Pokémon Nuzlocke Novels: Ancient Scarlet

Chapter 33: Mesagoza Friendship Festival

Several Years Ago

Motostoke Outskirts, Wild Area

"Look! It's so pretty! Florian, you see it?"

"Yeah. Check out the Corviknight flying overhead, Amy."

"Ahh! It's so small from down here!"

"It's so cool that you two have the same favorite Pokémon." Hannah Caballero remarked as Diego chuckled softly. The family had decided to make a trek into the Wild Area, an enormous stretch of untamed wilderness outside of Motostoke that stretched miles. The Caballero's weren't going that far, of course, but it was still an adventurous trek that would be an all-day affair.

Amy was beaming as she ran ahead, entering the Wild Area proper while her family walked behind her at a more sedate pace. Thankfully, Diego's team had already been called out and was flanking the little girl, all too ready to pummel any wild Pokémon that even considered going towards Amy. Florian walked behind his sister at a leisurely pace, looking more relaxed than he usually did.

"You sure Mayor Spencer won't mind pushing your meetings to tomorrow?" Hannah asked Diego, who simply shrugged.

"The mayor understands the realities of life. I have a family and can't fly around to other countries just like that. He's cool with me putting it off until tomorrow" Diego explained to Hannah, who smiled and grabbed her husband's hand.

"Hey Dad, can I ask you a question? In, uh, private?" Florian suddenly asked Diego, who looked surprised but nodded.

"I'll head down to the lake with Amy while you two chat." Hannah said with a warm smile, ruffling Florian's hair before jogging ahead to grab Amy's hand. That left the father and son alone on the grass, save for Crusher the Tyranitar who lingered close to his Trainer.

"So what's up, son? Everything alright?" Diego asked, stuffing his hands into his pockets and looking down at a somewhat uncomfortable Florian.

"Um…I have a dumb question, but it's a guy question." Florian muttered, looking away from his father. Diego raised an eyebrow, interested in what his son had to say. After a few more seconds of stalling, the boy finally blurted out. "Dad, how do you talk to girls?"

"Like they're anyone else? With general respect? If you're asking how to talk to a girl in a romantic sense, that's another answer entirely." Diego said to his son, who looked annoyed for a moment but nodded.

"Yeah, I meant…um, romantically. I know you and Mum fell in love at school, but what else happened. Did you date before her? How'd you approach girls?" Florian asked his father, who took a moment to think about how to explain things in a way that a 11-year old boy would understand.

"To answer one of your questions, I dated around quite a bit before I met your mother, but after that I was smitten with her. I realized she was a cut above the rest for reasons I couldn't figure out back then, but looking back I think what got me about her was that she challenged me. Pushed me. I was a troublemaker back then and she didn't take any crap from anyone." Diego then chuckled softly, rubbing his head bashfully. "And to be honest, I've always found your mother's accent enchanting."

"Really? Her accent?" Florian raised an eyebrow, but Diego shrugged.

"You'd be surprised. Some women dig foreign guys because of how different they are to the men they usually see. Uniqueness is attractive to women. You'll probably find out when we finally move to Paldea."

"I dunno about that. None of the girls at school give a crap about me except Juliana, but she's my best friend. She doesn't count."

"Give it time. You never know what will happen." Diego said consolingly, but Florian shook his head. "And to answer your other question, girls appreciate honesty and you being upfront with your intentions. If you're friends with a girl and start to see her in a different light, and you think there's a shot that she reciprocates, then tell her. If she feels the same, then you see where that takes you. If she doesn't, then respect that fact and her feelings. That's what I did and Hannah and I have been going strong for years. But I'm sure you'll find your match eventually."

"Yeah, it's easy for you to say. You were a cool guy at the best school ever. Meanwhile, I just suck. There's pretty girls at school, yeah, but I don't have the guts to talk to them and it'll just give the bullies more ammo. Plus, I'm just plain unlucky, Dad." Florian muttered, sighing as he laid down on the grass. Diego was silent, considering the words of his son.

After a few moments, Florian glanced at his father, surprised to see the look of deep thought on his face. Diego finally reached underneath his shirt and pulled out the necklace he always wore. A silver chain with two silver dice attached. Diego held the dice in his hands, smiling fondly at them.

"Roll the dice and truly live, for life is nothing without risk. You have to make your own luck, Florian. And trust that the dice fall in your favor. This goes for all things, son. Love, life, money, battling, whatever." Diego answered, causing his son to smirk back at him.

"You watch way too many movies, Dad." Florian replied, causing a look of panic to cross Diego's face. "Is that really the full movie quote you keep saying at your poker games?"

"What!? Oh come on, that's a good line!" Diego yelped out, but Florian was having none of it.

"Uh huh. How long did you stand in front of the mirror practicing that one?" Florian shot back, with Diego's eye twitching after a moment. Unfortunately, Florian's knack for sassing back people was matched only by Hannah Caballero. Diego was admittedly proud and annoyed in equal measure because he didn't always have a comeback for his son's sarcasm. For someone so shy, Florian was a menace in certain situations and it baffled the boy's father immensely.

"The audacity. Such betrayal from my own flesh and blood." Diego sighed dramatically, and then hopped to his feet while Florian laughed at his father's embarrassment. He took a moment to dust off his pants before extending a hand down to his eldest child and helping him stand. "We can talk more later and even get your mother's advice, if you still have questions. But let's join the girls down by the lake for now. Isabella loves coming out here because it means she can bully the Gyarados."

"You think she'll suplex one again?"

"Knowing my insane Partner? Probably."

The sound panicked roaring followed by the sound of Amy cheering loudly informed the both of them that their guesses were accurate. By the time they had reached the shoreside, an extremely muscular dolphin-like Pokémon was standing on top of the unconscious form of not one but three Gyarados while Amy and Hannah applauded enthusiastically.

