Chapter 2

Millie sat in the Flying Taxi, looking out of the window quietly. Excitement and homesickness were coming back to her in strong waves, rocking her ever-so-slightly. She sighs softly, drumming her fingers on the windowsill.

"Something bothering you, darling?" the vendor, now the driver of the taxi, asked softly, a gentle look in his eye. Millie looked over.

"Ah, no. I'm just a bit homesick is all."

"Ah, I see. Are you headed to or from home?" He asks.

"To, thankfully. The trip has been long, however. Not this part, though-" She clarifies as she clutches her bag. It was all she had with her.

"Don't worry, dear. I didn't take it like that!" The man chuckles, waving it off dismissively. As he steers the Squawkabillies from inside the car, he keeps speaking.

"Now that I got a better look at you…you're Paldea's Champion, correct?"

As he asks, Millie stiffens up. Maybe it was because she had been outside of Paldea for a little while, but being recognized outside of the region was a concept still unfamiliar to her.

"...I hope I am not intruding by asking such a question-"

The man speaks awkwardly, Millie realizing that she kind've just left that question hanging in the air.

"Oh-! Uhm- yeah! That would be me, sorry-"

"Está bien, Miss. I apologize if I have made you uncomfortable in any way." He insists, steering the car still. Millie shakes her head.

"No, not at all. I guess I just forgot. I don't know…my mind is all over the place right now, haha-" She leans against the windowsill, gravity feeling like a weight in her body.

"You forgot?" He asks teasingly "You beat Champion Geeta and it slips your mind? I guess I can't blame you, though. You seem really out of it. I assume you were on some important Paldean research task?" It was a sort of half-joke, the man not implying it to be rude or anything by the tone of his voice. Millie just shakes her head, smiling.

"Eh, I guess you could call it that. Someone from Blueberry Academy wanted me to come to Kitakami…I think, so I could be of some use to her?" Millie asks, not remembering Briar's reasoning behind it. The man withdrew a sharp breath.

"Ooooh, that doesn't sound right. Like, to be of use? That's kinda harsh-"

"I-I don't think it's like that!" Millie waved her hands in front of her "I think like, the person just wanted me to do some research for them, I dunno. I can't articulate my words very well at the moment." She huffs. The man laughs.

"Don't worry, I don't expect you to. You seem tired, and you're worn out from all that research. I promise I'm not here to antagonize you, darling." He reassures her, keeping a voice that seemed familiar to her…but where? In a way, the conversation seemed comforting, as if he was taking her away from the tiring thoughts of what happened at Kitakami and her homesickness. She liked that about him.

But where had she felt this sense of company before?

"Well, I would hope not, hehe."

Millie sat her head down on the windowsill, letting out a soft sigh. She looked back down at the Paldean Earth below her, a soft sigh escaping her. The man continues.

"Miss, if you do not mind me conversing with you some more, you seem more than just worn out. Maybe it's just me but most folks do not come back from their trip bummed out unless something happened during it." He hummed.

Well, he sure was right on the nose about that one. Millie's eyes flitted over to stare at him.

"Well, I guess you have a point. I was supposed to go to Kitakami for some assignment, yeah? Well, I made some friends…" She trails off. Something told her to be vague.

"I guess I upset one of them, and the last I saw them was after I won a battle with them. They fled afterward, crying." She explains softly, the man listening quietly and nodding along.

"His sister said not to worry about it, but for me, that's easier said than done. To be honest, I hate to say it, but I want to believe she's most of the reason he began to feel so vindictive towards me-"

"Vindictive? Why, that's no good." The man commented, trying to at least keep Millie lighthearted. Millie nods.

"Yeah…it's…a long story. Their relationship as siblings felt familiar to me…I guess I can sympathize with the one that's upset with me…still," She looked back out of the window.

"I wanted to apologize to him, and explain my side, but I didn't get the chance to."

The man tilted his head "Why not? Did he just not want to hear it?"

Millie shook her head "Not really, but kinda? More like he holed himself up in his room since that last interaction, his sister being the one to let me know. I felt horrible but…I had no control over the situation…"

She drifted off, that same, gnawing feeling of guilt coming back to her.

