Pokémon Nuzlocke Novels: Ancient Scarlet
Chapter 32: Crazy Carlos' Cyclizar Cleaning Center
Many Years Ago…
Galar Region, Motostoke
Diego Caballero had been on the phone all day, and he wondered if he would start sprouting gray hair.
There had been an attack in Alola during a tournament that was being broadcast live to the world. Akala Island had been compromised by the terrorist group known as Cipher and the Pokémon League as a whole was scrambling to figure out a game plan to handle the situation as it spiraled out of control. People had already been killed and there were countless injured at Royal Avenue.
Diego was a mere ambassador to Galar, and barely even knew anything more than what was circulating online and the live footage that was being shared in the center of the stadium. That was where the Cipher Admin leading the attack was holding a bloodied and unconscious foreign Champion hostage and broadcasting his grievances to a worldwide audience.
"Oh yeah, and a Champion got tortured in front of the whole world. That also happened." Diego groused, feeling a headache coming on. Dozens of foreign Trainers and other important people were stuck in the midst of complete chaos. The scene was one of absolute devastation, and Diego had no idea how on earth to proceed or even if he could do anything about it. He hated this helpless feeling, but he was in Galar and had no way of assisting. And so after a long day of doing his actual job, he had no other recourse than to return to his family and hope for the best.
Diego finally got home and when he got inside, he was greeted with an excited shout from Florian as he peered into the entryway. The boy's face was pale, but despite that he was wearing an excited smile. Diego felt a pang of fear as his oldest child ran towards him as he walked into the hallway. Hannah Caballero looked like a nervous wreck on the couch, and she looked at her husband questioningly. Diego shook his head a single time before Florian grabbed his father's hand and pulled him into the living room.
"There was this crazy attack in Alola, Dad! But this kid! He beat the bad guy all on his own!" Florian said excitedly, grinning at his father who blinked in genuine surprise. "He was about my age!"
"Really? A boy fighting a Cipher Admin?" Diego muttered, glancing towards his wife. This had to have been a recent update, because it was the first he had heard of it.
Hannah Caballero nodded and patted the couch, and with that Diego went to join his wife in watching the news coverage of the incident. Florian sat down beside them, watching the highlights and playback.
Sure enough, a boy with black hair and storm-gray eyes was in a Pokémon Battle with a man wielding a gun that was wreathed in golden flames. It was like something out of a cartoon, but the bloodied and unconscious Champion behind the villain informed him this was something all too real.
The terrible gleam of madness, hatred and obsession within the man's eyes horrified Diego and made Florian and Hannah both noticeably shiver with unease. The man was apparently obsessed with justice and getting back at the Pokémon League for their failure to stop recent calamities. The boy continued to try and talk sense into the villain, who was facing some kind of internal struggle while they battled.
What Diego was interested in was the fact that the boy and the man seemed to know each other somehow and the boy kept trying to talk down the villain despite the danger he was in. Diego faintly recognized the man as a bounty hunter from Hoenn that had slipped through the cracks for years, but the details escaped him.
But what was apparent was that the boy had managed to change the heart of the villain after defeating him in a high-pitched battle. He had even managed to convince the villain to stand down and flee with his forces rather than continue fighting. It was an oddly moving experience, even for a man who was as well-travelled as Diego Caballero.
"That boy…Sunshine Smiles was his name, right?" Diego asked Florian, who nodded.
"Yeah! And Sun saved the day! I mean, it's horrible what happened already, but he stopped more people from getting hurt and made those guys retreat. Isn't that crazy?" Florian said with an excited smile, and Diego looked at his son with some surprise.
"I wonder if I could ever be like that. When I get my Trainer's License and we move out of this place…could I be that cool?" Florian whispered excitedly, seeing Sun walk over to an unconscious man and check his pulse as a tanned boy ran over to Sun.
There was an inspired light in Florian's eyes that he had never seen before, and it took Diego a moment to realize why this was. Florian had gotten to see what a hero was in real-time.
A mere boy his age had managed to save the day, and had even managed to talk down a villain and ensure more lives weren't lost during a terrible situation. And that had motivated the boy immensely, and more importantly, given him hope. It had inspired him and made him hope to work towards being like that brave boy on TV.
But on the other hand…Florian had also seen firsthand the evil that truly lurked out there in the world. He had witnessed someone do terrible things for the sake of their own convictions, resulting in pain and suffering to others.
Diego could only hope that his children would never have to witness something like that again.
Present
Naranja Academy: Schoolyard
After Arven's big reveal, the girls all let out their Pokémon and enjoyed the massive spread of sandwiches and homemade pastries that Arven had made for them. Sara already had sent out her own bird, a Squawkabilly named Peepo who kept trying to peck her hands. Kara had called out a Spidops named Parker, who was a quiet but excitable bug. Juliana's team was already clustered around them, with Niles sitting besides Juliana looking uncomfortable as usual. Arven then noticed Juliana giving Nalani a very unimpressed look, which he assumed was because of the small owl sitting on her lap.
"Don't judge me! This is Notch's first time getting to meet everyone! He's usually so shy, so I'm taking this as a win!" Nalani said defensively, knowing full-well that Juliana and the other girls were looking at her skeptically. The Alolan girl was the newest Trainer amongst them, so she was still getting used to the whole experience. That being said, Juliana still had thoughts.
