Pokémon Nuzlocke Novels: Ancient Scarlet
Chapter 3: King, Hound and Knight
"All right! This here is Poco Path!" Nemona said to Milo as he finally joined her on the side path, turning around and gesturing to the route that was crawling with wild Pokémon. Several pig Pokémon scampered around while several birds chirped within the trees, with several spider Pokémon dangled from webs leading from the trees. A lighthouse rose out from the distance, dominating the skyline by the cliffside. "It's the path that leads to adventure for you and me! Out here, things are different than in town. You're gonna see wild Pokémon out and about. They'll be on the path and in the grass and such!"
"Back home we had a huge place called the Wild Area that stretched miles long and had all sorts of cool Pokémon." Milo remarked, thinking back to several times his family had gone on train rides that allowed him to look at the Wild Area as it rolled by the countryside. Milo wondered at that moment whether or not Paldea had trains. "You had to keep your distance, though, unless you were looking for a rough fight."
Nemona turned towards Milo, flashing him a bright smile. "Same thing applies here. Get too close to one, and you'll have to battle. But you've got Reggie for that, right? And if you want to try to catch a Pokémon, you gotta use…a good ol' Poké Ball!"
Nemona dug into her bag and pulled out the capsule in question. "I've got tons. Have a few!
Milo ended up receiving five Poké Balls from Nemona, but a loud oinking sound caught the two Trainers off-guard and made them look to their right, where the two of them spotted a black and brown pig with pink feet and snout.
"Oooh, what luck! Time for some learning by doing! Try battling this Lechonk, Milo!" Nemona said as she bolted to the side, leaving Milo alone to face off against the Lechonk. Milo grimaced as the same strange pressure that he had felt when battling Nemona earlier struck his chest, but Milo ignored it and focused on his first wild Pokemon battle.
"Alright then Reggie, let's get some practice in." Milo said as the Fire Croc Pokémon leapt out of his arms and landed on the ground. "Use Ember!"
The Fuecoco let out a joyful cry before firing off a fireball that struck Lechonk, knocking it to the ground with a pained squeal as the smell of seared pig filled the air.
"Smells like bacon." Milo thought to himself, fighting back a smirk. He stopped smirking when the Lechonk got back to its feet and slammed into Reggie with a Tackle. Milo had Reggie finish it off with another Ember, and sighed with relief as the pressure on his chest faded.
"Nice! Defeating Pokémon in battle will help Reggie grow and get stronger!" Nemona called to Milo as he walked back over to her. "Next time, try throwing a Poké Ball when a Pokémon's riiight on the tip of being defeated. You'll have a decent chance at catching it then!"
"Gotcha. I'll go for a catch next time."
"Anyway, have some more Poké Balls just in case. Not every catch works out!" Nemona said to Milo, who accepted another ten Poké Balls gratefully.
"Weaken the Pokémon, then throw the Poké Ball! Remember that, and you'll be fine!" The Student Council President explained to Milo, putting a hand on her hip. "Now go battle those wild Pokémon and catch some of 'em!"
"I'll see about getting Reggie a new friend or two." Milo said as he pulled out an empty Poké Ball and tossed it up and down a few times. "You gonna hang around while I explore the route?"
"I mean, I could. But where's the fun in just watching? I'm gonna see what I can nab myself!" Nemona remarked cheekily, winking at Milo and making the teen's heart skip a beat. "Let's meet back up at that lighthouse over there! You can see our school from the top!"
"S-sure. See ya in a bit." Milo managed to stammer out before Nemona bounded off, and Milo slapped his cheeks several times in an attempt to focus on his job. Unfortunately the Voice chose that moment to speak again.
So I should probably explain to you how the rules will be for this little…challenge of mine. Needless to say, you're gonna want to listen to me about the Nuzlocke Challenge and subsequently, the Nuzlocke Curse.