"Isabella, you rock!" Florian cheered as he ran down the hill with a grin. The Palafin perked up at the sound of his voice and kicked off of the back of the Gyarados and swiftly flew towards Florian, flipping acrobatically through the air and landing on the shore next to Hannah and Amy. Isabella held up a muscular hand and Florian hi-fived the Palafin, grinning widely as Amy ran over to her brother and hugged him.

Diego made his way sedately down the hill, watching the scene with a warm smile. He had a trip to Alola coming soon and some meetings to deal with tomorrow, but for now he'd just enjoy the time with his family while he could. Isabella cried out loudly, lifting up a hand to her Trainer in greeting while effortlessly holding up Hannah, Florian and Amy with a single arm.

"Yeah, yeah, you're the coolest. Are you done terrorizing the Gyarados or do you want to punch something else?" Diego asked his Palafin, with the Pokémon considering it as she gently lowered the Caballero family to the ground.

Diego was answered by Isabella diving back into the water…only for the sound of panicking roaring erupting underwater moments later, quickly followed by the laughter of the family standing on the water's edge.

Present

Naranja Academy

"Holy crap, I'm actually freaking out here. Is this what a heart attack feels like?" Milo muttered as he paced in his room, already dressed up and ready for the evening. Even though this wasn't a date, the Galarian student wanted to look as good as possible for Nemona. The Mesagoza Friendship Festival was finally here, and the teenager wanted the night to go smoothly.

Milo was dressed in a white dress shirt with a jet-black vest and black slacks. He wore an orange tie with the Academy sigil on it with black dress shoes that were polished and immaculate. He wasn't sure how exactly he looked, being the self-conscious teenage boy that he was, but at the very least he felt he wouldn't make Nemona look bad for hanging out with him.

"How's it look? Be honest." Milo said to the assembled group of Pokémon. Reggie growled loudly, nodding as Watt and Fleur clapped. Cocoa bobbed her head up alongside Shelly and down while Storm just stared at her Trainer with a bored expression. Koraidon let out a bark of approval, its tail swishing about excitedly as Milo smiled at his team.

"Thanks everyone. I appreciate it. Even you, Storm." Milo then took a shaky breath, letting out a hard exhale. "It's fine, Milo. You've got a half hour before you have to go downstairs to meet her. And you'll have a great time. No sudden plot twists. No surprises-"

And then suddenly Nemona!

"Hey Milo!" Nemona said as she burst through the door with an excited grin, startling the young man as the Champion opened and closed his door. "Sorry, but I was getting antsy and wanted to come by-"

Nemona stopped for a moment, blinking as she finally noticed how her friend was dressed up. She took a few moments to admire his outfit and smiled at him. Admittedly, she found that he cleaned up rather nicely and despite looking rather embarrassed in formal wear, he wore it well.

"Oh wow. You look great, Milo! Did you get all dressed up for me?" Nemona gushed, beaming at her friend as he blushed profusely. Though that may have had to do with the fact that Nemona was wearing the very same forest green dress that he had helped pick out for her a few months ago alongside Juliana. She also wore hair hair down instead of in its usual ponytail, which pleasantly surprised the teen as he thought it was a nice change of pace.

"One of these days you're going to barge in here while I'm juggling knives or just getting out of the shower or something and it'll be a whole embarrassing thing." Milo muttered, crossing his arms and failing to look annoyed while so flustered. Nemona giggled at that, walking into the room further and petting several members of Milo's team. As she scratched Koraidon's chin, Milo walked into the bathroom and left Nemona to her own devices for a moment.

Nemona took that moment to see if Milo had added any other decorations to his room. It had become something of a game for her to try and glean more information about her friend before his time in Paldea. Her neighbor was still so cagey about his life before they met, and she was eager as ever for answers.

This time she noticed a single quill that was hanging from a single string on his lamp nearby. What made it stick out was that it was very sharp, and resembled an arrow more than anything else. Before Nemona could figure out why the arrow quill looked familiar, Milo emerged from the bathroom looking somewhat more composed.

"Alright, I'm all set. Are you ready to go?" Milo asked Nemona, who nodded eagerly. Milo quickly returned his team and opened the door for Nemona, following her outside and locking the door behind them. Nemona and Milo made their way out of the school, joining several groups of students already heading out into the city. Nemona kept up a running commentary about the Mesagoza Friend Festival, or Festival de la Amistad de Mesagoza.

"It's a newer thing than most people think it is. The Festival started out as a bunch of Paldean soldiers getting together for a big party almost a hundred years ago. Some of those friends were comrades from other regions who brought foreign food to these parties, and told stories from their hometowns and the sights there. The friends kept meeting together every year, adding more friends and colleagues and making an effort to include people from other regions. It kept happening until it got bigger and then began to evolve! More friends, more viewpoints and more ideas! Soon it became a thing for Naranja Academy too." Nemona explained to her friend as they made their way down the steps. Milo listened intently, smiling as Nemona continued her history lesson.

"Eventually the mayor of Mesagoza at the time officially recognized the celebration and created a crew that organizes the event. People get off of work early to attend and help set up booths to sell things or advertise or educate people! Most importantly, the Friendship Festival was a means for people from all walks of life to get together for a night and have some fun, food and learn some stuff. Especially in a city as large as Mesagoza, since there's a bunch of pockets of super different cultures tucked away in different neighborhoods!"

"All in all, it's pretty awesome! Loads of good food and sights! A few battles even break out from time to time, but I haven't had a chance to take part in one myself…oh." Nemona laughed sheepishly, rubbing her head as she realized she had been talking for about ten minutes straight. "I talk a lot, huh?"

"Yeah, but it's nice. I like hearing your thoughts." Milo admitted, which earned him a wide smile from his friend who playfully bumped into his side. By that point, the two Trainers were reaching Mesagoza proper, where the Festival was in full swing.

