Pokémon Nuzlocke Novels: Ancient Scarlet
Chapter 21: Open Your Heart
Artazon, an hour after Milo defeated Brassius…
The Paldean sun shined brightly overhead as Milo, Nemona, Hannah, Hassel and Brassius set up their picnic behind the Gym Building, which ended up being next to the large pool in town. The food was good, of course, but the company was better.
Hassel, of course, was intrigued by Koraidon when Milo had called out the draconic mount to enjoy another one of Hannah Caballero's fantastic sandwiches. When Milo explained to the teacher that he was looking after the beast as a favor to Professor Sada, Hassel seemed impressed and counseled Milo to seek out his expertise at Naranja Academy.
"Dragon-type Pokémon are powerful and beautiful in their own way, but caring for one and commanding it in battle can be difficult even for skilled Trainers. I have plenty of dragonlore sequestered away back at school that you're more than free to borrow if it means properly taking care of Koraidon." Hassel said before crouching down to look at the scarlet-scaled lizard. Koraidon always enjoyed meeting new people and was happy to lick the face of Hassel, who laughed with delight.
Nemona in particular was quite happy about being able to spend time with her friend and the other adults, her ever-present curiosity quietly bubbling away under the surface. It was most apparent when Hannah Caballero discussed her school days back at Naranja Academy almost two decades prior, when she briefly attended as a foreign exchange student from Galar.
"I got selected in a big lottery my school back in Motostoke held every year, and got to go to Naranja Academy for a full year." Hannah recounted to an amazed Nemona, with the others listening in with interest. The artist was calmly petting Storm the Wattrel on the head, having the rather aggressive bird totally calm in her lap. Milo had frequently made comments about how the bird was a little hellion, but it seemed Hannah had her completely under control.
"I enjoyed my time there. The teachers were kind and my friends took me around quite a bit of Paldea before I had to leave." Hannah said fondly, looking into the sky and casting her mind back. "The culture shock was pretty bad, but I got used to the spicy food and strange Pokémon. Whether it was going to the beaches near Levincia or skiing down the slopes of Glaseado Mountain, Paldea has held plenty of amazing memories for me to look back on. My little Milagro has heard me and his father talk about it forever."
"It's lived up to the hype." Milo said with a smirk, patting Koraidon's side as the draconic mount plopped down on the ground next to him and Reggie. "Naranja Academy has been great too."
"Mmhmm. Plenty of good times there. Learned a lot, plus I made some lifelong friends that I'm still in contact with, like Hassel here. And that was where I met Milo's father. I remember that day pretty fondly too, since that was when I got into a huge fight in the cafeteria." Hannah said with a wistful sigh, closing her eyes and putting a finger on her chin. "Some big jerk was giving poor Hassel some grief, since you were an older student returning to school for some extra credits or something."
"I was taking a sabbatical and returned to Naranja to find myself, and decided to pursue some further education. However, just because I was nearly twenty by that point didn't mean I was immune to bullying. If I recall, you confronted the goons harassing me and told them to…what was it?" Hassel asked Hannah, who smirked.
"I told them to piss off and go jump head-first down the big steps in front of school." Hannah remarked as she sipped her tea. Nemona's eyes went wide at that while Milo smirked, knowing how the story ended.
"Ooooh…I bet they didn't like that." Brassius said with a small laugh, with Hannah nodding.
"No, they didn't. Because they turned towards making fun of me and my Galarian accent. And of course, I wasn't going to take any of their rubbish. So I stood my ground." Hannah said, causing Hassel and Brassius to exchange a glance.
"And that means…?" Brassius asked before taking a drink.
"I kicked the main offender in the balls and then punched him in the face so hard he lost his front tooth." Hannah said flatly, causing Brassius to choke on his lemonade while Hassel chuckled. Milo just grinned with pride, knowing already how the story ended. Nemona had stars in her eyes, amazed at how bold the woman was. "I got yelled at by a teacher afterwards, but I didn't care. No one messes with my friends."
"So that's where you met Milo's father?" Nemona asked with interest, with Hannah nodding with a warm smile.
"Yes, my Diego was a charmer even back then. He asked me to marry him as soon as the teacher stopped yelling at me, right in the middle of a crowd of students! I turned him down then, of course, but I did say I'd let him take me out to dinner." Hannah said with a wink as Hassel and Brassius chuckled. Nemona looked completely stunned at this news while Milo remained quiet, sipping his lemonade with a small smile. Nemona seemed like she wanted to ask more questions, but Hassel interrupted with his own anecdote.
"Your little whirlwind romance with Diego was the talk of the school for weeks. The foreign exchange student going out with the bad boy who taught the younger freshman students how to gamble and fleeced the Battle Studies teacher out of his entire paycheck? Scandalous!" Hassel laughed with delight, grinning widely.
"Sounds like he's pretty cool! What does Mr. Caballero do if you're an artist?" Nemona asked Hannah, who smirked in response, but it was Hassel who answered.
"Besides win all the time?" Hassel remarked with another chuckle. "Diego Caballero professionally played poker and was a lifetime gambler who constantly defied the odds. He also battled at a high level, earning Champion Rank himself back here in Paldea before moving to gamble in various places and tournaments across the world." Hassel explained to Nemona, who looked amazed to hear that Milo's father once held the same rank she had attained as the youngest Champion in Paldea's history.
