Pokémon Nuzlocke Novels: Ancient Scarlet
Chapter 29: Segin Squad's Dubious DJ, Giacomo
Over Two Years Ago…
Giacomo frowned as he leaned forward in his chair, staring at the awkward teenage girl who was standing before him. He was sitting in his chair at the head of the table, surrounded by his Student Council and ignoring the disapproving looks they were shooting his way.
Meanwhile, Nemona Valdez was standing ramrod straight and was nervously trying not to meet the angry eyes of the Student Council President. Indeed, Giacomo had made a big show of shouting at her in the hallway over the color of the highlights in her hair before physically dragging her into the Student Council Office with the rest of the rather frustrated Student Council.
"Giacomo, you're going overboard with these stupid rules. Who cares if Nemona's highlights aren't the 'proper shade of green'?" Suzie the Treasurer asked, almost pleading with Giacomo to calm down. But the Student Council President shook his head before turning back to the extremely nervous teenage girl who was standing in front of him.
Nemona had already made waves at the school by crushing Katy in her debut match on the Gym Circuit with only a single Pokémon and following up that by defeating Brassius…without her Pokémon even getting hit. She was clearly a prodigy, despite her short time as a Trainer. But that wasn't going to stop Giacomo from administering his judgment.
"Miss Valdez, what made you think that debasing yourself in such a way was acceptable!?" Giacomo growled as he stood up and stared down the younger student, who flinched at the sheer fury in his tone. The other members of the Student Council rolled their eyes all at once, which was something the President noticed, but ignored.
"I didn't know that this shade of green wasn't allowed! I can wash it out!" Nemona worriedly replied to the Student Council President, who scoffed as he shook his head.
"Stuff like this is why Paldea's going down the crapper. People just think they can do whatever they want whenever they want. No respect for the rules." Giacomo grumbled, not impressed with the younger student's excuse.
"For the record, the rules she broke weren't the Academy rules." A snide voice spoke up, causing Giacomo's eye to twitch. Carlos, his Vice President, had been the one to speak and even stood up. The short blond-haired teenager gave Giacomo a dull look.
"The rule she broke was one of the hundreds of micro-rules that you came up with. And they're so insanely strict that they make no sense. Who cares if Nemona's hair color isn't a lighter shade of green?" Carlos asked Giacomo, who crossed his arms and snorted with derision.
"Of course you would think that. I've already had to report you three times for unacceptable behavior." Giacomo said to his Vice President, who raised an eyebrow.
"Holding hands with my girlfriend and talking in the hallway aren't a punishable offense. And they're not worth the marks I've got on my record. And now you're tormenting freshmen over things that literally don't matter, or affect anyone!" Carlos responded, clenching his fists.
"So what? I was elected Student Council President and I make the rules the students need to follow. If the Faculty doesn't interfere, I have free reign." Giacomo sneered at Carlos, who suddenly smirked and unclenched his fists.
"True. But you know what?" Carlos asked Giacomo, glancing to his equally annoyed Student Council members. "Maybe we should change that."
Giacomo's eyes widened and he shoved Nemona out of the way so that he could glare at Carlos, who stepped forward with a suddenly mean grin. "What are you saying, Carlos?"
"I'm saying…screw you. The Student Council is meant to be a team, and we're not right now. I looked up the rules that determine how a member can be removed from their position. All it takes is a unanimous voice of No Confidence…and the member losing in a battle to his replacement." Carlos whispered before slowly raising his left hand and speaking louder. "All who feel the same way I do, raise your hand."
The Student Council President sneered at Carlos, but then watched in cold horror as every single member of the Student Council raised their hands in unison. What made matters worse was that Giacomo was a terrible Pokémon Trainer. His chances of winning against anyone weren't good.
"Umm…should I go?" Nemona asked, glancing around and realizing that she probably shouldn't be here. The new student knew that something was going on, but was trying not to listen due to feeling that this was something she shouldn't be privy to.
Little did Nemona know that she would become involved in the Student Council's drama without even truly knowing it. To her surprise, Carlos laughed and waved a hand dismissively.
"Nah, you're fine Nemona. Don't worry about the hair thing, Giacomo's just cranky and an insane prude." Carlos said with a smile, causing Giacomo to actually snarl at the other student for overruling his authority.
"We need rules to enforce standards here, Carlos. No one can handle things the way I can. You don't know your place!" Giacomo snapped back at Carlos, who scowled in anger for a moment as he looked at the President as he walked over to Giacomo and met his gaze.
"Anyone with a lick of sense can do your job. Even the new girl can…and I can prove it." Carlos whispered with a sudden grin before turning to Nemona again.
"Hey Nemona, how'd you like to have a battle with President Giacomo?" Carlos asked with a grin as the other Student Council Members exchanged surprised glances.
"Oh! Um, I'd be happy too! Is this because he's mad at me?" Nemona asked, confused by the question but also happy because it was an invite to battle. Carlos waved his hand dismissively once more while giving the infuriated Giacomo a smirk.
"Yeah, but Giacomo's been out of it lately and a battle is just what he needs to cheer up." Suzie said with a smile to the new girl, who smiled back at the Treasurer. Suzie then turned to Giacomo with a frown of frustration. "You know you can't refuse this. It'd ruin your reputation here."
Giacomo slowly looked over at the Student Council, who showed no signs of trying to stop what was about to occur. Indeed, Giacomo suddenly realized that in his enthusiasm to be a good Student Council President, he had perhaps gone a little overboard. But that revelation had come too late, judging from the frowns everyone wore on their faces.
"Ten minutes. Courtyard. No running in the halls." Giacomo said stiffly before walking out of the room, looking down at the floor.
The results were predictable, with Nemona effortlessly defeating Giacomo in front of a sizable crowd. Giacomo could do nothing but return his barely-trained Pawniard and walk away, trying to fight back his anger as the laughter and jeers filled the courtyard. A confused Nemona was surrounded by an eager Student Council, who raised her hand in victory. Even they were astounded by how easily Nemona had crushed Giacomo.
In fact, they were so astounded, that none of them saw Giacomo wipe the tears from his face and flee into the school, feeling betrayed and humiliated in front of the entire student body.
