Pokémon Nuzlocke Novels: Ancient Scarlet
Chapter 31: Dodging a Bullet
Motostoke
Several Years Ago…
"Amy, stop running!"
"Come on, Amy, you know you're supposed to stay with us!
"But I wanna see the stars! I don't wanna go home yet! I wanna…hah…see…"
Juliana and Florian were currently chasing a rebellious Amy through the streets of Motostoke, with the night having fallen several minutes prior. Unfortunately for them, Amy was pretty quick and was smarter than your average six-year old.
Unfortunately for Amy, running came with risks when you had respiratory problems, so the girl was forced to stop much sooner than she would've liked. Florian and Juliana managed to catch up with Amy as she slowed down, a rough coughing fit suddenly coming on. Amy soon came to a complete stop by the railing of one of the bridges, struggling to breathe as she dropped the Corviknight plushie that had been held tightly in her arms onto the stone bridge.
Florian dropped his backpack on the ground and dug around inside while Juliana grabbed Amy's beloved Corviknight doll, rubbing the girl's shoulder and trying to keep her calm. Within seconds Florian had Amy's inhaler in hand and made sure it was ready for her.
"Here. Calm down…it's okay." Florian said quietly as he held up his sister's inhaler. After a few puffs of her medicine, Amy let out a shaky breath. Juliana took that moment to hand the little girl back her stuffed Corviknight, which Amy hugged tightly with an upset frown.
"You know better than to run off like that. Didn't you hear what my Mum said? All sorts of scary people are out there. We have to be responsible so she and Dad don't worry." Florian said to the little girl, who suddenly looked up at her brother with a fierce grin.
"I'm not scared! Miss Midnight can beat them all!" Amy said with a laugh, flapping the wings of her Corviknight plushie. Juliana and Florian exchanged tired smiles, amused at how the girl was so convinced that she was invincible.
"Is everything alright?" spoke a calm but firm voice that all three children recognized. They turned their heads and spotted an older man wearing a red Galar League uniform. Kabu, the Gym Leader of Motostoke, took several steps forward and looked to Florian and Juliana for answers. The two children exchanged a worried glance, concerned that they were in trouble for some reason.
"We were getting ready to head home when Amy slipped away from us, sir." Juliana explained, with Amy pouting and crossing her arms as best she could with her plushie in her hands.
"I'm fine! I'm not a baby!" Amy protested, with Florian putting a hand on her shoulder.
"Of course you're not. But we can't just run off and do whatever we want, Amy. When we're older, and especially when we're Pokémon Trainers, we can do whatever. But not now." Florian said gently, causing the girl to finally relent.
"Awww…okay. Sorry Florian." Amy mumbled, with Florian bending down and hugging his sister to show that he wasn't mad at her. Kabu and Juliana smiled at the exchange, though after a few moments the Gym Leader checked his watch.
"I will escort you home. I was nearly done with my jog, so it'll be no trouble." Kabu said to the children, who had no qualms with that. After seeing the man battle at the Motostoke Stadium so many times, they considered it an honor.
However, the group didn't make it very far down the road before a voice they all recognized called out to them.
"There you are!"
Kabu and the children turned around and spotted Diego Caballero running towards them. The group stopped in the street and waited for Florian and Amy's father to catch up, with the man huffing slightly.
"You kids know what time you were supposed to be back. What happened?" Diego asked with a pant. Florian quickly explained what happened while Amy pouted again, and Diego sighed and smiled at his kids.
"Florian and Juliana, thanks for handling that so well. Good job." Diego said to the two older children before looking at his daughter. "Mi pequeño tesoro, you know you can't run off like that. If you want to see the stars so bad, we can head out into the Wild Area and go on a camping trip sometime. How's that sound?"
Amy gasped in excitement and hugged her father's leg, beaming up at him. "Can we go now!?"
"Not tonight, Amy. Your mom's got dinner waiting for us at home!" Diego said to his daughter, who nodded in understanding. "But soon, okay?"
"Okay Daddy!" Amy said happily, bouncing up and down. Florian took that moment to grab her hand and continued leading her down the path with Juliana. Kabu and Diego exchanged a brief glance with one another and fell back a few feet so they could talk. Juliana noticed this and began to talk with Amy about why she wanted to see the stars so badly, serving as a distraction so that the adults could talk.
"I'd make sure those kids are well-supervised in the next few days, my friend. The streets of Motostoke are as safe as ever, but I got word that there's been some rumblings of violence back in my homeland of Hoenn. We're worried it could spill over to other regions." Kabu said to Diego, who looked interested. "After how Team Magma was attacked in their Mt. Chimney hideout a few years ago, there's been concerns about more attacks."
"I hadn't heard about Team Magma. I know Team Aqua was completely wiped out by a lone assassin, but they never caught them. You're saying the same happened to Team Magma? Maybe the same person?" Diego asked as a mask of calm washed over the man.
Kabu had seen this happen with Diego in the several years he had come to know the Cascarrafa Cardshark. The man would wipe all emotion from his face or adopt an easy smile in the wake of troubling news or when a situation required a calmer approach. It also made him very difficult foe to take down, as a more level-headed Trainer tended to make fewer mistakes in the heat of battle.
"One man managed to kill all of Team Magma, save for the leaders who are now under government protection. Team Aqua was completely wiped out a few years ago, as you said, and other rumblings are also concerning. Team Plasma, out in Unova, are making many people very nervous. Alder is a great man, but his control over things in the region has loosened…enough for evil to spread its wings, so to speak." Kabu said to Diego, who looked away and frowned.
