Pokémon Nuzlocke Novels: Ancient Scarlet
Chapter 35: Where in Levincia is Mister Walksabout?
21 Months Ago…
Motostoke Stadium
Hannah Caballero returned to her seat in the crowded stadium with her arms filled with various snacks and refreshments. Amy was helping, holding a large tub of popcorn for the family to share. Diego and Florian had to be talked down from helping out, so they had waited in the front row seats patiently for Hannah and Amy to return.
"Alright, this should be everything. Here you…go?" Hannah trailed off, confused as she looked at her husband and son and saw them both wearing the same exact smile on their faces. It was a calm, pleasant smile that exuded confidence. And it stood out amongst the wall of fans on every side of them wearing excited smiles and chattering happily about the upcoming matches.
"Stop being ridiculous!" Hannah hissed at her husband, who she knew had started this. Diego and Florian's mask-like expressions vanished instantly, with the two of them grinning up at Hannah while Amy pouted.
"Hey, I'm getting pretty good at it." Florian remarked, earning a laugh from his father.
"You caught on way quicker than I thought you would." Diego admitted, ruffling Florian's hair with a laugh.
"It's not fair. How come Florian can do the face thingy but I can't?" Amy muttered unhappily, only for Diego to reach forward and grab the popcorn out of his daughter's arms.
"You'll get it eventually, querida. It simply takes practice." Diego comforted the girl as she sat down next to her father. "My little trick isn't an easy one. Honestly, it's incredible that Florian's picked it up as well as he has."
"It's helped at school. People bug you less when it looks like you're not bothered by them teasing you." Florian remarked before realizing too late that he had said too much. Both Diego and Hannah looked at their son with concern.
"I'm going to strangle one of those parents." Diego muttered darkly as Hannah sat down, dispersing the rest of the snacks she had bought. In a louder voice, Diego addressed both of his children. "My little trick is supposed to help you make decisions in stressful situations. And more importantly, it can convince other people that you're not worried, stressed, or upset. It gives you control."
"Juliana keeps calling it my Poker Face." Florian deadpanned, causing Diego to snicker.
"I mean, she's not too far off. I use the trick all the time when I'm at my poker tournaments. It throws people off and gives me an advantage over others when they're trying to exploit me." Diego responded, shrugging his shoulders. "My trick helps you maintain your cool by throwing up a façade that makes it seem like you're not bothered in the slightest, even if you're internally screaming."
Hannah opened her mouth to comment on that, but she was cut off by the stadium's speakers crackling to life as the announcer speaking overhead. "Ladies and gentlemen, please find your way to your seats. Today's battle will be commencing shortly. However, before the fight can begin, we have some words from both Mayor Spencer and League Chairman Theodore Rose."
Florian and Amy stood up to get a better look as two men walked onto the Stadium Pitch together. One of them was a handsome man in a gray suit with black hair and a matching mustache and subdued green eyes, a pleasant smile on his face as he waved to the fans around him. Florian recognized him as Chairman Rose, the man who endorsed both Leon and more recently sponsored the fiery Bede as a Gym Challenger. The man had become as beloved as Leon in recent years for his philanthropy and his dedication to bettering the lives of those who lived in Galar. Hannah Caballero had a high opinion of the man, though Florian got the impression that his father didn't quite trust him.
The man walking beside him was the newly-reelected Mayor of Motostoke, Sir Spencer, who Florian had actually spoken to a few times before. Sir Spencer was a rather short man with pale white hair despite looking no older than forty years of age. He had a meticulously trimmed handlebar mustache and bright blue eyes. He wore a crisp black suit and, strangely enough, an ancient-looking black cane that resembled a staff. He did know that both of his parents considered him a competent leader and politician. He also apparently had children around the same age as Florian and Amy.
"Good morning, everyone! It looks like we've got quite a crowd to witness Kabu's latest challenger fight for their Gym Badge, so I won't ramble quite so much today." Sir Spencer said with a broad smile, gesturing to all of them. "With the close of the recent elections, you've chosen me to continue to represent Motostoke! And I cannot thank you enough for the honor of being your advocate within Galar. Together, we shall continue to strive towards a better future for everyone, and I shall do my utmost to ensure your voices are heard. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart."
Sir Spencer then bowed to the crowd, who applauded the man enthusiastically. Diego quietly explained to his children that such widespread approval of any politician was somewhat rare, and it was a testament to how beloved the mayor of Motostoke actually was within the city.
"I also want to thank my family for their unwavering support during the campaign. Amatis, you are my rock and I wouldn't be here without you, darling." Mayor Spencer said to his wife within the crowd, who beamed back at him as two children beside her waved at their father. "Charlie! Emma! You both are my world and I hope I continue to make you all proud."
"And with that, I shall turn things over to you, Theo. Just don't try to upstage me too much." Mayor Spencer said as he gestured to the League Chairman.
Chairman Rose chuckled, patting the man's shoulder. "Wouldn't dream of it, my friend. Please give our beloved mayor of Motostoke a round of applause!" Chairman Rose called to the audience, who was all too happy to cheer for the man who had won re-election. Mayor Spencer stood tall for a moment, bowing to the crowd once more with a warm smile to them all.
"Is the mayor a knight or something, Dad?" Florian asked Diego, who shrugged his shoulders as Chairman Rose began to speak.
