Pokémon Nuzlocke Novels: Ancient Scarlet
Chapter 27: What Have I Done?
The Next Morning…
Naranja Academy
Nemona sat at her desk in her room, frowning as she looked down at her phone and debated what she wanted to do. Her team slumbered around her room, with only Tornado the Tauros awake and watching his Trainer with some concern. Because for the first time in a long while, the usually confident Champion was truly at a loss and had no clue how to proceed.
The Champion's thoughts had been muddled ever since the disastrous pep rally that had seen one of her few friends hurt and embroiled Naranja Academy in controversy. Shockingly, however, it was what happened before Team Star crashed the event and Rafael tried to set them on fire that had Nemona out of sorts. The conversation that Nemona had with Juliana and her friends about her relationship with Milo and why she had become so close to him so quickly. Nemona had claimed to only be Milo's friend, and that should've been the end of things.
But then things went south with the pep rally, and Nemona's thoughts had been consumed concern for her friend's mental health upon returning to the Academy. Nemona knew that it was unusual for her to be this focused on someone else like this. Things only got worse when Milo stood up for her and made Rafael back down from attempting to physically assault her, putting himself in harm's way without a trace of fear. Since then, Nemona was unsure what she felt, because as of right now she could only think about her Galarian friend that had become her Rival.
"I…I don't actually have a crush on him. Do I? He's my neighbor. My Rival. My closest friend." Nemona muttered as she glanced around her room, hoping an answer to her questions would materialize out of nowhere. So Nemona closed her eyes and reflected on the matter.
Nemona, at her core, was a Pokémon Trainer who adored the sport more than anything else. Battling made her blood race and heart pound, and ignited a fire in her soul. She had put her all into becoming strong and she thrived on the battlefield alongside her team. Nemona had reached the rank of Champion in record time and had maintained her power as a Champion, unlike many who allowed their skills to languish once they had achieved the title.
However, that didn't mean that she didn't have her problems. Confidants were scarce in her life, as were people she could truly count on, and for the most part Nemona walked the path of Champions on her own. She knew deep down that many people were intimidated by how dominant of a Champion she was, especially at school. Combined with her lack of social skills, and that made things…lonely, to say the least.
But that all changed when she met Florian Caballero. The student she knew as Milo was someone she could be herself around without fear of being judged. He appreciated Nemona for who she was, faults and all. Their friendship had become something Nemona cherished greatly, and she found herself enjoying her time at school now more than ever thanks to her Galarian friend.
But as of late, Nemona's heart would race and she would feel the urge to smile more around her neighbor. Even doing things that had nothing to do with battling, such as going on walks through Mesagoza or playing video games were fun because they were with her friend. She felt such an intense desire to spend time with him that it was almost overwhelming!
"When he led me away from Rafael and held my hand the other day…my head keeps flashing back to that moment. I'm a Champion capable of taking on anyone in this region, but in that moment, Milo made sure I was safe and put himself in harm's way to make sure I was okay." Nemona muttered to herself, slowly placing a hand over her heart. "He held my hand and it felt good. Strange, but in a nice way. But what does it mean? Is this just how it feels to have a friend as good as him? Or is it something more?"
Hence Nemona's current issue, where she was debating who she could talk to for advice. She couldn't ask Juliana, who was currently in the hospital and would likely be surrounded by her gaggle of friends upon her return to school. She certainly couldn't ask Milo himself. Arven Sada couldn't stand her and would be of absolutely no help, despite being a good friend of Milo too. And so Nemona was forced to turn to outside sources.
"I won't even bother calling Mother or Father, and my sister Olivia is likely too busy to help. So I guess that leaves…" Nemona sighed before she finally bit the bullet and video-called the number on the phone listed La Primera.
It rang twice before a familiar voice answered the young Champion, with the camera opening and showing a woman smiling back at her. The tan-skinned woman was in a tasteful black and blue suit with a yellow ribbon around her collar, with stylized blue gloves with a star-like sigil on them. Her black hair had streaks of blue and yellow within it, with her long hair tied into a ponytail today. Her blue and yellow eyes gleamed with a sharp intelligence.
"Good morning, Nemona. How can I help you?" the woman asked Nemona politely, with Nemona hesitating for a few moments. Nemona noticed that the woman was sitting in what looked to be the break room, with a cup of steaming hot coffee in her hand.
"I'm so sorry to bug you, Miss Geeta. But I was wondering if you had a few minutes to answer some questions. I need some advice and I wasn't sure who else to ask." Nemona said nervously, which the woman picked up on.
"I'd be happy to help. What's the problem? Is everything okay at school?" Geeta asked, raising an eyebrow. "It isn't Team Star again, is it?"
"N-no! Nothing like that. I, um, have some questions about a thing concerning my friend Milo. You know, the one I've told you about. The really, really skilled rookie Trainer I made my Rival?" Nemona clarified, with Geeta smiling at the young Champion. Nemona had told her and the Elite Four quite a bit about her friend at this point. She was obviously close to him.
"Ah yes, Milo. Or rather, Florian Caballero. I actually did some research on the boy the last time you mentioned him. His matches against Katy and Brassius were impressive. An interesting path forward for the Motostoke Miracle, but maybe he'll go far here in Paldea." Chairwoman Geeta remarked, earning a confused look from Nemona.
"The Motostoke Miracle?" Nemona asked, her curiosity piqued. She knew Hannah Caballero occasionally called her son Milagro, which was Paldean for the word Miracle, and that Milo was originally from the Galar region city of Motostoke. But that sounded like a nickname of some kind. She didn't have time to dwell on that remark because Geeta continued.
