Pokémon Nuzlocke Novels: Ancient Scarlet
Chapter 8: Strange New Friends
Nemona led Milo to one of the three mini-cafeterias that were present in Naranja Academy, and the new student was once again caught off-guard by the facilities provided. While the cafeteria was smaller than he imagined, it was fully decked out. There was a main service-line and a small section dedicated to pre-made sandwiches and meals for students who were trying to grab food to go. Off to the side was a large kitchen where student volunteers were helping prepare meals as well for hungry students. Nemona told Milo to snag whatever he felt like and skipped off to the main service line.
Milo nervously walked up to one of the lunch ladies, who gave the boy a friendly smile and said, "Hope your studies are goin' okay! What'll you have today?
"I'll have a whole Peanut Butter Sandwich and some milk, please." Milo said to the lunch lady after taking a few seconds to look over the menu. The woman happily pulled out a loaf of sourdough bread and expertly slathered it in peanut butter before swiftly dicing up a banana and placing them on the sandwich before handing that and a milk carton to Milo.
"Hoo! You must be hungry! Well, take care out there, dear! Enjoy your meal!" the lunch lady said brightly, with Milo nodding and thanking her before sitting down next to Juliana, who was waving to Milo from an empty section of a nearby table. A minute later Nemona joined them, giving the two freshman a warm smile.
"Oh wow, sitting with the Class Prez. How's it going, Champion Nemona?" Juliana asked the older teen, who responded with a joyful laugh.
"Just call me Nemona! You're Juliana, right? You're in the General Studies class with Miss Fairchild?" Nemona asked Juliana, earning a nod.
"Yep. I've only been here a few months, myself. Milo was supposed to come with me but then…well, things happened." Juliana finished lamely, partly because Milo gave her a sharp look that somehow Nemona missed.
"Well, he's here now! I'm glad I'm not the only friend Milo has at Naranja Academy. Did you know he was such a skilled Trainer?" Nemona asked Juliana, causing her to look at Milo with some confusion.
"No, actually. Milo didn't even have a Trainer's license back home. Though you were always annoyingly quick on the uptake. Doesn't surprise me that you're an awesome Trainer from the get-go." Juliana said as she gave her friend a smile. Milo shrank a bit in his seat, not particularly fond of the combined front of praise coming from the two girls. He chose to start eating so that he didn't have to immediately answer. Eventually he went back to one of his old reliable ways of killing a conversation, and that was passing the buck to someone else.
"Anyways, what have you been up to, Juliana? You and the other girls just randomly found me in the school before you took me on that tour." Milo tried to divert their attention.
"Oh, I was just seeing if there were any new school announcements. You'll sometimes find out about cool meetings and club meetups that aren't usually advertised by teachers or in class on handy bulletin boards scattered throughout campus." Juliana explained as Nemona nodded in agreement, with Milo looking rather interested.
"I might have to look into that. I'll probably want to do a club or two." Milo said as he considered it. "It'll be after I get settled in though. Maybe after all this attention dies down about the Team Star thing."
"Why not just run with it?" Nemona asked, tilting her head in confusion.
"Milo here doesn't like being the center of attention. That's why he keeps downplaying how cool it was that he made those Team Star dorks back off all on his own." Juliana said with a knowing smirk while Milo glared at his best friend.
"Traitor." Milo grumbled before tearing into his sandwich, promptly killing the conversation and allowing the teens to eat their dinners. Once most of the food was eaten, Nemona broke the silence with an excited smile.
"So what did you think of the school, Milo? Pretty awesome, right?" Nemona asked excitedly before devouring the rest of her sandwich, something that had fried eggs in it, bacon and some kind of gooey cheese. It smelled amazing though, and Milo decided then and there that he'd be trying whatever Nemona was having for dinner tomorrow.
"I'm liking it. Juliana and her minions showed me around the place, or at least most of it. It's even more impressive in person than it was in the brochures and reading material they gave me." Milo replied honestly, smiling at the Student Council President and earning a big grin in response.
"Minion!?" Juliana sputtered, completely flabbergasted. "You call them that like I pay them!"
"You mean they hang out with you willingly?"
"How dare you slander my good name like this? I should sue you for defamation!"
"Can you spell the word defamation?"
Nemona glanced back and forth at the two freshmen as they bickered back and forth. The girl opened her mouth to interject, but her Rotom Phone let out a soft beep, causing Milo and Juliana to jump in surprise.