"You totally got one because Champion Sun has Oliver." Juliana muttered loudly under her breath, causing Nalani to blush furiously. The Champion of Alola's Decidueye was infamous as his ace, and the owl evolutionary line had a surge of popularity when the boy had been crowned Champion of the Alola region over two years ago.
"S-So what!? He's a national hero, my Champion, and he's cute! Besides, Notch is my perfect little angel! Aren't you baby?" Nalani cooed to the owl, who tilted his head and hooted in response.
"Anyway, I meant to ask before we got sidetracked with Arven's big reveal, but what are you doing for your current event reports?" Sara asked the other girls, leaning back on her hands.
"Current events?" Arven asked as he fed some small bites of his sandwich to Moe. Meanwhile, Barbossa and Munchy were attempting to devour the pile of treats Arven had set aside for them while Nusret happily sat in his Trainer's lap.
"You'd know about this if you went to class more." Sara remarked with an amused smirk. "Current events are literally that. Recent events that have happened in the world, whether they're here in Paldea or elsewhere. I was debating doing one and the efforts to control illegal Pokémon Breeding here in Paldea."
Nalani nodded at that. "Yeah, in some regions you don't need a special license to have more than six Pokémon. I know Paldea's a bit iffy with that, depending on who you know."
"Galar has some interesting laws too. We've got some of the strongest gun control in the world. But on the other hand, we also have the death penalty for criminals too dangerous to keep in prisons. Plus stuff like assisted suicide." Juliana explained, causing the twins to jerk back in response.
"Assisted suicide!? That sounds horrible!" Nalani cried out, also sounding horrified.
"Does it? If it works how I'm thinking, isn't that only for people who are already dying a slow, painful death and don't want to suffer anymore?" Arven asked, surprising all of the girls who didn't expect him to know about that. Juliana nodded at the question.
"Yep. It's considered a way out for people who have no options for treatment. Some consider it a way to die on their own terms. My Aunt Sylvia used it after going through several years of treatment for cancer…I miss her, but I'm glad she's not suffering anymore." Juliana said quietly, but she cleared her throat loudly after a moment and spoke again in a firmer tone. "I also know that there's some people who choose to go that way but also donate their healthy organs to people who need them. It's a bit morbid, but interesting."
"Sounds like you've done your research." Arven remarked, causing Juliana to shrug her shoulders.
"I looked into it a while back when my aunt died. I learned a lot. Anyways, back to the topic at hand, topics for this report. What are you all planning to write about? I'm struggling for ideas." Juliana asked the others.
"I'm digging into La Primera's initiative to try and get more Trainers to tackle the Gym Circuit. From the sounds of things, she's having a hard time handling foreign affairs due to a lack of manpower." Sara said as she leaned back on the blanket. "From what I hear online, Hassel's classes are so sporadic because he's handling a bunch of the international coordination stuff that the League usually relies on Champions for."
"Whoa. That's a pretty complicated topic." Arven said with some surprise, with Sara nodding in agreement.
"Maybe you should interview Nemona about that. She might know. I don't think there's many active Champion-rank Trainers in Paldea at the moment." Kara remarked, frowning for a moment. "I know a bunch of them died in some crazy accident a few years ago."
"I remember that…And you're right, sis! How'd I forget about that? Maybe I can grab her when she's not dragging Milo around school." Sara said with a giggle, causing the other girls to smirk and Arven to roll his eyes. With that, it was Kara's turn to talk about what she was going to be working on.
"I'm doing a report on Katy and her outreach program! Guzma, Katy's fiancé, started a big program to help ex-prisoners out of jail get jobs to support themselves and Katy's been spreading the word! It's really wholesome and it's really helping Cortondo!" Kara said excitedly, reaching into her backpack and pulling out a notebook. "I actually plan on heading to interview them both at the Cortondo Gym later on. Probably once the Friendship Festival is wrapped up."
"Yeah, from what I know of that Guzma guy he had a rough life back in Alola. You spreading the word even further about how he and Katy are helping people support themselves and adjust would help out even more, I bet." Arven said with a grin, causing Kara to beam at the other student.
"Man, you both have super cool topics. I'm drawing a blank myself. I was actually considering doing a report about something local here, but I'm having second thoughts." Juliana said with a small sigh, rubbing her head.
"Maybe there's something happening back in Galar you could report on. That'd make your report stand out." Nalani suggested, with Juliana perking up at the idea.
"Maybe I could do something about Motostoke. There's been a bunch of crazy changes lately, especially in leadership." Juliana muttered under her breath, hit by a stroke of inspiration. "I could maybe do one on how awesome Victor or Leon are, but that'd be restating things people can just look up on Festival Plaza. Maybe I could do one about Mayor Spencer and his achievements?"
"Who's Mayor Spencer?" Arven asked Juliana, who turned to her upperclassman friend.
"Mayor Spencer was the mayor of Motostoke back home in Galar. Mum always enjoyed hearing his speeches on TV and Dad always talked highly of him. I never got a chance to meet him myself, and only saw him when he did speeches at the stadium before Kabu's Gym Battles." Juliana said with a smile. However, Arven caught onto something about what she had said.