"He was known as the 'Cascarrafa Cardshark'. I remember sometime a few years ago he beat Grimsley in a game of Sinnohan Showdown in the finals of that year's International Poker Tour held in Jubilife City." Hannah added, giggling softly in amusement. "I seem to recall the poor Grimsley never got over the shock of losing a small fortune in a single game. It paid for our family trip to Wyndon to see Leon defend the title at the Champion Cup."
"Whoa…that's so cool." Nemona muttered, excitement in her eyes. She glanced over at Milo, and was curious as to the completely neutral expression on his face before he gave her a shy smile and looked away.
Present Day
Nemona was deep in thought as she and Milo trekked up to the upper floors of Naranja Academy and the younger student knocked on the door of a door covered in posters and crude drawings of what looked like crystals.
She was worried about her friend. And not just because he was hiding things, but because he wasn't okay. Nemona may not have been as good with friends as she was with battles, but she knew in her heart that her Rival was hiding something.
The crystal-covered door opened and Milo was greeted by a taller student in a Naranja Academy uniform who looked around his age. He had dark green hair and wore black glasses, his dark brown eyes glancing over Milo and Nemona curiously before a tired smile crossed the teen's face.
"Hey there, how can I help you both?" the teen said as he opened the door fully. Milo stood there for a moment, his brain freezing at the sudden prospect of introducing himself, before Nemona nudged him and kick-started his brain into saying something.
"Um, hi. The name's Milo. I've been exploring a lot of the Tera Dens with the Crystal Containment Crew, and some of them told me I should come back and talk with the Club President. That's you, right?" Milo said haltingly, nervous despite himself.
The teen didn't seem the least bit bothered, and instead hummed for a moment before nodding and letting them into the room. "Right, right. I got a few texts from my friend Eli about some student who was particularly helpful about some of the Tera Dens lately. Your name's popped up in a lot of the reports I've been catching up on."
It took Milo a moment to remember the name of the student who had been part of the very first team he had battled alongside in the Tera Dens. "That's right."
"Well, the name's Flynn Caddel! I'm in the Humanities track. Nice to meet ya, Milo!" the tall student said enthusiastically, shaking Milo's hand firmly. He then looked over to Nemona, who was watching the exchange with interest. "Didn't mean to ignore you, Champion Nemona. Are you here to help out or are you hanging out with this guy?"
"I came for moral support." Nemona said with a cheery smile, patting Milo's shoulder and making him flush despite himself. Flynn smirked at the exchange and wriggled his eyebrows at Milo, but turned around and faced a large map of Paldea behind him pinned onto the chalkboard with four throwing knives.
"Well, we're always looking for more members to join the crew. Keeping the Tera Dens in check is important business, and the Pokémon League helps keep our club funded since our expeditions into the Wilds help keep the region safe." Flynn explained as he poked the dead center of the map. "Tera Dens have been popping up more and more often, and even with our club at work, it's tough staying on top of it."
"And…I'm willing to bet that something in Area Zero is the cause." Flynn said dramatically, turning around and grinning at Milo and Nemona. Suddenly a stern and annoyed voice cut across the room.
"Flynn, stop boring them and get to the point."
All eyes turned to another teen who slowly rose from a nearby couch, tousling his long black hair and giving them all a smug smirk. He was tall and looked older than them by several years, with tanned skin and several faded scars on his face.
"Whatever Rafael. Are you done with your nap? Or do you want a foot rub before bed?" Flynn said sarcastically, which made the older student think for a sec before waving a hand dismissively.
"Meh. It's too crowded up here. Didn't expect La Primera's prized Champ to come up and grace us though." Rafael remarked with a raised eyebrow, causing Milo to frown. The older student's tone was disrespectful, but not enough to where he could call the young man out on it.
"Just helping out a friend. You're Rafael Cezar, right?" Nemona asked, causing him to nod but not respond vocally. The older teen sauntered out of the room without another word, leaving behind a confused Nemona and an annoyed Milo.
"Prick…" Flynn muttered under his breath, causing Nemona and Milo to look at the teen in surprise. "Sorry about that. Rafael is the 3XC Vice President and we clash a bit more than we should. He doesn't show anyone much respect."
"He's a good Trainer, but he relies too much on brute force. No strategy. It's why he keeps failing to beat even Rika at the Elite Four." Nemona said with a shake of the head, with Flynn nodding in agreement.
"He's also got some funny ideas about Area Zero and the ancient history behind the place. The madman wants to check it out himself, personally." Flynn said with a grimace, causing Nemona's eyes to widen in surprise.
"I keep hearing crazy rumors about it. Is Area Zero that bad?" Milo asked, glancing at Nemona and Flynn.
"Yes. Even I wouldn't step foot in there, and I'm probably one of the top battlers in Paldea." Nemona said seriously, crossing her arms.
" I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm a history buff and I'd love to learn about the place firsthand, but that place is off-limits for a reason." Flynn said warily, fighting back a shiver. "I've heard enough horror stories from Paldeans who've lived here their whole lives to know that I wouldn't last a minute there."
"Which makes it all the more weird that Professor Sada is set up there with her lab. I wonder what it's really like." Milo muttered to himself quietly enough to where only Nemona heard him. She glanced at him in surprise, but Flynn suddenly yawned loudly and blinked his eyes a few times.
"Sorry, jet-lag has me whooped. So how can I help you?" Flynn asked Milo, who swallowed his nervousness and put on his game-face.
