow Claw!"

"Psychic!"

In a flurry of motion, Max's Purugly leapt forward with all its formidable speed, only to be caught in a Psychic hold halfway across the field and subjected to immense mental pressure.

"Bite through it, Purugly!"

"Get a Focus Blast in!"

Max's nerve held this time, and he made the right play;

"Feint Attack, Purugly!"

Knowing Focus Blast was difficult to aim, the Normal type had only to 'dodge' to one side long enough for Spirielle to fire the Fighting move. Feint Attack carried the Tiger Cat Pokémon safely away from the dangerous move, and struck the Gengar for super-effective damage.

"Quick, Venoshock!"

Furious at the perceived cheap shot, Amaya's Ghost did far more than that. After the requested Venoshock came a string of Energy Ball attacks (a tactic she learned from Terrus).

"Get up, Purugly! Use Shadow Claw!"

Amaya could see her Shadow Pokémon's vicious streak was in full swing, and said nothing. Sure enough, Spirielle sidestepped the Shadow Claw almost disdainfully before landing a big Dark Pulse.

"Don't give up, Purugly! Get in there and Play Rough!"

"Confuse Ray", Amaya knew she was in control of the battle now.

The Ghost type just stared at the onrushing Normal type before using the confusion-inducing move, leaving Max's third battler in very bad shape.

"End it. Psychic."

"Purugly, use – no!"

Having totally lost his cool, Max was forced to recall his third defeated Pokémon as The Hammer and her Ghost leered at him from across the field.

He was running out of chances to turn this around, with only two Pokémon left. He wouldn't go quietly, though. He was going to fight to the bitter end.

"Sudowoodo, let's go!"

"Hypnosis", ordered Amaya.

"Oh! That has got to hurt!" The announcer went ahead and stated the obvious, "Max prepares for another offensive blitz from The Hammer, only to be met with a Hypnosis attack that leaves Sudowoodo asleep on the field!"

As Max's most devoted fans booed the seemingly underhanded tactic, those in the crowd waving 'Hammer' posters and signs were elated. The breakout Rookie of the season was looking like a sure pick for the semifinals.

"Dream Eater. Then Focus Blast."

With just two massive hits to the sleeping Sudowoodo, the round came to a premature end, and set up a desperate situation for Max.

"She's got to be careful", warned Milo, as a stunned Max recalled his Sudowoodo, "She has the 4-1 advantage, but we all know that last one is his beast of a Mamoswine. Also, Coral and Spirielle have been through two rounds each, they're not at full strength."

"If there was ever a perfect setup for a Miracle Max comeback win", added Marcus, "this is it."

"Come on, 'Maya!" Kara leaned forward in her seat, willing her friend to victory, "Just close it out! Beat him, come on!"

"It's time", said Max, "Now or never, Mamoswine!"

There was a collective deep breath across the stadium as the colossal Twin Tusk Pokémon landed with a huge thud on the field. This was Max's last stand. Could the veteran leverage his years of experience to overcome the odds? Or would Amaya at last prove herself capable of winning at the highest level? Either way, the result of this battle would speak volumes about both of them.

"Spirielle", began the Rookie, "Go for a Venoshock."

"Block with Ancient Power!"

Trying to keep a handle on things, Amaya knew she would have to make an adjustment, so she went with the flow;

"Nothing fancy", she cautioned her Shadow Pokémon, "Just move."

"Earthquake!"

Max and Mamoswine were in perfect sync, and the resultant Ground move came in much faster and much harder than The Hammer could have foreseen. As her Gengar reeled from the hit, Mamoswine moved in, lumbering dangerously across the field;

"Keep it pinned! Freeze Dry!"

Tactically, this was the perfect follow-up, as Spirielle's first instinct was to get the heck out of the way. Hampered by the ice, she was helpless as the next call came in;

"End it. Blizzard."

The huge Ice move was indeed enough to close out the round. Suddenly, it felt as though Max was in control, despite still being down two Pokémon. There was a feeling, a tension in the air of Lily Stadium. The kind of tension that made one think;

This isn't possible...is it? He couldn't come back that far – could he? What if he did it?

