Chapter 1: Sons of Kalos
"Papa! Papa! Where is everyone!?" Serena whimpered as she aimlessly tried to navigate through the dense forests near route 8 of the Kingdom of Kalos.
At six years old, Serena's honey-blonde hair just reached the little girl's shoulders, while her eyes matched the sky in a light blue. She wore what should've been an excellent pink dress, now slightly ravaged by her journey through the woods.
Serena trembled in fright, terrified that she might never see her mother and father again, having gotten separated after leaving their campsite to pick some flowers from a meadow she found that morning.
Just then, the little girl heard something rustling in a nearby bush in front of her. Serena halted immediately, too scared to move, at least until the pokemon leaped out.
Serena yelped and tried to jump away but hit her knee hard on the ground and screamed in pain. Tears filled the little girl's eyes as she stared at her scraped knee through the new hole in her dress's skirt.
However, all thoughts of her discomfort vanished when she saw it. A Venipede stared right at her. The bug pokemon's eyes narrowed while an unsettling clicking noise escaped its mouth. Serena tried to run, but the pain in her leg made it too difficult, and she merely cried harder.
"I didn't even want to come on this trip! Papa!" Serena wailed at the top of her lungs, and both eyes shut tightly. The Venipede prepared to move in when another voice answered.
Serena felt a little confused when the voice reached her ears, it sounded like a boy, but he spoke words she'd never heard before, perhaps a different language. However, one word she did recognize.
"Pichu!"
Just then, the Venipede turned as she saw a very small but incredibly fierce-looking Pichu sprint towards him, his teeth grit and cheeks sparking with electricity.
The Venipede opened its mouth and released a series of poison stingers at the small electric mouse, but he dodged it before unleashing a thundershock into the bug.
"Pede!" Venipede yelped and collapsed onto its side with swirled eyes.
"Pichu!" The electric mouse cried out in victory with a very proud look on his face. Just then, Serena heard the voice again, closer this time, and saw the Pichu run towards another bush.
There, she finally saw the voice's origin. A little boy her age caught the Pichu in his arms and shared his confident smile. He was a little skinny with slightly tanned skin, thick/spikey raven black hair, and brown eyes.
The boy also wore clothes quite distinct from any Serena ever saw before. However, much like her dress, the boy's outfit looked incredibly worn with tears, dirt stains, and saltwater damage.
The boy himself looked similarly worn but still in good spirits. A deep and affectionate smile on his face as he petted his Pichu. At last, he saw Serena and said something to her in his language.
Even though Serena couldn't understand what he said, the warmth and friendliness in his voice calmed her lightly.
"Oh right, uhhh, bonjour ma dame. Am I saying that right?" He asked, finally speaking in Kalos, though not particularly well and with a heavy accent.
"Who, who are you?" Serena muttered, tears still in her eyes.
"I'm Satoshi of Masara Town, and this is my partner Pichu."
"Pichu!" The electric mouse jumped down and raced over to Serena, who began to shake again before he nudged his head against her leg. Satoshi now stood over Serena and took a closer look at her.
"Are you ok?"
Serena shook her head, tears falling from her cheeks.
"I lost my papa! I'll never see him again!" Serena sobbed.
"Hey, don't say that! My brother Aka and I also got lost from our parents! Hey, we could try to find them together! What did you say your name was?"
"Serena." She muttered.
"Ahh, nice to meet you, Serena!" Satoshi offered his hand, but Serena stared down at her injured knee.
"I hurt my knee."
"Hmm, I've got just the thing!" Satoshi took out a small silk cloth and wrapped it around Serena's injured knee like a bandage.
"Come on, let's find your papa and maybe mine too."
Serena trembled and tried to get up but fell back down.
"I can't! It hurts too much!" As tears filled her eyes again, she saw Satoshi's confident expression return.
"Don't say that! Never give up until the end! That's what my papa always says!"
"Pichu!"
Satoshi offered Serena his hand, and slowly she took it. With surprising strength, he pulled her up and into his arms. The little girl's face turned slightly red as he did so.
"You did it! Come on. My brother's not far from here!" Satoshi held Serena's hand as he helped her walk, Pichu climbing back onto his shoulder as he did so.
After a few minutes, Serena saw another boy who looked very much like Satoshi, only with slightly lighter skin and brown hair. However, their eyes and outfits matched, and beside him stood a small Charmander.
"Aka! There you are!"
"Satoshi! Don't run off like that. We already lost mama and papa!"
"Char!"
