Pokémon Nuzlocke Novels: Ancient Scarlet

Chapter 9: School Days

The next week or so of school passed by without any issues, and Milo settled into a relatively normal schedule, much to his relief.

Milo was shocked to learn that as a result of his actions against Team Star, his status as the school celebrity lingered long after the battle with the two Team Star Grunts on the Academy steps. Milo's reputation was further bolstered by the boy's humility regarding the situation, which unfortunately for the Galarian made him even more popular.

Despite that, Milo found himself spending time with both Nemona and Arven outside of class, though due to Arven's strong dislike of Nemona, never at the same time. Milo grudgingly admitted that Arven was a friendly enough guy when he wasn't under immense stress and fun to be around for the most part, though he was still somewhat prickly at times.

Milo even spotted a few occasions where Arven would lapse into long silences, a rather depressed expression on his face. Milo eventually decided to bring Juliana to some of his lunches with Arven, and thankfully she was able to inject some much needed life and joy into proceedings.

Sometimes Arven would even make the three of them large bento boxes filled with fresh vegetables, perfectly steamed rice and meat that was seasoned just right. Arven was always happy to cook for Milo and Juliana, the latter of whom warmed up to the older student fairly quickly, which Milo found immensely amusing due to the fact that Juliana was even more of a foodie than he was.

During these lunches Milo learned a bit more about the older teen. The most surprising of which was the fact that Arven was practically a pro when it came to surviving out in the Wilds on his own. He gave Milo and Juliana both tips on what brands of clothes and supplies to buy when going out on your own. The trio had even made a few excursions into Mesagoza proper to shop for equipment to ensure a comfortable time outdoors.

However, these excursions into the city were something done fairly rarely, as Arven wasn't usually around Naranja Academy, at least compared to the rest of them. The older student left the Academy for long periods of time despite having room and board at the school. According to Nemona, Arven had only a handful of credits under his belt despite being an upperclassman like her.

However, due to being the famous Professor Sada's son and the fact that his education already had been paid for by his mother in advance, Arven was able to come and go as he pleased without any serious consequences.

Milo wondered what Arven was up to during his long absences away from Naranja Academy. Unlike Nemona, who occasionally had to take a day or two away from class to deal with Student Council issues or even to assist the Paldean Pokémon League with important matters, Arven had no such obligations. So what kept him away from the school?

During the periods of time that he didn't hang out with Arven or Juliana, Milo happily enjoyed his lunch and dinner periods with Nemona. The Champion-ranked President of the Student Council was always thrilled to hang out with her new rival and neighbor. Spending time with Nemona would always leave Milo feeling rather tired, but he always had a smile on his face. Nemona also took that time to introduce her friend to her true team, the one that had led her to victory against the Champion of Paldea.

Her ace, Tornado, was a friendly Paldean Tuaros who was a bit protective of Nemona out in the wilds. Milo wasn't surprised, given how ditzy Nemona was sometimes. According to Nemona this was the Pokémon that had won her the Championship, and Tornado hadn't ever lost a battle.

Then there was Oswaldo the Orthoworm, a Pokémon that Milo had never seen before but looked somewhat silly to the new Trainer. According to Nemona, he was a rather goofy Pokémon and was notorious for being difficult to wake up in the mornings. Then there was Dedede the Dundunsparce, which was the evolved form of Dunsparce. Even more interesting was that Nemona's Dundunsparce was an apparently rare Three-Segment version of the Pokémon who had a rather irritable disposition, but always listened to Nemona no matter what.

And of course there was Thorn the Sprigatito and Chispa the Pawmi. Milo eventually learned that Nemona hadn't actually caught Chispa. She had hatched him from an Egg that had been laid by a Pawmot that she also owned, but was currently on loan to her sister as a bodyguard. Nemona had about two dozen more Pokémon besides the ones she had on her at the moment, all of whom were happily enjoying their time at her mansion or being used by her family as security guards.

Milo also learned why this was. Nemona's father was head of the Rotom Phone Company, which explained many things, chief among them being how Nemona was rich beyond belief. However Nemona was very sure to inform Milo that her strength as a Trainer was something she attained on her own, and wasn't influenced by the wealth of her family. Considering her grades and how much weight her name carried on campus, Milo believed her wholeheartedly.