"You said you had some questions about Milo. What kind of questions?" Geeta asked Nemona, who considered how she wanted to approach this. She was somewhat self-conscious about it and wasn't sure what she even wanted to ask.
"Mostly about how to approach sensitive topics. He's been through some rough times before coming to Paldea, and he doesn't like talking about it. It's obviously stressing him out a bunch, but I want to help him open up more. He's so strong and I know he can overcome it! But I don't want to upset him…he won't tell me what happened either. I'm honestly a little scared to ask." Nemona admitted, with Geeta humming softly in answer as she considered it. "I could probably find out some other way, but I want him to tell me. It'd feel like a betrayal if I started digging into his past behind his back."
"You have mentioned before that you bonded very quickly with this boy, Nemona. Would you mind telling me about that?" Geeta asked the young Champion, who nodded.
"Milo kind of just embraces my love for battling and lets me help him, but also talks with me whenever I want. He doesn't just humor me. Milo lets me be myself without judging me. No one's ever done that before, Miss Geeta. But he's also been really helpful in teaching me about there being a time and a place for battling too!" Nemona explained to the older woman, who nodded in understanding. "On top of that, he encourages me to do other things. Life isn't all about battling, even if it is my favorite thing. I've started looking into reading for fun thanks to Milo, and helping teach him battle strategies instead of battling itself has been really fun and has me thinking about looking into tutoring at school. I've even enjoyed trying out some of those video games he plays so much."
"It's important to find people who make you realize that there's nothing wrong with being who you are. From what you've told me, your friend Milo embraces and accepts your passionate nature while also attempting to help you learn some restraint. Your single-mindedness is, after all, your biggest weakness as both a Trainer and a person." Geeta remarked, leaning forward in her chair while offering Nemona a patient smile. "True friends are ones who help you grow, not coddle you. And he seems like a very good friend, Nemona. I'm happy you've managed to finally connect with some of your fellow students. I think I understand why you're so enthralled with this boy."
"But the problem is that I'm worried I might be…developing a crush on him." Nemona admitted, with Geeta blinking several times in surprise. The woman then beamed at Nemona, clearly pleased.
"You? Having a crush on someone?" Geeta asked, wanting clarification on this. Nemona nodded in response, clearly nervous about admitting that fact.
"Only Nemona would be calling you for relationship advice." A dull voice spoke up from somewhere behind Geeta, causing the woman's mouth to twitch into a scowl. Nemona decided to answer the Chairwoman's question before she got into an argument with her employee.
"I'm not sure what else it is. He's such a supportive friend and so patient with me. He's also a great Trainer and absorbs information like a sponge and has amazing battle instincts!" Nemona realized she was gushing about her friend again and flushed in embarrassment upon seeing Geeta's amused smile. "And I don't want to ruin our friendship by doing something dumb. He's really good to me, Miss Geeta."
"Did you always feel this way towards him?" Geeta asked the student before taking a sip of her coffee.
"No. When I first met him, I didn't feel this way at all. He was just a normal guy with a funny accent. But the more time I spend with him, the more amazing I realize that he is!" Nemona said excitedly, standing up in her room.
"Do you think he's cute?" Geeta said teasingly, with Nemona blinking a few times before reflecting on it.
"Umm…he's kind of cute? I haven't really paid much attention to his looks, but he's got a really nice smile when he's really happy. Or when his eyes light up when he starts getting into a battle. I'll have to start paying attention to stuff like that. But I don't usually care for boys and their looks. Is that weird?" Nemona asked Geeta, who shook her head.
"Not at all. We all like who we like in different ways." Geeta responded to Nemona with a small laugh. "So, when did you first realize you might be feeling something towards your friend? Think about it."
"I think it really started the other day when Milo stood up for me and made Rafael, a bigger and stronger person who was a much better Trainer than him, back down from trying to hurt me." Nemona said quietly, with Geeta frowning at the mention of the teen. Rafael Cezar had been suspended after nearly trying to attack Nemona when compounded with his actions at the Pep Rally. Geeta was privately grateful Clavell had stepped in to handle that matter before she did.
"After that, he led me away from Rafael and I suddenly realized just how much he does for me and how great he is. He's humble, kind and willing to help others. He's shy and reserved, but he's got some real fire when he's motivated!" Nemona said with a wide smile, realizing yet again that she was gushing about her friend. She then realized something about her and Milo's relationship, and perhaps why she was so enthralled by her friend.
"He made me feel special. I don't have any real friends besides him. Juliana too, but Milo's just completely different for me on an entirely different level. My heart starts to beat faster and my stomach feels weird and it's just…I don't know! I want to spend as much time as I can with him! I think about him all the time, Miss Geeta, and I don't know why. He's a really wonderful person, and I'm scared that developing a crush on him might ruin our friendship." Nemona had finished her explanation in a soft voice, her concerns laid bare as worry pounded through her heart.
"Calm down, Nemona. You care a lot for your friend. There's nothing wrong with that. Nor is there anything wrong with developing feelings for someone precious to you." Geeta explained to the younger woman, who nodded in understanding. Geeta leaned back in her chair, closing her eyes and considering what advice to give the anxious Champion.
"Sometimes people are simply beautiful. Not in looks. Not in what they say. Just in what they are, Nemona. And that in turn may lead to you appreciating other parts of Milo that you once overlooked." Geeta said to the young Champion, who slowly nodded in understanding. "If you feel an attraction to your friend, then foster your close bond whenever you can. Perhaps he returns your feelings. You are a strong and kind-hearted young woman who anyone would be lucky to have as a partner."