"You have my attention." Milo said quietly, crossing his arms with annoyance as Nemona vanished up the route. "So what the hell is that Nuzlocke thing?"
The Nuzlocke Challenge is a little game I like to play with those I've…meddled with. It essentially boils down to three core rules. The most relevant of which is that the number of Pokémon you're allowed to catch is limited to the first one you encounter on a route as you go about your journey. You can only catch that Pokémon, and no more. If you fail to catch a Pokémon during one of the opportunity windows I give you, then you must move on. I'll adjust the rules as your world…opens up.
"Okay, that's weird. But I understand. So I should probably try to be careful about what I try to battle here. Though it sounds like I'm battling against luck more than anything else."
Yes. I will give you a freebie though. Sending your Pokémon off on its own to battle whatever it wants doesn't count as an encounter. Once you begin directing your Pokémon or a wild Pokémon directly confronts you, that's when the Curse kicks in and that's what'll count for you encounters.
"Interesting…I guess I should thank you for the tip."
Don't thank me yet. I should probably tell you about the second rule of the Nuzlocke Challenge, and what happens when one of your Pokémon faints.
"Um…what?" Milo asked, raising an eyebrow as he picked up Reggie and began to carefully walk up the road.
The purpose of this is all to test your skill…and worth. Therefore, if any of your Pokémon faint in battle, they can never be used in battle again. For all intents and purposes, they're dead to you.
"What the hell!?" Milo shouted, scaring some of the nearby Pokémon and making Reggie wince. "How is that fair? My Pokémon hasn't done anything!"
It's the nature of our deal. My powers always come with a price. In fact, this particular curse is the way I can assist people directly with the most amount of agency. So be grateful I didn't make you give up something worse. Remember that you're the one who made this deal in the first place.
"That's still awful. What the hell…" Milo breathed, gritting his teeth in anger. He hugged Reggie close to his chest, feeling a cold icy feeling in the pit of his stomach.
It's not all bad. You can always throw them in a PC Storage or something.
"That doesn't make it better!" Milo snapped back, looking down at the ground. "What if I use them even after they faint? I can always use a Revive or a Pokémon Center."
True. But if you try to use them even when they've been knocked out, the Nuzlocke Curse will kick in and they'll be killed the second their Poké Ball opens. There's no getting around this, mostly because I'm actively watching you.
Milo sighed as he shut his eyes, realizing the true scope of the challenge that lay before him. He was limited by what Pokémon on his "journey" that he could catch. And if he was careless in a battle, his team's lives could be in danger…as well as his own if he loses a battle at all.
"I'm gonna get my next Pokémon. Can you go quiet for a while?" Milo asked, trying to move forward and shake off the dread he felt. The teen felt the faint chuckle of the Voice before its presence vanished.
Milo set Reggie down and instructed it to fight whatever it felt like before stepping back. The Fuecoco stared at him with a confused expression for a few moments, but soon enough it was rampaging through the route, leaving a troubled Milo to look around at what Pokémon were around.
Milo spotted more Lechonks wandering around, as well as some Scatterbugs and some spider-like Pokémon he didn't recognize. The teen also spotted some Hoppip and Fletchlings flying around, but he decided to continue on the route and see what else showed up. He also made a habit of picking up the various items that he found as he explored the area, marveling at the kind of stuff people dropped on the ground.
Eventually an exhausted Fuecoco returned to the boy with a path of unconscious Pokémon in his wake and wearing a happy smile. Milo picked up Reggie with a smirk and made his way down the path, spotting Nemona relaxing on the grass near the fence, sitting on a picnic blanket next to Thorn the Sprigatito.
"Hey there, neighbor! How's being a Pokémon Trainer treating you?" Nemona asked merrily as she patted the spot next to her, inviting Milo to sit down. Milo joined Nemona and sighed, accepting a water bottle the Champion-ranked Trainer handed to him. While it was pleasantly warm out, Milo had done a lot of walking that morning so he grateful took a swing of icy water.
