Kamon: Nuvema Town

31st January 1594

Someone had been following me for a long time. He followed me all the way from Hoenn to Unova when I took Father's purse to buy a gift for Iris. I had no idea who it was until I saw the silhouette of a man in a cape riding a dragonite through the twilight. I had no doubt in my mind it was Lance. He had a tendency to act like a fly on the wall.

He never confronted until the last night of January. Father had rented the temple out so he could have a meeting with his brainless slaves. He stopped me as soon as I left the shore. It was great to see him, but he makes things so awkward for me. During the New Year Festival, I caught Pagan cutting himself with a sword.

Then I found more scars. Scars from the time where he ordered Bagon to bite him till he bled. I was glad to stop him, he may be young and intelligent but his temporarily lack of common sense could have costed him his life. If that happened, Cilan would have won, and Salem is too young to stand up to himself and can easily be manipulated by him.

"Is my son telling me the truth?" Lance asked. He was serious, I know lying to him will be treason, but I tell the truth, Father's work would have been in vain. Anything that can incriminate Cilan is a step forward.

"It's his word against Cilan's," I replied. "Pagan wouldn't lie to you."

"What's wrong?"

"Just had a flashback." I thought of something to really squash Cilan down for good. "Cilan is the reason why all this has happened!" A bold statement, but I have plenty to back it up with. It didn't matter if the rumours were true or not, the circumstantial evidence is in my favour. "Cilan has ruined your life. Everything that's happened is Cilan's doing. He bewitched Iris! He slowly poisoned her father, he drove Iris to fall out with Nancy and her sons. He killed his friends, his own maid, and he sleeps with his own brothers. The fact that Pagan is being abused by him doesn't surprise me one bit. He's a parasite, and he will be the death of us if we don't get rid of him soon."

"That's enough," Lance snapped. "We'll bring him to justice. Make him pay for misleading us." He turned around and looked at me. "You too shall face justice for stealing what belongs to me."

"I'm on your side," I persisted. "I can stop Hoenn declaring war again. I can keep her safe."

"Do what you will," Lance muttered. "But you'll never have her heart because I've got that. And no matter what happens she will always be my wife. It's funny how hate Cilan so much, when you play the exact same game he did."

"This is not a game!" I barked. "These are hostile times. And you're not gonna help me, something bad will happen."

"You're right," Lance said. "Cilan will have his punishment, and you'll get yours in due time."

He wants her back, but he doesn't love her enough to do something about it. Its as if he thinks of Iris as a toy that belonged to him. She's a human being, she's my brother's friend and I've got to get her out of it.

"I know the accusations against you are false."

"What accusations?"

"The ones dad invented," I replied. "Stupid stuff like how you're a rapist and how you've been promoting warlord and traitors."

"Their lights are not all on upstairs. Goodnight." He hopped back on his dragonite and said nothing more as Lance made his way back to his homeland. I ran to the temple as I reached the entrance of the temple, I could hear father's voice.

"When my son becomes King," Giovanni announced to his brain-washed puppets, "I expect you all to serve and obey him. You will please me greatly. You will be connected to a king who will be long-time adored."

"You're expected to take certain duties on board," I told Father as I marched into the temple's hall. With each step I took, Team Rocket members would bow to me. I never thought I'd find Team Rocket as my aids. They're thick and cowardly, but I can see why my father finds them so useful if they abide by his vision.

"And sacrifices must be made," Father retaliated. "Your friendship with Lance is over."

"You cannot tell me what to do!"

"Yes I can."

"Look on the bright side," Jessie interrupted.

James jumped out from behind her. "You'll be the true king and all your children will be undisputed heirs."

"Respected and saluted!" cried perhaps the most annoying Meowth on the land.

"And the world will see you for the wonders you are." Father made it out to be so easy. He had a special way of reeling people in. "Everything has been set up for you. All you need to do is play your part and we'll play ours."

"Cilan is leaving court," I said.

"Why? Is he sick?" Meowth asked. The talking pokemon made it clear that he hadn't been paying attention to what my father was saying.

"No you fool," I replied. "We're going to arrest him. Chili and Cress too."

"Why not go all the way?"

"Because it will hurt Iris." His death will be justice, but it needs to be delivered the right way. If Cilan gets arrested, found guilty in a court of law, and then sentenced to death, it will much easier for Iris to fathom. Murdering Cilan in the middle of the night won't do us any good. It would make me look suspicious and it will make Father look suspicious too. "Expose Cilan for the rat he is and everybody gets what they want."

I never got the chance to finish my explanations, but in the end it seemed as if it didn't matter. They were all chanting as I walked out the door. Lance's spies were somewhere out there, but none of them would dare hurt me.

"LONG LIVE THE KING!"


May: Petalburg Castle

31st January 1594

"Kamon was here?" Ash bellowed. "Why didn't anybody tell me? What is he doing? Where is he now?" Ash always panicked as soon as his brother was mentioned. His anxiety attacks were getting worse by the day. Yesterday he didn't eat anything and this morning he had a litre of sake for breakfast. The sad thing about it is all I can do is comfort Ash. Whatever happens in Unova should stay there.

"I've been speaking to Cardinal Drew and Cardinal Harley," Max told Ash. "They saw Kamon buying a ring from Steven Stone's shop."

"A RING?"

"But not just any old ring," Max explained. I'm surprised Ash can hear Max. I don't think Ash can even hear himself think. "He bought the most expensive ring in the shop. "It was a silver ring and it had a sapphire shaped as a heart with a dragon's breath opal in the middle."

"I can't just stay here and pretend nothing's happening," Ash snapped. "Kamon doesn't have the money for a ring like that. Kamon's going to get himself in danger as soon as he falls out with Iris. And everyone is ganging up on Cilan for no good reason." Ash ran up to me and held onto my waist. "My friends and family are going to kill themselves through all this. May what can I do?"

"Sweetheart..." I know Ash, he's not the kind of person to sit around and wait for something to happen. He likes to take action instead of ordering people about. "The only thing I can think off is legal advice." It wasn't the best answer, but I'm sure it would help. "If Cilan or Kamon do get into trouble, then we can help them by finding the best lawyers in the world. I know that many fine lawyers are residents of Grossberg House."

"Then I can contact them?" Ash asked. "May, that's a terrific idea!"

"Oh and by the way," I said. I better tell him before I forget. "Your Dad said he was coming to us and that he would be here at seven o'clock tonight."

"I hope he does come," Ash said. "I want words with him."