"Technically. Galar has a weird history when it comes to its royalty, and typically knights or appointed by whoever the monarch is. It's different here than it is in Paldea or Kalos." Diego remarked with a shrug, though he was clearly enjoying giving his son the impromptu history lesson because he was smiling. "But apparently you can get knighted for acts of chivalry and be recognized as a knight by the Champion of the region. I believe Sir Spencer was recognized by the Champion before Leon after saving a bunch of Trainers from a natural disaster a few years ago." Diego explained to his curious son with a smile.
"That's so cool! Does he have a sword?" Amy asked excitedly, with Diego giving yet another shrug in answer.
"Your father works with Sir Spencer sometimes for work. Since your father is the Paldean Ambassador to Galar and a Champion-ranked Trainer, they have to coordinate on things from time to time." Hannah chimed in, with Florian nodding in understanding.
"I know Juliana's parents voted for him. They wouldn't stop talking about getting some taxes reduced!" Amy chimed in, with Florian giving his sister a smirk.
"How do you remember that? Do you even know what taxes are?" Florian asked, causing Amy to grin.
"Yep!"
"Right, right. Sure you do."
"I do know what taxes are!"
"Right, and I'm a Yamper."
"Enough you two. The match is getting ready to start." Hannah said to the two children, who obeyed their mother immediately as Chairman Rose and Mayor Spencer left the pitch to enter the stands. However, she glanced at her husband and noticed him staring down at the two men with his mask-like facade in place.
"You alright, love?" Hannah muttered to Diego, who allowed the mask to slip as a concerned frown came to him.
"It'll be fine. Just got a lot on my mind. Might need to talk to the mayor and Chairman Rose later." Diego murmured, causing Hannah to smile at him and kiss him on the cheek as she grabbed his hand.
"Forget work for a moment. We're here together and you know how much the kids love coming to these matches with us. It'll be alright." Hannah said gently to her husband, giving his hand a soft squeeze.
Diego Caballero smiled at his wife's assurance, forcing himself to relax as Kabu walked onto the battling pitch alongside a new Trainer making his way through the Gym Circuit. A boy named Victor, who the region would become familiar with very soon.
Unable to see his father's unease, Florian grinned as he watched both Trainers exchange a handshake. Amy screamed out joyfully, raising her fist as the famous Galar Gym Leader Battle Music filled up the stadium, with the beat thumping through the entire building as the crowd cheered in approval. Florian smiled from ear-to-ear as he and his sister cheered on the Trainers, with Diego and Hannah sharing a brief smile as the main event of the day got underway.
Present
Levincia
"He's not my boyfriend!" Nemona cried out in embarrassment as Iono, the Gym Leader of Levincia, giggled at her expense. Milo was too busy staring at the woman he had crushed on since the age of 10, and reached out his hand to shake the one that she had offered. Iono chuckled mischievously, shaking Milo's hand enthusiastically.
"N-n-nice to meet you ma'am." Milo managed to sputter, fully aware of how he was sweating nervously in front of the famous Gym Leader.
"Ma'am! I'm not that old! Blegh!" Iono laughed even as she gave them both a bright smile. "You better be showing him all of the best spots, Nemona!"
"We've got a list we'll follow, don't you worry!" Nemona said brightly, doing a small fist pump. "I'll give him the grand tour later, though. What brings you here?"
"Quite honestly, one of my many little friends told me that a certain Champion-ranked Trainer was battling the guy who took down that Team Star base a few weeks back. I happened to be walking by and put two and two together." Iono said with a wink, looking between the two of them. "And naturally I find Nemona battling you. What, our little match wasn't good enough for you? I'm hurt, Nemona!"
"Battling you is always awesome, Iono!" Nemona remarked, grinning at the Supercharged Streamer. "But you're not my Rival! That honor belongs to Milo!"
"So it does! Honestly, it's weird to finally meet you. I've heard about you for a while! I never realized that you were a fan of mine until the other day!" Iono remarked, causing both of the Naranja Academy students to look at her in confusion.
"Wait, how does that work?" Milo asked, realizing that Iono was claiming to have known about him for a while…but also having only realized he was a fan a short while ago.
"What I mean is that I never realized that Nemona's friend, the Motostoke Miracle, was a fan of mine! And that same guy who fought those Team Star guys! What a coincidence! Heck, I even did a charity stream for-" Iono began to say excitedly, only to be cut off.
"Don't call me that."
Iono stopped mid-sentence, glancing at Milo who's smile had completely gone away. His expression was completely neutral, but the words were spoken with a seriousness that stopped the Gym Leader short.
"Milo?" Nemona said with a confused look.
"I don't care for that nickname. So don't call me that, please." Milo said firmly but politely, crossing his arms as he looked at Iono and then Nemona. Iono looked caught off-guard, but recovered quickly with a big smile.
"Well shoot. I was gonna call you that during our Gym Battle. But I respect your decision, mi amigo! If I have to change things up…" Iono smiled sharply, looking Milo up and down and ignoring the concerned look on Nemona's face.
Where did that come from? He doesn't…like being called that? I'm worried. That's not like him at all! Nemona thought as Iono continued to look over Milo by getting much closer than necessary, which began to fluster the teen and also annoy Nemona.
"We really don't need to worry about a nickname, ma'am." Milo muttered as Iono leaned close, humming for a moment before stepping away with a broad smirk.