Present
Team Star's Dark Crew Base
Giacomo stopped the music blasting from the speakers on the enormous car he was riding upon, catching Milo by surprise. However, the Galarian watched as the young man tapped a few keys on his keyboard before lifting one side of his headphones to his ear, nodding along to music only he could hear.
And then suddenly, an intense guitar riff erupted across the base of Segin Squad, causing the assembled Team Star members to cheer loudly. Giacomo smirked as he reached backwards without looking away from Milo and pulled out a Timer Ball. Meanwhile, the guitar riff had settled into an intense metal song that boomed from the speakers of the vehicle.
Oh my god, this song is awesome! Milo thought as the guitars continued to play through the speakers attached to the customized car that the Team Star Boss rode upon. Giacomo seemed to catch Milo's reaction and offered a smug grin.
"You like it? I made this little tune myself. It's the Team Star Boss Battle Theme, available for download at-" Giacomo stopped himself with a chuckle. "I'll plug my tunes later, after I've kicked your ass."
"Your music might be awesome, but I think that's my line!" Milo called to Giacomo, who barked out a laugh before tossing his Timer Ball into the air and swiftly catching it.
"Kingsley, let's shine together!" Giacomo shouted as he chucked the Timer Ball in his hand, sending out a small red and black Pokémon with sharp blades covering its body.
"You're going down, right Cocoa!?" Milo shouted over the intense music, with the Spiny Fish Pokémon letting out a cry in response. Milo pulled out his Rotom Phone and scanned the strange Pokémon, pulling up the appropriate entry.
"Pawniard. The Sharp Blade Pokémon. Pawniard will fearlessly challenge even powerful foes. In a pinch, it will cling to opponents and pierce them with the blades all over its body." The Rotom Phone said to Milo, who could barely hear it over the sound of the music.
"You don't really think things through, do ya? Declarin' war on Team Star is a real bad move." Giacomo called down to Milo, clipping the Timer Ball to his belt and tapping away at the keyboard he held in his hand.
"If you keep this up, I'm going to start thinking Team Star's all talk…oh wait, too late." Milo said with a mocking expression, his voice thick with sarcasm. Several members of Team Star got visibly angry at that comment, but Giacomo took it in stride.
"This beat drop'll bust your ears open! DJ Vice bringin' the house dooown!" Giacomo laughed before pointing right at Cocoa. "Metal Claw!"
Kingsley the Pawniard sprinted off of the vehicle and leapt into the air, flipping once before dropping towards Cocoa and slashing her across the side with its glowing blades. Cocoa cried out as blood spattered the grass, with Team Star crying out encouragement to Giacomo and his Pokémon.
"Ha! How's that for an openin' track?! I'll spin you up good, party crasher!" Giacomo cackled as Cocoa grimaced in pain, with Kingsley the Pawniard leaping backwards and landing nimbly in the grass. Milo's response was to drop his backpack onto the ground and reach inside. The Galarian student pulled out his Tera Orb, causing Giacomo's eyes to widen in surprise.
"Let's roll the dice…" Milo muttered, remembering why he was here. To send a message to Team Star not to mess with Naranja Academy. To get retribution for the group nearly killing Juliana. And to prove to himself that he wasn't just a scared little boy anymore.
He was a Pokémon Trainer, and he was done hiding from the world.
"Cocoa, let's Terastallize!" Milo shouted as he held the Tera Orb high into the air. A whirlwind of energy surged into the device until it dinged to show that it was primed and ready, with the teen throwing it towards his Clodsire. Cocoa was showered in Terastal Energy and her body was engulfed with crystals which soon exploded, revealing the Clodsire wearing her globe-like Tera Crown.
"Looks like you're busting out the big guns!" Giacomo remarked, grinning wildly as Milo's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Cocoa, use Mud Slap!" Milo called as the Clodsire let out a cry, her Tera Crown pulsing with energy before the Spiny Fish Pokémon launched a large wave of mud at the Pawniard. Kingsley was knocked to the ground with a pained grunt, but the Steel/Dark-type rolled to its feet with a grimace as its body glowed a faint blue color. It then suddenly glowed a harsh red color in response.
Milo quickly glanced at his Rotom Phone, and saw that thanks to Kingsley's Ability, Defiant, the Accuracy drop from Mud-Slap had boosted its Attack power greatly in response. Meanwhile, Giacomo then noticed that Milo's Clodsire faintly glowed white for a moment, with the long scratch on its side healing somewhat. He spotted the pedant-like object attached to the Clodsire, but dismissed it and focused on his opponent.
"Looks like you know your stuff. A Ground-type attack like that'll do major damage against my Pawniard since he's part Steel-type. But we're not going down that easy, are we Kingsley!?" Giacomo called to his Pokémon, who nodded sharply. Pun-intended. "That's right! Use Metal Claw again!"
"Cocoa, use Amnesia!" Milo commanded the Clodsire as she was struck once again by the powered-up Metal Claw. Cocoa took a deep breath and her expression became totally blank, much to the confusion of Giacomo. The Clodsire glowed again, healing slightly thanks to Leftovers.
"Metal Claw again! Tear it apart!" Giacomo called to his Pawniard, who was grimacing in annoyance at the mud coating its body, with its eyes in particular twitching wildly. Kingsley nodded in acknowledgement of the command and lunged at Cocoa, who saw the rather sloppy attack coming and simply rolled onto her side out of the way. Kingsley swiped blindly through the air, missing the Clodsire completely.
"What?! A miss?" Giacomo shook his head, smirking at Milo and his Pokémon, even as Leftovers healed Cocoa again. "Eh, it's all good. These things happen. Look at your silly Pokémon, tilting her head like that. What's she gonna do?"
"What she's going to do is this. Cocoa, use Mud Shot!" Milo barked as Cocoa's expression suddenly became one of total focus as her Tera Crown surged with power. Cocoa leapt into the air, opening her mouth and firing a barrage of muddy blobs at the Pawniard. Kingsley let out a cry as the ground around him exploded violently, throwing the Pawniard backwards and into the front of the Starmobile, leaving a small dent on the hood of the vehicle. The Pawniard struggled to get back up for a few moments before collapsing onto the ground and fainting, earning several gasps from the crowd.
