Hello! The name's , and to anyone who wandered here by choice or accident: welcome to my first ever fanfic!
So if I'm being up front, I am not a writer in reality, fiction, or any space in between. I wrote this simply to expand my own comfort zone and push myself creatively. So if you're expecting some A++, novel quality work, then this might not be for you.
Also upfront, I don't appreciate flames. Like, at all. If you have something creative to say, then I will gladly listen. This is bound to have plenty of flaws, and I do want to get better. So if you do have criticism, please make it constructive.
The first few chapters are inspired by a book I read ages ago, and I thought it'd be a good launching point to start this story. It will be my own story and characters, but some elements will be similar for the first couple chapters. Just a heads up.
Disclaimer: I do not own Pokèmon sadly. The story and OC's are mine.
"When do you think they will come?" Princess Elizabeth asked her nurse.
"When who will come?" Her nurse replied.
"My suitors, of course!"
The sun was bright, the air blew in a chill, and Elizabeth tightened the shawl around her shoulders. The young Braixen sat at her vanity as her nurse readied her for the day. The elderly Audino, simply known as Nurse, had long ceased functioning as an actual nurse. Rather, she played the part of maid and busybody to her princess. In one hand she had a brush, which she wielded with all the finesse and tenderness of a gardener raking up late autumn leaves. She made up for this lack of skill with strength and enthusiasm, causing the younger fire type to make unpleasant faces as her fur was yanked and pulled. One might have expected that with several years practice, she might have acquired a tad more gentleness in this daily task. Not so with Nurse.
Nurse stopped mid-brush, glancing at Elizabeth with one eye in the mirror. "Suitors, you say? What brings up this fool talk?" she said sharply. She resumed her work, attempting to wrestle all the unruliness out of the fire-hued fur. "You just keep focused on your lessons" she continued, "and leave this messy business of arrangements and marriage to your parents."
"But I'm of age!" Elizabeth replied, biting back a yelp as Nurse made a particularly strong pull. Her mouth twisted into an unattractive shape as pain shot through her scalp. "Father said that he would never consider any inquiry from a single prince of any kingdom until I came of age."
"As it should be."
"Well, since I'm eighteen now, shouldn't he start receiving inquiries? Shouldn't they start coming to pay their respects?" According to what she was taught by her decorum instructors, to pay respects was simply a tactful way of saying investigate marriage possibilities with the kingdom's resident princess.
"That's not for you to be speculating, Miss Princess," said Nurse. Although she pronounced in "Speckle-ating", Elizabeth dared not laugh. Though she might not have been raised with an eloquent dialect, Nurse's ideas on what was and wasn't appropriate for a princess went beyond what she learned in her books and lessons.
"Suitors indeed. Why back in my day, a girl never put two thoughts together concerning boys- not until her father gave her the go ahead."
"Never?"
"Not once!"
"Not even-"
Nurse cut her off by whacking the top of her head with the back of the brush. "Enough of that! You're as tidy as mortal hands can manage. So get you to your morning tutorials, and I don't want to hear another word of this Romantic drivel!"
Elizabeth rubbed the top of her head, dropping her shawl onto her bed in exchange for an armload of books, and made her way to her chamber doors, muttering "I like romantic drivel". She swept through the doors and, just as they closed, called over her shoulder "Your day must have been an especially un-romantic one Nurse!"
The doors clunked, but Nurse's muffled voice still came through. "You'd better believe it!"
Princess Elizabeth whirled around to make her way down the hallway, but was stopped by a small figure just in front of her. The newcomer was bipedal, colored blue-and-black, and came up to her waist. It shot her a cheeky grin and stated "Finally ready huh? Took ya long enough".
Elizabeth simply sighed, and said "good morning to you too Max." The young riolu stepped to the side out of her way, and, carrying his own load of books, followed her as they made their way to their morning class. They nodded greetings to the various castle staff they encountered, and eventually arrived to their small, private, and stuffy classroom. Taking a seat next to each other, they only had to wait a few minutes for their tutor to arrive, as it was most mornings.
The door creaked open, and an elderly alakazam stepped into the room. He wore a pair of glasses, and the expression of one resigned to their fate. He moved to the front of the classroom, barricading himself behind his desk and books before speaking, his voice never wavering from a tired, mournful drone.
"Prince Maxwell, you have the essay you were to compose, yes?"
The fighting type nodded, pawed through his belongings for a moment or two, before producing a page of paper. It looked normal at first, but was only filled halfway with writing. The remaining half, as well of the margins, contained various doodles he had drawn. "Waddya think?" his voice betraying the pride he had in his "work".
The tutor, Harmond, flinched before replying "very amusing, your highness"
"See how big I made the nose on this one?"
"A remarkable likeness, your highness"
Elizabeth glanced at the paper before huffing and said "That? It doesn't look a thing like him"
Max only stuck out his tongue before replying "That's cause it's supposed to be you"
Harmond only closed his eyes to block out the ensuring squabble between the siblings. A minute or two later, the bickering died down, and he dared to open his eyes again. The two, finished with their disagreement, had their attention on him.
"We will be continuing where we left off last lesson. I assume you both recall where we were?"
"I know" Elizabeth said confidently. "We were discussing the various proper ways to greet various dignitaries from the realm of Hoenn compared to those of Kanto. We also covered The Great Collapse that resulted in the extinction of the race known as humans which ensured world-wide thousands of years ago."
"Know-it-all" stated her brother dryly.