"Long story short, could you tell me more about the Crystal Containment Crew? I've been helped and have been helping them a lot over the past few months, and I wanted to know more about the benefits of being a member." Milo asked politely, with Flynn sitting down in what looked like a gaming chair behind his desk.
The older teen leaned back in his chair, sighing as he thought about it. "Honestly, that depends on how much you're willing to invest in the group. Our full-fledged members get a few neat perks from the Pokémon League itself and our club gets funding directly from La Primera."
"Nemona talks about this person a lot…gonna have to ask who this La Primera is." Milo thought idly to himself before nodding.
"I'm honestly just interested in catching Pokémon inside the dens. They're really helpful for my Treasure Hunt, plus the rewards the 3XC gives me really help out too." Milo answered, with Flynn nodding in response.
"You get even more stuff for joining. But my big question is can you commit long periods of time to just hunting down Tera Dens? Or even more importantly, finding one and waiting…and waiting…and waiting for people to show up to help you take down the Tera Pokémon inside?" Flynn asked Milo, raising an eyebrow at the other young man.
Milo frowned at the question. "Um, no. I'm doing the Gym Circuit right now, but I've kinda got a bunch of other stuff happening too. I can't really commit to just waiting around in Tera Dens all day."
"Sadly, that's a requirement for the club. We need people safeguarding the dens until they can be dealt with. So it sounds like being a member of the club isn't quite right for you." Flynn said with a rueful smile, causing Milo to sigh.
"Oh well. It was worth a shot at least." Milo remarked to Nemona, who nodded in agreement. Flynn wasn't done, however.
"It sounds like just being an affiliate instead of a fully-fledged member works better for you. Your help's been great these past few weeks from what I've heard from some of the other members, so thanks for giving them a hand. Not a lot of people appreciate the hard work that goes into keeping Paldea safe."
"The Tera Dens aren't dangerous though, are they?" Milo asked, with Flynn nodding in response.
"Usually no, but if you're gonna try to tackle it all on your own, then good luck. There's dangers in the Tera Dens, like the insane amount of Terastal Energy flying around with a juiced up Pokémon controlling a whole cavern. Sometimes those caverns collapse prematurely, too. It's why we've got people keeping an eye on them or even waiting inside at the entrance. We've got rules in place to safely remove the Tera Dens for a reason." Flynn explained to Milo, who considered that information. It made sense, considering that the 3XC members led him through each of the Tera Den Raids themselves and made sure he left safely every time. They also didn't confront the Tera Pokémon until they had a full squad ready to battle.
"So what now? I'll still be doing a lot of Tera Raids. Can I still help out?" Milo asked, with Flynn grinning in response.
"Of course! If you're not interested in joining officially, you can still come to our meetings and sign-in and stuff. Looks good on extracurriculars and we appreciate the support either way." Flynn said tiredly, with Milo nodding and accepting a flier that had a date of the next few meetings of the 3XC and even a free t-shirt. Nemona and Milo took that time to bid the Crystal Containment Crew's President goodnight and head back to their own dorms for the night.
Conversation was light as the two students made their way through the hallways. Milo looked over the t-shirt that Flynn had given him and talked about whether or not he wanted to commit to a club or not. Nemona responded somewhat distractedly to Milo, her mind seemingly in another place. After a few minutes, Milo finally noticed this and decided to bring it up.
"Hey, you okay? You've been out of it for the past few minutes. We're heading back to the dorms, too. I thought we were gonna grab food." Milo said with some concern, and Nemona looked blinked several times in startled confusion. The girl looked away from Milo, not meeting his eyes. "Nemona?"
Milo was surprised when Nemona suddenly stepped forward and pulled him into a tight hug. The young man tensed for a moment as his face blushed bright pink at the sudden embrace. And then slowly, Milo wrapped his arms around Nemona and returned the hug. For several long moments, the two students stood there in the hallway hugging each other.
Nemona broke contact first, with Milo following a second later. The younger student was blushing furiously, but was confused at the sudden display. Nemona looked at Milo with a worried expression, and bit her lip for several moments. The Galarian realized immediately that Nemona was still thinking about his earlier anger regarding the box she had snooped through and her questions about his past.
"Milo, I don't know what's going on with you. And I respect that you don't want to tell me about what happened before you came here. But I've got your back, no matter what. Friends help each other, even if it's just supporting them. I'll…I'll be patient with you. I mean it. Okay?" Nemona said quietly to her friend, who looked into her eyes and saw nothing but sincerity and concern. Nemona meant every word she was saying.
Milo gave Nemona a small, but genuine smile. "Thanks Nemona. I'm sorry I snapped at you earlier. Admittedly, I'm going through a lot right now. I don't know when or if I'll be okay again. But you reminded me that I've got friends now who have my back. And that's something I didn't really have back home in Galar besides Juliana. But her parents and mine were neighbors and we've been best friends since we could talk."
"Really? But you're so nice and helpful! How could anyone not want to be your friend?" Nemona asked Milo, who remained silent at that for several moments. He started walking down the hallway, but his pace was slow so Nemona could walk alongside him.
"Mostly because people suck and being around them can be hard." Milo admitted, sighing as he stuffed his hands into his pockets. "I was a really shy kid growing up. Had a few experiences with bullies when I was younger that just made it hard for me to get close to people."
"Bullies?" Nemona asked, with Milo shrugging.