"Dude, all Trainers with their salt have a snazzy nickname. Even Larry has one and he's about as exciting as watching paint dry!" Iono said with a cheery giggle, tapping Nemona on the shoulder. "Nemona's called Jetstream and I'm the Supercharged Streamer! All Trainers worth their salt get called something! And you're the dude who takes on Team Star and has the eye of friggin' Nemona! That's definitely something!"
"It's not mandatory, Milo. I know two members of the Elite Four who never bothered with a Trainer nickname or title." Nemona pointed out, but Iono waved that off.
"Poppy's too young for a nickname and Rika refuses to let anyone give her one. I'll figure something out though. Now be quiet and let me think!" Iono stuck her tongue out, putting a finger to her head.
"Since you don't like being called the Motostoke Miracle…what about…ooh! I've got it!" Iono suddenly rubbed her hands together, another mischievous grin appearing on the Gym Leader's face.
"Um, what are you thinking?" Milo asked, only for Iono to shake her head.
"That'll ruin the surprise. You seem pretty interesting though! Fighting Team Star and those Titans? Dude, you're making a splash!" Iono said brightly, winking at Milo. "No wonder our favorite Champion can't stop talking about you."
Milo blinked a few times before looking towards Nemona, who suddenly felt very warm. The Galarian student found himself smiling at his neighbor, who he could have sworn was blushing.
"What have you been saying about me?" Milo asked Nemona, who suddenly let out a nervous laugh.
"Oh, nothing too crazy! Just how impressive you are as a Trainer and how you've been a really good friend to me." Nemona said with a smile, but Iono grinned evilly as she rubbed her hands together.
"She was going on about how awesome her Rival was and how he was making a big splash and how much fun she had battling you." Iono said with her eyes gleaming with delight as Nemona deflated. "She also said that you were such a nice guy! So understanding and caring and patient and-"
"Okay! That's enough for now!" Nemona suddenly yelled out, her cheeks a bright pink. "Tan vergonzosa! Let's just go to the hotel. I've already got the rooms reserved, so we just need to get you your key and we're good to go."
Nemona began pushing Milo away from Iono, with the Gym Leader giggling. "Okay baaaaai! See you when you take my Gym Test! Iono's signing off!"
With that, Iono pranced off in the other direction. Milo noticed that two nondescript men with the Paldea League insignia followed the Gym Leader as she departed. The teen wondered if all the Gym Leaders had their own private security.
"So what was that about?" Milo asked Nemona, who finally stopped pushing Milo and began to hurry ahead. Fortunately for Milo, Nemona couldn't maintain her speed-walk forever, so he was easily able to catch her.
"It's n-nothing! Iono can be a lot sometimes! She's super nice, but…you know." Nemona stopped speaking awkwardly, not sure what else to say. Milo smirked, a part of him enjoying the embarrassment of the Champion-ranked Trainer.
"I get it. For what it's worth, I appreciate it." Milo said as Nemona smiled at him, bumping into him after a moment. The two Trainers made their way towards the waterfront district. Nemona pointed out several highly-rated seafood restaurants as they walked down the bright streets of Levincia. Music echoed through the streets as the sun shined brightly overhead.
Nemona and Milo made their way into a large hotel not too far from the piers of Levincia, the Harbor's Haven. Milo noticed that the outside of the hotel was somewhat nondescript, with even the sign showing signs of age and exposure due to the salty sea air.
However, upon walking through the front doors Milo was greeted with polished marble floors and an immaculately clean lobby. The hotel lobby seemed to scream "high-class", with a large fountain with an obsidian statue of a Gyarados sparkling in the sunlight streaming through the windows facing the Paldean ocean.
Milo let out a soft whistle as Nemona led him over to the front counter, where the concierge greeted them with a friendly smile. "Miss Valdez! Wonderful to see you again, ma'am. Are you here for the two rooms the boss set aside for you?"
"Yep! My friend's here to battle Iono, and I wanted to make sure he had an awesome place to stay while in Levincia!" Nemona said brightly, gesturing to her friend. "Is everything all set?"
"Of course ma'am. I just need you both to sign for the rooms so we can get your keycards ready. I'd also like to remind you that Pokémon are not permitted in the rooms you have set aside. If there's a mess, we may have to charge a fee."
"It'll be no problem. Thank you!" Nemona said as she accepted the key cards for herself and Milo, handing him his key. The two Trainers quickly sorted everything out and were on their way, which is when Nemona explained herself.
"Father makes a big show of booking foreign VIPs at the Harbor's Haven, so we get the special treatment whenever we book anything here." Nemona explained as she and Milo walked down the hallways. "But I also recommended this spot to Mr. Hassle and Miss Rika, and now whenever League personnel need a place to stay at Valencia, La Primera books them here."
"So basically, you and your dad put in a good word for them and got Harbor's Haven a crapload of business with the League, so they kinda owe you?" Milo summarized, with Nemona shrugging her shoulders.
"I could've paid for the rooms easily, but you wouldn't have liked that, so I just asked nicely." Nemona said as she led Milo to the nearest elevator. After stepping inside, the duo went up five floors to the top of the hotel where Nemona led them to her room. She opened it with her key and held the door open for Milo, who did a dramatic bow to his friend before walking inside.