"I asked him to spend some time with me at the Friendship Festival in Mesagoza next week." Nemona remarked, crossing her arms as she thought about it. "I've been wanting to spend some time with him that isn't battling, like you suggested a few weeks ago, and the Mesagoza Friendship Festival seemed like a good opportunity."
"Festival de la Amistad de Mesagoza…it's been some time since I was able to attend one myself." Geeta then raised an eyebrow, smiling slightly as she realized the implications of what Nemona had said. "You asked him out on a date?"
Nemona actually blushed at that, much to Geeta's surprise. "It was a spur of the moment decision. I knew Milo would say yes, but I stressed that it would be just the two of us spending time together. I wanted to use the Festival as a way to spend time with him."
"A wise decision. I'm sure you'll figure things out, Nemona. You're a smart girl." Geeta said warmly, taking another sip of her coffee. "Either way, you can use this as a way to get closer to your friend. Perhaps then he'll open up more to you about his past. You are right to not push him about it."
"Phew! I was worried I was going about this the wrong way. Thanks for the feedback, ma'am!" Nemona thanked the woman, who held up a finger to pause Nemona's words.
"I do have a warning, however, about your friend Milo." Geeta's expression became more serious, and Nemona knew it was her cue to listen carefully. "Even the nicest people have their limits. Don't push them too far and don't try to reach those limits. Because the nicest people can also be rather intimidating when they've had enough. Your fellow classmate Rafael learned that the other day when Milo stood up for you."
"This wouldn't happen if you spent less time cleaning up after the mistakes of other regions." The dull male voice chimed in again, causing Geeta to suddenly frown in annoyance. "We all know the system in those places is in utter shambles."
Another voice chimed in, this one female. "You know, Larry's kinda cooking. You'd think after what happened back in Kanto, Unova and Alola with Cipher, some of the other Champs would retire. At least Galar finally figured itself out, but only after the horrific crap Theodore Rose pulled-"
"Rika, we've been over this, so please drop it." Geeta said in a tired tone, leaning back in her chair before glancing over to the side of the room. "Larry, your input is not required or requested, so why must you say these things?"
"I can choose to be the bigger person, La Primera. But being the reason HR makes a new policy is much more exciting." Larry remarked, earning a cackle of delight from Rika. "Besides, I just so happened to be the person you sent to Galar after what that maniac pulled-"
"Nemona, I've got to handle some sudden League business. Please feel free to reach out if you need anything else. Farewell for now." Chairwoman Geeta said with a strained smile before hanging up the line. Nemona lowered the phone and considered the words of the woman who she regarded so highly.
"Do I actually have feelings for my closest friend?" Nemona asked, sitting down on her bed and considering that question. She placed a hand over her heart for a moment and felt it beating quickly, with her stomach feeling like it was fluttering somehow. It was an entirely new sensation for the young Champion, who finally flopped backwards onto her bed and grappled with what might be her greatest challenge yet.
Her first crush.
Later that Day…
Eastern Paldea Outskirts
Milo and Arven slowly extracted themselves out of the Tera Den, eyeing the sun as it hovered just overhead and beat down on their backs. Milo glanced down at the Poké Ball in his hand and grinned with triumph.
Alright, you did your three catches and held off on naming them long enough. Now do so and figure out what you want to do with them.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm working on it." Milo grumbled internally as he pulled the two other Pokémon out of PC Storage and called his three latest catches out of their Poké Balls.
Two of the Pokémon Milo recognized immediately as a Chewtle and an Igglybuff, but the third Pokémon was something Milo had only spotted in passing and wasn't familiar with, though he was sure he had battled it once before. It was a gray mole-like creature with a black head and light green eyes that Arven explained was a Shroodle, which he believed were native to Paldea, and that it had been one of the Pokémon that Team Star had tried to battle Milo with several months ago. Milo chose to check the Pokédex App for the creature's entry and chose to name this one first.
"Shroodle. The Toxic Mouse Pokémon. Though usually a mellow Pokémon, it will sink its sharp, poison-soaked front teeth into any that anger it, causing paralysis in the object of its ire. This Shroodle is Female and has the Ability Unburden. Its Tera Type is Water." The Rotom Phone explained to Milo, who considered the new Pokémon for a few moments, wondering what on earth he could name it.
He was drawing a complete blank.
"Uhh…Sem…see…yeah, sure. Semsee." Milo said awkwardly before inputting the name in the Pokédex App.
What the hell kind of name is that?
"What the hell kind of name is that?" Arven asked, unknowingly echoing the sentiments of the Remnant and annoying Milo further. The teen just shrugged his shoulders and moved onto the second Pokémon, and upon locking eyes with the Chewtle Milo could barely repress a small shudder.
It's fine…it's just a Chewtle. Milo thought with a grim smile, trying not to think too much about it. His Poker Face was firmly in place, but his hesitation was noticed by Arven.
"You good?" Arven asked his friend, who shrugged his shoulders.
"Yeah, I'll be fine. Let's get this entry up." Milo muttered as he found the appropriate entry in the Pokédex App.
"Chewtle. The Snapping Pokémon. Its large front tooth is still growing in. When the tooth itches, this Pokémon will bite another Chewtle's horn, and the two Pokémon will tussle. This Chewtle is Male and has the Ability Shell Armor. Its Tera Type is Bug." Milo sighed as he looked back down at the expectant Pokémon. He considered a few possible different names, but knew full-well this was likely a Pokémon he would never use.