Nemona's reaction was a sigh. "Well, that's all the time I've got. I need to start on some research in the Library before it gets too late. It was nice getting to eat with you both!"
"We should do this again sometime." Milo said with a smile to the Champion, causing her to smile brightly and nod. Meanwhile Juliana wore a knowing smirk, but she also nodded in agreement with Milo's statement.
"Absolutely! I'll catch you two later!" Nemona said as she hopped to her feet, with Milo and Juliana waving farewell to the Student Council President.
"I actually haven't had a chance to sit down and chat with her like this. She's actually alright." Juliana remarked with some surprise, earning a confused look from Milo.
"What do you mean by that? She's kinda ditzy, but she's been really nice to me the entire time I've been with her today." Milo said to his best friend, who hummed at that statement.
"Oh yeah, she's really nice. But she's also…kinda intimidating. She's really famous in the Paldea region and there's rumors that she's destined for some incredible things once she graduates." Juliana explained quietly, putting a finger to her chin. "She's also not the best when it comes to social settings. She means well, but she can come off as really socially inept and kinda rude."
"I think I get what you mean." Milo muttered, thinking back to several of his interactions with Nemona. "She was super helpful and walked me to school, though. I wanted to make friends here, and for better or worse, she's a friend. Maybe I can help her with that a bit, like she's been helping me."
Juliana gave her best friend a bright smile. "Good for you! You might have the social battery with about as much charge as a 50-year old flashlight but you're giving it your best to make some friends! Way to not be a total gremlin like you were back home, Milo!"
Milo narrowed his eyes at Juliana, who was smirking like crazy at him. "You keep talking trash, and I'll make sure to keep whatever snacks Mom sends to me as a care package all for myself. Including her peanut butter fudge!"
Juliana gave a horrified gasp at the threat. Hannah Caballero's famous Peanut Party Fudge had won the Motostoke Sweet Treat Competition for the past three years back-to-back.
The girl hung her head in defeat as Milo did a fist pump in victory. Milo then noticed that Juliana's expression had shifted into an uneasy one.
"I wanted to ask earlier…Um, how are you holding up? After the-" Juliana began to ask, only for Milo to shake his head.
"I have my good days and bad days. I'm honestly trying not to dwell on it and focus on the here and now. Hell, I just keep calling it the Incident instead of the actual name for it because I just…I don't want to think about it." Milo admitted, closing his eyes and exhaling hard. Juliana looked at her friend with open concern and grabbed his hand.
"No matter what, I'm here for you. Remember that. So's Mrs. Hannah and all the awesome friends you're gonna make here. We've got your back. Okay?" Juliana said intently as Milo opened his eyes and nodded at his best friend. Juliana let go of Milo's hand and the two of them got up to put away their dinner trays. It was then that Milo spotted someone he decidedly did not want to see again.
"Oh great…this guy." Milo muttered as he watched the familiar figure of Arven walk through the entrance to the cafeteria and walk over, stopping at the same counter they were at with a contemplative expression.
"What are you talking about?" Juliana asked as Milo tried to move away from Arven, who unfortunately glanced in their direction. Recognition registered in his eyes as he offered the two of them a friendly smile.
"Oh, hey. So we meet again!" Arven said to Milo, without any of the anger that Milo had remembered from their encounter just a few hours ago at the Lighthouse. "You remember me, right?"
"Yeah, from the lighthouse. Arven, right?" Milo replied tiredly, with Arven grinning at the younger student's response.
"Yeah, exactly! That's my little know-it-all-buddy! Got a mind like a steel trap, eh?" Arven said with a laugh as he crossed his arms, which threw Milo completely off. The last time he had run into Arven, he was forced into a battle where the teen was yelling furiously at him. Now they were buddies? "No need to tell me your name. Milo, right? The student council girl mentioned it earlier, but even if she didn't I would've known."
"What do you mean?" Juliana asked Arven, confused.
"Whole school seems to be talking about you. The new kid who showed up with the president of the student council and whooped Team Star's ass while protecting another student. Stuff like that gets around, you know?" Arven answered with a shrug.
"So here's my question…Why are we talking?" Milo asked, narrowing his eyes as Arven's own widened. "You lashed out at me and Nemona earlier and wouldn't stop talking crap about Koraidon, even after we explained how it saved my life. And now you're acting like we're the best of pals. What's going on?"
