I suggest you guys read this chapter as it adds more to the original story and version.

Disclaimer: I do not own pokemon.

I also apologize in advance for any Grammar/spelling errors I missed.

Chapter 10

In Blitz Kingdom:-

The Sun had taken over the sky that the moon and stars of the night before had left behind.

The Kingdom of Blitz was in full swing, its streets bustling with chatter as the pokemon went about their everyday business. The latest gossip of a runaway Glaceon and the Jolteon Prince, Volt, giving her a chase had reached just about every ear. It was not possible for one to witness one thing and not exaggerate. The electric pokemon were masters in the art of telltales and the rumors being whispered around the kingdom ranged from a petty thief to a murderous spy, each version of the story depicting her as a treasonous entity that escaped the hands of the law. However bizarre the story was, the ending was always the same on how she should have been caught and executed for her heinous crime. Of course the common folk cared little more than a Snorlax on hibernation when it came to the truth. All one needed was a beating heart and a good listening ear and he was all set to play his minor part in the grand scheme.

The environment of the castle was exactly opposite of the city outside. Tension and stress felt like a physical presence within its walls and silence prevailed. The servants went about their work, keeping their voices to themselves. The gardeners tended to the flowerbeds, the Beautifly and Butterfree quieter than ever. And the guards minded their own business, no one stopping for chatter. This, of course, did not exempt the throne room. The courtiers had gathered in, all anxious and slightly terrified of the king in his present state. He looked enraged, the fury evident from the sparks of electricity on his horns. Although many wished to counsel him, most felt it was best to leave the harder part of this to his son, the Jolteon Prince.

Volt, too, had been summoned to the court. He stood before his father with his muzzle set in a tight line and eyes blinking slowly. King Ampharos had Volt thinking hard about a plan to retrieve Sapphire, a job he was reluctant to do. Feeling he had been stalling for long enough, the Jolteon Prince finally decided to speak up.

"Your Majesty" he began, trying to sound worried for his Glaceon sister. "I do believe it is possible that Sapphire may have headed North-West to Aquanesia, the Kingdom of the water pokemon."

"An opinion I consider," the King answered.

A Luxray, A Menetric, an Electrivire and a Golventula, the four commanders of the Blitz army stood on the side of the throne, awaiting any orders concerning the military forces. The pokemon had been summoned to bring in their expert advice, an idea Volt was not content with. As long as they kept their tongues between their teeth as they did on the battlefield, he figured he would be alright.

"Your Majesty," The Luxray spoke up to Volt's dismay. "She could have fled to Frere, the kingdom to the North east."

"If she has gone east," the Menetric added, "She must have reached Frere Kingdom. That is extremely dangerous for the princess, given her ice type."

King Ampharos pondered over this while Volt made mental notes to keep his eye out for these dim witted Warriors of his army who were disrupting his plans to keep Sapphire off the Blitz grounds.

"I suggest we tackle Frere Kingdom first," Electrivire said in his manly and elderly voice. "If she is indeed in Frere, she could be in grave danger. We must save her and be quick about it."

"Your Majesty," The Golventula said, putting in his own word. "If I may suggest, we should try to be strategic about it if we are to maintain our diplomatic relations with the neighboring kingdoms."

"Go on," Ampharos encouraged. "What is it that you advice?"

"We should write to them," he replied. "State our terms and demand the safe return of the princess and promise no bloodshed."

Volt, seeing a loophole in this fiasco that was continuously damaging his plans, chose that moment to use his voice.

"Nonsense!" he stated, then ran a bolt of electricity down his fur to show his fury, sharpening his soft fur into knives. "That is absurd! Not only will they refuse to hand over the princess, they will declare war on us! With Sapphire as hostage, one can only imagine of what monstrosity those fiery-headed pokemon are subjecting her too! She is my sister! And I love her, I really do! I simply will not risk her safety on a scrap of paper with meaningless words! I say we march on them with a surprise attack!"

Silence fell over the room, the courtiers now staring wide-eyed at the Jolteon Prince. They turned to the King, now awaiting the final verdict.

"Luxray, Menetric, Electrivire and Golventula," he ordered, growling. The four bowed their heads low to receive orders. "Prepare your armies! We fight!"

A decision acceptable to all, the four commanders bowed their heads and excused themselves from the court, leaving to make all the necessary preparations for their upcoming battle.

"Your Majesty?" A courtier, an Emolga, said, stepping forward and bowing his head.