The days rolled by into weeks as Milo found his footing and began life as a student of Naranja Academy. The teachers were as eclectic as they were effective, and Milo thrived in the school he had looked forward to going to for years alongside both his friends, both old and new. Milo's status in school made him pretty popular too, and to his shock he found himself invited to more than a few different clubs and even a few parties over the course of the few first weeks he started at the Academy.

Even better, the Voice mercifully left him alone and the Nuzlocke Curse didn't strike again despite some of the training battles that he was roped into during the occasional battle class he had scheduled on the clock. Thanks to those, along with Nemona's pointers, the Galarian teen managed to get a better handle on Pokémon battling and figuring out the strengths and weaknesses of his team. He also learned of a few different tactics to employ with the Pokémon that he had, such as using Reggie as a Special Attacker or using Cocoa the Wooper to weaken and disorient opponents with her poison and ground attacks once she got stronger.

This all culminated in the realization that for the first time in a long while, Milo felt comfortable. At peace, happy with his lot in life, and finally able to go to school and make friends and learn at one of the best schools in the world. One that he had grown up hearing about from his parents all throughout his childhood.

The Galarian teen knew that there were of course downsides to being in Paldea, and he missed his home region sometimes. And while he was currently happy and in the honeymoon phase of being in Naranja Academy, Milo also knew that there were always going to be rough days ahead.

He could only hope he was strong enough to weather them.

"Come on, Juliana! We're gonna be late!" Milo called to the girl from outside her door, leaning against the wall as he played a game on his Rotom Phone. Cocoa the Wooper and Sparky the Pawmi watched the screen in fascination while Reggie yawned from the floor, curled up at Milo's feet.

"I'm hurrying, I'm hurrying-EEP!" Juliana's voice was cut off by a loud bang, followed by a groan of pain. Milo sighed and glanced down at his watch. While they still had some time before class, the two of them had wanted to grab some breakfast from some big bake sale happening in the foyer today that they had seen on a flyer.

"Are you alive in there, or should I go fetch help?" Milo asked in a bored tone as Sparky tried poking the screen of his Rotom Phone, only for Milo to gently move it out of reach.

"I'm…in pain. Hold on…owwwww…" Juliana opened the door a few moments later, limping out of it with a wince as she closed and locked her door. Milo sighed and returned his Pokémon before grabbing the girl's backpack from her, gallantly walking ahead of her as she hobbled alongside her best friend.

"Don't say I don't look out for you."

"Shuddap Milo. Ow ow ow…this sucks. Gonna be feeling this all friggin' day."

"How do you take so long in the mornings?"

"I said shut your face, Florian."

Milo rolled his eyes at the dig. She knew full well how much he disliked his first name, and so he simply decided to walk slightly faster in response, forcing Juliana to hobble along faster despite the pain she was in.

Yes it was petty. But Milo never claimed to be perfect.

"Freshly baked treats! Nice and warm, nice and cheap!"

As they reached the lobby, a familiar voice that Milo immediately recognized called out loudly. Milo glanced down from the staircase he was at now and gaped in surprise. Arven was standing in front of a large display in the main foyer of the Academy, surrounded by several tables and a massive line of what Milo realized were customers.

Dozens upon dozens of desserts and baked goods covered the tables, all wrapped and packaged with frilly bows and dainty wrappers. While one or two students helped ring up customers, it became clear that Arven was the one in charge of the food stand given how he was not only assisting customers, but manning the large portable oven behind him. He was wearing a hairnet and a large apron with a Slurpuff on it.

Juliana eyed the bake sale happening in the lobby with a terrible gleam of hunger in her eyes, and not for the first time Milo wondered if his best friend was part-Sharpedo. He also knew that not even Arceus itself would be able to stop the hungry girl from partaking in the bake sale happening, so with that Milo began moving towards the end of the line. Juliana snapped out of her trance and ran after her friend, eagerly awaiting her turn in line.

About ten minutes later, Milo and Juliana were standing in front of a rather surprised Arven, who gave them both a grin.

"Hey there, you two! Wanna buy some baked goods and donate to the Booster Club? All proceeds go straight to the school, and you get some tasty treats made by yours truly!" Arven said to them before his smile slipped away somewhat, replaced by something that Milo realized was mild concern as he saw Juliana eyeing his wares with a ravenous glare. "Uh, is she okay?"

