Chapter 8: The Sleeping Giants
Ash felt sweat pour down his back and braced himself as Red's sparring sword bounced off his with a well-placed parry.
"Noibat use gust!"
"Fletchling, quick attack!"
The two brothers furiously sparred with heavy wooden swords and armor intended for training while simultaneously directing their pokemon.
Charizard battled Charizard, Pikachu, Sceptile, and Lucario fought a three-way battle, and Noibat went against Ash's new Fletchling. As they trained, the rest of their party kept themselves busy too.
Bonnie played with her Dedenne and Clemont's Chespin while Clemont and his other pokemon worked on what looked like a handheld version of his cannon attached to a wooden handle.
"Just a little more, and ahh! Magnifique! I give you the hand cannon!" Clemont cried with stars in his eyes.
"Hand cannon?" Red asked as he and Ash took a moment's breather.
"Oui! It fires a small piece of iron through the air, ripping through even plate armor! Hmp, let's see what the Galar Longbowmen think of these!" Clemont aimed the hand cannon at a nearby tree and used a flintstone to lite the fuse.
Ash, Red, Bonnie, and all the pokemon covered their ears in anticipation, and as expected, the cannon exploded in Clemont's arms, leaving him covered in soot.
"Ouch."
"Ehhh, another failure, brother!" Bonnie shouted while standing over the collapsed squire.
Ash and Red shook their heads before resuming the sparring session.
"At least he's gotten his enthusiasm back." Ash said with a bit of admiration.
"Oui, if only it got him somewhere, and us for that matter." Red grunted while sweatdropping.
Eventually, the two and their pokemon stopped to replenish their thirst. After draining half his water skin, Ash offered the rest two Pikachu, who panted heavily while resting on his shoulder.
"Pika." Pikachu said appreciatively before drinking it.
"Fletch!" Fletchling chirped as he flew down and landed on Ash's now outstretched arm.
"Fletch." Fletchling chirped with an expression intended to guilt Ash, who gave him a playfully stern look.
"Fletchling, I don't have that much. You have to drink some water too."
The Fletchling gave him big anime eyes, and Ash sighed while Pikachu shook his head.
"Merde, if you weren't a pokemon." Ash sighed while taking out another waterskin, this one filled with spiced wine, and offered it to the fire-bird, who began jumping up and down in excitement before drinking.
Ash caught this Fletchling just the day before while scouting out the road ahead for Galar routiers. He trained hard but had a particular fondness for spiced wine.
"Dark pulse! Psybeam!" Ash and Pikachu heard Serena's voice bursting with passion and turned to see her practicing a new performance with Fennekin and her new Pancham.
"Cham!" From what it looked like, Pancham was learning Serena and Fennekin's style quickly and began complimenting them.
"Merde, you need me to hold onto your wine!? Honestly, Ash, you need the be sterner with your pokemon, like me." Red said, shaking his head.
Ash gave his brother a dubious look and pointed to Red's missing wineskin and then his Charizard, who eagerly drank from it. Red sweatdropped again.
"That's completely different. I let him have it of my own free will. He didn't guilt me into anything."
"droit." Ash said sarcastically before sitting down with his brother and pokemon. Red noticed Ash's impassioned expression while watching Serena's performance and couldn't help but chuckle.
"I see she's doing better." Ash eagerly nodded. Ever since her performance to the villagers three days earlier, Serena's spirits seemed as high as they'd been before the disastrous battle in the north.
"She still mourns Alexandre, but it's not crippling her anymore. She wants to keep performing wherever we go."
Red's smile faded, and he gave his younger brother a slightly stern look.
"You, of course, told her she couldn't, right?" Red wasn't sure why he asked, for he was quite positive he knew the answer.
"Why would I do that!?" Ash looked a little angry with his brother.
"Merde, Ash, you have to be sterner with her. Serena is well known to be a performer, and the whole purpose of her cutting her hair was to not get recognized. She's putting herself and the Kingdom in danger every time she performs."
"Red, you saw what her performance did for those villagers, not to mention Arnaud and his men! Imagine if she did it everywhere we went, the hope she could bring to Kalos. Plus I really think it's helping her find a sense of purpose again and come to terms with Alexandre's death. Just like us training."
Red's eyes went wide in utter disbelief.
"Tu rigoles!? Ash you don't really think we're on that journey we planned on taking before the battle, do you!? We're not here to travel Kalos and become pokemon masters. We're here to get Serena safely to Shalour City and then fight to drive out the Galar!" Red roared, standing up with a fiery expression.
Ash and his pokemon, however, didn't back down and returned his pressure.
"Red, don't you dare accuse me of not caring about Serena's fate! She's my wife! But just because things didn't turn out as we hoped doesn't mean we can't make the best of our situation! Ne mens pas, you want to become a pokemon master just as much as me!"
Red's face contorted into a conflicted expression, especially as he looked back at his pokemon, who stared at him with longing gazes.
"...It doesn't matter what I want. This is bigger than us, I'm the royal standard-bearer, and your the prince consort, we-"
"I'm not saying we abandon our duties!" Ash cried as he stood up and put his hand on Red's shoulder.
"I'm saying we don't forget who we all are! The Galar won't take that from us too! We can all still fulfill our dreams and save Kalos!" Red became curious when he saw an enthusiastic smile on his brother's face.
"What did you have in mind?"
Ash's smile grew as he turned to Serena.
"Serena can still perform to lift up the Kingdom's spirits. As for us, I think challenging our Counts would be counterproductive given the invasion. Instead, King Victor was kind enough to bring his Earls with him. I understand they're supposed to be powerful trainers too."
Ash said while stroking Pikachu's face.
Red finally smiled again and chuckled.
"Merde, leave it to my brother to find a silver lining a foreign invasion."
"Am I wrong?"
"...Non, those Earls are going down!" Red shouted, his enthusiasm returning like a raging fire as he held his fist up.
"Pour Kalos!" Ash cried.