"Yeah, so far so good." Milo responded as he picked up the fatigued Fuecoco. "Reggie's getting a bit worn out, so I figured now's a good a time as any for a break."
"If your Pokémon are getting tired out, I can heal 'em for ya!" Nemona offered, reaching forward to pat Reggie on the head, causing him to growl happily. Milo accepted the offer and Nemona quickly had Reggie back to fighting-fit shape after an Ether and a few Oran Berries.
"Oh, and if you get real good at catching Pokémon, gimme some advice! I'm not great at the actual 'throw the Poké Ball' part." Nemona admitted with a laugh as Milo chuckled. The two teens chatted briefly about the kind of Pokémon on the route, only for Reggie to begin wandering off further up the road while Milo wasn't paying attention. By the time Milo noticed, the Fire Croc Pokémon was almost out of sight.
"Ugh, I better run after him. I'll see you in a bit!" Milo huffed as he got to his feet and jogged after the Fuecoco while Nemona snickered at him.
The Galarian teen caught up with Reggie fairly quickly and soon was walking around with the Fuecoco, stopping at what looked like the edge of a cliff with a truly spectacular view of the ocean. Pristine white beaches stretched out in the distance as clear blue water shimmered in the morning sun. All the while Pokémon frolicked in the air, sea and around him.
"Wow, what a view." Milo sighed, looking down at his Starter with a smile. "Ain't that right buddy?"
"Craaaw?" Reggie responded, yawning in response. Milo rolled his eyes and turned around, only to spot that a small orange mouse-like Pokémon that had wandered right up to him with a skittish squeak. Milo stared at the Pokémon for several moments before the Pokémon let out a cry, charging its body with electricity. Milo gasped as the Nuzlocke Curse struck him, and he realized that his lapse in concentration meant that this was his encounter for this route.
"Reggie, let's get 'em! Tackle!" Milo called to his Pokémon, who leapt into action and charged at the small mouse, who gave a terrified squeak. It retaliated with a Scratch right before Reggie struck it with Tackle, knocking it down.
Milo activated a Poké Ball and hurled it, connecting with the side of the downed Pokémon and sucking it into the capsule. The Poké Ball landed in the grass as Milo stared at it hopefully.
One…two…three…click.
"Hey! I caught it!" Milo whooped, jogging forward and scooping up the Poké Ball with a triumphant laugh. Reggie cried out, offering his Trainer a wide grin.
"Great job buddy. Now, let's see what the heck we just caught." Milo said as he fumbled around with his Rotom Phone. He opened the Poké Dex App, making sure to register both Reggie and the new Pokémon under his Trainer Account since he hadn't done that yet. After that, the teen pulled up the appropriate Dex entry.
"Pawmi. The Mouse Pokémon. It has underdeveloped electric sacs on its cheeks. These sacs can produce electricity only if Pawmi rubs them furiously with the pads on its forepaws." The Rotom Phone explained through the Pokédex App. "This Pawmi is Male and has the Ability Static. Its Tera Type is Electric."
"Kinda like Pikachu…" Milo mused as he called out his new Pokémon, who looked up at him timidly, shrinking back. "Hey there little guy. I'm Milo."
The Pawmi was slow to approach Milo, sniffing his outstretched hand hesitatingly before inching forward. Milo patted the mouse on the head as Reggie waddled forward, growling several times as the Pawmi squeaked. Milo watched the back and forth with interest before the Pawmi nodded and looked up at the teen expectantly.
You need to name it.
"Huh?" Milo asked, surprised that the Voice had suddenly spoken up after leaving him alone for about a full hour.
That Pawmi you just caught. You have to name it. Along with every other Pokémon you catch on your journey. It's the third and final essential rule to the Nuzlocke Challenge, and the Curse you're under.
"Huh. Can I ask why?" Milo said with a bewildered expression.
Because you'll grow more attached to them that way. And if you lose them, it'll be all the more heartbreaking.