"Pichu!" The two spoke in their native language, meaning Serena didn't understand them.
"Aka, this is Serena. She's from Kalos."
"Ahh, bonjour. Sorry, our Kalos lessons didn't go so well." Aka said while sweatdropping.
"Kalos lessons?" Serena asked.
"Oui, we came from a faraway land called Kanto with our parents on a ship, but a storm hit, and we woke up on a beach with Pichu and Charmander. We've been trying to find our parents for the last day or so. But now with Serena, we can look together-" Satoshi started before the ground shook.
"Huh? What's that?" Aka asked as he, Satoshi, Charmander, and Pichu looked around. Serena, however, stopped trembling and smiled widely, believing she knew what it meant.
Just then, a dozen or so men completely encased in suits of armor charged towards them on the backs of Rhyhorn and Rapidash.
"Dieu soit loué! We found her, mon roi!" One of the knights cried. Two more knights appeared, one on a Rhyhorn, the other a rapidash. The one on rapidash carried a blue banner adorned with golden Fleur-de-lis.
The knight beside him didn't wear a face-covering helmet like the others but a golden crown upon his shoulder-length honey blonde hair with gleaming blue jewels embedded within it that matched his and Serena's eyes.
"Papa!"
"Serena!" He almost leaped down and scooped her into his arms, tears flowing down both their faces as the man kissed her cheek.
"Oh, mi amour! Don't you ever run off like that again! Do you know how scared your papa was!?" Serena hugged her father as she had never done before and only loosened her grip upon hearing Satoshi's voice.
"Bonjour, so you're Serena's papa!" He waved casually at the man over him. He and his knights each standing over six feet tall with broad shoulders and powerful bodies beneath their armor.
"You stand before King Alexandre II, King of Kalos, kneel boy." One of the knights growled.
"Oh, sorry, your majesty." Satoshi said as he and Red knelt.
"Pierre." Alexandre gave his bannerman a stern look before gazing upon the two strange boys with interest.
"Who are you boys?"
"Papa, this is Satoshi and Aka! They helped me!" Serena beamed.
"They did!?" Alexandre looked back at them with keen interest and some gratitude.
"Well, Satoshi did. I just met Serena."
Alexandre gave them a warm smile and knelt to shake their hands despite this.
"Merci, you have my thanks, Satoshi and Aka. Tell me, where are you from?"
"Kanto." Satoshi answered, and Alexandre nearly jumped up.
"Kanto!"
"The delegation." One of the knights whispered before Aka explained what happened with the storm. At that, Serena saw her father's face turn slightly pale before he muttered something under his breath.
"Can you help us find our mama and papa, your majesty?" Satoshi asked with a very innocent expression. The King took a deep breath and knelt again before looking into their eyes with utter sincerity.
"I can try. You helped my daughter, so even if we don't find them, you two can stay with us from now on."
"They can!" Serena almost shouted in excitement.
"Oui."
"Wow, merci, your majesty!" Satoshi cried.
Alexandre turned to Pierre.
"When we get back to Lumiose, ensure we have arrangements prepared for them to become pages."
"Oui, mon roi." The knight said, bowing his head.
"And one more thing. We have to call them something else. I'm never going to be able to say their names right." The King and several of his knights sweatdropped.
"Oui, hmmm." Pierre raised his visor before placing his hand against his chin while looking at Satoshi and Aka.
"How about Ash and Red?"
Alexandre looked to Satoshi, then Aka before nodding.
"Oui, that will work."
Sixteen years passed, and Ash sat atop a Charizard while adorned in a full suit of armor, blunted lance held up, and Pikachu atop his right pauldron. The same cocky expression from his childhood endured as he faced down another Charizard across from them with Red sitting on his back wearing an identical suit of armor.
"You really want to embarrass yourself again, little bro?" Red almost laughed.
"Not this time!" Ash roared alongside his Charizard while lowering the face-covering visor on his helmet.
"Pikachu!"
Red's smile widened.
"Bon." The other young man said while also lowering his visor. The two Charizards flew straight for each other, Ash's claws glowing with dragon claw's green aura, and Red's Charizard's wings angled themselves for air slash. The two knights couched their blunted lances under their arms at the last moment.
A clamorous crashing sound followed, with Ash, Pikachu, and his Charizard sent tumbling to the ground. The three gave a collective grunt upon impact, and two young squires came rushing over to check on them.
"Monsieur Ash! Monsieur Ash, are you ok?" One cried as they helped Ash and Charizard to their feet.