"Let's snag food later and just sightsee." Milo suggested, eyeing the massive crowds. Students were out in full-force alongside locals. The Friend Festival was an assault on the senses in the best way possible. The sound of live music drifted through the night, mingled with the cacophony of the sea of residents and students chattering happily as they sampled the various things on offer. Like Nemona had said, the Festival was a mixing of various cultures, since Mesagoza had become such a melting pot over the years. Kanto, Alola, Hoenn, Galar, Kalos and more were represented in small sections throughout the city with exhibits and shows and food stands. The streets that Milo and Nemona would be traveling down would only be one part of the massive celebration that had taken over Mesagoza.

After several minutes of walking, the two teens decided to sample some of the foreign food from the different regional stands. Milo and Nemona ended up chowing down on some dango from the Kantonian section of the festival along with some yakitori skewers cooked by a Johtoan couple who's cooking could be smelled halfway down the road. The duo continued walking through the streets, making their way out of the Johto section and heading further down the streets.

About an hour after Milo and Nemona had arrived at the Festival, they finally spotted someone they recognized. Nalani was standing behind a large stand with several students scrambling around behind her cooking. It was then that Milo realized that they had wandered into a smaller Alolan-themed section of the festival. Several vendors were selling what looked like strange charms of yellow, pink, red and purple and various statues and idols meant to represent different things.

Several strange Pokémon roamed the area, either napping beside their Trainers or flolicking in the streets. Milo immediately noticed a darker-colored Meowth ambling by as a Regional Variant and even spotted a few Pikipek roosting on a nearby tree as gentle music wafted through the air. Milo even spotted a representative of the Aether Foundation standing behind a large booth wearing an all-white uniform, but the teen ignored that and focused on his friend selling food.

"Whatcha got there, Nalani?" Milo asked as he and Nemona approached the stand their friend was standing behind.

Nalani smirked at Milo, gesturing to the several boxes of pasties sitting on the counter in plastic see-through boxes. "Malasadas! I worked with the Home Ec class and managed to get Mr. Saguaro to give me some help. I figured why not share the best treat in Alola? All proceeds go to the Booster Club!" Nalani opened a box, where a cluster of what looked like small circular pastries covered in sugar and various fillings sat. The smell of sugar, custard and chocolate wafted outwards and made the two Trainers' eyes widen in shock.

"We'll take one each." Milo said with a smile, reaching for his wallet. Before he could even try to pay, Nemona was handing Nalani a handful of bills and even threw in a few extra into the donation jar. Nalani quickly handed Milo and Nemona a piping hot malasada each and the two students dug in.

"It's so warm!" Nemona sighed, beaming with happiness as she scarfed the treat down. Milo took his time enjoying the malasada, having never eaten one before and trying desperately not to get anything on his outfit. While her two friends ate, Nalani kept the conversation going.

"Oh yeah! You two don't know! I've got news!" Nalani announced, smiling widely at them both. "My scholarship for the school was approved! I'm no longer just a foreign exchange student! I'll be here full-time starting next week!"

"That's wonderful news! Congrats!" Nemona said with an excited fist pump.

"Yeah, that's awesome!" Milo said with a wide grin, causing Nalani to giggle and nod at him.

"It's a relief. I was worried I wouldn't get everything approved in time. If I didn't get the scholarship sorted, I was going to have to leave for Akala Island next month. But now I won't have to!" Nalani said excitedly, laughing with delight. Milo nodded in understanding, swallowing the rest of his malasada. Before he could say anything else, Nemona suddenly piped up.

"Milo, you've got something on your cheek." Nemona suddenly said to Milo, who blinked in surprise. Nemona reached forward and wiped a small bit of cream off of Milo's upper lip with her finger. Milo shivered at the sudden contact, not expecting it.

"Let me get you a napkin." Nalani said as she began to dig around one of the bags she had on the ground.

"Nah, it's fine." Nemona said to her, causing Nalani to stop and glance at her. Milo saw Nemona smile and wondered what was going through her head.

"Wait, are you-" Milo had time to say before Nemona stuck her finger in her mouth. Milo stared at Nemona in surprise, with Nalani raising an eyebrow while wearing a massive smirk on her face. Nemona looked between the both of them, especially since Milo was blushing bright red.

"What?" Nemona asked innocently after taking her finger out of her mouth.

She's either extremely naïve or she doesn't give a damn about how that looked. Clearly you're all hot and bothered by it.

I DON'T KNOW HOW TO REACT TO THAT! Milo screamed internally at the Remnant, earning a deep chuckle from the entity.

"Looks like Sara owes me ten bucks." Nalani muttered under her breath, too quietly for the other two students to catch. She instead reached forward and thumped Milo on the shoulder, snapping him out of his daze. "I'll chat with you both about my scholarship later. You two enjoy the night. And if you see anyone hungry, send them my way!"

"You've got it! Come on, Milo!" Nemona said as she grabbed her friend by the arm and dragged him away. It was almost another minute before Milo recovered from what Nemona had done.

"So what was that, exactly?" Milo asked Nemona, who shrugged her shoulders.

"It's not like you have cooties or anything. Besides, you got so red! And embarrassed! It was really cute!" Nemona laughed as Milo crossed his arms, trying and failing at looking annoyed.

"How was I supposed to react!?" Milo demanded, his voice getting louder than intended and drawing the eyes of several passersby. The Galarian flushed again in embarrassment, but settled for crossing his arms.

"How about I warn you the next time I do that?" Nemona said with a little smile. "I was honestly just curious how you'd react. If you don't want me to do stuff like that, then I'll stop."

"...I don't mind." Milo muttered, earning a giggle from Nemona. Thankfully no one had seen Nemona do what she did, so he likely wouldn't get any grief over it. Nalani would probably tell her friends, but he could handle their teasing since it was always lighthearted.

"See, that's my Rival." Nemona said warmly, wrapping an arm around Milo's shoulder and pulling him into a one-armed hug for a moment before releasing him.