Arven looked taken aback for a moment before sighing, slumping his shoulders. "Y-yeah, alright. I'll admit it. I was acting like a total jerk earlier today. To be totally honest, you guys kinda caught me at the worst possible moment. I was emotional and angry and seeing Koraidon again just made me freak out. I shouldn't have taken that out on you and the student council girl…And I'm sorry. You didn't deserve any of that, and I shouldn't have taken my problems out on you both like that."
"At least you admit it…" Milo remarked before considering the other teen's words. Milo sighed and said, "You know what? Fine. We were both short with each other earlier. Let's try this again."
Arven was surprised when Milo extended a hand to him. "Florian Caballero. My friends call me Milo, though."
"I call him Princess Fluffyflower." Juliana chimed in, causing Milo's expression to sour. Arven fought back a snicker and he turned to the girl, extending a hand towards her. Juliana met his hand with a smirk. "I'm Juliana Anderson. Milo's my bestie from back home in Galar."
"I'm Arven Sada. Nice to meet you both, officially." Arven said with a nod, smirking at the dynamic between the two freshmen.
"Pleasure's all mine. So what the heck happened between the two of you?" Juliana asked, causing Arven's smile to take a slight hit as he turned away with a sigh. Milo and Juliana did catch sight of the guilty expression on his face.
"Like I said before, I lost my temper and acted like a jerk earlier. Milo here kicked my butt in a battle and snapped me out of things…and then apparently a few hours later started knocking around Team Star!" Arven remarked, sounding rather impressed. "Looks like you've got some serious skills, man."
"Thanks. So, now that we're on the same page, why are we actually talking in the first place?" Milo asked Arven, who turned away and considered that very question.
"I normally wouldn't even bother showing up for class, but I came all the way to school today just to talk with you - our new celebrity." Arven glanced at Milo with a serious expression. "You've gotta help me out so I can finally make my dream a reality!"
"What's this dream, first?" Milo asked suspiciously, crossing his arms. Juliana simply watched on, completely baffled as Arven turned around with a grin, giving Milo a thumbs up.
"Hehehe…Caught your interest, have I? You want to hear all about my dream, right?" Arven said as he put his hands on his hips. "Well, this might come as a surprise, but fact is, I'm all about that picnic life: the great outdoors, the perfectly prepared sandwiches, all of it. Not half bad at cooking either, I can tell you."
"Okay, so what's the catch?" Milo asked Arven, who set down his backpack and pulled out a dark red book from within. The tall teen flipped through it and continued explaining. "Right now I'm researching new recipes that'll help Pokémon feel better. Real health food, see. I found this book the other day, and it had a section about these Herba Mystica things…Basically, they're some kind of special herbs that heal up any Pokémon as soon as it eats them!"
"Oh wow, so it's like a panacea?" Juliana asked with a curious expression.
"I don't think they have anything to do with pancakes." Arven said with a shake of the head, causing Milo and Juliana to exchange a bewildered look. "Now, there are a total of five different types of Herba Mystica, based on what I read. Just taking a little lick of them once they've been powdered will get your blood flowing, provide nutrients, prevent aging- it'll even boost the immune system!"
"That sounds pretty incredible." Milo admitted, nodding along with what Arven was saying.
"These herbs seem like they're the real deal. Only found here in Paldea-and rare to boot!" Arven said excitedly, but his tone dimmed a bit as he added, "But the book says they're all guarded by Titan Pokémon, meaning that it's gonna be pretty tough to try to grab even a few sprigs."
"Titan Pokémon? That sounds like a fairy tale, Arven." Juliana said to the teen with a frown, even as Arven flipped through a few pages of the book he held.
"'Cause, see, Titans are-Well, I think they've gotta be…things like this!" Arven said as he showed them two pages from the book, at the top of one of the pages was a short passage with the title Monsters of Area Zero.
"As we descended further into Area Zero, we began to catch glimpses of mysterious Pokémon-though we wondered if these huge, ferocious beasts were indeed Pokémon at all. One of our team suffered a brutal blow from such a beast and was mortally wounded, forcing us to retreat for a time." Milo read quietly, eyeing the strange drawing of a massive tusked monster with tough-looking armor and a tail.
"That's not all. There's more!" Arven said as he flipped the page, showing a blurry photograph that was somewhat torn and withered with age, though Milo and Juliana could tell it was a picture of the same monster that had been drawn in the previous page.