"Merde, I'm fine. Pikachu, Charizard?" He asked, raising his visor to look at his pokemon.
"Pika."
"Grauu." They nodded.
All around Ash, several dozen knights and young squires trained in the courtyard with their partner pokemon, jousting, sword fighting, or grappling with each other to hone their warrior skills.
"Looks like I'm still the better jouster!" Red laughed with his Charizard.
"Gruuoo." Ash felt a firm paw touch his left pauldron, and he turned to see a Lucario beside him. However, unlike a typical Lucario, this one had crimson red fur where it should've been blue.
Ash, Pikachu, Charizard, and Lucario all smiled back at Red with eager expressions.
"Peut-être, but do you care to put your single combat skills to the test?"
Red's smile faded, but his face remained determined.
"Oui!" His Charizard nervously came down and let Red off as a large Sceptile, and swift Noibat came up beside him. The two squires raced to a wooden rack, and each came back with a wooden sword. Ash and Red took them, noting they were intentionally made heavier than their metal counterparts to increase the wielder's strength.
By now, both brothers stood just over six feet tall, slightly shorter and smaller in stature than the other grown knights around them, but still incredibly muscular beneath their armor. Lowering their visors, Ash and Red-faced off, wooden swords raised.
"Pikachu, electroball, Lucario power-up punch!"
"Leaf Blade, air cutter!"
Ash and Red charged at each other at the same time their pokemon began their melee. The brothers' swords splinted and creaked with each blow as they put their great strength into each strike. Ash and Red both grabbed their weapon by the tip and began delivering more precise blows.
At one point, Red nearly landed a blow to Ash's helmet with the pommel of his sword, but his younger brother parried it at the last moment and threw all of his weight into Red. The blow managed to knock him off balance just enough for Ash to sweep his left foot behind Red's right and grapple him to the ground.
Once there, Ash seized a dagger from his belt and slit the end inside Red's visor.
"Grauuu!"
"Pika!"
"Grouuuu!" Ash's Charizard, Pikachu, and Lucario all cried out in victory while Red's pokemon sighed upon seeing him defeated.
"Looks like your form still needs work."
Red growled at his brother before Ash helped him up.
"Merveilleux, Ash, Red." Another voice said. A middle-aged knight rode over on a rapidash and raised his visor, revealing a pair of blue eyes, a blonde goatee, and a Klefki floating beside him.
"Monsieur Pierre." The two brothers tilted their heads in respect for the senior knight, who smiled at them with pride.
"Are we at least improving?" Red asked, almost nervously.
"Oui, even in your weaker areas, I see improvement in both of you and your pokemon. I have no doubt the King may even designate one of you as my replacement" The brothers and their pokemon caught their breath.
"Vraiment!? He'd make us the standard-bearers!" Ash cried. Even before their knighthoods a few years earlier, Ash and Red both took part in a few campaigns as part of Alexandre's royal entourage and entered combat on several occasions. However, to act as the King's standard-bearer was an honor reserved for only his most trusted royal knight.
"Oui. I'm afraid I'm not as young as I used to be." Pierre sighed.
"Come on, Monsieur. You're still in your forties and a far better warrior than us. We saw you take down that routier captain last month with ease." Red tried to assure him.
"Ahhh, it looked easy to you. I can assure you it was quite straining. You two are still very young and among the most promising members of his royal household knights. Besides, I intend to spend my remaining years before retirement overseeing the squires' training."
"Ahhhhhh!" A terrified shriek preceded a loud thump as a young man in a suit of armor went tumbling off a rhyhorn after a very unsuccessful joust with another squire atop a Rapidash.
"Ouch." The squire muttered as he lay flat on his back. The impact flipped his visor up, revealing a pair of grey eyes that swirled and bits of light blonde hair.
"Gaaah! You're pathetic, brother! At this rate, you'll be a squire forever!" Nearby a little girl, perhaps seven years old, with matching eyes and hair as the young man held her hands to her hips while giving the squire a fiercely stern look.
"Dede!" A small dedenne rested in a pouch on her dress.
Ash, Red, Pierre, and their pokemon all sweatdropped as a few nearby knights and squires chuckled at the fallen squire.
"...Though I'm not sure, much can be done for Clemont." Ash and Red came over to Clemont at the same time a Bunnelby, Chespin, and Luxray did.
"Are you ok?" Red asked as he and Ash offered him a hand.
Clemont slowly nodded, though his expression said otherwise. Unlike the other knights and squires, Clemont was slight in stature, scrawny, and less than imposing.