"So what now?" Milo asked, glancing around the area. They were in a larger street that had much less people, so there was more room to walk. Stalls were lined up on the side of the road, with several student vendors handing out fliers and selling merchandise for their clubs. Nemona considered the question, but before she could answer she spotted someone she recognized and gasped in surprise.

"Ooh! I see someone I know! Uh, Milo, do you mind if I go talk to them for a few minutes? I won't be long. Promise!" Nemona said to her friend and getting a thumbs up in response.

"I'll hang around this spot. Go do your thing and I'll see if I can find something else for us to check out in the meantime." Milo said to his friend, earning another quick hug before Nemona zoomed off. It was then that the Remnant spoke up.

Looks like you're enjoying some time off on your not-date.

I've never been on a date, but this feels a lot like one. I'm not sure what the hell the night has in store for me, but I'm having fun right now. Milo admitted, smiling to himself. Being around Nemona is always a good time, even if she's a non-stop ball of energy without the stamina to match.

Which is hilarious to see.

Just one of the things that make her great. I'm wondering what she's got in mind for Levincia though. She went through the trouble of getting us a stay at a nice hotel and…wait, that sounds weird. Why does it sound weird? Milo realized, blinking as the wheels in his head started turning.

Probably because it sounds like your friend is trying to spend as much alone time with you as possible? I'm just astounded it took you this long to realize it.

I don't know how to handle any of this! I'm winging this entire thing! I don't even know if Nemona likes me! I could be totally misreading the signals!

You're not, kid. It's obvious to everyone with eyes that…uh…kid? You should probably keep an eye out. I think you've got company.

Milo blinked at that and glanced around the crowd. Thanks to the Remnant's warning, he was able to see the approaching form of Rafael shouldering his way through the crowd and heading right towards him with a focused glare. Milo sighed with annoyance but braced himself for another annoying conversation with the upperclassman.

"You can't duck me forever, Milo. I challenge you to a battle! Here and now!" Rafael barked, drawing the attention of the many students in the square. Instinctively, people began to move away from the two Trainers until there was a large space between the two of them.

"Mate, I've got two badges. What are you trying to prove? I'd lose instantly." Milo said in a deadpan voice, with Rafael grinning at him.

"Ahhh…so you're scared to lose." Rafael said with a victorious smile, to which Milo shook his head.

"Not really." Milo remarked casually as his Poker Face went up, with the younger student lying through his teeth. He was terrified of losing, since that would kill him thanks to the Nuzlocke Curse, but he wouldn't tell Rafael that. "But I'd get nothing out of it. There's a difference between a training battle, like what I do with Nemona, and me battling someone all-out. Besides, I don't like you or want to battle you. There's no reason to battle someone I know for a fact would crush my team."

"Coward. You think you can just get away with this! After what you did to me!?" Rafael snarled at Milo, with the Galarian crossing his arms and giving the upperclassman an unimpressed look.

"You got yourself suspended for putting your hands on my friend and threatening to punch her. I stood up to you and got her out of a situation that might have resulted in violence. If you had actually punched her, you would've been expelled instead of suspended. And you can bet that the League would've pressed charges on you for assaulting one of their Champions." Milo said slowly, as if he was talking to a child. Rafael growled angrily at the sound of several snickers from the rapidly growing crowd.

"She deserved it! And I'm leagues ahead of that stupid bi-" Rafael began to say, but he stopped speaking when Milo took a step towards him with a completely blank look on his face.

"I don't owe you anything. Now, you should probably go before Nemona gets back. I don't want my favorite Champion having to see you again and ruin our night." Milo said calmly, his Poker Face holding back an avalanche of white-hot fury. "And for the record, don't insult Nemona. She's better than you in every way. Though to be honest, that's really not a hard bar to clear."

"What the hell does that mean?" Rafael hissed, clenching and unclenching his fists. It was obvious that the older Trainer was barely holding back his anger, but Milo had officially stopped caring and was on a roll.

"I beat Giacomo with a single Pokémon and took down Segin Squad on my own. Meanwhile you've got a chip on your shoulder and haven't done a thing to stop Team Star or avenge your brother. If I had the same amount of experience as a Trainer as you did, I'd beat you easy." Milo said with a small smirk on his face, allowing his façade to slip a little. "It's probably a good thing your brother isn't here. I can't imagine how bad it'd be to see his twin acting like such a little bitch."

"I'll strangle your ass!" Rafael began to shout, taking a step towards Milo and unclipping a Poké Ball. However, a loud and familiar shout caught them both by surprise.

"Hey! Get away from him!" Rafael flinched at the sound of Nemona's voice cutting through the crowd, but unfortunately for Rafael, escape wasn't so easy. Nemona pushed her way through the crowd and stepped up beside her friend and stared intently at Rafael.

"Is he bothering you, Milo?" Nemona asked quietly, not looking away from the other upperclassman. Rafael slowly took a step back, feeling the intense stare of the Champion upon him.

"Yep. He keeps bugging me to battle him. I told him to piss off, but apparently he's the guy who can't take no for an answer." Milo explained with a bored tone, glancing at Nemona for a moment before looking back to Rafael. "So yeah, that's it mate. Go away."

"I'm owed a battle! He can't keep ducking me forever! Or are you just going to be a coward!?" Rafael shouted at Milo, who wore a completely blank look on his face. Nemona frowned, her eyes narrowing as she shook her head.

"No. You don't get to walk up to him like that and demand anything from him." Nemona said firmly, with Rafael clenching his fists as he looked at her with a furious expression. Milo took another step towards Rafael, but Nemona raised her chin and smiled almost predatorily at him. Rafael blinked at the gesture, losing a bit more of his fire. Nemona glanced over at Milo and offered her friend a sweeter smile.

"Milo, do you mind if I handle this? I think it's about time someone taught Rafael some respect." Nemona said as she turned back to the other Trainer, who looked visibly nervous now. Milo raised an eyebrow, surprised she was asking for his permission. He then became aware of the crowd of students who were watching the confrontation, with several recording what was happening with their phones.

