Pokémon Nuzlocke Novels: Ancient Scarlet


Chapter 24: Amy and Moe


"Yeeeeaaaart! Hyah! Whatataatcha!"

Does he really have to do battle cries while cutting bread and meat?

"It adds character to the meal." Milo thought with a smirk as he rubbed Donut's head while the Fidough rested in his lap. Meanwhile, Watt was playing with Momo and Echo while Storm sat on a nearby rock and napped. Reggie was humming a little tune beside Milo, who occasionally joined his Crocalor and hummed along with him.

"...And Bob's your uncle!" Arven finally declared after about fifteen minutes, putting his hands on his hips with a proud smirk. "Here you go! My special, whimsical, herb-filled super sandwich!"

"As a Galarian, I appreciate the use of that phrase." Milo remarked lightly as he approached the table, amazed at the spread Arven had thrown together. Unlike the last Herba Mystica sandwich Arven had made, this one had a far more diverse batch of ingredients.

"My Master Spicy-Sweet Sandwich! Complete with hamburger, tomato, kiwi, pineapple, avocado, Unovan sliced cheese, butter, horseradish, and a good ol' helping of Bitter Herba Mystica!" Arven said with a proud grin as he pulled out a bag of salted chips and poured some on the side of both his and Milo's plates. Two ice-cold cans of lemonade were also sitting on the table, completing the meal.

Milo slipped his Rotom Phone out of his pocket as he drew closer to the sandwich, with Arven leaning in as well to join in the picture. Both teens then suddenly recoiled at the strange smell coming from the sandwich.

Which was unfortunate because the Rotom Phone snapped a picture of them both recoiling, and Milo wouldn't notice for several days. He'd keep the picture as a commemorative photo of his battle with Titan Bombirdier and his success with Arven in overcoming the massive bird together.

"And it comes with a side of…Titan Badge! As a token of my gratitude, 'course!" Arven added as he pulled out a shiny silver badge and handed it to Milo. The younger student looked over the badge, which had a gleaming light-blue feather in the center. It was clear Arven had put a lot of care into making it.

"Thanks Arven. Like I said before, I'm happy to help." Milo said warmly as he pocketed it, with Arven rubbing his nose with a pleased smile. With that, the two teens set about feeding their Pokémon before indulging in their own lunch. Arven managed to shred up a small amount of the remaining Bitter Herba Mystica and sprinkle it over the food of both Milo and Arven's teams, allowing them to enjoy the fruits of their labor as well.

Finally Arven and Milo sat down on some convenient rocks, plates sitting in their laps. Milo took a big bite of the sandwich and flinched for a moment at the strange clash of flavors coming from the different ingredients within the sandwich. But then he began to chew and swallow the bite, and realized that it all came together very well.

"Arven, how on earth did you know that this would end up being good?" Milo asked his friend, who shrugged good-naturedly.

"I've always been great at making sandwiches and had years and years to figure out how to make them with whatever ingredients I had around. You'd be amazed at what you pick up when you have to fend for yourself." Arven replied, with the second sentence holding a somewhat frosty undertone to it. Milo frowned at that, and Arven seemed to realize how that sounded because he smirked at Milo.

"We should get together and try to get you some more cooking experience, Milo. I know you can't make anything more complicated than cereal, and no friend of mine is going to live like that!" Arven proclaimed dramatically, with the Galarian in question smirking at his friend. Milo nodded in agreement, though.

"Sounds good. We can work on that some more when we get back to Naranja Academy-" Milo began to say, only for a Poké Ball on his waist to twitch erratically for a moment and cause him to stop speaking. Suddenly the Poké Ball in question opened and Koraidon appeared with a joyful cry.

Arven sharply recoiled with a gasp while Milo rolled his eyes, amused that the beast had showed up again during a sandwich lunch. He had intended on giving the beast some rest after running up the mountain and helping with the battle against the Open Sky Titan.

"Oh, come on! You again?!" Arven growled as he hopped to his feet, fury on his face as Koraidon sniffed the air before padding over to Milo, smelling the mostly-intact sandwich he was holding that contained the Herba Mystica. The creature whined softly, eyeing the sandwich hungrily as a faint trickle of drool slowly dripped down its chin.

"How can you smell this and be hungry? Even if it is delicious…oh, whatever. You can have it if you really want it!" Milo said as he held out the partially-eaten sandwich to Koraidon, who made a move to snap it up.

Shockingly, the creature paused and then turned to look directly at Arven. "Gians!" Koraidon growled at the older teen, who scoffed and looked away from the creature, closing his eyes.

"Hmph. Is it trying to say thanks or something?" Arven muttered with obvious disdain.

"I think so. I know you don't like Koraidon, but it does appreciate you at the very least, Arven." Milo said with a frown as Arven remained silent for about ten full seconds.

"Well, good thing I made extra. May as well give the brute your sandwich, if only to shut it up." Arven grunted as Milo grinned at his friend, clearly amused despite his words. Arven walked over with a second sandwich, handing it to his friend with a smile. "You're helping me out a whole bunch with the hard stuff, so it's only fair that you get more."

"See, this time you came super prepared." Milo said with a teasing smirk, causing Arven to flush with embarrassment as Milo handed Koraidon his first sandwich, causing it to growl happily.

"I definitely, absolutely did not make extra so that Koraidon could have a sandwich, okay?!" Arven grumbled as Koraidon grabbed the entire thing and trotted off in a way that almost looked like it was prancing. It then quickly scarfed down the sandwich, noisily gobbling it down within moments.

"Couldn't even savor my hard work for more than eight seconds, huh?" Arven deadpanned while Milo snickered.