Certainly, the quick knockout of Spirielle was the perfect start to a hypothetical comeback run. Amaya still kept her face impassive and unreadable as she recalled her Ghost type.

"You did great", she murmured, "We can still outrun him. Glacius, let's go."

The stadium was abuzz as the Weavile stared up at her much larger opponent with the same deep ferocity that set her Trainer apart.

"Mamoswine, lead with another Earthquake."

"Don't let that off, Glacius. Dark Pulse, quick!"

"Tank that, then launch!"

Max had chosen this, of all times, to call a Milo-style fake move. As Mamoswine made to start his go-to heavy hitting move, Glacius fired off a quick Dark Pulse to interrupt...a nonexistent Earthquake. Grunting as the Dark move came in, Mamoswine timed the real Earthquake perfectly, and Glacius was forced down onto one knee with a grimace. The Sharp Claw Pokémon was fast and powerful, but not the sturdiest fighter.

Still, one hit wasn't going to keep her down permanently. She made to get back up as fast as she dared, but Max wasn't finished.

"Ancient Power before it gets up!"

The dangerous Rock move slammed into Amaya's Ice type, and suddenly the impenetrable Mamoswine felt like a favorite in this wild battle. He had ripped through Amaya's Gengar, and was tearing her Weavile to shreds in a dominant performance.

"Stay with me", barked Amaya, knowing she had to do something, and fast, "Get around, show me Toxic."

"Turn, Mamoswine, quickly! Land another Earthquake!"

The problem with Max's strategy was that Earthquake had become his only escape card. It was one that he was using over and over, but Mamoswine had to exert himself immensely each time. This time, the effort just took too long, and Glacius had more than enough time to strike the Twin Tusk Pokémon with a Toxic attack that left him badly poisoned.

Nevertheless, the Ice-Ground type persevered long enough to land yet another Earthquake, and this time it was too much for Glacius, who went down.

The crowd's reaction was...mixed. Toxic left Mamoswine in even bigger trouble. No longer could he count on his insane endurance to win the day, as his energy would be quickly sapped by the poison. This was one game Max's ace was unprepared to win. Still...it was a brilliant play from Amaya, one had to admit. She was winning at any and all costs. She had identified a solution and implemented it, no matter how cheap it felt to beat a magnificent Pokémon like Mamoswine...with a status move.

Some, in fact, booed The Hammer for resorting to something like Toxic to win a punch-out battle, as she recalled her fallen Weavile. Regardless, Max and Mamoswine had overcome a huge deficit to claw themselves back into the match. Their herculean effort had them within one Pokémon. They had only to get through a tired Coral, and one other…

"Terrus", called the Twinleaf Rookie, heedless of the disapproval from the onlookers, "Finish this."

"Well", Amaya's father sat back in his seat with a nod, "If it wasn't over before, it is now. The crowd may not like it, but Toxic was the best play."

"That's what I would've done", shrugged Milo, "Then again, I guess I'm not 'The Hammer', so it would've been more okay."

On the field, the tension and mystique surrounding the battle had all but evaporated, as Terrus slammed the now-desperate Mamoswine with Grass-type moves galore. This, combined with the brutal effects of Glacius' Toxic, ensured that the battle's final round was a short one.

It took one Grass Knot, two Energy Balls, and an Earth Power to finish off the mighty Twin Tusk Pokémon.

As the announcer made the call, Amaya got a healthy standing ovation, despite the battle's sour ending;

"Mamoswine cannot continue, so Amaya of Twinleaf Town is the first semifinalist of this year's Lily of the Valley Conference!"

Down on the field, the two Trainers met for the customary handshake. Amaya was as polite as she could be;

"Good fight, Max."

"This battle was meaningless", he growled in response, "Neither of us could have beaten Milo. Even if you make the final, he'll beat you like everyone else."

"Well", she answered, "Guess we'll find out."

