Chapter 2: A Throne in the Process
So, yeah. Right now, I'm trying to recover from injuries suffered from squaring off against Hansen. Sara was resting her body next to me. How lucky do you have to be in order to get this close to the princess without being a member of a royal family. Before I had a chance to think about what I wanted to do, I heard a growl. Was I hungry? I mean, ever since I was hurt, I haven't had anything to eat. Wait...that wasn't my stomach. Sara? She opened her eyes to even more growling. She's hungry. "Oh, my," she gasped. "I guess I dozed off for a moment. My apologies." Hey, no big deal.
"Are you hungry?" I pointed out. "I could feel your stomach growling from the base of the bed." Sara's face flushed a red. It was like I could read her like a book. Then again, I haven't read any books lately. I smiled, knowing that I would be okay.
"I should ask you if you're hungry. I doubt that you had anything to eat since arriving in the Mirage Kingdom." On cue...my stomach was calling for food. What was she, a princess or a psychic? Now, I'm wondering who's reading who: Sara or me? I nervously laughed. If there was one thing besides Pokémon that I like, it's food. Let's face it, ever since meeting Brock's cooking, I couldn't recall having a bad meal if I tried...except for the time he got sick and Misty tried her hands. Even she didn't appreciate the turnout. "I'll go and see if there's anything Miranda's stewing up in the kitchen." She walked out with the most peaceful smile I could ever witness during my whole training career. If there was a time for me to be concerned about her, Hansen would be the only person in my thoughts to avoid. Meantime in the throne room, the king was engaged in conversation with my friends, including him. Not Hansen but Brock. He has darker skin than any of us, was a brunette and wore a brown hiking jacket.
"I do apologize for the rudeness that the kingdom has displayed upon you and your recuperating friend," his highness addressed. "The Mirage Kingdom is normally a passive kingdom in the respect of peace." Little that did to help us. "We have no sudden or ill-willing acknowledgment of thieving anything that belong to you, including your Togepi." Tell that to Hansen.
"Please, sire," Misty spoke up, clutching her baby Pokémon. "Can you tell us if we can see Ash again? I mean, we don't wanna abandon our friend in your castle." The king was stoic and a great guy to have a chat about.
"You have nothing to worry about, Misty. I'm planning to have him stabilized for transport to a clinic back beyond the sandstorms that brought you here." Misty and May breathed a sigh of relief. "Although, personally, I would like to keep him here and become the next king of Mirage Kingdom and take my daughter's hand." I could swear that despite being far from my friends, I would hear a chorus of "huh?" from them. Maybe the king was serious about me marrying Sara. Slow down, let's not get ahead of myself until I feel better.
"Are you suggesting that Ash should stay and become your son-in-law?" Brock wondered. Great, even Brock's considering me remaining here. I thought he'd try and bail me out. "Because, I could be a more reliable candidate for the position. Ash doesn't need all the glamor of royalty." Oh. That's why he's questioning my option of remaining here. He wants the princess and not me. Misty did not see it the same way. She tugged on Brock's ear and immediately, Brock was whimpering at her mercy.
"Trust me when I vote for your opponent that you won't get the girl," she scolded. Brock was flailing around to try and free himself from the pulling. Sorry Brock. Max and May? They were impressed with how controllable Brock was.
"That's brutal," Max gulped.
"Well, her style is interesting," May stuttered at how scary Misty was. Could you blame her? After a minute, the king left the room. Personal documents? Brock was ready to talk about the moment I got hurt.
"So, what happened to Ash after we split and he allowed me Pikachu?" he questioned. Oh, yeah. I was meaning to mention that. Allow me to start. You see, Max, May, Brock and I were waiting for Misty since she got invited to what was called a Togepi festival. It turned out it was a setup by Team Rocket's Jessie and James. Normally, they'd be after Pikachu, but today, they were after Misty's Togepi. Then, the plot thickened when Hansen showed up and told us that he was the one who needed a Togepi. Without warning, Hansen had his Shedinja and Ninjask attack us. I told May and Max to clear Misty from the scene. Now, it was me and Brock against Hansen who actually sicked his Shedinja on the three. In the midst of our sprawl, smoke billowed from strikes. I knew the intentions and chose to chase Togepi. Misty should explain the rest.
"We hid in the maze garden and I was concerned that Hansen would just wipe you clean off and pursue me since I had Togepi," she continued. "That's when that Shedinja came out of nowhere and I learned how strong its defenses were. As it powered up another Solar Beam, Ash came by and was ready to battle to make sure it didn't have a free shot at taking Togepi from me. That's when I want to say he shielded me and Togepi from the Solar Beam but the concussion from the blast propelled Togepi from my arms. To be honest, I was expecting Ash to be in a coma from taking a Solar Beam head-on." Thanks for your sympathy, Misty. From my thoughts, she would've wanted me dead.
"Guess we shouldn't be too surprised. Ash caught onto Hansen's plot when he order that Shedinja to chase you." Now that was the surprise. Me, realizing what Hansen's objectives were?
"I think that's the surprise right there," May hiccuped. See? "I didn't think Ash would think like that in order to help others. He didn't strike me as the mental boy." Jeez, May's being harsh.
"Come on, May," Max tried to back me up. "Sure, he's not the wisest but he is caring and I think that's the reason he came to protect us." Thanks, Max. I could rest easy hearing that. "But hearing about those injuries, I could somewhat agree with Misty on it. I think Ash got off easy." Mind if I take it back?
"I would like to check on Ash and see about that ride to a hospital," Brock plotted. "Not to mention his take on the princess." The girls shot opened eyes of shock. Did Brock think that I had the hots for Sara? The girls didn't think so.