"Dread. You're Dread." Milo muttered as he input the name in the Rotom Phone. Arven looked at Milo with a confused expression before he moved onto the final Pokémon.
"Igglybuff. The Balloon Pokémon. Its body has a faintly sweet scent and is bouncy and soft. If it bounces even once, it cannot stop. This Igglybuff is Female and has the Ability Competitive. Its Tera Type is Electric." Milo listened to the entry and considered what he knew of the Pokémon.
"I've already got my team set up for this, but it'll be good to have Pokémon like her in reserve. From what I understand they have really solid movesets." Milo remarked as Arven nodded in understanding. "I'll name her Puffy. That's a good name, right?"
"I think everyone who's ever caught a Jigglypuff or anything from that line names them that." Arven responded, earning a raspberry from the younger Trainer. It was then that Milo remembered something, and he unclipped a Poké Ball from his belt and sent out Volt, his Pawmi.
"Can't believe I forgot about this. I need to give you some candies so you can be as strong as some of the others." Milo said with a little smile, picking some Small XP Candies out of his backpack and feeding them to the Pawmi. The small electrical mouse let out a small cry, happily eating the treats and nuzzling Milo's outstretched hand.
Like Milo expected, a familiar blue glow erupted outwards from the Pawmi, who began to evolve. Within moments the Pokémon began to grow larger and taller, eventually becoming a larger more yellow Pokémon who stood tall on two feet.
"Paaaaw!" the Pokémon cried out, doing a few punches to the open air before grinning at Milo, who rubbed her head.
"Congrats Volt! You evolved!" Milo said with a smile, pulling up the Pokédex App on his phone and getting the appropriate entry.
"Pawmo. The Mouse Pokémon. When its group is attacked, Pawmo is the first to leap into battle, defeating enemies with a fighting technique that utilizes electric shocks." The Rotom Phone explained, with Milo grinning now.
"I remember Nemona mentioning that the Pawmi line became fighting-types later and I've seen it with her own Pawmo, Chispa. You'll be great against the Dark Crew, Volt." Milo said as the Pawmo nodded happily.
A few hours later, Milo and his friends were pushing a wheelchair containing Juliana through the front doors of the school. The twins and Nalani walked alongside Arven and Milo, the latter of whom was pushing Juliana into the main entryway.
Juliana wasn't happy about having to use a wheelchair for the next week while the doctors coordinated with Miss Dendra and Nurse Mirium about her rehabilitation. She also wasn't happy about being unable to use the stairs in the lobby to get to her room, which was located close to the main lobby. To transport the girl up the stairs to her room, they'd have to go the long way to the elevator which wasn't in the lobby.
"Ugh, we'd have to go the long way though. That's the best part about my room! It's close to the stairs!" Juliana complained, looking up the stairs with annoyance. Arven sighed and walked around the wheelchair.
"Milo, grab her chair. I've got this." Arven said before hooking an arm around Juliana's legs, much to her confusion. She then let out a squawk of surprise as the upperclassman effortlessly lifted her up into his arms, having picked up Juliana in a bridal carry.
"Huh, you're actually really light." Arven remarked with a smirk upon seeing Juliana's face as he easily carried her up the stairs. Milo grinned upon seeing how embarrassed Juliana was, with the freshman blushing furiously as she noticed all of her friends were smirking up at her.
"S-S-shut up! Are you calling me fat, Arven?" Juliana pouted as Arven gently began to carry her up the stairs. Milo carried the wheelchair up as the twins and Nalani helped carry the rest of Juliana's things.
"Well, you never seem to be able to help yourself when it comes to eating my muffins."
"You ARE calling me fat!"
"Now you're putting words in my mouth. Just like you do with my muffins."
Milo and the girls snickered as they got to the top of the steps, with Juliana still bickering with Arven even as the older teen set the embarrassed girl back down into her chair. He then stopped back and gave Juliana a winning smile and a thumbs up, which made the girl pout even more.
"Thanks Arven, I appreciate you and your big strong arms." Juliana grumbled, fighting the urge to smile at the older teen's silly antics. "They go well with your big fat head."
"Ouch, my feelings. Milo, you want to take over?" Arven asked his other friend, who was trying not to start laughing again.
"I kind of want to let you keep doing your thing. It's been a while since I've seen Juliana so frazzled." Milo grinned as he began to push the wheelchair again, with Juliana somehow pouting even harder.
"I hate it here."
"No you don't, you love this place."
"I wonder if I throw myself down the stairs I can go back to the hospital?"
The very short trip to Juliana's room was uneventful, save for her pouting. The group quickly made sure Juliana was properly set up in her room, with her crutches within arms reach. When the Galarian girl was situated on her bed, Juliana let out a tired sigh and flopped down onto her pillow.
"Hopefully if your rehab goes well, you won't have to deal with that chair anymore." Milo remarked, eyeing the wheelchair that was beside Juliana's bed with distaste.
"If she needs anything at all, I'll be around to give her a hand. I'm sure the girls would be more than happy to help out for as long as you need." Arven said brightly, grinning at the annoyed girl.
"Which means you're free to go kick some butt, aren't you Milo?" Juliana asked her closest friend, who glanced back at her with some surprise.
Juliana smiled knowingly at Milo, shaking her head. "I'm not stupid. After that Cassiopeia person reached out to you a few months back, I figured it was only a matter of time before you looked into Team Star. After I got hurt, I knew you'd probably want to take the fight to them directly."