"A member of the survey team captured this photograph by chance. I notice a passing resemblance to the Pokémon known as Donphan, yet differences such as its sheer size and shape of its back set it apart-as do its great tusks." Juliana recited from the book, shivering slightly at the strange creature shown in the photo. It definitely didn't look like any Donphan she had ever seen.
Arven snapped the book shut and put it away, hefting his backpack onto his shoulders as he sighed, turning away from them. "I really want to get those herbs for myself, but…I'm not very good at Pokémon Battles."
The tall teen looked down at the ground as he muttered, "Don't have any friends with strong Pokémon to lend me a hand, either…And I'd never hear the end of it if I went crawling to that student council girl."
"You know, she's really not that bad man-" Milo began to say before Arven turned around, excitement on his face.
"But here you waltz up! You've got to help me out with this-you'd be perfect!" Arven said to Milo, practically begging the other teen to help. Before Milo could speak to give his answer, Arven held up a hand. "Nope! Wait! I don't need an answer yet! I'll just register the places where it seems there might be Titans in your map app for you."
"...Fine. I'll think about it." Milo grudgingly got out his phone as Arven's phone (covered in flowers and a stylish Flabébé), sent him the map data. Five icons showed up detailing the types of the five Titans, each with an odd name to them.
Milo could have sworn he heard another bell toll, much like earlier with Nemona when she was asking about the Gyms. The Voice snickered in Milo's mind again, but he ignored that and focused on Arven speaking.
"Let it stew a bit, and we can get more into the details later. And in the meantime…take this. A little gift for listening and all." Arven said as he pulled out a small satchel and handed it to Milo. The Galarian teen would later discover it was a bag of Stardust.
"Give the idea some serious thought! Please!" Arven called to Milo as he suddenly bolted out of the cafeteria, nearly knocking over a student as he did so.
"Juliana…what the hell did I just walk into with this school?" Milo asked his best friend, who offered him a shrug in response.
"Don't blame this on the Academy. It's been pretty dull here. You're the one with the crazy life." Juliana said as she smirked at Milo, who sighed and hung his head. "We should get going, though. I've got an archery club meeting in a half hour that I can't miss.."
"You go ahead. I'm gonna snag a desert and…process all of that." Milo muttered, rubbing his temples as Juliana looked at him with some concern.
"You sure? You seem…pretty stressed. You usually have a better poker face than this."
"I know. Today's been fun, but it's also been a lot to take in at once and I'm not as good at handling stress as I used to be. I can give you my new number so we can text later, go do your thing." Milo remarked as he and Juliana both pulled out their Rotom Phones, exchanging contact info and a fist bump before the girl bounded off, waving at her friend as she departed. Milo went to the main line of the cafeteria and bought a pudding cup, taking a few minutes to regain his composure and simply enjoy the desert.
As he got up and threw his trash away, he made a move to leave the Cafeteria when his phone started ringing, which Milo was confused by because he had the phone set to silent. The teen was even more confused when his Rotom Phone popped out of his pocket and floated in front of him. On the screen was a single question mark that changed colors every few seconds. Milo then realized that someone had called him and that the phone had answered the call by itself.
"...This is Florian Caballero, correct? Better known as Milo?" the voice spoke through Milo's phone, their voice strangely distorted so that Milo couldn't tell what they sounded like at all.
"Okay, this is…new. What the hell?" Milo muttered as he stared at his phone, glancing around the cafeteria to see if anyone was messing with him.
"I hacked your smartphone so I could talk to you. Hope you don't mind."
"I'm sorry, who are you?" Milo asked, genuinely puzzled as to why anyone would go through the trouble of hacking his phone to speak with him.
"My name's Cassiopeia. But never mind that-it's you I want to talk about. I hear you're a Trainer with serious potential. If that description is accurate, there's something I'd like to ask of you."
"Seriously, first Arven and now you. I just started this Pokémon Trainer thing today. Am I really that big of a deal?" Milo demanded, causing Cassiopeia to remain silent for several long seconds.
"I understand you may be frustrated. Please, at least hear me out." Cassiopeia said to Milo, who crossed his arms and sighed with frustration. "Milo, you are getting noticed. Your actions today have the school buzzing. Rumors are flying around about the new student who showed up alongside the Champion-ranked Student Council President…And caught my attention."
"My actions?" Milo asked, confused.
"Yes. Tell me, Milo…You know about Team Star, right?"