As the next quarter final was prepared – Damion's battle – Amaya was dragged into a post-battle press conference, where she was immediately confronted about the way she'd ended the battle;

"Amaya, criticism is already pouring in about your use of Toxic against Mamoswine. With a lead as significant as the one you had, why not just close out the battle with the same offensive intensity that got you that far in the first place?"

"People don't like the status game? I'm The Hammer, I win battles. Nobody complained when Max used poison to beat Coral in the group stage. I won fair and square, and I'd do it again. Style points don't get you into the semifinals."

That certainly raised a few eyebrows from those who had expected something of an apologetic 'sorry I had to' type of answer. The next question followed the same line;

"Some pretty strong comments there – any bad blood between you and Max as a result of how those two battles went?"

"Nah", the Rookie leaned back and folded her arms, "He's a great Trainer, I've got no beef with him. He was mad about losing, though. He told me it didn't matter because nobody can beat Milo anyway."

Another eager reporter was anxious for Amaya's comments on her perceived archrival;

"Do you agree with him? Can anybody beat Milo? Could you do it?"

"Milo's a tough nut to crack. If anybody left in the Conference can beat him, it's me. I'd love to fight him again."

While Amaya was delivering juicy soundbites to ecstatic journalists, a rather unexpected visitor made her way up to the box where Milo was watching Damion's battle with the assembled friends and family.

"H-hello?"

They all turned at the new voice, and Milo's surprise was evident.

"Uh, Nova? Wh-what are you doing here?"

"Can...I talk to you about something?"

"Sure", answered the JPTA graduate, "Uh, I'll be back, don't worry."

Still using Ferra to support him, he stepped out of the box with his fellow Rookie.

"I meant to say something after our battle", began the Sunyshore girl, "But then you went down, and I didn't get the chance."

"Thanks for helping, by the way", Milo threw in politely, still wondering what the point of this was.

"Oh, s-sure. Actually, I wanted to thank you."

"Thank me? What for?"

"Uh, for B-Buizel."

Then it clicked. This was about Jet. It made perfect sense – Nova's former ace had taken over the battle and flattened her new team imperiously.

"Gotcha", nodded Milo, "I hope there aren't any hard feelings about that, by the way. He, uh, he found me. By which I mean he tried to steal my food, and I caught him."

Nova chuckled at that, "So that's how it happened. Must be fate or something. That does sound like him, really. I wanted to thank you for taking care of him. I felt really bad about releasing him, and I'm just glad he's got a Trainer who can help him do his best."

"I appreciate it", Milo was taken aback at her sincerity, "In fact, why not tell him yourself?"

With some help from Ferra, Milo fetched the Floatzel's ball from his waist and released the Sea Weasel.

Yo Milo, he started casually, What's up? We doing some – uh, whoa…

He finally noticed his ex-Trainer there, and took a step back.

What's...this about?

"Do...you remember me, Buizel? Well, I guess you'd be Floatzel now."

A hesitant nod from the Water type.

"Oh. Umm, good. I thought maybe – well, never mind. I just wanted to check in and congratulate you is all. You've grown so strong and I'm...I'm really happy for you."

With that, the girl actually lunged forward and wrapped her arms around the stunned Floatzel. Her shoulders began to shudder, and quiet sobs could be heard over the dull roar of the crowd still watching the second quarter final matchup.

Slowly, ever so slowly, Jet's own arms came up, and he returned her embrace. The odd group stood silently for a minute until Nova pulled away from her former Pokémon with a teary smile. Offering one last 'thank you' to Milo, she simply left, just as suddenly as she had come. Jet reached out mentally to his Trainer;

Wow. That was...unexpected.

No kidding. You okay, pal?

Yeah, yeah, I just...huh. The Sea Weasel stared blankly ahead, a smile slowly creeping across his face, I never thought I'd get closure with all that. Feels...feels good.

It was a small moment amidst the insanity and chaos of the Conference, but it was the kind of thing that gave Milo a contagiously good feeling deep down. As Damion secured his place in the coming semifinal against Amaya, Milo couldn't keep himself from grinning.