"Looks like the song's done. What's next on the track, DJ Doofus?" Milo asked as Cocoa bobbed her head up and down in agreement. Giacomo looked surprised that his Pawniard had been knocked out, but he shrugged it off and returned Kingsley with a twisted smirk.
"Time to up the tempo! This show ain't over yet!" Giacomo called out with a laugh, tapping several more keys on his keyboard. The teen then unstrapped what looked like a velcro band that was attached to his laptop and wrapped it around his arm tightly.
"I'm out of Pokémon, but not out of options!" Giacomo muttered with a smirk, causing Milo to raise an eyebrow.
"What's this guy doing?" Milo muttered under his breath. Either way, Milo ran forward and sprayed Cocoa with a Super Potion, healing the injuries she had sustained so far. To Milo's surprise, using items mid-battle didn't break any of the Remnant's rules for the Nuzlocke Challenge. It was simply frowned upon in most professional battles and in official Gym Battles, not allowed. Considering the stakes for this battle, however, Milo didn't care about that.
"Safety protocol, go!" Giacomo barked, tapping a key on his computer. In response, three metal cuffs suddenly emerged from the roof of the car and secured themselves around each of Giacomo's ankles and around his waist.
The moment the Team Star Boss was locked into place, the Starmobile he was on suddenly let out a booming roar that eclipsed the music for a moment before the single eye of the modified Pokémon glared furiously at Milo and Cocoa. Cocoa shuddered as a faint blue glow enveloped the Clodsire, and when Milo checked his Rotom Phone he saw that she had been hit with the Ability Intimidate. Her attack had been lowered by the strange vehicle-turned-Pokémon.
"My Segin Starmobile is about to leave you speechless, party crasher! Let's go, Nocturne!" Giacomo bellowed with a savage grin as the Pokémon rumbled in response. "Wicked Torque!"
A harsh black and red glow suffused the Starmobile before it suddenly zoomed forward, charging right towards Milo and Cocoa. Milo let out a scream of horror and threw himself out of the way of the contraption as it sped towards him. However as Milo looked up from the grass, he watched the Segin Starmobile collide with Cocoa head-on and send the Clodsire flying backwards until she hit the ground hard.
"Did you just hit my Clodsire with your CAR!?" Milo demanded furiously, picking himself up out of the grass with a scowl.
"Once more for style, Nocturne! Wicked Torque!" Giacomo cried out as Team Star cheered on their leader. To Milo's surprise, the Starmobile then made a u-turn and sped right back at Cocoa, slamming hard into the Clodsire again. Once she landed on the ground, Cocoa rolled over several times before she came to a complete stop.
"What is that thing's deal!?" Milo muttered, pulling his phone out of his pocket and scanning the Segin Starmobile. After a few seconds of confusion an entry was loaded.
"Revavroom. The Multi-Cyl Pokémon and the final evolved form of Varoom. It creates a gas out of poison and minerals from rocks. It then detonates the gas in its cylinders—now numbering eight—to generate energy." The Rotom Phone explained, with Milo frowning as he looked at the picture being shown on the screen before looking at the massive vehicle the Revavroom was hooked into. Aside from being much larger than usual, it didn't look very much like what he was facing.
"Heh. My buddy Ortega set up this badass little buggy." Giacomo remarked with a smug grin "Two Varoom's supporting a Revavroom and combining to make the ultimate weapon of Segin Squad! You don't stand a chance, Milo!"
Milo grit his teeth as he glanced down at his injured Clodsire, who had powered through the Star Barrage and taken out Giacomo's Pawniard. Even with the Leftovers item he had given her, she had taken a lot of damage. He was tempted to recall her and send out another member of his team-
"C-clodsire!" Cocoa grunted as she flopped back onto her belly, glancing back at her Trainer. Milo stared at his Pokémon for a few moments before nodding at her.
"Alright Cocoa. I trust you. Let's crush this guy together!" Milo said to his Clodsire as she turned around to face Giacomo again.
"Had a nice pep talk? Ready for a ass-whooping!?" Giacomo demanded, letting out a cackle as he stood tall upon his tricked-out vehicle. Milo matched his grin with one of his own before unclipping a Poké Ball from his belt.
"You think you're the only one here with a cool ride? Koraidon, let's go!' Milo shouted as he sent out Koraidon, much to the surprise of Team Star. Even Giacomo was caught off-guard seeing such a strange and formidable creature. It was more surprising when Milo hopped on top of the monster with ease and grabbed two of its tendrils like handlebars.
"Giaaaass!" Koraidon roared, wriggling with anticipation as Milo's face smoothed over once again, showing no trace of anything but focus. Giacomo was interested in how the younger Trainer could be almost overflowing with emotion one minute but be cool as a cucumber the next. It was fascinating to him, and only made the showdown between them all the more interesting.
"Now we're fighting on even ground!" Milo called as Koraidon bobbed its head and prepared itself to move if it needed to. Not that it would get involved in the battle, of course, but it was another showing from Milo that Giacomo's antics hadn't rattled him. Indeed, Team Star was looking a little nervous as they watched Milo control such a powerful beast with utter confidence.
"Hahaha! You're making this fun, Milo! Let's dance!" Giacomo shouted as Nocturne, the Revavroom that was the Segin Starmobile, roared loudly as it prepared to go another round.
"Mud-Slap, Cocoa!" Milo called as Cocoa let out a cry, a pulse of energy erupting from her Tera Crown before she launched a wave of mud at the Segin Starmobile. Giacomo grunted in annoyance as the entire vehicle shook in response to the attack, but he simply smirked down at Milo.
"You gotta hit a lot harder than that, kid. Wicked Torque, Nocturne!" Giacomo called as his Segin Starmobile glowed a harsh black and red color before speeding forward, striking Cocoa for the third time head-on. To Milo's horror, a loud cracking sound could be heard as the car made contact with the Clodsire, who was sent hurtling backwards by the attack. However the Clodsire landed upright and skidded across the grass for a few moments before letting out a low groan of pain.
"Stay calm, Milo. Remember your strategy. We planned for something like this. Trust your team..." Milo muttered to himself, forcing himself to remain calm despite the serious damage Cocoa had taken. His Poker Face held strong, despite the whirlwind of emotions happening behind it. "Cocoa, use Mud-Slap again!"