His pokemon tried to comfort him with Chespin offering Clemont a pair of round classes.
"Merci." He muttered.
"Seriously, brother! You're the same age as Monsieur Ash and Monsieur Red, but they're knights, and you're still a squire!" The little girl cried.
"Se relaxer, Bonnie, Clemont will get there one day." Ash said confidently while patting the squire's shoulder.
"Hmp, my strengths were always elsewhere! Once my inventions are complete, we may not even need knights anymore, behold!" Clemont's shy demeanor instantly became confident as he adjusted his glasses, then pulled the sheet off a large object beside him.
"Attendez, when did that get there?" Red asked slightly confused.
However, Ash, Pierre, and everyone else remained fixed on the black iron device held up on two wooden wheels before them.
"I give you the future of warfare, the cannon!" Clemont cried alongside his pokemon.
Pierre, Bonnie, Red, and everyone else in the courtyard gave the device a skeptical look, but Ash looked interested.
"What does this one do?"
"Hmp, I'm glad you asked, Ash. The cannon used gunpowder to launch a metal ball through the air great distances! Soon fortified walls and battle formations will be a thing of the past! Let me show you!" Clemont and his pokemon aimed the cannon's barrel at a training quintain no one was using.
"Luxray!" His pokemon nodded and used a bit of electricity to lite the fuse.
Ash eagerly awaited to see the cannon, but Red and Lucario pulled him away, which proved wise, for rather than firing, the cannon exploded into a cloud of darkness, leaving a trembling Clemont covered in soot.
"Ouch." He muttered while everyone, including his pokemon sweatdropped.
"Another failure, brother!" Bonnie screamed.
The training yard rested within a great citadel, and above it rose numerous towers. Inside one of these towers, Serena sat by the windowsill gazing upon those below as they trained, or rather one knight in particular.
Now a young woman, Serena's honey-blonde hair extended past the shoulders and emphasized her beauty. The Princess gazed upon Ash with a passionate expression while stroking a Fennekin resting in her lap.
"Poor Clemont." Another young woman giggled as she brushed Serena's hair. She was Serena's age with tanner skin, long brown hair that came at two tail ends, green eyes, and a Delcatty beside her.
"You mean the explosion or Bonnie?" Serena added before both young women giggled harder.
"She can be blunt, but at least she wants to see him succeed." Shauna said.
"I know. Did you see her propose to Duke Wikstrom's young sister on behalf of him?" Serena barely contained her laughter.
"That was adorable, and the look on Clemont's face. Ahhh, those two." Shauna finished brushing Serena's hair by tying the very end of it into a small ponytail.
"Voila! The Princess is ready to perform! Ooops, my bad, we still have to find you the right dress!" Serena's lady in waiting dashed to the dresser, opening it to reveal three potential dresses.
"Which one do you think?" Serena placed a hand on her chin as she considered each one.
"I think, the white and red one for me, and the blue one for you."
"Magnifique!" Shauna immediately dressed Serena.
"Do you think we'll be able to pull off that routine I grew up?" Serena asked a little nervously.
"Absolutely! I think we've worked out most of the kinks, most of them." Shauna sweatdropped a little but soon felt Delcatty purring as she nuzzled her legs.
"Fenn!" Fennekin cried out with enthusiasm making the two young women smile.
"Well, I guess we'll find out!" Serena giggled with Shauna. The lady in waiting continued knotting the back of Serena's dress when she noticed her Princess was still gazing out at the courtyard and gave a somewhat mischievous look.
"I hear rumors that Monsouir Ash might become your father's new standard-bearer soon." Serena's face turned red, much to Shauna's amusement.
"Oui, I'm glad. He's a fine knight."
"Oui, a very fine knight, so handsome and strong." Shauna barely contained her laughter upon seeing an immensely jealous look grow on Serena's face.
"Papa has told me he's skilled on the battlefield." Serena muttered, trying to sound disinterested, unsuccessfully.
"Being a household knight too, he could marry anyone he wanted. If he's named standard-bearer, they might line up-"
"Non! They wouldn't dare!" Serena roared so loud that a few knights, including Ash heard her.
"Eh?" He said, looking up.
Serena almost yelped and jumped backward, her face so red and bashful she almost looked crimson. Shauna nearly fell over in laughter, leaving her Princess to give her a cross expression.
"That's not funny!"
"I disagree!" Shauna nearly lost her breath.
