Here we go, Chapter 5. Six has just been completed and I'm starting Chapter Seven. This [5] is possibly my favourite chapter to date, so I'm excited to see what people think.







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Black Russian





As the sheer excitement of the raid on Moomoo farm began to wear off, Milo found himself submerged in the muggy atmosphere as he walked the verdant road to Ecruteak City. Jake walked alongside, his Wingull soaring high in the sky. The little bird was so happy, carefree and excited. Perhaps when Jake worked in the salon, he never got to let his Pokemon exercise much.

With Medicham, Ruby and Totodile in their Pokeballs, Milo began planning the upcoming contest in Ecruteak. Who would appeal? Who would battle? Arcanine looked slightly worse for wear after Totodile ripped out clumps of her mane; the large canine was a fantastic appeal Pokemon, but already Milo felt burdened by her increasing demands for perfection. Medicham needed no styling or attention. Totodile seemed fine (although Jake pointed out that the energetic little alligator needed a hydrogenating moisturiser applied to his dry skin), yet Ruby needed a lot of work. Unfortunately, until he got the hang of making appeals, he really needed her.

“Totodile,” Milo said, prodding the button and opening the clasp on the Pokeball. The little alligator burst from the glittery Pokeball in a shimmer of light. “How you feeling?”

Totodile got on all fours and began running in circles wildly.

“I’m going to train the guy up,” Milo told Jake. “See what attacks he knows.”

“Good idea,” Jake mused. The two were currently of vastly differing opinions regarding Totodile’s role on Milo’s team, but the issue simply was not mentioned. Milo expected Jake to gloat if Totodile didn’t do well in his appeal. Similarly, if he got an exceptional score, Milo would remind the stylist at every opportunity.

There was a rustling in the grass ahead. Totodile flinched.

“When that thing emerges,” Milo said. “Shoot a water gun. Ok?”

Totodile nodded as the grass was slashed apart and a Farfetch’d leapt onto the path. A precise jet of water smashed into its small body and it staggered back, quacking irritably. Wielding its leek like a sword, the duck-like Pokemon paced around Totodile, making the occasional swipe.

“Keep your distance,” Milo said. Totodile turned to nod, understanding the order, but was instantly whacked over the head by the duck, who flapped back elegantly and re-established its pose.

“No worries, no worries,” Milo muttered. Totodile saw Farfetch’d leap forward again and blasted a water gun at the ground, propelling himself high into the air. Seeing this, Farfetch’d crouched before flapping up into the sky, but Totodile soared back down and shot a water gun, striking Farfetch’d and knocking it out of the sky.

“Nice work!” Milo cried. Flapping up, Farfetch’d swept across the grass at Totodile. The alligator leapt back once, twice, and on the third dived forward, sinking his teeth into the succulent duck. As he landed, Tododile shook his head wildly, causing the limp figure to look like a mere blur.

“Calm down…” Milo said tentatively. “Let go, Toto…”

Totodile hurled the duck across the field with all his might. The limp figure thwacked into a tree and fell to the ground. Jake ran over to check it was ok as Totodile panted heavily. The duck was knocked out cold, the leak mushed and useless.

“Hey, Milo…” Jake said, beckoning him over. “Farfetch’d’s wound is frozen.”

“Frozen?” Milo asked, going to observe. Sure enough, where Totodile’s jaws pierced the Pokemon’s flesh, there was a distinct, frosted glaze over the blood. “Totodile must know Ice Fang.”

“I guess,” Jake mused. “What should we do with Daffy over here?”

“Leave him,” Milo muttered. “Hey Totodile, good work there. You’ve got a real set of jaws on you.”

Totodile nodded. Milo saw his sharp fags sparkling with ice, more proof that he had used ice fang previously. If he was able to produce ice through his gums and into his teeth, Milo came to the conclusion that it wouldn’t be too hard teaching him how to use ice beam.

“Ok,” Milo said, getting his new Pokemon’s attention. “Let’s find another Pokemon to battle.”

They kept their eyes peeled as they walked. The sun was dipping into the backdrop now, and evening was settling in. Milo wasn’t keen on staying overnight, seeing as the Guard House was visible in the distance. As they walked, Milo was slightly unnerved as he saw a Mightyena drag the poor Farfetch’d away into the night.

Soon they came across a small bush full of plump, red berries. Wingull landed and Jake picked a few for him to eat, until a striking hiss rang out and Wingull flapped back in fear. A Raticate stalked out onto the path.

“Headbutt it,” Milo said calmly. Totodile charged and smashed into the hairy Pokemon, who retaliated with a vicious raking of her claws. The claws slashed across Totodile’s face, who winced in pain and staggered back. With every attempt to evade, Totodile was met with more scratches.

“Wingull go and help out,” Jake said.