"My own contacts abroad are pretty much in the same boat as you. After some of the craziness in Sinnoh with the remnants of Team Galactic, it makes me almost glad that Theodore Rose has such a tight grip on things in Galar." Diego remarked with a careless shrug, though Kabu wore a thoughtful expression.
"You never cared much for Chairman Rose. Why is that?" Kabu asked.
"I hate politicians and that man is just way too powerful. No one man should hold that much sway over a region. He's a wonderful guy, don't get me wrong. But I also know he actually doesn't care how much trouble the other regions get into so long as Galar isn't affected." Diego remarked, with Kabu considering that.
"Chairman Rose cares about the future of Galar. The other regions…much less so." Kabu agreed tactfully, which Diego smirked at. His mask of calm slipped away, and the Paldean man became a bit more animated. "However, he is a leading voice within the International Pokémon League and is adept at making other people see his way. He's the kind of leader we need in troubled times like this."
"I know. I just…with everything going on in Hoenn, Sinnoh, and now Unova I'm just worried. I might be out of the game these days, but things are still bad." Diego remarked, scowling at his own inability to help. "And still the do-nothing Champions sit around and twiddle their thumbs. I'm glad that Mayor Spencer and you run a tight ship here in Motostoke. That's the only reason I feel alright letting the kids play after dark."
"Many of the Champions we look to in these troubled times are more reactionary, which is a cause of personal frustration for me. Steven Stone did little to stem the tide of the Great Flood when Kyogre unleashed its wrath upon Hoenn. Cynthia was not the one who stopped Team Galactic from ending the world…that task fell to a child." Kabu remarked with some distaste, his tone rather cold. "Recent events in Unova and the Orre region make me worried too."
"All the more reason to keep an eye out and not focus on how amazing Leon is. I don't know what kind of game Rose is playing with his nonstop propaganda." Diego said to Kabu, earning a nod from the Gym Leader.
"The kind where the region is united with their Champion and the leader who continues to work towards bettering our futures. Theodore Rose is a good man, Diego."
"He is a good man. He also has his head shoved up his own ass and I worry he doesn't see the value in making sure other regions, and not just his own, are secure. If Unova burned, but Galar was A-OK, I suspect he wouldn't lose sleep over it." Diego remarked with a crooked smirk as Kabu frowned.
"...You suspect he is withholding information?" Kabu asked, his eyes widening in surprise. Sometimes it was difficult reading between the lines of what Diego was actually saying.
"I suspect he's doing what he has to in order to ensure Galar, and Galar alone, stands at the top of the mountain." Diego said pointedly to Kabu, who nodded in understanding. "I travel a lot and see a lot of things, my friend. And I worry. I've got kids and a wife now and I want them to be safe. That's why they're here in the heart of Galar and not out in the countryside of Paldea. I can't gamble with their futures…pun not intended.".
"Your wife mentioned in passing that you were considering moving last time I spoke with her."
"It's a few years off. Turns out transferring out of Galar requires getting some other sucker to act as the Paldean Ambassador to this region. The new Top Champion, Geeta, doesn't have a whole lot of use for me but protocols are still protocols and I have to follow them. As soon as I can manage a transfer back home, I'm gone. Florian's already excited to go to Naranja Academy." Diego said with a fond smile, and Kabu smirked.
"Your old stomping grounds. I hear it's a truly wonderful place. Our own schools in Galar are wonderful, but nothing compared to places like Naranja and Blueberry Academy." Kabu said to Diego, who grinned in response.
"I've had a chance to go back home a few times and see some of my friends from the old days too and it's just as wonderful as I remember every time. I even managed to get some drinks with Larry on my last trip. Turns out the guy's busier than ever even after stepping down as Top Champion and becoming a Gym Leader a few years ago." Diego said to Kabu, causing the Gym Leader to smirk.
"Some people never change. Larry and I might be very different men, but he shares the same drive to serve his people as I do." Kabu said with an approving nod. "Rest assured I'll keep an eye out for trouble. Galar has been free of such hardship and evil for many years. Groups such as Team Plasma or Cipher have no place here."
Diego frowned and as they reached his home, Kabu stopped walking and clapped his hands together. "This is where I leave you. Kids, make sure to stay out of trouble and listen to your parents."
"Bye Mr. Kabu!" the children chorused, with Amy flapping the wings on her plushie excitedly. Diego nodded to the Gym Leader as he departed, considering his words and the conversation they had shared.
With a sigh, the gambler and Champion-ranked Trainer began herding the children towards the house. His thoughts were churning about the dangers abroad, and the family he had to protect.
Present
Naranja Academy
"No way…" Milo whispered, his eyes going wide as he looked down at his Rotom Phone. He tapped the profile to make sure that it was legitimate, and sure enough it was.
Iono, the Gym Leader of Levincia, now followed him on social media. The worldwide sensation that was the Supercharged Streamer now followed him on Festival Plaza.
"Milo?" Nemona asked, looking confused. "Is everything okay? You look surprised."
The Galarian teen stared at his phone for several long moments, checking and double-checking his phone to make sure that what he was seeing was true. He then did a loud whoop and a fist pump, surprising Nemona. Milo wasn't usually so expressive.