"Let's just say this. The easiest way to Juliana's heart is through her stomach, and with the spread you've got out here she's in a whole other world." Milo remarked as Juliana eagerly picked up one of everything present, as well as three Pecha & Pinap Berry Muffins. The smile she was currently wearing was from ear-to-ear and practically lit up the entire foyer. "Seriously man, you made all of this yourself?"

"Yep! Honestly, the hardest part was carrying it all downstairs by myself! But I managed in the end." Arven said with a grin as Juliana deposited what she wanted in the small basket in front of the cash register. Arven's eyes went wide at the dozen or some pastries that the short girl had picked up, and after looking down at the excited Juliana, the taller teen glanced at Milo with some confusion.

"Don't ask. She's small, but her spirit animal is a Munchlax. It's genuinely insane how much food she can put down and not gain any weight." Milo said dryly, earning a venomous look from Juliana while Arven smirked at the exchange between the two friends.

"Hey, ain't nothing wrong with splurging a little, little buddy. Juliana, you don't have any allergies, do you?" Arven asked the girl as she pulled out her wallet to pay for her baked goods. Juliana shook her head and handed some cash to Arven, who happily took it and gave her back her change and bagged up the desserts in a rather cute shopping bag of a spider Pokémon Milo didn't recognize.

"Mama's gonna eat like a queen tonight!" Juliana practically sang as she accepted the bag from Arven with a joyous smile. "Arven, you rock and don't let anyone tell you otherwise."

"You should swing by Soapberry then. Miss Katy's a pro baker and the stuff she can come up with puts my stuff to shame." Arven remarked, a modest smile on his face.

"Don't sell yourself short. I don't really care for sweets all that much, and even I'm getting hungry looking at this stuff. And you said donations go to the Booster Club?" Milo asked the chef, who nodded.

"Yessir. This helps us put on extra school spirit events and helps the League out with funding stuff for the school. I figured since I'm hanging around a bit this month for personal reasons, I could help out. I think I put out a decent spread." Arven said with a surprising amount of humility considering the large line of customers and how happy Juliana was chowing down on one of the muffins. The three tables worth of baked goods was a testament to the young cook's skills.

"That's putting it lightly, Arven. Uh…give me some of that banana bread, if you don't mind. And some of the apple fritters. I can share them with Reggie, Sparky, Cocoa and Koraidon later." Milo said to the other teen, who grinned with delight and quickly sliced up some of the banana bread he had just finished preparing in the portable oven behind him just minutes ago. He swiftly rang Milo up and handed the other boy his breakfast and the treats for his team, with Milo inhaling the delicious scent with a smile.

"Thanks for this, Arven. I might have to come by after homeroom!" Milo laughed as Juliana licked her fingers behind him, with Milo pointedly handing her a napkin. The girl blushed in embarrassment before accepting the napkin (and discreetly using some hand sanitizer on her hands).

Arven shrugged his shoulders, but the older student couldn't resist a smile. "Thanks, little buddy. You two should get on going to class, though. There's only a few minutes left before the bell."

"What about you?" Milo asked.

"Got special permission since I'm part of the Booster Club. Besides, it's not like they've gotten on me about my truancy before." Arven said carelessly, shrugging his shoulders. Milo frowned at that, but decided that this was a conversation for another day. So instead he bid his friend farewell and ran after Juliana down the nearest hallway, with Arven and Skwovet waving to them both as they departed.

Several Days Later…

Nemona pretended not to hear the whispers as she made her way through the hallways.

"There goes the queen of the academy…"

"Miss Silver Spoon herself…"

"Jeez, she's scary. I bet any one of her Pokémon could sweep my whole team…"

The accusations and snide remarks that followed in her wake as she made her way through the halls of Naranja Academy. Nemona couldn't help the frown on her face as she continued to ignore the rude remarks that passed her by.

"Let them talk. Their words mean nothing…" Nemona thought with an inward sigh, reflecting on why her fellow students would say such things about her. It was frustrating, because for all of Nemona's strengths, she had a hard time understanding people. She was a master of the battlefield, but socially she was admittedly not the most skilled of warriors.

More often than not, Nemona spent time with her team or spending time in the teacher's lounge, looking into various things for the Pokémon League. And she enjoyed doing so, for the most part.