"If I could just apologize…"

The man stays silent for a few moments, deep in thought. To him, this situation was tricky. Seemed like a bunch of misunderstanding for sure. Kids these days…what happened to settling conflicts up-front? Seems like that's what his passenger wanted to do. He decides to dig more.

"Well now, that depends. You think you'll ever see 'em again?" He asks. This makes Millie think. Will she ever cross paths with Carmine and Kieran again? What would become of their relationship if so? Would Kieran still be angry at her?

She remembers her last goodbye with Carmine. It was bittersweet as all hell due to the unending situation at hand, but she couldn't help but feel a bit of warmth flow through her as the ravenette approached her.

"I'm glad you came to visit, Millie." Carmine's voice still had that tone of arrogance, but there was something more behind it as she spoke. Millie could sense the wistfulness in her tone as she spoke.

"This isn't a goodbye forever, yeah?" Carmine laughed softly as if to reassure herself.

"I know you said you went to another school, but if you ever get the chance, you should visit Blueberry Academy sometime! There are tons of strong trainers, and one day I'll be among their ranks! Until then," she waved her hands toward Millie, Millie doing the same slowly.

"You better come visit, soon! Don't think I'll forget; I have your contact in my rotom-phone, after all."

She turned away from Millie, to which Millie's eyes softened.

"Yeah," Millie smiled "I won't forget, Carmine. I promise."

As she stared at Carmine's back, she couldn't help but feel doubt. Blueberry Academy…she thought she'd never hear about that school. It was a sheer chance that the school had partnered with them. Despite her anxiety, Millie also looked forward to their next meeting, whenever that'd be. As if to set her thoughts in stone, Carmine spoke out.

"This is NOT a goodbye, okay? We will see each other again, no matter what!"

Carmine's words of determination rung through Millie's mind. Despite her promise, would she be able to see them again? Then again, the world was pretty freakin' small.

"I guess I might. I hope by then things will have cleared up. You think my friend would forgive me by then?" She asks, keeping the rest vague. Despite Ogerpon choosing her over Kieran in the end, she can't help but feel remorse. How could she tell anyone she took someone else's dream away from them, and that she was just supposed to be okay with it?

"Well, I think so, though, I wouldn't be too keen on it, querida." The man continues. "Many folks are different when it comes to a grudge. However, I am a big believer that with time, some wounds will heal. Depending on your misunderstandings with your friend, I should say that the time apart will give them some time to reflect, no?" He points out. He has a point. Maybe all Kieran needed to do was reconsider the whole ordeal. He was a nice kid…

Maybe eventually he'd be over it.

"Yeah…he seemed to have a pretty good head on his shoulders…" Millie murmured.

"I just REALLY hope he knows I have nothing against him. Like, I know he probably thinks I am considering everything, but I don't. Fate just has a funny way of working out, I guess." She looks back out onto the earth. They were slowly getting closer to her destination—she could feel it.

Eventually, they got to their destination, to which Millie had to take another Flying Taxi to Paldea as a whole. She wasn't sure why the process was confusing like this, considering they could just add an actual airport where she lived-

It wasn't too much of a big deal, though. After she took this short trip, she could just use her Miraidon to get to her EXACT destination.

The thing was, she wasn't heading straight to Mesagoza yet. Maybe it was the fear that her friends were upset at her sudden leave, or she was too tired to deal with everyone asking her questions so soon.

Hopping off her Miraidon, she finds herself at Poco Path.

"Before I go anywhere, I should at least visit my mother first," Millie mumbles to herself. She makes her way down the hill of Poco Path and toward her house.

"I want her to be the first one to hear about my endeavors."

As Millie makes her way to the front door, she feels apprehension. She somewhat gave her mother the same treatment of just dipping into Kitakami without a word, though she was sure to text her mother as soon as she could. Her mother knew she went on pretty heavy adventures, but it still didn't feel right to her.

Millie softly knocks on her door, not wanting to alarm her mother just by bursting in.

Almost immediately after, loud barks could be heard.

"Comin', one moment!" An older lady's voice called from the other side of the door. The barking got closer, Millie shaking her head with a smile.