"Iono's following me on Festival Plaza! Oh my god, that's so awesome!" Milo began to gush, his eyes lighting up with excitement as he held his phone with both hands, grinning widely with pure joy on his face. "I wonder how she even heard of me! I wonder if she saw what happened with Team Star?"
She's a Gym Leader here, isn't she?
More than that! She's a super popular streamer who's known all-over the world! Milo responded, not even bothering to hold back his excitement. Me and Juliana have been fans of hers for years!
"Oh, that's cool! I wonder if she saw your battle with Giacomo." Nemona remarked, smiling at Milo's genuine excitement. However, the Champion felt a strange feeling bubbling within her chest. An unease that Nemona couldn't place as she watched Milo celebrate the news of having a famous Pokémon Trainer noticing him like that.
Why…why do I have the sudden urge to throw Iono into Levincia Harbor? Nemona wondered to herself as she felt an uncomfortable bubbling sensation growing within her. Nemona's right eye twitched a little, especially as she watched Milo do another fist pump with a massive smile. Is this what jealousy feels like? Nah, I can't be jealous of Iono. Right?
"You're…awfully happy about Iono following you." Nemona said as Milo continued to pace back and forth, frantically texting Juliana the screenshot that he had taken.
"Why wouldn't I be!? She's awesome! And-" Milo stopped as he felt a suddenly prickling feeling along his neck, like goosebumps. The student had the strangest feeling that he was in danger, but was unsure as to why.
And then, unbidden, he glanced back at where Nemona was standing and saw his friend watching him with a somewhat strained smile. It was then Milo felt a shiver of fear roll down his spine for reasons he couldn't articulate.
Oh shit. Uhh…yeah, you're on your own kid.
To Milo's surprise, he felt the Remnant's presence vanish as he locked eyes with his friend, with the sound of a door slamming shut reverberating in his head. Milo took a moment to process that before focusing on his friend.
"Um…Nemona? You okay?" The Galarian student asked the Champion, who's weird smile widened somewhat. Milo could tell it was absolutely forced, which made him even more concerned.
"Of course. Why wouldn't I be, Milo?" Nemona asked in a slightly too cheery tone. This sent off several alarm bells for Milo, who's Poker Face went up. He quickly tried to think of why Nemona was smiling weirdly, and the only conclusion he could come up with was that this information had agitated his neighbor for some reason.
"You're just…um…I dunno. It looked like that news bothered you a little." Milo said slowly, trying to figure out the best way to explain it without possibly upsetting her.
Nemona's eye twitched slightly harder. "Bothered? Me? Nothing ever bothers me! I'm Nemona!"
Milo felt even more concerned hearing that. "I know you are, but even you can get upset. If anyone knows about hiding what he feels, it's me-"
"So now I'm upset?" Nemona cut off Milo, who blinked at the sudden and rather pointed question. He was also concerned before Nemona still sounded far too cheerful. In fact, Milo started wondering if he was moments away from a fatal error.
"I honestly don't know. Maybe I'm just jumping to conclusions." Milo admitted, walking away from Nemona and tossing his phone onto his bed.
"It's entirely possible. After all, Iono following you on Festival Plaza is such a big deal! If you battled her, you can only get more famous here in Paldea." Nemona said brightly, but her tone almost sounded sarcastic. Milo looked over at her as his Poker Face slipped away, letting Nemona see how he actually felt, and the girl seemed to flinch slightly.
"I don't care about being famous. I just want to be a Trainer. And just because I've got Miss Iono following me on Festival Plaza doesn't mean that she'll be replacing you as my Rival or anything. It's really cool, but she's got nothing on you." Milo said to Nemona as he sat down on his bed. The upperclassman stared at Milo in surprise for several long moments. Nemona then seemed to deflate a little, a sigh of what Milo realized was relief escaping her.
A few moments later, the Champion gave her friend a warm smile and walked over to Milo, pulling him off of his bed and into a tight hug.
"I'm sorry about that! I don't know what came over me!" Nemona apologized, pulling away from an incredibly flustered Milo with her usual smile.
Calm down, you idiot! It's fine. She only just hugged you! Stop being stupid! Milo thought as he moved away from Nemona, ignoring the sound of Koraidon making a strange coughing noise in the background. The presence of the Remnant seemed to slowly trickle back into Milo's mind, and he heard a scoff of disbelief.
I have no idea how you managed to say exactly the right thing to diffuse that situation. And yet, you are the most socially awkward individual I've ever met.
Shut up already! Milo screamed at the voice internally as he walked away from Nemona, trying to regain his composure somewhat desperately. He then sighed in annoyance, catching Nemona's attention.
"Well, I was originally going to ask you for a battle and maybe grab some dinner to celebrate your big victory, but you look really worn out." Nemona realized, frowning with concern at her friend as she realized how tired he looked. "Sorry, I forgot you only just got back to school after the whole Team Star thing. Should I go?"
"No, you don't have to go, Nemona. Honestly, I would totally battle you, but I am super burned out. I wouldn't say no to getting some food with you, but I just know I'll get swarmed by people if I try to leave." Milo remarked, with Nemona putting a finger to her chin and considering the matter.
Nemona then snapped her fingers, smiling as an idea came to her. "Then how about we order some pizza? There's a place called Pizza de Duadaña de la Muerte in East Mesagoza that makes some really good stuff. They're pretty affordable too!"