"Cloooodsire!" Cocoa cried out as her Tera Crown hummed with power, amplifying the wave of mud that she launched at the Segin Starmobile. The Revavroom snarled in protest, with the vehicle backing up slightly, but Giacomo still didn't seem bothered.
"You're a one-trick Ponyta, Milo! Where's the spice? I'm getting sick of hearing the same tune you're playing!" Giacomo complained, with Milo giving him an unimpressed look.
"I didn't know using Wicked Torque three times in a row was considered a diverse move-set, you vehicular douchebag." Milo deadpanned, with Giacomo throwing back his head and laughing at the response.
"That's a new one! And you've got a solid point, party crasher! I guess we'll keep doing it too and be boring together. Nocturne, use Wicked Torque!" Giacomo commanded the Segin Starmobile, grinning wickedly as the vehicle roared with power as its aura returned once more. The Revavroom rushed forward and collided for the fourth time with Cocoa, who flew through the air and landed roughly on the grass beside Milo and Koraidon. The Spine Fish Pokémon weakly stirred for a few moments with her eyes shut.
"Giaaas!" Koraidon cried out to the downed Clodsire, its tail lashing behind it.
"Come on, Cocoa! Hang in there! Just a little more!" Milo called to Cocoa, who opened a single eye with a pained grimace. Leftovers healed the Clodsire slightly, and it was just enough for the Clodsire to let out a defiant cry to her opponents. "Atta girl. Now Mud-Slap, one more time!"
"C-C-Clooood!" Cocoa cried out as a pulse of energy thrummed through her Tera Crown, bolstering the wave of mud that erupted forth and struck the Segin Starmobile for the third time. Giacomo grimaced as flecks of mud landed on his shoes.
"That'll be annoying to get off later, but you're not doing crap to us! Face it, Milo, you bit off way more than you can chew! Your big dumb fish is barely hanging on!" Giacomo called to the Galarian teen, who didn't rise to the bait. "Wicked Torque, Nocturne! Finish off his Clodsire right now!"
The Segin Starmobile rushed forward, shining a dark black color as it sped towards the barely-moving Clodsire. Milo's eyes widened in surprise as Nocturne suddenly began to swerve left and right before suddenly veering off to the left. The Segin Starmobile missed Cocoa entirely, driving towards the crowd of surprised Team Star members before making a sharp turn and returning to the front of the garage. Giacomo had the vehicle spin around to face Milo with a slightly nauseous expression.
"Ugh, that attack starts to make you woozy after a while. I definitely shouldn't have eaten pizza bagels before getting into a battle." Giacomo grunted, trying to fight the urge to hurl. "But how on earth did the attack miss?"
"And there we go." Milo seemed to sigh with relief, which the Team Star Boss noticed.
"You wanna speak up for the rest of the class, party crasher?" Giacomo yelled out to Milo, who to his surprise, smirked up at him.
"Man, not being at school for so long must've made you forget some of the basics. Good thing I've been to enough classes with Miss Dendra to know what happens when your stats get ruined. Those Mud-Slaps weren't just for show, you prick!" Milo called to Giacomo, who frowned at the student's words before looking down at Nocturne. It was then that he noticed the thick layer of mud coating the outside of the Starmobile, in particular the front where the Revavroom was located.
"Wait a sec…" Giacomo muttered as he looked closer at the Segin Starmobile. Nocturne's eye was twitching rapidly, as if the Revavroom was having trouble seeing. Giacomo stared at the Revavroom for a moment before looking over at Milo and Cocoa.
And then a terrible chill of horror rolled through the Team Star Boss as he realized what Milo had done.
Meanwhile…
Naranja Academy
"I can't believe he's going toe-to-toe with that thing…" Juliana muttered, hugging a pillow as she watched the computer screen with a worried frown. She was sitting on her bed, with a pouting Niles curled up beside her. Meanwhile Nalani, Kara and Sara were sitting on the floor watching the livestream. Nemona was sitting in the chair nearby, watching the battle intensely while Arven finished making cookies, taking them out of the oven and setting them on the counter to cool.
"What Milo said, though…what's he talking about?" Kara asked, glancing at the others in the room. Arven walked back over to where they were at, shooting Nemona a glare that she didn't see before standing against the wall close to Juliana.
Juliana had privately asked for Arven to once again drop whatever issues he had with Nemona and be civil with her so that they could all watch Milo's fight with Team Star together. Nemona was just as close to Milo as Arven was, and so it was only fair she be part of the group to watch his battle with Team Star unfold as well.
Indeed, watching the live footage being streamed at the moment showed thousands of people were already tuning into the battle. Hundreds were piling into the livestream by the minute, eager to see someone try and take on Team Star directly.
"No idea. Milo's pretty crafty as a Trainer, so it could mean anything." Arven remarked, confusion on his face. To their surprise, Nemona spoke up for the first time since the livestream started.
"Milo's completely shut down Giacomo's Starmobile…" Nemona said quietly, grinning widely at the computer screen. "And I don't think Giacomo's got a way to deal with it if that panicked look on his face means anything. This battle is done."
"What do you mean, Nemona?" Nalani asked the Champion, who was happy to explain.
"When Cocoa evolved into a Clodsire, Milo got the idea to start working on moves that restrict what your opponent can do. That means paralyzing them, boosting your defenses, ruining their stats in battle and so on. One of the most underhanded ways to battle, at least that I can think of, is ruining your opponent's accuracy so that they can't ever hit you. And Milo's done just that with Cocoa by using Mud-Slap repeatedly."
"She only hit it three times and that didn't do much damage to it. Is that really enough to tip the scales in Milo's favor?" Arven asked Nemona, his curiosity overriding his disdain for her.
"Absolutely. Three status drops to accuracy is brutal. And what's better is that, thanks to Leftovers, Cocoa's been able to stay in the fight long enough to be able to deal with a Pokémon like that Starmobile thing and ruin its accuracy." Nemona explained, laughing a little.
"What makes you think he doesn't have something else in reserve?" Juliana asked the Champion, who looked to her other Galarian friend.
"If he had something else in reserve, then he would've called out another Pokémon and reset the stat changes on the Starmobile. But he's not doing that. Instead Giacomo's panicking." Nemona explained as Juliana looked back to the screen, and she saw that Nemona's analysis was spot-on. Giacomo was looking back and forth between Milo and his Starmobile, his face going pale.