"You're an asshole."
I've been called worse by better. Now, get going. And be aware that you can't catch anything else…on this route.
"Stupid disembodied voice…" Milo grumbled as he picked up the surprised Pawmi and set it on his shoulder while he held Reggie. "Alright, new friend. I'm not the best at names, so I'm gonna call you Sparky. Sound good?"
A soft squeak from Milo's shoulder was his response. Milo nodded as he scratched the Pokémon on the chin, earning a cooing sound of delight that made Milo smile. "Cool. I'm glad you like it. Let's explore a bit more before we meet up with Nemona."
To Milo's delight, Sparky listened to him just as well as Reggie did and was soon zapping Fletchlings out of the sky with Thunder Shock. Not to be outdone, Reggie bullied the local Hoppip and Scatterbug population while Milo watched on with a smile at the mild destruction his Pokémon were wreaking. After about a half hour and picking up more fallen items off of the ground, Milo decided to head up the route to meet up with Nemona. The Student Council President was fiddling around with her phone in the middle of the path, having apparently passed him while he was training. She looked up and smiled at Milo as he approached.
"Hey, Milo! You getting the hang of how to catch Pokémon okay?" Nemona asked, jogging over to him with her usual cheer as he trudged up the hill. "Let me see. So far you've caught-"
"Guh-GYAOHHH!"
Nemona and Milo both jumped at the force of a furious roar that reverberated across the clearing, terrifying a flock of Fletchlings that were roosting in a nearby tree and making what other small Pokémon were on the route flee in terror.
"Whoa! What was that?!" Nemona yelped, glancing around the area worriedly alongside Milo. The same roar cried out again, but this time it was quieter and served to make the two teens more confused than scared. Nemona frowned and muttered, "I've never heard that kind of cry before! Could be some strong Pokémon or something!"
"It sounded like it was hurt." Milo remarked quietly, putting a hand to his chin thoughtfully and returning his two Pokémon. "What do you think we should do, Nemona?"
"I say we find whatever made that cry! Let's take a look around, Milo!" Nemona suggested bright, pumping her fist before drawing a Poké Ball and calling out a black bull Pokémon that Milo vaguely recognized. "C'mon Tornado, let's get looking!"
"Is that a Tauros?" Milo asked as he examined the powerful-looking bull as it mooed softly, nuzzling Nemona's hand as she stroked his head.
"You betcha. This is my Partner, Tornado! He's a Paldean Tauros and my strongest Pokémon. See, Tauros can become different types here in Paldea…but that's a conversation for another day! We've got a Pokémon to find!" Nemona laughed, realizing she was going off-topic as she gave Milo a thumbs up. Her smile faded just a bit as her expression became a bit more serious. "Just be careful - there's a kinda unsafe cave not far from here, so steer clear!"
"Gotcha. I'll be careful." Milo said as he began to walk down the path, but not before Nemona called back to him.
"And I know your Rotom Phone can help keep you safe, but watch your step by these cliffs anyway!" Nemona added before bounding off back down the road a ways while Milo hummed and slowly walked towards the cliffs, noticing that the rope guardrails that had been placed along the cliff for this route had been knocked down.
"That's definitely suspicious…Hmm…" Milo mused as he inched closer to the cliff, trying to peek down towards the beach. He slowly walked towards the edge of the cliff, peering out into the ocean to see if there was anything down there that may have made such a weird roar. His eyes caught a splash of color and noticed a strange-looking creature lying down on the beach nearby, with two Houndour barking angrily at it.
The Galar-native stared at the creature, cautiously inching closer to the edge of the cliff to try and get a better look. "What the hell is that? I've never seen anything like it…" Milo muttered, closing his eyes for a moment and considering what he was seeing now. Was it some Pokémon native to the Paldea region?