"...Wait, doesn't that translate to Deathscythe Pizza?" Milo asked slowly, raising an eyebrow. He was starting to pick up Paldean, but that made him do a double-take.
Nemona nodded eagerly, happy to explain further. "Deathscythe Pizza, besides having a really cool name, is a local pizza joint that employs students here. So they can come onto the campus and deliver straight to your room. No socializing with your new fans required!" Nemona suggested, with Milo grinning at her a few moments later. Milo held up a hand and high-fived the Champion, delighted with her suggestion.
Nemona quickly made the order and Milo shot Arven and Juliana a text to let them know that he got back safe and that he was hanging out with Nemona tonight, but that he'd see them tomorrow morning. As he did so, he discreetly flicked back to Festival Plaza and reopened the message telling him that Iono now followed him.
For the first time in a truly long time, Milo felt genuine satisfaction with himself. He had conquered one of the Team Star bases and had built up a strong and capable team. And now he was being recognized by a powerful and influential Trainer like Iono.
What's funny is that battling Iono is your next Objective. Sooner or later, you'll be meeting her in-person.
I'll be looking forward to it. But for tonight, I'm going to enjoy the night with Nemona and just relax. Milo thought to the Remnant, and to Milo's surprise he felt the entity's presence fade away enough to where Milo knew it wasn't listening in.
A few minutes trickled by as Milo lapsed into a doze, with Nemona wandering around the room and keeping up a constant chatter. It was a testament to how much Milo trusted the Champion, despite his own anxiety issues, that he'd spend time with her while tired enough to pass out at any given moment.
"Ooh, this is cute! Is this a Corviknight?" Nemona suddenly asked, causing Milo to open his eyes and glance over at his friend. Nemona was looking at the small Corviknight plush that was sitting on his desk. It was a new addition to his room, so he wasn't surprised that his friend had noticed it. Milo knew that Nemona had her own plushie collection back home.
"That's Midnight. I'm holding onto her for a while, so don't touch her if you can help it." Milo said to Nemona, who opened her mouth to ask a question before there was a knock at the door.
"Pizza delivery!"
Five minutes later Nemona and Milo were reviewing the footage of his battle with Giacomo while devouring pepperoni pizza served on plates sporting the Grim Reaper with a truly evil-looking scythe. Reviewing the livestream of his duel with Giacomo also gave Milo the opportunity to see what he looked like while battling.
The Galarian teen was surprised and how flattering the footage made him seem, with his sharp but focused commands coming across well in the video. Milo had to admit that he and Cocoa looked pretty cool as they stood against Giacomo's onslaught. Milo's smile as he revealed his plans to cripple the Starmobile of the Team Star Boss was the most watched portion of the stream, which the Galarian was surprised by. The video of his showdown with Segin Squad and Giacomo had already acquired over a million hits within 30 hours of upload and was still trending in the Paldea region.
"You know, if the other Bosses try the same trick, it'll likely work on them as well. Evasion manipulation isn't something everyone has a counter to." Nemona commented before taking a sip of orange soda. Milo looked at her as he scarfed down a garlic knot, waiting for her to explain. "Giacomo busted out the Starmobile when he didn't have any Pokémon left. There's a good chance the other Bosses have one too, and that they'll use it when their backs are against the wall. Ruining their accuracy with a Pokémon like Cocoa or boosting your own stats before fighting it could still work wonders."
"Yeah, I'm glad Cocoa's stat drops kicked in when they did. Another Wicked Torque and she would've been done for." Milo muttered, shuddering at the thought of one of his Pokémon being lost forever as a result of being knocked out. He had managed to avoid taking any losses since Brassius, but he knew it only took one mistake to lose a valuable teammate. And with how fond he was getting of his team, such a loss would be heartbreaking.
"Yeah, I never like seeing my own Pokémon get knocked out. That Starmobile looked pretty intimidating too, so who knows what it could've done if you hadn't ruined its accuracy." Nemona responded, not quite understanding why Milo looked so unsettled. He settled for feeding the rest of his pizza slice to a hungry Cocoa, who was looking at him expectantly. Spark was currently curled up in Nemona's lap while Shelly, Volt and Fleur were napping on their Trainer's bed.
"...right." Milo remarked, unable to explain further due to the additional restrictions that were on him thanks to the Nuzlocke Curse. He was snapped out of his thoughts as Nemona nudged him, letting out a laugh as she pointed at the screen.
"Aww, look how happy Koraidon is there! You were having fun too, weren't you?" Nemona said to the lizard, who hummed happily in response and bobbed its head in response. Milo grinned as he looked at the footage, spotting Koraidon's excited smile as the battle went on. It was clear the draconic mount had been enjoying itself a lot out there against Giacomo.
"It was kinda scary, but that was a pretty awesome battle. Hopefully my luck against the rest of Team Star goes the same way." Milo remarked, with Nemona laughing as she wrapped an arm around Milo's shoulder and pulled him into her for a moment.
"Are you kidding? You're gonna kick their butts!" Nemona said cheerily, removing her arm from a flustered Milo. To his surprise, Nemona didn't move away and instead remained shoulder-to-shoulder with him as they enjoyed their dinner. Milo didn't mind, and in fact found himself smiling almost the entire night as he and Nemona talked tactics and how to approach future battles with Team Star in the future.
It's good to be back. Milo thought as he tossed the last of the garlic knots to Reggie, who happily snapped it up. The Crocalor rubbed its stomach happily, resuming his place resting against his Trainer's side as the night wore on.