"I'm pissed as hell that you got hurt because of them. And I'm going to teach them a lesson. Are you going to try and stop me?" Milo asked Juliana, who snorted with amusement.
"Hell no. If our roles were reversed, we wouldn't be having this conversation because I would've burned their bases to the ground." Juliana said matter-of-factly, with Milo grinning in response as he held out his fist. Juliana tapped it with her own, smiling back at her best friend.
"Be careful out there, okay? If you get into trouble, I'm bringing the posse with me and we'll steamroll that place." Juliana promised, with Milo laughing at the remark.
"I wouldn't expect anything less. I'll try to livestream the showdown, but at the very least I'll take some pictures of what happens." Milo said to his friend, crossing his arms. "Like I told Nemona the other day, I don't want to stop Team Star. I'm going to humiliate them like they tried to humiliate you. I want to walk right into those bases and make them realize they shouldn't have messed with Naranja Academy. And more importantly, they'll learn to not mess with my friends."
"You've grown, Milo." Juliana said quietly, shifting her body so that she was leaning against the wall. Milo blinked at the comment, with Arven chuckling from off to the side of the room.
"Have I? I stood up to Rafael the other day, but I'm not so sure that I-" Milo began to say, only for Juliana to cut him off with a loud scoff.
"Well, you downplaying your damn accomplishments certainly hasn't changed. You've definitely gotten a bit tougher and more outgoing than you used to be back in Galar. Honestly, it feels sometimes that you've become a totally different person. But I know at the end of the day you're still the same old dork I've always known. You're just a bit more badass now." Juliana said with a warm smile. "So, are you heading straight there?"
"Not quite. Nemona gave me a shopping list of sorts and highly recommended I swing by Cascarrafa first. Considering she's a Champion and has been training with me these past few days, I'm going to follow her advice. Especially if it gives me an edge against Giacomo and Segin Squad." Milo explained to the girls and Arven, who all became rather pensive.
"It just sucks that we can't back you up, dude." Kara remarked, sighing with some annoyance.
"We don't really do much battling. Julie's easily the best battler out of all of us, but she's in no shape to be joining you." Nalani remarked, with Juliana exhaling hard at the very true comment. Milo offered them a grin despite that, however.
"Don't worry. I've got things handled. Let me know if anything happens school-wise with Team Star or with the faculty. I shouldn't get in trouble for this, but who knows." Milo said as he put his backpack on. Milo gave Juliana another hug and bid his friends farewell, but Arven offered to walk with Milo to the front steps of the Academy to see him off.
The walk there was uneventful, with Arven seemingly having nothing to say until they walked through the front doors and approached the steps. Milo called for a Flying Taxi, and three minutes later it was coming down for a landing to pick up Milo. It was then that Arven spoke up.
"You know, I was really worried about you the other day. But you've been bouncing back over these past few days. Good for you, little buddy." Arven said to Milo, causing the freshman to look towards his friend.
"It helps to have friends who look out for you. It's time for me to return the favor and deal with these clowns." Milo responded with a shrug, earning a chuckle from the older Trainer.
"Stay safe out there, alright. If there's any trouble, let me know and I'll be there." Arven promised Milo, extending a hand to his friend. Arven then grinned as the Galarian student reached forward and clasped it.
"Take care of Juliana and focus on keeping Moe healthy. We're not done hunting down those Titans, you know." Milo grinned back at his friend before releasing his hand. With that, Arven began to trek back towards the school while Milo stepped onto the Flying Taxi, whisking him away. Milo ended up flying to the Pokémon Center closest to where he and Arven had battled Titan Bombirdier, choosing to stay the night there and head out at first light the next day.
All too soon, Milo was speeding through along the grassy hills of the mountain, except with Milo going through the cave system as opposed to trying to find a path to the summit. With Koraidon's speed and following a path via his Rotom Phone's map app, Milo made quick progress through the countryside of the west coast of Paldea.
Nightfall came soon enough and Milo camped out on top of a grassy hill and slept huddled against his team and Koraidon, with the mighty lizard more than enough to keep away any wild Pokémon.
On his second day since leaving the Academy, Milo spotted a Pokémon Center Outpost. While healing his team, he saw a series of massive flags sticking out of barricades and walls in the distance. Emblazoned on the flags were a strange fiery symbol of blue, yellow and black.
"Looks like we're getting closer…" Milo thought as urged Koraidon forward, going past the open gates and finally coming around to a large field situated between two massive cliffs. A large closed gate rose upwards, guarded by two Team Star Grunts that Milo could see. The teen grit his teeth in anger, resisting the urge to ride Koraidon forward now and tear through the base now.
Gotta hit Cascarrafa first. Then I'm coming for your clowns. Milo thought darkly, eyeing the base with barely-restrained fury.
"~Ro-to-to-to-to…~"
Milo flinched as he was snapped out of his thoughts by his Rotom Phone ringing. It flew out of his pocket and the screen showed a rainbow-colored question mark. Milo moved Koraidon out of sight of the sentries, despite how far away he was, and the teen hopped off of Koraidon right as the call picked up.
"Cassiopeia here. I see you're getting close to one of Team Star's bases. I take it this means you've decided to join my operation?"
"That's right." Milo said with a raised eyebrow, genuinely surprised they had chosen now of all times to call him. Was Cassiopeia tracking him somehow?
"Thank you. With this, you're officially a member of Operation Starfall!"
"Hold on a second!"