Milo opened his eyes to see the strange Pokémon slowly lift up its head and roar at the two Houndour furiously, which had the effect of making the earth tremble around the area. Milo yelped as he stumbled forward and tumbled right off of the cliff he was standing on!
"Crap, crap, crap, crap, crap!" Milo thought frantically, screaming as he plunged towards the beach from a high enough height that the fall would surely kill him-
And then suddenly Milo was halted in midair, with his Rotom Phone halting the boy's descent as it floated upwards, its screen shining brightly. The teen was gently set upon the ground by the Rotom Phone, which showed him that the Anti-Fall feature had kicked in and would do so every time the phone sensed that Milo was falling from a high place. Milo realized that this was what Nemona had been talking about, and realized that he had been very lucky to receive the phone from his mother just that morning.
"That…was awful. I've got to read more about my phone's safety features the next time I can." Milo sighed with relief, leaning against the face of the cliff and taking several deep breaths. Meanwhile, he watched as the Houndour that were accosting the strange Pokémon fled in terror, yipping loudly as they scampered off.
Milo turned his gaze towards the Pokémon and saw that it had collapsed back onto the ground, groaning softly as it curled inward. Milo took that moment to actually inspect the Pokémon itself.
It was mostly a scarlet-colored reptile-like Pokémon with white accents along its body, as well as a black spiked structure along its neck. Blue, purple and white-colored antennae stuck out of the Pokémon's head, and its yellow eyes were lidded with exhaustion. Orange pupils flicked up to Milo as he cautiously drew closer, with the teen sending out both his Fuecoco and Pawmi, slowly approaching the downed Pokémon.
"Whoa…what are you?" Milo whispered, taking in the sight of the strange Pokémon. For some reason, the young Trainer just felt like the creature didn't belong here. It was the strangest feeling and Milo couldn't place why he felt that way.
However, the teen was able to tell that the creature was too weak to move, based on the fact that it seemed to be having trouble keeping its eyes open and its head out of the sand. Milo felt a pang of sympathy for the beast.
"Well, whatever you are, you're in trouble. Maybe some medicine can help you out." Milo said quietly as he walked closer to the Pokémon, who growled softly at the boy.
Milo smiled at it comfortingly. "No worries, big fella. I'm here to help. Reggie, Sparky, can you help talk me to it?"
The Fuecoco and Pawmi didn't move forward, instead both inching behind Milo to keep away from the strange creature. Milo wondered if they could sense something he couldn't. Milo ignored the fear of his Pokémon and set his backpack on the ground, rifling through it and immediately realizing that he didn't have any healing berries on him. Which was annoying, because he didn't spot any injuries on the creature and that was how Potions normally worked.
"Well crap…Maybe it's just hungry?" Milo thought as he looked at the creature, considering that fact. Milo pulled out the sandwich that his mother had made that morning for him out of its ziploc bag and held out the sandwich to the strange beast. "You hungry, big fella?"
"Gia?" the Pokémon suddenly perked up, lifting its head out of the sand to look at Milo questioningly, sniffing the offered sandwich with confusion.
With a soft growl, the Pokémon slowly extended its neck out and snapped up the sandwich, ripping it free from Milo's hands and scarfing it down hungrily. A contented rumble erupted from the Pokémon as it chomped and chewed with a pleased expression. Milo felt a pang of guilt at his mother's sandwich going down the gullet of a hungry Pokémon, but he brushed that aside as the Pokémon let out a strange barking sound.
"There we go!" Milo smiled as the Pokémon finished eating the sandwich within seconds, swallowing with a soft growl before releasing a strange trill into the air. The creature then shifted its weight, placing its hands on the ground and pushing itself upright and rearing on its hind legs, letting out a loud bark-like cry before landing back on its four legs and looking at Milo with interest.
"Hey, look at you! Back on your feet already. Hope you're feeling better!" Milo said with a grin to the strange beast, who stared at Milo for several long moments.
"Hahaha! You're such a messy eater, aren't you?"