About a week later, found himself in Math Class fighting back a yawn. After the class had finished taking their seats and organizing their items for the lesson, an older woman with darker skin and white hair walked into the classroom and regarded the class warmly with her kindly green eyes. She wore a comfortable light purple sweater and a dark purple dress underneath.
Milo knew from Nemona and some of his other classmates that Miss Tyme, while currently Naranja Academy's Math Teacher, was once the Gym Leader of Montenevera. However, her little sister Ryme now had command of the Gym, and for some reason Tyme refused to speak of her time as a Gym Leader despite the considerable respect she commanded at the Academy.
"Hello, everyone. Nice to meet you. My name's Tyme, and I will be your math teacher." Tyme said with a smile, looking around at them all.
"Good morning Miss Tyme!" the class greeted the instructor, who nodded and began her lecture about classroom expectations and what she wanted out of the class.
"Sorry to put you all on the spot at the start of class, but let me ask you a quick question—Do you enjoy numbers, arithmetic, and the like?" Tyme asked the students, who gave some noncommittal answers. Nemona answered yes, while Milo just shrugged without giving a real answer. Truthfully, he didn't really care for math a whole lot and preferred his music class.
"Oh, my." Miss Tyme chuckled at the varied answers. "Thank you for your honest responses. Some of you may like numbers, and some may not. I think that makes a wonderful mix. But no matter your opinion on math, I hope you find yourselves enjoying our lessons together! I'll do my best to find a good way to match up your interests with all types of math lessons!"
"Speaking of which, are you all caught up on your studies of Pokémon type matchups? For example, Grass is strong against Water, and Water is strong against Fire, correct?" Tyme said to the class, who all nodded. Tyme then glanced at Milo, who braced himself to be asked a question.
"Milo, you seem to be good with Pokémon, so let me ask you this... Bearing in mind that Water is strong against Fire... If the move Water Gun hits a Fire-type Pokémon, what becomes of the move's damage?" Tyme asked the Galarian teen, who responded right away.
"It gets doubled." Milo answered immediately, earning a grin from the instructor.
"That's right! I knew I could count on you for this question, Master Milo." Tyme remarked, nodding at him. "If I remember right, you have two badges under your belt. At this point in your Trainer career, you would know that."
"Yes ma'am." Milo answered politely, with Nemona chuckling softly in front of him. Tyme nodded and resumed her lecture.
"Using moves of a type that your opponent is weak to is a super-effective tactic! it multiplies the damage of those moves by two! On the other hand, using moves of a type that your opponent is resistant to isn't very effective. It divides the damage of your moves by two." Tyme went on, tapping the lectern in front of her with her hand.
What followed was about another hour of lessons, running through several exercises and calculating damage. Tyme even went into the art of figuring out whether or not you could knock out a Pokémon based on an assessment of how many Health Points they likely had left. At one point, Tyme laughed as she finished running through one of her math drills.
"I don't mean to encroach on Ms. Dendra's battle studies territory, of course, but I thought it best to use a lively topic as an example. That can make math fun even for those of you who don't much like the subject, don't you think?" Tyme asked the class, only for a loud chime to ring out.
"Oh, my. Is that the bell? I suppose that's all for now." Tyme remarked, shrugging her shoulders. "What a shame... I'm looking forward to seeing you all in the next class. I hope you're looking forward to it, too!"'
The class filed out, with Milo walking out of the door alongside Nemona. The Champion tapped Milo on the shoulder and muttered under her breath. "Meet me in the Teacher's Lounge in twenty minutes! I've got a surprise for you!"
Before the Galarian had even a moment to say anything Nemona sped off, leaving a confused Milo behind. The teen shrugged his shoulders before walking off towards the Teacher's Lounge. After about twenty minutes and getting lost twice, Milo finally found the correct room. A quick glance around informed him that some of his teachers were hanging out there, including Raifort at the back of the room and Salvatore directly to his right.
"Oh, hey Mr. Salvatore." Milo greeted the Language instructor, who perked up slightly upon being greeted. The dark-skinned man glanced around for a moment before smiling at the student.
"Oh! Milo!" Salvatore said to the teen as he glanced around the room. The Galarian looked over at the Languages teacher and walked over to him. "Did you come all the way here to the Staff Room just to see me?"
"All the way here?" Milo responded, frowning in thought. It wasn't that far of a walk to the teacher's lounge, even if Milo had gotten lost. Meanwhile, Salvatore laughed heartily and grinned at the student.
"Seems I've finally made it into the hearts of my students! That makes me très happy!" Salavtore remarked, gesturing widely with his arms. He calmed down a bit though and looked at a somewhat confused Milo as he put a hand on his hip.
"After all, like I said in class, communication is very important! If there's anything you're confused about in class, or if you're having trouble here at the academy...you can always come here and tell me, ton ami Salvatore—your friend Salvatore, that is! Ouais!" the man said warmly, with Milo smiling back at him.
"Thanks sir. I'll keep that in mind. Everything's been going pretty well, though." Milo responded with a nod, causing Salvatore to clap his hands together lightly.
"Wonderful! That being said, I should be off soon. My next class starts in a few minutes! Keep your chin up and have a good day, my young friend! Farewell! Au revoir!" Salvatore said before walking past Milo, who found himself smiling as the teacher departed. He made a move to walk over to one of the nearby chairs, only to run headfirst into someone else and almost topple onto the ground.