However there was a part of her that longed for something…more. She felt that part of her cry out when she was in the cafeteria, seeing students happily mingle with one another and chatting happily about their days. Battling students out in the courtyard, wearing determined smiles as they fought their hardest to win. Nemona couldn't really take part in any of that.

Nemona stopped in the middle of the hallways and sighed deeply, rubbing her forehead. Why did things have to be so complicated?

Before she could do much more than consider that question, her Rotom Phone began to ring. Surprised, Nemona pulled out her phone and saw it was Milo calling her. Nemona smiled upon seeing the name and tapped her phone, answering the call.

"Oh hey, Milo. What's up?" Nemona said brightly, forgetting her woes for a moment as she talked to her friend, a smile coming to her face. A few more whispers passed the Champion-ranked Trainer, but she was able to completely tune them out.

"I was gonna grab dinner in Mesagoza and wanted to know if you wanted to come with me. Juliana can't come since she's got two club meetings back to back." Milo explained as Nemona's eyes lit up with joy.

"Yeah, sure! Sounds like fun! Where'd you want to go?" Nemona asked excitedly, turning down a side hallway to head towards her room.

"I saw an advertisement for some battle food court thing and wanted to check it out. You can do solo or tag-team battles too, and the more battles you win the better the food you get and the cheaper the bill will be. We'd have to hop on the train or fly over there on a Flying Taxi or something, but it sounds worth it. You want in?" Milo asked the girl, who's smile practically split her face in two.

"Battles and dinner? Suena divertido!" Nemona responded with a laugh, delighted by the idea. She always appreciated new ways to experience the sport of battling and this sounded like it would be a blast.

"Feel free to invite anyone else you think might be interested! Milo needs to meet new people!" Juliana called from somewhere in the background, causing Milo to sigh and Nemona to chuckle with amusement. She enjoyed the fact that Milo's best friend from their home back in Motostoke was trying to help him get over his unease when talking to people. Nemona hadn't talked with Juliana as much as she did with Milo, but she was friendly enough.

"They're all busy, so it'll probably just be me and you. Unless you wanted to invite anyone else." Nemona said to her friend as she reached her room, closing and locking the door behind her.

"Nah, they're at some party tonight and I'm not in the mood for that. And I don't feel like listening to Arven whine about you, so I guess it'll be me and you in a battle for dinner." Milo said before Juliana burst out laughing in the background. "Stop laughing at me, you little twat! It's not what it sounds like."

"What does it sound like?" Nemona asked, genuinely confused.

"Seriously? A guy and girl getting dinner together on a Friday night? It's totally a da-" Juliana tried to reply, only for a loud thud to reverberate through the phone. After a few moments of shouting, Nemona frowned.

"Umm. Is everything okay?" the Champion-ranked Trainer asked.

"Peachy." Milo panted, picking up the phone again. "I'll meet you in a half hour. I need to get this clown out of my room, first."

"Bye Nemona! Qué tengas buenas noches!" Juliana called in the background before Milo hung up, likely so he could deal with Juliana's shenanigans. Nemona smiled as her Rotom Phone flew back into her backpack, already looking forward to spending time with her friend.

Two Weeks Later…

Milo frowned as he leaned back in his chair, considering the essay he was writing for Mr. Jacq while ignoring the sound of Cocoa splashing around in the bathtub in the other room.

Nearby, Reggie and Sparky were napping on his bed while Koraidon snored gently on a giant padded rug that he had moved into his room for the strange beast to sleep on. Milo wondered if the powerful Pokémon would be okay sleeping inside a somewhat small room like this and being cooped up in its Poké Ball all day long, but apparently that suited Koraidon just fine.

The teen smirked as he recalled Juliana's reaction to meeting the strange Pokémon the other week.

"Milo, what the hell is that and why is it trying to eat me?!"

"That's Koraidon. I'm taking care of him for Professor Sada. And it really likes sandwiches, so it's trying to get a bite of the sandwich you just made using my kitchen."

"Giaaaaah! No, this is my sandwich!"

"That's not how it works Juliana. If you make a sandwich, you have to split it with Koraidon. If you don't, then you're a bad person."

"It's my lunch!"

"Sounds like a you problem. I'll grab a knife so you can cut it in half."