"Oh damn…this is really nice." Milo muttered, glancing around the room. It was about twice the size of his room at the academy, with a massive king-sized bed in the middle of the room and a loveseat sitting in front of the open window which showed the ocean outside. Milo took a few moments to appreciate how clean the room was, as well as some of the artwork on the walls depicting the ocean and sea life, before turning towards Nemona who was pulling item capsules out of her backpack and pulling items out of them. Milo flopped down onto the couch with a sigh as he closed his eyes, feeling ready for a nap and knowing full-well he wouldn't get one.
"You know…maybe I should buy something new?" Nemona muttered suddenly, causing Milo to open his eyes and see Nemona holding up the standard school swimsuit that she had apparently brought along. Milo's mind unfortunately went into overdrive, and the teen averted his eyes as his face heated up.
"I should probably go shopping for a new one." Nemona sighed as she held up the swimsuit and began to feel a little self-conscious. Milo wisely kept his mouth shut, though that wasn't enough to save him. "Milo, what do you think?"
"Um…you'd probably look good in whatever you wore, Nemona." Milo said with a faint blush, rubbing the back of his head. That got a smile out of the Champion, who responded with a nod.
"Then we can go shopping after your Gym Test. Oh, but before that we should have dinner! There's a spot I wanted to show you that does Galar-inspired curry!" Nemona said brightly, with Milo's eyes lighting up.
"Sounds like a plan. I managed to book an appointment for two hours from now. I guess that was how Iono knew I was in the city." Milo muttered, realizing that he now had time to kill. Nemona went back to pulling clothes out of her bag and sorting things for the week-long stay in Levincia. "What do you want to do in the meantime?"
Milo and Nemona ended up getting their bags unpacked and then visited a nearby ice cream shop to get milkshakes. Nemona opted for a cookies and cream milkshake while Milo went with a vanilla shake, and it was there Milo discussed his strategies for dealing with Iono.
After getting a hug from the Champion, Nemona departed to run some errands while Milo walked over to the Gym Building to take his Gym Test. As the teen stood in front of the building, Milo mentally reviewed the team that he had brought along to deal with this particular Gym. He had added two new Pokémon to his lineup that he hadn't before.
Cocoa, Watt, Bronson, Volt, Reggie and Momo.
Clodsire, Pikachu, Barboach, Pawmo, Crocalor, Skwovet.
With a deep breath, Milo entered the Gym for a second time, now ready to take on his third Gym Test.
"Welcome to the Levincia Gym!" the man at the counter greeted Milo cheerfully. "Miss Iono's been expecting you. Your name is Florian Caballero, also known as Milo, correct?"
"Yes sir." Milo answered with a respectful nod. "I had an appointment to take my Gym Test around this time."
"Great! Everything seems to check out. Now, in order to face Gym Leader Iono, you'll first need to pass the Gym Test." The Gym Receptionist explained, grinning at the student. "Here at the Levincia Gym, that means starring in one of Iono's streams!"
Remain. Calm. Don't look too excited. Milo thought to himself, unable to help himself from smiling.
"Iono's a streamer as well as a Gym Leader, so we want you to dazzle her audience with your skills and rack up those subscriptions." The Gym Receptionist explained to Milo, who nodded. "Just head outside and you'll soon find out what you need to do. Now get out there and have fun!"
Milo was sent off with a cheery wave, and he was unable to shake the incredible feeling of excitement he felt as he went through the doors and emerged outside. It was then that Milo heard a familiar voice suddenly shout out, making him jump slightly.
"Ladies aaand gentlemens! It's time for the Iono Zone!"
Iono's voice suddenly rang out loud and clear on the street, but Milo was unsure what was going on. Even more strange was that the Gym Leader was nowhere in sight!
That was when two Gym Staff Members walked towards him holding what looked like a sophisticated camera and a speaker-like ball respectively. Both items were adorned with the logo of the Pokémon League.
"Hey, hey, heyyy!" Iono greeted Milo, her voice greeting him cheerfully from the speaker ball. Realizing what was going on, Milo swiftly pulled out his phone and noticed that Iono was currently streaming, so he loaded the stream on his Rotom Phone and saw that the streamer was standing in front of her usual screen…with Milo standing in the background in front of the Gym Building!
"There we go. Seeing what's going on makes this way less confusing." Milo remarked as Iono waved at him excitedly.
"Your eyeballs are MINE - caught in my Electroweb! Whosawhatsit? Iono! I'm the Gym Leader here! 'Ello, 'ello', hola! Ciao and bonjour!" Iono energetically greeted both Milo and the hundreds of thousands of people tuning in across the world, with the woman waving her arms back and forth as her sleeves swayed slightly.
"'Ello, 'ello, hola! Ciao and bonjour!" Milo said with a little wave, smiling at the camera. Iono gasped, trembling violently with a mad grin on her face.
"Oh snap! Look at you - already a master of Iono-ese! Not your first rodeo, then, eh?" Iono said with a chuckle, becoming slightly more serious as she bobbed up and down. "And, uh…I hope this doesn't come as too much of a surprise, but you're bein' broadcast live to the world right now! Smile Milo! You're a part of the show!"
"As someone who's been a fan for a while…I can honestly say that today's a really good day." Milo admitted truthfully, causing Iono to giggle.
"Anywho, challenger! Thanks for coming out to the Levincia Gym to see me!" Iono said with a big smile, though her expression soon turned thoughtful. "I'm super happy you're here, but I'm also a bit of a celeb, ya know? I'm all kiiinds of busy!