"It's just that good, man. Ain't that right, Koraidon?" Milo asked the beast as it licked its lips. To their surprise, the draconic mount reared back on its hind legs with a snarl of surprise as a warm rush of scarlet-colored energy seemed to surge outwards from Koraidon. The beast landed on the ground, blinking rapidly as the two Trainers just stared at the creature.

"Did it grow stronger again?" Arven asked, putting his hands on his hips. Koraidon turned towards Arven and growled a response, bobbing its head. Arven grinned despite himself, closing his eyes.

"Man, these Herba Mystica really do pack a punch, don't they?" Arven remarked with a laugh, walking away from them both and off to the side of the room. Milo couldn't hear most of what Arven said, but he did catch some of it.

"I mean…they'd better. Or else I'm really up the creek." Arven muttered distractedly, not noticing that Koraidon had walked over to the table and was eyeballing the last of the four sandwiches that Arven had made. It sniffed loudly, letting out a hungry growl as it realized that the last sandwich had more of the delicious herbs. Milo frowned at the creature, and had opened his mouth to speak, but Arven had finally noticed Koraidon's actions as well and let out a shout. "Don't you dare touch that!"

Milo flinched at the sudden command. It got worse when Arven's expression deepened into pure fury as he bellowed out to Koraidon. "That isn't for you!"

Koraidon jerked back, flinching at the Trainer's yell. Milo had also jumped up, surprised at the pure and desperate anger in the voice of his friend. Koraidon growled out questioningly to Arven, who seemed to realize that he had lost control of himself. The older student glanced at the surprised Koraidon to Milo's worried face, and looked down at the ground in shame.

"Oh, uh…sorry. I shouldn't have shouted like that…" Arven mumbled, even seeing his own Pokémon looking at him with open concern. Arven remained silent for several long moments, his eyes shut as he got his breathing under control.

"Arven…are you okay, mate?" Milo asked, his voice soft in the silence of the cave. Arven's eyes snapped open and he looked away, sighing hard before he spoke again.

"I guess I should at least tell you the full story, Milo." Arven muttered as he turned around and walked over to his backpack, digging a hand into a side pocket. Arven pulled out a Poké Ball, and Milo noticed it was an older model than anything that had been made recently, likely several years old.

"Come on out, bud…" Arven said gently before tossing out the ball, sending out a Pokémon in a flash of bright light. The Pokémon within materialized on the floor of the cave, and Milo's eyes widened in surprise.

The Pokémon was a large canine with brown, black and gray fur with a bright orange nose. It had a long streak of longer gray fur atop its head that ran down past its back, with shaggy gray fur covering most of its currently closed eyes.

The Pokémon's breaths were slow and shallow, as if it was struggling to get in the air. Milo's heart caught at the sight of the Pokémon, who he realized was badly hurt. Milo looked closer and saw that the poor dog was too weak to even open its partially obscured eyes despite being called out of its ball.

"This is my Mabosstiff, Moe. My Partner." Arven said in a low voice, staring down at the Pokémon with sorrow in his eyes. Koraidon growled softly, tilting its head. Arven walked over to the table and grabbed the sandwich that Koraidon had been about to eat before walking back over to his Pokémon. The older student kneeled onto the ground, his smile brittle but his voice soft.

"Here you go, bud. Eat up. This sandwich should help you feel better." Arven assured Moe, unable to help the quiver in his voice. Arven tore part of the sandwich off and then held it out to his Partner. "Slowly now. Take your time. Small bites are fine. Just chew nice and slow…"

Moe's nose twitched slightly, and Milo watched as the dog slowly used what little strength it had to lean forward and slowly bite down on the offered sandwich. It took about a full minute before Arven's Pokémon had managed to eat the small chunk of sandwich.

"So…Mabosstiff?" Milo finally spoke, getting out his Rotom Phone and pulling up the appropriate entry. Meanwhile, Arven had pulled out a large napkin and set it down in front of Moe, with the Herba Mystica sandwich resting on the napkin so that it was right in front of the large dog. Moe sniffed the sandwich a few times before slowly nipping at it, tearing a small chunk away. It was hard for Milo to watch, and he was almost grateful when the Pokédex App loaded Mabosstiff's entry and read it aloud.

"Mabosstiff. The Boss Pokémon and the final evolved form of Maschiff. This Pokémon can store energy in its large dewlap. Mabosstiff unleashes this energy all at once to blow away enemies." The Rotom Phone explained, and Milo realized with a pang that this is what Pepper the Maschiff would have evolved into if she hadn't been taken down by Katy in Milo's first Gym Battle.

"My buddy here was…hurt pretty bad a while ago. Real bad, in fact. He never really recovered." Arven explained as he looked away from Milo, his voice showing plainly how worried he was about his Pokémon.

"Have you tried a Pokémon Center? What about any of the special hospitals here in Paldea? I know that there's one in Mesagoza and Levincia, they could take a look at Moe." Milo asked Arven, who shook his head in response.

"They said this wasn't any regular old injury or illness…" Arven responded, shaking his head. "They didn't know what to do, and the tests just hurt him. And I couldn't let that keep happening…I…I…"

Arven took a long, deep breath to calm himself down. "Moe here is the only thing in the world I care about. The only thing…he's all I got." Arven admitted in a broken voice, and Milo saw the tears in his eyes as he said those words. The older teen then leaned forward, his voice raising in volume. "So, I promised that I'd make him better - whatever it takes."

Whatever it takes, huh? I can respect that.

Milo was surprised at the softness of the voice within his head. He wondered what was on the Remnant's mind. While he was distracted, Arven pulled out the Scarlet Book once again and flipped through it.

"I searched online, I read books, I looked all over and tried every cure and remedy I could find. But nothing really worked. I'd almost given up hope…" Arven trailed off before slapping the Scarlet Book with the back of his hand. "That's when I found out about the Herba Mystica!"