"Pour Kalos!" Red and Ash's pokemon soon joined in, equally excited.
After finishing their morning training, Ash and Serena cleaned themselves off in a nearby river while Red scouted the area ahead for routiers.
The Princess giggled with a bright-red face as she gave her husband's muscular body a very thorough cleaning with some soap.
"Facile là, you don't want to use up all our soap." Ash chuckled.
"We can get more in Camphrier Town!" Serena exclaimed as she continued. The couple's pokemon similarly cleaned themselves off in the river, Pikachu, Pancham, Lucario, and Fletchling looking slightly uncomfortable.
Fennekin seemed less awkward and more jealous over Serena 'grooming' Ash instead of her.
"Pika." Pikachu tried to assure her. Charizard, however, seemed oddly interested in the couple's 'activities', and let out sounds of approval that became more unsettling for the other pokemon than anything Ash and Serena got up to.
"Bien! My turn!" Serena giggled as she turned her exposed backside to Ash in an intentionally seductive matter and eagerly waited. The knight didn't disappoint.
"Red should be back soon. Hopefully, he'll know if Camphrier Town is safe to enter." Serena's smile faded slightly, and she nodded.
"Oui." In her excitement, Serena had forgotten Arnaud's report that Camphrier Town and the Battle Chateau were both taken by the Galar. That certainly complicated matters, as going around the town would take considerable time.
Additionally, flying directly to Shalour was no longer an option after a run-in with some Galar routiers on Corviknights the day before during Ash, and Red's scouting nearly turned disastrous.
"What happens if there are Galar in the town?" Serena asked, slightly nervous.
"We'll find a way. We always do. Even if they've taken the down, Shabboneau Castle is supposed to be well-fortified and situated. It's possible the castle itself might've escaped capture even if the town didn't. Any Galar in the town could've only been there a few days by this point." Serena nodded, her smile slowly returning, particularly as Ash finished applying the soap in a manner that made her giggle.
"Ash!" She laughed in a playfully stern tone while turning back to face him.
"Quoi?" He said with a grin before Serena wrapped her arms tightly around the knight.
"Maybe if there aren't Galar there, the townfolk would like a performance to keep their spirits up?" Serena closed her eyes and nodded.
"Oui, and if there are?"
"Then they'll really need one." Serena cut Ash off with a long and passionate kiss.
After finishing and getting dressed, the couple and their pokemon joined the others for breakfast. Unfortunately, the look on Red's face gave them the answer they all dreaded.
"Camphrier Town." Clemont muttered, and Red nodded.
"Hélas, I saw Galar soldiers manning the walls." An uncomfortable silence took the group for a moment before Ash sat up with a determined expression.
"What about the people?"
At this, Red looked more optimistic and nodded.
"It wasn't quite like the villagers from a few days ago. Don't get me wrong, from what I saw. Those damn routiers clearly sacked the town. But most of the people and pokemon appear unharmed, for the most part. They seem to be returning to their daily lives, tending to the fields, and running their shops, under the Galar's thumbs, of course."
Serena gave a deep and mournful sigh. If the Galar were here, it definitely meant the Parfum Palace, which rested nearby, was also taken and undoubtedly despoiled by the Galar brigands. Serena had secretly hoped they could stop there for a day or two and check up on the staff as well as the home she'd had so many fond memories in.
"What do we do now?" Bonnie asked.
"What about the castle?" Ash asked.
"...I saw Galar banners flying from it." Red sighed.
"Merde!" Ash grit his teeth, and Pikachu growled.
"Wait a minute, if Lord Shabboneau was killed in the battle and the castle was captured. What about lady Allie!?" Serena muttered like a concerned mother. Ash, Red, and Clemont's eyes went wide in horror.
"Lady Allie?" Bonnie asked.
"She's Lord Shabboneau's daughter. She's not much older than you." Clemont stuttered. The young adults looked at each other with conflicted expressions before Ash stood up with stalwart determination.
"We can't just abandon her to the Galar!" Red, Clemont, and Serena's faces soon mirrored Ash's, and they nodded.
"Yay! We're going to rescue a damsel in distress!" Bonnie cried, earning sweatdrops from the others, including their pokemon.
The group carefully approached Camphrier Town, staying just off the highway to avoid detection from small parties of Galar routiers that patrolled the roads.
Eventually, they reached the town outskirts where a few hundred people and pokemon worked the fields under the watchful eye of Galar soldiers. The farmers and their pokemon only looked marginally better than the refugees from a day earlier, glancing over at their new masters with apparent resentment.
Unlike Lord Oliver's company, these Galar soldiers' painted their attire purple with yellow face paint. Many wore wigs when not wearing their helmets, while others cut their hair into mohawks, a few even making them spikes.
"Oi! What you looking at, stupid bloke!" A Galar soldier sneered as he backhanded a farmer he'd caught glaring at him.
"Rien." The man muttered before getting smacked again.
"Enough of that, stupid Sliggoo eater. You wankers speak Galar now, none of your fancy Kalos."
Red and Ash longed to come to the farmers' defense, but it would have to wait. However, before another thought reached their heads, the party and those in the field cringed as a terrible noise shook their insides.
Pikachu covered his pointed ears and groaned in agony at what sounded like the worst snoring he'd ever heard in his life. This snoring almost seemed to shake the very ground itself, and soon Ash realized its source.
Lounging about in the fields, looking extremely content, lay a dozen or so colossal Snorlax.
"Will someone shut those bloody Snorlax up!" One of the Galar soldiers groaned as he tried desperately to cover his ears. However, many of the locals seemed noticeably less bothered and stared longingly at the Snorlax.
"What should we do?" Clemont asked.
Ash looked around at the Snorlax and then back at a Galar knight who removed his helmet and began caressing his ears.
"I have an idea, but we'll have to move fast, and some of us will have to stay here." Ash turned to his Charizard with a slightly concerned look.