Iono shook her head, her eyes becoming oddly dewy and sparkly all on their own. "So I can't collab with you unless I know you can bring in those sweet, sweet viewer numb-"
The Supercharged Streamer cut herself off, laughing nervously as Milo raised a single eyebrow at the camera pointed at him. Iono, being the professional that she was, recovered quickly. "Er, I mean, I gotta make sure you can bring some real passion to my stream! Nyohoho!"
"Let's see if we can get you some new subscribers then." Milo said indulgently, causing Iono to fist pump and then sway from side to side with an eager smile.
"And! So! If you wanna battle me, you're gonna have to help me make this livestream a viral hit first! Got it?" Iono asked Milo, who nodded as the streamer looked towards him on screen and smiled sweetly at him. "I can tell you just can't wait to get started! Well, well, WELL then! Allow me to explain the plan!"
Iono suddenly did her signature dramatic twirl as music twinkled in the background, with the woman extending her arms out wide. "Come on out, Mr. Walksabout!"
The sound of footsteps caught Milo's attention, and he turned to his left and blinked in surprise. Standing there was none other than Director Clavell, who also looked somewhat surprised to see the Galarian student.
"Oh, Milo. What a coincidence, meeting you here." Clavell said with a polite smile, adjusting his glasses.
"Say whaaat?!" Iono yelled out, holding her arms out and trembling violently again for dramatic effect. "D'you guys know each other or somethin'?"
"Uh, yeah, he's the Director of Naranja Academy." Milo remarked, with Iono giggling at the response.
"This here dude had a real aura about him when he was walkin' down the street, so I snatched him up for my dealio here!" Iono explained merrily to an amused Milo and a baffled Clavell, who seemed like he understood about one of every five words Iono blurted out.
"You are, er, too kinda. Ha ha ha…" Clavell laughed awkwardly, but Iono was already rolling once more.
"Well anywho, Milo! Since you're today's challenger, I'mma have you play hide-and-seek with Mr. Walksabout here! Look for the good gentlemen using the street surveillance cameras! Find 'im three times, and you can consider this Gym Test passed!"
Iono put a finger to her chin thoughtfully. "We need a better name for this challenge, though! I'll call it…" Iono did another dramatic twirl for effect. "Where in Levincia Is Mr. Walksabout?!"
Clavell adjusted his glasses, smiling patiently while Milo watched Iono glance off to the side of her screen. Meanwhile, her Magnemite hair clips looked annoyed as they floated and twitched above her head. "Y'think that title's safe? There's nothing iffy about it or anything, right?"
So those things in her hair…are they Pokémon or what?
Beats me. I've never been able to find out in all the time I've watched the Iono Zone. Milo thought back as Iono took a moment to make sure everything was in order. After getting a subscription and donation from MunchlaxMan69 and thanking him for his support, turned back to livestream to address Clavell.
"Eh, whatevs! I 'unno 'bout you, but I'm ready to go! Get ready to hide Mr. Walksabout!" Iono commanded the Director, who turned to Milo and tried to explain.
"I feel I owe the Pokémon League for many a past favor, so I am more than happy to help." Clavell explained to his student. "Do bear with me as I try my best in my allocated role."
Clavell took that moment to sprint off, leaving Milo and the two Gym Staff members in the dust. The Galarian blinked a few times before glancing at the camera. "For a guy his age, he moves quick."
"Mayhap our dapper gentleman is ready?! Heyyy, Mr. Walksabout? You good to go?" Iono asked brightly, though she did sound a little impatient. Meanwhile, Milo was handed a small datapad that was currently blank, but he assumed it was how he was going to view the street cameras.
"Yes, I am." Clavell answered, his voice coming in loud and clear over the stream. Milo assumed that he was hooked to a mic or had a headset. Iono's streams were incredibly well-run and produced, after all.
"Street Cam one is good to be on then." One of the Gym Staff members said quietly, turning on the datapad and handing it to Milo. It showed a view of the street he was currently on with a high vantage point, and after a few moments of looking Milo spotted a streetlamp with a small camera mounted to it.
"Nyohoho! Ready be he!" Iono declared, grinning impishly into the camera. "Mr. Walksabout is hiding somewhere in this video feed, friendo! Open those eyes wide like a Magnemite and get to searchin'!"
"Ready or not, here our challenger comes!" Iono cheered as she dipped out of the screen and the Gym Leader tune began playing in the background.
Milo carefully began looking over the video feed, spotting a handful of kids and even teens his age walking in the street with a Voltorb and a Jolteon. It was a bit strange to the teen how he was making use of Levincia's security cameras to play hide-and-seek. But then again, this was Iono, so normalcy was the last thing to be expected.
A splash of orange caught Milo's eye, and he spotted Director Clavell carefully hiding at a table off to the side of the main street carefully positioned to block most of his body with the umbrella sticking out of the table. Milo moved the cursor on the touchpad and tapped at where the Director of Naranja Academy was hiding, causing a loud chime to echo out.
"Oh dear. It seems you've found me." Clavell remarked calmly, peeking his head out with a sheepish smile. Iono chose that moment to pop up on screen again, clapping furiously for Milo with a wide smile.
"Our challenger has found Mr. Walksabout!" Iono cheered, doing a fist pump as her eyes flashed with excitement. "Wowzah! You did it! You're one cool kid!"