"That book - what is it?" Milo asked, crossing his arms. "It's like a weird history book, isn't it?"

"I found it in my mom's lab." Arven looked up at Milo, his expression darkening. He then showed the pages he had flipped to within the Scarlet Book. Faded writing was on one page, while the other showed detailed drawings of happy and healthy Pokémon beside a surprised Trainer.

"Herba Mystica. Area Zero was home to wondrous herbs that instantly impart vigor when eaten. We dubbed them Herba Mystica and attempted to grow some in areas around Paldea. However, before we could harvest, the herbs were eaten by Pokémon - which in turn grew large and strong. We call these Titan Pokémon." Milo read aloud from the passage, his eyes widening in surprise.

"It's this book full of crazy stories and legends and things - stuff nobody'd usually believe." Arven closed the book with a snap, his expression somber for a few moments before he gestured wildly with his hands. "But I believe it! I think what it says is true!"

"I mean, the stuff about the Titans and herbs probably checks out. I know I felt great, and Koraidon got some power-ups out of it." Milo responded, putting a finger to his chin thoughtfully. He noticed that while they had been talking, Moe had been slowly eating the sandwich that Arven had set down in front of him, and had finished most of it at this point.

Arven nodded, tapping the Scarlet Book once again. "And according to this book, eating all five Herba Mystica can cure anything that ails you!"

"Wait, they each have those crazy health benefits. You're saying all five can heal anything?" Milo asked, suddenly realizing where this was all going.

Why Arven was so intent on finding the Herba Mystica despite the danger. Why Arven was so desperate to recruit Milo to battle against the Titans. And why Arven had reacted so strongly when Koraidon was about to eat the last sandwich just now.

"Case in point, Moe's paws were cold as ice before he ate that last herb. But they've warmed up a little now - I'm sure they have!" Arven said confidently, looking back at Moe and realizing that the sandwich that he had given the Mabosstiff was nothing but crumbs on the napkin. "Oh! You done eating, bud?"

Moe the Mabosstiff's response was to slowly attempt to push himself up off of the ground, much to Arven's complete shock. The large canine's legs gave out and he dropped back to the ground. With a grunt, the Pokémon's eyes suddenly snapped open, revealing two dark brown orbs peering back at them.

"H-hey! Moe! Can…can you see? Are your eyes open?!" Arven yelped, stepping back with an astonished gasp. He then did a fist pump before jumping up and down with a triumphant grin on his face. Milo watched with a smile as his friend whooped, laughing ecstatically with sheer joy while Moe simply watched his Trainer impassively.

"Yes! I did it!" Arven shouted, panting hard as he calmed down. That was when the emotion behind his joy caught up with him, and his tears finally began to flow. The older teen wiped his eyes on his sleeve, even as he openly wept with relief.

"It's…it's been so long since he was able to open his eyes! I was so worried…" Arven gave a loud sniff then, his smile returning with fresh tears in his eyes. He continued to pump his fists, allowing himself to appreciate the fact that his hard work had paid off. "Oh man, I-! I'm so-! I'm so glad!"

Moe whined softly, causing Arven to drop to one knee. He gave Moe a watery smile as he continued to sniff, gently scratching the Mabosstiff behind the ears. "Heh…Ehehehehe…Aw, look at him. Those fiery orange little eyes…hard to even tell if they're open or not, but I know the difference!"

Arven then stood up, suddenly letting out a belly laugh. "The power of those herbs is amazing! I knew the book wasn't lying!"

"He seems to be a bit more at-ease too. He's not struggling as much as he was when you called him out." Milo noticed, seeing that the canine's labored breaths seemed to have stabilized considerably.

Arven gave Milo a determined look with his eyes alight with fire. "I'm gonna bring Moe back to full health, I swear!"

"And I've got your back the whole way." Milo promised Arven, giving his friend a thumbs up. Arven grinned back at Milo gratefully, rubbing his eyes and regaining his composure.

"Oh…uh, yeah. So, that's my story. Three herbs to go. Let's find them - together!" Arven said with a warm smile, with Milo nodding and Koraidon barking out in agreement.

"I guess between what you told me earlier and learning about Moe, I know why you're so obsessed with sandwiches now." Milo asked, causing Arven to bark out a laugh despite himself.

"It's what my buddy loves eating, ever since he was a Maschiff. Mom taught me how to make them. She was a sandwich pro, let me tell you!" Arven said with a chuckle, seemingly forgetting about his estranged relationship with his mother.

"And you said you found out about the Herba Mystica when you went through her lab?" Milo asked with a confused frown. He was curious, but didn't want to force Arven to talk about a subject that was sensitive.

"Yeah. That lab brings back bad memories for me, so unfortunately I took that out on you and the Student Council President." Arven remarked, rubbing the back of his head as he walked over to his friend. "Sorry again for that, little bud. It's been pretty hard handling all of this on my own, you know?"

"Well, you're not alone anymore." Milo grinned at Arven, lightly punching him in the shoulder.

Arven's smile was so wide it practically split his face.


Naranja Academy Courtyard


Nemona couldn't help a yawn as she made her way across the schoolyard, with Tornado the Tauros padding alongside her. Everything was set up and arranged exactly how she had hoped it would be.

This year she had to take a backseat to proceedings due to her other obligations. If she was being totally honest, Nemona would have rather been battling her way across Paldea rather than helping the Pokémon League with administrative duties. But she was a diligent Champion and she knew it was her duty to do her best, and so she did what was asked of her without complaint.

"Looks like we've just got to wait until noon for the schoolyard to open back up and things can officially start!" Nemona said to herself, with Tornado letting out a soft moo of agreement. The Champion rubbed the head of her Partner affectionately before spotting a familiar gaggle of students sitting under the shade of a tree not too far from where she was walking.