Serena sighed before looking back at Ash again, the boy who came to her rescue as a little girl so many years ago and grew up with her ever since.
Upon getting dressed, the two young women and their pokemon walked through the citadel's hallways passing vibrant tapestries and artwork depicting great knights, fair maidens, pokemon and legendary pokemon.
Various maids, servants, courtiers, and guards greeted Serena as they passed by.
"The performance will be at the city square in an hour!" Shauna declared to each group.
"Ahhh! There you are!" A booming voice reached them.
Serena and Shauna almost jumped as they saw the imposing figure of Meyer approaching them. His brown hair and beard matched his eyes but contrasted his blue tunic. Even so, the tall and broad-shouldered man loomed over them like a giant.
"Bonjour, my Princess. I understand you and lady Shauna are going out to perform."
"Oui! We're going to give the people of Lumiose city the show of their life!" Serena cried, raising her fist up.
"Excellent, how late will you be? There's still matters to attend to before the King and Queen return."
Serena felt her nerves twitch, and she nervously sweatdropped.
"Oui, we'll get to it."
"Come on. You're the mayor of Lumiose. Aren't such things your duties?" Shauna asked, slightly annoyed.
"Yes, but the Princess is here too. Besides, monsieur Pierre tells me Clemont is still struggling to earn his spurs. I'll have to go instruct him myself soon." Meyer sighed.
"He has other skills!" Shauna cried, rushing to Clemont's defense.
"He's a nobleman, which means he must become a knight." Meyer insisted.
"Well, we'll let you get to that. Come on, Shauna!" Serena took her lady in waiting by the arm and pulled her away from Meyer.
"He's too hard on Clemont. We have plenty of warrior noblemen. What's wrong with letting him make inventions?" Shauna muttered indignantly.
"Well, he probably wants him to follow in his footsteps."
"He doesn't have too."
They reached the courtyard where a few pages and squires tended to a pair of rhyhorn.
"Princess!" The boys quickly bowed before Serena knelt beside her rhyhorn and stroked his head.
"Are they taking good care of you, Rhyhorn?" She asked in a warm voice.
"Rhy!" Her steed cried before licking Serena's face.
"Princess! Are you heading out?" Monsieur Pierre approached alongside Ash, Red, Clemont, Bonnie, and their pokemon.
"Oui!" Shauna cried.
"Ahh, going to do another performance?" Ash asked, making Serena beam as she nodded.
"Oui. Shauna and I have worked really hard on this one."
"Awwww! I want to see it!" Bonnie cried.
"Well, if you are going out into the city, you'll need an escort." Monsieur Pierre said.
"We've got it!" Ash assured him.
"Oui! I mean, oui, monsieur Ash and Red will do."
"No problem, we were just about done training for the day anyway." Red said before taking a swig of water.
"Very well, Clemont, you and I will continue training."
"Eh!?" Clemont trembled.
"He's right, brother. You need to improve!" Bonnie said, crossing her arms.
"Actually, we needed Clemont, didn't we." Shauna turned to Serena for backup.
"Right, we uh need him." Serena said while nervously sweatdropping.
"You do?" Ash, Red, Bonnie, Pierre, and Clemont all said together before turning to Clemont.
"I mean! Yes, they do! I made an invention that shoots colorful lights over them!" Clemont pleaded, sweat trickling down his back while Bonnie gave him a dubious look.
"Well, if the Princess needs you." A pair of squires rushed over to hand Ash and Red their sheathed swords while Pikachu climbed back onto Ash's shoulder.
"Make sure Charizard and Lucario are fed, then get some rest." Ash said the first bit to the squire and the second half to his pokemon, and all three nodded. Red gave similar instructions for him before they departed.
After a few minutes, the two knights walked on foot with Clemont beside Serena and Shauna, who rode rhyhorn, Bonnie in Shauna's lap.
The capital city of Lumiose beamed with vibrant colors from the fine wooden, stone, and even some marble buildings lining the stone streets. Blacksmiths, tailors, bakers, and other tradesmen went about their daily labors in good spirits alongside their pokemon as farmers brought in large yields with the aid of gogoats, tauros, ponyta, and rhyhorn.
"It's the princess!" A little girl shouted.
"Bonjour, your majesty!" The people greeted Serena with growing excitement, nearly making her nearly blush as she responded in kind.
Passing soldiers wielding halberds and wearing blue brigandine and kettle-helms bowed their heads to Serena while also giving courtesy to the young knights escorting her, as did the armored pokemon with them.