Milo jumped and then turned around in surprise, spotting someone walking up to them. For a moment, Milo thought he didn't recognize them, but then he realized that he knew the person quite well. It was an older man wearing bright purple glasses and a Naranja Academy uniform, with an immaculate Academy light gray coat and orange shorts like the kind Milo was wearing. On his head was a sleek blond pompadour, with the hair slicked backwards.
"Does this 'Operation Starfall' of yours have room for one more member?" the man asked in an accent Milo couldn't quite place, offering the teen an easy smile. Milo was completely flabbergasted, and it looked like Cassiopeia was similarly confused.
"Wha-? Who are you?!"
The man that absolutely wasn't Director Clavell in a Naranja Academy uniform smiled and ran his hands through his pompadour. "The name's Clive."
"Right, right. Totally." Milo said with a nod, crossing his arms.
"Oh? And how long have you been spying on us?"
Clive seemed to realize that Cassiopeia seemed to be agitated, because he raised his hands placatingly. "No need to get your hackles raised. I'm a pal of our mutual friend here. Isn't that right, Milo?"
"I guess…maybe?" Milo said uncertainty as he put a finger on his chin, with Clive grinning at the younger student.
"Ahaha! Shy as ever, I see!" Clive laughed, giving Milo a thumbs up. Meanwhile, Cassiopea hummed thoughtfully.
"We're talking about going up against Team Star here. It's not something you can join in for fun."
Clive put his hands behind his back, closing his eyes. "I'm well aware. I just need to sort out some…unsettled business with Team Star, that's all."
The older student opened his eyes and gestured to the six Poké Balls on his waist. "Besides, I tend to get the job done well. Not that you can take my word for it, but it's true."
There was a long pause from Cassiopeia, who seemed to be considering the situation. Meanwhile Milo was staring at Clive, wondering just what the hell he was playing at.
"I suppose I'm hardly in a position to refuse help. Welcome to the operation, Clive."
"Great. That settles it, then." Clive said with a pleased smile, nodding. "I think I heard your name earlier…Cassiopeia, was it? Who exactly are you?"
"Team Star and I…share some history. That's all I can say for now."
Can't say I'm surprised that they're not divulging any details. They like talking about themselves just as much as I do. Milo thought with an inward smirk.
Clive nodded once more in understanding, adjusting his glasses. "I see. In that case, I won't press you further."
"Good. Now, back to business - let's talk about Operation Starfall."
"Yes. What would you have us do?" Clive asked their mysterious friend, who was more than happy to explain.
"Simply put, I want you to raid each one of the Team Star bases. Then you'll defeat the bosses of the team…and put an end to their rule!"
"Put an end to their rule…? You mean we need to oust these bosses from their roles somehow?" Clive asked, curious as to what the unknown caller had planned.
"That's right. Team Star is made up of five squads, and each of those squads has its own base. You should be able to see the front gates of one of those bases now, in fact."
"Ah, yes…I can see them over there." Clive remarked, crossing his arms as he peered over at the twelve foot tall gate that stretched from one cliff to the other.
"On the other side of those is the base proper. And somewhere within that base lies one of your targets: a squad boss."
"Okay. I'm starting to get the idea." Clive said as he nodded, with Milo frowning at that.
"I feel like there's a lot of details here that we don't have." Milo remarked, glancing at Clive, who nodded in agreement. Cassiopeia was actually happy to elaborate on that front.
"Well, that's just the outline. The key to the whole operation is the code that the team has to follow. If someone challenges one of the squad bosses to a battle, they have no choice but to accept. And what's more, if they just so happen to lose that battle…they must forfeit their role as a boss altogether!"
"So that's your angle…we take down the boss, we take down their leadership and strip that away from the group." Milo realized, amazed that they had such a strange rule.
"I went ahead and issued challenges to each base under your name, Milo. They're basically declarations of war. Now all of Team Star knows that we're looking for a fight."
"Good. That's what I'm after, considering everything those clowns have done." Milo said with an eager smile, earning a frown of concern from Clive.
"So let's say we defeat all the bosses and they step down from their roles…What happens next?" Clive asked Cassiopeia, who eagerly responded.
"The rest of the team crumbles with no one left to lead them. That's what happens. It's a solid plan, but not without wrinkles."
"What do you mean?" Milo asked.
"Each base has a bunch of Pokémon inside to fend off intruders, and the bases themselves are a considerable size. Your garden-variety Trainer would be overrun long before they'd get anywhere near the boss. That's why your skills are essential to this operation, Milo. Defeat the Pokémon inside the base, and drag the boss out from where they're hiding."
"Consider it done." Milo said with a nod, grinning fiercely at the thought of finally getting retribution for Juliana. "I've had enough time building up my team. It's about time they had a chance to really shine."
"First thing's first, though - you'll need to deal with any grunts that might be guarding the front gates."
"And what will you be doing in the meantime?" Clive asked with an innocent tone, but it was enough for Milo's eyes to narrow.
"Like I said before, I have a history with Team Star. That means I can't operate out in the open. I'll back you up from afar."
Clive nodded in understanding. "All right. And what will my role be?"
"Sorry, but I don't trust you completely just yet…For now, I'd like you to monitor the bosses and act as Milo's support. While he's inside, you need to back Milo up as he clears the way to the crew boss."
"You're a cautious one, all right…I respect that." Clive said with an amused smirk.