Nemona considered it for a second before veering from her path, heading towards Juliana and her friends. She didn't often interact with the Galarian if Milo wasn't hanging out with her as well, but the Champion was determined not to let that stop her. After all, they were friends!

"Hey there ladies! How's everyone doing this morning?" Nemona greeted the gaggle of girls with a cheery wave. Juliana waved back to her friend with a smile.

"Hey Nemona! Everything ready to roll?" Juliana asked the Champion, who nodded.

"Looks like we're just waiting for the event to start. We'll start letting in students shortly, and then we kick things off with your speech to welcome everyone. Then we'll have the Archery Team show off how cool they are, and then you can take a load off." Nemona assured the younger student, who nodded. "You seem really worked up. You okay?"

"Just nervous. I have really bad stage fright and I'll have a lot of eyes on me. I don't want to make a mistake and look stupid." Juliana admitted, with Nemona nodding in understanding.

"You're taking this way too seriously. These pep rallies are meant to be fun little things done every few months. No one's going to care if a freshman flubs her lines." Kara said consolingly, but Juliana didn't seem convinced.

"I get you. Public speaking isn't easy. I feel bad for asking you to do it for me now, but I've been so busy with my own League duties that I didn't really have time to prepare for this as much as I wanted." Nemona said apologetically, though a moment later she snapped her fingers. "Ooh! I know!"

"Know what?" Kara asked.

"Why don't you have your team on-stage with you?" Nemona suggested, with the girls looking at her in confusion. "It'll help you relax and not be so nervous."

"How so?" Juliana asked, still not following.

Nemona did a small fist-pump, an excited grin leaping onto her face. "Well, there's nothing stopping you from having your team with you when you do your speech. Wouldn't you feel a lot better having them with you so that everyone's attention isn't just on you? Plus, your Pokémon team supports you just as much out of battle as they do in battle!"

Niles the Nickit grumbled at the Champion's words, but the rest of Juliana's team cried out in agreement. The Galarian girl looked at Nemona in surprise before smiling at her.

"That's a great idea, Nemona. Thanks." Juliana said gratefully to the Champion, who just gave the younger student a thumbs up. "Come take a seat with us, Champ. We were just taking a small break."

"I probably need one. Been running around all morning helping Director Clavell organize stuff. Between that and my own duties, I've been getting run ragged." Nemona sighed as she plopped down onto the grass. She reached over and pet Niles on the head, earning a soft growl from the grouchy fox. "So what've you all been up to?"

"Mainly just trying to calm Juliana down. She might kick ass in most things, but she's not great when it comes to public speaking and she's super nervous." Kara said with a smirk, earning an elbow to the chest from her twin. "Oh yeah, and we were talking about Milo and how he's kind of awesome."

"Yeah, Milo's pretty great, isn't he?" Nemona asked, grinning with excitement. "I'm hoping he finishes his errands with Arven sooner rather than later. I was hoping to try out some new strategies with him now that Thorn's evolved."

"Say, Champion Nemona. You've been spending a bunch of time with Milo. What's up with that?" Nalani asked, raising an eyebrow at the older student who had seemingly taken their friend under her wing since he had arrived at the Academy.

"Ooooh, maybe she has a crush on him!" Kara suddenly squealed out, with Sara smirking alongside her twin. Nalani and Juliana exchanged a brief glance, but Nemona seemed unbothered by the remark and shrugged her shoulders.

"Nah, that's not it. Milo's my neighbor, friend, and my Rival! I like spending time with him and teaching him whatever I can about being a Trainer. Especially since he's such a quick study!" Nemona said brightly, her usual enthusiasm showing. "Besides, I doubt he's interested in me like that. He's always been a complete gentleman to me."

The four other girls glanced at one another in absolute surprise. It was pretty obvious how badly Milo was crushing on the Champion, who just kept speaking. "That being said, I do wonder if something's wrong with me sometimes. No one's really ever caught my eye here at the Academy, and I've never really been interested in dating. I know that's at least a little unusual."

"Never?" Juliana asked.

"Nope. Weird, huh?" Nemona said with a small laugh. "Maybe I'm just too focused on battles to give romance any attention!"

"Except for Milo. He's got your attention." Sara said with a knowing smirk, earning a nod from Nemona.

"Milo's the exception, yes." Nemona agreed, not seeing where Kara was going with that statement.

"Some people are like that, though." Kara remarked, crossing her legs and sitting up straighter. "They don't care about looks when it comes to liking someone. Or, they don't feel romantic or sexual feelings at all towards people. There's even some who don't feel romantic or sexual feelings towards someone unless there's a deep emotional attachment. Nothing wrong with that at all, Champ."

"Maybe." Nemona seemed unsure, but her expression was contemplative. Juliana frowned and sighed before launching into her next question.

"Then why do you spend so much time with Florian? You kinda…latched onto him. You're so strong and successful. But you're spending what time you're not being a Champion and a student with a shy Galarian transfer who just became a Trainer a few months ago. Why?" Juliana asked Nemona, who seemed a bit taken aback by the intensity behind the girl's questioning. It was almost accusatory, which Juliana seemed to catch a few moments after she spoke.

"Sorry, I'm just…protective of Florian. He's my best friend in the whole world, and I'd hate for anyone to take advantage of him." Juliana admitted to the other girls, leaning back and resting her head against Monty while rubbing Niles' back with her hand. "I just want him to be happy. He deserves it after everything he's been through, and I'm scared of him getting hurt."

"I understand." Nemona said gently, smiling at the younger student. Privately, she made note of the fact that Juliana was referring to Milo by his actual name as opposed to his preferred nickname. "Milo's a great guy, but he's gone through a lot and he's trying to bounce back, right? It's only natural to be worried about your best friend."