“No,” Milo snapped, holding a hand out in front of Jake. “Totodile needs to get out of this himself. Come on pal! Water gun to the eyes.”

Raticate swiped another bony claw before being struck by a jet of water. Forced back, she was unable to see properly, allowing Totodile to head butt her once more. Milo wasn’t keen for Totodile to bite this Pokemon, as she was surely carrying some disease. He didn’t fancy losing the Ecruteak contest to parasites.

“Ok Totodile,” Milo said to his Pokemon. “You know your ice fang move you used against Farfetch’d? I want you to try that again, but instead of chomping your jaws down, hold your neck out. Try and project the ice outwards.”

Totodile nodded. He held his neck out and screwed his eyes in concentration, manipulating the icy crystals currently coating his jaws. Opening his mouth, a collective gasp of ice floated out, melting in the warm evening air. Totodile stared ahead, looking slightly cross. By this time, Raticate leapt forward, face contorted in an angry, twisted mess.

Milo saw this and in a flash, Medicham emerged, pinning Raticate against a tree.

“I thought you said Totodile needs to get out of this himself?” Jake asked, arms crossed. Milo shrugged.

“Medicham keep him in place. Totodile, take a deep breath and try again.”

Raticate thrashed around as she was held against her will. Medicham pointed her finger at the rat while looking at her new team member, Totodile. She gazed with odd affection for the young Pokemon, who bore his jaws and concentrated hard. Milo saw, from the sidelines, that Totodile’s sharp teeth glazed with frosted ice, and as he focused, this materialised in a small orb just an inch from his front jaws.

“Good,” said Milo, speaking quietly. “Now unleash…”

As the little frosted orb grew, Totodile opened his eyes and gave a cry. A beam of ice shot from the orb and sped through the air, striking Raticate in the stomach. She gave an irritated screech as Totodile jumped for joy. It was a weak ice beam, but Milo was so proud.

“Excellent!” he yelled, noticing his water Pokemon was somewhat tired. “Medicham, take over and finish this thing off. Hidden Power.”

Medicham held her palm up as a flashing orb began to grow. Only somewhat larger than a tennis ball, it flashed blue, red, yellow, purple; an assortment of shades blurring among each other. It finally blended with a shimmering silver sheen - the steel type. Medicham casually grabbed the ball from the air and, almost mirroring the way her trainer hurled a Pokeball, threw the orb at Raticate, where it exploded and caused the creature to flee.

Milo winked at his closest friend, who winked back. Milo scooped Totodile up in his arms and gave him a high five.

“You’re pretty fucking good, aren’t you!” he cried happily.

“He’s a quick learner,” Jake noted.

“I don’t know if he could win me a battle round, though,” Milo mused. “Maybe I’ll stick with Ruby and Medicham for this contest.”

He hated the idea, to be honest, but decided to help Totodile train along the path. While the evening turned to night, the route they walked on burst into life with little lamps set a few meters apart. They hung from the fir trees and some were set into the earth, creating an illuminating path to Ecruteak City.

“Ever been to Ecruteak?” Milo asked Jake, as Totodile squirted jets of water at the occasional Zubat. They screeched and shot away in fear.

“No,” Jake mumbled. “I’ve been raised in Olivine. We used to holiday to Cherrygrove every two years.”

Milo kept his opinion to himself. Cherrygrove city was beautiful, but boring. His father treated the family to holidays on The Seafoam Islands, where they had a second home.

Soon enough, they approached the two storey cabin that was the Guard House. The Guard House was essentially the security perimeter for each city. A cluster of policemen were operating on the ground floor, ready to take questions or address any problems. Upstairs had a number of squishy chairs and tourist brochures. There was also a number of lookout points, allowing visitors to peer across the historical city.

“Evening,” Milo said to the guard. He had a sudden flashback to ignoring this very man as he left Ecruteak City during his last journey. That was a good year ago, so seeing the guard still here was a surprise. Evidently the career ladder was a short one.

“Good evening gentlemen,” the guard said. Inside, they headed upstairs, Milo catching the eye of a particularly attractive policewoman who was behind the desk. They only spent half an hour sitting down, relaxing, looking at the amazing Tin Tower through the binoculars and getting a drink from the vending machine.

“Ecruteak City,” Milo mused, looking through the binoculars. He could see the Gym, standing proud, and remembered meeting the Gym Leader, Morty.

“That Morty’s pretty cute, I’ve heard,” Jake said, flicking through a magazine.

“That’s what all the girls say,” muttered Milo.

Shortly, they carried on downstairs. Totodile seemed to have a thirst for lemonade, slurping down a can and then practicing his ice fang on the aluminium. They bid goodbye to the guards and walked through the doors to Ecruteak City.