Another argument broke out, and Harmond could only push up his glasses and rub his forehead. Today was like every other, a mirroring of yesterday and a foretelling of tomorrow. The regular sameness and boredom took a toll on most of the inhabitants of the castle. But for everyone living in Lumiose Castle, it was just something they accepted. Nothing ever changed.
Until, on this day, something did change.
Hidden by the shade of the forest, the large group approached.
There were easily over a hundred of them. They moved together, not quite a formation, but enough to not get separated. They walked no path, but shifted around trees, bushes, and other obstacles they encountered. With them they pulled large carts and wagons that bumped and rattled along the way. Their contents were unknown except to their owners, at least for the time being.
Once they reached the edge of the forest, they stopped. The front-most of their number looked at each other, unsure and nervous to proceed into the open plain that lay before them.
One stepped forward
The lone figure surveyed the area, nodded, and waved the rest forward
The rest, recognizing the individual, obeyed. As they advanced, many glanced at the horizon. Over a few hills, and rising above the surrounding town, lay Lumiose Castle.
"That is it for today, your highness's."
Elizabeth and Max thanked Harmond, quickly gathered up their belongings, and made a hasty retreat for the door. In the open-air of the hallway, they took a moment to stretch and glance out the large window to appreciate the tranquil scenery.
They proceeded to return to their rooms to drop off their books and meet their parents for lunch. Max cheerily greeted any staff they encountered, while Elizabeth glanced out the windows as they passed. It looked like a perfect spring day, with few clouds in the vibrant blue sky, and the plant life a lush healthy green. She couldn't help but sigh, knowing what kind of day she was missing. She had a full day of lessons indoors, and while the various paintings, tapestries, and other art helped to brighten up the interior of the castle, it was not the same as the natural beauty outside.
They split up upon reaching the hallway with their rooms, hurriedly dropping off their item to regroup and resume their walk. They continued in silence for the few minutes it took to reach the family sitting room. They knocked politely before entering.
The sitting room was a small room, designed to hold the royal family and guests. It was normally used for private meetings with other nobility, but it also doubled as where the royal family took their meals. Being there was only four of them, it was much more practical than the large dining hall used for balls and banquets.
"Morning kids"
Sitting in the armchair next to the fire, book in hand, was their father, King Alexander. The Lucario smiled at them as they entered, setting aside the book that had been in his hands a few moments earlier. The only distinguishing feature of his was that his fur had dulled in color, and had begun to grey in certain places, both from age and the stress of running a kingdom. "Enjoy your morning?"
"Boring as usual" Max answered, with Elizabeth only nodding in agreement. The king chuckled good-naturedly.
"Business as usual then?" asked another voice.
Sitting next to the King, sat a Delphox; Queen Maria.
The Queen had a warm air about her, much like her mate. She held a pair of needles and some cloth in her hands, as knitting was a common pastime for many nobles. She too, had few features separating her from any other member of her species. While she had maintained more vibrant color than Alexander, she had a bit more grey as well, particularly around her eyes and ear tufts. She also wore a silver necklace with a black diamond as its center piece.
The Queen smiled softly, continuing her knitting, and said "I know it can be boring, but it is important you both learn these things. You'll be running things soon after all. Right hun?" she asked, turning to look at the Lucario next to her with a smile.
He nodded dutifully, saying "of course. Can't run a kingdom without what you're learning."
"Awww" Max whined lightly "it isn't all important, is it? When am I ever going to need to know what some king did a hundred years ago? Or know what kinda government Hoenn has compared to us? I won't ever use that stuff, so I can just ignore that stuff, right?" Maxwell, while having a happy and cheery personality, was not very academically inclined. He had little patience for history, government, or other matters of academia. He much more preferred practical lessons or, his favorite, training out in the courtyard.
King Alexander waved his son over, and placed a paw on his head as he spoke "Well son, it's less about the specifics, and more about the lessons that history and these things teach us. You can learn a great deal from the past, if you know how to pay attention to it. For example-" He leaned in close, paw sideways next to his mouth, and whispered "-Truthfully it isn't all that important, but your mother wouldn't agree with me."
"I heard that" the Queen stated, playfully slapping her mate on the shoulder, smiling as she did.
Elizabeth, along with her family, laughed at the display, and took a seat across from her mother as her brother sat next to her, across from their father. Max and Alexander joked and made small talk while Maria went back to her knitting. Elizabeth sat back, getting comfortable in the plush armchair, and let her mind wander for a bit.
"Something on your mind dear?"
To most, hearing a voice inside their hear would be unnerving. But for Princess Elizabeth, it was commonplace. At least, in the company of her mother. Queen Maria, being part psychic, had trained herself to utilize telepathy. Her age and experience had lent themselves well to the talent, to the point that she could use it as easy as flicking her tail.
While telepathy was, in theory, achievable for any psychic type, it was not as popular as most believed it to be. Telepathy was like any other ability or muscle- it would improve with practice. Unlike learning a move, it was not inherently learnt, nor was it particularly easy. Intense dedication to it's practice was required to use it regularly and easily. For most, the required time and effort was something they thought too much for what they got back.
"Nothing important"
One of the advantages of her parentage was that they both were trained in telepathy, albeit by different means. For Elizabeth, this gave her a natural advantage in the craft, and she was well along her way in terms of mastery.
"Come now dear. It's quite clear that something's on your mind. Pokè for your thoughts?"
The Braixen simply gave a huff and rested her chin in one paw, supported by the armrest. Much as she wanted to brush off her mother's inquiries, she knew that the Delphox would simply read her mind to find the truth. And, despite her advanced stage for her age in psychic abilities, she was not yet able to guard against her mother's power, nor any other powerful psychic.
"Well..." She began.