"Nothing crazy. Get shoved into the mud one day, kids laughing at you for being scared of Swoobat another. Stuff like that. It's enough to make someone who already doesn't like other kids even more reluctant to make friends." Milo explained haltingly, clearly not wanting to talk about it, but doing so anyway. He felt obligated to explain himself to Nemona. "Pathetic, right? I don't even have some kind of crazy bullying backstory to explain why people are hard for me to be around. After a while I just realized people kind of suck, besides my family and Juliana and some of the Gym Leaders I look up to."
"But now you have a bunch of friends! Juliana, me, Arven, those twins and that Nalani girl and probably even more!" Nemona said bracingly, causing Milo to chuckle.
"Yeah, it's weird how that worked out. Naranja Academy has been…well, everything Dad said it would be for me." Milo admitted, smiling despite himself. "We were always planning on moving here once the time was right, and I had always looked forward to coming here with Juliana. She just left ahead of me and then I got caught up in-"
Milo suddenly stopped talking and shook his head. "A-anyways, the point is I'm here now and have been for months now. And it's great! I appreciate all of my new friends and my awesome Pokémon. And with all the excitement from the Treasure Hunt, I can try and figure out a lot of stuff about myself. See new things, meet new people and learn all about my crazy new home."
"It sounds like you have a lot on your mind, too." Nemona remarked, with Milo nodding.
"I just have a lot of things to figure out. Between school, the Gym Challenge, the Titans and ignoring Team Star's crap? I've really just had a lot on my plate ever since I got here, helping other people or listening to their advice." Milo said as he crossed his arms, thinking hard on that last comment.
"Maybe I should really start putting my foot down and telling people no." Milo thought with an inward smile.
"But…what do you want, Milo?" Nemona asked the other student, her voice surprisingly gentle. Milo stopped in the hallway, turning to Nemona. It had been such an innocent question, but it struck Milo like a thunderbolt.
"What do I want?" Milo thought, thinking about it. The Galarian wished then that he could tell Nemona about the Nuzlocke Curse. About what he wanted more than anything right then was to escape it. To be free of the twisted game he had chosen to be in.
Ah, ah, ah…must be so tough to not be able to spill the beans.
"I want…I want Milo to be the person Florian wished he could be back in Galar." The teen said in a quiet voice, with Nemona's eyes widening in surprise. She hadn't expected an answer to the very personal question. She certainly didn't expect an answer that made her tear up a little.
"I want to be stronger. Strong enough to deserve all the friends I have now. I want to help people with a smile and be brave enough to face my fears, like Leon, Hop and Victor did when they saved Galar. Maybe that's what I'm really looking for on this Treasure Hunt. I want…I w-want to be worth it." Milo's words ended in a whisper, his voice choked up.
"If it makes you feel any better, I think you're really great, Milo. I know you can do anything you set your mind to. You're completely worth our friendship, because your friendship is that important to all of us." Nemona said earnestly, and that made Milo turn around and look at Nemona. By this point, the two students had reached Milo's dorm room, but Milo ignored that fact for now.
For several long moments, Milo stared at the girl who had become a close friend in the short time he had been in Paldea and looked deeply into her eyes.
The girl who had offered to become his friend and Rival on the very first day of his journey. Nemona had encouraged him to grow as a Trainer by going through the Gym Circuit. And even now, when Milo was being vague about his struggles, she was offering her unconditional support despite not knowing the details about his past.
"Well, here's my stop. Thanks for listening, Nemona. Sometimes…I forget that I've got more people rooting for me than I think I do. Like I said before, I know hat you care, and I appreciate that." Milo said with a grateful smile, stepping forward and hugging Nemona. It was the first time he had initiated any kind of physical affection like that since they had become friends. Nemona grinned with delight and hugged her friend right back with a giggle.
"That's what friends and Rivals are for, amigo. We support each other and make each other better and better!" Nemona said as she broke away from Milo, beaming at her blushing friend. She never quite understood why he did that around her, but she could tell that his smile was real and he was happy again. And that's all that mattered to her.
"Goodnight Nemona. See you tomorrow?"
"Bet on it! We can do some practice battles after class! I've got a strategy with Thorn I wanna try out on Reggie!"
"Sounds good like a plan. Take care!"
"Goodnight Milo! Sweet dreams!"
Milo closed the door and locked it, leaving Nemona smiling in the hallway. The Champion stared at the door for several long moments, her thoughts racing as she considered what Milo had revealed to her about his past. And what he still wouldn't tell her.
Her smile threatened to dip into a frown, but she swallowed her concerns and took comfort in the fact that Milo had trusted her enough to tell her what he did. He had opened his heart, even just a little, and told her things she hadn't known about him. Milo trusted her, and that meant the world to Nemona.
For now, Nemona could live with that. He was her Rival, after all, and she knew he'd go on to do amazing things. The Champion believed in her friend, and that he would overcome whatever obstacles were in his path. She'd help him pursue the strength he hoped for so he could become the incredible Trainer she knew he was capable of being.
What followed was two week's of routine classwork for Milo, giving him a welcome break from the excitement of his Treasure Hunt. He had gotten roped into helping Juliana with the school pep rally, where she would have a speaking role as the newly-installed Captain of the Archery Club (the previous Captain had quit, due to a desire to focus on their schoolwork and less on extracurriculars).
Milo yawned as he took his seat, sitting in the center desk and looking forward as the instructor walked into the room. A woman with dark skin and purple hair with intelligent gray eyes gazed at them from behind a green pair of glasses. The woman was dressed in a somewhat strange shirt with red frills and blue dress pants. She wore various bits of jewelry depicting strange-looking creatures that looked vaguely familiar.