"...was the mayor of Motostoke?" Arven asked, noticing the past tense. Juliana nodded, her expression becoming rather somber as her smile slipped away.
"He passed away about a year ago. I heard they're even building a statue of him in the center of Motostoke to honor him. When he was alive, he was considered one of the best leaders Galar ever had. He was basically the exact opposite of a lot of politicians these days. Really cared about other people and he he died saving lives." Juliana's expression became thoughtful after a moment. "It'd be a cool way to honor his memory, thinking about it. Doing a school report on Mayor Spencer."
"Ooh, that's giving me some ideas. I lived in Alola during some of the crazy stuff that happened a few years back. I could totally do one on Gladion or Lillie Jardin! Or the cute new Kahuna on Melemele Island! Or maybe I could-" Nalani was stopped when Kara stuffed a cupcake into her mouth, causing the Alolan girl to topple over with a muffled cry. Arven and Juliana snickered as the Nalani tried to cough up cupcake and desperately lunged for the lemonade, only for Sara to dangle it out of reach.
What resulted was yet another mad dash where the twins and Nalani chased each other around the schoolyard. Juliana and Arven both watched with amusement, with a sleepy Moe deciding now was the perfect time to take a nap.
Meanwhile
Cafeteria
Milo grabbed his sandwich from the food line and sat down to the table furthest away from everyone else, which is where Penny was already sitting with her hood drawn up over her face. Not that it mattered, since no one was paying any attention to her anyway.
"You good?" Milo asked before taking a bite of his sandwich, with Penny nodding mutely in response. After about five minutes of silence, and Penny managing only a few nibbles of her sandwich while Milo had finished half of his own, the girl finally spoke.
"S-sorry. Being out in public makes me…nervous. The cafeteria food is tasty though, so I can't complain." Penny murmured, taking a larger bite of her sandwich. "People are scary and I prefer to keep my head down. I do my classes and then hide in my room so no one bothers me. It's better that way."
"It's all good. You don't have to talk whatever's going on if you don't want to, but I'm happy to listen." Milo said with a smile, earning a nod from the girl. To Penny's relief, the other Galarian didn't pester her too much and just enjoyed her company, which was something entirely new to the girl. She did think it was nice that he was concerned about her, though.
I'm not used to people actually being happy that I'm around… Penny thought ruefully, though she was snapped out of her thoughts when her phone buzzed for a moment. Penny took a moment to glance at it and see that it was her boyfriend texting her. With a swift hand movement, Penny unlocked her phone and shot him a reply before closing it again, a faint smile on her face.
"So, how've you been adjusting? Paldea's different from Galar, you know?" Penny asked Milo, who looked surprised that she had asked him a direct question.
"I've been enjoying it. I've been trying to fight and old instincts to just hide in my room and play games, but it's been really fun exploring the region on my Treasure Hunt." Milo answered, with Penny tilting her head slightly with a confused frown.
"You're a recluse too?" Penny asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Not so much these days. Before Paldea, I had nothing but time to play video games and too few reasons to go outside." Milo remarked with a chuckle, thinking back to how far he had come since his days struggling at Trainer school. "Here, I've got too much going on."
"Yeah, that sounds about right. I do nothing but watch anime and game these days. Though to be blunt, I'm honestly just shocked to see you of all people show up at Naranja Academy. Seeing you in the flesh on the Academy steps that first day was…weird." Penny remarked, taking another small bite of her sandwich.
"You heard of me before we met?" Milo asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Of course. You're Florian Caballero, the Motostoke Miracle, aren't you? I remember hearing about what happened to you on the news. How'd you end up coming to this place after all that?" Penny asked Milo directly, looking him in the eyes. The boy's expression suddenly went blank, and Penny was somewhat impressed that he was able to do something like that. Few people could manage their emotions that well, but Penny noticed the other Galarian was noticeably shaking despite his emotionless face.
"Sorry if this came up out of the blue. Cassiopeia mentioned it to me, and I remembered why you seemed a little familiar." Penny remarked, watching Milo's facial expression somehow becoming even more difficult to read. She looked away from him as her phone buzzed again, showing that she had gotten a reply from her boyfriend. "For what it's worth…I'm sorry you had to go through all of that. And-"
"Don't you ever call me that again." Milo finally said, cutting Penny off and making the girl freeze. She chanced a glance at the other student, and saw that his expression was no longer neutral. It was angry. His eyes were narrowed, and his voice was as cold as ice.
"That stupid title isn't something to be proud of. It's not a good thing. It's just a horrible reminder…and I just want to forget it. Forget it and move on." Milo muttered as he let out a small exhale of frustration, taking a bite of his sandwich. He had lost his appetite, but he knew he needed to finish eating. "The only good that came out of that terrible name was my nickname."
"Your nickname? You mean Milo?" Penny asked in a tiny voice, barely a squeak. She was now realizing that she had made an awful mistake, and that she should've realized the other teen was sensitive about what had happened. Understandably so, and Penny inwardly cursed the fact that she lacked any kind of people skills. She had accidentally stepped into a minefield with the other teen.
"Mum calls me Milagro, which is Paldean for miracle. I turned that into a nickname for myself, since I kinda hate the name Florian. But that's the only exception. I refuse to let people here call me the Motostoke Miracle. Don't say that around me again, please." Milo said to Penny, who nodded frantically.