"Let me guess" her mother interrupted, still not looking up from her knitting. "Your wishing for some dashing prince to show up, sweep you off your feet, and whisk you away to your happily ever after?" A mischievous tone never left the queen's words as she spoke.
The princess instantly felt her face flush, and she couldn't help shoot her mother a look of half surprise, half embarrassment. "How did you..."
"I was your age once too you know. I know what It's like to be in your place." Elizabeth couldn't decide if her mother was telling the truth, or if she had simply not noticed her mother's psychic intrusion. Before her mother could finish, the older fire-type look up at the door, as if seeing something the rest of them had missed. "We'll talk about it after lunch, ok sweetie?"
Elizabeth opened her mouth to reply, to ask her mother what she meant, when she felt a...tingling, on the edge of her consciousness. It was weak but it was there, not unlike a fly buzzing around her head. It took her a moment to recall what his particular feeling was- one of her newer, developing abilities. What she felt was a presence- or more accurately, she was sensing a presence. And based on it's direction and distance, she concluded it could only be...
"Lunch is served, your majesties."
The Braixen turned her head to see the owner of the voice.
In the doorway stood a Slurpuff, chest puffed out and a goofy smile on her face, as always. Cecilia was her name, Elizabeth recalled, and she was perhaps one of the oldest Pokemon in the castle. She had always been the castle chef, once serving Elizabeth's grandparents, then her parents, and now her and her brother. Despite her relatively simple title, she was given respect that few others in the castle could claim.
But despite her age, the fairy-type was far from being weak and grumpy. Rather, she was usually in a jolly mood, some form of smile stuck on her face, and a upbeat attitude was the norm. And while she may be older than the king and queen, she refused to let that stop her from doing what she loved. She was a regular fixture in the kitchens, preferring a "hands-on-approach" to life.
Nodding to the royal family, Cecilia walked in, a trolley of food following her, being pushed by a Buneary. Said Buneary was Audrey, one of few young residences and close friend of Elizabeth. The normal type was, in title, a handmaiden to the princess. In reality, she was perhaps the princess's only real friend and only regular companion outside of castle staff.
The Normal type smiled and winked and Elizabeth when she saw her, never breaking social etiquette but warmly greeting her in her own way, and Elizabeth couldn't help but smile back.
"I trust you all had a good morning?" Cecilia asked. The two began to unload the cart of food onto the table between the four Royals, Cecilia engaging in conversation as she did so.
"It was good enough. How has your morning treated you Cecilia?" Ask Maria
"Oh busy as usual. Those new kitchen hands couldn't tell a oran from a cheri or me from a bowl of puddin'." Max couldn't help but giggle at the joke, and Elizabeth also found herself tittering as well. Cecilia smiled wider and asked " What about you prince Max? Mornin' treatin' you well?"
Max took a moment to stop his laughed before replying "Boring as usual. Harmond is so dull that he makes slowpoke races look exciting!"
Elizabeth imagined that one of her parents would scold Max for such a comment, but Cecilia beat them to it by laughing. This was not the tee-hee of some young maiden, nor the tittering of some aged noble, but a long and jolly belly laugh, as genuine as it was loud. She laughed a few moments, and everyone couldn't help but feel that the room felt a little brighter as a result.
"That old self-righteous wind-bag!" She howled. "Hasn't changed a bit". She laughed some more before composing herself. "Take that as a lesson your four" she paused to cast a wide sweeping glance to the four seated Pokemon before continuing "don't let your age define you. You're only as young as you feel. Ol' Harmond was always dull, but that's cause of his attitude. As for me? Well" she paused again, this time to turn to the side and puff out her chest proudly "I'm only as young as I believe I am, and I don't feel a day over thirty!"
"Don't look a day over it either!" Max chimed in with his attempt at a compliment. Cecilia could only smile at his genuine compliment before turning back to finishing setting out the food.
Audrey, while not stopping in her task, smiled sideways and said softly "Good morning Liz." The Braixen smiled and replied "Hey Audrey. You have good morning?"
The rabbit nodded "It was decent. With all the new staff in the kitchen, Cecilia has me helping teach them the basics. It's more busy than anything. But that shouldn't make what we make any less tasty". Elizabeth chuckled quietly in response. "Well good for me then. I'll see you this afternoon yeah?"
Audrey, finished with her task, simply ducked her head once, and proceeded to hop back over to Cecilia's side.
"Now, will there be anything else you majesties?" Cecilia asked, chest still puffed out in pride. Maria nodded "No, that should be it Cecilia. Thank you". Smiling pleasantly, the Slurpuff and Buneary made their exit, trolley in tow. Max, plate already in hand exclaimed "Alright! Let's dig in!"
Maria sighed loudly at the sight of her son shoveling food onto his plate. "Honestly Max, you should really act with a little more decorum. Even if it is just us, do have a little self... respect..." She trailed off at the sight of her mate similarly shoveling food on to his own plate, licking his lips eagerly. Her expression was one wholly un-impressed.
Ignoring her father's and brother's gluttonous behavior, Elizabeth helped herself to some stew, bread, berries, and light salad. Maria, resigned to the male's behavior, took her own helping before they all began the meal.
The next half hour passed relatively quickly for the four. Having finished their food and passed a few minutes with idle chatter, the four cleaned up and parted ways. The two adults returned to continue their various duties, and the two younglings had the afternoon free.
Elizabeth liked to spend her afternoons lounging, either in her room or in the gardens close by her room. More often than not, Audrey would accompany her. The reason was two-fold: As a handmaiden, Audrey was expected to help Elizabeth with the more mundane tasks of being royalty, as well as ensure her personal health. At the same time, she was the fire-types closest friend, and her company help alleviate the boredom that she often felt on her own.