"Yes. I beat two Team Star Grunts who were bugging a girl with an awesome Eevee backpack." Milo informed Cassiopeia, seeing no reason to lie about it. If they were reaching out to him directly, it's likely they had heard about it. Or seen the video like Juliana had.
"Great. I appreciate you being up-front here."
"Listen, you hacked my phone and made it clear you know some stuff about me. I'm not about to make you mad." Milo admitted, shrugging his shoulders. He then realized something terrible, and it was a thought he had to say aloud. "You can't see my internet history, can you?"
"I could take a peek at it if I felt like it. I just have no reason to."
"And just like that, you're already more terrifying than the Houndoom that nearly killed me today." Milo muttered under his breath before saying aloud, "Okay, so what about Team Star?"
"I saw the video circulating around school about how you trounced two of them back-to-back, despite being a greenhorn Trainer. Needless to say, it's impressive, even if you don't seem to agree."
"Okay. But what exactly is Team Star? They looked like a bunch of annoying bullies from what I could tell. Is there something more to them?" Milo asked Cassiopeia, who went silent for several long moments before responding.
"Team Star is a group of troublemakers formed by some Academy students a while back…They cause headaches for the school and try to bring other students down to their level. And I refuse to sit idly by and let them get away with it! So I've come up with a plan to take down Team Star and force them to disband for good. I call it…Operation Starfall!"
"Sounds overly dramatic. Actually, it reminds me of an anime I saw once." Milo remarked, thinking about a show he watched with Juliana before things went pear-shaped back in Galar.
"...Anyways, I would do this on my own, if I could. But I'll need allies to carry out this operation…and I'd like you to be one of them."
"Are you serious? This has nothing to do with me, why would I-" Milo tried to say, only to be cut off by Cassiopeia.
"No need to reply right this second. We can discuss the details another time. Till then, I'll leave you to it. Bye."
And like that, the question mark vanished from Milo's phone as Cassiopeia hung up. The Rotom Phone shuddered for a moment before flying back into Milo's pocket.
"Seriously, what the hell is going on here? That's the third time I've been asked to take part in something totally out of the blue. Did you have something to do with this, you stupid voice?" Milo demanded angrily, only to get an ethereal chuckle in response.
Nope. I only affect things that have to do with the battles you go through. The school stuff is all just life in this wacky world you call your reality.
"You make it sound like you're not part of this reality…You know what. Don't answer that. You're just going to be cryptic and make my migraine worse." Milo muttered as he rubbed his temples as the Voice snickered. "I wanted to make friends here, damn it. Not get wrapped up in nonstop drama."
"Ah, Master Milo." The boy snapped out of his thoughts when Director Clavell himself walked through the door, looking at him with an odd expression.
"Oh, sorry sir. I didn't mean to block the way. I'll get going now." Milo said apologetically, moving to the side of the room.
"Thank you. However, a word of warning." The Director said, his voice dropping to an undertone. "Please do try to keep your voice down if you're making calls within the school, won't you?"
"I'll be more careful." Milo promised, nodding at Clavell who considered the new student for a moment before smiling at him.
"You don't want anyone else overhearing any personal information, after all. Honestly…There are so many things we need to be careful about in this day and age." Clavell remarked ruefully, shaking his head in dismay. He then gestured towards the door and said, "On you go, then, young man."
"Of course. Have a good day sir." Milo said to the man before walking away, with the Director waving farewell to Milo. After a few moments the man lowered his hand and looked away, his expression contemplative.
"Team Star, you say…?" Director Clavell muttered to himself, shutting his eyes for a brief moment and adjusting his glasses. He considered the conversation he had just overhead, as well as the new student who had already begun making waves at the school.
"And that's on top of the request she sent for me earlier…Intrigue swirls around you, Florian Caballero. I hope you settle in quickly enough, because it seems as though your days here in Paldea will be quite busy indeed." Clavell thought to himself before heading over to grab himself some dinner prior to his meeting later. Or at the very least, one of the very appetizing fruit cups that were practically calling his name from across the room.
Milo sighed with relief as he pressed a cold water bottle against his forehead, sitting in one of the plush armchairs of the Main Entrance as Reggie, Sparky and Cocoa sat in his lap snacking on some candy that he had bought from a vending machine.
Unfortunately he was starting to get a headache from the stress of the day. It was insane to think that everything that had happened so far had only occurred over the course of about eight hours or so, but it was his life now. And that wasn't even taking into account the strange voice and the deadly challenge he was now forced to undergo.