"What!? You gonna get your girlfriend to handle what you don't have the balls to do!?" Rafael shouted at Milo, who put a finger to his chin and a made a show of debating it.

"Let's see. Humor the shouting moron in front of me? Or watch my favorite Champion wipe the floor with you? Well, that's a no-brainer. Right, everyone?!" Milo called to the crowd around them, who then erupted into cheers of agreement. Nemona couldn't help a chuckle, but she definitely appreciated Milo riling up the crowd. It added a layer of excitement to proceedings, made worse by the fact that Rafael's fury had been replaced with pure fear.

"Kick his ass, neighbor." Milo said as he stepped aside and gestured towards Rafael, grinning at his friend and extending a fist to her. Nemona smiled brightly, tapping his fist before stepping to Rafael. Nemona could tell the other Trainer was trying to figure out a way to bolt from the situation, but Nemona was no stranger to wrangling battles out of people who would deny her.

"Alright, Rafael. Let's make this interesting. I'll battle your entire team using a single Pokémon of my own. It'll be a one-on-six battle." Nemona said to the other Trainer, who looked a bit surprised. "If you can't beat just one of my Pokémon, then you're clearly not worth Milo's time."

"W-what? No way! I have no reason to battle you! And a handicap match? Are you trying to piss me off?" Rafael tried to bluster, but Nemona simply smiled at him.

"I mean, you could refuse. And I could press assault charges from last month. I managed to talk my parents and La Primera out of it, but..." Nemona shrugged her shoulders as Rafael ground his teeth. Even worse was that the entire crowd was watching and even filming the confrontation, and he couldn't back out of things now and save face.

"Fine! Sounds easy enough. Just one Pokémon?" Rafael smirked despite himself, seeming a bit more confident. Milo was even surprised by the challenge Nemona had issued. A one-on-six battle was a tall order, even for a Champion-ranked Trainer.

"Good. Who feels like being a referee?" Nemona called to the crowd, smiling brightly. A random student raised their hand, waving it in the crowd. Nemona nodded at the student and they ran over to the middle of the street. Rafael, Nemona and the student began to hash out the rules of the contest while Milo and the crowd watched on with interest.

"Hot damn, Nemona's going to unleash an ass-kicking. This'll be good." Milo turned to his left and saw Flynn standing there with an excited smile. The President of the 3XC then glanced at Milo. "You should stream this to your Festival Plaza page, man. She's your friend, right?"

"Oh, that's a good shout." Milo pulled out his Rotom Phone and began to stream as the referee began to speak.

"The following is a six-on-one battle between Champion Nemona and Expert Rank Trainer Rafael. No substitutions are allowed and the time limit is ten minutes!" the referee declared, gesturing towards both Trainers. "Are you both ready?"

"I haven't had a chance to see Nemona battle seriously. She holds back in all of our training battles." Milo remarked, with Flynn nodding beside him as Nemona and Rafael stared each other down.

"You haven't had to see her when she's pulling out all the stops. When she stops being the Student Council President and really shows off that Champion-rank. People around Paldea call her Corriente en Chorro..." Flynn said in a hushed tone to Milo, who looked at Nemona as she flashed a bright smile to Rafael as he scowled at her from across the battlefield. Milo mentally translated that and raised an eyebrow, smiling slightly as realized what Nemona's battle nickname was.

"Jetstream..." Milo muttered, wondering how on earth Nemona earned such a moniker. He supposed he was about to find out.

"Alright Rafael. One-on-six. Let's have a fruitful battle!" Nemona called to the other upperclassman as she readied a Poké Ball. "Tornado, let's go!"

Nemona sent out her Paldean Tauros, who let out a soft moo before glancing back at his Trainer and nodding. Meanwhile, Rafael was openly scowling at the Trainer and her Pokémon. Milo knew that Tornado was Nemona's strongest Pokémon and served as her ace.

"Faker, you're up!" Rafael shouted as he called out a Sudowoodo wearing a nasty smirk. The referee glanced back and forth between both Trainers before throwing down his hands, signaling the battle could begin.

"Rock Slide-" Rafael began to say, but Nemona cut him off. "Raging Bull!"

Tornado softly before suddenly dashing forward, reaching the Sudowoodo within seconds as his body flashed a dark brown color. The Tauros then collided with Faker, with a shockwave of pure force erupting from the strike that blew across the street and caused a few members of the crowd to step back in surprise as wind rushed past them all. The Sudowoodo was thrown backwards with an agonized cry and landed in a crumpled heap at Rafael's feet. The Trainer's mouth hung open as he glanced at the Tauros now glaring him down.

"In just one hit?" Rafael whispered as the crowd gasped in surprise.

"Sudowoodo is unable to battle!" the referee shouted, gesturing towards Nemona who was openly grinning now. Milo could see that his neighbor was already enjoying herself.

"Come on, Rafael. You seemed so confident a few moments ago. Like I said before, if you can't knock out one of my Pokémon, then you're not worth Milo's time." Nemona said with a shrug, causing the other teen to let out a growl of fury as he sent out a Golduck.

"Lucky shot. Gigi, let's end this." Rafael said as his Golduck nodded, getting into a fighting stance. "Psychic!"

"Wild Charge!" Nemona shouted, swiping a hand in front of her as Tornado let out a cry. An aura of pure electricity erupted around her Combat Breed Tauros before he lowered his head, speeding towards the Golduck as its eyes and forehead gem began to glow bright blue. However, before Gigi could even attack, Tornado struck. As the bull rammed into Gigi, a enormous blast of electricity erupted from the Golduck and it soon collapsed onto the ground. Rafael staggered back from the sheer force that erupted from the move, almost toppling over.

"Tornado hasn't even been hit yet and she's blown through two Pokémon!" Milo laughed, clapping as Flynn nodded.