"Do you think you can endure those snores and fly?" Charizard nodded without hesitation and huffed confidently. Red soon understood what Ash intended and went to ask his Charizard the same question.
"Grauu!" Charizard eagerly growled.
"Lucario, Sceptile, you'll have to stay here until we get back. Keep an eye on those routiers." Ash said. Lucario and Sceptile nodded, though not enthusiastically. Neither wanted to part ways with their trainer, fearing something might happen to them and being unable to help.
Ash and Serena climbed into his Charizard's back while Red and Bonnie got onto his.
"Alright, wait for it, wait for it, now!" Both Charizards kicked off the ground a moment before the Snorlax began snoring in unison again.
"Gaaah!" The Galar routiers covered their ears and became so distracted by the intense sound that none noticed the two Charizards flying overhead.
"S'il te plaît, don't drop me!" Clemont pleaded as he hung in Red's Charizard's arms.
Serena wrapped her arms tightly around Ash and braced herself against the snores, which thankfully became more bearable as they rose higher into the air. In the distance, she saw what looked like a small castle with several farm fields around it, undoubtedly the fief of a knight who owed homage to the Lord of Camphrier Town.
Serena wondered if any of Lord Shabboneau's knights survived the battle up north and if they'd come back, what happened to them now. However, that thought soon passed as she and the others got a clear look at Camphrier town itself.
Given its proximity to the Parfum Palace, Serena visited Camphrier town in her youth and knew it was beautiful like a flower. Yet now that flower's petals appeared plucked. Galar routiers and their pokemon feasted on crop yields, bread from bakeries, and any other food in the town, all in front of hungry locals, who had to tend with whatever leftovers they tossed away.
However, food wasn't the only thing they stole. Ash, Pikachu, and Charizard all growled together when they saw Galar soldiers break into buildings and carry off whatever valuables remained, like Mandibuzz picking the last meat off a bone.
Unfortunately, many didn't stop at material possessions, and Ash nearly lost his breath when he saw a few routiers dragging pokemon away from their pleading owners.
It took everything Ash and the others had not to intervene upon seeing this, but they went onto the castle, which rested on rising rocky hills overlooking the town itself.
"Take us in." Much to their angst, they noticed Galar banners depicting a Toxtricity with a mohawk flying atop the turrets, and even from a distance, Ash recognized Galar soldiers patrolling the parapets.
Thinking fast, Ash quickly searched for a way inside without drawing attention.
"Voilà!" He pointed to a balcony on the west side with only a single guard lounging about with a sleeping Dewpider beside him.
"Fletchling, mettre le feu à sa perruque."
"Fletch!" His Fletchling flew down directly beneath the sunlight and avoided sight from the drowsy routier, who didn't notice him until it was too late.
Fletchling opened his beak and unleashed an intentionally small ember that hit the ends of the soldier's wig and lit it aflame.
"Huh? Bloody Hell!" The soldiers frantically tried to get his wig off while the Dewpider attempted to put it out. Both ran inside, clearing the balcony.
"Merveilleuse." Serena giggled as Fletchling flew back and earned more congratulations from Pikachu, Pancham, and Fennekin.
"Well done." Ash said.
Both Charizards landed on the balcony and let their passengers off, including a trembling Clemont, who hugged one of the wall corners.
"I might puke."
"Enough of that, brother, we have work to do!" Bonnie scolded him before Red covered her mouth with a stern expression.
"Shhh, we need to be quiet." She nodded and carefully followed the others inside, staying close behind Clemont. The castle interior was, interestingly enough, still quite lavish. Fine tapestries, furniture, carpets, and artwork still lined the halls.
Ash would've expected the Galar to loot the castle too, but it didn't look that way. Servants and maids still worked their duties under the watchful gaze of Galar soldiers and knights moving about. Serena noticed frightened children with women she assumed were their mothers as they passed a few chambers. They didn't look like servants, but nobles themselves, possibly guests.
Once more, Ash struggled to sit by and watch these invaders terrorize the innocent castle staff, but upon seeing a Galar soldier attempting to get too familiar with a terrified young maid, he finally snapped.
"Pikachu, Thunderbolt!"
"Pika chu!" Pikachu blasted the soldier's Linoone at the same time Ash bum-rushed the soldier from behind, slamming him into a wall. The man didn't know what hit him and tried to pull his weapon, but Ash jerked his arm back and delivered a crushing punch to the exposed face.
The maid wanted to yelp, but Red and the others quickly held up fingers to their lips, and she nodded. At the sound of approaching footsteps, Ash dragged the unconscious soldier away and shoved him into a nearby closet before anyone saw.
"Huh? I thought Bronn was down here?"
"Ehh, that damned idiot is probably hiding from Sir Vardis. I hear he challenged him to a fight again the other day."
"Really, how long did he last this time?"
"About ten seconds, I suppose. He tried all this stupid dancing and evading. Bloody idiot, fighting a knight like that. He's lucky Sir Vardis hasn't killed him by this point."
The maid exhaled deeply and bowed her head to Ash.
"Merci, monsieur."
"Have you seen the lady Allie?" Ash asked.
"Oui, she's in the main hall. But be careful Monsieur, Lord Joyce is with her."
"Lord Joyce?" Red asked.
"Oui, he's the leader of the Galar forces here."
"Merci, find somewhere safe to hide." Serena said.
The group very carefully made their way to an adjoining hallway which gave them a vantage point into the main hall. There sat a little girl, perhaps Bonnie's age, in a pink dress with fair skin, long salmon hair, and pink eyes, tremble as a Galar Knight approached her.
A groomed Furfrou growled as she stood guard in front of the little girl alongside an aging man and older maid, who similarly tried to stand between the girl and approaching Galar Knight.
The grown man wore matching colors as his men but sported a yellow cape and had his hair cut into three mohawks of different colors. Walking beside him came a pudgy Toxtricity who rubbed his plentiful stomach.