"Quiet down!" The lady called to the Pokémon currently barking in a frenzy.

A few moments later, the door eventually opened, Millie instantly beaming.

"Hey, ma!" She called, raising her hand in a wave.

"You'll never believe where I've been— OOF-!"

Almost instantly, a large Houndoom rushed through the door, jumping right onto Millie.

"Doom! Houn', Houn'!" The giant Houndoom wags its tail, a dumb smile on its face as it relents, standing on its fours. Millie laughs, rubbing it between the horns. Millie's mother appears through the doorway, a laugh escaping her.

"Sorry about Axl, you know he misses you a bunch-" She smiled, her smile is a bit more tired. Millie looked up at her mother, a warm glow in her eyes.

"Awwwe, you know I love to be greeted by the big fella, hehe!" Millie cooed, cupping Axl's face with her hands. He lets out a deep bellow, attempting to lick her. She laughs.

"Where have you been?" Millie's mother's brows crease. "You've hardly been answering texts or anything…I was about to send you-know-who to hunt you down." Her mother lectures, letting her in. Axl trails in front of Millie, who walks in slowly.

"Yeaahh…sorry about that, ma," Millie rubs the back of her neck as she settles into her home.

"I was called on an unexpected assignment and didn't have time to tell anyone. I was going to text you more often, but the service there wasn't the greatest…"

Millie guiltily looks at her mother, who shakes her head.

"You'd think for a prestigious school like yours, they'd at least warn you in advance…" Her mother gripes.

"Yeahh…I think the same, but I think a teacher coming from Blueberry Academy and urging the Champion of all folks to zoom over across the world was not exactly on their itinerary…" Millie laughs tiredly as she sits down on the couch, her mother joining her. Axl had finally settled down, the big lug curling up nearby the couch. Millie leans over to pet him.

"Blueberry Academy?" Her mother looks at her with interest.

"Wasn't that where I planned to send you before we decided on moving? I love Paldea but I still don't understand why you didn't go to Blueberry." Her mom is genuinely curious, Millie sighing softly. She never liked this topic much, due to her mother being overly-critical sometimes, despite meaning well.

"Well ma, I guess I never really felt I was cut out for that school," she explains "You know how hard battles were for me to understand in Unova-"

Her mother scoffs. "Baby, you were 11. You're almost 20, and the Champion of Paldea. Your brother—" Before her mother could bring anymore up, Millie cuts in

"Ma, why can't you just be happy for my successes?" Millie asks, hurt in her eyes.

"I mean yeah sure, maybe I dragged you all the way out to Paldea to start over, I dunno, but I like the choice I made. Don't you?" She asks. She knows why her mother asks her this, but she can't help but feel guilty. Why must she set aside her goals for the sake of others? Why couldn't her mother be happy? Her mom shakes her head.

"That's not what I'm saying, and you know that. I'm happy you're the Champion of Paldea, Millie. I guess what I'm trying to say is I always hoped you and your brother worked side-by-side in Unova together. All I've ever wanted was for your brother and you to be close."

As she explains this, Millie keeps petting Axl, listening. She sighs once more.

"Ma, you know Unova doesn't see us as equals. It wouldn't work like that. Besides, I love my brother, but we have lives of our own. I know what you mean; I'd love to see him again and battle alongside him, but with how busy he is with helping assist professor Juniper and other things, I—"

"So, you're afraid of bothering him?" Her mother suddenly interjects, causing Millie to stop in her tracks. It wasn't that she was afraid…or was she? She didn't know. She stops petting Axl, gripping the side of her head.

"Ma, I know you mean well, but I don't think I'm prepared to have this discussion right now. I just got back from Kitakami, and I really don't want to think about Pokémon battles right now, or Blueberry Academy." Millie stares at her pleadingly, feeling guilty of trying to drop the subject like this. Her mother glares at her momentarily before leaning back on the couch.

"Forget it." She mutters, grabbing the remote. Millie lets out a whimper.

"Mom, just please—"

"No, you don't wanna talk right now, I understand. Go get some rest." Her mother didn't mean to be so cold like this, she knew, but it still frustrated Millie. Being unexpectedly dragged to foreign lands, dealing with others' problems that mirrored your own and possibly ruining a friendship…it was a lot to take.