Oh hey, that Golduck is in the Family Guy fall pose. That's fun.

"Nemona's an absolute monster on the battlefield. Battling her is like running into a hurricane or a storm. You'll get blown away completely. She's that good." Flynn said to Milo, who turned to the other student. "She earned the nickname Jetstream because of that. Your friend is one of the strongest Champions in Paldean history and there's no one near her level. And my jackass of a Vice President is learning what it's like to cross her firsthand."

"Golduck is unable to battle!" the referee declared, gesturing towards Nemona. The Champion just nodded, but Rafael returned his fallen Pokémon and sent out another with a furious look on his face. Tornado grimaced as a crackle of blue energy flickered around him, signaling that he was damaged by the recoil of Wild Charge.

"Screw you. Gorjian! Crush her!" Rafael barked as the Staraptor he had sent out screeched and took to the sky. "Aerial Ace!"

The Staraptor cried out in response, diving towards the ground and quickly building up speed as Nemona's Tauros stood his ground. The Staraptor was practically a blur and slammed into Tornado as fast as it could. The Wild Bull Pokémon didn't even flinch, instead staring into the eyes of his opponent while his tail swished back and forth.

"Rock Slide!" Nemona shouted as the Tauros took a single step forward and easily pushed away the Staraptor, who flapped its wings in an effort to get away from Tornado. A portal opened up above the bird and dropped a series of glowing boulders onto it, knocking the bird out of the air and onto the cobblestone. The swirls in the bird's eyes told the ref all he needed to know.

"Staraptor is unable to battle!" the ref shouted, gesturing towards Nemona as the Champion nodded. Milo was surprised at how much Nemona was restraining herself. She was usually much more expressive during their battles, but here she was keeping herself in check. It was odd.

Maybe she only battles me like that? Milo thought with no small bit of wonder. The thought made him smile, and he watched Rafael return his Staraptor and send out Camerupt named Hoskin.

"Kick her ass! Earthquake!" Rafael shouted, with Nemona sighing in disappointment.

"You do know Tornado is way faster than most of your team, right? Hit 'em with High Horsepower!" Nemona commanded as Tornado glowed a bright orange color. The Combat Breed Paldean Tauros reared on his hind legs and then dashed forward, surprising both Hoskin and Rafael by slamming into the Camerupt with enough force to knock both Hoskin and Rafael to the ground. Fortunately for Rafael, only his Pokémon was rendered unconscious.

"Camerupt is unable to battle!" the referee declared as Tornado made his way over back to his Trainer and Rafael scrambled to his feet. Several claps reverberated through the crowd.

How is this happening!? I've fought against the Elite Four and this is…this is nothing like them! Rafael thought with a shiver of fear, seeing the confident smile on Nemona's face. He could feel the sheer determination and a hint of annoyance coming from the cheery Champion. Rafael also got the distinct impression that Nemona was toying with him, like the team that he had painstakingly raised to battle the Elite Four was nothing more than a distraction for the girl known as Jetstream.

"That's my Champion! Keep it up, neighbor!" Milo shouted to Nemona, who glanced over at him and nodded with a warm smile on her face. The display of support caused Rafael to audibly growl with frustration.

"Electro, deal with her!" Rafael bellowed, sending out a Jolteon. Nemona perked up with interest, realizing that a Jolteon would definitely outspeed Tornado. "Thunder!"

"Charge right through it! High Horsepower!" Nemona called out as Tornado once again reared onto his hind legs and charged forward. Electro the Jolteon fired off a massive bolt of raw lightning from his body that struck the Paldean Tauros head-on as he barreled towards it.

To Nemona's disappointment, the bolt didn't do anything to stop Tornado before he rammed into the Jolteon and knocked it out in a single hit. Rafael let out a scream of frustration as he returned his unconscious Pokémon.

The referee raised his hands and then gestured towards Nemona. "Jolteon is unable to-"

"I know, moron! You don't have to keep telling everyone!" Rafael snapped, clipping Electro's Poké Ball to his belt and drawing the ball that contained his sixth and final Pokémon. The Trainer looked over at Tornado, who had taken some damage but had plenty left in the tank. Rafael took a moment to grind his teeth, his eyes darting over to Milo as he smiled at Nemona from the crowd.

"Loxre, you've got some work to do. Deal with this idiot!" Rafael shouted as he sent out his final Pokémon, a massive Haxorus that was covered in jagged scales. The Axe Jaw Pokémon snarled softly, its tail lashing behind it as both it and its Trainer glared down Nemona and Tornado.

"I really don't know what your deal is with Milo, nor do I really care." Nemona said to Rafael, who's eyes snapped to Nemona. "But you're being a nuisance."

"A nuisance?! If that little shit had the balls to battle me we wouldn't be having this farce of a battle!" Rafael roared at Nemona, who put a hand on her hip and shook her head.

"You don't get to disrespect my friends in front of me, Rafael. Those who hold the Champion rank should serve as role models and lead by example. Hopefully this serves as a lesson that you can't get everything you want with force and threats." Nemona said to Rafael before pointing forward. "Tornado, use Double-Edge!"

"Dragon Claw!" Rafael snarled as Loxre swung apart its arms, with emerald flames erupting out of its hands. Tornado glowed a bright white color and sped forward as fast as he could, ramming into the Axe Jaw Pokémon hard enough to send him skidding across the cobblestone with a roar of pain. Tornado grimaced as recoil yet again took effect from using such a powerful move. That was when Loxre struck, lunging forward and slashing Tornado deeply with his flaming claws and earning a snort of pain from the Tauros.

"Close Combat!" Nemona barked as Tornado leapt back and then charged forward, surprising the Haxorus who swiftly began to hit get with both hooves and the sturdy head of the Wild Bull Pokémon. Finally Tornado delivered a brutal headbutt to Loxre, who was knocked backwards and rolled several times across the ground.