"Ahhh, there's my little Pidove." The man said with a horrible grin as he pushed past the little girl's protectors. The Furfrou tried to stop him, but his Toxtricity pushed her aside, allowing Lord Joyce to kiss the little girl's cheek.
Allie looked like she was on the verge of tears, and the group struggled to watch.
"Lord Joyce, I implore you." The old man started before Joyce backhanded him across the face.
"I wasn't talking to you, geezer. I'm the acting lord of Camphrier Town now, and very soon, I'll be the legal lord too." He chuckled while turning back to Allie.
"Now be a good little Pidove until I get back. Your fiancé has some business at the Parfum Palace."
Allie continued to tremble before Joyce and his Toxtricity departed with his guards.
"I don't want you to come back, ever! Tu es un monstre!" Allie almost sobbed. Lord Joyce turned, the yellow facepaint almost cracked with his contorting face.
Ash grabbed the hilt of his sword, and Pikachu sparked his cheeks when they saw him march back and push aside Allie's protectors before violently snatching her jaw.
Serena almost gasped, but Ash managed to place his hand over her mouth.
"You forget yourself, my little Pidove. Daddy can't protect you anymore. I made sure of that myself." An evil grin formed on Joyce's face as he raised his right hand and emphasized a ring that carried the House of Shabboneau's seal on it.
Allie couldn't contain herself anymore and broke down sobbing.
"That's what I thought. So long, my little Pidove." When Joyce and his men shut the door behind them, Serena couldn't restrain herself anymore, and she sprinted over to the lady Allie.
"Quoi?!" The older man and woman muttered in disbelief, both recognizing Serena despite her short hair.
"Shhhh! Please, don't let them know we're here." Red said, earning nods from the two guardians. Serena knelt down and wrapped her arms around the crying little girl, offering Allie warmth.
"Shhh, c'est bon, n'aie pas peur." Serena said in a motherly tone, feeling Allie's tears stream down her shoulders. The little girl raised her head enough to see Serena's face.
"Ppprincess, Serena?" She muttered between tears.
"I don't understand, Princess Serena?" The older man said in utter confusion.
"It's a long story, but we came here to see if Lady Allie was in danger. It looks like we were right." Ash sighed before turning back to the older caretakers.
"What happened here?"
The older man took a deep breath and wiped a few tears from his spectacles.
"We didn't find out about the King or Lord Shabboneau's death until a few days ago when Lord Joyce arrived to inform us. They came so fast, and we had so few fighting men to defend the town. The Galar took control before we could even blink."
"He killed my papa! He took his ring!" Allie sobbed before burying her face back in Serena's shoulder. Ash, Red, and Clemont similarly fought back raw emotion as the horrible memory of the massacre flashed back through their minds.
Serena placed her hand on Allie's cheek and gave her a consoling look.
"I understand. The Galar killed my papa too."
"And mine." Bonnie muttered, the second little girl now also on the verge of tears before Allie embraced her.
"Lord Joyce said he was Allie's fiancé. He wasn't serious, was he?" Red asked, very afraid of what he might hear. The older woman turned red in a fury and muttered something.
"Le bâtard intends to marry her so he can cement his position as lord of the town. He's also ousted the families of the landed knights from their fiefs to give them to his own knights. We've taken them in here, but what's left of our household/landed knights and soldiers languish in the dungeon."
Ash, Red, Clemont, and Serena looked at each other with conflicted expressions. They knew they couldn't leave Allie, but neither did they wish to abandon the town either.
"What can we do?" Clemont asked.
"Arnaud's company can't be too far from here. Maybe if we got word to him." Red suggested. However, Ash shook his head.
"It could take a day or two to find them and another few days to get all of them here. When does Lord Joyce intend to marry Allie?"
"Tomorrow." The older woman muttered.
"Tomorrow!"
"Pika!"
"Grauu!"
Ash grit his teeth again and tried to think.
"If we took her with us-"
"They'd punish the townsfolk." The older man said, forcing Ash to slam his fist into a nearby column.
"Merde! There must be something we can do!"
"Pika!" Pikachu shouted while pointing to a suit of display armor and then acted out what looked like someone breaking free from a
cage.
The Prince Consort then remembered what the older man said about the remaining fighting men being locked up.
"How many fighting men are left?"
"None, monsieur, they all rot in the dungeons-"
"How many are there!?" Ash shouted with a hint of impatience, making the older man jump a little.
"Thirty-five capable of bearing arms."
"And how many men does Lord Joyce have in his company?"
"No more than eighty-six or so." The older woman said before the others began to understand.
"A revolt, bien, now we're talking!" Red shouted with an eager expression. Ash and his Pokemon smiled with bursting enthusiasm the more they thought about it.
"Oui! If the townsfolk joined in, we might have a fighting chance, and yes, those Snorlax!"
Allie held onto Serena tighter, and the Princess saw a renewed agony in the little girl's eyes.
"What are all those Snorlax doing in the fields anyway?" Clemont asked.
"Those Snorlax live in the forest, but come out after we harvest our crops and dig up the roots to feast on them. They help cultivate the fields and help our new crops grow. They're actually quite wonderful pokemon, those Snorlax. But after eating, they fall into a deep sleep and don't wake up until Lord Shabboneau plays his special Pokeflute as part of a festival to celebrate the harvest."
"Parfait! If you play that flute, then the Snorlax will wake up and join our revolt!"
"Pika!"
However, Allie only began to sob harder despite the group's excitement.
"Papa! I'm sorry!" She wailed.
"What's wrong?" Serena asked in a soothing tone.
"...The Pokeflute is gone. Lord Joyce didn't consider it valuable, so he smashed it."
"Ehh!" Ash and the others gave crestfallen expressions.
"Merde!" Ash and Red both roared together in a fury while Serena covered Allie's ears, and Clemont did the same to Bonnie.
"It was our family's most precious heirloom, gifted to us over a hundred years ago by King Philip II!"