Bonnie nearly floated out of Shauna's lap after taking a big whiff of fresh cheese and bread just out of the oven from a few baker shops they passed.
"It smells so good!"
"Nothing like Lumiose bread." Ash said while Pikachu eagerly nodded.
"Pika!"
"Non, Kiloude City makes it better. Remember when we dealt with those routiers last year?" Red said.
"Red, it only tasted that good because we hadn't eaten since morning and spent all day fighting." Ash countered, but his brother shook his head.
"Bonnie wants some!"
Ash, Red, and Clemont felt their stomachs growl and sweatdropped, realizing that they'd missed lunch with the others by leaving training.
"...Me too." Ash muttered, holding the breastplate over his stomach while Serena and Shauna giggled.
"Come on, Clemont, let's get some. Ash stay with the
dames." Red said while waving Clemont over.
"Eh? I thought you said you liked Kiloude city's better!" Ash cried. Red shrugged.
"I said I preferred it." Bonnie leaped down beside Clemont with an eager expression as they followed Red to the nearest bakery.
"Did you two want anything?" Red asked.
"Non! We already ate earlier, and we're about to perform." Shauna said.
Ash stroked the head of Serena's rhyhorn, earning a smile from the rock pokemon.
"Pika!"
"Rhy!"
"So what's this Performance going to be like?" Ash asked, making Serena blush slightly.
"You'll just have to wait and see!"
"Awww, come on, at least give me a hint?" Ash chuckled playfully while Serena smiled widely and shook her head.
"No! I don't want to ruin the surprise!"
"That's right!" Shauna added.
"Ahhh, alright. Though I suppose it has something to do with heatwave." Serena tightened up and felt Shauna stare at her suspiciously.
"Why would you say that?"
"Well, Serena asked Charizard and me to help tutor her Fennekin to learn the move."
"Merci." Serena nervously sweatdropped as Shauna gave her a stern look.
"Geez, there goes one of the surprises!"
"Easy, she and Fennekin worked really hard to learn that move! Plus, it will still be a surprise for everyone else!" Ash spoke harsher and placed his hand on top of Serena's, more so as a reflex than anything. By the time he realized what had happened, both he and Serena blushed.
"Pika." Pikachu chuckled with Fennekin.
"Here you are, two loaves of meslin wheat and some brie." The baker said as his daughter handed Red and Clemont the food while the knight set down a few deniers.
"Ahhh! You're very pretty, miss! Would you have my brother!" Bonnie cried as she got down on one knee in front of the confused baker's daughter.
"Eh?" She and her father asked.
"Ahhh! Bonnie!" Clemont frantically seized Bonnie while nervously looking over at Shauna, who giggled.
It took a few minutes, but the party arrived at a large square in the city's center. A massive cathedral stood towering over most of the buildings with magnificent stained windows that gleamed like the sun and rainbows.
Resting atop the great church stood three statues, the legendary pokemon Xerneas and Yveltal both kneeling before another figure, neither human nor pokemon, but one that was the unmoved mover, love incarnate, and the sheer act of being.
Directly behind the cathedral rested a huge menagerie where clergymen and clergywomen tended to various pokemon within the enclosures.
Serena and Shauna both stood with their pokemon on a stage set near the cathedral and a grand fountain that displayed a tall crowned man in knight's armor, Hugh Capet, the first King of Kalos.
A massive crowd filled Lumiose's square. Hundreds of peasants, merchants, tradesmen and nobles alike adorned in vibrant colored tunics, gambesons, gowns, robes, and trousers.
"I can't wait to see their performance!" Bonnie squealed with sparkling eyes as she sat on Clemont's shoulders near the front row.
"Oui." Another warm voice said.
The squire, his sister, and both knights only then noticed another man beside them. His long black hair was darker than his gray eyes, contrasting the white bishop habit he wore.
"Your excellency-" Red started before he shook his head at them with a playful expression.
"Rien de cela! I've known you both since you were boys. Sycamore is fine." The Bishop almost laughed while stroking the head of a fletching that rested on his shoulder.
"I'm interested to see how Fennekin is growing. She seemed quite well taken care of the last time I checked in on her."
"She's been raising and training Fennekin herself. She's utterly devoted to her." Red, Bonnie, Pikachu, and Sycamore easily noticed the affection in Ash's voice and expression as he gazed at the Princess.
"With some help from a certain royal knight." Ash narrowed his eyes slightly when he saw his brother's grin.
"Aww relax, I think it shows her humility, asking for help. Just like you."