Max, as was normal for him, opted for some physical activity. Exercising in his room or around the castle was something he often partook in. Today, however, found him in the mood for proper training.
Making a bee-line for his room, he opened the door to his own personal chambers. Like all of his family, it was quite spacious, with high ceilings and plenty of space to fill. On the right wall, perpendicular to the door he just entered, sat his bed. A Fancy four-post, with light green sheets and a sky blue comforter. On the opposite wall were several windows and a glass door leading to a small balcony. The left wall had two doors leading to his bathroom and closet. Besides a small nightstand, his room also held a pair of bookshelves, a small chest in the far left corner, and a fireplace next to the door.
Rather than being greeted with a empty room as he had expected, he instead found a kirlia sorting through one of his bookshelves. To any other pokèmon, finding a individual in their bedroom would be cause for alarm. But Max found it quite normal, and greeted the psychic type as he had many times before.
"Hey Sam"
The kirlia glanced over it's shoulder at the greeting. Seeing sam, it quickly stood up, turned, and bowed in one fluid, practiced motion.
"Good afternoon Prince Maxwell"
Max fought the urge to roll his eyes at his full name, something he hated to be called by regularly. "Sam, how many times have I told you to call me Max? We're friends, aren't we?" He questioned.
Sam smiled amusedly. "Of course we are Max. But you know that protocol dictates that we servants greet you with your proper title, until told otherwise. I'm just following protocol as befits my station."
"Uuugghhhhh" Max groaned. "Your impossible" he said as he began to walk past Sam towards his closet. "OK, firstly, you're staff, not servants." He continued to speak as he began rooting around in his closet, occasionally throwing a blanket or winter article over his shoulder and unceremoniously on the floor . "That sounds so... wrong. Second, You say that every time".
"And I'll say it next time as well. And as many times after as you require".
"That's a cheery thought".
"Isn't it? Oh, and I already took the liberty of preparing your exercise bag. It's at the foot of your bed."
Max stopped his digging and turned to look, a silk blanket clinging to the right side of his head. Sure enough, a large brown duffel bag sat at the foot of his four-poster bed. He quickly threw the offending cloth to the floor and made his way over to begin rifling through the bag itself. Once he was sure that all necessary equipment was present, he zipped the bag up and dusted his paws. "Alrighty. Just gotta clean up these clothes and we can make our way to the training grounds."
"There's no need for that" Sam spoke up.
"Oh?" The riolu asked, sarcasm quite evident in his voice as he turned to face his companion "and why is...that..."
Where only a minute ago had laid a sprawling mess of blankets, clothes, and jackets, now sat a neatly folded tower of the same articles. They were even sorted with the largest on the bottom and with similar colors grouped together. Sam, standing just of to the side, smiled smugly.
"...umm...yay?" was all the fighting type could think to say, at a lose for how to properly respond.
Sam didn't say anything else as he retrieved his own, small backpack from next to the nightstand nearby. "Shall we head off?" Max only nodded in agreement as he hefted the considerably heavier duffle onto his shoulder with ease, and the two headed out the door.
"So" Max began "you gonna join me in some actual physical training today hmmm?" He poked his friend's cheek mischievously.
Sam only sighed exapseratly "Max, you know that that wouldn't help me very much. Physical fighting is your strength. I'm much better off practicing my special moves or my psychic power. Push-ups and weights won't help me with that." He looked off to the side "besides, you'd obviously win in any physical competition we had. And I know that's what you want."
"Awwww" the blue pup whined "C'mooonnn. You're too thin. Some exercise would do you good. Besides" he grinned wolfishly, now poking his friend's side "maybe some bulk might help people stop thinking you're a girl"
Instantly, Sam became very flustered, face quickly growing several shades more red. "Th-that's got nothing to do with it! It's simply because kirlia are very feminine Pokèmon forms and people wrongfully assume all kirlia are female!" His voice lowered but his face remained akin to a cherri berry. "Once I mature into a Gallade, things like that won't happen anymore."
Max placed a paw to his chin. "Yeah, that's true. Gardevior and gallade are very hard to confuse gender-wise." Max reached out to pat his friend on the shoulder comfortingly "But if it makes you feel any better, you'd be a very pretty girl!"
Face glowing red, Sam looked to the floor as they walked. Max grinned at his assumed victory in the little debate with his close friend.
He was, however, proven wrong moments later.
"…"
"…"
"...At least I'm not a cuddly puppy"
"I'M NOT CUDDLY!"
The first to see the strangers was the woodcutter's son.
The small machop was carrying fallen trees to his father's lumber yard. He had just lifted one onto his shoulder when he noticed movement in his peripherals. Turning to see who it was, he was greeted with a sight that initially sent a spike of fear through his system. The numerous figures emerging from the woodline that he initially took for bandits. He tensed to run, to start shouting for the guards and alert everyone he could to danger. It wasn't until he saw the banner that some of the first figures and wagons flew that his mood did a complete 180, and he began to run and shout for a completely different reason.
"The Rainbow Market is here!"
The news spread through the town like wildfire. In short order, the citizens abandoned their duties. The baker left his oven, the blacksmith let his forge grow cold. Housewives left clothes on the clothesline and teachers cancelled classes. Pokèmon young and old fainted illness, injury, and any other excuse they could think of to get out of work and responsibilities.
How could one possibly work when the Rainbow Market was here?
"...and he didn't even know thyme from oregano! Can you imagine?"