"Eh! Philip II!" Serena almost gasped as she racked her memories and nearly jumped up.
"I know that Pokeflute. There's another one!"
"Quoi!" The entire chamber shouted, including Allie.
"Oui, that flute was part of a set made by my ancestor King Philip II. He gave one to Lord Shabboneau's ancestor as a gift for his loyal service, but there's an identical one inside the Parfum Palace!"
"There, there is!" Allie cried, hope returning to her eyes.
"Damn it. Those Galar routiers probably took it by now!" Red snarled. However, the older man shook his head.
"Non, monsieur. Lord Joyce and his men haven't touched the Parfum Palace."
"Quoi!? Why wouldn't they?" Ash muttered in disbelief.
"The Parfum Palace is currently occupied by Kalos forces under one of Duke Lysandre's Barons, Lord Xerosic. They haven't let the routiers inside, and Lord Joyce isn't happy about it."
While Ash and Serena were certainly happy, the Parfum Palace hadn't been plundered, knowing Duke Lysandre's forces occupied it didn't give them much comfort either.
"If we could get inside and recover the Pokeflute, then we could wake the Snorlax and lead a revolt."
Red and Serena nodded.
"You, you'll make the Galar and Lord Joyce go away." Ash knelt down and took Allie's hands before giving her a look of utter sincerity.
"Before Reduka, my Lady. I swear we'll liberate your home." Allie's eyes swelled with tears again, and she hugged Ash tightly.
"Merci!"
When Ash rose, he turned to the others.
"Alright, Serena knows the Parfum Palace better than anyone, so here's the plan. She, Red, and I will infiltrate the Palace and recover the Pokeflute. In the meantime, Clemont, you find a way to free the prisoners."
"Oui!" Clemont nodded before smiling and adjusting his glasses.
"I have a few inventions just for the occasion." Bonnie sweatdropped.
"I hope you're not fond of your dungeons." She muttered.
"Alright, let's go!"
"Pika!"
Ash, Red, and Serena waited for another opening and then rode both Charizards west until they saw it, a massive palace just off the main road with a fortified wall around it. The Parfum palace wasn't a castle. It was a luxury estate with vibrant stained windows, vast gardens, flowing fountains, maze-like hedges, and magnificent statues of legendary pokemon and Reduka.
To Serena's relief, her family's estate wasn't in any state of disrepair, and she saw some of the staff still attending their duties in maintaining the grounds.
However, her insides tightened slightly when she saw Duke Lysandre's banners flying from the walls and dozens of his men-at-arms/knights guarding the perimeter with just as many pokemon.
"I forgot how beautiful it was." Ash said, earning a longing sigh from Serena.
"Oui set us down there." She said, pointing to a series of hedges along the left side. Both Charizards, Noibat, and Fletchling slowly came down and narrowly avoided detection from the Lysandre forces inside.
"Alright, Fletchling, see if you can get inside and let us know which hallways are patrolled."
"Fletch!" Fletchling brought up his wing as if saluting and flew off. The three sat down with their pokemon while waiting. Serena laid her head on Ash's shoulder while stroking Fennekin and Pancham, Ash doing the same with Pikachu.
"You think we might get the Palace back one day?" Serena asked in a hopeful tone. Ash smiled with his typical optimism and nodded before kissing her cheek.
"We'll need a place this big. Alexandre said he wanted a lot of grandchildren after all."
"Ash!" Serena giggled, her face turning bright scarlet while Red shook his head.
"Toi aussi."
"I suppose there'll be room for your kids to visit too. Once you and Korrina get married." Ash jested. However, Red closed his eyes and leaned back against his Charizard.
"Ahh, little brother, that's not going to work on me anymore." Ash looked slightly disappointed before Serena gave a devilish look and whispered something into his ear. The knight's grin returned, intriguing Pikachu, Charizard, Fennekin, and Pancham.
"Oui, Korrina is the heir to Shalour. I suppose she'll have many suitors. Who knows who she'll marry." Red's eyes shot open, and he finally gave the reaction Ash hoped for.
"Sur mon cadavre! I mean, she, I, gaaah!" Red growled at Ash and Serena, who snickered with their pokemon.
"Because if I want to enter, I bloody well will you stupid Sliggoo eaters!" Lord Joyce's distinct voice snapped them to attention, and they peered over to the main gate where he stood opposed to one of Lysandre's knights.
The Kalos knight stood several inches taller than Joyce and stared him down with an iron determination, his face remaining hidden behind his visor.
"Non, you will enter upon the approval of Lord Xerosic." Joyce and his men growled, each fingering their weapons as their pokemon snarled. Several Lysandre men-at-arms came out with a few pokemon and faced down the Galar routiers.
Ash and the others went quiet as they watched the tense standoff, unsure of what might happen. To their surprise, Lord Joyce flinched first and backed down.
"Please, may I see Lord Xerosic." The Lysandre Knight moved aside and led Joyce inside with his Toxtricity.
"Fletchling!" Fletchling chirped as he returned and landed on Ash's shoulder.
"You have a good idea of the layout?"
"Fletch!"
"Well done. Ready?" Serena and Red nodded. The Princess very carefully moved her hands into the shrubs and revealed a secret passage.
"Merci, great, great, grandpa for making this secret entrance." She said. However, the passageway proved too big for either Charizard.
"Sorry, Charizard, it looks like you two will have to wait here." Both sweatdropped but nodded. It took them a few minutes, but the three and their pokemon arrived inside.
The Palace interior proved no less extravagant than the exterior, with marble hallways, exemplary silk tapestries, and golden statues. Unfortunately, it seemed Lysandre's men had rummaged through the estate, turning open cases and containers. However, none of the contents were missing.
"They haven't taken anything?" Red muttered in disbelief. The group heard a few footsteps and quickly moved through a doorway. However, to Ash's relief, it was merely a maid and her Inkay.
"Terrible, just terrible." She said while trying to restore the hallway to proper order.