"Okay, okay! Message received! I won't ever mention it again!" Penny said in a panicked whisper, sounding genuinely terrified at how far south the conversation had gone. Milo looked genuinely annoyed, his eyes still blazing with emotion. "Sorry I ever brought it up."
Milo took a few seconds to calm himself down, and Penny once again saw his mask slip into place. He was, outwardly at least, cool as a cucumber. "Most people don't think to mention it. I think you're the only one who put two and two together and figured out who I am. I haven't even told my closest friends about it…it's too painful. I haven't figured things out yet. All I can do is keep trying to move forward."
"I see. Um, I hope you don't mind me saying that trying to push your feelings through like that probably isn't healthy." Penny said meekly, with Milo shrugging his shoulders.
"As long as I can handle my pain, I'll keep on saying that I'm okay. I can't afford not to be." Milo muttered that last part so quietly Penny almost didn't catch it. She felt a shiver run down her spine at that ominous comment, but she also didn't want to push him further. She had no right to pry any further into his past than she had already.
"I'd like to offer you moral support, but I have questionable morals." Penny muttered uneasily, causing Milo to finally shake off his gloom as he smirked with amusement.
"Maybe so. But the point is I'm here in Paldea and I've got other things to think about. This is a fresh start for me. And between the Gym Circuit, fighting Titans and dealing with Team Star I can't get bogged down with things that I can't change." Milo said to Penny, who considered all of that and what she knew about the other Galarian.
Yeah, this guy is totally avoiding his problems and not dealing with his trauma appropriately. I wonder how quickly that'll come back to bite him? Penny thought to herself with a grimace before suddenly realizing something that made her lower her sandwich.
"Wait, you have all that stuff going on. You're also still dealing with…things." Penny said slowly, as if trying to wrap her head around a concept she couldn't grasp. Milo just looked at her expectantly, waiting for her to finish her thought.
"And despite the amount of stuff on your plate, you invited me to have lunch with you and make sure I was okay. Why?" Penny asked Milo, who didn't respond right away. He had a thoughtful look on his face as he chewed his food. When he swallowed, he looked at Penny and answered.
"To be totally honest, when I saw you walking down the hallway you were frowning. You looked like you wanted nothing more than to vanish into your own shadow. And I thought that…you looked like you needed a friend right now" Milo answered quietly, giving her a wan smile as Penny blinked in surprise.
"Besides, I'm still learning how to fight old habits and stop being such a home. I know how much having some mates around has made me happier. Sorry if I overstepped or anything, Penny." Milo said to the girl, who finally snapped out of her shock and looked away from Milo, considering his words.
She thought of everything he had been through. And how despite all of that, he reached a hand of friendship out to her for no other reason than kindness.
But to have a friend? Would that be okay? Especially if it was him? Do I have that right…? Penny thought to herself, feeling a bubble of guilt in her gut, knowing what he didn't.
"T-thanks, Milo. I…I appreciate it." Penny muttered to the other student, offering him a small but genuine smile. Milo grinned at Penny and held out a fist to the girl, who lightly tapped it with her own.
The two students finished up their lunch and bid each other farewell. Milo went up to his room for a small break and a short nap. After studying for a little while and spending some time with his Pokémon, Milo decided to finally bite and bullet and deal with an errand he had been putting off for over a week.
He glanced over at Koraidon, who was looking towards the window with an expression of intense concentration. Milo noticed that the two antennae on either side of the beast's head were faintly flickering with a bright white light. However, after several moments of watching Koraidon, the beast let out a small hiss of pain as red static crackled around its body.
"Didn't Professor Sada mention that Koraidon probably has powers that even she's unaware of?" Milo muttered to himself, watching the creature shake its head back and forth as if to clear it. His answer came in the form of Storm the Wattrel letting out a piercing screech as she swooped overhead, clutching Smith the Applin in her talons as he cried out in horror.
Five minutes later, Milo was returning Storm while patting a distraught Applin on the head. Reggie growled something to the Applin, who seemed to perk up a little, with Watt and Fleur also trying to calm the Applin down. The words of the Crocalor, Pikachu and Steenee seemed to succeed after a few minutes as Smith looked noticeably more upbeat when Milo glanced down at him again.
"Alright, now that terror time is dealt with, I've got to stop procrastinating and handle my one big errand. I just hope I can find a spot to do this without having to head out into the Wilds. That'd be annoying as hell." Milo grumbled as he hopped to his feet, returning his entire team and glancing over at Koraidon. The beast looked at him expectantly, and Milo sighed as he smiled wanly at his faithful companion.
Meanwhile…
Student Council Room
"Looks like everything's going smoothly, Prez. The teachers did a lot of the heavy-lifting for the Friendship Festival, which just left getting the cultural booths and stuff sorted out. I think we'll all be able to cut out of school early the day after next to enjoy the Festival ourselves without having to babysit anyone."
"Good! Thank you all for being so on top of things! I've smoothed out things as much as I could on my end with the mayor of Mesagoza and the Pokémon League, but you all have done a great job." Nemona said to the students gathered at the table, nodding in particular to Carlos, her Vice President. The upperclassman nodded, leaning back in his chair while the others talked excitedly.