"Agh! Sorry about that…" Milo muttered as he regained his footing. Raifort looked hardly bothered, instead giving him a cool look. "Oh! Sorry, ma'am."
"You're... Ah, yes. Mio from class 1-A." Raifort said quietly, tilting her head as she gave the student a piercing look. Milo felt a shiver roll down his spine, and was inwardly glad that there were several other people in the room with him.
"The way you conduct yourself in my class and the answers you give to my questions... I admit they pique my interest. You are quite the interesting pupil, I must say." Raifort intoned, causing the student to be even more confused.
"Um…I'm going to take that as a compliment?" Milo said unsurely, with Raifort nodding slowly in response. She then offered him a crooked smile.
"Tell me, Milo - given a choice, which do you prefer? Things of old? Or things that are new?" the History teacher asked, with the student considering the question for a moment.
"I prefer older things. History's not my forte, but it's definitely better than math." Milo remarked, though he glanced around nervously for a moment. "Just don't tell Miss Tyme I said that."
"Ah. So you prefer the things of the past, do you? The potential I saw in you was real after all." Raifort glanced off to the side and seemingly stared off into space, causing the student in front of her to look even more confused. "Yes, this one may indeed be of good use to me someday..."
"Excuse me?" Milo asked, his eyes widening in surprise at that strange statement.
"Ah, you can disregard that. I was simply thinking out loud." Raifort said with a wave of her hand.
"No seriously, what was that about you using me-"
"I have no idea what you're talking about."
"But you just said-!"
"I enjoyed our little conversation today. You have my thanks, Milo." Raifort said with a nod to him, giving him a mysterious smile before brushing right past the bewildered teen. Milo barely had any time to process what the hell had just happened because Nemona entered the room and immediately saw him standing there.
"Milo! Thanks for waiting! Took longer than I thought it would to print out the reservations, but then I realized that it was all on our phones anyway!" Nemona tried to explain, only to further confuse her friend.
"So what's your big surprise?" Milo asked Nemona, who beamed at him before showing him her phone. On it was a confirmed reservation at the Harbor's Haven, which looked to be a rather ritzy-looking hotel in Levincia with a stunning view of the ocean.
"You're heading to Levincia soon to battle Iono, so I took the liberty of booking a stay at the best hotel in Levincia for us!" Nemona said brightly, catching Milo by complete surprise.
"Separate rooms, of course!" Nemona quickly added, seeing the growing blush on her friend's face. Her own cheeks had gotten a bit red with embarrassment, especially as Dendra snickered from a nearby chair. Milo had no idea when the Battle Studies teacher had shown up, but her timing was awful. "But the owner owed me a favor and comped me two free rooms! I was thinking a few days in Levincia would be a bunch of fun! Levincia has everything! Shopping, beaches and a really fun battling scene."
"I probably should do some shopping." Milo muttered under his breath, catching Nemona's attention. "Storm shredded some of my clothes the other day when she was fighting with Reggie. All of my swimming shirts got ripped to tatters and my favorite trainer cap got ruined."
"Well, we can do some shopping there for sure then!" Nemona chirped, grinning at her friend for a moment before she seemed to realize something and looked rather worried. "Oh, um. This isn't too much, is it?"
"Nemona, this is awesome. Never stop being you." Milo said to his friend, who beamed at him with an expression of such joy that Milo felt almost embarrassed that there were other people in the room. With that, Milo and Nemona filed out of the Staff Room and made their way to their next classes.
Unfortunately, Milo realized a little too late that he had signed up for a history lesson today, which meant that he'd have to confront Raifort once more. However, to help ease his discomfort, he called out Shelly so that the cheery Shellder could keep him company in the strange woman's class.
And so the teen sat down for his lesson, sitting his Pokémon onto his desk. Milo exchanged a nod with Flynn as the teen waved at him from the other side of the room and flat-out ignored Rafael as the older teen tried to catch his eye.
Rafael had been allowed back into classes now that his suspension was over and he had been able to appeal to prevent further repercussions. However, the teen hadn't given up trying to get into a battle with Milo no matter how many times the Galarian had shot him down.
"Greetings, my little students. Whatever you did yesterday, it is now a part of history." Raifort said to them all, her mysterious smile sending shivers down Milo's spine as the last of the students got to their seats.
"Today, we will continue to unravel the marvels that history has presented to us." Raifort said as she gestured to the electronic board, which began to show various images detailing several important-looking figures wearing crowns. One in particular wore a cold expression, his black eyes gleaming with an almost unnatural sheen.
"About two thousand years ago, this region came under the rule of the Paldean Empire. Historical accounts describe the Paldean emperor as being quite the dictator." Raifort explained, smirking deviously as she poked the man's portrait. "Emperor Alfonzo the First, also known as Alfonzo the Almighty. Such a fascinating topic that I could devote an entire year to discussing..."
Raifort glanced to the class, her expression souring slightly. "However, I've yet to be able to swing that with Director Clavell, so I'll give you some tidbits here and there."
"Tidbits like what, ma'am?" another student sitting to the left of Milo asked.
"You see, this Emperor also zealously believed the legend of the treasure that rests deep within Area Zero." Raifort added, catching the attention of most of the class. Rafael in particular leaned forward in his chair, his expression intense. Raifort continued her lesson, detailing some of the history of Alfonzo the Almighty and the might of the Paldea Empire, though naturally the teacher's attention eventually wandered.
