Chapter LXII

Stairs and arches.

Arches and stairs.

Nova and Bailey moved through the castle, the dark stone humming beneath them. She had slept for much longer than she had hoped, waking up once the sun was already beginning to rise, and yet she still felt so dizzy – the corridors and stairs looked the same, the lamps and paintings looking almost identical.

Still, though, she pushed forwards, frowning at Bailey as the Staraptor gave a low caw, stopped gliding through the hall, and instead rested its talons on her outstretched arm.

"Come on," Nova murmured. "We don't have much time until they serve mornmeal."

"…then perhaps you should have woken earlier…"

"And perhaps you should shut up."

They moved through a set of double doors, past dark wood that was carved with swirls along the walls. She'd hoped it would lead to dungeons, but instead, she found shelves – laid out like a maze, with mountains and mountains of books along them. Bound in leather and wood and leaves, some with locks and chains around them, some as thick as her hips and others as tiny as her finger.

Nova glanced down at her shadow. Then, at the bird on her shoulder.

"Are you two sure the dungeons around here?"

"…perhaps…"

"You two did go to find them last night, didn't you?"

Bailey glanced down awkwardly. Even Darkrai had no response.

"Well?"

"…the library did prove to be distracting…"

"You were supposed to look for the damned Clefable!"

Bailey cawed in protest.

"You did look, aye?"

Another caw. Stretched out, desperate.

"For five minutes?"

"…that was about when we found the library…"

"Oh, aye, you probably stayed back to read, but Bailey? Bailey doesn't even read!"

Bailey sharply glanced at her, an indignant caw rumbling from his mouth.

"What do you mean, you wanted to listen to stories? Darkrai, you read to—Bailey, you—Do I have to do everything by myself here?"

Bailey nodded. Darkrai sighed.

"…perhaps…"

Nova dug her nails into her palms and strolled through one of the narrow passages, ready to shove aside the books along the floor, ready to yank her own hair out and scream—

"Where do you think you're going?"

She froze as the voice slipped into her ears. Lucian's voice.

Forcing a smile, which felt far more like a wince, she turned. "G'mornin', Chief Lucian."

He smiled back. A tilted, curious smile. "Didn't Aaron show you where the dining chambers are?"

"He did. He was very helpful."

"Well, clearly not," he mused. "For you are not there."

Nova felt Bailey straighten up, and felt her own stomach twist. "Oh, aye, I was just…looking for the library. So I'm here now."

"You like reading?"

"…Aye?"

Lucian's smile grew wider. "Come then, let me show you some of my favourites."

She followed him as he moved towards a little wooden trolley, her eyes moving along his britches and scruffy waistcoast, lingering on the thin spectacles balanced on his nose.

"This one is great," he was telling her, his hands sliding over a blue cover. "It's about a man who saved his kingdom by finding a Pokémon named Kyogre, and asking it to bring some water to his land."

"That sounds like a great tale."

Lucian shook his head. "Oh, but it doesn't end happily. He ended up flooding his whole kingdom."

"Oh—"

"In fact, it's not even a tale. It's a real story. Surely you've read about Hoenn?"

Nova blinked slowly. "Aye. Yes. Hoenn."

"Here," Lucian said, flicking the pages open before pressing the pages of the manuscript into her own hands. "Read this passage here. It's my absolute favourite."

The gladiator stared at the words on the page. The scrawls of ink. Lines and circles. Curves and dots.

Oh, Arceus.

"It's… wonderful," she managed to mutter. "Very… exciting."

He nodded excitedly as she passed the book back. Then, seeing the way both the bird and the gladiator exchanged slight glances of wary triumph, he threw his head back and laughed.

"You can't read, can you?"

Nova felt her face burn. Felt her heart lurch. "Well—"

"The passage I gave you was simply a description of the when the writer was born."

That did it. Nova let her shoulders deflate, let herself flush.

"Nay, I don't read. I don't know how."

Lucian nodded. "Interesting. But your Darkrai does, correct?"

Nova didn't even feel surprised. She just glanced down at her dark shadow and said, "Oh, aye, Darkrai here enjoys reading."

"Alakazam saw that last night. A Darkrai reading to a Staraptor. It must be helpful having Pokémon like this Darkrai read for you."

"…at least someone shows some gratitude…"

Nova just gave a curt nod. "Darkrai does more than just read for me. In fact, I think I'd survive without learning to read."

"Oh?" Lucian snorted. "I wouldn't be too sure about that one."

The way he said it – the clipped voice, the coldness behind the words, made Nova's insides shrivel up. Even Bailey was shrinking back.

But then Lucian held his arm out, flashing her yet another grin – bemused and warm, laughing and full of wonder.

"Come," he said. "Let's go to the dining halls together. I'd hate for you to get lost."

Nova took his arm. Returned his smile, feeling the fakeness of it all ache in her cheeks.