The creature grunted softly before padding past the teen and going further down the beach towards the cave tucked into the side of the cliff.
And then suddenly, the beast let out a sudden roar to the skies. "Ah-GIIIAAAS!"
The strange Pokémon shut its eyes and lowered its head as a shining orange light enveloped the creature. Milo winced as the energy struck the beach itself, blasting sand backwards and making Milo gasp as the wind rushed past him. The teen still managed to see the creature leap into the air and throw apart its limbs, coalescing into a field of raw energy around itself that erupted outwards with a wicked shockwave.
Milo watched as the creature's antennae expanded outwards, resembling bird-like plumes on its head and back spread outwards. Its hands and legs seemed to gain a webbed quality to them, with a large tire-like protrusion sticking out of its chest. The beast landed on the ground and let out a deep growl, and Milo's eyes were wide in shock at the sheer aura of power radiating from the strange Pokémon. It held itself proudly and almost regally, its eyes sharpened with a ferocity that only came to Pokémon that was an apex predator.
"What kind of Pokémon is that?" Milo asked in a whisper, pulling out his Rotom Phone. However, the scanning function didn't seem to register the creature at all, pinwheeling repeatedly before showing several question marks.
That was when the creature glanced back at Milo, who felt his breath catch as the wild gaze of the creature locked onto him. After staring at him for several seconds, the beast turned around and began walking towards the cave. Milo raised a hand and stepped forward before realizing he didn't quite know what he was going to say.
"This Pokémon is way out of my league…I should probably just be grateful it didn't attack me." Milo sighed, wiping his forehead before glancing down at his Pokémon. "By the way, I appreciate the backup guys."
Reggie and Sparky both looked away, ashamed, but Milo scooped them both up into his arms and sighed. "It's not your fault. We met literally minutes ago. But we're a team. So…how the hell do we get back up?"
Milo looked around the beach and realized he had no answer to that. He didn't have Nemona's number and he didn't have anything to scale his way back up the cliff. His eyes glanced at the Pokémon as it walked away, approaching what Milo assumed was the very cave Nemona had just warned him about. Each step it took across the beach shook the ground beneath them, and within seconds it had vanished within the cave. Milo sighed and reluctantly followed, hoping that somehow things would work out.
To his surprise, the Pokémon seemed to be waiting for him, looking over its shoulder as Milo entered the cave and approached. Once the teen had gotten close enough, the beast continued to walk through the cave path. And so Milo began trailing behind the creature at what he hoped was a respectful distance.
The cave itself was surprisingly cool inside. That was likely due to it being by the beach, but Milo was surprised to see glowing green moss alongside the walls of the cave and flowing seawater within pools.
"Oyeee! Milo!" came a familiar shout. Milo looked up and saw Nemona far in the distance on the ledge of what looked to be an exit to the cave, and the girl was wearing a rare expression of distress. She gasped as her neighbor came into view and called, "There you are, Milo! You okay?! You're not hurt, right?"
"I'm fine! I tumbled down the cliff, but my Rotom Phone stopped my fall!" Milo yelled to Nemona, who sighed with relief.
"Thank goodness. I was really worried!" Nemona's expression fell further, and she looked away for a brief moment. "If you'd gotten hurt because I said we should go looking for whatever made that cry…"
Tornado the Tuaros mooed softly, nudging Nemona's side. The girl then shook her head, her regretful expression becoming more serious. "No, never mind that! Right now we've gotta focus on getting you back up here!"
"How exactly?" Milo asked the girl, who considered that for a moment as she put a hand on Tornado's head, considering that question.
"You've just gotta find some way to climb out of there! If you can get close enough, I'll try pulling you up with one of my Pokémon's moves!" Nemona suggested to Milo, kneeling closer to the edge of the cave's entrance. That was when she spotted the strange Pokémon ahead of him.