"And remember, I'll be handling the booth for Naranja Academy. Consider it paying back all the times you helped me out here, Champ." Carlos said with an easy smile, with Nemona nodding gratefully to the senior.
"Gracias, Carlos. Normally I'd take that on, but I've got plans for the night and really want to be able to enjoy the Festival." Nemona thanked the older student, but her comment had drawn the attention of the rest of the student council.
"Ooooh, you're busy? Are you taking the cute new transfer student out on a date?" asked the Treasurer, a senior named Suzie with a teasing smile on her face. Nemona shook her head, ignoring the heat rushing to her face and the strange swooping sensation in her chest.
"Naw, me and Milo aren't like that. I did want to show him around though. He's never had a chance to experience one of these Festivals, since they don't really have them back in Galar from what he's told me." Nemona said to the rest of the Student Council, with some of them exchanging dubious looks.
"I dunno. I saw you two holding hands on more than one occasion…"
"He's like, the only boy you actually hang out with. Are you sure you're not a thing?"
"I think you two would be pretty cute together."
"W-we're g-getting a bit off-track here!" Nemona sputtered as the entirety of the table began to get into the conversation.
"Ooooh, she's getting embarrassed!" Suzie snickered as Nemona sat down in her chair and crossed her arms with annoyance.
"Cut the Champ some slack. Besides, Milo is pretty impressive. I still can't believe he took down Giacomo and Segin Squad…I hope our old Prez doesn't hold a grudge for what we did to him." Carlos muttered under his breath, a guilty frown on his face.
"Maybe you can get Milo to become part of the Student Council? Me and Carlos have another two months until graduation, and you'll need some new blood." Suzie suggested to Nemona, who perked up at the idea. The Student Council President then frowned and shook her head after a moment.
"I can suggest it, but I don't want anyone to get a job on the team through nepotism. If he's interested, he'll have to go through the same process everyone else did to get onto the Student Council. We all worked hard to help represent the students and make sure everyone has a good time here learning at the Academy, right?" Nemona said with a bright smile, earning nods from the rest of the team. Under Nemona's guidance, the Naranja Academy Student Council had never been more popular or effective. People could spin the rumor mill as much as they wanted, but Nemona was very good at what she did for the school.
"Well, either way, I do have a recommendation for you about Milo. Keep him away from Rafael, Champ." Carlos warned Nemona, who looked at him with some concern. "He's kept a low profile since he got back into school, but the word going around is that he's looking to battle your friend. I think it has to do with Team Star. And he's an arrogant prick who won't keep taking no for an answer."
Nemona considered that and frowned at the thought of a student like Rafael wanting to harass her friend. Milo didn't need to battle anyone he didn't want too. She'd have to be on-guard for any trouble. Milo had enough going on as it was and Nemona wanted to make sure he was at his best.
"Thanks for the warning, Carlos. Do we have any other business on the agenda?" Nemona asked the Secretary, who reviewed the notes and then shook her head. Nemona then beamed at all of them. "So, on that note, who feels like battling?"
"Pass." Everyone in the room said at the same time with deadpan expressions. Nemona visibly deflated at that, with Carlos sighing loudly.
"Prez, with all due respect, you'd annihilate us. Battling you isn't fun." The Vice President said bluntly to the girl, who winced at the young man's tone. "Now if you'll excuse us, I think we're done here.
Five minutes later, Nemona was walking into the main foyer of the Academy, ignoring the usual whispers that brushed past her. While the ending to the meeting left a bitter taste in here mouth, Nemona was ignoring that for a moment as she was in thought. The Champion was considering the issue that as popular as Milo was at the Academy, he had a lot of eyes on him in more than one sense of the word.
Which not only meant the eyes of the Gym Leaders and maybe even the Pokémon League, but others who wanted to test him. Rafael was a stubborn Trainer and would likely keep trying to hound Milo for a battle, and that was something Nemona wouldn't stand for.
Milo was her Rival, after all.
Nemona snapped out of her thoughts at the sound of giggling, and spotted a gaggle of female students talking to a taller male student who seemed rather flustered. Nemona walked past them, her thoughts churning as they shifted into another direction.
Other eyes were on Milo as well, Nemona realized with a shudder. After all, he was the new transfer student who had quickly become a popular and well-liked member of the student body. Milo's humble personality and reserved but friendly nature had gained him some friends, and his rising fame as a Pokémon Trainer had earned him respect.
"But if someone like me is…interested in him. There could be other girls." Nemona muttered under her breath, feeling the strange squirming sensation in her chest again. It made her uncomfortable, realizing that she could ever feel like this. The thought of her Rival being with other girls unnerved her, and Nemona had finally realized that she had become a little possessive of Milo.
"Would I be okay with that?" Nemona thought, remembering how annoyed she had felt when Milo had been celebrating the fact that Iono had followed him on Festival Plaza. She didn't like how she had felt then. Upon reflection, Nemona had realized that she had become jealous of the happiness Milo had in earning Iono's attention and that it was unfair to them both for her to be acting that way.
"No. I need to do better. If Milo ends up dating anyone, then I need to be a supportive friend no matter what. But I do want to see if he likes me." Nemona admitted to herself, a troubled frown on her face. She was stumped on how to proceed, with romance being an area she was completely unfamiliar with.