"What the hell is even happening anymore?"

Milo grinned at the memory, laughing softly as he leaned back in his comfortable desk chair. He had been able to outfit his room with a few things to make things more homey. His mother had sent him his Switch and even sent him his signed poster of Kabu and Leon respectively, which Milo proudly put on his wall. It wasn't completely set up, but the room was becoming more comfortable with each passing day. As was the Academy, surprisingly enough.

If he wasn't hanging out with Juliana and her friends, he was tagging along with Nemona who was a constant source of amusement and fun. He had learned a lot more about battling from the Champion and was wondering if he should take her up on that offer to tour the Gym Circuit in Paldea. He wanted to test his skills, but the Nuzlocke Curse stayed his hand.

So instead he simply worked on learning as much as possible, which even went into learning more about himself. Especially since people like Juliana were determined to not let Milo be a recluse in his room.

Juliana practically dragged him out of his room and forced him to spend his evenings out and about in the school instead of relaxing in his room with the door locked. Whether those days were spent hanging out with Juliana and her friends or simply just walking around the campus was dependent on Milo's mood, but it was still something different.

Getting out of his comfort zone was…interesting. Before Naranja Academy, Milo could count the number of friends he had ever had on just one hand, and Juliana was at the top of the list. But now? Several people were wanting to spend time with him, such as Arven, Nemona, and Juliana.

He had even been invited to a dorm party here and there by Juliana's friends. While Milo did indeed have a very limited social battery, it seemed that just being there was more than enough for Juliana, Kara/Sara and Lalani, and the Galarian teen was allowed to hang around at the edge of the room and be a wallflower like he preferred to be.

The teen sighed and closed his book, shaking his head to dismiss the retrospective thoughts. It was too late at night and he'd gotten half the essay done. He'd finish it in the morning and maybe spend the day relaxing with Nemona out in the city. Sometimes Milo got the feeling that he was the only person Nemona actually hung out with, but it dismissed the thought as ridiculous.

Nemona probably had loads of friends and she personally helped the Pokémon League with important tasks. He was grateful that she had any time for him in the first place. Milo just hoped her boyfriend wasn't the jealous type.

"Come on, Cocoa! Time to start winding down for bed." Milo said as he walked into the bathroom, grabbing a towel from the sink as the Wooper continued to swim in circles with a big 'ol grin on her face. Milo unplugged the tub and scooped the Wooper up with a towel, earning a happy cry from Cocoa before Milo returned her.

Another thing Milo learned from his past three weeks at Naranja Academy was that every Pokémon had different likes, dislikes and preferences. For example, Cocoa preferred to sleep in her Poké Ball while Reggie and Sparky preferred to stay out of them. It was a learning experience and Milo relished everything he learned about his small family.

A yawn escaped the teen's mouth and he glanced at the clock. It wasn't that late, but it was late enough for him to be tired. With that, quickly went about his nightly routine and got ready for bed. He was surprised when he walked out of the bathroom to see that his phone was buzzing rather incessantly.

"Who's calling me this late at night?" Milo muttered as his Rotom Phone floated into the air. He recognized the colorful question marks that had shown up on his phone, and to his surprise his phone accepted the call without any input on his behalf.

"Good evening, Milo."

"Cassiopeia…What's up?" Milo asked guardedly, causing a distorted laugh to echo out from the Rotom Phone.

"The sky."

Milo groaned at the terrible joke, shaking his head. "Guess I fell for that one. What do you want? I was about to go to sleep."

"I won't be too long. I just wanted to follow up on our previous call. Discuss some more of the details and see if you're still onboard with Operation Starfall."

"I still don't know why you singled me out. I've got three Pokémon to my name, and you're asking me to battle a bunch of Team Star people who are probably a lot stronger and more experienced than me." Milo responded as he walked over to a small desk fan he had situated in his room and flicked it on. The comforting background noise was just enough to drown out the snores of his Pokémon.

"Hmmm. Well, I imagine you'll soon find yourself with a considerable amount of free time on your hands. You can probably use that time to beef up your team…We'll see how you feel then. I'm not exactly in a rush."

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Milo asked, frowning at the strange wording. Cassiopeia laughed in response, further annoying the teen.

