The Princess and the Kennel Boy Part 4
"So, why do you change your names to pokemon ones?" Ash asked as the three walked quickly to the castle.
"It's an old wartime tradition dating back hundreds of years," Lugia said. "The king and queen, and sometimes the entire royal family, would be given pokemon names to use as code names during times of war. Major generals sometimes got them too. The enemy always thought they were talking about real pokemon when they intercepted messengers, so if they caught someone carrying a message that said "Arcanine will move to the north front before Summer Solstice", they thought it was about a pokemon. It kept many kings and queens and generals from being assassinated."
"Over time, when a new king and/or queen was crowned," Azelf picked up, "they would take the name of a Legendary Pokemon, both to prove how powerful they were and to scare potential enemies into thinking twice before attacking a kingdom ruled by a Legendary Pokemon. Soon, the king and/or queen would bestow the name of a legendary pokemon on knights who proved themselves in battle. Nowadays, it's a time honored tradition that everyone chooses a pokemon name when they turn ten, and when a knight is exceptionally brave and cunning in battle, he is made an officer of Legendaries Court and given the name of a Legendary pokemon."
"Legendary pokemon are reserved specifically for that purpose, and for the use of the royal family," Lugia cut in. "Knights who aren't officers of Legendaries Court, nobility, gentry, and common folk, like Master Raichu, take the names of common pokemon, such as Raichu."
"Common folk?" Ash asked, realizing how little history he knew.
"People who aren't royalty, nobility, or gentry," Azelf said matter-of-factly, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
They entered the castle, and Ash could hear hundreds of voices echoing from somewhere in front of them.
"The ceremony's about to begin," Lugia said quietly. "This way." He led Ash and Azelf down the large entry hall to a small panel door to the right of an enormous set of wooden double-doors. Lugia opened the small door, which revealed a flight of stairs.
"Follow these stairs and you'll be in the upper balcony of the throne room," Lugia whispered to Ash. "You'll have a great view, and there won't be anyone up there. Stick to the shadows and you shouldn't be noticed. Everyone's attention is going to be up at the front, anyway. We'll meet you back at Master Raichu's."
"Hang on, where are you guys going?" Ash asked, a tad spooked by the dark, rickety looking staircase.
"We have to join our family," Azelf said. "They can't start the Naming without us, and our sister and parents will be most displeased if we're late."
"You're not a coward, are you, Ash?" Lugia teased.
Ash's hackles rose, and he glared at the prince. He hated people calling him a coward. Most of those who did often ended up with broken noses. "I'm no coward," he growled, fists clenching.
"Then prove it!" Lugia taunted, crossing his arms and leering at Ash.
"Fine, I will!" Ash shot back. He turned on his heel and ran up the stairs, Pikachu hanging onto his shoulder for dear life.
"Lugia, that was mean," Azelf said reproachfully as she and her brother hurried into the throne room.
"But it worked, and boys like him always bounce back," Lugia said cheerfully.
Ash was at the top of the staircase before he knew it, doubled over and panting. When he'd caught his breath, he reached out a hand to feel where he was going, since it was pitch black and he couldn't see a thing. He found the stone wall, and followed it until he felt the wood of a door. He pushed the door open, carefully looked to see if anyone was watching, slithered out, and closed it again. He crept up to the balcony railing, and looked down.
Below him was a kaleidoscope of thousands of different colors as hundreds of people crammed into the enormous hall that was undoubtedly the throne room. Men in armor and women in dresses of various colors glinted and sparkled in the light of a million torches. Ash was dazzled, and had to look away to ease his dizziness. He found a place to lean that had a perfect view of the dais and was in shadows so that he wouldn't be noticed.
Above the large platform at the far end of the throne room hung a white banner with a green design of a bird pokemon on it. The design was very stylized, but Ash immediately could tell what the pokemon was: Ho-oh, the greatest of the Legendary Birds. Ash's eyes traveled down, and he immediately saw Lugia and Azelf standing on either side of a tall, striking couple. The man was dressed in a white tunic over a red long sleeved shirt and yellow leggings. On his feet were blue slippers. The sleeves of his shirt were extremely wide, even more so than Lugia's robe, so that they gave the appearance of wings. Adorning his shoulders were a pair of maroon shoulder pads, from which billowed a huge green cape. The man's red hair and beard cascaded down his front and back, and were just beginning to show a hint of gray. On his head was a gold helmet-like crown shaped like the feathers on top of the pokemon Ho-oh's head. Ash immediately knew that the man was King Ho-oh, Lugia and Azelf's father. On Ho-oh's right had to be the queen, Cresselia. She was very slim and beautiful, wearing a blue and yellow floor-length gown with very short purple sleeves. A long strip of violet gossamer silk was sewn onto her gown so that it fell in long loops, and attached to violet bands around her wrists. On her head was a curious yellow headdress shaped like a crescent moon, with a large violet stone set on the front that half rested on her forehead. Blue bangs peeked out of her headdress, and long blue hair cascaded down her back. To the right of the queen, next to Azelf, was another girl, who looked to be a couple years younger than the princess. She, too, was wearing a floor length gown of the same pale blue as Azelf, and her hair was pink, and long, divided into four ponytails around her head. Next to the second girl stood another man, tall, barrel-chested, broad-shouldered, and obviously very muscular. He wore a white sleeveless tunic over a royal purple long sleeved shirt and pants. A white band covered each forearm, and the man's pants were tucked into tall white boots. His hair was white, and long, pulled back into a ponytail, and Ash's sharp eyes detected streaks of royal purple mixed in with the white. A huge sword hung off of the man's purple belt. Next to Lugia, on the left, was a man who was much less built up, but equally as tall as the king and the man on the right. This man wore a blue sleeveless tunic over a white long sleeved shirt and pants. Blue bands encircled his forearms, and his pants were tucked into tall blue boots. His hair was long, as well, but blue, and loose, with sky blue streaks. The man in purple had a happy, joyful look on his face, but the blue man's thin face was strangely tense and watchful, his eyes narrowed and studying the large crowd.
King Ho-oh stepped forward and addressed the crowd in a great booming voice. "Lords and Ladies of Legendaries Court," he said, "I thank you for joining me and my family for the tenth anniversary of my youngest daughter's birth. Today is the day she receives her Pokemon Name, and her official title as Princess of Almia. Step forward, Your Grace."
A third girl, dressed in the same blue as her sisters, but with yellow hair, short and swept back from her face, stepped forward and knelt before her father the king. The man in purple drew his huge sword and offered it to Ho-oh, bowing. The king took it, and very gently tapped the girl on each shoulder, then, ever so carefully with the flat of the blade, on top of the head.
"I, King Ho-oh of Almia, bestow upon you the royal title of Princess of the realm," he said solemnly, "and the Pokemon Name of Uxie, the Being of Knowledge. You will now forever be known as Princess Uxie of Almia. You may rise."
The newly crowned princess stood, and faced the crowd. Everyone, royal family included, bowed or curtsied to her, although the man in blue looked as though he'd rather fight a Tyranitar single handed than bow to a ten-year-old girl.
"All hail Princess Uxie!" The crowd roared.
Suddenly, Ash's arm was forcibly twisted behind his back, and a hand fastened itself over his mouth before he could cry out.