To its credit, the Haxorus managed to slowly rise back to its feet, even with a trail of blood dripping from its mouth. It's feet then began to wobble, and after a pained groan Loxre the Haxorus' legs gave out. Milo let out a loud whoop, leading the cheers as the Haxorus collapsed into a crumpled heap. The referee held up his hands before gesturing towards Nemona. "Haxorus is unable to battle! Nemona is the winner of the battle!"

"W-w-what…" Rafael sputtered as Nemona tossed her hair back, smiling at Rafael.

"Milo is my Rival and my friend. And friends support each other through thick and thin. So leave him alone. Because just like how he protected me from your anger, I'll protect him from your childish schemes." Nemona said in a tone of authority that Rafael flinched at. Milo even raised an eyebrow, surprised that his ever-cheery neighbor could talk with so much authority. He liked it.

However, Milo did feel like he should probably break the ice and things there. So he ran towards Nemona, grinning as he let out a shout. "Hell yeah! That's my Rival!"

Nemona turned around, flashing her friend a bright smile as he approached. Milo reached forward and rubbed Tornado's head, earning a happy moo from the Paldean Tauros. "You both were fantastic! And you beat his whole team with just Tornado? Good work, big guy!"

"It wasn't that big of a deal." Nemona waved off his words, despite secretly enjoying both the praise from Milo and the insulted look on Rafael's face. "But I'm glad you enjoyed the show, Milo!"

"It was pretty awesome. Thanks for going to bat for me." Milo thanked Nemona, who beamed at her friend. However, just as she was going to respond, Rafael finally spoke.

"No! H-How…damn you!" Rafael snarled as he returned his Pokémon and turned on his heel, fleeing into the crowds as they cheered for Nemona. The Champion eyed the retreating figure of Rafael for a few moments, annoyed at his attitude and the knowledge that this had only served to agitate the other teen further. But Nemona didn't know what would make Rafael back down.

"What a prick." Milo muttered, crossing his arms. "Let's move on. We've got more Festival to enjoy and you got your battle fix for the next ten minutes."

"Ten minutes is a little generous, but you're right. Lead on!" Nemona said enthusiastically as she and Milo walked down a nearby street. A chorus of cheers and clapping, and more than a suggestive few whistles, followed them.

"You were incredible. Seriously, that was just plain badass." Milo said with a grin, causing Nemona to laugh as the two of them made their way through the remainder of the crowd as they parted to make way for the Champion.

"Thank you. I'm sorry it was necessary, but he was driving me nuts and it's not fair for someone of his Trainer Rank to challenge you like that. It's very inappropriate." Nemona rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. "Hopefully you don't think I made you look bad or anything."

"Make me look bad? You were sticking up for me. I don't want to battle that guy and you handled it. So thanks, Nemona." Milo said with a smirk, causing Nemona to giggle. "One of these days I'm going to have to see what you're like when you're not holding back."

That statement earned a loud sigh from Nemona, causing Milo to look at his friend in surprise. "Honestly, I'd love nothing more. It's so hard to find a good challenge these days. Even the Elite Four aren't exciting to fight once you know how they battle. I haven't let loose, with my full-power, in ages. It kinda sucks not being able to really flex my battling chops, you know?"

"And yet you've been mentoring me and battling me…while holding back and using weaker Pokémon." Milo slowly noted, with Nemona nodding in response.

"Of course. Like I keep saying, I really want to see how far you'll go in the Gym Circuit. Me going all out with my main crew would just…scare you off like everyone else." Nemona muttered the last part, but Milo caught it. After a few moments of thinking about it, Milo reached over and grabbed Nemona's hand, giving it a small squeeze. He had the distinct feeling that Nemona wanted to vent to someone she trusted, so he waited a few moments. Nemona opened her mouth a few times to speak, but she could get the words out. After almost a minute of trying to talk, she finally spoke.

"I'm so lost on this Treasure Hunt. All I know is that I'm a Champion trying to do Champion things while all these stupid thoughts are in my head. I just want to battle, but sometimes it's hard to enjoy even the things you love when that isolates you from people. When you're at the top...it gets lonely." Nemona said to her friend, squeezing his hand back. Milo then let go, considering his friend's words.

"I became the youngest Champion-ranked Trainer in Paldean history. I'm too strong, Milo. People don't want to battle me because they think they'll lose, even if I'm holding back. It's been so long since I was really pushed in a battle." Nemona murmured, shaking her head. "Is this it for me? Have I peaked? I love battling. It's a sport that I want to keep getting better and better at, but what's the point if no one is at my level? I'm so confused on what I really want and- I'm sorry. Does that make any sense?

"No, I get what you mean. You're so strong, but you can't find an opponent that can stand up to you at full-power. That means you feel like you're treading water, because you don't want to stagnate." Milo said to the Champion, who's eyes widened as her breath caught. "You want to keep fighting alongside your team and keep getting better. But because you're so good, it's hard to find people who want to battle you in the first place because they're intimidated by your power. Is that the gist of it?"

"Y-yes! That's it exactly! You get it!" Nemona said excitedly, smiling at her friend with what looked almost like relief. "I knew you would get it."

"We've been friends long enough for me to figure out how you think sometimes." Milo said with a grin, seeing how happy Nemona was. Indeed, the Champion's eyes were bright with joy in the moonlight as she walked alongside her friend.

"You know, everything's better with you, Milo." Nemona said with a bright smile, bumping into her friend as he smiled back at her. "Everything has been better since you showed up in Paldea."

"Right back at ya, neighbor." Milo said with some embarrassment as they rounded the corner. Music could be heard up ahead, and after reaching the end of the road the duo realized that it was a block party of sorts. There was a stand with two large speakers elevated a few feet off of the ground with a student acting as the DJ to a crowd of dancing students. Several large boards were set up depicting several massive bridges and a Ferris wheel, as well as an enormous city.