"Et toi." Ash retorted, earning a shrug from Red.
"Nothing wrong with humility, right Sycamore."
"Absolument!" Sycamore cried.
Ash felt Pikachu nudge against his neck.
"Pika!" The electric mouse pointed to Serena and Shauna as a small band began playing lutes, shawms, vielles, flutes, and drums behind the stage. They started soft and tranquil but steadily grew in energy and passion, mirroring the performers.
Serena and Shauna both smiled with the same enthusiasm and spirit that Ash and Red showed before their battle earlier. Moving in perfect synch with the music, they began dancing together, complimenting each other with increasingly intricate and complex moves that clearly required intense practice, stamina, and physical ability.
After a minute, the two put some distance between each other and allowed their pokemon to join in.
"Fenn!" Fennekin leaped up and onto Serena's arm before jumping to the other while Shauna skipped perfectly over Delcatty's dance moves.
"Charm!"
"Light screen!" Fennekin wagged her bushy tail, and within moments, six translucent screens enhanced several hearts launched by Delcatty.
"So pretty!"
"Incroyable performance!"
"Her majesty is so beautiful!" Countless voices cried out in exuberance as they took in the performance. Ash became lost in Serena's passionate performance, not just in her skill, but how much she clearly loved it.
Clemont and Red felt similarly, though not quite in the same way as Ash, at least for Serena in Clemont's case. The other knight smirked slightly when he saw Clemont lose himself to Shauna's dance.
"Ahhh, young love. So pure."
"Hmm, what about you, monsieur Red!?" Bonnie gave him a stern look catching the young knight off-guard.
"Ehh!? I uh-" He stuttered as Bonnie's fiery eyes met his.
"You're just as hopeless as my brother, and you're a royal knight! Well, no matter, I'll just have to find somewhat for you too."
"Quoi!?" Red yelped, his face turning crestfallen and pale with numerous sweatdrops.
"Now sing!"
"Heatwave!" Serena leaped up with Fennekin while Shauna did the same with Delcatty. Fennekin's fiery wind met Delcatty's musical notes and carried them around with a new burning wonder.
Both young women stuck the landing together and held their pokemon out before thunderous applause.
"Pika!"
Serena and Shauna felt an overwhelming sense of joy upon seeing how happy their performance made the people of Lumiose. But for the Princess, there was one spectator in particular whose reaction she longed to see, and when she found Ash, he didn't disappoint.
Many in the crowd tried to rush Serena and Shauna, eager for a chance to meet them up close. Red and a few nearby city guards tried to keep them from swarming the noblewomen.
"We better get out of here." Ash said as he helped Serena down from the stage.
"What and miss a chance to greet our adoring fans!" Shauna laughed before stage-diving into the crowd, who began carrying her across the city center, cheering with harmonious glee.
"Shauna!" Clemont yelped in fright while Bonnie giggled.
"You're too slow, brother. Someone else is going to get her."
"Ehhh!"
"Merde! Shauna come on!" Red growled as he led a few soldiers into the crowd to try and recover her, leaving Ash, Pikachu, and Sycamore to sweatdrop.
"Come on, let's go before they carry you off too." Ash sighed before seeing Pikachu snicker.
"Eh?" The young knight's eyes widened in understanding when he saw Serena already mounted on her rhyhorn with Fennekin.
"Au Revoir!" The Princess laughed before spurring her rhyhorn on and racing through the masses, who quickly cleared the way.
"Ehhh! Serena too!" Clemont yelped.
Red turned in time to see Serena race away and smacked his head in annoyance, that was until he took another look and felt a smile return.
"C'est mon petit frère." He laughed.
Serena, Fennekin, and Rhyhorn felt a sense of adrenaline not all that different from the performance as they raced across Lumiose city. After the exhausting routine, a cool breeze rushed across the Princess, which felt good on her sweaty skin and flowing hair.
She made her way to one of the open city gates, past traveling merchants and farmers coming in through one of the openings in Lumiose's fortified walls, protecting the city from an invading army.
"Pardonnez-nous!"
"Fenn!" Serena and Fennekin laughed as a few of the gate guards and sentry Machoke, also in armor, moved aside, all of them looking at the situation with a strange sense of amusement.
After a few more exhilarating minutes, Serena's rhyhorn reached a grassy hilltop overlooking much of Lumiose city.
"Merci, Rhyhorn." Serena exhaled while stroking the side of his head with one hand and Fennekin's with the other.