"Not in the least. Heaven forbid someone get their grasses mixed up."
"LIZ! Herbs are a cornerstone of cooking! It's much more than grass."
Having retired to her room, structured very similarly to her brother's, Elizabeth found herself engaged in a conversation with Audrey about her experience with the new kitchen staff. As they spoke, more so Audrey than Liz, they both worked on sewing a tapestry they had been working on for a month.
The scene itself was a popular myth in the predominant religion of most kingdoms. Arceus, flanked by Reshiram and Xerneas, were locked in combat with Giratina, Zekrom, and Yveltal. The image was part of a series of stories detailing the infighting of the legendaries during the creation of the mortal world, and were quite well known across the regions.
Elizabeth nodded absent mindedly, only listening half-heartedly to her companion as she worked on her side of the tapestry. While she loved the Buneary's company, she could, and often did, go on tangents about cooking. Something she was passionate about, among others, but the fire-type was significantly less so.
"Of course. How foolish of me. I do love my proper seasoning of weeds". She couldn't help but sneak a glance up at her friend as she said this. The annoyed expression the rabbit wore was cause enough to titter quietly.
Audrey only grumbled to herself, muttering about "adding a special weed" into the Braixen's next meal to see how she liked herbs then.
Elizabeth focused back onto the tapestry, and began to add detail into Xerneas' antlers, when she froze. A few moments later found her involuntarily flicking her ear repeatedly.
Her companion noticed the sudden action stand out in the otherwise smooth movements of the last hour, and asked her about it. "what's wrong Liz?"
"Don't you hear that?" She replied
The young rabbit made a face of curiosity as she settled her hands onto her lap and unrolled her ear. Both her ears stood tall as she strained to hear what Liz was talking about, holding very still. Sure enough, a few moments later found her own ears twitch and her head turning towards the window at the far side of her room where she heard the odd noises.
"Sounds like it's coming from the main courtyard."
Nodding in agreement, both females set the tapestry onto Elizabeth's bed and made their way out onto the balcony.
While not having the most commanding view of the surrounding area, the view was good enough to get a general idea of what was going on in the large courtyard at the castle entrance. Various pokemon were running hither and yon, many carrying something or another and all moving with a sense of urgency. She could just make out the figure of a Bisharp, the Captain of the Guard, in the center of the courtyard. The tall steel type stood in the middle of the chaos, gesturing to various other pokemon as he got their attention. No doubt giving orders Elizabeth found herself thinking. But if it's important enough to get Ned's attention...
"Come with me".
Audrey turned in surprise to her friend's statement. "Come again?"
Elizabeth turned confidently to face her "Something's going on down there. Something big if it's making that kind of tizzy. And I'm gonna find out what." Before she even finished speaking, she strode over to her closet, and in a much more organized manner than her sibling, selected a light blue shawl from her collection of clothing. Wrapping the cloth over her shoulders, she grabbed another, this one deep forest green, and tossed it to Audrey.
Grabbing the cloth, Audrey only had a moment to place it around herself properly before she began to chase after the princess, who had already begun her trek out the door and down the hallway.
"H-Hey! Wait for me!"
"C'mon Sam! Keep up!"
" I'm trying! Ah... ah... Slow down please!"
Skidding to a halt just outside the doors to his Father's study, Max turned to wait for his friend, hands on his hips and a somewhat pittying look on his face.
Arriving much more winded that the small pup, Sam arrived a few moments later, only to collapse onto his knees, panting heavily. It was a minute or two before he could form any kind of recognizable speech. Once he was no longer dying, he spoke without looking up "...Please don't look at me like that Max...You know I hate it..." His voice, while weak, was not without a begging tone to it.
A sigh was the Prince's only response, as he held out his hand. Accepting in gratefully, Sam was pulled to his feet, and stood by Max's side as he knocked on the door. A muffled "come in" was all they need to open and enter.
Surprising no one, Alexander sat behind the large wooden desk at the opposite end of the study. Flanked by a large window and bookshelves on either side, it was the exact image of what came to mind for a personal study: small, private, and comfortable. Little else was in the room, besides some paintings, smaller shelves along either wall, and some various tools sitting on a small table next to the desk.
Besides the King, Queen Maria, Elizabeth, and Audrey were in attendance. Max made no move to perform any kind of special etiquette or greeting besides a small nod to his family. Sam, on the other hand, stopped next to Max, folded his hands in front of his waist, and bowed deeply "Good afternoon, your Majesties."
Not hiding the smile on his face, Alexander nodded to the small psychic type. "And a good afternoon to you as well Samwell." Sam couldn't help but smile, pleased at the pleasant greeting from the king. For someone of his station, it was nice to be noticed by his superiors. In a good way of course.
"Well, since your all here, I suppose I should explain what all the hubbub is" the king continued, . "From what we could gather from the reports from the town, it's nothing bad." A collective sigh emanated from the four younger pokemon at the news. In the back of their minds, they had perhaps worried that the ruckus was the work of some outlaws or a neighboring kingdom."Actually, it's good news, believe it or not. From what we can gather, the Rainbow Market is in town"
Silence was the only response for a few moments before Max, ever the wise one, asked what was on everyone's mind: "Wat?"
"The Rainbow Market" Maria repeated, stepping in to explain. "It's a large traveling trade group, specializing in exotic and rare items from all over the world. It's quite the spectacle as I remember. Apparently they've set up shop just outside town."
"Sooo... there's just some big trading group that showed up?" Max asked, wholley unimpressed with the explanation for all the excitement. He had expected something a little more... exciting. Maybe some bandits on the outskirts of town, or something along those lines. Some glorified circus was not impressive in his eyes. But he knew better than to speak those thoughts aloud, much less in front of his parents.