"So, in layman's terms, what does that mean?" Kara asked the Champion, who turned to the computer screen.
"Milo was preparing for a Pokémon too powerful for him to overcome the normal way, and that preparation paid off. Even with Giacomo pulling out that crazy vehicle, Milo had an effective counter to it so long as Cocoa could withstand its onslaught. Milo's already won the battle." Nemona said with a bright grin, her eyes flashing with excitement. "Milo, you look so cool! Keep going!"
"Oh, she totally has a crush on him." Juliana muttered to the twins, who both matched her smile of amusement. It was honestly quite the sight to see the Champion of Naranja Academy fangirl over their reclusive friend, but also heartwarming in a way.
"Our dork's kinda cool, huh?" Arven remarked quietly, smiling at the screen with a gentle pride in his friend. "Give 'em hell, little buddy."
"KICK HIS ASS, MILO!" Nalani shouted, doing a fist pump as the twins cheered loudly in agreement. Juliana turned back to the computer screen, seeing firsthand how good of a Trainer her best friend had become.
Giacomo felt a bead of sweat roll down his face as he realized how bad things were. His modified Revavroom was covered in mud and its accuracy was in tatters. Getting a single worthwhile hit on his opponent was very unlikely after three whole accuracy drops and he had no other Pokémon to switch to to shake off the stat changes. And Milo still had an entire team left!
"Looks like you finally understand." Milo smiled darkly at Giacomo, crossing his arms as he sat upon Koraidon. His exhausted Clodsire panted hard in front of him with a wide smile, the culprit behind utterly ruining the Segin Starmobile. "You're done."
"You little twerp!" Giacomo yelled out angrily before pointing a finger down at him. "We're not done yet! There's too much at stake here!"
"I didn't want this." Milo responded, causing Giacomo to blink in surprise at the coldness in the younger Trainer's voice. "I was happy to ignore you morons and keep on enjoying being at school with my friends."
"But no. You idiots weren't happy to leave it like that. You hurt my friend and now you're going to deal with the consequences." Milo suddenly grinned at Giacomo, who would've taken a step back if he hadn't been strapped onto the roof of his Starmobile. Milo's smile was almost menacing in how much the teen seemed to be enjoying Giacomo's unease now that tide of the battle had changed. "And that consequence is me."
"We're just getting started, Milo!" Giacomo called out, his smile fierce as Team Star cheered in approval. Milo stared up at the Team Star Boss, his face shifting back to calm despite the righteous fury burning within.
I'm not that weak little boy anymore. Florian might have been too weak to stand up for himself, but Milo isn't. I have my Pokémon and my friends now. And I'll protect them with what power I have now! Milo thought as he tightened his grip on the handlebar-tendrils of Koraidon. The draconic mount let out a loud roar of defiance to Team Star, with Cocoa crying out as well.
"Cocoa, let's go on the offensive!" Milo shouted as the Clodsire's smile widened, with Giacomo suddenly feeling another cold chill of fear. What else was this thing capable of? "Use Low Kick!"
"Cloooood!" Cocoa cried out as she suddenly slapped her fins onto the ground and flew towards the Segin Starmobile, her tail glowing a bright white color. Giacomo desperately tried to get Nocturne to move, but the mud-covered Starmobile was unable to before the Clodsire swung her tail into the side of the vehicle hard. Giacomo yelled out as the vehicle was rocked by the powerful strike from the Clodsire, with Nocturne groaning in response. As Cocoa landed on the ground, Leftovers healed her slightly.
"Looks like that got a reaction. Is that because it weighs a bunch, or is that thing a Dark-type too?" Milo asked Giacomo, who suddenly smirked down at the Galarian student.
"Not bad, not bad at all. You're not just a good opponent, but you're smart too. But I'll ignore your question, because I just realized something. I don't necessarily need to see you in order to hit you. Nocturne, use Swift!" Giacomo called out to his Revavroom, who revved loudly in response. The Segin Starmobile roared and a series of glowing stars shot out of the front of the vehicle, soaring towards Cocoa and bombarding her. The battered Clodsire winced in pain, but to Giacomo's annoyance did little else.
"That's going to be annoying, but we can power through it. Low Kick again!" Milo shouted as Cocoa lunged at the Starmobile, which was unable to avoid getting struck by the Clodsire. Cocoa was once again healed by her Held Item, Leftovers.
"Swift again! Keep at it!" Giacomo urged the modified Revavroom, which whirled to face Cocoa and released another wave of stars. Despite the mud that coated the front and sides of the vehicle, Swift would always be able to hit its mark. And hit it did, with Cocoa getting blasted by the attack once more.
"Looks like your Clodsire is seeing stars, kid!" Giacomo laughed, grinning at Milo from atop the Starmobile. To the surprise of the Team Star Boss, Milo didn't seem particularly bothered.
"She definitely is. But Swift isn't doing all that much damage to her. You think your Starmobile can outlast her? Because that thing looks like it's about to fall apart." Milo pointed out, gesturing to the vehicle in question. Smoke was consistently seeping out of the Starmobile by this point, and the Revavroom was having trouble keeping its single eye open.
"So what? I'm a Team Star Boss! I've had to face way scarier threats than you!" Giacomo sneered at Milo, with the boy shrugging his shoulders in response.
"You know, I really thought this was going to be way scarier. But you really aren't what I thought you would be." Milo remarked, shaking his head. "Cocoa, Low Kick!"
"Clooood!" Cocoa cried out as she flopped forward and struck the Starmobile with another Low Kick, creating another dent in the vehicle. As Leftovers healed more of her strength, Giacomo called for another Swift, which was met with another Low Kick and Cocoa healing the damage right back.
"I'm…I'm not doing enough damage! Those Leftovers are healing her just as much as Swift is hurting her! But I can't land a hit with anything else thanks to the mud!" Giacomo fumed inwardly, before bracing himself for more stomach troubles. "Wicked Torque!"
"Mud Shot!" Milo shouted from atop Koraidon as Cocoa took aim and fired a barrage of muddy blobs at the Segin Starmobile as it sped by and missed with Wicked Torque completely, causing the Nocturne to groan in pain as smoke started to pour out of the back of the vehicle now. Giacomo groaned in frustration as Milo continued to smile at him.