"Maybe I could ask him if he wanted to make our time at the Friendship Festival a…date." Nemona felt herself smiling a bit at the last word and quickly shaking her head. She was getting distracted!
I should get my dress dry-cleaned and ready for the Friendship Festival. Their work is quick, so everything can be ready before the Friendship Festival this weekend. Nemona thought to herself, adding that to her list of errands for the day. Her thoughts then drifted back to her closest friend, and her smile returned. He's really come far in just a few short months. He's got so much potential. I want to see just how far he can go.
But…there's something holding him back. Nemona thought as she continued walking down the halls. His past. Something happened to him before he left Galar for Paldea. Something really, really bad that probably involves his father and his sister. After all, they're not here in Paldea and he's very touchy about the subject. So what happened?
Nemona yearned to know, if only so she could help her friend deal with it. It wasn't something that she could just drop, and her single-minded nature rebelled against her desire to not upset her Rival. The scars on his stomach that she had glimpsed for a mere moment stuck out in her mind, and she wondered if it was all related.
She was his friend, and she wanted him to be happy and thrive in his new home. And with his problems resolved, Milo could focus even more on becoming the incredible Trainer that Nemona knew he could be.
Nemona snapped out of her thoughts when she felt a small drop of rain hit her on the nose, and it was then that she realized that she was now outside. The weather was just clearing up from a small scattered storm that had been pouring for the past hour. The Champion glanced around for a moment, amazed that she was so engrossed in her thoughts that she had made it all the way here without realizing it. Nemona then spotted a very welcome face standing on the other side of the courtyard standing next to his Koraidon and made her way over to him.
"Hey Milo, whatcha doing?" Nemona asked her friend, who pointed to Koraidon with a grimace.
"I'm trying to figure out the logistics of giving this smelly dork an actual bath." Milo said to his friend while Koraidon gave his caretaker an offended look. Nemona took a few cautionary sniffs and recoiled slightly, though she dared not vocally agree with Milo since Koraidon was present.
However, what she did have was an immediate solution to his problem. "You could always go to Crazy Carlos. Everyone takes their Cyclizar there since they're the most common way Trainers get around here in Paldea. Koraidon kinda looks like one, so maybe Crazy Carlos can take care of him and make an exception?"
Milo gave her a completely confused stare, so Nemona elaborated. "Crazy Carlos' Cyclizar Cleaning Center. It's located in one of the upper districts in west Mesagoza. He does good work there."
"Crazy Carlos, huh? Is he really crazy?" Milo asked.
"He's kinda eccentric, but he's really nice and will take good care of Koraidon. You can also buy coffee, coasters for drinks, and churros there as well as all kinds of other things." Nemona answered as Milo frowned with some concern.
"Wait…those things all start with the letter C. And there's a bunch of them in the name of his business. That's kind of weird, isn't it?" Milo asked Nemona, who giggled at the question.
"No idea! I just know that he really digs the letter C. He's known to even start randomly adding new things to his business to sell just because he enjoys alliteration so much." Nemona said with a shrug. "Everyone needs a hobby, I guess."
"Well, I may as well give him a shot." Milo muttered under his breath as he returned Koraidon, rubbing his head for a moment before looking to Nemona. "Do you want to go there with me? I hate to take up your time, but I'll be honest, I'd be a bit more comfortable going somewhere new with a friend who's been there before."
"Sounds like an adventure! Come on, Milo!" Nemona said with an excited fist pump. Meanwhile, Milo heard a grumble from the voice inside of his head.
If this ends up being like that Fossil Man bullshit, count me out.
"...who the hell is the Fossil Man? And why do you sound scared?" Milo asked, genuinely astounded at how unnerved the Remnant sounded.
Oh, he never scared me. But trust me when I say you want none of that energy, kid.
"Now I have to know. You're some kind of god-like entity who acts like it knows everything. You even stopped time, I think. What could be so bad that you get weirded out by someone who reminds you of someone else?" Milo demanded to know, earning a deafening silence from the voice in his head. And then-
I can't tell you. Not without raising this story's rating.
Before Milo had a chance to ask what the hell that meant, Nemona's voice called out for him. "Milo, come on! What're you doing?"
The Galarian teen sighed and followed his neighbor, who had called a Flying Taxi to take them to an address that Nemona rattled off to the driver. Along the way, Nemona and Milo kept up a constant chatter about what to expect from the Mesagoza Friendship Festival.
Milo had already gotten a nice outfit for the event, with Juliana's supervision and approval, and had it ready to go already. Nemona admitted that it was something she still had to sort out, and the Champion hoped that she didn't look too embarrassed talking about the event that as of now wasn't a date.
After about ten minutes, the group arrived at a rather strange looking building situated a large hill. It resembled an enormous carwash that was decked out in shades of blue, green, gray and white. About two dozen Cyclizar were being sprayed down with hoses or being scrubbed by workers while Trainers nearby enjoyed what looked like churros or cookies. The smell of the desserts made Milo's stomach rumble, but that wasn't where Nemona was leading him too.
"We need to find the owner. I think he'll be able to make sure Koraidon gets well taken care of." Nemona said to Milo, glancing around the place. "Ah, there he is."