"WELL THEN…before we move on to the next round, let's make things a little more interesting." Iono said with a mischievous wink, earning a raised eyebrow from Milo. Iono then did a dramatic twirl as a chime rang out, with the Gym Leader throwing apart her arms dramatically. "You get to have a battle with one of my fans! Get out here, ya silly Poké Maniac!"
"Wait, what?" Milo had time to ask before a shout caught his attention down the road. Milo turned around and spotted a strangely-dressed man that could only be a Poké Maniac, but the nametag on the man's chest that read Marti identified him as one of the Gym Trainers for the Levincia Gym.
"The Iono Hype Squad is here! Long live the Iono Zone!" Marti declared, sending out a Luxio. Milo winced as the Nuzlocke Curse took effect, ensnaring his heart and informing him that this was yet another life-or-death battle. Despite that, he pulled out his Rotom Phone to get the Pokédex entry.
"Luxio. The Spark Pokémon and the evolved form of Shinx. Strong electricity courses through the tips of its sharp claws. A light scratch causes fainting in foes." The Rotom Phone explained as Milo nodded, considering how to approach this battle.
"Bronson, let's go!" Milo shouted as he sent out the Barboach for his first-ever Trainer battle. Milo had made a habit over the past few weeks to level up some of the Pokémon he had on the bench, so to speak, and Bronson was roughly as powerful as Pokémon like Watt or Cocoa.
"Charge, Luxio! Shine bright!" Marti shouted to his Pokémon, who grit his teeth and began to spark wildly, shining with a bright light as more power charged up within the feline.
"Bronson, Mud Shot!" Milo called out as the fish fired off a series of muddy blobs at the Luxio, bombarding him and blasting him onto the street. He slowly rose back up, but Milo knew that the Luxio was hurting.
"Keep charging!" Marti urged his Pokémon, who nodded and continued to generate power. Milo wasn't going to let them finish whatever they were trying to do.
"Mud Shot again!" Milo called out, with Bronson wobbling forward for a moment before releasing another wave of muddy blobs towards the Luxio. As they exploded around the Spark Pokémon, a white light flashed out to signify that the move was a critical hit. The Luxio collapsed onto the street for a second time and didn't get back up.
"Yes! Awesome job, Bronson!" Milo did a fist pump as the fish happily swam around his Trainer, with a dejected Marti returning his Pokémon.
"Win or lose, Iono Hype Squad forever!" Marti said as he rubbed the back of his head, only for Iono to interrupt by popping back into the street with a delighted laugh.
"Aaand you won! Well done, challenger friendo!" Iono praised Milo, who fought the urge to blush on stream. He wasn't sure how successful he was. "Time for a change of scenery!"
Suddenly the feed cut off, and the Gym Staff member tapped a few buttons on the data pad Milo was using to cut to another street, this time one showing a crowded area next to the Pokémon Center. Indeed, the Pokémon Center jingle was playing loudly in the background.
Iono chose that moment to pop back on stream, beaming as she threw apart her arms. "Here we go! The next stage for my totally rad test! Everybody loves it- it's the Pokémon Center!"
"Are they sponsoring the stream?" Milo wondered aloud, with Iono giggling and waving a hand dismissively.
"Of course not! They're run by the government, silly. Now then, back to the plot." Iono gestured to the screen dramatically. "Mr. Walksabout is once again hidin' in the feed somewhere! Panic! Ahhh! Find 'im quick!"
Iono dipped out of shot once again, leaving Milo the task of tracking down where the elusive head of Naranja Academy was hiding. The street was far more crowded, with several adult shoppers walking with a Mareep and a Magnemite while a group of children chased a Voltorb around. There was a long line of people waiting to get their Pokémon healed at the Pokémon Center, with the staff there as patient as…
"Wait a sec…" Milo squinted at the screen, spotting a bright orange jacket amongst the workers behind the counter. "He's there, pretending to work at the Pokémon Center."
A victorious chime rang out, and a surprised Director Clavall turned towards the camera with an astonished expression. "Oh? And here I thought I had blended into my surroundings quite well."
"You know, it does kinda help that he's wearing a bright orange jacket." Milo commented, earning a snicker from one of the Gym Staff members before Iono once again popped up on screen, clapping enthusiastically for Milo.
"Mr. Walksabout's been found once again! Yesss! I knew you were somethin' special! Let's spice things up again before movin' on to ye olde next round!" Iono twirled dramatically as a chime rang out. "That's right - iiit's another Pokémon battle! Get out here, Poké Maniac pal!"
"Miss Iono's watching! I can't lose!" another Gym Trainer by the name of Michael declared, startling the living daylights out of Milo as the man sent out a small eel-like Pokémon. Milo winced once again as the Nuzlocke Curse once again took effect, but he was already pulling out his Rotom Phone to get the Pokédex entry of the strange creature before him.
"Tyanmo. The EleFish Pokémon. While one alone doesn't have much power, a chain of many Tynamo can be as powerful as lightning." The Rotom Phone explained as Milo shrugged his shoulders.
"Bronson, you're out again!" Milo called out the fish, who looked at the other fish-like Pokémon with confusion for a moment before Milo issued a command. "Water Pulse!"
"Tackle! Hit 'em like the subscribe button!" Michael shouted, causing immense amounts of cringe while also dealing slight damage to Milo's Barboach. Unfortunately for the Tyanmo, it also ran headfirst into a huge ball of water which not only knocked it out of the air, but confused it as well.