"This all could've been avoided if you guys just got a booth at the pep rally instead of deciding to ride in on Varooms like you did." Milo said just loudly enough to be heard over the music. "But you chose to try and make a spectacle of it. You interrupted my friend's speech and she ended up breaking her legs because of you idiots. She would've died if it wasn't for her Pokémon reacting in time!"
"That was an accident! Shit happens, you know!?" Giacomo desperately tried to say, but Milo shook his head at the words of the Team Star Boss.
"I might have declared war on Team Star, but you all fired the first shot when you nearly killed my best friend. And I'm going to tear your stupid gang apart!" Milo said to Giacomo, emphasizing the words slowly so that his meaning was absolutely clear. Giacomo grit his teeth, realizing that Milo had managed to completely reverse his fortunes in should've been a one-sided battle.
"Wicked Torque!" Giacomo called out again as the Segin Starmobile rushed forward, completely missing Cocoa entirely. Milo called for Cocoa to attack with another Low Kick, forcing even more smoke out of the Starmobile as the Clodsire's tail struck the side of the vehicle and nearly caused it to topple over.
"What the hell? How could this happen!? I've been completely shut down…Metal Sound!" Giacomo called out frantically, with the Segin Starmobile letting out a terrible roaring noise that made Cocoa, Milo and Koraidon flinch. Cocoa's Special Defense stat dropped harshly as a result.
Unfortunately, for the Team Star Boss, it didn't matter.
"Cocoa, use Mud-Slap!" Milo shouted as the Clodsire's Tera Crown pulsed with energy, with the Spiny Fish Pokémon releasing another wave of dirt into the front of the Starmobile. Giacomo shouted out in surprise as the entire vehicle continued to sputter.
Finally, with a horrible roar of pain, the entire Starmobile suddenly collapsed onto the ground and became completely inert. The supporting Varooms all let out groans before fainting in sync. Giacomo staggered for a moment atop the vehicle before the realization of what had happened struck him, and he sagged his shoulders with a stunned expression.
"Guess that's that…" Giacomo muttered, staring forward as he grasped with the enormity of what had just happened. He had no more Pokémon left and his Starmobile had been defeated. Milo had beaten him, and with that the Segin Squad was done.
About Two Years Ago…
"Guess that's that…" Giacomo stood in the same clearing he did in the present, nodding along as he jammed to music from his headphones. That didn't stop him hearing the sound of approaching footsteps and turning around, spotting his fellow Bosses walking towards him. He smiled slightly upon seeing the four other Trainers, each dressed in different outfits that were more outlandish than the next.
"What up, Giacomo? Did something happen?" Ortega asked, tilting his head at the older Trainer. Ortega was a pink and brown-haired teenage boy that was noticeably younger than the rest of them, and was dressed in an immaculate pink suit with a red bowtie. In his hands he held a winged cane that looked extremely expensive.
Giacomo folded up his laptop and shrugged his headphones off of his head before turning towards Ortega. "The Big Boss just wanted my take on some stuff…So we had a chat and settled on a few plans."
"A few plans…? Like, for what?" Mela asked with a cautious frown, her voice low. The teenage girl had a pale and freckled face with a fiery head of short red and yellow hair. She wore a black strapless bodysuit with a tattered white shirt draped over her chest. She also wore a loose orange belt and a matching collar around her neck, with large fiery red boots with the Team Star sigil on them.
"Operation Star, first of all. And also…a new code of conduct for the team." Giacomo explained, smiling at them. "You know how tons of new members have joined up, recently? Well, we figure we gotta make some team rules - like a code - so we'll all be on the same page."
"Nice! You'll come up with a great code for us, won't you Giacomo?" Eri said cheerfully, crossing her arms. The tall and muscular young woman stood well above the other Team Star Bosses, wearing a white lucha libre outfit that consisted of white boots, a matching skirt with athletic shorts underneath and a white top. She wore a blue, white and purple mask with fangs on the front.
"Hah, no thanks." Giacomo said with a grimace, earning several confused looks. "Waaay too much pressure."
"What do you mean?" Ortega asked, tilting his head in confusion.
"I mean, yeah, I used to be President of the Student Council. But you know everyone ended up hating me after that, right?" Giacomo reminded his fellow bosses, who nodded in understanding.
"'Course we know. You forced a ton of stuffy rules on everyone, and they wouldn't take it." Mela said matter-of-factly, causing Giacomo's left eye to twitch. "We got some other nerd to replace you after, like, five minutes."
"Even worse it was the same chick you went off on during your last day. Talk about irony." Ortega said with a rueful shake of the head. Giacomo scowled with annoyance at the memory, but shook off the lingering frustration.
"I cannot help but concur with our dear Mela…" Atticus chimed in, his voice quieter than the others. Not much could be seen from the slender young man, who was dressed head-to-toe in what resembled ninja robes colored in purple, black and green colors. A single blue eye peered out at Giacomo, who turned to his fellow Boss.
"Male students' hair must stray no further than 1.8 inches below the nape and so forth…" Atticus recited, his one eye narrowed at Giacomo in memory of the draconian rules the teen had imposed on them all. "Your rules were vexation made manifest!"
"My point exactly!" Giacomo responded, gesturing wildly with his arm. "So you'll all agree that I shouldn't be let anywhere near this new code."
Ortega shook his head at that. "But you always know what's best for the team, Giacomo! You look out for us!"
Eri did a small fist pump, nodding in agreement. "You've earned our trust many times over. Without you, Team Star just wouldn't work."
"That stuck-up student council prez isn't who you are anymore, man." Mela said with a small smile, causing Giacomo to frown as he realized where this was going. "A code written by the Giacomo I'm lookin' at now…I'd follow that any day."
"As would I!" Atticus suddenly declared, causing Mela to look back at him with a smile. A loud sigh escaped Giacomo as he waved at everyone, grinning at them all now.
"Okay, okay, thanks for the ego boost everyone. I'll do it…I'll write up the darn code." Giacomo finally relented, causing the other Bosses to cheer.
"And one of these days, we'll get you to swear too!" Mela said with a determined expression, causing Giacomo to sweatdrop as the others laughed in amusement at his discomfort.