"Technically speaking, yes. But it's much more than that dear" Maria continued. "The Rainbow Market is one of the most respected trading groups in the world. They sell things that some pokemon only dream of. On top of that, they don't come around all that often." She paused, a thoughtful look crossing her face. "If memory serves, the last Rainbow Market in Unova was twelve years ago".
"Exactly" Her mate said, jumping back into the conversation "and that is why we are going".
"Really?" Came four different, younger voices in response.
"Really" came the affirmation. "Gather some spending money and meet at the gate in fifteen minutes"
All four youngsters recognized the dismissal and rushed to make ready. Fifteen minutes later found the group reconvened at the front courtyard, each carrying a coin purse on their person. Elizabeth and Audrey stored their purses in pockets in the shawls, whereas Max and Sam simply had their small pouches attached to a cord around their waists. The four stood around, making light conversation as they waited for the monarchs to arrive.
"She's right princess. Herbs are very important in cooking. Proper seasoning can make or break a dish, especially when cooking for royalty." The four had gotten on the topic of cooking, courtesy of Audrey and Liz, and they were divided on the topic.
"Aww" the Buneary cooed "thanks Sam. At least someone appreciates these things" She flashed a bright smile at him, his only response being a embarrassed smile and mumbling of support.
"I dunno" Max put in his two cents "seems kinda beyond me. All that fancy seasoning and herbs seem like it's over the top. Not all foods need all that, ya know?" Audrey smiled unnervingly at the statement "Why don't you tell Cecilia that Max? I'm sure she'd love to hear your opinion of the topic!" The fighting type shuddered, and snapped his head to the side at the sight of a carriage coming towards them. "H-h-hey look! Mom and dad are here! Let's go!" Before anyone could agree, he got behind the kirlia and Buneary and began pushing them towards the carriage, despite their protests.
Alexander stood by, holding the carriage door open as Maria sat by the window. "Alright everyone. Hop in" Obeying, everyone piled in, and Alexander signaled the two tauros to begin the short trip down to the town.
After clearing the main gate and getting on the road, it became relatively quiet., the only sound being the walking of the Tauros and slight creak of wooden wheels. Not that any could complain. It was a beautiful day, and the slowly moving scenery was quite pleasant to look at. Looking above the trees and horizon to the north-west, one could make out the sea.
"So" Elizabeth spoke up, gaining the attention of all the others "why is it called the Rainbow Market?"
"well" her mother began "It began from the Orange Islands. Since there's a lot of things that they can't get, being an island and all, they started this group to go around and trade for the things they couldn't produce themselves. Large amounts of metals and ores, lumber, crops, that kinda stuff." She shifted in her seat, supporting her head with her hand as she closed her eyes to recall. "Eventually, the leaders learned that other kingdoms and countries would pay a lot of poké for things they couldn't make themselves. Rare items like gems, pearls, and exotic plants. It grew to include region-only items and foods, and a few years later the market was traveling the world exchange rare items. They called it the Rainbow Market at this point, because it now included exotic items from every region."
"Ahh" the Braixen said, satisfied in the explanation. Her brother, on the other hand, had another question "How come we haven't heard of this market before? If it's so popular we woulda at least heard of it before now."
"It's not exactly a common event" the Delphox answered. "They only come around to each town or city on occasion. Elizabeth was only a babe the last time they came around. But regardless I think you'll all enjoy it. Especially since it'll be quite a while before you experience it again"
As Maria finished speaking, the telltale sounds of crowds and excitement grew more prominent. Leaning out the window to see ahead, the Braixen saw what looked less like a respectable trader's group, more like a giant festival.
Dozens of different stalls and tents, of all different colors, populated the fields just outside town. Banners, flags, and streamers were in no short supply, and crowds of citizens filled the space between and around the event. One large, red-and-yellow striped tent stood at the center, easily twice the height of the tallest stall. The air was full the hubub of a carnival, with chatter, laughter, and the occasional shout.
The others leaned out to get a look, and were equally amazed. The air had a energy to it, not unlike the feel of a holiday, and nobody could keep the infectious smiles from their faces.
The carriage stopped, and Alexander opened the door to let everyone out. "Ok everyone" he began "Maria and I are going to search for the leader of the market. You all" he gave a knowing look at the four of them "should enjoy the market."
His announcement was met with great enthusiasm, and before he could add anything else the four had disappeared, with the girls running off in one direction and Max all but dragging his psychic friend in another. The Lucario could only chuckle as he and his mate began their trek towards the center of the market.
Elizabeth had been to several carnivals and celebrations in her life, but nothing could quite compare to this. Pokèmon stood outside their stalls, calling and hawking their wares at anyone passing by. There was a electrical, infectious energy in the air, and the fire fox couldn't help but be excited. She pursued the wares as she passed, nodding politely to the owners and examining anything that caught her eye.
She found herself glancing over various items when she spotted some rather elaborate rolls of cloth. Most likely rugs or tapestries. Intrigued, she walked closer, trying to get a better look. The vendor, a Leavanny, noticed her interest and moved to speak to her.
"They" she said in a soft and calm voice, motioning to the cloth rolls "are woven with all the scents and sounds of the seasons"
To any other vendor, Elizabeth would have questioned what that meant, perhaps even call the guards for fear the vendor had gone insane. But looking into the face of the bug-grass type, she couldn't help but trust that what she said was true. The Leavanny picked up a roll of cloth, light blue with emerald curves and designs from what she could see, and offered it to the fox.
