Kamon: Littleroot Town

21st July 1593

I had spent the night in Little Root's temple that rested quietly near a river. Beyond the river were endless trees that protected the dignity of the wild. At least they were free. I still have to spend a few more wasted months in this boring old kingdom. Another moment living in Ash's shadow. I sat next to my pokemon on the bankside. Ariana's shadow hovered over me and her stiff pose was getting on my nerves.

"What if my grandsons are bastards?" Aunt Ariana asked.

I rolled my eyes to zigzagoons chasing each other on the other side. I can't believe my father is drilling such bullshit to her. I can't see Salem and Pagan being declared bastards anytime soon. I know they can both be brats, but they don't deserve any of it, and they don't deserve Cilan as a father figure. It's sickening the way those kids are banned from seeing their own father. Someone must be influencing her to do it, and I think I know exactly who it is.

"You've got nothing to worry about," I insisted. At least, she only need to cut her fears in half. You only need to look at Pagan to know that he's the son of Lance. His red hair, sharp eyes and love for dragons that he inherited from his family. Salem inherited a lot of features from Iris, but I wouldn't be surprised if he was Cilan's son. The truth is, Salem looks nothing like Lance. It's sad that the boys have to suffer, but it doesn't surprise me one bit.

"Link had to suffer too," Ariana told me. "Your father reckons that your brother is Link's great descendant, but it's the only thing I disagree with him with. However, I have to follow your father through to the end."

"And believe me," my father said as he stood on a small humble boat floating across the water. He grinned at Ariana and continued with, "Your loyalty shall be rewarded, generously."

"You must mean well," I said. It wasn't what I wanted to say, but if I dare stood up to my father in Aunt Ariana's presence she would go hysterical. It's an unpleasant sight and an even more hideous sound. I'm glad I was away when Lance's divorce procedures were taking place, it must have been chaos.

"There was no doubt their dragon empire portrayed marvelous power at their peak," Father said as he crouched back down on the corner of the boat. "Everyone turned to Lance and Iris for shelter, wealth and power. It seemed they were unstoppable. They think it's a joke that Ash is king. They find him childish." Father looked across the water and then turned to me. "But you of course know that Ash is a master of disguise. Underneath that dopey face lies traits of courage and sinister power."

Ash lacks common sense, but that doesn't mean he's stupid. When I was arrested, I managed to see Ash's true colours. I don't think Father knows Ash as well as he thinks he does. Ash may be brave and intelligent on the inside, but I wouldn't describe his power as sinister. If that was true, why would the holy legends admire him so much?

"When you are king, they will witness the true power of The Ketchums."

"I knew it." I said. If he thinks putting me as king will make everyone be prepared for his domination bullshit, then why couldn't he just put me on the throne first. I was only going to tell him how things stood. "You only put Ash first cause he was the eldest."

"And the least suspicious," Father said, and then his eyes became fixated at me. When he looks at you so sharply, you know that he means business. "You will have to sacrifice your alliances in Johto. Your cousins wish to betray you."

"Lance and Clair?" I wasn't buying it. Lance and Clair were good friends of mine, but I didn't want to admit it. Having good friends was a sign of weakness in their eyes, but for Ash it was a sign of power. Screw it! Lance and Clair are my friends and I have to stand up for them. I need to stand up for my family, but I also need to stand up to my friends. "They wouldn't..."

"Clair stole money from King Gary's treasury. They planned it all down to the detail."

"Why would they do that?" It sounded ridiculous. Gary may be richer than Lance, but he wastes all his money on rubbish. That's why Kanto's kingdom lost the French Kalos Region. Kanto's army had weak armour and the soldiers didn't train their pokemon hard enough. I remember The War Of Kalos pretty damn well. I was fighting for my friend Lance and fighting for the love of Iris.

"To frame me," Giovanni announced. "They want to destroy us Kamon."

"Why would they stoop so low?" I asked. I fought for and with Lance. His people gave me kindness where my family failed. New Bark is my hometown, I don't care if I was born in Viridian City. "They would never destroy me because I care about them."

"They sadly don't care about you. All they want is power. It wouldn't surprise me if Lance made Clair his queen."

"If Clair wanted to be Lance's queen, she would be by now." Just because Lance and Clair are cousins and enjoy the same things, it doesn't mean that they're going to get married. They're not the kind of people to jump into people's beds.

"He rapes Lord Koga's daughter." Dad just kept on going. "He throws sexual advantages over to Clair. He'll destroy anyone or anything that gets in his way."

"Xemnas made that up!" I hissed. If it was true, Janine would have been Queen by now. And I believe my aunt when she says that Lance isn't going to have another queen. Xemnas is a nasty piece of work. He claims to be Lance's humble servant, but he makes up all these lies about him. I find it hard to believe that my dad actually believes in them.

"Xemnas leads Iris' army. He wants create his own empire and call it Kingdom Hearts. You must not trust him nor any of his allies. They are possessed by Darkrai. But you are not to worry. You shall be safe as long as you follow our orders."

"I can get all three parts of the triforce," I announced.

"Triforce?" Ariana asked. Nobody apart from Lance and Ariana were suppose to know anything about it. "What does that have anything to do with this?"

"How did you find out?"

"Lance told Xemnas that the triforce parts that represent wisdom and courage are in Queen Zelda's tomb."

"And the triforce of power?"

"Lance gave it to Iris as a present." But Iris knows very little about the triforce. She once had a confrontation with Ganondorf, but he was defeated like a wuss. He could only regenerate so many times before the old age finally got to him.

"Perhaps you will be interested in Hyrule Historia. It's a book that contains lots of information about Hyrule's past. There were many princesses named Zelda but only one Queen Zelda? Just like how they were many Links, but only one King Link."

"The book should keep you out of mischief." It was Father's way of telling me to accept the book once Ariana gives it to me. I didn't need the book, but I'll have to take it if it keeps everyone off my case.

"If you wish to wake the lion," Ariana turned towards Father. "Give him fangs."

It must have been some sort of figure of speech, but I still didn't understand what my aunt meant. But I knew that Dad was going to say next. He was going to destroy Xemnas in any way possible.

"I must gather my workers in Unova and take Lord Xemnas down," Father announced just as I predicted. "We must make sure that he does not touch the triforce."