"You are very kind, Chief Lucian."


"He's a bloody arsehole, that Chief Lucian bastard," Nova spat, in between mouthfuls of oats and cheese and broth.

Barry made a short sound, but his words were muffled by the food in his mouth. It was good – far tastier than anything they had ever had before, with actual flavour oozing out of it. Even their Pokémon had been served, filling up the grand tables, wolfing down the broth.

"And the Aaron fella confuses me, too," Nova added. "Telling us not to wear armour? Asking me to leave Darkrai behind? Before we bloody fight him? What sort of fight is that?"

Her friend shrugged. "I dunno. I've been hearing the stories, ya know. Aaron once beheaded a man who tried to poison Queen Cynthia before. Can ye believe that?"

"Behead? Why not just… chain him up?"

"And tales have it that he keeps the head beside his bed…"

Nova made a face. Even Tatiana, who had dunked some bread into the broth, paused, blinked, sniffed at her bowl, and pushed it aside. Her gladiator scowled as the bread fell onto the floor.

"Tatiana, you have to eat," she said. "You're the one fighting today, remember?"

As Tatiana sniffed at the bowl again and shook her head, Nova felt her blood turn cold.

She knew there was nothing much to think of – and yet, Tatiana being unwilling to eat just felt like a bad omen. The last time that had happened was in Canalave, and only minutes later, Maylene had been—

"Nova?"

Nova jerked up as Barry felt for her fingers. Felt the icy coldness, the sweat.

"I'm just nervous," she quickly said. "That's all."

"It'll be alright."

"I know."

He grinned down at their hands. "Besides, d'you think he sticks a fire inside the head to make it light up like them lamps you talk about?"

"Barry, that's foul."

"I'd do it."

"You don't even need lamps!"

"Aye, and?"

Nova took the broth into her hands and finished it in one gulp.

There were no Galactic Healers. No Roark.

Nothing to be worried about.

So, she just smiled at Barry and squeezed his hand.

"Let's go do this."


Nova and Barry shuffled behind her Pokémon and Hera, Barry's Heracross, a stench growing as they moved through the halls towards where Aaron had told them to go. It smelt almost like Celestic – dried herbs, fresh flowers, cut grass, rust. And as Nova swung the doors open wide, the smell washed over her.

Everywhere she looked, she saw green. Stained glass filtering in emerald light, the glass tinted with every hue – lime to dark jade to moss green. There were parchments and books scattered along the floor, and the shelves along the walls were flooded with hundreds of jars, pipes, funnels and tubes. There was even bubbling and hissing coming from within some of the bottles.

Along the centre of the room, there was a table, with six or so Wurmple crawling along it, fat and red and sleek. But before Nova could whisper about them to Barry, she heard a warm voice echo from behind the table.

"I can kill a man seven nights before he dies."

Nova glanced up. It was Aaron – looking tall and elegant, his green hair slicked back. He was wearing a robe this time, long and flowing and deep green.

"The spit of a Pokémon can be more violent than even a sword."

He held up a few chunks of biscuits, dropping them on the table with the Wurmple. The squealed as they crawled towards it, devouring it within moments.

"More cruel, too."

And as Aaron drummed his fingers against the wall – first the pinky, then the ring, then the middle, then the pointer, Nova realised that every single Wurmple on the table was now dead.

"Here's my trial," Aaron finally said, his eyes alight as he watched Nova's face turn pale. "All you have to do is tell me what poison I used to kill these Wurmple. Which Pokémon's poison did I use?"

Silence. Aaron looked at Barry and Nova, at the Pokémon, and pursed his lips. Nova watched through the corner of her eye as the Heracross muttered something to Barry about the Wurmple, the biscuits, the poison.

Finally, Barry winced and said, "Zubat?"

"No," Aaron answered.

Nova already knew that answer would be wrong – she had seen what Zubat poison did to Bebe. There had been pain. Cramping. Bloody vomiting.

She blinked in the green light, wiping at her eyes. It was foolish to think of that now – it was making it harder for her to see, harder for her to focus, harder for her to breathe…

"Roserade?" Barry tried again, covering his mouth to cough.

Nova didn't even need to hear Aaron mutter another no. She knew Roserade poison was inhaled. Not eaten.

"Dustox?" Barry tried again. "Stunky? Tentacool? Does it matter?"

Aaron smiled grimly. "Of course it matters. It may help you in the future."

Nova wiped at her lip, wet with sweat. Blinked hard. She glanced over at Barry, only to find her friend was having the same trouble breathing. His eyes were bloodshot, his chest rising and falling rapidly. And as she looked around the room, she saw that they weren't alone – the Heracross, Tric, Bailey, Owl...

Everyone except…

Aaron's voice sounded especially smug as he said, "Answer quickly."

Everyone except Tatiana.

"Shit," Nova hissed.