Before them lay a sleepy city consisting mainly of single-storey houses. They were traditional, Japanese style buildings with small porches supported by slender wooden beams. Many houses had fenced gardens bursting with colourful flowers. In the distance the impressive Tin Tower was visible, breaking through the foliage surrounding the outskirts of the city. A sign was hammered into the earth;

Ecruteak City - A blissful city where the past meets the present

“How quaint!” Jake cried.

“Our hotel is the Oakwood Reserve,” Milo said. “I think it’s just past the Pokemoncenter.”

Ecruteak was more scattered than Olivine, which seemed quite ordered and neat. Milo passed a man tending to his garden with his Butterfree, who was pollinating the flowers. Behind him, a Wooper was spraying jets of water over the lush garden. Milo could see the Gym in the distance, and wondered if Morty was still the Leader there. With the League Reclassification, he wasn’t so sure. Keen to unearth more about the plan, Milo thought asking around would be best.

The Pokemoncenter looked refreshing and homely, with a red and white Pokeball pattern woven into the thatched roof. The impressive yellow door had a Pokeball-shaped handle, which Milo twisted and walked into.

Jake instantly looked smitten at a male nurse working at the desk. He handed over two Pokeballs eagerly, while Milo picked up a local map and gave it a quick scan. Sure enough, Oakwood Reserve was less than a two minute walk from here.

“Milo?” came a familiar voice. Milo turned to see an old friend standing in the doorway.

“Morty!” Milo exclaimed, as the young man walked over, arms open in welcoming embrace. In no time Milo was engulfed by Morty’s warm hug; his hands glided across Milo’s back inquisitively.

“Oh Milo, it’s so good to see you,” said Morty. “I can feel your positive energy.”

“…you can?” Milo asked.

“Yes, it’s very powerful,” Morty noted, stepping back from the hug. “I haven’t seen you for some time.”

“It sure has been a while,” Milo said. “You…ok?”

“Never better,” he replied. “What brings you to Ecruteak?”

“Well, I’m -”

“I wish you could heal ME!” Jake squealed to the nurse. He smiled nervously before tending to a girl and her Corsola.

“Listen,” Morty said hastily, unimpressed at Jake. “I’ve just been getting my Pokemon healed…but what are you doing tonight?”

Milo thought for a moment.

“We’ve had a pretty crazy day,” he said, remembering the fiasco at Moomoo farm and the walk right though the evening. Was it really just this morning that he left Olivine City?

“Well I know the perfect end,” Morty said. “You remember the Burnt Tower?”

“That’s where I first met you,” Milo reminded him.

“Be there tonight. 11pm,” Morty said. “Have a nosey around.”

“Why?” Milo asked.

“Just do it,” Morty told him. “And if you bump into anyone…tell them I sent you.”

Morty walked off, giving a flick of his hand as he went. Milo stood, confused, as he began to try and process what his friend was suggesting. The Burnt Tower was the nickname given to the Bronze Tower, a once glorious building twinned with the Tin Tower. The Bronze Tower was torched to the ground, with the arsonists remaining anonymous and the tourism industry putting the cause down to a magnificent legendary Pokemon. Why did Morty expect Milo to go there? As Milo stood, confused, Jake built up a rapport with the handsome nurse behind the counter.

“Sooo,” he said, elbows propped on the desk as his head lay in his hands. “Busy day?”

“Not really,” the nurse admitted. “Ecruteak never demands too much of anyone.”

“Well if you’re bored, you can heal these guys,” Milo muttered, handing over Medicham and Ruby’s Pokeballs. He quickly recalled Totodile and handed the glittery Pokeball to the nurse, who raised an eyebrow as he took it.

“Nice Pokeball,” he said.

“Bite me,” Milo snapped.

“Don’t be so mean,” Jake hissed, as the nurse planted the Pokeballs into the healing machine. “He’s cute!”

“Jakey Jakey Jakey,” Milo sighed. “You need to learn to treat them mean. Keeps them keen.”

“It does?” he asked curiously.

“Well it does with women,” Milo said. “Naturally I’ve never tried it on men. But it’s all just simple psychology…so try it.”

The nurse returned with Jake’s Pokeballs. He took the tray.

“Your shirt is really…shit,” Jake said.

“God, I know,” the nurse said. He smirked. “These disposable scrubs are all we get here. What with all the Pokemon, you never know what you might get on them.”

“Oh,” Jake replied. “Well. You smell.”

Milo took a step back from Jake’s dire attempts to treat someone mean.

“Hmm,” the nurse said, looking thoroughly unimpressed.

“We’ll work on it,” Milo suggested. He was given his Pokeballs back and tucked them onto his belt.

“Milo, I‘ve registered your Totodile onto your Trainer Database,” the nurse explained.

“Thanks,” Milo said. “Come on, let’s get to the hotel.”