"Oho…I see we have some new students here with us today." The woman said in a low voice, smirking at the class. "My name is Raifort. I will be the one to impart knowledge of the past to your little minds."
Oh wow, she called you out.
Milo ignored the Remnant as usual, listening with a frown as Raifort continued. The teacher bowed her head, smiling softly. "History is a wonderful thing. Truly splendid. The lives of our ancestors throughout history forged the path to the present in which we live!"
Raifort's eyes snapped open, her gaze sharp. "Today you shall learn about the most mysterious location in all of Paldea - the Great Crater."
There were several murmurs within the class and even Milo sat up a bit straighter. Raifort smirked, sensing the change in atmosphere within the room. And so she began her lecture.
"As you are all aware, a massive crater known as the Great Crater of Paldea exists in the heart of our region. The area inside this creator is called Area Zero, and research of its geological strata and material composition has shown that the crater is in fact over one million years old." Raifort explained, gesturing to the screen behind her as several dynamic pictures showing an overhead view of Area Zero. All that was visible were the steep rocky wall-like cliffs that extended high into the air, with thick clouds obscuring what lay within.
"It was long believed that a certain something rested at the bottom of this mysterious crater." Raifort went on, grinning with excitement. The teacher glanced around the room and locked eyes with Milo, who was listening intently. "Aha. Perfect timing to make eye contact, young Florian. Answer me this…What exactly was believed to rest in the depths of the Great Crater - inside Area Zero?"
Milo went still at being called out like that, but thought about it. He had done some cursory research into Area Zero already, and even then he had read the course material for Raifort's history class beforehand. "It's treasure, isn't it?"
Raifort's eyes gleamed with amusement as she grinned. "Heh. That is correct! You are a surprisingly clever one, aren't you? I see you did your homework prior to coming to my class."
Milo didn't reply, instead sinking a bit further into his chair. Meanwhile Nalani gave Milo a double thumbs up from her side of the room.
Raifort continued with her lecture with an excited grin, turning to the board again. "But yes, that's right. Some believed that a treasure more valuable than anything else in this world rested in the depths of the Great Crater!"
Raifort sighed then, shaking her head with a forlorn expression crossing her face. "So much for the dreams of treasure hunting, though, as a lab has been built in those very same depths."
"Professor Sada's lab…" Milo thought to himself before Raifort whirled around, pointing to the class.
"Oh, and before I forget - you would all do well to remember that the Great Crater and Area Zero are both off-limits to all but those who have official business there. It requires a security clearance so high that it's limited to a number of people that I could count on one hand." Raifort warned everyone, including a surprised Milo. "This place is dangerous to an extreme degree. Do not dare entertain the foolish notion of gallivanting off to Area Zero in search of riches. It is no place for children dreaming of treasure and adventure!"
There was a pronounced pause in the seriousness of Raifort's warning. She promptly ruined it several seconds later.
"Besides, if it were at all possible to investigate the area, I would surely be the first to do so!" Raifort admitted, causing a peal of laughter to roll through the class. Even Milo was chuckling at the admission, as out of place as it was. A few moments later, a long bell toned throughout the school, signaling the end of the lesson.
"Oho, is that the time already? I must've gotten swept up in filling your minds with knowledge." Raifort said with a smile, placing a hand against her chest.
"Should we bring in signs and foam fingers about how awesome you are, Miss Raifort?" Nalani asked, grinning at the teacher. Raifort shrugged her shoulders, smirking mischievously.
"No, instead bring sparklers and noise-makers. Those are more fun." Raifort answered without missing a beat. "This ends today's lesson. We will unravel more of history's enigmas together next time. Farewell for now, kids."
The class failed a few moments later, with Milo falling into step with Nalani. The Alolan teen grinned excitedly and said, "Well, that was fun."
"Area Zero…I'm super curious about it. There's so much mystery surrounding the place." Milo remarked, his arms crossing his chest.
"I think it's neat. Alola has a bunch of sacred sites, but nothing so off-limits and taboo. Even the Ruins of our Tapu can be reached by anyone willing to visit them." Nalani remarked before freezing alongside Milo at the sudden chime ringing throughout the school.
Director Clavell 's voice rang out. "Master Milo, please report to the Director's Office. Master Milo, please report to the Director's Office."
"In trouble already?" Nalani said with a teasing smirk. Nalani suddenly waved at someone to Milo's left, and the teen's gaze caught sight of the twins running towards them.
Milo pouted, shaking his head. "I get in a battle with Team Star one time and everyone suddenly thinks I'm a badass. I should look into getting a leather jacket and sunglasses soon."
"To be fair, Koraidon is super cool-looking and you ride it everywhere. Plus you're buddies with the strongest Trainer we know. And Juliana even said you fought one of those Titans with that cute Arven guy, but she told us to keep that a secret." Kara said as she and her sister joined Milo and Nalani, completing the girl circle that now surrounded Milo.
"So should I expect a video of that battle to somehow be on Festival Plaza tomorrow?" Milo asked in a deadpan voice, causing the girls to laugh.
"Nah, we've got a track meet in twenty minutes. And no video proof that you actually did that, though I totally believe it. Later Milo!" The twins chorused their farewell before running ahead, waving to Milo together before rounding another corner. Milo waved back, smiling at them before he turned in the opposite direction, heading towards Director Clavell's office. Nalani kept walking with Milo for about another minute before she took left, heading towards the cafeteria.