"Emelin!" Serena almost gasped, perhaps louder than she expected.
"Eh? Ça ne pouvait pas être!" The maid almost muttered and ran over with her Inkay.
"Princess!" Serena grabbed the maid and frantically pulled her inside as Ash and Red very carefully shut the door.
"An unsearched cabinet!" Someone shouted in an eager voice.
"Merde, rien! Ahhh, those damn maids are cleaning up again. How are we supposed to tell where we already searched!?"
"Pika." Pikachu growled when they saw a few of Lysandre men-at-arms moving past them.
"Whew." The young men exhaled in relief.
"Princess, dear Reduka, it really is you!" Emelin put her hands on Serena's face and nearly teared up.
"Bonjour, Emelin. I'm glad you're ok. What about everyone else?"
Emelin nodded.
"Everyone else is fine. Traitors or not, Lysandre's men haven't taken or molested any of us. But we'll never forgive them for what they did to our King!"
"Why are they here?" Ash asked, and Emelin sweatdropped.
"Je ne sais pas, they arrived a few days ago and began looking for something."
Ash narrowed his eyes suspiciously.
"What exactly?"
Emelin sweatdropped again.
"We have no idea. They won't tell us anything but to stay out of their way."
Ash didn't like the sound of one Lysandre's lords searching for something that clearly belonged to King Alexandre. But then again, he had to remember why they were there.
"The Pokeflute, is it still here?"
"Oui." Emelin said.
"Bien, can you help us get it?" Serena asked, earning a determined expression from the maid before she and her Inkay bowed.
"Of course, princess!"
A few minutes later, she returned with a few other servants and maids, all eager to see Serena safe. However, the reunion was cut short, and they proved the three with disguises, two servant tunics/trousers, and a maid's dress for Serena, as well as a black wig.
"How do we look?" Serena asked.
"Beautiful." Ash said, earning an intense blush from Serena while Red gave him an annoyed look.
"Ah bon? Now?"
"Pika." Pikachu said, sweatdropping with Fennekin and Pancham. Fletching and Noibat, however, found it slightly amusing.
"Well, monsieurs, you two don't look like servants. You look like chevaliers wearing servants' clothes." A servant muttered.
"...That's because they are, Louise." Emelin said sternly.
"Alright, focus. Let's get that Pokeflute." With Emelin and Serena guiding them, they moved through the halls, passing groups of Lysandre's knights and soldiers as they furiously searched for something.
"Trouve le!" The knight captain who'd escorted Joyce in roared. So far, the disguises seemed to work, as none of Lysandre's men paid them any mind. Finally, they reached a larger chamber with dozens of artifacts on display in lined up pedestals.
Roughly halfway down, they saw a very distinct-looking flute with a red and white sphere in the center.
"That's it!" Serena barely contained herself.
Ash nodded, and he carefully moved closer while Serena and the others started to clean. Ash remained calm, but Serena felt her nerves flaring up, and Emelin had to steady her trembling hand.
"Détendez-vous." Serena nodded. That was until she noticed a familiar tapestry over her.
"Princess?" Emelin asked.
"Fenn?"
"Cham?" Serena stared blankly at the artwork, which depicted three men, each holding a pokemon. The first held a Floette, the second a Bunnelby, and the third a Froakie. All three and their pokemon stood under a heavenly light with something staring down at them, a figure, neither human nor pokemon, but one that was the unmoved mover, love incarnate, and the sheer act of being.
Ash, Pikachu, and Fletchling very carefully made their way closer and closer to the flute while avoiding detection from a few of Lysandre's soldiers, who continued searching.
"Speak Galar, you damn Sliggo eater!" Lord Joyce's voice almost made Ash cringe, but he, Pikachu, and Fletchling maintained their bearing. Moments later, he glanced over at a familiar nobleman wearing a fine orangish-red jacket and matching spectacles. A huge Malamar floated beside him and gave Lord Joyce a sinister expression that matched the Lord's gaze.
Joyce began to sweat with a panicked expression, tugging at the collar of his armor, clearly regretting his words.
"If you insist I use your filthy language, very well. Why have you come here, Lord Joyce?" Xerosic asked in an unsettlingly calm tone.
"I uh, well. My boys are getting bloody antsy, is all. This Palace has enough plunder in it to buy them all castles, and you won't let us have any of it!"
Xerosic leaned in closer, making Joyce and his Toxtricity back up.
"My Lord, Lysandre, gave me a task, and I intend to complete it. There is something he desires that may be in this Palace, and we're not done searching for it."
"How much longer!?"
Xerosic gave an evil grin that matched his Malamar's.
"Soon, give us until this evening, and we'll be gone. Then you and your filthy little brigands you call soldiers can plunder it to your hedonistic hearts' delights."
"Hmp, bloody finally." Joyce and his Toxtricity turned to leave while Xerosic shook his head.
"Hmp, imbéciles. Putting their faith in gold and other material pleasures." Malamar glanced over at Ash and Pikachu, who both carefully reached for the Pokeflute but then froze.
"Hm?" Red saw this and 'accidentally' knocked over a display shield causing a commotion.
"Ahh, pardonne-moi, mon Seigneur." Red said. Xerosic didn't seem to react to this, instead, turning to the knight captain from earlier, who now approached.
"Nothing, mon Seigneur. It's not here."
Xerosic sighed.
"Quel malheur. Get the men ready to march. We've wasted enough time here."
"Oui, mon Seigneaur. What about the staff?"
"What about them?"
The captain raised his visor, and to Ash's surprise, he saw a look of genuine concern on the man's face.
"Mon Seigneaur, the maids and servants have no part in all this. They're innocent. Those filthy routiers won't show them any mercy."
Xerosic looked genuinely surprised at his captain's response and loomed over him.
"They're not innocent, Captain Raymon. Just like the rest of Kalos, they're guilty of befouling this world and will suffer their just punishment for it." Xerosic turned to leave with his Malamar, leaving the captain and his Pyroar with very conflicted expressions.