"Agggh! No, this can't be happening!" Michael began to panic, realizing that Milo had the upper hand. "Tackle again!"
Even more unfortunately, the Tyanmo decided that ramming headfirst into the street was more productive, both doing damage to itself and easily allowing Milo to knock out the EleFish Pokémon by having Bronson use Water Pulse again.
"No! I can't let Miss Iono down!" Michael proclaimed, returning his Tyanmo and sending out a Flaaffy.
"Mud Shot!" Milo ordered Bronson, who released a barrage of muddy blobs at the Flaaffy and earned a bleat of pain in response.
"Take Down!" Michael shouted, grinning widely as his Flaaffy glowed white and charged at Bronson, knocking him into Milo's arms.
"You okay?" Milo asked the Barboach, who nodded and wriggled out of Milo's arms. "Alright, then Mud Shot again!"
Bronson cried out as he fired upon Flaaffy once more, blasting it repeatedly until it finally collapsed in the street. Michael heaved a heavy sigh, returning his fainted Pokémon while Milo let out a sigh of relief. As the Nuzlocke Curse released him, he returned Bronson with a smile.
"Well…you know what I haven't lost to you in? My devotion to Miss Iono!" Michael proclaimed as he handed Milo his prize money and fled into a nearby sidestreet. Milo slowly blinked at that, but decided to remain silent because he was still on stream. Iono chose that moment to pop up once again, smiling with approval.
"Aaand you win! Well done, challenger friendo!" Iono praised Milo, bouncing up and down. "There's no stoppin' ya! Master of seekin' and master of battin'! You're the real deal! No wonder you're Champion Nemona's Rival!"
Milo smiled at that, unable to help the flush in his cheeks. Thankfully, Iono provided a welcome distraction by moving the challenge along. "Allllll righty, then. Time for a change in scenery!"
Iono popped out of the stream for a few moments as the camera feed changed. Meanwhile, the Gym Staff member took the data pad from Milo for a few moments before handing it back to him just as Iono returned.
Milo was now staring at live footage of the battlefield he had been at just the other day with Nemona, a large colorful battlefield set above the Levincia Bay with a battle between two students from Naranja Academy unfolding before them. One student had an Electrode while the other had a Magnezone. Several other students and even a few locals were watching with interest.
"Ze last stage will be this place right here - the Battle Court, where the battles are a-ragin'!" Iono said brightly, waving her arms in the air. "Can you find Mr. Walkabout among these randos?! Let's find out! Readyyy? GO!"
Milo looked down at the datapad, scanning the crowd of people for any sign of Director Clavell's white hair or orange jacket. However, the wave of students wearing similarly-colored uniforms made searching considerably harder, and Milo was forced to turn his attention elsewhere as his eyes darted around the screen. Thankfully, his many years of playing video games helped him spot things out of the ordinary.
After about thirty seconds of staring at the live feed, Milo finally spotted a splash of orange at the very edge of the camera's view. A figure wearing an orange jacket sitting on a boat about a hundred feet below in the harbor. Milo smirked, inwardly impressed at the man's clever tactics.
"He's in the boat down in the harbor." Milo said as he tapped the screen, causing a loud triumphant jingle to play out as the camera zoomed in on Director Clavell. The man adjusted his glasses, smiling up at the camera.
"My, my. Admirably done." Clavell said as he politely clapped for his student. "I hope you will find your treasure in your independent study with just as much ease."
With that, the Gym Staff member took away the datapad from Milo and the teen looked back at the camera, glancing out of the corner of his eye to see a very pleased Iono pop back into the shot. "Woo! My subscriber numbers are on the ride like a super-fast Eelektross crawlin' out of the ocean!"
Iono froze and realized what she was saying, especially since Milo was crossing his arms and smirking at the camera. "Err, I mean congratulations on passing my Gym Test!"
"Thanks, Miss Iono. I never thought I'd get the chance to be on stream with you. It's been awesome." Milo said as he waved into the camera. "Shoutout to Juliana, Nemona and Arven out at Naranja Academy! And all my other friends too! Plus Champion Victor and Chairman Leon, and Kabu! You all rock!"
"Awww, how wholesome!" Iono squealed, clapped her sleeve-covered hands together a few times. "Hot diggity dang! What a good time, huh? You had people on the edge of their seats worldwide! I bet I could have some suuuper rad streams by collabing with you, Milo!"
"I, uh…I'd love too." Milo replied with a stunned expression before glancing down at the stream and seeing that Iono was telling the truth. For whatever reason, his current Gym Test was clocking in at over two million views worldwide!
"So heyyy, when you're ready, just hit up my lobby staff! They'll get you all set up to collab with me lickety-split! I'll be ready to go whenevs!" Iono said before turning towards the camera and addressing her fans. "That's all for today's Gym Test with the Motostoke Mastermind! Let's swap over to gaming stuff!"
"Wait, what was that last part?" Milo asked as the stream suddenly switched off and the Gym Staff lowered the camera. He then gave the teen a thumbs up. "You're good to return to the Gym now and set up the Gym Battle with Miss Iono. Hope you enjoyed being a part of the show."
"Honestly? It was amazing." Milo responded with a grin before heading back into the Gym. It took a few minutes for Milo to set up an appointment, but he managed to set up his Gym Battle for the end of the week, which meant Milo had a few days to enjoy Levincia with Nemona.