The third quarter final was perhaps the most one-sided of them all. Milo had to leave before it started to ensure he would be ready for his place in the final battle, but Amaya was at last able to rejoin everyone else in their box seats.

"So", she asked, gesturing at one of the combatants below, "Why the heck is Ark Monty in the Conference? I thought he was 'protecting Eterna' or whatever."

"I don't think anyone quite understands that guy's mind", answered Marcus with a shrug, "I can't deny his talent, though. His team's got some great chemistry and plenty of power. He's running away with this fight."

Indeed, when all was said and done, Ark lost only one Pokémon out of five in his victory. Just like that, the enigmatic Aura Protector of Eterna was a semifinalist in the Lily of the Valley Conference.

"You know", noted Zoe, "I guess we're biased, but it feels like the other battles have been pretty dull compared to your fight, Amaya."

"Well", laughed her husband, "It'd be hard for any fight to match that one. In comparison, that Damion boy just traded knockouts until he won, and Ark Monty just sort of...rolled over that other guy."

"I think Milo's fight will be engaging for more sentimental reasons", offered Kara, "Since I'm sure Azura will be the one to fight her parents, and maybe even her little sister."

"How special", crooned Zoe, "That would be so touching!"

Indeed, the smiling faces of the two Trainers – Milo still supported on one side by a nervous-looking Ferra – served to diffuse any leftover tension in the air, as the fourth quarter final got set to start.

"Psyonne", called Evan without hesitation, "It's time!"

"Azura", Milo smiled, "Show them your power!"

As the two Pokémon landed on the field opposite one another, there was a curt nod exchanged, but nothing more. This, they knew, was not the time for tears and sentiment. This was a battle.

I'll make you proud, Momma.

"Azura, get it going! Shadow Ball!"

"Use your own Shadow Ball, Psyonne!"

It was odd for a battle between Dark and Psychic to start with two Ghost moves, but when the resultant collision cleared, Azura was already in motion, using Quick Attack to zip across the field towards the Sun Pokémon.

"Move, Psyonne!"

Alert to the danger, Evan's Psychic type disappeared with a speed only possible of a true Psychic type.

"Now use Return!"

"Pursuit!"

Truthfully, Milo hadn't been planning to use his Pursuit trick so early, but it was the only way he could think of in a split second to turn defense into a counterattack. Regardless, it worked. Evan had been one step ahead…until he wasn't, and Psyonne went sprawling from the power of her daughter's Dark move.

"Counter quickly, Psyonne! Up and Swift!"

The one glaring weakness left in Milo's battling had been exposed.

"He's always vulnerable for that one second", noted Marcus, seated above, "Right after he makes those crazy-fast counterattack plays there's a tiny little pause. It takes a really precise move to punish the opening, but it's definitely there."

Sure enough, Azura was battered by the Normal move, and Milo's eyes narrowed.

"Dark Pulse", he called shortly.

Across the field, Evan hesitated. Milo's approach was never so blatant, so direct – except that this time, it was. Milo had gone for something of a heat check, and it paid dividends. Psyonne cried out as a second substantial Dark move smashed into her.

"Move", called Milo, wary of the hit he'd taken a second ago, "Get around, look for an opening for Shadow Ball."

Psyonne righted herself alertly, her head on a swivel as she rushed to pinpoint the slippery Moonlight Pokémon.

"Now!" Azura stopped on a dime, and fired the Shadow Ball, only for Evan to make his own clever counter;

"There she is! Teleport, Return!"

"Protect! Night Slash!"

It was a lightning-fast sequence, so fast that anyone who blinked missed most of it: Psyonne teleported away from her lost child's Ghost move, ready to counter with a Return attack, only to be met by a hasty shield from the Dark type, followed by a vicious Night Slash that laid her out flat. As she slid across the field, Milo called out his finishing blow;

"Shadow Ball!"

That was enough. As the crowd cheered and fawned over Milo's magnificent recovery, Psyonne reached out once more to her daughter;

I'm so…proud…

Evan himself applauded the sequence as he returned his Psychic type;

"I never saw that one coming. Let's see if you can do it again! Ferno, let's get to it!"