"Calling Master Milo to the Director's Office, please. Once again…Master Milo to the Director's Office, please." Clavell's voice spoke over the intercoms, with the pleasant tone chiming again before the intercom switched off.
"I guess there's no rest for the wicked." Milo sighed as he dug out the Poké Balls and returned his team before lurching out of the chair. He made his way to one of the terminals and pulled up a map to the Director's Office, and after two wrongs turns (and nearly running into an annoyed Oranguru) Milo arrived at the Director's door and knocked three times.
"Come in!"
Milo entered the office and walked past what resembled half of a science lab and half of an office. Milo made his way across the room and over to where Clavell was sitting behind his desk, with his Quaxly napping in the corner with a small nameplate that read Quincy. Director Clavell looked up from his desk and nodded at the student entering the room.
"Thank you for coming, Master Milo. Have you been enjoying your time here at Naranja Academy?" Clavell asked the boy politely, gesturing for him to take a seat in the cushy chair that was on the other side of the desk.
"Yes sir. Nemona's been showing me the ropes, and I got a tour of the school from Juliana. It's been great, but I am getting run a bit ragged." Milo answered honestly as he sat down, earning a pleased smile from the Academy Director.
"That is most wonderful to hear." Clavell said as he leaned back in his chair. "I'll admit, I was a little worried that you would have trouble adjusting to the school given the events that had occurred back in Galar. I'm happy your rehabilitation went smoothly and you're able to embark on this journey into academia with us, Master Milo."
Milo frowned and leaned back in his chair as well, his expression one of frustration before he offered the Director a smile. The mask was back in place. "Well, I'm happy to be here, in any case."
"Of course. Now, you may be wondering why we could not have simply conversed earlier in the cafeteria." Clavell said as he stood up, walking towards the TV on the side of the room. Milo stood up and walked over to him, confused at the strange change in topic.
"I assumed it was because you wanted dinner. Was there another reason?" Milo asked, realizing that this was indeed a bit odd.
"Not quite, though I did enjoy a refreshing fruit cup at the cafeteria before returning to my office." Clavell admitted, chuckling softly. "Let me assure you, there is a reason why I asked you to meet me here in my office."
"It seems a friend of mine has a rather serious matter that they would like to discuss with you." Clavell explained, causing Milo to glance around the room for several moments. To his confusion, he and the Director were the only ones present.
"Ah, no, I'm afraid they aren't actually here in this room with us. One moment, please. Just allow me to connect us…" Clavell said as he grabbed a remote from his desk and began to fiddle with it. "Oh blast, how do you do this again…Input 2? Or was it Input 1?"
Several embarrassing minutes later the TV was both turned on, and tuned to a camera call that was already in progress.
On the screen was a rather attractive woman who looked to be in her mid-to-late twenties. She had wild light brown hair that tumbled down her back and cyan eyes. She wore a rather primitive-looking orange dress and a necklace that looked to be made of beads and stones, along with a white lab coat with a faint pink fur trimming.
The woman gave the two of them a friendly wave and a smile. "Hello, Florian. It is nice to meet you. My name is Professor Paulina Sada. I carry out Pokémon research within the Great Crater of Paldea - at a site known as Area Zero."
An image suddenly appeared on the screen showing the crater in question, mostly obscured by thick cloud cover. The image vanished a few moments later. Director Clavell took that moment to explain things further.
"The Professor is, in fact, a graduate of our fine Academy, as well as a splendid researcher. She specializes in researching the Terastal Phenomenon as well as the development of Pokémon from the past to the present day." Director Clavell told Milo, who looked at the man with surprise.
"Well. Allow me to get straight to the point." Professor said as she closed her eyes, scratching the side of her head for a moment. "Florian Caballero, student ID number 805C393…You are the student that travels with the unusual Pokémon Koraidon, is that correct?"
"Yes ma'am." Milo responded, causing the Professor to smile at him.
"Thank you. I appreciate that you were honest in confirming the facts." Professor Sada said before she seemingly caught herself. "Ah, not that I-I do not mean to offend you. In fact, I wish to ask for your assistance."
"Assistance? Umm…with what ma'am?" Milo asked, genuinely confused as to why such a renowned researcher was seeking him out personally. Sada opened her mouth to answer, only for a Poké Ball on Milo's hip to open of its own accord in a flash of light.