Millie, who had been over this discussion before, stands up.

"Okay, fine. I'm sorry I upset you. I just…it's a lot to take in right now, and I know you want what's best for us, but I don't want to get in the way of him or anything." Millie tries to defend herself, but her mother doesn't even look or speak to her. She just keeps watching TV. Millie growls in frustration, getting up from the couch and heading to her room.

Why couldn't she be satisfied? Millie had been through hell and back, making sure she was okay when their father passed, the Treasure Hunt, becoming champion, and then there was Area Zero…Millie had saved the world, essentially!

But a mother's wants for their daughter they live through would never be enough, and that's what was so tiring.

"I just wish she'd understand…why does she have to make a big deal out of everything?" Millie mutters to herself as she closes the door to her bedroom quietly, marching over to her bed and flopping down on it. She closes her eyes and sighs.

"Whatever. Maybe she'll finally be satisfied when I graduate from Uva in a few months, then I can go out and visit my brother in Unova, or somethin'." Millie just felt numb. Coming home was supposed to be such a warm and inviting feeling, but why did she feel a small sense of dread whenever she entered her Paldean home? Didn't she leave that all behind in Unova?

"I literally stopped a time machine and currently own a robotic lizard! What more could that lady want?!" She rolls over, rubbing her neck. She could feel herself getting all nervous again, to which she sighed.

"Ugh, I really don't want to have to rely on my medicine right now. I'll just take it in the morning. Besides, I'll be seeing my friends tomorrow, so let's just get through this night while we can…" Millie muttered to herself, draping an arm over her face.

Why didn't home feel like home? She had come so far, traveled every corner of Paldea, made so many friends…

Hell, she OWNED Paldea, as far as she was concerned. Maybe not the scientific, Area Zero portion, but she still was the big dog now, and not Geeta.

"Geeta…Ugh." Millie grumbled, "The second-most demanding woman I've ever met in my life, if my mom didn't come first."

If she thought she could escape her mom, she was far from wrong. There was Geeta, a woman who was known to be rather critical. Millie had battled her with ease to become Champion, which appalled her. Weren't Champions supposed to be harder? Maybe Paldea wasn't all about battling, but Millie couldn't help but feel like she had been cheated.

"It doesn't matter. I'm champ now, and this 'champ' needs rest." Millie said as she took her shoes off and pulled the blankets over her, not even bothering to change from her outfit. If she was Champion, why did she feel at a low right now…? Weren't Champions supposed to be super awesome, powerful, and never let anything get in their way? Champions were supposed to be on top of the world, weren't they? Weren't mothers grateful to have Champion-children? Millie had sure learned a lot becoming Champion—it wasn't just a title to wear and be cool, that was for sure. She knew that, but she didn't know if being Champion was the right choice. Not only did she make decisions or went places she normally would have never had the stability to visit, but the whole of Paldea rested on her shoulders. She liked the sense of pride that flowed through her when it came to representing Paldea—she loves this place! But…when you have people like Geeta who shove orders down your throat and don't give you room to interject…

"This isn't what I expected at all…I shouldn't sound so ungrateful…" Millie murmured, the feeling of sleep beginning to make her eyelids heavy.

"I just ...I just wanted respect, I thought with this title that would earn me some…but…" She was barely able to utter a word, yawning.

"I…wanted…wanted….." She wasn't able to form a coherent thought as sleep finally darkened her vision, sending her into a void of darkness.

AN: Hey guys, sorry again for the long wait! I'll be real with you, I am very poor with time management! Also, we are gonna get into the interesting bits and social interactions between Mills and certain characters in-game soon, so do not fret! I hope you at least enjoy some backstory! Also yes, Millie and her mother butts heads, but I promise Millie will be looking up soon :D

Please enjoy Chapter 2! As of writing this, it has been revealed Indigo Disk will be released December 14th, which is crazy! I hope I can get to my bits in-time before it releases, because I have so many ideas and hcs!

Even if I didn't, y'all would like my take on it regardless, right?