The proud Flareon smiled fiercely at the sight of his adversary.

"Perfect", the Fire type called out, "Show me your power, my daughter! We fight as equals!"

Azura, in fact, didn't trust herself to speak, but the way she straightened herself up told Milo all he needed to know. She was glowing – literally, if her rings were any indication – with pride at the chance to prove herself once and for all.

"Let's start this off before she gets moving", cautioned Evan, "Lava Plume, Ferno!"

"One big hit deserves another", replied Milo, "Azura, tank it and use Psychic!"

Up above, Amaya shook her head;

"Come on", she groaned, "How lucky can Milo get? Lava Plume has a huge chance of causing a burn, and he got away clean, just like Jet did against Nova's Luxray."

Meanwhile, Ferno grimaced at the damage his daughter's Psychic had caused. Nevertheless, he was raring to continue.

"Let's keep this up", Evan was gambling that his Flame Pokémon had more in the tank than Milo's Dark type, "Ferno, use Flamethrower!"

"Dark Pulse!"

Then, as the two attacks met, he added just one more word;

"Go!"

Too late, the Eevee specialist realized he'd fallen for the same old trick. Azura's Pursuit carried her safely away from the incoming Flamethrower, and she landed a big hit on Ferno. Still, the Fire type was much better equipped to respond to such situations than his mate;

"Turn and Fire Fang!"

"There's that same opening again", frowned Alexander, "Milo lands a hit and takes one in return because his opponent knows how to get back up."

"Go for broke, Azura! Giga Impact!"

Suddenly, Milo's weakness was the perfect chance to earn a shock victory. By taking the Fire Fang counterattack, he knew for certain that his loyal shiny Umbreon would have all the time and space she needed to launch one of her biggest, most rarely used moves.

"Wow!" The announcer had to break it down for the stunned crowd, as Evan recalled his Flareon, "How about that! Evan came prepared for the counterattack game, but Milo has counterattacks for those counterattacks! It's a rapid fire battle here, folks, but Milo finds himself leading by two Pokémon here early in the quarterfinal!"

Unfortunately for Milo, he'd gotten a bit ahead of himself. As the Flame Pokémon disappeared and Evan prepared to unveil his third battler, Azura stumbled on the field, and Milo realized she must be near her limit. Flicking back quickly through the battle, he remembered she'd taken a hit from Psyonne, another two big attacks from Ferno, and the recoil from Giga Impact. Making a snap decision, he recalled her and waved to the referee;

"I'm recalling Azura permanently", he declared, "She's almost knocked out as is, and I don't want her getting hurt."

The official nodded and waved a white flag in Milo's direction to signify that he was forfeiting Azura's further participation.

It was rare to see such a thing in the Conference, but…odd occurrences and strange circumstances seemed to follow Milo wherever he went. This time there was even a smattering of applause, albeit subdued, from the crowd. They recognized that the Rookie was making a very mature call, protecting his Pokémon against long-term damage.

They were rewarded by the chance to cheer once more for the Pokémon that had shocked and impressed in the previous round;

"Jet, let's go!"

The Floatzel was quickly coming to be just as well-known and possibly feared as his more prominent teammates – Azura, Blaze, and Drake – especially after he almost singlehandedly dismantled Nova's team.

"Aeola", responded Evan, "We need you now!"

This Sylveon is a veteran, warned Milo, She won't be intimidated, and she'll punish you if you get cocky or lazy.

Noted, Jet responded, I'll keep to the plan.

"Aqua Jet!"

"Dodge, Aeola. Quick Attack."

Milo was tempted to close the gap again, but he stopped himself, heeding his own advice, "Back off, Jet! Scald!"

Opting for a safer play turned out to be the perfect call, as Evan tried to spring the trap he'd baited;

"Dazzling Gleam!"

Both attacks struck home, but Scald had the greater power, and Milo had the presence of mind to have another play on deck;

"Quick Attack left, Jet!"