"We're all alone out here. Ash isn't going to be happy with us." Serena giggled.
"Pika!"
"Eh?" Serena and Fennekin turned around to see Pikachu sitting just behind them.
"Pikachu?" Serena muttered while noticing a broad grin on his face.
Serena and Fennekin's eyes went wide when they saw Ash handing onto the back of rhyhorn with fiery determination on his face.
"Ash." Serena muttered with a nervous sweatdrop.
"Gaaah!" Ash lunged forward, seizing Serena in his strong arms and dragging her out of Rhyhorn's saddle. Pikachu and Fennekin remained on Rhyhorn's back as Ash cushioned Serena's fall with his body but didn't let go, earning intense giggles from the Princess as she playfully tried to get free.
"Fenn." Fennkin said, shaking her head. Pikachu, however, laughed, especially when he saw Serena wrap her arms around Ash's head and bestow a passionate kiss upon his lips. The knight and Princess kept their eyes closed and melted away into each other's arms, savoring the other's company.
Another few minutes passed, and Serena cuddled up beside Ash, laying her head on his shoulder despite the armor. Rhyhorn, Pikachu, and Fennekin lay beside them, each savoring the sunlight and gentle breeze.
Ash took a wineskin from his belt and offered it to Serena.
"Merci." She said before taking a drink and offering some to Fennekin.
"Fenn!" The small fire fox eagerly took the blueberry favored drink. Ash similarly offered the wineskin to Pikachu and Rhyhorn before drinking himself.
"Thanks again for helping Fennekin learn heat wave, it really made the routine." Serena asked while stroking her pokemon's soft tail.
"It was nothing. You and Fennekin worked hard, and it paid off." Ash said before kissing her cheek. The Princess soon turned her attention to the extensive farmland in the countryside surrounding Lumiose, the peasants tending to their crops, miltanks, and gogoats.
"You won't tell Meyer I came out here, will you? He'll think I was trying to get out of my duties." She sighed.
"We can tell him you were taking account of the farm yields." Serena chuckled a little, then gazed at the parties of travelers leaving Lumiose with an almost longing expression.
The Princess became lost in a fantasy, picturing herself with Shauna and Fennekin performing for audiences across Kalos, each one more incredible than the last and every crowd more captivated.
"Dreaming again?" Ash playfully asked.
"Oui." Serena admitted with a deep sigh.
"Serena, why don't you just tell the King and Queen you want to travel Kalos and perform?"
Serena looked slightly nervous.
"I want to, I really do. But mama says I have a duty to the Kingdom. It's not that I don't care about Kalos, I just."
"Have a dream." Ash finished for her, making Serena tighten her grip on him.
"What about your dream, Ash?" Serena asked in a soft voice.
"My dream? Serena, I'm a royal knight. My duty is to serve the King and his family."
"Ash! I know you have passions too! You and Red have always loved to train your pokemon and become stronger with them!"
"Oui, Pikachu, and the others are the finest in the royal household!"
"Pika!" Pikachu confidently shouted while sparking his cheeks.
Serena's eyes lit up in inspiration as an idea came to her head.
"We could travel together! You, me, Red, Shauna, and Clemont! Us performing, and you two challenging other knights and their pokemon!"
"Oui! You would need a proper escort from royal knights!"
"Fenn!"
"Pika!"
Their excitement faded instantly as a familiar horn blast rang in the distance, followed by the clanging of Lumiose's bells. From the hilltop, Ash, Serena, and their pokemon saw a great company of knights, men-at-arms, and other retinue members riding towards the city from the north, the royal standard of the House of Capet among them.
"Mama and Papa are back, already." Serena muttered. She only then remembered her mother's promise that they'd find her a proper husband during their travel across Kalos.
Serena trembled a little and looked back at Ash before feeling his firm hand over hers.
"Come on, I'll be right beside you." Serena tried not to tear up and instead simply pulled Ash in for another long kiss.
Author's note
Yep I'm back,
It's been a while since I've made an amourshipping fic, and I thought it was time for a bit of a homecoming
Yes the name is eerily similar to my first amourshipping fic and that was on purpose. This will in many ways be a reimagining of that fic done in medieval times. However, rest assured there will be a journey, plenty of battles, performances, and fun along the way
I already have a few chapters written, but like before, I'm open to suggestions, OC's and such, in fact, I could very much use OC's particularly French (Kalos) and English (Galar) ones moving forward. But they should have a bit of a medieval flare.
So until next time,
please review, comment, suggest, or ask (VIA PM)