Milo knocked politely on Director Clavell's office door, and after being called to enter, the teen did just that. The office looked the same as it did last time, with Clavell sitting behind his desk sipping from a coffee mug.
"Oh? Why hello, Master Milo. Thank you for joining me. Do come in." The Director of Naranja Academy said as he gestured towards the seat in front of him.
"I'm surprised you called for me, sir. How can I help you?" Milo asked somewhat nervously.
"Simply by chatting with me for a little while. You see, every now and then I'll call a student into my office and simply ask them how they're doing. Especially those students who come from abroad who may have trouble adjusting to Paldea." Clavell explained with a casual shrug. "I recall Miss Nalani having a hard time in her first month here, for instance, since she came from Alola."
"Makes sense." Milo replied easily, though something told him that the man had another reason for calling him in here than just that.
"How is your Treasure Hunt coming along? Having all sorts of fun adventures, I hope?" Clavell asked the student as he sat down in the chair.
Milo considered the answer for a second before smiling and nodding. "Yeah, it's been great! I've already got two Gym Badges and I'm catching a lot of Pokémon."
"Wonderful, I'm glad to hear it." Clavell said with a pleased smile. "Do keep in mind that the Treasure Hunt has no set course or criteria you must follow. Simply go where your heart takes you, and you shall do splendidly."
"I'll keep that in mind, sir. I honestly appreciate it being set up like this." Milo admitted, laughing quietly. "It lets me explore as much of the region as possible and focus on different things instead of one thing."
"I quite understand. Expanding your boundaries and exploring to your heart's content is such a wonderful way to grow. I remember my own Treasure Hunt quite fondly, and approached it in a similar manner as you have." Clavell said to Milo, who was surprised by this admission.
"Admittedly, I was very concerned with you joining the Academy so soon after getting out of the hospital. Not many can escape such horrors unscathed, my boy." Clavell said as his tone became serious, and Milo's mask slammed into place. "You are a strong one, Master Milo, for enduring such hardship and continuing to stride onwards with your best foot forward. I commend you for it. Just…"
Clavell considered his words carefully, already seeing that Milo was fighting to keep his face neutral. "We are here to support you here at Naranja Academy, and we strive to look out for our students in all aspects of life. For example, Nurse Miriam can assist in any physical therapy or counseling concerns you might have alongside Miss Dendra. And of course, my own door is always open should you require anything."
"I'll think about it sir. But I think for now I just need to…be. Does that make sense?" Milo asked the man, who nodded in understanding.
"Much like your own mother, I will not force you into decisions that you are not comfortable with." Clavell said with a nod of the head, undeterred. He then smiled at Milo, catching the boy off-guard. "Though, I must admit, that was not my only concern. I was also worried that you would cause a bit of a stir ever since your first day. Your actions in defending Miss Penny against Team Star, as noble as they were, gave you a bit of a reputation as a man of action here at the Academy." Clavell explained, causing Milo to flush in embarrassment. He was anything but a man of action in his own opinion.
"I haven't been involved with those clowns since then." Milo responded, with the Director nodding in agreement. "But if they cause trouble again, I can't promise not to drive them off like I did last time.
"I trust and respect that you will do what you have to. Team Star has been an issue for some time now. As tempting as it is to send some of our students or even an instructor to confront them at their bases, such an act could possibly be met with reprisal against the Academy. Perhaps even with violence." Clavell admitted, causing Milo's eyes to widen in surprise. He had never considered that.
"Team Star's reputation at this school precedes myself and most of the staff here, and I'm unsure what they may be truly capable of when pressed like that. I was warned that they were a dangerous group of hoodlums by concerned parents and students from the very first day I took this position." Clavell explained, his brow furrowing with frustration. "I'm considering various options, however, and you shouldn't need to worry about them."
Milo thought about that and realized the difficult position the Director was in. The teen had wondered why the school hadn't brought the hammer down on Team Star for being nuisances. The issue of Team Star retaliating with violence should they be taken down was something Milo hadn't considered. Letting the gang commit petty acts of annoyance against the school seemed to be the lesser of two evils for now until a better solution was devised.
Clavell seemed to remember something, as the man snapped his fingers. "Speaking of such pursuits, there has been something on my mind of late. If I could ask for your expertise on the matter, I would be most grateful." The Director of the Academy asked Milo, who nodded in agreement.
"You see, I recently heard a word whose meaning escapes me. I believe it to be some sort of slang." Clavell explained, leaning back in his chair with a bemused expression. "Tell me, what does cheugy mean?"
"Uh…I'm pretty sure that word means something is outdated or uncool." Milo remarked, thinking about it for a few moments. The only reason he knew that was because Juliana and him had played plenty of Scrabble back in Galar. They had fallen out of the habit in Paldea, but that was because of how busy they were these days. "I'll have to check with Juliana later, but I'm fairly confident on that.
"Ah…" Clavell closed his eyes with a small frown. "I think I understand. For both the speaker and recipient, it is not a pleasant word, I take it…"
"Not really. But I don't think it's a word a student here would use, though." Milo explained to Clavell, who nodded back at him.
"The words used by young people these days are quite often beyond my comprehension." Clavell admitted, sighing softly. He still wore a smile despite that. "But when I learn the meanings behind the words, I find that I feel that much closer to my students. I am most grateful to you for your help on that front."
"I'm happy I could help sir." Milo said with a smile, pleased he was able to lend the Director a hand. Clavell took that moment to glance at the nearby clock and hummed for a moment.