As they exited the Pokemon centre, they noticed the night setting in. Up in the indigo sky, stars burned brightly. Milo took a deep breath and smelled fresh grass, and an almost herby scent. He couldn’t shake Morty’s invitation from his mind as he walked through the city to their hotel which was, like most buildings in the area, single storey. Carved into a wooden sign was the name; ‘Oakwood Reserve’, with five stars etched beneath it.

“Five star?” Jake asked, raising his eyebrows.

“Why expect anything less?” Milo said, casually walking inside. Jake looked excited as he followed, still lugging his hefty suitcase packed with supplies. Inside, the hotel reception carried a cabin-like theme, with wooden walls and a sleek mahogany desk. Tables and chairs in the waiting area were carved out of logs and there was a framed picture showing the Lake of Rage.

“Welcome,” said a woman.

“I’ve got a room booked under the name Mitchelson,” Milo said.

“Oh yes, Milo?” the lady asked, typing into a database. “We’ve been expecting you. A package came for you, which we’ve just sent to your room. I’ve got your key here.”

“Thanks,” Milo said, taking the slender key. Andrew worked fast.

“Room 08,” she told him, directing him left down the corridor. “Enjoy your stay!”

Milo led the way down the hall and made his way into the room. While there was a cosy, yet luxurious décor, and a large TV on the wall, Milo was slightly alarmed at the double bed. Thinking back to when Andrew ordered the room, Milo had not mentioned he was with a companion.

“Double bed?” Jake said, arriving behind Milo. “What have you got planned mate?”

“Fuck off,” Milo snapped, storming down the corridor.

After flashing a copious amount of money, a slew of insults sent to the receptionist and a steaming potion of expletives and wild gesticulation, Milo and Jake arrived in room number 01. It had two bedrooms either side of a luxurious living area, with plush sofas and a study area. Milo unpacked his clothes that Andrew had sent, before heading for a shower.

*

Whereas Ruby the Arcanine’s cream-coloured tufts were once elaborate, bushy and wild, she now paced around the hotel room with a slightly more trimmed look. Given an overall more feminine appearance, her mane was more sleek and streamlined, while the tufts on her legs were much shorter. As for her big, fluffy tail, it was shimmering with a glossed conditioner Jake had applied. Milo looked, awe-struck, as Ruby paced the room looking more girly, her canine features looking more pronounced.

“Nice work Jake,” Milo said. Totodile was playing in the large bathtub while Medicham practiced her yoga on the bed.

“Thanks!” Jake said. Ruby nuzzled him affectionately. “How was your shower?”

“Wet,” Milo said dryly. “So what do you think to this Burnt Tower thing tonight?”

“Sounds a bit weird,” Jake said.

“But it’s Morty…” Milo said to himself. “Morty’s cool.”

“You know him pretty well?” Jake asked.

“Sure, I met him when I came here in the Johto League,” Milo recalled. “Got on pretty well, you know.”

“Well maybe we should check it out,” Jake said.

“Sure,” Milo said, noticing the time. He changed into a crisp, oxblood shirt, while Jake slipped a cardigan over a bright t-shirt. Recalling his Pokemon, Milo headed out into the streets of Ecruteak, wondering what Morty had in store for him.

It took a good ten minutes for them to make their way across town; despite the wonderful day’s sunshine, the evening was cool; gasps of wind bit at Milo’s fingers as he made his way through town. Even at this hour, water Pokemon were watering plants avidly.

They soon approached the base of the Burnt Tower. A number of signs were put up prohibiting people from exploring the interior. Through a small, forest clearing they came to the entrance. Milo took a good look at the tower, barely one storey high in its charred, destroyed state. Singed a dull black, its beauty was tarnished.

“Mofrty wants you to come here?” Jake asked, frowning.

“It’s pretty cool inside,” Milo said, recalling how he used to train in here. He walked forwards, past the entrance and into an old, bare room. There was a number of floorboards missing and some Zubat roosting from the rafters. There was a chill as wind whistled through the tears in the walls.

Milo led the way proudly, enjoying the long, groaning creak the floorboards made as his feet pressed into the floor beneath him. Jake seemed slightly afraid. There was a grand staircase before them, which would normally lead to the upper floors of the once magnificent tower. Now it simply led into the breezy sky, its rafters long gone. Milo explored the room as a Gastly phased through the walls.

“Morty expected me to explore,” Milo said thoughtfully. “But this is all there is?”

“Milo!” Jake said. Milo walked over to Jake, who was examining a gaping hole in the floor. Boards had been prised up and the surrounding area was splintered. Beneath them was a dimly lit corridor running beneath the tower.

“Cool,” Milo said, finding the size of the hole more than willing to accept his lean frame. Bending down, he began lowering himself down when Jake spoke up.

