Prologue - Winter Wanderer
The wind blew violently against him throwing ice on his face. He held his cloak tight as he walked on. The snow crunched beneath his boots, but the sound of the blizzard drowned it out. He was dressed in silver armor and a royal blue cloak with golden fringe. On his right gauntlet was a mysterious stone. It changed color every few seconds and patterns of light swirled and danced within it.
"I never thought a storm could come so quickly. I guess one of the locals is upset. Oh well, I hope you're warm enough in there," he said as he marched on. For nearly an hour he continued on this way until finally the blizzard began to let up. Once it had cleared, he looked up at the sky. His lips curled into a smile.
"Ah, at last some relief. Here I had though my armor would keep me warm. I was wrong; I am frozen to the bone. Glaceon, why don't you come out and keep me company for a while," he said. As if in response, the stone in his gauntlet began to shine. A streak of light burst from the stone and struck the ground with a flash. When he opened his eyes again there was a small silver fox with sapphire eyes and ears staring up at him. Its coat sparkled in the light with brilliance not unlike quartz. It stretched then scratched its ear. A moment later and it leapt onto his shoulder. He laughed and scratched it on its ear.
"You rascal, I guess you want a ride huh," he said adoringly as it grunted with pleasure and leaned its head into his hand. He continued scratching its ear as he walked. He could now hear the crunching of the snow beneath his boots because only a gentle snow was falling. But it was still enough that he felt the need to brush off his shoulder every so often. Finally he reached an overlook. From the edge he could see a city with walls made of stone. Watchtowers pierced above the walls of the city. Archers were posted at the tops of the towers with their trusty Pokémon. He looked to the left. By a stroke of luck, the path down the mountain was not piled high with snow as it normally was this time of year. To his right he saw a stone watchtower. If he knocked on its door he would likely meet the guard on watch. This early in the morning, the guard there was probably asleep. While the kingdom he was in was actively engaged in a war, this region was far from the fighting, so the guard was relaxed. The worst problems this area faced were probably roofs collapsed from heavy snow and those unsavory types who preferred lawlessness to peace. He turned to the right and walked up to the watchtower. If the guard was there and could get him into the city, then he wouldn't have to announce his presence in a more drastic way that would alert both guard and thug to his whereabouts. He stepped up to the door and knocked. The banging of his armored hand against the door echoed within the stone walls of the watchtower. For a few moments the only sounds that hung in the air were the echoes of his knocks.
"Who goes there," said a voice from the other side of the heavy wooden door.
"I do, just like always," he said with a smirk. He recognized the voice. He knew what was coming next.
"And who, may I ask, are you," said the voice.
"A near and dear friend I think," he replied. There was a pause before the voice spoke again.
"Sir Arden, is it really you," the voice asked.
"It has been a long time guardsman Tauren. Let me in, I have news for you from the front," He said.