Present
Giacomo hopped down from the remains of the Segin Starmobile, shaking off the sensation of pure dread he felt and trying not to meet the eyes of the Team Star members who had watched their Boss get taken down. Milo, for his part, eyed Giacomo with wariness as the other Trainer slowly walked towards him. Milo then let out a sigh of relief as the Nuzlocke Curse's effects faded away, releasing its grip on him. The teenager then hopped off of Koraidon and walked over to Giacomo, meeting him in the middle of the ruined field. The Team Star Boss let out a hard exhale, closing his eyes.
"I did the best I could…" Giacomo muttered, opening his eyes and looking down at Milo. "I wrote that code myself, and there's no goin' back on it now. My days as a Boss are over. So here - take my Star Badge, would ya?" Giacomo asked Milo, reaching into his coat pocket and holding it out towards the Galarian student.
Milo took the badge and stared down at it, noticing that it resembled the Gym Badges that he had received from Katy and Brassius. However, it was certainly designed with a Team Star flare, and Milo pocketed it thoughtfully.
"You were channeling some crazy stuff during that fight." Giacomo noted, stuffing a hand into his pocket. "You said you were friends with the girl that got hurt when some of our crew crashed that pep rally. I wanted to say sorry for that. With a group this big, it's sometimes hard to control the actions of some of the more rowdy members. As the Boss of Segin Squad, I apologize for what we put you through."
Milo felt a moment of struggle within himself. After all, he was still angry at Team Star for what had happened and still held a grudge for them nearly killing Juliana. But his experience battling Segin Squad had shown him a glimpse into Team Star that he hadn't been expecting. And battling Giacomo had made him even more confused.
Because what Milo understood through battling the Team Star Boss was that the DJ wasn't a bad person by any means. He had even apologized without any prompting from Milo and seemed to be a good sport about losing. It would've been easier if Giacomo had been more hostile or even standoffish about Milo breaking into the base and confronting him, but the Team Star Boss had handled things in a way that made sense and hadn't tried anything that might've seriously resulted in Milo getting hurt, despite the Galarian student walking into the lion's den.
"Apology accepted. I don't know if I can forgive Team Star yet for what you guys pulled, but I've beaten you. And that's what matters." Milo responded, with Giacomo nodding in understanding.
"Yeah, neither me or Mela signed off on that stunt. I don't know if it means anything, but I hope your friend gets better soon and I'm glad that they're okay." Giacomo said sincerely, which made Milo raise an eyebrow.
"You're a lot different than I expected you to be. After what Rafael told me, I expected the base to be a lot more challenging…uh, you okay?" Milo suddenly asked, seeing a flash of anger in Giacomo's eyes for a moment.
"Rafael's still at school huh?" Giacomo's formerly relaxed expression turned to fury for a moment before he sighed and shook his head. "And still talking crap. Lovely."
"So you two know each other?" Milo asked, with Giacomo nodding in response.
"Oh, we've met." Giacomo said darkly, narrowing his eyes. "But forget that idiot for a minute. Let's get back to you and Team Star. What's your angle? Just getting payback for your friend getting hurt?"
"Let's just say I have a vested interest in taking down Team Star. Your team hurt my friend and have been causing trouble at the school I spent most of my childhood dreaming I could go to. And…" Milo trailed off for a moment, thinking about Juliana, Nemona, Arven and the others. "I was going to do whatever it took to protect my friends. That's more than enough reason to confront you guys and get some answers. Don't you dare try another stunt like that again."
"Heh. Doing whatever it takes to protect your friends? I can respect that." Giacomo said with a smirk, nodding with approval. "You're not so bad, Milo. Considering how some of the other students treat Team Star, you're being a lot more civil than I imagined you'd be. Especially since you have a reason to hate us."
"If you really feel that way…then how about a picture?" Milo said to the Team Star Boss, who blinked a few times before grinning at the younger Trainer. The Rotom Phone beeped loudly before flipping around and snapping a picture of the two Trainers smiling as they exchanged a handshake, with Team Star cheering at the display of respect between the two of them.
"I couldn't resist. I like pictures and I may as well commemorate the battle somehow." Milo remarked as Giacomo peeked over his shoulder to see the shot, with the former Team Star Boss smirking in response.
"Everyone needs a hobby. I'll give you this choice TM, too. You earned it fair 'n' square." Giacomo added, dropping his backpack down onto the ground and pulling out a TM Case. He handed over a black disc, which Milo saw was for TM062, Foul Play.
"Haaah. So this is how the party ends…" Giacomo sighed, smiling sadly as he glanced around the base. He then turned back to Milo, grinning at the other Trainer. "But let's talk about those Pokémon of yours. They're crazy strong, huh. You learn those Trainer chops at the Academy? Like, what moves you should use 'n' stuff?"
"Sure did! Plus my friends helped me train to get ready to take on Segin Squad. If it wasn't for them…I wouldn't have gotten this far." Milo admitted, causing Giacomo to look at the teen curiously.
"Huh. Okay…You like it at the Academy? Havin' fun?" Giacomo asked tentatively, with Milo nodding in response.
"Yeah, I'm enjoying it! Finally getting to come to the school my parents talked about, making new friends and becoming a Trainer…it's been everything I ever wanted." Milo admitted to the former Team Star Boss, who smiled softly at that. "Plus getting to have my own team and growing with them has been amazing. Ain't that right, Cocoa?"
"Clooood!" Cocoa cried out in agreement, causing Milo to kneel down and rub her head. Giacomo watched the display for a few moments, seeing how the other Trainer treated his Pokémon.
"No kiddin'..." Giacomo muttered, smiling back at Milo and nodding at him. "You're a real one. I could feel it during our battle. Hopefully the others fare better than me against you, but I'm not sad that we battled. Maybe someday we can have a rematch with less hard feelings involved, huh?"
"Ahem. Sorry to interrupt, but are you Giacomo DiNozzo?"
Milo and Giacomo both jumped in surprise at the sudden question, and turned to see Clive walking towards them both with a pensive expression. He had turned off the livestream as soon as Giacomo had stepped down from the Starmobile, and was now walking towards the two other Trainers with his hands clasped behind his back. Unfortunately, Giacomo took one look at the student's hair before cracking a wide grin.