"It seems our little talk must come to an end for now, Master Milo. I have a faculty meeting soon and it would hardly be appropriate for me to be late." Clavell said as he rose from his chair, with Milo doing the same. "Thank you once again for coming by. And as always, if there is anything I can do to assist you, feel free to come by my office anytime."
Milo stepped out of the office and made his way back to his room deep in thought. Team Star hadn't been officially dealt with because they had been around for longer than Clavell himself and the man had heard nothing but bad things about them. Fearing a violent response to the group being forcibly torn apart by school officials was a very reasonable concern.
"Though if a lone student took the fight to them, then they'd be focused on that student instead of the school." Milo thought to himself, thinking of Cassiopeia and their request for Milo's help in dealing with the group. "I need more information and more experience before I deal with these clowns, if they're not already handled by the time I get around to it."
Milo was so distracted he didn't notice Juliana walking alongside him until she flicked the side of his head.
"Oww. The hell was that for?" Milo grumbled as he rubbed his head. Juliana offered a sly smirk, crossing her arms as best as she could while holding a violin case.
"What'd Director Clavell need you for? Everything good?" Juliana asked, concern in her voice despite her attempt to hide it behind a smile.
Milo nodded in answer as he rounded the corner of the hallway and continued walking towards his dorm room. "He was making sure I was adjusting well and curious as to whether or not I would consider therapy in the future. I know Mum does it, but I don't know if I'm ready for that. We'll see."
The teen opened the door to his room and walked inside, Juliana right behind him. He called out his team, plus Koraidon, and sighed with relief at being back inside of his own little sanctuary.
"Band practice, remember?" Juliana said to Milo as he made a move to grab his Switch, causing the teen to sigh. He walked over to his bed and pulled out a black case from underneath it, flipping it open. Inside of the velvet-lined case was a brass-colored alto saxophone. It gleamed in the lighting of the room, and save for a few scratches here and there, it was very well-maintained.
Milo did a once-over of the case, making sure that he had a few spare reeds in case one broke. He then closed the saxophone case and picked it up, also making sure to snag a small folder sitting on his desk that contained many pages of sheet music.
"Hey! I was here first! Shove off!"
"Excuse me! I was going to invite him to dinner! You don't have to be so rude!"
Milo and Juliana exchanged a brief glance upon hearing the two familiar voices shouting at one another. They both hurried to the door, opening it and seeing Arven and Nemona glaring at each other. Both of the upperclassmen turned to their two young friends and both blushed with embarrassment.
"Um, sorry about that! I was going to ask if you wanted to do those practice battles, Milo." Nemona said with a sheepish expression while Arven scoffed.
"And I was going to ask when you wanted to head out towards Cortondo. That's the closest town to the Open Sky Titan and we discussed dealing with it this week." Arven countered, crossing his arms and huffing.
"I promised that I would do both things. Arven, we can head out the day after tomorrow. I'm already packed and ready. Nemona, I'm up for some battles and dinner afterwards if you're free." Milo said to both of his friends, who both glanced at one another and Milo.
"We're kinda busy now, though. We need to practice this song, so we'll be preoccupied for a while." Juliana offered, which made Arven and Nemona pause for a moment.
"Practice? Wait, you play an instrument Milo?" Arven asked, surprised by this.
"Yeah. I've played the alto saxophone for the past five years. Juliana plays violin, see?" Milo said as he pointed to the distinct violin case Juliana held under her arm. "If you want, you're more than free to come hang out with us. We'll be kinda focused on practicing, but it's something."
"Sounds like fun! I'm in." The two older students said at the same time, causing the two of them to glare at one another for a few moments before Milo coughed loudly.
"Well, we're burning daylight. Let's get some practice in before we spend the day blabbering." Milo said as he locked his door behind him and walked past them all, holding his saxophone case. Juliana quickly followed her best friend, with Arven and Nemona trailing behind. The upperclassmen exchanged petulant glares at one another before eventually being led to the Band Room.
It was here that students of Naranja Academy could come to practice with instruments or sing. An enormous room filled with dozens of chairs, with a podium sitting in the middle of the room. A music stand was in front of practically every seat, and a wall of lockers containing instruments was on the far right side of the room.
Pictures of students posing with their instruments and Pokémon were on the wall behind the podium, some of them showing a tall man with bright sapphire-colored eyes and jet black hair with a whimsical smile, as if he was trying not to laugh.
"You know, I've never been here before." Arven remarked as he walked through the empty room, which struck Arven as odd. "It's empty though."
"There's a few people playing in soundproof rooms over there." Milo pointed out, gesturing to several closed doors with glass doors where students were playing instruments with muffled noises coming from the doors. "And most people don't use this room for practice, either because they don't practice or they do it somewhere else. Or just play with their band and that's it."
"How many bands are there?" Arven asked.
"I think there's four, right?" Nemona said with an unsure frown, trying to remember.
"There's four main ones. Beginner, Intermediate, Symphonic and Wind Ensemble. There's a Jazz Band for the elite musicians as well that I've been pushing Milo to join, but he's being dumb about it." Juliana said casually, earning a glare from Milo.
"I'll try out when I've got less stuff going on. Now let's practice already." Milo remarked with a roll of the eyes, brushing aside her comment.
"Which band are you both in?" Nemona asked her friends, curious about how it all worked.
"We're both in the Intermediate Level Band, which is where most new students with musical experience go." Juliana explained as they walked into a room. "But we can audition to get moved to the higher level bands, which is why we need to practice this song. We're good, but some of the people we're trying to join are fantastic."