"Speak," Ampharos answered sternly.

"What are we to do about the rumors? Do you not think the people deserve to know?"

Prince Volt frowned at this suggestion. With his father on the throne, it was hard enough to keep the court in his favor. The people, on the other hand, were easy to fool. If he could not sway the king, the least he could do was ensure that Sapphire would not grow to be a popular figure amongst the Blitz Pokemon. The rumors, as of now were working in his favor. But should the news of the runaway pokemon being the legitimate heir of the throne be made common knowledge, the results could be unpredictable.

"We will put an end to them," he spoke before King Ampharos could address the Emolga, "once the issue at hand has been resolved. That will be all."

Prince Volt then bowed before the king and then swiftly turned to leave, a faint smile playing on his muzzle now. This would play out nicely in his favor. With him leading the army, he could make sure Sapphire never returned alive, ensuring his claim to the Blitz throne.

In Darkus Kingdom:-

Beautiful.

That was the first word that came to her mind. Glace, with the permission of Prince Skull, was now allowed to tour the castle grounds and the palace gardens without an escort. She had chosen the gardens as her first place.

The Glaceon princess was finding the day to be rather dull. Being used to the sun, the more cloudy weather of the Darkus felt strange to her. She gingerly trotted along the cobblestone road, looking left and right at the rose hedges. The leaves were a dark shade of green with black roses in full bloom, morning dew still fresh on their delicate petals. She would occasionally bring her muzzle close to these flowers and breathe in their sweet scent. The cobblestone road that served as the pathway along these rose hedges was surprisingly convenient. She came to the intersection where the path to the left and right connected to the main one that led to the iron gates. Curious to see the rest of the garden, she turned right and continued walking along, her mind still focused on the black roses around her.

This path seemed to diverge into several others, leading into the deeper parts of the garden. The more she saw, the more curious she got about the rest of the garden but decided to refrain from turning again to not get lost in this maze-like garden. Soon enough, she came to the end of the garden and found herself facing a pond.

She closed in, trying to stay behind the rocks on its bank and stared into the clear water within. Ripples formed on its surface and Glace took a step back, hesitant now but curious all the same. And then, she saw it. It was barely visible, a light shade of pink as it swam close to the surface and then dived down deeper almost instantly. Her jaw dropped as she stared hard into the water, disbelieving. It was a Luvdisc. She was sure of it. A very rare species of pokemon that could only be bred with pure love resided within the castle of a kingdom that seemed to be lacking it. Glace came closer, her eyes fixed on the pond in hopes of seeing this magnificent creature again. Sadly, she did not. The pokemon did not come up to the surface again. As difficult as it was to breed them, it was harder still to earn their trust. She clearly remembered the books saying that Luvdisc only ever respond to their caretakers. Disappointment settled in and Glace sat down close to the pond, sighing deeply at this lost opportunity.

"Lady Glace," she heard a familiar voice.

She turned around and found the Prince standing behind her. How long has he been there? She wondered as she curtsied.

"Your Highness," she said.

Knowing that Prince Skull was not the one to engage in small conversation, she expected him to leave shortly after acknowledging her. To her surprise, he walked over to her, and then sat down next to her, his own eyes on the pond now. She studied his expression and found it to be its usual cold look, eyes still unreadable.

"Fine morning, won't you agree?" he asked.

Glace was shocked beyond belief. He was actually making the effort to make conversation with her. None of her previous meetings had indicated that he was even slightly interested in anything.

"Yes, Your Highness," she agreed.

She was visibly hesitant and Prince Skull was not oblivious to it. His mere presence frightened her and though he was indifferent to her timid disposition, something urged him to try and make her feel more comfortable in his home.

"How do you like the gardens?" He asked her, not turning to look at her. Instead, he looked at her reflection in the pond.

"It's breathtakingly beautiful, your highness," she replied, sounding significantly relaxed now. "I have never seen a black rose in my life before. It is absolutely marvelous. The gardens here, it is like darkness and life in perfect harmony."

Prince Skull looked amused now, listening to the Glaceon describing his gardens. He noticed how her accent was rather refined and she spoke with the fluency of a royal, choosing her words very carefully. Her voice was soft and gentle, almost saintly and he found himself lingering longer than he had initially intended.

"Black Rose Garden," Skull said. "I named it after those exquisite roses that bloom only in darkness."