Koraidon appeared with a soft growl, padding forward and surprising both Milo and especially Director Clavell, who actually staggered back with a horrified expression on his face. Sada grinned upon seeing the Koraidon, who tilted its head at her and barked out.
"How good it is to see that you are well. It has been quite a while since we last met, my friend." Professor Sada said to Koraidon, earning another happy snarl from the strange Pokémon. Milo and Clavell turned back towards the screen as the Professor explained.
"Koraidon was once in my care, you see." Sada explained to the two of them, holding a hand to her chest for a moment. "Its Poké Ball was also originally mine. I assume you received it from a young man called Arven."
"Yeah. He challenged me to a battle to see if I was good enough to control Koraidon. I beat him and he handed me the Poké Ball." Milo explained, causing the Professor to blink twice in surprise before nodding.
"That does not surprise me." Professor Sada remarked, sighing softly. "I have been attempting to reach out to Arven for quite some time. He is understandably frustrated with me and…well, that's another topic for another day."
Clavell and Milo exchanged a brief glance of confusion at that. Milo remembered how angry Arven had gotten when Nemona had mentioned his mother. While the woman herself seemed to be nice, Milo wondered what the situation was between them.
"Back to Koraidon. I am no longer in any position to be able to manage that Pokémon myself." the Professor said as she shut her eyes, opening them a moment later as she gathered her thoughts. "This is what I would ask of you: Will you continue looking after Koraidon on my behalf?"
"Sure thing. I think we'll end up being pretty good friends. Ain't that right?" Milo asked Koraidon, who growled in agreement before licking Milo's cheek. The boy flinched away, laughing as he wiped the slobber away from his mouth before rubbing Koraidon's head. Clavell and Sada watched the display with amused smiles.
"I do appreciate your agreement." Professor Sada said gratefully as Koraidon tried to lick Milo again, only to catch sight of the Quaxly napping nearby. "Koraidon has been greatly weakened and is currently incapable of battle. It can, however, take on a form specialized for mobility."
"When I met it, Koraidon did transform for a few minutes into its battle form. It was incredible…but then it went back to this state." Milo explained to the Professor, who nodded in response.
"In all likelihood, it will require some time to fully regain the capabilities it once had." Professor Sada explained to the boy before gesturing with her hand. "I will provide you with my contact information. If you would please get out your phone?"
Milo pulled out his Rotom Phone as it synced with the data Professor Sada was transmitting, registering her as a contact in his phone. "I will be in regular contact going forward to keep tabs on your status. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out in return. Until then."
Professor Sada waved cheerily to them for a brief moment before walking off-camera, with the connection cutting a few moments later. Koraidon cried out, stepping forward and barking several times before lowering its head, sighing despondently.
"What's the matter, bud? You sad that the Professor couldn't stick around?" Milo asked the Pokémon, who nodded morosely. "I'm sure we can chat with her later. How's that sound?"
While Milo was talking to Koraidon, Director Clavell was watching the two of them with an intense expression, a feeling of stunned amazement running through the older man.
"Could this Pokémon have its origins within Area Zero…?" Clavell whispered to himself, looking away as the implications dawned on him. "Sada…Don't tell me you actually did it…"
"Everything okay, Director Clavell?" Milo asked, looking at the man in confusion. Clavell coughed and regained his composure, smiling at Milo as if nothing was wrong.
"Well, it seems that the Professor is asking quite the favor of you." Clavell remarked as Milo returned Koraidon, turning towards the Director. "But of course the Academy is always here to support you in any way that we are able."
"Thank you, sir." Milo replied gratefully, looking down at the Poké Ball that contained Koraidon, which Milo now knew originally belonged to Professor Sada herself.
"I do hope you'll continue to enjoy your school life, together with that Koraidon." Clavell said to Milo, nodding to the boy. "That's all for now, Master Milo. You may depart now. Classes have ended for the day, so have free reign to go as you will. Just be aware of the 2300 curfew for students on Academy grounds and that class begins at 0800 in the morning at your homeroom."
"Of course sir. I'll get out of your hair. Have a good night!" Milo said to the man, who smiled and nodded at the teen before turning towards the window and walking towards it, staring at across Mesagoza with a troubled expression.
As Milo turned around and began to walk away, he caught the Director muttering to himself. "Area Zero, hm…What are you doing down there, Professor…?"