"Speaking of support, you've been awfully quiet since that pep rally that Team Star ruined." Milo said to Cassiopeia, his tone frosty enough to draw a second look of concern from Clive. "My best friend got hurt because of these idiots. There's no way you didn't know about that. So why have you been so stingy on communication these past few days when you've been more than happy to nag me about Team Star before now?"
"I don't appreciate your tone. I don't have to answer any questions I don't feel like, Milo."
"Right, right. I have my own motivations for kicking their teeth in, but you've been avoiding me. I want to know why." Milo said firmly, glaring at the phone and receiving several long moments of silence. Clive looked distinctly uncomfortable, and was about to speak when Cassiopeia finally answered.
"Me contacting you after the pep rally incident would have been…counterproductive. I have my reasons for not reaching out, and I rectified that by doing so now. Be happy I even bothered in the first place."
Milo scoffed at that. "My life was already difficult enough before Team Star started making things more stressful. The least you could do is answer my questions if I'm going to help you-"
"I'll be in touch again when the plan advances to the next stage. Good hunting out there."
Cassiopeia hung up then, with Milo snorting with amusement at the annoyed response from the anonymous person. After all of the cloak and dagger silliness and the lack of answers up until now, Cassiopeia deserved some sass.
"Welp. Go get 'em, Milo!" Clive said with a winning smile, only for that smile to falter when Milo gave him a suspicious glare.
"You look familiar…why are you here?" Milo questioned the much, much older student. Clive shook his head at the question, his smile fading away.
"I have no idea what you mean. But if anyone asks you about me, remember this…" Clive then ran his fingers through his pompadour. "I'm Clive, a normal academy student just like you. Nothing more, nothing less."
"Uh huh...Well, I'm not going to complain about having a helping hand dealing with these jerks. I'll be swinging through Cascarrafa to get some things and then coming back here around noon tomorrow." Milo turned away from Clive and called out Koraidon again, hopping atop the beast with ease. "I'll see you at noon tomorrow, Clive."
Clive waved as Milo departed, with the teen wondering just what else he was going to have to deal with on this trip. He was answered in the form of a large barricade blocked by two Team Star Grunts, with the city of Cascarrafa visible about five miles down the road behind them.
"I need to get to Cascarrafa, you morons." Milo said to the two Team Star Grunts standing in front of their barricade. Both teens crossed their arms and smirked at Milo mockingly.
"Nope! You can't get through here!"
"If you've got complaints, take 'em up at the base!"
Milo stared at them for several seconds before glancing towards the nearby cliff. He then shrugged his shoulders and bent down to mutter something that the grunts couldn't hear into Koraidon's ear. The draconic mount nodded eagerly before letting out a snarl towards the teens, startling them, and then suddenly charging right towards the nearby cliff. The beast kicked hard off of the ground, rushing forward and off of the cliff into open air.
The teen dropped through the air, much to the shock of the two Team Star Grunts. Milo meanwhile flipped them off with one hand while keeping the other on the handle, bracing himself for the impact as they leapt into the desert.
Koraidon landed as gracefully as he could from several hundred feet drop, skidding into the Asado Desert and kicking up the sand with a soft growl. Milo took that moment to stagger off of Koraidon and violently throw up into the sand, his stomach not handling such an insane drop so well.
Milo took a few moments to sit down on a nearby rock and gather his composure. Meanwhile Koraidon happily chased some nearby Rufflet, barking loudly as it did so. Milo pulled out the map on his Rotom Phone and noticed that he actually wasn't far from the Quaking Earth Titan, which lurked further out into the desert.
You are absolutely not ready for that thing. Stick to the outskirts.
"If you're warning me about it, then I'll steer clear of it. Thanks." Milo muttered as he hopped back on Koraidon and began to trudge his way through the desert, picking up a few items along the way and avoiding the local wildlife. He spotted a glint of blue amidst the sand next to a fallen tower, and Milo reached down into the sand while still riding Koraidon and scooped it up.
"Rain Dance. That's a pretty useful TM." Milo muttered as he made Koraidon stop. He pulled a cloth out of his backpack and brushed the sand off of the disc. Milo then put it into a case and headed towards the city of Cascarrafa. The Remnant made an annoyed sound of disgust within Milo's mind.
I don't like sand. It's coarse and rough and irritating…and it gets everywhere.
"Did you just quote Star Wars?!" Milo asked the Remnant, grinning widely as he wiped his sweaty forehead. The Remnant scoffed in response, but after a few moments it did answer the question.
I'm everywhere and not. Unfortunately, some of the other Protagonists I keep tabs on are nerds just like you. So yes, I have seen it.
"So who's your favorite Star Wars character?" Milo asked, genuinely curious what an omnipresent entity capable of warping reality at will had to say about the franchise.
…Jar jar Binks.
"I regret asking you anything." Milo sighed with disappointment, shaking his head while the Remnant cackled with amusement in his mind.
Meanwhile…
Cassiopeia, despite their best efforts, was annoyed.
Not because of the Team Star situation. Quite honestly, they were pleased that not only had Milo finally committed to dealing with the group and taking them seriously, but they had also gained an unexpected ally in Clive. Cassiopeia obviously didn't trust the newest addition to the team at all, but maybe he'd prove themselves in time.
No, what annoyed Cassiopeia was how rude Milo had been to them earlier that day. Yes, they had been avoiding talking to the Galarian teen due to the fallout from the pep rally, but that was no excuse for how Milo had talked to them.
"It's not like we all don't have baggage or bad days. Who the hell does he think he is?" Cassiopeia grumbled, crossing their arms and considering what they knew about Milo. Aside from what they had gleaned from social media accounts, Cassiopeia had respected his personal privacy up to this point and had looked no further into the teen.