"A fine name, Your Highness." Glace replied, "Life can bloom in darkness and that is the very beauty of it."

A blush crept up on her cheeks as Glace thought about what she had just said. She figured something like this must have sounded ridiculous to the Dark Prince. This did not go unnoticed by the Darkus Prince who was still studying her through her reflection in the pond. He stayed silent, observing her. She did not turn her head away from the pond. Knowing full well what it was, Skull stood up and brought his muzzle close to the water, just close enough to not touch the surface. Her brow slightly rose as she wondered what the Umbreon Prince was trying to do. He then took a step back and sat down, his eyes on the pond once again. Just then, the surface of the water broke with a soft splash as two Luvdisc jumped out of the water and dived back into its depths.

Glace gave as a soft gasp. She watched in awe as this rare beauty of a pokemon resurfaced and began to spin around the pond in circular motions. To call it beautiful would be an understatement. The books she had read on them had not done them justice. The pair looked absolutely glorious, the very vision of love. They then began to swim in a heart shape pattern, their pink bodies blending in perfectly with the crystal blue of the water as they dived in occasionally and resurfaced, cooing softly to each other as if they were whispering the secrets of love.

"Is that what you were looking for?" Skull's voice brought her back from her thoughts.

The fact that he knew about her petty little wish surprised her and why he chose to show her the Luvdisc for her amusement was beyond her. Feeling a tad bit confident, she dared to look into his eyes and saw him blink back at her, his eyes cold as ever. However, there was something gentle about them and it was clearer now than before. Perhaps he wasn't so cold after all.

It was not something that came naturally to Prince Skull but he found himself smiling at the awestruck Glaceon. He never knew he could make her so happy with something so trivial. Being used to the demanding nature of the nobles, the idea that this Glaceon that he had rescued took pleasure is the smaller things in life amused her. She was different, far more so than he had anticipated. She had no common traits with the highborn yet spoke like one. She did not yearn for their luxurious lifestyle yet carried herself like one. She was not well bred like the greater lot of them and yet was a beauty in her frozen skin.

Glace saw his smile, the first time she had ever seen him smile and smiled back.

"Walk with me," Skull ordered and turned to walk away from the pond.

Intrigued, she willingly followed, mindful of walking behind him because she did not consider herself his equal.

"Your highness," Glace said. "If you don't mind me asking, you are the King of Darkus, are you not?"

"I am," Skull replied.

"Then why do they address you as a Prince and not a king?"

Skull sighed softly before answering.

"There is a custom," he began, "a long standing tradition that I shall only be addressed as the King when I come of age and not a moment before."

"So you became the ruler, Glace said, "before coming of age? How is that possible?"

"It has been quite a while," Skull said. "I was but an Eevee when I came to the throne."

The sudden change is his tone sent warnings to the Glaceon who decided to not inquire any further into this matter. Falling silent, she continued to follow him. Prince Skull welcomed this silence and began to think.

Flashback:

An Eevee stood near the throne of the Darkus kingdom, anxiously awaiting the arrival of his parents who had gone out to war with the Florasia kingdom. He trotted from one end to the other, ears pricked for the sound of the wooden door opening. The amount of times the Umbreon Queen and the Umbreon King had nuzzled and licked their only child had left the kid to wonder if they were ever coming back.

Some would say Skull was a spoiled prince. His mother, the Umbreon Queen, was rare beauty. She was born a Silver Eevee and upon evolution, had acquired blue rings to her husband's golden. Her husband, the king, was the strongest fighter in the land, fast on field and quick with his claws. There was a never a more beautiful couple than the two. So naturally, when the news of the new prince being born came, everyone hoped he would be a gem, just like his mother, and fierce like his father. His brown pelt and weaken body at the time of birth was a disappointment to all. Many thought he would not survive and die out in infancy. However, the King and Queen did not share their opinion.

Being the only child born of the Darkus king and queen, they loved him far more than anything else. The Queen had personally taken charge of raising her son instead of leaving him to the maids. She never let anyone near him. Under her care, Skull grew up to be a healthy pokemon. His father would occasionally take him on the journeys to other kingdom where he would teach him about their culture and ways. From his first breath, Skull had always had every one of his wishes fulfilled. Seeing as to how he was being raised, many believed that Skull would not grow up to be a good king like his father. Spoilt children seldom fit the crown, as they said. Too young to comprehend, Skull paid little attention to this incessant display of affections from his parents, his child-like mind never anticipating the hard times to come.