Milo made his way out of the Gym Building and was immediately greeted by his excitable neighbor. "I watched the stream! You looked like a natural there, Milo."
"It was a dream come true." Milo admitted, grinning at Nemona. "But, uh, it's getting kinda late. You got any idea where we wanna eat for dinner?"
"I have an idea, yeah! There's a Galarian pub and restaurant about twenty minutes away from here. I haven't been there myself, but I hear it's good." Nemona suggested to her friend, earning a smile and a nod from the other student.
"Lead the way, Champ." Milo said to Nemona, with the Champion beaming at him before heading down the main streets of Levincia. Lights now brightly illuminated the streets, buildings and so much more. Indeed, spotlights were even being streamed into the skies above Levincia even as the skies around the city grew darker.
Nemona kept up a chatter the entire walk over to the restaurant, with Milo happily talking with his friend about this and that. However, Nemona let out an excited gasp as she remembered something.
"Oh yeah, that reminds me! When were you going to tell me that your Dad was Paldea's Ambassador to Galar? He worked with the Top Champion directly! That's a big deal!" Nemona asked Milo, who considered it for a moment.
"Never really thought it was that important to be totally honest. It was just business for him." Milo shrugged his shoulders helplessly. "My Dad always played up the fact that he was a poker player and a gambler more than his actual job and he made more money doing that than what he did working for the League. I didn't mean to hold back information."
"I mean…you still are. But that's okay." Nemona said matter-of-factly, causing Milo to blink a few times before Nemona continued talking. "Now come! Let's get you some curry!"
Nemona grabbed Milo's hand and hurried down the streets, pulling a now-frowning Milo along. It wasn't long before they reached what looked like a typical Galarian pub. By the time the two Trainers had reached the restaurant night had already fallen.
"The Knight's Haunt. Seems legit." Milo said as Nemona opened the door and entered with Milo in tow. The restaurant had a warm and friendly atmosphere, with a long bar where several older patrons sat chatting happily. A few of the older customers were enjoying pints of beer, but there were plenty of younger customers including a few students of Naranja Academy wearing their uniforms enjoying dinner.
Dinner was served quickly, with Milo and Nemona both ordering large bowls of curry with a side order of garlic naan bread each. Milo opted for something more familiar, getting the spicy, sweet and sour-tasting Dhansak curry. Nemona, after consulting her Galarian friend, went with a spicier Vindaloo curry.
Milo nabbed a spoonful of curry along with some rice and put it into his mouth, a smile coming to his lips before finishing his bite and eating a few more.
"Pretty good. Mum's is better, but this is solid." Milo said with a grin as Nemona took a tentative bite. Her eyes lit up in surprise and she began to dig into it. The two Trainers enjoyed their curry together, though at one point Nemona dipped her garlic naan bread into her curry and took a bite of it.
"Oh wow! Milo! Try this!" Nemona quickly dipped her naan bread into her own curry again and held it out to her friend. "It works so well together!"
Milo blinked for a second and bit down on the bread for a moment without thinking, tearing away a small chunk of Nemona's bread. While he was chewing, and enjoying the taste of the curry and bread together, he realized that he had just eaten something that own Nemona's lips had touched.
An indirect kiss? In this economy?
Shut your mouth! Milo shouted at the voice in his head, ignoring the heat rushing to his face. She probably didn't realize how that looked-
"Wait…did I just?" Nemona suddenly looked down at the half-eaten bread in her hands and then looked to Milo, her eyes going wide. "Oh no! I'm so sorry, Milo! I didn't even think about that!"
It took her a minute, but she definitely noticed.
"Don't worry about it. It tasted good." Milo said with an embarrassed smile, causing Nemona to actually blush again. Milo then realized, with an even deeper blush, that he needed to explain further. "The curry and the na'an together, I mean! Not…that!"
Nemona turned back to her food, smiling despite her embarrassment. Milo did as well, and the two friends continued to enjoy their meal in silence with flushed faces. Though unfortunately for Milo, he had to deal with the Remnant snickering in his head the entire time.
Milo's Current Party:
Reggie (Crocalor) M - Tera Fire
Watt (Shiny Pikachu) F - Tera Electric
Cocoa (Clodsire) F - Tera Ground
Bronson (Barboach) M - Tera Fire
Momo (Skwovet) M - Tera Steel
Volt (Pawmo) F -Tera Steel
Benched/PC Storage:
Fleur (Steenee) F - Tera Dark
Shelly (Cloyster) F - Tera Fighting
Storm (Wattrel) F - Tera Flying
Floom (Shiny Drifloon) M - Tera Ghost
Fiona (Flittle) F - Tera Grass
Smith (Applin) M - Tera Water
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
That's all for now, folks. Next chapter we've got Milo vs. Iono! Can our hero get through a Gym Battle without losing a teammate like with the previous two Gym Leaders? Or will his streak of good luck continue?
Q & A
From: GeneralC200
On the topic of Nemona, didn't she spend some time in Evergrande City a while back? In Hoenn? Doing one of the best regions dirty today, aren't we?
Nope, you're totally right and I've tweaked that. Appreciate the callout! As much extra detail and world-building as I'm going for, unfortunately there's things that I'll miss on the first pass. Good eye.
Shoutout to GeneralC200 and BraviaryScout for reviewing since the last update. I genuinely appreciate the support and your feedback!
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Take care and stay awesome!
Until next time, FlygonNick out!