Pokémon: Ancient Scarlet

The Choice

Milo's trek down the path alongside three energetic Pokémon was about as eventful as he imagined it would be. It started off well enough when Sprigatito ran off into the grass and brought Milo back a Poké Ball that had been hidden from sight. But then Quaxly started getting chased by Fuecoco and Milo had to start chasing them down.

After ten exhausting minutes the three Pokémon were wrangled up and Milo was letting them walk down the path with himself a few paces behind. About halfway down the path Milo came across a middle-aged woman who was admiring the wonderful sea view, but turned to face the teen with a cheery expression.

"Well, well! Haven't seen you around here, dear. This is Cabo Poco! It's not much - just a little pinch of community - but it's home!" the woman said brightly to Milo, who wished the woman a good morning and continued on the way, ignoring a nearby man who was ranting about the power of science.

The Galarian teen had done some cursory research on the community that his home now resided in. The coastal village of Cabo Paco had been established centuries ago by Paldean royalty and nobles as a place where they could enjoy the bounty of the ocean, establishing lavish estates by the coastal cliffs. The nearby town of Los Platos had actually been built to house the servants and farmers who sustained those fancy homes.

Milo was thinking of none of this at present, considering that he was now being sidetracked by Fuecoco. The Fire-type had found and brought back a Poké Ball to Milo. The teen thanked the Fire Croc, patting it on the head before heading up the stairs to the mansion with the trio of Pokémon barely under his control before momentarily stunned by the opulence of the home he was now staring at.

"Whoa...this place is a palace." Milo murmured, looking around the luxurious front yard with an amazed expression. He realized that naturally such a massive beachside residence was going to likely have a yard to match, but Milo was still stunned by the display. The enormous mansion was easily three times the size of Milo's house (which was saying something, considering it's own large size). It even had a fountain out front!

"Wait, where'd they go?" Milo said as he glanced around, realizing that all three Pokémon had vanished. Milo glanced around in worry, but spotted all three of the Paldean Starter Pokémon running around the immaculately kept yard.

Quaxly was currently in the fountain, splashing water into its hair and ensuring that it was perfectly slicked back and wet by combing through its plumage with its wings. Sprigatito was admiring the flowers, sniffing them with a joyful smile on its fair before letting out a small meow, sending a wave of petals into a nearby breeze which scattered the petals along. Fuecoco was hopping up and down with glee at seeing a fallen apple on the porch where it was standing. As the Fire-type approached the apple, it was suddenly assailed by the flowery breeze Sprigatito called forth moments ago, causing the Pokémon to sneeze violently.

Which promptly charred the apple to the point where it was inedible. Milo fought the urge to smirk at the scene when he noticed that the front door to the house had opened and Director Clavell had walked out, accompanied by a teenage girl that only looked a little older than himself.

She stood about six inches taller than Milo with bright orange eyes and black hair, though two locks of her hair at the front of her head were highlighted green. She was wearing a similar version of the uniform that Milo was wearing, with a white button-up short-sleeve shirt and orange shorts that was the Naranja Academy uniform. However, she also wore a pair of black tights under her shorts as well as a small backpack on her back with a strap going across her chest.

The girl walked forward and knelt down, gently patting Fuecoco on the head and a bright smile. She then turned towards Milo with a hand on her hip and asked, "Are you these three's Trainer?"