"It's not just that, Nemona. Florian's always kind of been in my shadow, as much as I hate to admit it." Juliana admitted, rubbing the back of her head. "I'm kind of really good at a lot of things and Milo's never had a chance to really shine. So I was popular in school back home in Galar while he wasn't, and he got picked on a bit from it. I've always had to protect him from bullies and other jerks who wanted to try and mess with him for being an easy target."

"It's still crazy to hear that about Milo, since he's so popular here." Kara remarked, frowning thoughtfully.

"So why are you best friends with him then, Julie? It sounds like he was a big loser back in Galar while you had all the tools for success, ya know?" Sara asked, earning a nasty look from her twin. Kara held up her hands in defense. "I'm just saying that with all the context I have. If I were Milo, I'd be super jealous of you for being so successful and awesome while I wasn't."

Juliana shook her head in response to that. "Like I said before, he was the first friend I ever had and we've known each other forever. And he's always had my back. Always. He's never been jealous of me and always supported me no matter what…that's why I'm so happy to see him shine so brightly here in Paldea. He struggled back in Galar, but here he's finally getting the chance to show the world what he's made of. To attend the school our parents made such a big deal about when we were growing up and getting a new lease on life!"

"He's really hit his stride in Paldea, hasn't he?" Nalani asked Juliana, who's expression became troubled.

"And that also worries me. He's running the Gym Circuit and fighting this Godzilla-sized Pokémon and even had a big stand-off against Team Star on his very first day of school. He's doing so much so fast and it's out-of-character for him! I'm worried he's pushing himself too hard and he'll…break." Juliana's voice went quiet towards the end of that sentence. Her next words were a low murmur. "I can't protect Milo from everything he's got going on. And I'm scared for him."

Nemona considered what Juliana, Milo's oldest and closest friend, had told her. The Champion completely understood why she was worried for her friend, and privately, the Champion was likewise worried. Team Star was no joke, and Nemona suspected there was more to the fabled Titan Pokémon that Milo was chasing than what most people accepted as true. That said, she took a few moments to gather her thoughts so she could articulate why she bonded so tightly with Milo.

"To answer your question, it's really hard to explain it. Like you mentioned before, Milo's my new neighbor in Cabo Poco. We happened to get along right away and we decided to become friends. What I wasn't expecting was for him to be such a good Trainer! He even managed to earn the respect of a crazy cool Pokémon like Koraidon! Not just any Trainer can pull something off like that on their very first day." Nemona explained to the quartet of curious girls, who listened intently.

"But then me and Milo had a second battle later that day, and that's what made me realize just how much potential Milo had. He beat me even when I surprised him with my Tera Orb! And then I realized how much fun I was having and how much I enjoyed spending time with Milo, even on our first day of knowing each other." Nemona went on, sounding even more excited. "It's electrifying, in a way. I don't think I've felt the kind of rush I get when battling Milo since I started as a Trainer. Even spending time with him without battling is super fun."

"Seriously? That's…a little weird, to be honest." Kara remarked, laughing a little. Nemona's cheery expression fell at that, but Nalani was quick to interject.

"She said that Milo seems like a great guy and they hit it off, and followed it by saying he's an awesome battler and that excites her. How is that weird?" Nalani asked Kara, who opened her mouth to speak, but her twin cut her off.

"Whenever two Trainers battle, their feelings are shared. It's like communicating with someone on a whole different level. You share a special connection." Sara remarked, smiling a little as she thought about it. "Maybe that's why you bonded with Milo so well."

"Really? Battling can be like that?" Nalani asked, raising an eyebrow.

Sara nodded in answer. "There's a lot of studies that support it. Why do you think some of the crazy criminals that sometimes pop up every few years give up and submit after getting beat in a Pokémon Battle? Maybe Nemona's just more sensitive to that phenomena, since she loves battling so much."

"That would explain a lot!" Nemona agreed, nodding excitedly with a wide smile. "Battling has always been a great way of getting to know people. Maybe that's how I knew Milo would be such a great friend! And he's proved it every day since!"

"So is it just the whole battling thing and him being a cool guy?" Kara asked, with Nemona shaking her head.

"Of course not. I know that I can be a lot to handle. I'm not the best with people. And I am a little bit of a battle maniac, as we just said." Nemona said in a calmer voice, earning several raised eyebrows at what was the understatement of the year. "But around Milo I can just be myself. Milo's been a really patient friend and accepts me for who I am. But he also helps me try and grow in other ways, and I really appreciate him letting me mentor him and be his Rival. He's a good guy and I just feel really comfortable around him. That's why I'm so interested in Milo. He's become one of my closest friends and I want to help him however I can."

"That all genuinely sounds like you have a crush on him." Nalani deadpanned, with the twins nodding in agreement. Nemona looked surprised at that before she looked back at Juliana, who was smiling patiently at her.

"That's just how Nemona is. But thank you for the honest answer. I've been a Trainer long enough to where I can feel the same thing you do when it comes to battling people, though definitely not as intensely as you do." Juliana said to Nemona, with the two girls laughing at the very true statement. "Would you mind doing me a favor, Nemona?"

"What's up?" Nemona asked the Galarian, who's smile waned just a little.

"Watch over Milo. He's really trying to work through some issues, and he needs his friends right now." Juliana said to the Champion, who smiled and offered the younger student another thumbs up.

"I've got your back and his. Friends look out for each other, right?" Nemona said brightly to Juliana, who grinned back at Nemona and nodded. "So let's get out there, have an awesome pep rally and watch you kill this speech!"

Juliana considered the Student Council President's words and what she had said before. And that caused the younger student to smile back at the Champion gratefully. "Well, if our fearless Champion says I'm gonna do a great job, then who am I to disagree?"