Elizabeth reached out to touch the cloth, believing the insectoid was inviting her to feel the article. When she placed her hand on it, he felt a odd sense of vertigo. She then, oddly enough, heard very faintly waves crashing against the shore. She smelt salty air, and a pleasant breeze against her fur. The sand was warm under her feet, and she heard Pelipper off in the distance.
Taking a step back, the vertigo returned for a moment before she found herself back in the market, standing in front of the stall. The Leavanny, holding the cloth close, gave her a look that was quite knowing, and ever a tad satisfied.
"Wow" was all she could manage. The shopkeeper only giggled at her reaction. She turned to call to her companion "HEY AUDREY!" The Buneary, only across the way, turned at the call, and made her way over from the stall she was examining.
"What is it Liz?"
Smiling, the fire-type waved her over "You gotta check this out!"
As Audrey approached, her smile turned to a frown. "Show me what Liz?"
Elizabeth turned as she spoke "These rugs and tapestries! I've never seen..." She couldn't finish her sentence out of surprise. Where she had expected to see the Leavanny with the cloth rolls, she found empty space.
Turning to look, she couldn't find any sign of the shopkeeper or her stall. She looked at the stalls next to them to see if they had changed, but she wasn't paying them enough attention to them to be able to tell or not. "Umm..." She fished for a response. She couldn't well tell her friend that a entire stall had disappeared in the span of ten seconds. She was having a hard time processing it herself.
"N-nevermind" The more she thought on it, the more bothered she got. Deciding to just drop the subject, she thought it best to continue their tour of the market. "Let's keep looking"
Doing her best to ignore the confused and concerned look her bunny companion held, she moved to continue walking. "Are you ok Liz? You seem bothered..."
"Yeah, it's nothing. Now let's-"
"Is everything alright Miladies?"
Surprised at the new voice in their conversation, both jumped close to one another and turned to see the source of the intrusion.
The Pokèmon standing before Elizabeth was easily one of the most intimidating she had ever seen. It stood towered over her, easily twice her height. It was bipedal, covered in green scales, had sharp claws, and several spikes protruding from it's back. She hadn't seen such a pokemon before, and felt very uncomfortable in the presence of such a terrifying creature.
The towering Pokèmon smiled at the pair- which didn't help alleviate her unease- and bowed as well as his bulk allowed. "Pardon the interruption Miladies, but I couldn't help but notice that you two seemed a bit lost. First time at the market is it?"
Elizabeth, too intimidated by the creature to reply, only stood still, opening and closing her mouth repeatedly as she tried in vain to answer. She was grateful when her companion came to her rescue. "That depends on whose asking" She had never imagined a Buneary to be intimidating in any capacity, but Audrey was managing to look at least somewhat threatening. At least... she would be, in different company.
The giant pokemon laughed lightly, and leaned forward with a hand against his chest. "I have the pleasure of being Sir Letholdus, knight in service to the King of Unova."
Both females had expected a number of different responses from their larger counterpart, but that certainly wasn't one of them. Sir Letholdus stood and patiently waited for them to recover from their surprise.
"Umm..." Elizabeth began "W-what is a Unovan knight doing here in Kalos?"
"Well, milady, I'm here with my Lord. We've been traveling with the Rainbow Market for some time. He has business with the Royal family, most importantly the Queen." He adopted a knowing grin "I don't suppose you'd know how to find them, would you?"
"Ahh.. "
"Why would she?" Audrey beat her to the response "What makes you think she has anything to do with the royal family? Because she's a Braixen and the Queen's a Delphox? A bit presumptuous don't you think Sir?"
Letholdus only chuckled at the aggressive response from the much smaller rabbit, much to her annoyance. "Well I imagine she know quite a lot about the royal family, considering she's the Princess." In any other circumstance, Elizabeth would have laughed at the shocked expression on Audrey's face.
"I was instructed to gather the heirs and their companions by my Lord. He seeks an audience with the monarchs, and imagined they wouldn't much like leaving their children unattended at the market." He cast a eye over both girls, and appraising look if ever they saw one. "I must say, the description was uncanny. Not very difficult to find either of you."
The next few moments were silent as Elizabeth and Audrey were taking in all this new information. They cast a sideways look at each other. Let's go Elizabeth thought at her companion, to which the Buneary nodded. They turned to face their new escort.
"Alright Sir Letholdus. Let's gather my brother and his friend" With a nod of agreement, the trio set off looking for the Riolu and Kirlia pair.
Thanks to a little help from Elizabeth's psychic powers, they had at least a general idea of where to look. Even so, the next half-hour was spent wandering around with a eye out for the small pair. The only good thing to come out of the wandering was the pair learning Letholdus' species, something called a Tyranitar.
Ultimately, it was Audrey who spotted Max and Sam. The pair were at a stall selling various accessories that were similar to any normal shop, but had odd colors or differences. The piece Max was currently trying on was a bracer covering his forearm. The piece had a golden clasp around the wrist, a Looplet, and brown leather leading up to the elbow and blue stripe down the middle. What really caught the eye was a large, pink stone set into the clasp, and odd glyphs inside the blue stripe.
As Max struggled to get the piece to a comfortable fit, Sam stood nearby with a concerned expression as spoke, likely trying to talk Max out of whatever he was doing. As the trio walked close, they could hear the conversation between the shopkeeper, a , and Max.
"So is this really a teleporting bracer?
"Oh yes" the clown replied, hands held together as he spoke "A real valuable piece of equipment. Just touch the stone and point to where you want to go and POOF, teleportation! The more force you put into it, the farther you'll go! It a invaluable piece of gear for soldiers or adventurers!"