"Oh, just a hunch. Naranja Academy likes to do this thing every year that…Ahh, I won't ruin the fun. Either way, I do agree with your assessment. You're good, but you definitely need more experience, power, and Pokémon if you're gonna actually be useful in Operation Starfall." Cassiopeia mused aloud as Milo sat back down at his desk, frowning in consternation.

"The more you talk, the more I don't trust a thing you say. I've never even seen you, Cassiopeia. How can I trust that this isn't some crazy prank?" Milo asked the stranger, who hummed for a moment.

"You can't. Not really. But I feel like I can trust you to keep this on the down-low. And I know that you're capable of taking down Team Star and putting an end to their schemes. It's just a matter of getting you to that point. But it's fine. I'll leave you alone for a while and give you some peace, if I rile you up so much."

Milo scoffed, shaking his head. "Rile me up. Yeah, okay."

"I dunno, I think you're getting annoyed quite quickly, Milo. But yes, Team Star will be quite tricky to take down at your current skill level. But they're a threat to the Academy and I have a vested interest in making sure they go down."

"Whatever. I'll think about it." Milo said with a shake of the head, seriously considering doing the exact opposite. He had no reason to go poking a hornet's nest like Team Star, especially as a total rookie. " So, what's your story?"

Milo had asked the question casually, leaning back in his chair. However, he soon noticed that quite a prolonged silence from Cassiopeia had been his answer. Milo started to wonder if the phone had crashed when he finally got a response.

"I don't like talking about myself. Hence the need for anonymity. However, I'll tell you what. If you do end up helping me see Operation Starfall to the end, Milo, I'll shake your hand in person."

"Are you that paranoid or just shy? There's really no need for so much cloak and dagger stuff, is there?" Milo asked incredulously, looking at the phone with surprise.

"Maybe, maybe not. I'll let you continue to speculate. After all, I don't dig into your business."

Milo considered that fact and frowned. Cassiopeia was good enough to hack into his phone repeatedly. It probably meant that they were good enough to hack into his records and learn a lot of things Milo would rather remain buried. "I appreciate that. Fine, I'll back off. But if I do end up going through with this, I'd like some answers."

"I'll think about it. However, I won't take up any more of your time. Goodnight, Milo. Chat with you soon." Milo blinked as the enigmatic Cassiopeia hung up, leaving the teen looking at his phone with a bewildered expression.

Cassiopeia leaned back in their chair, eyeing the bright screen with a troubled expression as they considered the conversation they just had with Naranja Academy's newest student and celebrity.

"He's not wrong. He's only got three Pokémon registered to him, and they're all pretty weak by the Paldean standard of things. But there's no mistaking that he's a sharp battler and if he's given the chance to explore his talent, he can flourish."

"But that could take years. Not everyone's a prodigy like Champion Nemona…Dang it. But it's not like I can reach out to anyone else for help." Cassiopeia remarked, sighing quietly as they considered their options. "I was lucky that he had such a high-profile encounter with Team Star and he's new on the scene here in Paldea. I'll have to keep in touch frequently and see how things play out."

They did feel bad about roping Florian Caballero into this against his wishes, but at the same time, the boy was at least kind enough to hear them out. So there was time to get Naranja Academy's new celebrity totally onboard with Operation Starfall.

"It's fine. There's plenty of time." Cassiopeia said with a faint smile on their face, leaning back in their chair. "Plenty of time for Milo to become a force to be reckoned with. And considering that he's backed by Nemona, there's no reason to doubt that he can fulfill the potential I think he's got. Yeah…no reason to worry at all."

Cassiopeia leaned back in their chair, smiling at the screen as they reached a hand forward, their fingers dancing across the keyboard fluidly as several images depicting several fortified structures appeared, complete with banners that had brightly-colored stars emblazoned on them. With each of those bases, a detailed list of names appeared beside them, as well as the pictures of five people that Cassiopeia stared at for a long while.

"All stars fade in time…and Team Star will be no different."

We're nearly done with the tutorial!

Shoutout those who reviewed since the last update, which includes BraviaryScout and a new reviewer known as Wyldclaw. Thank you both for your support!

That's all for now everyone! Please be sure to favorite/follow, review and kudos and all that cool stuff. Don't forget this story is also being cross-posted on AO3 if that's your jam instead of this site.

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Until next time, FlygonNick out!