"On that note, we should probably get up. Looks like they're about to start letting people in." Kara said as she hopped to her feet, with her twin following a moment later. In the distance the rumble of hundreds of footsteps could be heard.

"Yeah, let's get to it you twatmuffins!" Nalani proclaimed as she got up, with Kara and Sara both exchanging a mischievous smirk between each other.

"She's not allowed to appropriate Juliana's language! Get her!" The twins shouted in unison, running at a startled Nalani who began sprinting in the other direction. Considering the fact that the twins were on the Track Team, they quickly began to catch up with the Alolan teen.

"Is…is that considered appropriation?" Nemona asked, completely baffled by the exchange. Juliana just shrugged, but couldn't hold back a chuckle at Nemona's confusion.

"Not really, but it's funny either way. Let's do this!" Juliana said as she scooped up Niles off of the grass, earning a grumpy sigh from the Nickit. The rest of her team followed beside her, with Nemona joining the younger student as the shouts from the twins and Nalani intensified.


Meanwhile…


Milo and Arven continued to chat as they opened a small package of store-bought banana cakes and enjoyed them, feeding some to their Pokémon while waiting for the Naranja Academy pep rally livestream to start so that they could watch it on their phones.

"So you and Juliana…you're like best friends, right?" Arven asked, with Milo nodding as he pet Watt as she snoozed in his lap. Meanwhile Reggie was sitting next to Moe, his ambient warmth keeping the large Mabosstiff comfortable, which Arven appreciated. The rest of the Pokémon were relaxing on the cave floor and enjoying the comfortable atmosphere.

"She's been my best friend for as long as I can remember. She's basically an older sister to me. I feel bad not being there for her, but after seeing why you're after the Titans, I don't regret skipping out on the pep rally to help Moe." Milo said with a shrug, causing Arven to nod. He was grateful for that, but he was still curious about his friend.

"Juliana's talked about how she was Miss Popular over in Galar and that's basically true here. What I'm wondering is what school was like for you. You're kind of a little badass at Naranja Academy, bud. Were you like that back in Motostoke?" Arven asked Milo, who frowned at the question. Arven picked up on the change of mood in his friend, and quickly tried to backpedal. "W-we don't have to talk about that if you don't want to, Milo."

"Sorry, Arven. I really don't like talking about myself because before Paldea…I wasn't anyone worth talking about." Milo admitted to Arven, who's eyes went wide at that surprise statement. "Not trying to make things depressing, but it's true."

"W-what do you mean?" Arven asked, taking a bite of his cake. Meanwhile Milo remained quiet, even when Reggie nudged his leg with concern.

"I grew up with a loving family who's always supported me. A mother and father who were great parents and a…a…" Milo swallowed hard and looked up at the ceiling to avoid making eye-contact with Arven. "And a little sister who thought I was so much better than I really was."

"You have a sister?" Arven asked, surprised that he hadn't heard about her by now. Come to think of it, he never heard Milo talk about his father either. Plenty of stories about his mother, who was a famous artist on-par with Hassel. But nothing about his sister or his father. He assumed that there was a reason behind it, and that it was unpleasant for Milo to talk about.

"Yeah. Amy thought I was the best big brother ever, even when I was just a cowardly dork who hid in his room playing video games all day." Milo's words were quiet, but Arven wasn't able to pick up on any other emotion in his friend's voice thanks to Milo's Poker Face, which was currently up. Juliana had mentioned it before and how it was hard to spot sometimes, but now that Arven knew what to look for, he noticed it as well.

It was a mask that Milo threw up when a situation required a cool and calm face, like battling the Titans or Gym Leaders. Milo's Poker Face seemed to pop up whenever he was in battle, usually accompanied by an easygoing smile and a self-assured expression. But now Arven saw that he was doing it now, and realized that it was also something else.

"It's like a coping mechanism…" Arven thought to himself, wondering if he should push any further. "Amy…Where is she now?" Arven asked Milo, who remained completely silent at that question.

You know, you could always fire back with something about Professor Sada. That'd make him shut up and stop trying to pry.

Milo ignored the Remnant, knowing that would solve nothing. "She's not here in Paldea. I don't want to talk about her or my Dad. Sore subject these days." Milo said as he looked at Arven, his face showing no hint of the emotions he was feeling.

"I understand. Whenever you feel like talking about it again I'm all ears, little buddy." Arven said with a nod, earning a sigh from Milo.

"Sorry man. I just…dwelling on the past doesn't solve anything. It doesn't make things better, it just hurts you." Milo tried to explain, closing his eyes. "I'm trying not to focus so much on what I can't change. I've got better days ahead and more friends than I could have ever dreamed. I'm going to focus on becoming a strong Trainer, and a person worthy of faith that friends like you put in me."

Arven smiled warmly at that. He was pretty short in the friend department himself, and Milo had his back in a way that few people ever did. The fact that his friend was opening up about sensitive subjects was just another sign that Milo trusted Arven, and that made the older student happy.

"Would you mind telling me about your dad and sister? I'm an only child and I uh, never knew my father. You don't have to if you don't want to." Arven asked Milo, who didn't respond to his friend's question right away. Instead he thought of the information his friend had offered, and how Arven had opened up to Milo about Moe and his own past with Professor Sada.

"My Dad's name was Diego. He was a student at Naranja Academy and he was kind of a delinquent. Got into fights, gambled illegally, all sorts of stuff. Still managed to graduate with high marks. According to Mom he achieved the Champion Rank before becoming a professional poker player and making a fortune. He was born and raised in Cascarrafa before he started traveling the world. He met Mom at the Academy when they were students and dated briefly, and they kept in touch over the years. He settled down in Galar, married Mum and had me and Amy." Milo explained, his voice quiet as he focused on telling Arven what he deserved to know. Arven was a friend and had earned his trust.