"Whoa-ho! Wasn't expecting a giant pompadour to make a guest appearance today." Giacomo said with some surprise, chuckling at Clive's unusual look. "You get a Quaxwell to style that up for ya?"
"Well yes, actually, but how did you know that-" Clive suddenly coughed a few times, ignoring the sound of Milo snickering uncontrollably in the background, especially since Clive took that moment to slick back his hair with his hands. "I'm just after a quick word. Would you mind?"
Giacomo gave Clive a thumbs up, still grinning. "Sure. I can tell it's gonna be somethin' annoying, but I guess I'm newly freed up for time."
Clive put his hands behind his back, nodding at the answer. "Thanks. I'll get straight to it. It seems all of you in Team Star are headed for expulsion if you keep up your current activities. So why won't you break up the team and start attending class at the Academy again?"
Giacomo's smile fell, and Milo could tell he was caught off-guard by the question. "That's what you wanna know? As it happens, we're actually waitin' on a pal….though we don't know if they'll be comin' back."
"A pal…?" Clive muttered, adjusting his glasses as he considered this "A close friend of yours, are they?"
Giacomo laughed, grinning at Clive as he answered. "They're only the strongest boss in all of Team Star! Like how there's a Top Champion who's the absolute number-one Trainer, y'know? They're the one who invited us other Bosses to form the team. We call 'em the Big Boss."
"And where is this Big Boss of yours now?" Clive asked Giacomo, who frowned and let out a sigh as he considered that question.
"Wouldn't we like to know. We haven't heard from 'em in, I dunno…must be about two years now?" Giacomo answered, which earned a response from the Remnant within Milo's mind.
That's about a year and a half from when you got to the Academy, wasn't it?
Yeah, sounds like they've been waiting a while. Milo thought in response to the Remnant's question.
"We thought that if we kept Team Star going, then they'd get back in touch one day." Giacomo scowled as he stomped his foot into the grass, clenching his fists. "But the teachers keep pressin' us to call it quits, and then we get party crashers like you two…"
Milo was surprised at the anger on display, but Giacomo's frustrations cooled just as quickly as they had started. Clive also seemed rather pensive, considering what Giacomo had said.
There's so much going on with Team Star that I don't really know what to think. Giacomo doesn't seem like a bad guy at all, even if the Team itself is obnoxious as hell. Milo thought as Giacomo broke the silence, his voice sounding almost defeated.
"Maybe the Big Boss did ditch us…They were talkin' about breakin' up the team before and all." Giacomo muttered, looking down at the grass. Clive spoke up again, causing Giacomo to look back up at him.
"So, Team Star and this Big Boss of yours…They're really that important to you?" Clive asked, his voice softer now.
"Heh. Is the sky blue?" Giacomo shut his eyes, beaming at them both as he gave them a thumbs up. "Let me put it in words you eggheads at the Academy might understand…They're my greatest treasure."
Milo's Current Party:
Reggie (Crocalor) M - Tera Fire
Watt (Shiny Pikachu) F - Tera Electric
Cocoa (Clodsire) F - Tera Ground
Fleur (Steenee) F - Tera Dark
Shelly (Shellder) F - Tera Fighting
Volt (Pawmo) F -Tera Steel
Benched/PC Storage:
Storm (Wattrel) F - Tera Flying
Floom (Shiny Drifloon) M - Tera Ghost
Fiona (Flittle) F - Tera Grass
Bronson (Barbcoach) M - Tera Fire
Smith (Applin) M - Tera Water
Momo (Skwovet) M - Tera Steel
Donut (Fidough) F - Tera Ice
Echo (Toxel) F - Tera Ice
Semsee (Shroodle) F - Tera Water
Dread (Chewtle) M - Tera Bug
Puffy (Igglybuff) F - Tera Electric
Graveyard:
Pepper (Maschiff) F - Tera Poison
Sparky (Pawmi) M - Tera Electric
Victor (Venonat) M - Tera Electric
And that's a wrap on the first of the Team Star Bases. We'll be shifting gears towards our next Objective with a whole slew of fun new story beats coming soon.
Hopefully the battle lived up to the hype. I had a blast writing this one and I'm eager to hear your thoughts on it. I actually ran this battle back using the same team I did the original run with, and it went way differently. Let's just say Milo lucked out on not having the Segin Starmobile's Wicked Torque proc the Sleep status condition, otherwise Cocoa would've been done for.
Going to give a shoutout to Critical Sass for pointing out that I gave Nemona's sister and Milo's grandmother the same name. I've fixed the issue, and Nemona's sister is Olivia and Milo's grandma is named Maya instead. Thanks for catching that, because it definitely wasn't intentional.
Q & A
From: AzureFury75
Also, I have a two-part question; Do you plan on adding the Teal Mask and Indigo Disk stories as well? And will they on this story segement or in an entirely new one?
Teal Mask and Indigo Disc will be part of the main story here and I absolutely plan on covering them. Expect Teal Mask to happen around the midway point through the Treasure Hunt and, of course, Indigo Disc will occur with the post-game. I'll probably have a few chapters for Mochi Mayhem and post-post-game stuff at BB Academy before jumping into the final chapters of the story. But that's quite a ways away.
From: General C
I know it's a bit of a late question, but I felt the need to ask this before getting into any comments on the chapter as a whole: Can we get a full list of the Nuzlocke rules Milo's beholden to? I'm planning on possibly starting my own and figured this could be a fun one to follow.
Give me a chapter or so to compile a list of the rules, but I can totally do that. I should probably have a list of the rules anyway on my Profile or something, too.
Massive shoutout to the wonderful people who reviewed since the last update which includes BraviaryScout, AzureFury75 and General C. Thanks so much for your support!
Additional shoutout goes to Servi85, SpiceU, Zard of Zards and Part-Time Prick for favoriting and following the story! You all are total legends!
That's all for now, folks! Thanks for reading and supporting my madness. Please review and tell me what you thought! And if you've got questions, I answer those too. If you haven't favorited and/or followed AS at this point, then it'd be pretty groovy if you did! I also upload on AO3 if you prefer that!
I also have a Poll up on my profile now. What should be my next story after Radiant Sun is finished? I've got a few options up for things I'm currently mulling over, but I'm curious to see what you all think.
Take care and stay awesome!
Until next time, FlygonNick out!