"I must mention that the civilizations of our ancestors were not as developed as ours is today." Raifort lamented with a shrug of the shoulders. "People back then were far more likely to believe in mysterious legends, magic, and beings beyond human comprehension. In an attempt to gain the power to stand against Paldea's neighboring countries, the Emperor sent people in droves to join the hunt for the fabled treasure of Area Zero."
"But what is the treasure of Area Zero, Miss Raifort? Surely you have some kind of idea." Flynn asked, with Raifort cracking a grin at the question.
"Scholars have been debating it for years, my child. Is it a weapon? A treasure horde? Perhaps it's a Pokémon? It could even be something else entirely…a monster beyond mortal comprehension." Raifort's eyes shimmered with excitement and as she turned around she noticed one student staring at her with a bewildered expression.
Raifort's grin twisted into a devious smirk. "Aha. Perfect timing to make eye contact, young Milo. Answer me this...approximately how many years ago was it that the Paldean Empire began to rule this region?"
"About two thousand years ago." Milo muttered, causing Raifort to grin with delight.
"Heh. That is correct! You are a surprisingly clever one, aren't you? I see you're listening intently to my lecture." Raifort then inclined her head towards the Galarian student, who just nodded since he had no idea what the proper response to Raifort was.
"The answer is about two thousand years ago. That is when the Great Era of Exploration began. However, it is said that not a single adventurer sent out by Emperor Alfonzo ever reached the depths of Area Zero." Raifort remarked with a chuckle, tapping the picture on the screen with a smirk. "Yes, you were a crazy, crazy man. They said his greed was his undoing, as was his terrible curiosity for the unknown and mysterious."
Raifort's eyes flickered to Rafael, who she noticed was leaning forward in his chair with interest and hanging onto her every word. "Emperor Alfonzo cared not who died in his hunt for answers and treasure. And so countless souls were lost in the hunt for the hidden treasure of Area Zero."
"Was it the punishing journey itself that barred their way? Or perhaps some unknown creature?" Raifort asked, the interested gleam in her showed how much she wanted to know the answer to that question. "The resounding failure of this Great Era of Exploration almost certainly heightened the air of mystery surrounding the crater."
"Oh, what I wouldn't give to explore Area Zero in its untouched state at that time! I suppose I can only hope for the swift invention of a time machine." Raifort lamented, with several of the students in the class laughing at the absurdity of the idea. Even Milo cracked a smile at the idea of it. A loud chime rang out through the school, signalling the end of class.
"Oho, is that the time already? I must've gotten swept up in filling your minds with knowledge." Raifort said as she seemed to calm herself down, with the teacher straightening her back and gesturing towards the door. "This ends today's lesson. We will unravel more of history's enigmas together next time."
Milo picked up Shelly and quickly made his way out of the door, checking his phone to see if he had any missed messages. He was surprised to see that Juliana had made plans to have lunch with Arven and that they had started half an hour ago, so any lunch plans with either of them weren't happening. Shrugging his shoulders, Milo decided to head to the cafeteria to grab some food and then head back to his room to study.
However, en route to the cafeteria, he spotted a familiar girl walking with slumped shoulders, her Eevee backpack bouncing behind her. Milo also noticed the unhappy expression on her face and frowned. He then quickened his pace until he was about even with the girl before greeting her.
"Hey Penny, how's it going?" Milo asked with a grin, causing the girl to yelp in surprise.
"H-holy…don't scare me like that!" Penny whispered, taking a second to breathe. Milo smirked for a moment, but wiped his face clear of emotion by the time Penny looked back at him.
"Alright, now that I can breathe again, what do you want? Cassiopeia's been quiet lately and hasn't said anything about the timing for the next step in Operation Starfall." Penny said in a low voice, her expression rather dour as she looked nervously at Milo.
"I was going to ask if you wanted to grab something to eat. My lunch plans fell through and I'm starving." Milo said to the other teen, who's eyes widened almost comically at the question.
"Umm…gimme me a sec to think about it." Penny heaved a heavy sigh and muttered something under her breath that Milo didn't quite catch. After several seconds of silence, Penny spoke up in a louder voice.
"Y-yeah, why not?" Penny relented, with Milo grinning as Shelly cried out from within his arms. The two Galarians made their way deeper into the school, a silence between them that felt natural.
After all, what more did two introverts need to say to one another when their objective was food?
Schoolyard
Arven paused to take a shaky breath as he spoke to the four girls who were staring at him intently. He was oddly nervous about what he was going to say next, but the upperclassman felt like he owed them an explanation. "So like I was saying earlier…I've been trying to help one of my Pokémon who got badly injured a while back. And…I guess it's easier to show rather than tell. Ladies, this is Moe."
The older teen was already sitting on the large blanket he normally had ready for picnics, with a massive spread of food already set out for everyone. Sara, Kara, Nalani and Juliana were sitting nearby and watching with expectant expressions as Arven pulled out his fourth Poké Ball, one that none of them had seen before, and called out Moe the Mabosstiff.
Immediately the girl's impatient attitudes turned to horror, seeing the badly injured Pokémon who didn't even seem capable of standing. Moe grunted softly, but it was a small noise with no energy behind it.