"I'm willing he's the guy he looks like an insane used car salesman." Milo remarked with a small smirk as Nemona led him towards a man loudly talking to an employee before sending them away. The man in question was wearing an absolutely horrendous three-piece suit that was a kaleidoscope of colors, with the most prominent being a bright orange and deep purple. As the two teens approached, the man turned around and let out a small chuckle of amusement. He had short grey hair with mismatched eyes, with one being dark green and the other a brilliant shade of blue. He had a neatly-trimmed goatee and a small mustache, and his smile was ever-so-slightly twisted.
"Hello there! If it isn't my favorite Champion and some kid I don't know!" the man boomed, stepping forward and extending a hand towards Milo. "I love meeting new people. The name is Crazy Carlos! Owner and proprietor of my Cyclizar Cleaning Center!"
"Um, hi. I'm Milo." The teen said awkwardly, smiling at the man and shaking his hand while Nemona watched on.
Milo shook the man's hand, surprised as the firm grip, but the man released Milo and gestured to the facility behind him. "Yes sir, this place is the brainchild of mine that services Cyclizar all around Paldea while also channeling my love of alliteration!"
"Or just the letter C." Nemona chimed in, with Crazy Carlos wagging a finger at the Champion.
"Wow, you're actually kinda crazy, aren't you?" Milo said before wincing, forgetting himself and blurting out something he didn't mean too. Amazing enough, Crazy Carlos let out a booming and somewhat maniacal laugh.
"Ha! You sound just like my parole officer!" Carlos chortled, slapping his thigh and giving Sun a wide smile. "I'm absolutely insane! You have to be these days in order to survive! Mwahahahahaha!"
Yeah, I'm just gonna nope right on out of here. Don't mind me. Might see if I'm needed in Alola or Unova or something…
Milo heard the sound of a door closing inside of his head, and the Remnant's presence vanished completely. Milo shuddered for a moment, unnerved by how used he was to the strange entity that practically controlled his life doing its thing.
"So anyways, what can I do for you two? I'm going to assume since you didn't just go to any of my fabulous employees that there's something else you need." Crazy Carlos said to Nemona, who bumped Milo with her hand. The Galarian cleared his throat and pulled out Koraidon's ball, sending out the strange creature. Koraidon wriggled for a moment before looking towards them with a confused expression.
"Giaaas?" Koraidon asked them all, with Nemona smiling fondly at the beast while Milo turned to a dumbfounded Crazy Carlos to explain.
"So, I know it's not exactly a Cyclizar, but I was wondering if I could get it cleaned anyway. Trying to spray him down in the tub or outside just doesn't cut it." Milo said to the man that was now staring at Koraidon with an awed expression.
"So you weren't some insane delusion!" Crazy Carlos proclaimed, grinning from ear-to-ear as he leaned towards Koraidon. "I heard rumors about a boy riding around the city with some weird Cyclizar, but I found that ridiculous. There's only one creature I know of that fits that description…and it vanished several years ago when one of my best customers packed up to places I can't talk about."
Milo's eyes widened at the sudden statement, and even Nemona looked completely confused. Meanwhile Koraidon was staring at Crazy Carlos with an odd expression, narrowing its eyes and sniffing the air.
"I always wondered if this fine fellow was some sort of regional variant of Cyclizar. Or perhaps, some mutation of the Cyclizar breed?" Crazy Carlos muttered, stepping towards the creature and holding out an upraised palm without an ounce of fear. Koraidon sniffed the man's palm and immediately hummed with joy, leaning forward and licking the man's cheek.
"Giaaaas!" Koraidon growled, smiling at the man as it bounded up and down on its front legs before sitting down.
"Koraidon! Yes, hello there old friend!" Crazy Carlos burst out into laughter, rubbing the beast's head and smiling widely and earning more happy licks in response. "It's so good to see you again! My favorite customer has returned after all these years!"
"Wait, wait, wait…you two know each other!?" Milo yelled out in amazement, with Crazy Carlos nodding at the question.
"Naturally. Though it's been ages since…well, since its caretakers came by so that I could give this fine fellow a proper cleaning." Crazy Carlos explained, shrugging his shoulders after a moment. "Once they stopped coming by, I assumed that I had imagined the whole thing. But I always held onto hope that my favorite customer would come by someday."
"Favorite customer?" Nemona asked, smiling at the entire scene. It wasn't every day that she saw the eccentric owner of the establishment so merry.
"Of course! Do you have any idea how rare a creature like this is? Two of a kind! It's amazing!" Crazy Carlos howled, letting out a cackle of delight.
"Wait, what was that?" Milo asked, but Crazy Carlos was still ranting as he patted Koraidon's back.
"Anyways, we've got to get you the VIP treatment! All the works, all the bells and whistles! You'll look and feel amazing, don't you worry! I've only gotten better since the last time you were here, ol' pal." Crazy Carlos assured Koraidon, who bobbed its head. It clearly was comfortable in the presence of the man, which at least proved that Koraidon was at the very least familiar with him.
"So how much will cleaning Koraidon cost?" Milo tried to ask, causing Crazy Carlos to twitch for a moment before giving Milo a shocked look.
"Pffft. How much?" Crazy Carlos scoffed, rolling his eyes as he hopped onto Koraidon and let out a snicker. "My good sir, Koraidon doesn't pay for cleanings here. So take a load off and let me catch up with an old friend."