"He sounds pretty cool." Arven remarked, with Milo nodding in agreement.

"Yeah, he was. Never raised his voice or spanked us, and he always pushed me to do my best. And when my best didn't feel like it was enough for me, he supported me anyway." Milo said with a small smile. "It's funny. He was such a rebel when he was younger from what Mum tells me, but I don't think I've met a more relaxed person than him in my life."

Arven nodded at that, smiling back at his friend. "How about Amy?"

Milo sighed quietly, trying to think of how to respond. "I'm only four years older than her. She, like me, idolized Leon and loved Pokémon Battles. Had a knack for art rather than music, and couldn't lie worth anything. Dad's poker lessons never seemed to make sense to her. She hated to lose at just about everything. And for whatever strange reason, she thought I was the coolest person ever."

"How's that strange? You're a good guy and you look out for your friends." Arven pointed out to Milo, who shook his head.

"I dunno. Either way, we were very close. She loved watching me play video games. Nothing made her happier when she was little than bringing her stuffed Corviknight into my room and watching me play Minecraft with Juliana." Milo said with his expression still neutral, but Arven noticed that his voice shook a little bit.

Milo was snapped out of his thoughts by the sensation of something wet moving on his hand. The teen glanced down and saw that Moe had crawled closer to him and was licking his hand. The Mabosstiff glanced up at the Galarian and whined softly, with Arven smiling at his friend.

"Looks like Moe's asking if you're alright, little bud." Arven said to Milo, who stared down at the injured Pokémon who was concerned about him, With that, Milo dropped his Poker Face and reached over to gently pet Moe's head, a small smile on his face.

"Thank you, Moe…we're gonna make sure you get all better. I promise." Milo swore to the Mabosstiff, causing Arven to beam at his friend. A sudden burst of sound from Arven's Rotom Phone made both Trainers jump, and they turned to the device to realize the livestream had started.


A large crowd had been assembled in the decorated schoolyard of Naranja Academy, with various displays, games and panels set up around the area. At the front was a proper stage, unlike the one Director Clavell used for his Treasure Hunt announcement. The stage had a fancy wooden and metal awning and bright orange banners displaying the school sigil. It also had the benefit of providing welcome shade to those on-stage, since it was a rather hot day outside.

"Good morning, students and faculty of Naranja Academy!" Director Clavell said from behind the lectern that was on-stage. Behind him stood Juliana, Nemona, Flynn (President of the 3XC) as well as several students that Milo recognized as different club presidents and captains.

"Today we have assembled here for the sake of taking pride in our prestigious school! A day free of classes, but full of merriment and good times with your fellow students, faculty and Pokémon." Clavell continued, smiling at all of them. He then coughed before gesturing to Juliana, who wore a nervous smile.

"I'll save you all the pains of hearing an old man ramble, and instead allow one of Naranja Academy's freshmen to give the opening remarks. Please give a warm welcome to Juliana Anderson, Captain of the Archery Team!" Director Clavell said to the assembled crowd, taking several steps back as Juliana approached. She took that moment to call out her team, who stood beside her as she took her position behind the podium. Niles hopped atop the lectern, swishing his tail.

"Hey there everyone! How're we doing today!?" Juliana asked the sea of students, earning a roar from the crowd in response. "Excellent! Hopefully we're all awake and ready for a day of fun!"

"I'd like to take a moment and thank everyone who helped put this together. Give a round of applause for our volunteers, faculty and student leaders!" Juliana said to the crowd, who responded with a wave of clapping. Juliana used that time to clear her throat and steel herself for the rest of her speech.

"I know I've only been in Paldea for a little less than a year. But it's become a home to me. Both me and my best friend Florian, or Milo to you lot, grew up hearing about Naranja Academy from our parents. And it's been everything we could've dreamed!" Juliana went on, earning several shouts and cheers from various students in the crowd.

"Niiiii!" Niles agreed, bobbing his head as his cry echoed out across the courtyard. Several students laughed at that, and Juliana visibly relaxed.

"See, Niles agrees with me." Juliana said with a chuckle, petting her unruly Partner on the head for a moment. "Naranja Academy is our little home away from home. Where we get a chance to learn, grow and figure out who and what we truly want to be. And with the Treasure Hunt, perhaps even more."

"But today's all about fun! You don't want to hear this Galar girl natter on and on and on! We've got all sorts of cool stuff set up today, and our clubs worked their butts off to give you all a great showcase! First up, we've got an exhibition from our very own Archery Team-'' Juliana began to say, only for the sound of air horns to suddenly interrupt her, followed by what resembled revving engines. Juliana's expression shifted to one of surprise and embarrassment before the camera suddenly panned over to the source of the noise.

Five students wearing modified Naranja Academy uniforms were racing across the schoolyard at a rapid pace. The students in question were riding strange engine-like Pokémon like they were motorbikes, and they wore white helmets with stars emblazoned on the sides.


"Team Star!" Milo practically growled as he stood up, stepping closer to the phone. The Team Star Grunts had flags with both black and red stars on them respectively, with the teens screaming their heads off with wide smiles on their faces as they sped along the track that surrounded the schoolyard with their air horns blaring noisily.

"What a bunch of clowns. They're ruining Juliana's speech! Look at them riding around on those Varoom's!" Arven muttered darkly, gritting his teeth in anger. Milo let out a small exhale, trying to hold back the absolute fury he felt at the group for having the nerve to interrupt his best friend's biggest moment at the school.

Some of the crowd members panicked and ran away from the commotion, heading into the school. Nemona could be seen for a brief minute trying to confront the Team Star members before suddenly being knocked over several students trying to get away from the group that had effectively crashed the pep rally.

"Hello Naranja Academy! You wanted school spirit, then you've got it! Woo woo!" one of the Team Star Grunts yelled out with a wide smile.