"That's the last thing on Ash's mind," May expressed in agitation. "He'd be more occupied with Pokémon than ladies with unique titles like the princess." Good point. Yeah, if there was anything besides Pokémon that I'd desire, it's food, not females. As they argued, Pikachu sneaked away from them. I bet he wanted to see how I was doing. Once he found the room...
("Hey, Ash,") he greeted as he hopped onto bed. While I was messed up pretty bad, my arms were still good. I petted my partner in crime to let him know how I was fairing. As bitter as I was toward Hansen, my partner's well-being was first.
"Don't worry, Pikachu," I cooed. "I'll be back on my feet before you know it." Pikachu believed it. All I need to do is believe it myself. That's when Sara entered the room with a tray of food and it looked scrumptious. There were scrambled eggs with parsley sprinkled, chicken noodle soup, a fruit salad with a caramel dip, a bowl of sliced potatoes and some milk and orange juice...and I think I also smell juice of an oran berry in the OJ. I understand that I'm hurt but usually oran berries were for Pokémon, not humans. Still, this was the princess so I had to respect her offer. "Thank you, princess." Sara smiled so wide, I thought her cheeks were about to be ripped from the face.
"It's a meal meant for healing qualities," she explained. Healing qualities? "Miranda discovered it when she tended to my father who had a fever that wouldn't relent. When finished, my father was back to his cherubic self." Sara, I hate to correct you but the situations between me and the king were different. So, I took a bite and man, I think my mom could use their recipe. It was delicious. Pikachu sneaked in some of the potatoes and enjoyed it himself. All that I would focus on now was getting back to my adventure. "Still, I do wish that I had my Togepi for the ceremony." Oh, yeah. I nearly forgot about that. This ceremony...what's that all about?
"Yeah, you mentioned that after you rescued me and Togepi." I apparently didn't need to ask.
"You see, there's a temple nearby. That's where the ceremony takes place where Togepi is suppose to be registered for it to be officially mine. Togepi have coincided with the kingdom for as long as this kingdom has stood. Anyone who is suppose to be the next to ascend the throne must raise their Togepi for the Rite of Passage. That's when he or she has proven their worth and take the throne." A legacy coinciding with Togepi, huh? No wonder Sara got excited when Misty's Togepi landed near her. She thought Togepi was hers to raise. She did look capable of raising one, don't get me wrong. That's when her mood dipped. "Alas, with the ceremony tomorrow, I still need a Togepi to call my own." She was in need of help. Normally, I like to help with situations involving Pokémon. Wait...it involved a Togepi, right? So, I placed my hand on hers. D-Don't get the wrong idea! I'm not making a move to wow the princess.
"Princess, I promise that you'll have your Togepi for the ceremony before I leave." Yes, folks. If you've looked up my history, you should know of my determination. However, Sara was overcome by the grit I would show. She fainted onto my already bruised chest. I winced from the pain but it was quick. I wasn't sure how to react to that fainting spell.
("I think you came on too strong, buddy,") Pikachu mulled. Too strong? All I said was that I'd help her in getting a Togepi. How was I too strong? The promise? Okay, allow me to...man, it hurts scooping her into bed with the injuries I had. Once done, I tried to back off and see... huh? I'm caught... I looked and found my arm gripped by Sara, holding onto me. Did she not want to be left alone? She quickly turned her body which pulled me onto the bed as well. I was baffled. I shouldn't be sharing the same bed with a princess...yet here I am, forced to stay with her. All I could do was lie down with her until she loosened her grip. However, I began to crash myself. A couple hours later, I noticed that Sara had released me. Okay, here's my chance to sneak out. I exited the room and wandered, gripping my wounded chest. Maybe sneaking out in my condition wasn't such a good idea. That's when I saw a light. It was nighttime so who was up. I peered inside. There was Hansen with Jessie and James. Jessie was the female with blood red hair styled like a wave. James was the blue-haired male who's hair was more or less basic. Both wore white uniforms with a red "R" on each, the woman's uniform exposed her hungry stomach and thighs.
"Tomorrow is the day of the ceremony," Hansen argued. "That'll be the day the king will no longer rule this kingdom." Hansen's still as determined to overthrow the king.
"Are you sure we can get our hands on the twerp's Togepi and make the time for the ceremony?" Jessie asked. "Keep in mind, the twerp being watched over by the princess is a pretty fast healer. I doubt he would make things easier wounded or otherwise."
"A coup shall be swift. Once my hands are grasping Togepi, the king will have no choice but to surrender all the secrets of the kingdom to me and me alone. This kingdom is my destiny to rule. Not that I've forgotten about you. You'll be handsomely rewarded." That's not good. If I hated his attitude before, I'm sick to my stomach now. Yet, there's something bothering me and it wasn't Pikachu. What secret could Hansen be after? I didn't want to stick around so I sneaked back to Sara's room. When I did, she was awake. Uh oh!
"Ash, what were you doing?" she questioned. I had to let her know of the coup on her father.
"Hansen still wants to go after the throne," I addressed. "I need to stop him before he knows the secrets." Sara was pretty worried. I had to stop Hansen but in the condition I was in? I had no choice. Sara helped me back into bed and pushed me down. She must be watching out for my health.
"I know you can stop Hansen, Ash. We'll think of something." I knew she'd understand. Suddenly, she laid onto me and... whoa! Hold on! Were you believing your dad? I-I-I'm no prince. Why are you...kissing...zzz
TO BE CONTINUED...