"Oh hey, I think we're in the Unovan block. I recognize that Ferris wheel." Milo remarked, pointing at the large painting of the famous landmark. Nemona was glancing around, smiling as she nodded along to the music.

"My sister loves stuff like this. The music and the people and the atmosphere of stuff like this." Nemona said with a small smile, causing Milo to glance back at her. "After a long day of meetings and classes, unwinding with a night of dancing at the club was her way of dealing with stress."

"We all have our way of handling stress and unwinding. So what, are you and your sister party animals?" Milo asked with a smile, earning a grin from the Champion.

"She is more than I am. I do like to dance, though!" Nemona admitted sheepishly, eyeing the dance floor for a few moments before glancing at her friend. "But, um, that's probably something that you wouldn't want to do, huh?"

She wasn't wrong about that. Milo glanced around the crowded block and spotted a few students he vaguely recognized. The Galarian even spotted some faculty, with Dendra and Miriam (the school nurse) sitting outside of a nearby coffee shop. Doing something like dancing surrounded by so many people would be incredibly embarrassing for a borderline recluse like Milo. But then he glanced at Nemona and saw the hopeful look on her face, and realized he couldn't say no to her.

"…for you I would. Come on." Milo said with a small sigh, with Nemona's eyes lighting up with joy. Milo grabbed her hand and led her into the large area where various students and locals were dancing to the music with Nemona grinning from ear-to-ear. The two students were completely unaware that they were being watched by two people who knew them rather well.

"Huh…looks like our little buddy has some moves." Arven remarked as he leaned against a nearby pillar. He was wearing his normal outfit, having been dragged to the Festival by Juliana who was wearing a blue and white floral dress and sitting down in a chair outside of the same coffee shop Miriam and Dendra were at. Juliana giggled at that remark, seeing Milo easily follow Nemona's movements.

"My mum and his mum forced us to take dance classes a few years ago when they saw a special about it on TV. Milo never kept up with it, but he's better than he thinks he is. The fact that he's doing that with Nemona shows how much he really likes her." Juliana commented, smiling as she watched the two Trainers dance. Nemona was clearly having a blast, while Milo was more subdued about his enjoyment, which likely came more from who he was dancing with rather than the dancing itself.

"Which means you can dance." Arven remarked, making Juliana nod.

"Yep. Why? Do you want to dance with me?" Juliana asked Arven with a teasing smile, causing Arven to snort in response.

"I've got two left feet, so I'll pass this time. I'm only here I wanted to hang out with you before I left. I've got some leads on the next Titan and I'll be gone for a little while." Arven responded, with Juliana nodding.

"Let me know when you leave. I've got my final checkup tomorrow and I should be able to walk fine after that. I can already move without crutches, so I can join you on your scouting trips." Juliana said to Arven, who looked surprised. "If you want, we can get some training in."

"Why would you come with me?" Arven asked.

"Because you're my friend and I can help." Juliana said simply, earning a smile from Arven as he walked over to the younger student and sat down. After setting down his bag onto the ground, he reached inside and pulled out the Scarlet Book.

"If that's what you want…then I'll catch you up to speed." Arven said with a grin as Juliana scooted her chair closer to him, peering over at the strange book. Arven chanced a glance up and spotted Milo and Nemona still dancing within the midst of students, with Milo smiling softly and Nemona wearing a massive grin. Arven smirked to himself for a moment before he pointed to a page showing a strange depiction of a Pokémon.

And so the night went on.

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 (Barboach) M - Tera Fire

Smith (Applin) M - Tera Water

Momo (Skwovet) M - Tera Steel

Donut (Fidough) F - Tera Ice

Echo (Toxel) F - Tera Ice

Semsee (Shroodle) F - Tera Water

Dread (Chewtle) M - Tera Bug

Puffy (Igglybuff) F - Tera Electric

Lovely (Luvdisc) F - Tera Rock

Kosher (Nacli) F - Tera Bug

Ozzy (Smoliv) M - Tera Ground

Graveyard:

Pepper (Maschiff) F - Tera Poison

Sparky (Pawmi) M - Tera Electric

Victor (Venonat) M - Tera Electric

This chapter ended up running super long, so apologies for the long wait! I'll keep this endnote brief since I'm trying not to break my self-imposed word count limit. The Festival will conclude next chapter and Milo will be in Levincia as well!

Q & A

From: SolanaLeonhart

Crazy Carlos is totally another fossil man, isn't he? Hopefully not as sinister in the end, but what does he mean by two of a kind? And Koraidon had caretakers, as in plural?

1. Listen, there's plenty of delusional madmen who obsess over weird things in the Pokemon world. This one is slightly less feral though.

2. As for the last two questions, that'll be answered in time.

From: General C

As for a question, when would you say Teal Mask is set to kick off in terms of objectives? I remember the plan (last time it was asked) was Teal Mask was going to be mid story and Indigo Disk is after The Way Home, but it's been a couple months and a refresher never hurt.

...and I'm absolutely with the remnant on this one. Crazy Carlos may be hilarious now but that crazy sunova is giving me every Fossil Man vibe there ever was and the alarm bells are deafening. Just what are you cooking back there...?

1. Teal Mask will be happening after Milo completes the tenth Objective, so it'll be a while but it's not super far off. Unfortunately my chapters have been rather long lately, so update times are dragging on.

2. And as for Crazy Carlos, let's just say that he's truer to the gimmick than the Fossil Man was. Also, thanks for calling out the error in the chapter by the way. This is what happens when you're multitasking on two fics at the same time! Stuff like that slips by.

Massive shoutout to SolanaLeonhart, General C and BraviaryScout for reviewing the latest update! You all are wonderful and I appreciate you!

Additional shoutout to those who favorited and followed since the last update, which includes GeneralC200, bluepotata, and PalletTrainer87. Thank you for your support!

That's all for now, folks. Please review, favorite and/or follow the fic and ask questions down below. Thanks as always for your support!

Take care and stay awesome.

Until next time, FlygonNick out!