"Schedar Squad and Segin Squad have turned up to represent, baby!" a female Grunt screamed with a wild laugh, taking aim with a t-shirt cannon and firing it into the crowd. The noise from the five Varoom's was deafening to the crowd, with many people visibly covering their ears in pain as the Pokémon circled the crowd and came dangerously close to hitting several people trying to get away from the commotion.

"I can't believe they had the balls to do this!" Milo hissed as he clenched his fists, seeing the camera quickly pan to a stunned group of teachers onstage and a baffled Juliana, who had just been rudely interrupted by the delinquent students during a speech that she had spent several days worrying about.

Some of the students tried to forcibly subdue the Team Star students, with the 3XC Vice President Rafael sending out a Salazzle and unleashing a Flamethrower at Team Star with a savage grin. The Team Star Grunts screamed in fear and scattered in different directions, with Rafael ignoring several shouts from what sounded like Flynn, Clavell and Nemona to stop.

Suddenly one of the Team Star members let out a yelp as his Varoom suddenly swerved to avoid the flames as they chased them, throwing the Team Star member to the ground as the Pokémon sped towards a knocked over stand. The Varoom struck the stand and was sent flying at high speed through the air towards the center stage, where some of the faculty and students were still standing. The airborne Pokémon struck several parts of the upper stage in quick succession before landing harshly onto the ground next to Director Clavell, who audibly yelled out in surprise. The sound of the stage shaking slightly due to the damaged wood caught their attention and everyone fled from the stage.

Juliana tried to scramble away as well, only for her foot to catch the edge of the lectern in her haste and send her tumbling to the floor. She quickly got back to her feet and tried to get away from the stage alongside her Pokémon team, but a deafening crack soon alerted everyone watching that disaster had just struck.

Milo and Arven both shouted out as they watched the large metal awnings and support beams break under their own weight and collapse, with Juliana vanishing underneath a cloud of debris with a scream of pain. The camera swung around as shouts filled the air, with the camera shifting away from the stage and across the courtyard as pandemonium ensued.

The last thing visible was a brief shot of the horrified Team Star Grunts faces before they turned around and ran in the opposite direction, fleeing deeper into the school before the livestream suddenly cut off.


Milo's Current Party:

Reggie (Crocalor) M - Tera Fire

Storm (Wattrel) F - Tera Flying

Watt (Shiny Pikachu) F - Tera Electric

Echo (Toxel) F - Tera Ice

Momo (Skwovet) M - Tera Steel

Donut (Fidough) F - Tera Ice

Benched/PC Storage:

Cocoa (P. Wooper) F - Tera Ground

Floom (Shiny Drifloon) M - Tera Ghost

Fiona (Flittle) F - Tera Grass

Shelly (Shellder) F - Tera Fighting

Bronson (Barbcoach) M - Tera Fire

Volt (Pawmi) F -Tera Steel

Smith (Applin) M - Tera Water

Fleur (Steenee) F - Tera Dark

Graveyard:

Pepper (Maschiff) F - Tera Poison

Sparky (Pawmi) M - Tera Electric

Victor (Venonat) M - Tera Electric


Gotta love them cliffhangers.

This chapter was originally part of the last update, but had to be split into two for reasons that are probably obvious. This chapter ended up being one of my larger ones anyway!

Q & A

From: SolanaLeonhart

I know there's a lot more to the story but out of curiosity, when are you going to get started on the objectives related to Team Star? They get mentioned here and there but they don't seem to have much of a presence in the story.

Hmmm…Right about now.

I think this is the second or third time you've asked a question with such great timing. It's like you manifest plot twists!

Long story short, I'm essentially running off of a script for the story, since it's based on an actual Nuzlocke run, and so things are planned out a bit differently than how it would typically go (the Objectives would be more evenly dispersed).

I'll admit now that Team Star's first base was indeed the fifth Objective tackled on this run. I essentially went in level-difficulty order. Otherwise, I probably would've covered the Dark Base fourth rather than Titan Bombirdier.

But the fact that I got a few questions in the reviews for the previous chapter mentioning Team Star shows that I ended up pacing things pretty well. Which makes me pretty happy!

From: Guest

Were you cackling like a maniac when you made this chapter name with the dual meaning of the titan dropping rock bombs and Arven dropping bombs of his own after Smoliv Garden?

Maybe just a little bit. Honestly, the running gag with Smoliv Garden just continues to make me laugh in general. Especially coming from someone who loves Olive Garden as much as I do.

Gotta give a big shoutout to the amazing folks who reviewed since the last update, which includes SolanaLeonhart, WyldClaw, AzureFury75, a Guest reviewer, Rare Joe Star and BraviaryScout. You all are fabulous and I appreciate you!

Additional shoutouts go to PhilLordy, AzureFury75, kingcoldflame, Zol123, Phillix, and Batman9117 for favoriting and following AS! Seriously, you all are legends and I'm stoked that you're enjoying the story as we continue on!

On that note, you may have noticed that this site has been experiencing a lot of issues regarding email notifications. They've fixed some of that stuff and things are improving, but honestly, I'd recommend using the fanfiction app to stay updated with stories you want to keep an eye out on. I personally do that for myself, and I want to recommend that to others who may not be in the loop.

As a general note, I tend to upload my fics (RS and AS) every two weeks or so in-between updates. I imagine once RS is done, so long as I don't immediately start writing a new story, this fic will change to weekly updates. We'll see how that goes though.

If you enjoyed the chapter, please show your support with a favorite and/or follow and leave your thoughts in the review section below. Your feedback is important and really appreciated! And I answer questions, because it's generally pretty fun. You can also find AS on AO3 if that's your preference.

Take care and stay awesome!

Until next time, FlygonNick out!