“What if there’s a murderer down there?” he asked.

“What if there’s not?” Milo said, dropping down the hole in the ground. Jake heard a thump and winced. He peered over the edge to see Milo dusting himself off below.

“You coming?” he asked Jake.

“I think I might go back to the hotel,” Jake said, turning around. As he did so, he suddenly felt his arms clamp to his sides. In no time he was hurtled back along the room and delicately pulled down the hole to the corridor below. Medicham put her hands back down to her side and smiled at Milo, who watched Jake amusedly.

“Wrong answer Jakey.”

Milo turned and made his way down the narrow corridor. There was the occasional sharp turn and steep decline, with their footsteps sounding heavy and dull.

“I wonder what this is…I feel like one of the Secret Seven,” Jake whispered.

“Firstly, unless this corridor leads to a library, stop whispering,” Milo snapped. “Second, I can‘t believe you read The Secret Seven. Lame!”

“Shut up,” Jake muttered.

The corridor took a sharp turn to the left, and the two (after Medicham was recalled) walked on curiously. Milo began to hear something. He could feel something pulsating beneath him as his hands felt the cold stone walls.

“Can you feel that?” Milo asked Jake. Jake nodded behind him.

Another sharp corner. Turning, they walked on, seeing a slightly longer corridor ahead. A solid door stood before them, windowless and mysterious. A muscled man was standing in front of it, wearing a black suit. He did not look particularly impressed as he folded his arms.

Milo kept his eyes locked on the man as they neared, but it was Jake who spoke up first.

“Hey,” he said airily.

“What are you doing here,” the man asked.

“Morty sent us,” Milo explained. The man surveyed Milo before giving a brief nod, stepping to the side. Milo walked to the door, his hand grasping the handle and twisting it as he entered the room beyond this, the bizarre passageway.

A wave of deep, raw bass hit his ears as he looked out over a miniature ocean of people dancing beneath him. Walking to a rail only a meter or so in front of him, Milo understood the vibrations before. There was a nightclub underneath the Burnt Tower.

“Brilliant!” Milo said, noticing to his left and right there were spiralling staircases to the dance floor below. The small, square dance floor had a raised podium in the middle, where a DJ span tunes. It was a heavy mix of accelerated dance and wild, electro music fizzing through the club. The people threw their bodies around independently; one girl swung her hips as she closed her eyes, a wide, relaxed grin spreading across her face as she was taken in by music.

The venue was quite small, but there was a bar around the other side of the room. Milo and Jake made their way around the balcony area, Milo eyeing up the girls in the room. As they got to the bar, they saw Morty, drinking a dark drink.

“MILO!” he called. Milo smirked as he made a beeline for his old friend.

“Mate!” he cried, grabbing his hand. “What the fuck is this!”

“This is The Smoky Rooms,” Morty explained with a low purr. “My little side-project.”

“Don’t you run the Gym?” Jake asked. “How do you have the time?”

“I was fired from the Gym last year for excessive drug use,” Morty said. Milo made an odd noise. “When I returned to Ecruteak, I was told there were plans underway to shift the Gym Leaders around a bit, so I wasn’t allowed to just come back to the Gym. I found Ecruteak so discouraging. There are a few pubs, but no music scene. So I got my friend Shaw to help launch this thing.”

“It’s so cool,” Milo said, noticing the DJ wave a hand at Morty from the dance floor. He assumed this was Morty’s accomplice, Shaw.

“Yea, it’s the Ecruteak hotspot,” Morty noted. He got the attention of a sultry barwoman, who slinked over and made two more drinks. “Thanks cutie.”

The girl smirked and walked to serve another customer. Morty gave Milo and Jake their drinks, which were the same as his own. It was a deep brown coloured drink in a highball glass, with big cubes of ice floating like bergs.

“What is this?” Milo asked.

“A Black Russian,” Morty said. “Vodka and coffee liqueur. Try it.”

Milo pressed the glass to his lips and took a quick sip; the ice prevented him from draining the contents. A hot, burning taste filled the back of his throat, while a bitter coffee sting sat on his tongue. Placing his drink down, Milo swallowed and shook his head quickly.

“God, it’s strong,” he groaned.

“Yea,” Jake said tentatively, trying to stir it with a straw, hoping to perhaps slur the flavours.

“Dude I thought you just got out of rehab,” Milo said. “Why are you drinking these?”

“I was in rehab for drug use,” Morty said. “You know me, Milo. I’m a social drinker. That’s okay.”

“You were a social coke-head too, from what I recall,” Milo said.

“Don’t get all righteous on me,” Morty muttered.

“I’m not,” Milo said. “I’m not mate.”

He patted Morty on the shoulder.

“It’s great to see you again man.”