Many of Lysandre's soldiers in the room shared Xerosic's sentiment, but a few seemed to agree with Captain Raymon and looked unsure of themselves.
"Fletch!" Fletchling chirped as he nudged against Ash and emphasized the flute in his beak.
"Huh? Ahh, merci!" Ash and Pikachu had been staring at the captain with interest.
"Pika!" Pikachu nodded as Ash tightened his fist and slowly moved over to Captain Raymon.
"Ahh, excusez-moi, monsieur." Ash said as he moved past Ramyon.
"Huh? Ohh, tu vas bien." Raymon muttered, unwilling to look Ash or the other servants in the eye.
"Monsieur, what's going to happen to us when you leave?"
"...That's, that's none of my concern."
"Oui, I was just worried about what might happen to us. We've devoted ourselves to serving the Capets. Kalos has only flourished under their rule." Captain Raymon glanced up at a few tapestries depicting various Kings of Kalos, including Alexandre himself.
"We still mourn the King's death."
"It, it was necessary, Duke Lysandre is going to set Kalos right. That's what he said, and that's why he needs the key."
Ash tightened his fist but remained calm, knowing he was reaching the knight and soldiers.
"I suppose the people of Lumiose city and Camphrier Town might not see it that way." Raymon felt his Pyroar nudging against him and a tear escape his eye.
"I need to go!" The knight and his pokemon ran off.
"Ash, come on!" Red whispered as he came over.
"Huh? Oh right." Collecting Serena, they returned to the secret entrance, where she hugged Emelin tightly.
"You all need to get out of here in case our plan doesn't work." Ash said, but the staff shook their heads.
"We won't let those horrible routiers deflower the Parfum Palace." Emelin said with pure resolve.
"Don't be foolish! Your lives aren't worth it!" Serena pleaded, but Emil merely smiled.
"We have faith in you!"
Ash, Red, and Serena now felt their stomachs tighten as the pressure to succeed became worse than ever.
"Merci, we won't let you down!" Ash proclaimed.
"Pika!"
As the sun began to set, Lord Joyce gathered most of his men and pokemon in Camphrier Town's center.
"Alright, lads, those stupid wankers should be gone by now, which means the palace and its treasures are ours now!"
A horrible cheer followed as the routiers, and their pokemon eagerly anticipated what awaited them.
"Let's get rich, boys!"
"Pas aujourd'hui!" Two thunderous roars followed Ash's voice. All eyes turned to a pair of Charizards that landed in front of Lord Joyce, letting off Pikachu and two armored knights with a Fletchling and Noibat.
"In the name of Calem, Dauphin of Kalos, lay down your weapons and surrender!" Ash proclaimed, his sword outstretched.
"Pikachu!"
"Noi!"
"Fletch!"
"Grauuu!"
Joyce and his men burst out into immense laughter while the townsfolk and their pokemon watched with interest.
"Stupid wankers, you and what army!?"
Moments later, a series of explosions from inside the castle rocked the town.
"What the bloody Hell was that!?"
"Hmp, the sound of freedom!" Clemont said as he revealed himself on another road. Moments later, thirty-five men, teenagers, and older men all in armor came behind him with just as many pokemon.
"Get out of our home, voleurs!" One of the freed household knights cried.
"Oui!" Joyce almost blinked when he saw three familiar-looking knights and fifteen or so men-at-arms approach Ash and Red from behind, all of them wearing Lysandre's colors.
Captain Raymon and his Pyroar came up beside Ash and instantly recognized him despite his armor and helmet.
"Glad you came to your senses."
"May Reduka forgive us for not doing so sooner."
"Joyce!" The Galar Lord heard Allie's voice and looked over to see the little girl looking absolutely fierce as she stood with her Furfrou, Serena, and Bonnie.
"Little Pidove, what are you doing!?"
"I'm not your Pidove, and I'm never going to be your wife! Get out of my home!" Allie revealed her new Pokeflute and began playing.
"Ahhh!" The townsfolk cried in glee before the ground shook.
"What's that!?" Joyce and his men nervously looked around until they saw them. Twelve colossal and utterly ferocious Snorlax joined the defenders, two standing guard over Allie.
"Lax!" They roared.
By now, dozens of townsfolk and their pokemon began joining them, each grabbing whatever makeshift weapon they could and completing the encirclement.
"Uhhh, my Lord, what do we do?" A routier stuttered.
"Grrr, grow some bloody spines! Attack, Venoshock!"
"Tox!" Toxtricity unleashed his poison directly at Pikachu.
"Thunderbolt!"
"Pika chu!" Pikachu intercepted the incoming attack with his own, blowing it to pieces.
"Attaque!" Red cried. The fierce melee began, with Ash seeking out Lord Joyce immediately.
"Come on, then! I'm not afraid of you, Sliggoo eater!" Joyce's sword met Ash's, and the two knights exchanged a series of fierce blows.
"Poison jab!"
"Agility!"
"Pika, pika, Pika!" Pikachu masterfully evaded each of Toxtricity's incoming strokes but felt the power behind them as they went just past his body.
Ash grit his teeth slightly after repelling another one of Joyce's blows. He couldn't deny the Galar knight's strength but refused to give in. Instead, he relied on his superior skill to parry, dodge, and strike back when possible.
"Pikachu, quick attack, between his legs!"
"Pika!" Pikachu moved like a flash of lightning and struck the inside of Toxtricity's legs, making the portly pokemon grunt and lose his balance. As this happened, Lord Joyce missed Ash with a murder stroke and gave the younger knight an opening to bash his armored elbow across his arm.
"Gaah!" Joyce's sword flew from his hand, and Ash surged ahead, bashing him with the pommel of his sword and knocking the Galar knight off balance.
"Return!"