"That's your Partner…the one you said who got hurt?" Nalani asked in a small voice, seeing the dire state the Mabosstiff was in. Moe was lying down on his belly, breathing deeply as his eyes glanced at each of the girls. While two doses of Herba Mystica had helped him immensely, Moe was nowhere near healthy enough to even move on his own.
"Moe's my best buddy. I've had him since I was a kid. He's…the only real family I've got these days." Arven admitted quietly, looking away from them. The girls exchanged looks of sadness, now understanding the awful position that Arven had been put in. "I've already mentioned the Herba Mystica and the Titans. Milo agreed to help me out because that's the only thing I could find in my research that even had a chance of helping."
"And has it?" Kara softly asked Arven, who nodded as he rubbed Moe's head.
"Yeah. Moe couldn't even open his eyes until we got our hands on the Bitter Herba Mystica that the Open Sky Titan had hidden away. He's gotten loads better, but he's still not in good shape. If Milo hadn't agreed to help me, there's no way I would've been able to take on the Titans by myself. And by this point…Moe would be gone." Arven said with a sigh, earning a small whine from Moe. Arven managed a weak smile as he scratched Moe's head.
"Milo was helping me battle the Open Sky Titan the day you got hurt. That's why he wasn't there when Team Star crashed the Pep Rally. I know you already said you're not mad, but…I'm sorry we weren't there for you. I don't know how long Moe can hang on, and I-" Arven tried to apologize, but Juliana wasn't having any of it.
"Apology accepted. Again. Is there any way we can help you and Moe?" Juliana asked Arven in a firm voice, causing the older teen to blink twice in response.
Just like Milo…no hesitation to help once they knew what was going on. Arven thought as he stared at the girls with a dumbfounded expression, absolutely speechless by the immediate understanding and support he was given.
"Come on, man. You're trying to save your best friend. It's really sweet." Sara said with a big grin, crossing her arms. "Ol' big bad Arven's just a big softie!"
"Maybe we can help. I'm crap at battling, but Juliana's pretty decent and at the very least we can look into rumors about the Titans." Nalani offered to Arven, who looked completely floored by the suggestion of more people helping him. Milo had practically been a godsend. A handful of other friends lending a helping hand? Arven felt tears sting his eyes, and he fought to keep his composure as he looked away from them.
"You girls are the best. T-thanks. Thank you so, so much." Arven muttered as he took a shaky breath. Kara suddenly clapped her hands hard, drawing everyone's attention away from Arven as he tried to steady his emotions.
"Now then, I'm starving! Let's eat our lunch before Juliana devours it all." Kara said as she opened the picnic basket. Juliana glanced around for a moment before making an extremely rude gesture in Kara's direction while Sara and Nalani snickered.
Moe grunted softly, but Arven couldn't help a watery smile as he watched his Mabosstiff's tail wag slowly with excitement. There were times he thought he'd never see Moe wag his tail ever again.
Now though…now I've got friends who have my back. And we're going to make you better again. I promise you. Arven thought to himself as he fought back tears, looking down at his Pokémon and gently rubbing Moe's back. He then noticed Juliana giving him a warm smile, and Arven returned it with a happy grin of his own.
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
Lovely (Luvdisc) F - Tera Rock
Kosher (Nacli) F - Tera Bug
Ozzy (Smoliv) M - Tera Ground
Graveyard:
Pepper (Maschiff) F - Tera Poison
Sparky (Pawmi) M - Tera Electric
Victor (Venonat) M - Tera Electric
We've got some more school shenanigans and the Friendship Festival coming your way before we barrel into Levincia. Should be a fun time either way.
Q & A
From: SolanaLeonhart
So I'm curious, are we going to see more about people who made deals with the remnant? Are they all protagonists?
Thanks for writing the nuzkocke rules down by the way, trying to keep track of them was getting confusing. Oh and just to make sure, you mentioned the challenge would end with the 4th storyline. As in the DLC eventz? Don't know if it's spoiler so I'll ask anyway, Milo isn't going to have to fight the elite 4 with the curse is he?
Everyone who's made a deal with the Remnant is a Protagonist and you'll get to meet at least one of them in this story. Milo also gets to meet them and it'll be…interesting.
A 4th storyline, which is in the base-game and isn't gated behind DLC, unlocks once the main three storylines are cleared. Once that 4th storyline is complete, the Nuzlocke Challenge is done and the curse is lifted.
And yes, Milo fights the Elite Four while under the Nuzlocke Curse. Meaning he has to use the same team with no switch-outs while under a level restriction against the Elite Four and Top Champion.
From: BraviaryScout
If you have a Smoliv, do you get discounts or free stuff at Smoliv Garden?
You get a ten-percent discount on your bill and your Smoliv eats free there.
Shoutout to the absolute legends who reviewed since the last update, which includes SolanaLeonhart, BraviaryScout, GeneralC200, Critical Sass and a new reviewer known as agent2129! Thanks for your support everyone! You all are fabulous.
Additional shoutout to StarNova 90 for favoriting the story. Your support is appreciated and I salute you!
That's all I've got for today. Uploads should become more routine as I settle back into a groove. I went home for the holidays and took that as a time to take a break from writing for a little while and recharge my batteries.
Don't forget to favorite and/or follow the story if you want to stay updated. I also answer questions in the review section if you want to know something, or if you feel like leaving some feedback on the chapter and brightening my day.
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Take care and stay awesome!
Until next time, FlygonNick out!