Tatiana had sniffed the bowl that morning. Shoved it aside.

Just like Canalave.

Just like Canalave…

Tatiana looked utterly confused as she looked around her, where the Pokémon were hyperventilating. Tric fell to the floor, clutching his chest. Rhys's lips had gone almost blue. Nova swore, and Aaron glanced over at her, brow raised.

"Something wrong, November?"

"You…" She looked at her Pokémon, now all sweating and gasping for air. "You poisoned our food!"

She saw Bailey's eyes go wide. Heard Barry curse. Felt the fear spread in her own blood like wildfire.

Aaron only leaned back against the table, arms folded.

"I did say it may help you in the future."

Nova glanced around the room, chest tightening. Heart thundering. Thinking back to everything she had done with Joy, everything they had spoken of, ignoring the rising panic around her.

Surely Joy had mentioned something like this. Somewhere… sometime…

On their way to Snowpoint…

On their way to…

"I've been studying poisons. When I wasn't working in the tavern, I was studying."

Nova looked around her. Saw Tatiana's eyes scanning the shelves. Saw Leila's lips turning blue.

"Each poison works differently, you know. Dustox poison acts within seconds, and leaves almost no mark…"

She looked to Aaron.

"Drapion poison works after a few hours, and leaves a sweat and blue lips – and you can't even taste it…"

Mind racing. Black spots swimming in her eyes.

"Drapion…" she breathed out.

At that same moment, she looked to Leila, wide eyes bloodshot.

But they both knew. They both understood.

They both remembered.

"Pecha berries work best, but Kebia berries help with the stronger poisons – like Drapion poison…"

"You get the Kebia berries," Nova hissed. "Tric, Owl, boil some water!"

Her Pokémon staggered, Leila going through the shelves weakly with her vines, Owl and Tric barely managing to crawl to a pot. Nova dragged her own arm through the shelves, looking for that damned weed she had used months ago on that Bidoof – up on tiptoes, lunging for the jar of it, yelling at Tric to hurry up and light the damned thing.

Bailey was on the ground, gasping for breath. Rhys had toppled back. Tric quickly set flame around the pot, stepping aside as a gasping and sweating Owl dumped water into the pot.

It bubbled almost immediately, but the room was swaying before Nova's eyes as she moved to search with Leila. Barry was on his hands and knees, his Heracross dropping like a rock beside him.

Aaron watched it all silently. Smiling. Not lifting a finger. Not saying a word.

Leila finally found the blue berries, stumbling and nearly falling on her way to the pot. Pouring the Kebia berries into the pot with shaking vines, there was a series of pops within the metal, blue smoke spilling from the top.

And as Nova breathed in the fumes, she found the tightness in her chest fading, the spots in her eyes disappearing. Smoke continued to billow forth, heavy and thick, sinking onto the floor.

Leila was the one who used her vines to drag the other Pokémon closer, Tatiana dragging Barry forward as well.

They were all barely moving. And Nova just stared in horror.

Blue lips. Bruised eyes. Trembling.

And as they all took in the reeking smoke, their breathing finally returned to normal. Disbelief on all their faces.

Normal lips. Wide eyes. Trembling.

Slow clapping rang out in the room. All of them turned towards Aaron, who was still leaning against his table.

"Well done," he said, looking between Nova and Barry. "You have passed my trial."

"And this… is how you test us?" Barry gasped out.

Aaron tilted his head. "Aye."

Nova still felt like she was at a loss of breath, but nonetheless, she found her voice.

"What if none of us had known what to do?" she asked. "What if we didn't know how to cure Drapion poison?"

Aaron looked at her. Drummed his fingers against the table again. Just beside a dead Wurmple.

He never answered her, even after dismissing all of them and asking them to leave.

Nova and Barry both had almost darted out of the room, rushing into Barry's sleeping chambers, the blind boy laying on his bed and gasping while the girl sat with her head between her legs. All their Pokémon were still shaking, save Tatiana, who just scowled.

They said nothing. They all just remained there, silence reigning, their hearts drumming.

"Barry is a strong fighter. He can beat anyone."

Riley hesitated, before saying, "Aye, but I don't think they would let him."

Nova hadn't realised how serious Riley had been.

These people in the castle…

They were trying to kill them. The trials had nothing to do with fighting, with proving themselves to be worthy of the queen.

All they were trying to do was find a way to kill them.

And get away with it.

Nova wiped at her face, the cold sweat slick on the back of her hand. To her relief, she saw a dark shadow slip under the door, sliding over to her, sinking into her shadow and draining all that fear away.

With one last glance at Barry, Nova nodded grimly at the shadow.

They needed to find that Clefable fast.

Then, they needed to get the hell out of there.


I did say the battles wouldn't be quite what you'd expect! There's a reason for this - I don't want it to be battle after battle after battle. I wanted some spice. So Aaron's is very short, sadly!