Having finished with fitting the bracer and listening to the sales pitch, Max examined it more closely. "Really? Sounds pretty crazy. I mean teleportations a move only psychics learn. I don't know if I trust this."
"Go ahead and touch it lad. It'll glow to show it's powered up. Can't fake that!"
Max placed his hand, as instructed, on the large pink gem. True to the clown's word, it glowed with energy. The fighting type couldn't help but smile in response. Looking up, he noticed his sister and her group.
His mistake was in his reaction. He lifted up his arm, intending to wave in greeting. The result was him disappearing in a flash of pink light. Almost immediately the surrounding area went into a tizzy. Surrounding shoppers spoke loudly in confusion, while the shopkeeper began to shout about a thief. Sam, ever gracious under pressure, had his hands fly to his head as he shouted in panic. He immediately began to talk, quite animatedly, to the .
Fear spiked through the Braixen and Buneary at the sight of the disappearing Riolu. Before either could make a move, Letholdus placed a claw on their shoulders to stop them (although in reality it was on Elizabeth's shoulder, and on Audrey's head, once again to her irritation)
"I'll handle this a fetch your brother, Princess. No need for you to worry yourself." He moved past them, gently but firmly pushing other out of his way until he reached the vendor. A few moments later found him trying on his own bracer, then disappear in his own flash of light.
After a short silence at the rapid turn of events, it was Audrey who broke the silence. "I should go help Sam. He doesn't seem like he's doing to hot after... well... losing the Prince." Despite her serious tone, she couldn't help her paws covering her mouth in a giggle. "You go enjoy yourself a little more Liz."
Hopping off to comfort the panickin Kirlia, Elizabeth's last companion left her on her own.
"Would the lady like her fortune read?"
Surprised for the second in the last hour, the Braixen turned on her heel to face whoever spoke.
Unlike Sir Letholdus, this pokemon was of a species that Elizabeth was easily able to identify as a Dusknoir. While also tall, she was less intimidated than offput by the ghost.
"My dear lady" he began, his voice deep but inviting "would you like your fortune read? Have your past, present, and future told? Get a glimpse of your future mate? Perhaps your children? Come with me, for Duša can reveal all."
Despite her initial unease, the Dusknoir's voice and piercing red gaze peaked her curiosity. He gestured her to follow, and she trailed him through the crowds to wherever he was headed. The more she thought about it, the more intrigued she became. Surely a look into the future couldn't be anything other than good?
The Dusknoir arrived at his destination, a large, red tent, only slightly larger than a normal stall. Holding open the red silk curtain, he gestured her to enter. Obeying, she strode through the threshold and followed the thin hallway of silk to a table with two chairs and crystal ball in the center. She noticed incense burning around the room, and she felt odd. Floaty, like her mind was swimming in thick mud.
"Please" the Dusknoir spoke from behind her "do sit."
Seeing no other reasonable course of action otherwise, she pulled out the chair and sat, adjusting her shawl to help ease the tension she felt. Dusknoir settled into the opposite chair, and glanced evenly at her over the top of the crystal ball.
"I can tell" he began "that the young lady is of noble birth..."
Elizabeth had to fight to roll her eyes. Guy certainly get right to the point. Kinda ruins the mystique she thought.
"...For who else could be so fair a maiden? The Lady stood out among the commoners like a ruby amongst rocks. And it was Duša's pleasure to find you..."
From anyone else, such compliments might have been flattering or even charming. Coming from the host type across from her, they were uncomfortable. Laying it on a bit thick don't you think?
"...and if you would but lend me your hand, I would reveal the future to you." He held out his hand, expecting her to place her hand in his.
Despite her instincts telling her that this was a bad idea, those warnings were pushed to the back of her head. Doing as instructed, she placed her hand in his.
Almost immediately, she felt her energy drain away, to the point of wanting to nap for a few hours. It stopped after a few seconds, but she also felt a strange chill crawl up her spine. Her vision blurred, and she had the sense of falling.
The odd sensations passed a few moments later, but she was no longer in the tent with the Dusknoir. Everything was blurry, like running watercolor paint. Looking around, she was in a dark forest, with other figures running past her, screaming. She couldn't make out who they were, nor what they were saying, nor where she even was.
Elizabeth got her answer a few moments later when a large explosion rattled the entire landscape. Spinning to look, the sight chilled her to her core. She couldn't stop her stomach from clenching or her hands flying to her mouth in horror.
Some distance away, on a hill surrounded by fields, stood her home Lumiose Castle covered in flames.
She could only stand rooted to the spot as more figures ran by screaming and the castle continued to burn. The town, that had only a few minutes ago seemed so bright and full of life, lied in ruins, burned to the ground. The young fire type couldn't form any coherent thoughts in her shocked state, and only watched on.
She was vaguely aware of a light touch on her shoulder. "The young ladie's fortune" a deep voice crooned, despite no sign of the body it belonged too. The touch on her shoulder slipped down her back then around to rest on her side. "The fortune as promised. Now the lady must pay..."
To shocked by the vivid vision before her, Elizabeth made no move to answer, to question, or to move. The voice, so inviting as it was, soothed and dulled any objection her mind could make. Everything was dull and cold...
She was broken from her stupor when she heard a new voice
"STOP!"
If your reading this, then you finished the first chapter! Hope you enjoyed.
If you have any feedback, I would greatly appreciate it (either in a review or PM) Even if it's a "you could do ****** better" or something like that. Any little bit helps me improve.
Thanks again for your time. Hope you have a pleasant rest of your day
Cheers!