"Hey, what's that Pokémon in front of you? It looks SUPER strong!" Nemona asked, her usual enthusiasm coming back as the strange creature stopped and glanced at the excitable human girl for a moment before looking to Milo. It then continued on its way through the cave.
"Kinda seems like it's waiting for you. Does it want you to follow it?" Nemona asked as Milo continued to trail behind the strange beast, who seemed to be glancing around the cave with an interested expression. Milo wondered why that was, but he decided to focus on getting out of the cave first and wonder later. His Pokémon were on high alert, looking around the area for threats.
The quartet soon came to a stop upon reaching a pile of crumpled rocks, which blocked their path. Milo didn't even have a second to try and consider how they would get past the rocks before the beast lunged forward with a snarl, swiping at the rocks with glowing claws and pulverizing them into dust immediately.
"Whoa! That was amazing! That Pokémon might be as strong as mine! Maybe stronger!" Nemona cheered as Milo continued to follow the creature deeper into the grotto, their path clear now. The cave changed somewhat as well, with the main path now covered in glowing green moss while being overlooked by small ledges. Some Pokémon now littered the path, such as Yungoos and Diglett. However, Milo spotted something very concerning within moments of entering the cave.
A large black canine with bones protruding from its back was observing Milo and the Pokémon walking through its cave with an irritated expression, growling softly. Milo recognized it as a Houndoom - a Pokémon he certainly didn't want to deal with on his own. The teen slowly continued after the strange beast, hoping that they could get out of the cave sooner rather than later.
However, Milo soon learned that things weren't going to be that easy. A pack of Houndour burst out of the path leading onwards, growling and snapping at the beast and Milo, who balked at the sight of nearly a dozen angry dogs. The beast wasn't deterred by the numbers, releasing another furious roar that sent the dogs scampering away fearfully.
"Nice work, big guy." Milo said quietly as the creature huffed, glancing back at Milo for a moment before continuing onwards through the cave.
"Hey, heads up - some pretty rough and rowdy Houndour live in this cave! I'm glad you've got your bodyguard, but watch your back! They're strong!" Nemona warned Milo as the two of them approached another pile of boulders, which the creature destroyed within seconds before continuing onwards.
"Oh my gosh, it straight up pulverized that rock! How powerful even IS it? I wonder what move that was. Man, I wanna see it up close!" Milo smiled at Nemona's excited shouts, unable to help himself. However that smile soon faded when Nemona's next shout was one of alarm. "Milo, look out! Something's coming!"
Milo tensed, standing beside the creature and glancing around the area with confusion. That was when Nemona yelled out, "Behind you - it's behind you!"
The teen whirled around and felt his blood run cold as he stared at the menacing Houndoom that had been watching him mere moments ago padding up the cave path. The Dark Pokémon released a booming howl that made Milo shiver with fear. But to Milo's shock, Reggie leapt forward…and growled right back at the Houndoom! The Fuecoco stood its ground against the hellhound, standing protectively in front of his new Trainer.
"Reggie, stop it! That thing is way too strong!" Milo shouted as Reggie rushed at the Houndoom, who promptly roared and rammed its head into the Fuecoco and sent him crashing to the ground. Milo swiftly returned Reggie as the Nuzlocke Curse struck him, not wanting to chance invoking the Curse and risking his Pokémon's life…but Milo had no idea what to do. The Houndoom inched closer, growling hatefully at him with its razor-sharp teeth barred.
Meanwhile the strange creature had continued to walk forward through the cave, and glanced back in confusion upon hearing a howl of rage. It saw the little human standing against the furious Houndoom, and it knew instantly that the boy was no match for it. The creature hesitated, looking at the ground for a moment and considering its options.
"No! You have to stop fighting! You can't hurt it!"
As memories rushed through its mind, the creature thought about what it could do. The human was practically defenseless against the Houndoom, who was clearly agitated and ready to kill the child. If the hellhound's flames didn't kill the boy, then the furious canine would simply tear him apart with its fangs and claws.