The Eevee heard the door being opened. He instantly turned to face the door, his beady eyes nearly tearing up as he looked out for the familiar shadow of an Umbreon. He did not see it. Instead, he saw Absol, his father's advisor, step in, his face looking grim and eyes blank. The sudden change in the atmosphere frightened the little Eevee and he began to chant the words his parents had departed with: We will always love you.

Absol stopped a few meters from the young prince, staring at the Eevee before him. Words failed him when it came to bearing the bad news of his parent's demise on the battlefield. Unable to speak, the Absol closed his eyes, sighed, and turned his head away, his blade shielding his face from the Eevee prince.

"Where are they?" Skull asked.

His expectant little voice stabbed knives into the heart of the Absol. He looked up at the prince, meeting his hopeful little eyes with his blank ones and said, "They are no more."

Skull fell to the ground and burst into tears. His tail and ears went limp and his legs failed to support his weight. The tears began to splatter on the black marble flooring of the throne room, making a soft pattering noise combined with the sniffles of the crying Eevee prince. Absol now gazed pitifully at the prince while his mind contemplated what was to come.

Absol soon learnt that he was not the only one who wanted to share the company of the future King. The room went dark and heavy winds began to howl, announcing the arrival of the deity Darkus served. A black portal appeared on the floor of the throne room, sucking in whatever was above it and then, a mysterious pokemon began to appear out of it. At first, it was only his gold plated head and blood red eyes, gleaming and boring into their souls. Then his silver body followed, shadowy black wings spreading over the walls.

"Leave," he commanded Absol. He obeyed immediately, swiftly turning and running out of the throne room, leaving the frightened Eevee to the Lord of Distortion.

This was not the first time Skull had seen Giratina but without his parents by his side, the sight of this dreadfully colossal beast scared him to death. Breathing hard with his eyes wide, the Eevee took a few hesitant steps back, his legs quivering beneath his body. He wanted to leave. He wanted to turn tails and head straight for the wooden door behind him. Sensing Skull's intentions, Giratina roared loudly, a screeching sound that rang in his ears and made his face go white with fear.

"You must take over the kingdom," he boomed, showing the rest of himself. The portal beneath him vanished and he landed on the throne room's floor, his eyes fixed on Skull and his fixed on Giratina.

The legendary was clearly not amused with the childish nonsense Skull had to show. Nor did he have any sympathy to offer to the orphaned prince.

"I-I cannot," Skull replied. "I do not know how."

His answer earned him a growl from the legendary pokemon. Skull wanted to just faint and let this fade into a dream but none of that was happening. Not tonight. Giratina brought his face close to the shivering Eevee, letting the young prince see the massive golden head. He gave a soft growl, blinking at the pokemon as if he had been nothing more than a pile of meat. Skull saw the legendary pokemon open his mouth, displaying his deadly fangs dripping with blood. A showdown ball formed under the fangs which the pokemon than fired at the defenseless Eevee.

Skull was sent flying in the opposite direction and crashed into the wall. The wall broke with the force of the attack and toppled onto his limp body. He was just a child. He wasn't fit to battle a regular pokemon, let alone a legendary. Giratina roared like a savage and swung his tail, smashing it over the broken ruble of wall. The pieces went flying from the force, Skull along with them. He crashed to the floor again, blood dripping from his forehead. The Eevee began to glow a bright white and when the light faded, an Umbreon was lying in his place. Though he had not regained consciousness, his wounds from the earlier attacks had healed with the evolution.

"Get up you pathetic little Flesh!" He snarled, leaning over to the Prince lying limp on the ground. Skull raised his head with the little strength and courage he could summon only to have Giratina roar into his face, giving him a good taste of the foul breath. He opened his heavy eyelids for one last look at the ferocious beast he would serve for the rest of his life before his fading faculties forced them closed.

"Now you are fit to rule!" Giratina boomed, his screeching roar echoing through the castle once more, making it known what the deity commanded.

He gave one last look to the unconscious Prince and then incased himself in his shadowy black wings and vanished.

Flash back ends

"Your Highness?"

Glace's voice pulled him out of his thoughts. Skull, although shaken by the memory, did not show any signs of distress to the Glaceon following.

"Yes?" he replied.

"Where are you taking me?"

"Tell me Lady Glace. Do you like to read?"

"Yes, very much so, your Highness."

"Then I shall take you to my library."

Thanks for reading!