Nemona and Arven both weren't very familiar with the room, since they both weren't musically inclined, so they looked around the place with curious eyes. Meanwhile, Milo and Juliana quickly set up some chairs for the four of them and brought over two music stands. Within minutes the two friends were sitting beside each other and talking quietly about a piece of music they were expected to play tomorrow for a test. Both freshmen warmed up, with Milo quickly playing a series of scales with the ease of someone who had done it hundreds of times. It reminded Nemona of how easily battling came to her.
"I've got it mostly down, but the tempo change is obnoxious." Milo said after he was warmed up and ready to try the sheet music. "Let me run through it a few times and see how it sounds."
Milo took a sharp breath and began to play his saxophone, filling the room with music. Juliana joined him, her bow dancing across the strings of the violin.
Arven leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes, simply listening to the music. Meanwhile Nemona watched on eagerly, both enjoying the music and seeing her friends taking part in another aspect of their lives that she hadn't had much of a chance to see yet. After repeating the song three times, Milo and Juliana both quietly talked as they pointed at the sheet music before launching into another repetition of the song. It wasn't perfect, since they were still learning the piece, but it was still impressive to the two other students.
"He's really good." Nemona remarked in a hushed voice to herself, leaning forward in her chair. Juliana mentioned something quietly about the tempo of the piece before readying her violin and diving into the music again, filling the room with a wonderful melody. "They're both really talented!"
"I'd expect nothing less from them…Milo and Juliana are pretty great, after all." Arven remarked quietly, smirking despite himself. Nemona smiled at the teen, despite their animosity, since she completely agreed.
Milo's Current Party:
Reggie (Crocalor) M - Tera Fire
Cocoa (P. Wooper) F - Tera Ground
Storm (Wattrel) F - Tera Flying
Smith (Applin) M - Tera Water
Fleur (Steenee) F - Tera Dark
Echo (Toxel) F - Tera Ice
Benched/PC Storage:
Fiona (Flittle) F - Tera Grass
Shelly (Shellder) F - Tera Fighting
Bronson (Barbcoach) M - Tera Fire
Donut (Fidough) F - Tera Ice
Momo (Skwovet) M - Tera Steel
Volt (Pawmi) F -Tera Steel
Graveyard:
Pepper (Maschiff) F - Tera Poison
Sparky (Pawmi) M - Tera Electric
Victor (Venonat) M - Tera Electric
Always enjoyable to have the slice of life chapters, eh? I'm starting to focus more on the classes and bonding scenes with the various Teachers at Naranja Academy
Q & A
From: SolanaLeonhart
Hey, so I keep forgetting to ask, but how much time passed between Radiant Sun and Ancient Scarlet? Like a few years or something?
So without going into spoilers for Radiant Sun, Ancient Scarlet takes place about three years from when RS ends (not-considering any time skips that may or may not happen) and about 6-7 months after the end of Sword/Shield.
For reference, Milo is only a few months older than Sun in this fic, and Milo is 15 years old as of this chapter in the story.
From: Guest
I do gotta ask, there's another Pokemon fanfic writer called BraviaryScout and I noticed that you favorite and follow one another's fics while almost following the same format of a Sun and Moon novelization and now both of you are writing one for Scarlet and Violet. Are you two in some sort of friendly competition? Not only are both variants of each story insanely good, but it's soooo coincidental along with firing off good ass updates like mad. Plus you review one another's stories often. Not that it's much of a complaint because us readers win either way. I'll have to ask him too. :P
I actually shared this review with Brav when I got it. Yes, we're actually pretty good friends and discuss our stories between each other often.
To answer the question though, we're not in a competition with one another. We just both have a desire to write stories about the same parts of the Pokemon series these past few years. Sun/Moon and Scarlet/Violet both left strong impressions on us and we both wanted to write a story about them with our own creative spins on it. I've been wanting to do a Nuzlocke story for years and almost did one with Sword/Shield, but was too focused on RS to commit to it.
Brav has followed my fics ever since my "Apocalypse: Dawn of the Dead" story and I've followed his own stories since he started writing "A Hui Hou Kākou". We both review, favorite and follow each other's stories because we enjoy them respectively and want to support each other however we can as writers and friends.
Like you said, when writers are able to support each other, then the readers win. And at the end of the day, we do this to entertain people.
That's all for now, folks. We're moving towards the next Objective and more shenanigans will ensue. Should be fun!
As a sidenote, I became aware this past week of someone on wattpad reposting AS under their name and plagiarizing my work.
I don't condone reposting my content anywhere and I certainly have not given anyone permission to do so. As of this update, I only upload on this site and AO3 under FlygonNick. If you happen to see my stories somewhere else, please reach out and let me know.
Plagiarism is a slap in the face to all writers. My content is accessible and free for anyone to read, so there's no reason to steal it. Please respect my work and the time I put into it.
Shifting gears to people who are amazing and actually do support the story, shoutout to SolanaLeonhart, BraviaryScout and a Guest reviewer for reviewing the last update. In the face of what's happened this week, your feedback and support mean a whole heckin' lot to me.
If you enjoyed the chapter, please show your support with a favorite and/or follow and leave your thoughts in the review section below. I also cross-post on AO3 if that's how you roll. You can also join the Discord channel for my fics if you PM on this site.
Take care and stay awesome!
Until next time, FlygonNick out!