It was not a split second too soon; an unbidden Moonblast blasted the spot Jet had just vacated, and the Floatzel, seeing his opponent use and uncalled move, responded in kind.

Eat my Blizzard!

The Ice move rocked Evan's Sylveon for significant damage, and Milo went with the flow;

"That's great, Jet, now clear out!"

Evan and Aeola, however, weren't going to fall for the same trick twice.

"Moonblast left!"

The Fairy attack was a direct hit, striking a surprised Floatzel directly in the chest;

Crap! How the hell did they get that off?

You dodged left again, answered Milo quickly, You always dodge the same way once you get on a roll. We'll hash it out later, get back in there!

"No more games, Jet! One two, Ice Beam! Then wait up!"

Pulling out all the stops? Fine by me.

Just as they'd practiced, Jet zipped around to Aeola's left and fired a small Aqua Tail, forcing a simple dodge out of the Sylveon as he got back around front of her for a much bigger Ice Beam – scoring yet another big hit.

"Counter fast, Aeola! Fairy Wind!"

Milo just nodded, as his second prepared technique came into play. Jet, knowing a hit of some kind would be coming, braced himself and took the Fairy Wind with only a grunt to indicate he'd felt it. Then he blasted in close to the unsuspecting Intertwining Pokémon for a Payback attack. The Dark move wasn't as effective as it could have been, but it was enough to end the round in the Sea Weasel's favor.

A murmur shot through the crowd – it felt as though Milo had just hit second gear.

"He went from trading hits to just…scripting the whole thing", Alexander was still working out how exactly Milo had changed the battle's pace so smoothly, "I wonder how many of those kind of sequences he's got tucked away."

"Plenty", growled Amaya, arms folded over her chest, "Believe me. My team usually ends up as the punching bags when he decides to try them out."

That was enough to get a chuckle out of the rest of the group as Evan released his fourth Pokémon – his only non-Eevee-line team member.

"Valu, my friend!"

Milo's eyes narrowed as the bold Gallade took the field. This, he knew, would be the hardest matchup of the lot.

"Focus up", he told his Floatzel, "He's a tough customer."

"Get in, Valu", even Evan's easygoing demeanor seemed to have switched as he curtly ordered his Blade Pokémon, "Slash, out."

In the blink of an eye, Valu Teleported in behind Jet, struck him with a powerful Slash, and was gone, appearing back in front of Evan as though he'd never moved.

OW! What the…damn, he's fast!

Jet, focus! Come on, pal, it'll take both of us to get through this!

With a shake of his head, the Water type set himself, glaring at his adversary.

Here's the play, Milo instructed him quickly, Wait him out. He'll have to get in close to do real damage, and the instant he moves, you move. Let's see those reflexes.

"Aqua Jet, when it's time", he said aloud.

There was a pause then, as Evan waited to see Milo's response and Jet waited for Valu to make the first move. It was like a staring contest. In the end, Evan flinched first;

"Now! In, Leaf Blade, out!"

"Jet, GO!"

Not for nothing was all of Milo's speed training and running drills. Jet knew he had only a fraction of a second, and as soon as the Gallade's body tensed for a Teleport, the speedy Floatzel pushed off for all he was worth, accelerating just fast enough to escape the savage Leaf Blade that was aimed perfectly for his back.

Valu was as disciplined as they came, and he was already halfway through a Teleport to carry him back to Evan. This was where Milo and Jet's combined improvised genius shone through. Jet's escape was also the takeoff point for the fastest, most powerful Aqua Jet he could muster, and it tore through Valu just as he reappeared.

"Valu!" Evan was taken aback, but saw his own opportunity, "Finish him!"

"Jet! Jet, get out!"

Milo's heart leapt into his throat. He'd left himself open in exactly the same place as usual – in his eagerness to land a big hit on Valu, he'd brought his Water type right into the close-quarters range where every Gallade excelled.

Before he or Jet knew quite what was happening, the Sea Wasel was being peppered by Slash, Leaf Blade, and Close Combat attacks that seemed to come from every angle as the Psychic type teleported between each hit. It took only seconds for him to capitalize on Jet's misjudgment, and the referee made it official;

"Floatzel cannot continue! Gallade is the winner!"