“Sure is,” Morty said. He was wearing a white t-shirt with violet and black lightening bolts shooting across it. UV lights across the room made his top look bright and illuminating. He had a loose pair of jeans on and white trainers.

“So are you going to reapply for ownership of the Gym?” Milo asked.

“I am,” Morty replied, draining the contents of his drink and setting the glass down. “But they have a woman from the Elites looking after it. She’s been looking after it for about seven months, so she’s made a good impression around here.”

“Oh,” Milo said.

“And since the Johto League officials sent her in the first place, naturally they don’t object to her staying permanently,” Morty replied bitterly.

“What themed Gym is it?” Milo asked.

“The Stamina Gym,” Morty said. “Involves healing, draining, that sort of thing.”

“Which Elites member is running it?” Jake asked keenly. Morty must not have heard, for he did not answer. Instead, he leant back to the bar and ordered another drink. He seemed to pull a few strings here, perhaps due to him spearheading the entire club night. Milo felt the strong, coffee cocktail stir in his stomach, like a dragon having a troubled sleep.

“Hey I’ve just seen Rochelle,” he said happily. “One of the Eevee sisters.”

“The Eevee sisters?” Jake asked. “They’re here?!”

“Who?” Milo asked.

“They’re these five super hot sisters in Ecruteak City that each train an Eeveelution,” Jake said. “They’re HUGE. Like, everyone loves them. They sometimes tour Johto with these shows, where they sing a few songs (they have amazing vocal ranges) and a few dance routines, and they battle each other.”

“The girls are a huge attraction for Ecruteak City,” Morty explained. “They work out of the theatre in town. You should catch one of their shows sometime.”

“Yea!” Jake said, looking to Milo for confirmation of this idea.

“Whatever,” Milo shrugged. He stopped his blasé attitude when he looked over at the far most staircase. Five girls were walking up the spiral steps to the bar, smiling to onlookers as they made their presence known. Each was dressed in a bold colour; yellow, blue, red, pink and charcoal. Milo was captivated as he looked at the girls, all perhaps the age of his sister. Two at the back giggled, while the girl in the red dress tapped something into her sleek, expensive phone. They approached the bar.

“Can I have a vodka cherry coke?” asked one girl, dressed in her strapless golden dress. She was chatting to her sister, who was wearing a shorter-cut dress in a bold blue.

“I so want to go and say hi,” Jake gushed, fanning himself with his hands.

“Why are you so worked up?” Milo asked. “It’s not like they turn you on.”

Jake scowled at Milo’s comment.

“Hello Morty,” came a voice. Morty looked to see the girl in the charcoal dress walk over, sipping what looked to be a Black Russian.

“Rochelle,” Morty said warmly, giving her a kiss on the cheek. “Glad you could make it.”

“Morty this night is great,” she said, turning to look at all the people beneath them. Milo saw, for the first time, that Rochelle’s dark dress had a golden floral print; only visible when she caught the light. It was beautiful, if not eerie. Milo wondered what his sister would make of these five gorgeous women and their dress sense.

“Even better for you being here,” Morty replied, whispering something in her ear.

“Let’s get some more drinks in,” Milo muttered, ordering two more Black Russians. He hated the sharp taste of the drink, but loved how quickly he became inebriated beneath its bitter power. Feeling slightly chewed out by Morty as he shared a moment with Rochelle, Milo and Jake walked on through the club, heading down the stairs and to the dance floor. Milo couldn’t take his eyes off the other girls, up on the balcony sipping their drinks.

Like a heartbeat the music pumped rapidly and filled Milo with life. Despite the gorgeous Eevee sisters being in the club, Milo didn’t chase them. Jake kept disappearing to try and get a picture with them on his phone, but Milo danced and danced. The dance floor was small, and the crowd sizeable, but the feeling of being at one with the other people in the room, while dancing, thinking and feeling independently captivated Milo as he drank more, and more, and more.

Soon Milo was staggering down an off-shooting corridor, palms pressing against the walls as he struggled to stand up.

A scream filled his ears.

“MILO!”

The warm scorch of a passionate kiss filled his senses…

*

Almost as if the music was slowing down very quickly, Milo felt a thud. It was less diverse and interesting than the music Shaw was playing. Moments later, he realised it was his pulse throbbing, sending agony into his head.

It was the morning.

He had a hangover.

“Oh fuck,” he groaned, sliding out of his bed. Leaving the enclosed warmth of his thick duvet, Milo felt a chill down his back. Eyes adjusting to the muggy darkness, he grabbed a pair of joggers from his suitcase and slid them on. He slipped on a black vest and smacked his lips, feeling the bitter taste of a Black Russian. Ambling out of his bedroom, he went into the main area of his suite.