"Not anymore." Cassiopeia muttered, a mischievous smirk blooming across their face as they sat down in their desk chair. They then proceeded to casually break into Florian Caballero's school records, which offered them an interesting insight into his school life at Naranja Academy. He was a solid student across the board and had a few positive notes from the Naranja Academy staff in his file. But it wasn't quite what they were looking for-
"Oooh, a six-month hospitalization before coming to Paldea? Now that's spicy." Cassiopeia remarked, eyes widening in curiosity as their hands flew across the keyboard, leaning forward in their chair as they went further back. However, there was no elaboration as to why the Galar student had been hospitalized. "But I won't find the answers I want here. Let's go further back to his time in Galar."
Cassiopeia changed tactics and quickly accessed the portal for the Galar Pokémon League's Employees, seeing as that typically had the juiciest info and it was the best way to find out what was even worth knowing. The current administration was making great strides in undoing years of Galarian propaganda that had run rampant under the previous League Chairman's oversight.
"Pfft. Like the Galar League's security is any match for me." Cassiopeia muttered smugly, their keys flying across their keyboard. Within seconds the hacker had crushed the defenses of the Galar League's computer network and had access to all the information they needed. However, the rabbit hole they found themselves going down slowly made Cassiopeia sit up in their chair as the information became more and more interesting. Distracted muttering soon filled the room as Cassiopeia made their way through pages and pages of documents online.
"Several mentions of Florian Caballero within the internals and chat rooms…Wait, his mother sued the Galarian Pokémon League? That's wild…The Motostoke Miracle? Why does that sound familiar?" Cassiopeia asked themselves before suddenly gasping, their hand going to their mouth. "Wait, I remember that name!"
Cassiopeia quickly did an internet search of the term and immediately found what they were looking for. They let out a triumphant laugh, doing a small fist pump, before suddenly realizing something.
"How did I not realize it? Milo's the Motostoke Miracle! How did I not put that together? But that means that my…that he…" Cassiopeia trailed off, their hands flying across the keyboard before they managed to pull up a news report from almost a year ago now. And it told them exactly what they had wanted to know…and that knowledge chilled Cassiopeia to their core.
"No…w-w-what have I done?" Cassiopeia whispered as they stared at the two pictures on the screen, physically shaking in distress. One of the pictures was of Milo that looked a year or two younger than he was now. The second picture was someone that Cassiopeia recognized immediately and this picture filled their heart with absolute horror, as did the accompanying report that was read within mere moments.
Cassiopeia slowly reached up and grabbed their head and pulled their hair tightly, tears threatening to spill from their eyes as they realized just who they had wrapped up in their convoluted scheme to take on Team Star. Their breath came in shaking gasps as a panic attack slowly consumed them.
"Milo…I'm so sorry…"
Milo's Current Party:
Reggie (Crocalor) M - Tera Fire
Watt (Shiny Pikachu) F - Tera Electric
Cocoa (Clodsire) F - Tera Ground
Fleur (Steenee) F - Tera Dark
Shelly (Shellder) F - Tera Fighting
Volt (Pawmo) F -Tera Steel
Benched/PC Storage:
Storm (Wattrel) F - Tera Flying
Floom (Shiny Drifloon) M - Tera Ghost
Fiona (Flittle) F - Tera Grass
Bronson (Barbcoach) M - Tera Fire
Smith (Applin) M - Tera Water
Momo (Skwovet) M - Tera Steel
Donut (Fidough) F - Tera Ice
Echo (Toxel) F - Tera Ice
Semsee (Shroodle) F - Tera Water
Dread (Chewtle) M - Tera Bug
Puffy (Igglybuff) F - Tera Electric
Graveyard:
Pepper (Maschiff) F - Tera Poison
Sparky (Pawmi) M - Tera Electric
Victor (Venonat) M - Tera Electric
Next chapter we've got the Star Barrage as Milo takes the fight to Segin Squad! Stay tuned for more nonsense!
Q & A
From: SolanaLeonhart
So this just occurred to me, but will TACVs be making an appearance in this story? It'd be interesting to see what Reggie and the others would be like with them.
I debated whether or not I wanted to include the "Translator Attachment Collar Variants" in this story or not, mainly because they feature so prominently in RS. But I decided against it, despite the fact that their inclusion would let the audience know what Pokemon are saying.
The reason I did this is because, unlike RS, the main team of the main character of the story changes frequently and is much larger than Sun's team in Radiant Sun. Milo already has nearly three times as many Pokemon as Sun had by the end of that story and he's still got plenty left to catch. It would be a nightmare to try and characterize that many Pokemon or try to give them enough spotlight to justify the inclusion. Also, any one of those Pokemon on Milo's team could be written out of the story at a moment's notice depending on how his battles go, so fleshing them out with written dialogue in this story is a misdirected effort.
That being said, I might make an exception for certain Pokemon down the road. There's no reason to be so selective when the DLC chapters come around, for instance. Writing dialogue for Ogerpon would be adorable.
Shoutout to those who have reviewed since the last update, which includes alexmharrison3468, SolanaLeonhart and BraviaryScout. You three are legends and I appreciate you!
That's all for now! Thanks as always for reading and supporting the story. Reviews are always appreciated and I answer questions as well. If you haven't favorited and/or followed the story at this point, please do! I also upload on AO3 if you prefer that site.
Take care and stay awesome!
Until next time, FlygonNick out!