As the crowd screamed and cheered for the battle that had suddenly exploded into life, Amaya and the rest were stunned;

"That was…insane", breathed the Twinleaf Rookie, "I guess Milo's not the only one with a second gear. How can he beat that?"

"I…" Marcus tried to come up with an answer, but for once he drew a blank.

Fortunately, Milo had at least some kind of an idea. Taking a deep breath, he recalled Jet and released his third Pokémon, knowing he had to win this round to preserve his lead.

"Aurora, you're in."

"That's…" Marcus frowned, "That can't be the right play. Where's Drake? Or Blaze? Aurora should be the last one to bring out here. Come on, Milo…"

Milo, however, had been struck by inspiration, and his play was one level deeper. Marcus was right, Aurora was seemingly the worst choice he could make – but she was the best choice for one precious moment, as Evan faltered, thinking the same thing as the rest of Lily Stadium – why Glaceon?

"Set up, now!"

That one second, that one crucial second of confusion, allowed Aurora the chance to bring up her Hail cover before Valu had the chance to batter her to pieces. Once that was in place…

"Oh", Marcus snapped his fingers and broke into a huge grin, "Oh, that's brilliant! Yes, Milo, YES!"

"Come on", Kara poked the Leader impatiently, "Spill the beans, you. What's so brilliant about making the wrong choice?"

Marcus complied excitedly, "Aurora was the right choice because she was the wrong choice! While Evan was wondering what in the world Milo was thinking, he got his cover move up for free! Aurora on her own was the worst choice, but Aurora with Hail in effect is perfect for this! Look, he can't beat her if he can't find her!"

Sure enough, Milo had stolen the strategic advantage from right under Evan's nose, and he milked it for all it was worth;

"Water Pulse, move, Shadow Ball! Watch him carefully, girl!"

"Valu", Evan struggled to make some kind of adjustment, "Move! Just go somewhere, anywhere! Don't stay still!"

Milo's enthusiastic Fresh Snow Pokémon had come to love this type of fight. It gave her the chance to play the hunter in her favorite element, hidden safely by the swirling ice. She waited with clinical patience as her opponent flailed blindly about, teleporting here and there at random. Choosing her moment perfectly, she unleashed a Water Pulse that struck home with unerring precision.

"There!" Evan roared, thinking he'd found a way to counter, "It came from your right, Valu, go!"

Hehe, Aurora chuckled to herself as she watched the Blade Pokémon swipe uselessly at the space she'd long since vacated, Sucker! Got you this time!

Just like that, a Shadow Ball slammed Evan's first Pokémon for super effective damage.

"One more, Aurora, keep it up. Find the space, and show me a Blizzard!"

It was almost too easy. If Valu had any kind of special moves, or ranged attacks, or cover moves, or something besides physical attacks, he could have countered Milo's vicious strategy, but…he just wasn't equipped for that type of battle. As Aurora's Blizzard struck him face first, he allowed himself to give in to exhaustion, and stayed down.

Milo got a standing ovation for his latest display of expert-level mind games, and Evan made his last call, reverting back to one final sentimental choice;

"Nea, let's finish strong!"

Let the Hail go, Milo told his Glaceon gently, No need to be mean.

Aurora allowed her icy camouflage to subside as the young Eevee kit appeared on Evan's side of the field.

"Hey, big sis Roro!" Nea yipped happily upon seeing Aurora. The two had spent some happy afternoons together after the emotional reunion between Azura and her long-lost family. This was to be a battle between Azura's adopted younger sister and her biological younger sister.

"Hi, li'l Sis!" Aurora responded in kind, "We get to have a real-life battle! You ready?"

It was quite the shift in mood. In the space of a few short minutes, the battle had gone from an intense slugfest between an insanely fast Floatzel and Gallade to…a happy little tussle between a Glaceon (without the cover of Hail) and a juvenile Eevee. Nevertheless, the show had to go on, and Evan made the first move, not bothering to suppress his own grin;

"Let's start with Shadow Ball, Nea!"