"Giaaass!" Koraidon agreed, bounding forward and carrying Crazy Carlos into the car wash proper. Frantic and loud commands from the owner of the establishment could be heard loudly bellowed with manic joy as Nemona and a bewildered Milo were left behind.
"Nemona?"
"Yeah?"
"What the hell just happened?"
"You just met the most unstable man in Paldea."
"...I'm really glad I didn't come here alone."
"Well, while Koraidon's getting the VIP treatment, you want to get a churro? I'll buy."
"And after that, we'll buy a clock too. I mean, may as well since we're here."
"And some chocolate?"
The two friends laughed as they made their way into the building, smiling at the silliness of it all. Milo and Nemona both enjoyed some coffee and churros, while also taking note of the various items being sold inside of the main store. Clocks, cakes, chess sets, cookies, churros, coffee, clothes (official Crazy Carlos merchandise), novelty coins, cups, calendars and much more. It was a surreal experience, made all the better because Milo didn't have to deal with the Remnant and its running commentary.
When Crazy Carlos finally called for Milo two hours later, the teen was amazed to see that Koraidon looked absolutely radiant. His scales gleamed and his plumage was pristine. The creature wore a big happy smile on its face as it wriggled for a moment, with Crazy Carlos laughing as he patted the big Pokémon on the shoulder.
"This big guy is welcome here anytime he wants." Crazy Carlos said with a broad smile of pride, slapping his chest. "And if there's anything else I can do to help Koraidon, please don't hesitate to come by! Anything for my VIP!"
"I bet if you sold sandwiches here Koraidon would want to come by every day." Milo remarked, smirking as he glanced at the very clean Pokémon.
"An interesting suggestion, but if it doesn't start with the letter C, then I'm simply not interested." Carlos Carlos said with the shake of his head. Milo frowned, realizing that there were several things that came to mind that fit both criteria.
"I mean, what about cheeseburgers. Those are sandwiches and start with C." Milo pointed out, causing Crazy Carlos' jaw to drop. "Oh, and cheesesteaks. Koraidon likes those too-"
"EVERYONE! TEAM MEETING! NOW!" Crazy Carlos bellowed as suddenly sprinted towards his shop, terrifying everyone present while Nemona and Milo giggled uncontrollably. Meanwhile Koraidon barked out a farewell to its old friend, its scales shimmering brightly in the Paldean sun.
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
Smith (Applin) M - Tera Water
Storm (Wattrel) F - Tera Flying
Benched/PC Storage:
Volt (Pawmo) F -Tera Steel
Floom (Shiny Drifloon) M - Tera Ghost
Fiona (Flittle) F - Tera Grass
Bronson (Barbcoach) M - Tera Fire
Shelly (Shellder) F - Tera Fighting
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
Finally shambling towards the next Objective after a month-long wait between updates because apparently I'm a sucker for ATLUS JRPG's and I finally got around to playing Metaphor: ReFantazio.
And needless to say, it was one of the best games I've played in years. I cannot recommend it enough to you all.
On an unrelated note, I actually do plan on tweaking a few of the names for things in this story in the next update. All minor changes, and I'll let you all know what they are, but it'll have to do with the names of certain Pokemon that aren't part of Milo's catches.
Q & A
From: BraviaryScout
And did I read that right? Larry is the ex-Top Champion?
You did read that right! But that's something to explore later down the road.
From: SolanaLeonhart
I want to confirm something about the objectives because they're starting to confuse me. Basically they all revolve around the 3 story lines with the gyms, titans and team star, right ? Are they arranged in an order of which Milo can handle according to strength?
Yes, the Objectives revolve around the Gyms, Titans and the Team Star Bases. All three of which are tied into three separate storylines in the main game, which culminate in a fourth storyline once those three are completed.
The Objectives that Milo confronts go in order from weakest to strongest between all 18 Objectives in the game. This is because when doing a Hardcore Nuzlocke Challenge, you're limited by both the Pokemon around and the level you're at. I didn't want to be overleveled for any of the Gyms and be forced into a bad spot, so I simply looked up a guide that showed the levels for all of them and went in order from there.
This actually had the consequence of not doing any of the Team Star stuff until almost a third of the way through the Objectives (Giacomo was Objective #5), but I managed to work that into the story itself. This story is a play-by-play of how my original Scarlet Nuzlocke went, after all.
Massive shoutout goes to the legends who reviewed since the last update, which includes GeneralC200, BraviaryScout, SolanaLeonhart, and two new reviewers known as emily . carter1410 and FlowerFoxified! Thanks so much for your feedback, folks!
Additional shoutout to the amazing folks who've Favorited and/or Followed the story since the last update, which includes SolanaLeonhart, Flingpin and FlowerFoxified! Thank you, once again, for supporting the story!
That's all I've got for now. Thanks as always for your patience as I try to settle back into things. Hopefully we won't have anymore month-long waits for chapters in the near future.
Please favorite and/or follow the story if you want to stay updated with future nonsense. I also answer questions in the review section that I can answer, and as always I appreciate your reviews and feedback on this story. I work pretty hard on it, and it really does brighten my day seeing what people think about what's happened from update to update.
I've got still a Poll up on my profile regarding the next story I do after Radiant Sun is finished. If you haven't already voted, by all means please vote on it!
Take care and stay awesome!
Until next time, FlygonNick out!