Standing at the kettle, making a cup of tea, was one of the Eevee sisters, looking slightly dishevelled. She had on the shocking pink dress she wore the previous night, but her hair was wild and mane-like.

“Morning,” Milo muttered, having no recollection of chatting to the girl, bringing her back or even sleeping with her.

“Hey you,” the girl said warmly, rubbing Milo’s shoulder. “Brew?”

“Sure,” Milo croaked, as the girl poured him a cup of tea. “Thanks.”

“Good night?” she asked.

“Yea, yea,” Milo said, thinking. He remembered drinking shots with Jake…they lined five each across the bar and raced them. What was this girl’s name?

“Me too,” the girl giggled. She wasn’t Rochelle; that was the girl Morty was chatting to. Milo’s face, contorted with concentration, made him look like he was constipated. Was it Frankie?

“Morning!” came a cry. Jake walked into the flat from his bedroom, looking fresh and perky.

“Here he is!” the girl said. “Possibly the best dancer I have ever met!”

“Oh Molly, you’re flattering,” Jake said warmly. Molly! Her name was Molly!

“Dancing?” Milo mumbled.

“We had a dance-off,” Jake reminded him. Milo nodded, vaguely remembering his friend throwing some truly horrific shapes on the dance floor.

“Why are you so happy,” Milo asked sourly. Jake poured himself a glass of water and drank it quickly.

“I never get hangovers,” Jake boasted.

“Jake I want to know your secret!” Molly said. “I feel rough as hell here, but we’re performing all afternoon.”

“Oh!” Jake said. “Of course! We were really keen to come to your show today.”

“Well, after seeing you dance like a robot, I think you guys deserve a couple of tickets,” Molly said, delving into her bag. She pulled out two tickets and handed them to Jake.

“You keep tickets to your shows on you wherever you go?” Milo asked sceptically.

“I’m good publicity,” she winked, pulling a floral Pokeball from her bag. She released her Espeon, who gave a soft purr as she materialised in a whirling cloud of rose petals. “Espeon, teleport me to my place.”

Espeon’s forked tail wrapped around Molly’s wrist like a watchstrap. The two ends met and curled together as her red gem throbbed suddenly.

“Come to my dressing room after the show,” she whispered, as she was whisked away and left the room. Jake stood open mouthed as Milo took a generous swig of tea.

“The tickets say the show starts at two,” Jake noted. “Do you want to get changed, maybe train your Totodile up for the contest?”

Milo surveyed his mug.

“Did I sleep with that Molly girl?” he asked. Jake smirked.

“You kissed her. But she passed out on the settee when we got in,” he explained.

“Oh,” Milo replied. “I don’t remember much.”

“You were hammered,” Jake noted. “But Molly seems to like you. Maybe you can get her beyond the settee next time.”

“I’m only going to be in Ecruteak for a few days,” Milo muttered. “There’s no point getting attached.”

“Do you ever get attached?” Jake asked, smirking. Milo set his mug down and went for a shower.

“I did once,” he muttered solemnly.

*

Still feeling sore and battered from his night of binge drinking, Milo was in town, Totodile, Medicham and Ruby all out of their Pokeballs. By a large water feature of a Suicune, Milo trained his new Totodile while also helping Medicham hone her elemental punches and her non-telepathic reflexes.

“That is Medicham’s single greatest strength and weakness,” Chuck used to tell him. “She is strong mentally and physically. Make sure she stays strong in both disciplines.”

Truth was, she was more proficient with her psychic attacks. In short, she was lazy. Totodile was leaping at Medicham with ice fang from all angles, and she was required to evade without levitating or teleporting.

Milo found the jets of water bursting from Suicune’s mouth relaxing as he sat in the calm day. Here in Ecruteak it was not as warm as Pua Samoa or Olivine City. After some brief evasion training, Milo stopped the session and got a different Pokeball from his belt; it was black on the top, with ‘M’ engraved on the front in gold. Medicham looked intrigued.

Hurling the ball into the air, it burst open and, with shimmering gold flakes, Milo’s Kingler emerged on the field. Jake watched on, grooming Ruby’s finer, shorter hair, as Medicham eyed her old team mate.

“Totodile!” Milo cried. “This is my Kingler. He’s here today to help you hone your ice attacks.”

Kingler gave a crooning gurgle as foam frothed from his mouth. Totodile leapt out of the fountain and shook water from his scales. Kingler stood a few metres away as Milo ordered an ice beam.

Concentrating, Totodile focused as he created the icy crystals within his mouth. Manipulating the ice into a small frosted orb, he fired a pearly-white beam through the air, which Kingler easily blocked using his large claw.

“Kingler,” Milo said. “Ice beam.”

Holding the large pincer forward, Kingler whipped up a large, weighty ball of ice and fired off a thick, shimmering beam through the air. It hit the Suicune statue and covered the carved stone with a glazed sheen. Jake clapped loudly as Kingler scuttled around eagerly.