However, that was an outcome the Pokémon couldn't accept.
The creature grit its teeth and turned around, crouching low right as the Houndoom inhaled deeply, flames trickling from its mouth. The beast dashed forward, leaping high into the air and dropping down onto the ground in front of Milo, swiftly spinning around and slapping its tail hard enough against the Houndoom's face to stop the Flamethrower and send the Dark Pokémon skidding backwards with a pained growl, blood trickling down its mouth.
The Houndoom retaliated by attacking the strange Pokémon with Flamethrower, only for the beast to counter with a Flamethrower of its own. The two attacks connected, and Milo watched in awe as the Pokémon's harsh white flames slowly overpowered the Dark Pokémon's own Flamethrower attack. The beast's flames engulfed those of the Houndoom and struck the hellhound directly, throwing it backwards and causing it to crash down hard on the floor of the cave.
"That was awesome! Kick it's ass!" Milo cheered as the Pokémon roared defiantly at the Houndoom, who was slowly rising from the ground with a pained gasp. The hellhound looked up at the human and the Pokémon protecting him with blood dripping down its maw and hatred blazing in its evil gaze. The Houndoom then let loose a howl of its own, and dozens of Houndour poured into the cave like before, only this time they surrounded both Milo and the creature.
"Oh, this isn't good…" Milo muttered, unable to help the fear in his voice. He hated the fact that he knew neither him or his Pokémon could stand against such numbers. Not on their first day as a team.
Meanwhile, the beast glanced around at the Pokémon surrounding it with disdain, recognizing how weak they were compared to it. The beast then raised a claw, determined to defeat the fools standing against it…but then it looked at Milo, and saw that the defenseless boy was surrounded. Even worse, more and more Houndour were pouring into the cave. It considered what to do, and then made another fateful decision.
Milo's head shot towards the creature as it suddenly darted towards the boy, knocking aside the Houndour and scooping the boy into its powerful arms while snarling fiercely at the Houndour, who backed away fearfully. The beast glanced around, hoping to find some way out as several of the Houndour began to bark and snarl at them.
"Heeeeey!" The beast and Milo looked up, seeing Nemona waving her arms. She was now much closer to them. "Up here! Quick!"
The beast nodded and kicked off of the ground, leaping over sixty feet across the cave and landing roughly on a faraway ledge. The strange Pokémon then proceeded to kick off of the ledge and swiftly land on another to reach the lip of the cave Nemona was standing on, ascending hundreds of feet within moments. The girl whooped triumphantly, clapping her hands as the creature glanced at her with a small smile before gently setting Milo on the ground. Down below the Houndour and Houndoom howled up at them, furious that their prey had escaped.
Shoutout to the legends who reviewed since the last update, which includes SolanaLeonhart, BraviaryScout, Ways and a new reviewer that goes by RareJoeStar! Thank you all for your feedback and support!
I did see a question regarding what exactly a Nuzlocke run is, so I'll give a brief explanation for the three core rules of most Nuzlocke Challenges.
1. You must catch the first Pokémon encountered on a new Route. If you fail, that is your one and only chance for that Route and you must move onto the next area in order to catch another Pokémon.
2. All Pokémon must be nicknamed upon being caught.
3. Any Pokémon that is KO'd is considered dead for the purposes of the run, and must either be released or sent to the PC forever. In this run, losing all six party Pokémon and whiting out is considered a game over and the run is finished. Which for Milo means that he's dead. Some rules allow for mercy clauses or a second chance after a certain point…unfortunately for Milo, that doesn't apply to him.
The first and third rule can be tweaked with different clauses and such, which'll be explained later, but that's the jist of what a Nuzlocke Challenge is. Naturally the exact rules for a Scarlet/Violet playthrough have to be tweaked somewhat due to the open-world format, especially at the beginning, but once the tutorial section is done the rules for the rest of the game will fall into place.
Take care and stay awesome!
Until next time, FlygonNick out!