"Fancy time, Aurora! Mirror Coat!"

Allowing the meager attack to hit her, Milo's Ice type was eager to showcase a move she'd been perfecting in training now for some time. The crowd gave a respectful 'ooh' as she reflected the power of Nea's Shadow Ball back at her.

"Come on now", coached Evan through the hit, "Stay with me, Nea! Let's try Return, okay?"

"Easy, girl", Milo knew there was no need to be brutal about this, "Protect, and then Water Pulse."

It was that simple, and both Trainers knew it. The real battle had ended with the defeat of Valu, and as the referee confirmed the final result, the two combatants embraced warmly in the center of the field.

"Milo", said Evan, choking back a slight tear, "I know I speak for Azura's whole family, as well as myself, when I tell you just how – how proud we are of her. She's overcome so much, and…and I know how much you've done for her. Milo…we'll never be able to thank you enough."

"Thank you, Evan", the Rookie responded, trying not to get emotional himself, "If it weren't for you, this reunion would've never happened. I know it made the world of difference to Azura. Please keep up your good work, for the sake of Pokémon everywhere."

With that, the older man clapped Milo heartily on the shoulder and took his leave. Milo was about to do the same, Ferra still silently at his side to make sure his strength didn't give out, but then the sheer reality of his situation hit him like a ton of bricks.

Suddenly, with the battle over, he heard as if for the first time the chants raining down from the crowd;

"MI-LO! MI-LO! MI-LO!"

This is…I'm not dreaming, he realized, I just won a Conference quarterfinal in Lily Stadium. That's my name they're yelling. I…we did it. We made it, me and my team…

Overcome out of nowhere, the young man felt tears of incredulous joy cascade down his face, and he raised one hand, his face breaking into a massive smile. Seeing his raw, genuine emotion, the crowd only grew louder, screaming for the fourth semifinalist in the Lily of the Valley Conference;

"MI-LO! MI-LO! MI-LO!"

Author's Notes:

I'm going out on a limb here, but this is the best I've felt about a chapter as it goes up in some time. That either means my gut feelings are out of whack…or this is a really solid chapter. I can only hope it's the latter, but I'll need you to let me know in a review. (Don't be afraid to tell me if it's not, that's just as valuable! Honestly!)

I'd like to note explicitly that the brief appearance of Cynthia, and the snapshot of her incredible situational intuition, is something of a vague homage to the amazing Lost Master trilogy by Iama2p, whose work has long stood as an inspiration to me as a Pokémon writer. It is also, of course, a purposeful cameo within the context of this story, since Cynthia of course has kept and is keeping a close eye on the goings-on of her beloved Sinnoh region.

Review comments:

Guest: I appreciate your enthusiasm! Hopefully you like the Pokémon interactions here, too! I feel like Amaya has proven that she doesn't really need actual telepathy to interact with her team. It's a different kind of interaction for sure, but no less intricate…does that make sense? Anyway, hope you enjoy!

HauntedHaunter: Hope this was soon enough for you! ;) It certainly got done much faster than the last few chapters…

Joshy: All my respect and appreciation to you as always for your detailed and invaluable reviews, seriously. I'll call out specifically that I literally jumped around my apartment in celebration when I saw you questioning Karen and the Order. That was a huge 'oh my gosh, it worked' moment for me, so thank you. XD

Some final thoughts:

Remember how I said last chapter was your last chance to give me thoughts and input on fine-tuning the story? Well this is the REAL last chance. Chapter 28 will for sure be the final chapter in this tale.

On that note, I want to thank, in a special way, my readers and reviewers, and all those who have tracked this story as it has grown. I sincerely hope you've enjoyed this journey as much as I have. Hopefully Chapter 28 can deliver one last burst of joy before I move on to the next big thing; Milo and the Big Six. My current plan is to release Chapter 1 of that at the same time as Chapter 28 of this story.

Love, peace, and Pokémon (which I don't own).

-Nano