“See how fast that was?” Milo said. “The more used to using this attack you get, the easer it will be to execute.”

Totodile nodded eagerly.

“Ok we’re going to approach this in three steps,” he explained. “Create. Form. Release. Create the ice in your mouth. Form it into the round pearl that the beam expands from. The wider your jaw, the more space in your oral cavity for the orb to grow. Then you release it. We’re not concerned on accuracy right now. We’re working on power. Right?”

Totodile nodded.

“Medicham keep on standby in case any attacks fly off anywhere.”

Medicham nodded as Milo clapped his hands loudly.

“Create!”

Totodile nodded and clenched his jaw, forming the ice.

“Form!”

Hurriedly, Totodile shaped the orb and felt it waver between his large, sharp teeth.

“Release!”

Stumbling slightly, Totodile rushed into things, the small orb bursting from his control and melting in the air. Kingler shot a few bubbles in the air as Jake sighed at Totodile’s efforts.

“No worries,” Milo muttered.

They kept it up for a little while, focusing on sculpting and unleashing the attack at maximum potential. Totodile was getting better as the day progressed, no longer faulting or needing cues from Milo. Sitting next to Medicham, Milo watched, almost able to peer into Totodile’s mind as he saw the varying states of concentration. There was the slight look of constipation as Totodile manipulated the ice crystals in his mouth, shifting to the sheepish look as he made sure to manipulate the ice into a pearl shape. Then there was the reckless look in his face as he fired off the beam, where it retained its temperature despite the humidity outside.

As the afternoon rolled around, Jake reminded them that they were to watch the show. Wishing he could simply train Totodile up, especially since he was making some progress, Milo begrudgingly recalled his team, including Kingler, and walked through the town to the theatre.

“Looking forward to seeing Molly?” Jake said. “Hey, I just noticed, you guys both have a name beginning with ‘M’.”

“Funny how that works,” Milo said dryly, having a vivid memory of being lost on the way to the toilets last night and Molly’s odd enthusiasm to look at Milo’s phone. What a confusing night.

Shortly they came to the grand, traditional looking theatre. Milo was impressed with it’s large columns supporting the roof, and walked up the steps with Jake. The inside was decorated with deep red and gold, looking splendid. They gave their tickets to a girl at an admissions counter and made their way inside, taking a seat and waiting for the show to begin.

“So did you get your picture with any of the girls?” Milo asked, remembering Jake’s persistence.

“I think so,” Jake said. “I took them on your phone though. Here, pass it over.”

“Please,” Milo said, handing the phone over. Jake scrolled through the pictures of the previous night, chuckling at the odd faces he pulled with Milo, whose eyes were drooping in inebriated defeat. Finally, Jake found a picture of himself posing with Una, the girl in the bold, blue dress. She had a white lily in her cropped black hair.

“Una was really nice,” Jake said, scrolling left. “Oh my god!”

His cry alerted several people taking their seats in the theatre.

“What?“ Milo asked. He snatched the phone off Jake, who was appalled at what he saw. Looking at the picture, Milo saw a shot of Molly at the sink’s of the girl’s toilets, snorting a line of cocaine through a rolled up note. Suddenly, Milo remembered Molly’s persistence at seeing his phone for the entire night, and it began to make sense.

“I got lost going to the toilets,” Milo murmured. “Walked in the girls by accident.”

He thought slowly.

“She screamed my name…told me to get out…”

“And you thought you’d take a picture?” Jake asked.

“It was funny,” Milo said. “Or it must have been at the time.”

“This is bad,” Jake said, staring at the picture as if he were in a trance.

“That’s why she came back with us last night,” Milo said. “But she passed out before she could get my phone. Shit. It all makes sense!”

“You’ve got one of the deadliest photos ever!” Jake said. “Put your phone away!”

As Milo came to his epiphany, the lights dimmed as the curtains were pulled apart. Standing on the stage were the five girls. There was Morty’s friend Rochelle with her Umbreon at her side, Frankie, the girl with flaring red hair, standing proudly with her Flareon; a girl Jake pointed out to be Vanessa, who was with a particularly spiky-looking Jolteon, Una, who stood with a Vaporeon, and last but not least Molly, Espeon at her side, smiling at the crowd.

“Welcome to Ecruteak City!” cried Frankie.

Milo made eye contact with Molly, who stared coldly back.

“She knows,” Milo hissed to Jake. “She knows!”








Next Chapter - Milo's efforts to avoid the Eevee sisters cause him to run into the current Gym Leader of Ecruteak City, who has no intention of moving from her position. As plans on the League Reclassification come to light, Milo reflects on his time training for the Johto League, and how a near-death expirience caused him to bond with Morty.