Milo stopped in his tracks, glancing back at Director Clavell who was not paying any attention to Milo. But the boy made his way towards the door, knowing that it was rude to eavesdrop-
And then suddenly Nemona!
"Hellooo! 'Scuse me!" Nemona's voice called out, knocking three times before bursting into the room. Surprisingly enough this did nothing to disturb Director Clavell, and Milo was soon distracted himself by his cheery neighbor.
"Oh! You're still here, Milo!" Nemona said with a smile before bursting into giggles. "Oof. Getting called into the Director's office? How'd you land in that much trouble already?"
"It was probably all of the drugs I did in the bathroom on the way here." Milo said sarcastically, causing Nemona to laugh even harder.
"Naw, kidding! I know it wasn't like that." Nemona giggled before turning around, grinning at Milo. "Mr. Jacq wanted me to show you the way to your room in the school dorms."
"Oh. Somehow I totally forgot about that." Milo remarked, realizing he never even considered that part of his time here at school.
Nemona seemed to be more hyped about Milo's room than he was, because she started fist-pumping with excitement. "Your very own private room, Milo! Let's go check it out!"
Twenty minutes later, Nemona and Milo had walked to the student dorms section of the school. Students were milling about here and there, walking past them or chatting with friends. Milo noticed that every single one of them glanced at Milo and Nemona with surprised expressions, making sure to move aside for the formidable Student Council President and the new celebrity on campus.
Eventually they reached room 2-CH and Nemona pulled out a key and handed it to Milo. The teen took a moment to carefully insert the key and unlock the door, which opened after Milo turned the handle. Milo stepped into the dark room with Nemona close behind, and to his surprise the lights in the room turned on themselves, showing Milo his new living space.
"Ta-ta-tachán!" Nemona said as she whirled around and threw apart her arms dramatically. "From today on, this is your room, Milo!"
The dorm room was more than what Milo was expecting. It was a rather large room with an entryway that led to a small personal and modern kitchen area with a hot plate and a microwave, as well as a sink and several cupboards and drawers for Milo to keep and store items. To his immediate right upon walking into the room was a potted plant and a door that led to a rather nice bathroom, complete with a toilet, sink, and walk-in shower for him to use.
To the right of the kitchen was a side room where the bedroom was, with a large comfortable-looking bed sat against the wall by the window with a thick orange comforter on top and a fluffy pillow that was practically calling Milo's name at this point. Several boxes that were marked with his name were stacked against the wall as well by the L-shaped desk in the corner of the room. Milo also spotted a nightstand and a shelf at about eye-level above the desk, presumably to put knick-knacks and decorations.
"This is really nice." Milo let out a low-whistle, eyeing the place with an amazed expression. "And this is all mine? What the heck am I going to do with all of this space?"
"Yep yep. Mine looks something similar to this, but as for this place, it's as new to me as it is to you. Never been in here before." Nemona admitted with a shrug as she looked around the room. "Maybe check out your new bed? Looks comfy. And you must be pretty worn out from all this stuff happening on your very first day, huh? You can decorate later. And if you want, I can help!"
"Decorating later sounds good. I'm wiped out." Milo sighed with a rueful smile, causing Nemona to chuckle at her friend.
"Yep! A quick rest on a bed is all you need to get yourself and your Pokémon healthy again!" Nemona said brightly before realizing that her statement wasn't exactly true. "I mean, unless the Pokémon is super big. Then you may need a bigger bed. Or the floor. Thinking about it now, that's actually kinda silly, huh?"
"Probably? Is there anything else I need to do, or am I basically just getting settled into things?" Milo asked Nemona, who responded with a bright smile.
"Just unpack and unwind. I'll see you tomorrow, when you've rested up. Then we can battle even more! Take care!" Nemona said with a bright smile, which Milo matched with a thumbs up.
"See you later. Thanks for everything, Nemona." Milo said gratefully to the girl as she departed, waving at Milo as she passed by before exiting the room.
The moment Nemona departed Milo let out a deep sigh and called out his three Pokémon and Koraidon before slowly walking over to his bed and collapsing into it, kicking off his shoes haphazardly. The exhausted teenager was out cold in less than a minute, snoring softly as all of the sudden surprises and stresses of the day caught up with him.
The tutorial for this one takes ages. Ah well.
Big shoutout to BraviaryScout for reviewing the last update! Please remember to show your support with a favorite and/or follow and to review in the section below!
Take care and stay awesome!
Until next time, FlygonNick out!