"Pika chu!" Pikachu hit Toxtricity dead in his thick gut with a move that derived its power from a pokemon's relationship with their trainer. As such, Toxtricity went flying like a ragdoll and became embedded into a stone wall with swirly eyes.
Ash similarly pressed forward again and slammed Joyce onto his back, quickly pouncing on him to prevent the Galar knight from recovering.
"Yield!" Ash commanded, holding his sword tip to Joyce's exposed face.
Joyce's face contorted in fear, and he threw both hands up.
"I yield! I yield!"
Red and Raymon also had two Galar knights at their mercy, with the rest of Joyce's company following suit.
"We won!" Bonnie cried.
"We did it!" Serena hugged her pokemon tightly but soon realized the townsfolk weren't cheering.
"Eh?"
Clemont almost yelped when he saw their expressions collectively flare-up in fiery hostility as they gazed down at the routiers, now at their mercy.
"Quoi?" Ash said similarly, confused.
"Merci, monsieur." Allie now stood over Lord Joyce with two Snorlax and an older knight beside her. Ash, Pikachu, and Joyce watched the little girl in horror as they saw pure hatred in her eyes.
"Easy, little Pidove-"
"I'm not your little Pidove! Monsieur Talebot, he killed my papa! Bring me his head!"
"Oui, ma dame!" The knight snarled, raising his sword.
"No, wait, please!" Joyce pleaded.
Ash stepped between Allie and Joyce, a very stern look on his face.
"Step aside!"
"No."
"Step aside!" Allie cried.
"This is wrong!" Ash didn't just talk to Allie but to all the townsfolk, who looked ready to massacre the unarmed routiers.
"They deserve it!"
"They're monsters!"
"They killed my papa! They killed our King!" Allie cried, tears in her eyes again. However, she felt a firm hand on her shoulder and looked up at Serena standing over her.
"Allie, I understand how you feel. I understand more than anyone. But killing them won't bring him back, only harden your heart. Allie, if you do this, it will change you forever, and not in a good way." The little girl began to break down again before Serena smiled and took out a blue iris flower.
"Have hope, Allie." As she took the flower, the townsfolk and freed soldiers began to follow their lady's example.
Raymon took a deep breath and nodded.
"It's for the best."
Red and Clemont both sighed in immense relief before the crowd cheered for their freedom and began celebrating with the Snorlax.
Raymon and his men helped the freed soldiers escort Joyce and his men away.
"We'll send word to Captain Arnaud to come and collect them. Hopefully, we can exchange them for prisoners the Galar still have."
"Oui." Ash said before feeling Raymon's hand on his shoulder.
"Merci, monsieur, for waking up our consciouses." He said as the others gave similar expressions. Ash smiled back.
"What will you do now?"
"When Captain Arnaud comes to collect them, we'll join his company! We have a lot to make up for."
That evening, Ash and the others returned to the Parfum Palace with Lady Allie as their guest. The staff gave them a very warm welcome, cooking a grand dinner, hot baths, and comfortable guest rooms.
Allie and Bonnie shared a room together, while Clemont and Red got their own. Meanwhile, Ash and Serena took the room Serena used to stay in when visiting the Palace as a child.
"Hmmm, this is merveilleuse." Serena said, savoring the feeling of a soft bed and Ash's warm body against hers as they lay in their bare skin, Pikachu and Fennekin both fast asleep at the foot of the bed.
"I'm glad we could take your home back."
"Our home!" Serena giggled before giving him a long kiss.
"I just wish we could stay a little longer." Serena sighed while resting her head on Ash's muscular chest.
"We can stay a few days. There's no rush, not with Captain Arnaud so close."
"That's true!" Serena beamed. Ash was fast asleep a few hours later, but Serena still lay awake despite their eventful day and equally eventful evening. The tapestry from earlier lingered on her mind, and she began to think back to a memory from her childhood.
Fifteen years prior, Serena and Fennekin, who was just a kit laughed as Alexandre carried them around on his shoulders in their bedroom.
"Alright, I think that's enough for tonight."
"Aww, papa!"
"No awws, mon amour. Little princesses need to sleep." Alexandre tucked Serena and Fennekin in before kissing her cheek.
"Bonne nuit, mon amour."
"Papa, can't we stay up a little longer?"
"Serena."
"What about the story from the tapesty!? Can we hear it, s'il te plait papa!" Serena and Fennekin gave him pleading eyes, and the King sighed.
"Je suis tellement faible, don't tell your mother." Serena and Fennekin sat up eagerly.
"In the ancient times, before our home was even known as Kalos, lived three brothers, the oldest, middle, and youngest. Each brother knew Reduka and knew he loved them. But none of the brothers knew how much he truly loved them. The brothers had each other, but Reduka desired them to see even a glimpse of his love for them. Thus, Reduka willed that each brother would love each other, so they did, and Reduka saw that it was good. Reduka desired the brothers to love the other creatures he placed upon the earth, thus by his will, each brother befriended a pokemon and came to love them, and Reduka saw that it was good."
After hearing the last part, Serena smiled and hugged Fennekin tighter but soon saw an oddly somber look on her father's face.
"However, as time went on, the oldest brother loved his pokemon more and more. Eventually, he loved the pokemon more than he loved his brothers and more than he loved Reduka. Thus, when the pokemon died, he wept and pleaded for Reduka to return his companion to life, but Reduka did not, for to do so would be to take the pokemon away from Reduka. Thus, the oldest brother resented Reduka and his brothers who still had their pokemon." Alexandre seemed to hesitate as he looked back at Serena.
"Maybe I should wait until you're older."
"No, papa, please!" Taking a deep breath, the King nodded.
"One night, the oldest brother saw his middle brother with his pokemon, and in an act of jealous rage, he killed them both. When Reduka saw this, he wept, for he loved the middle brother and the older brother."
"Horrified by what he'd done, the oldest brother sought to undo his mistakes. Thus he drew the power of Reduka and tried to return both his pokemon and brother back to life. But in doing so, he removed the balance of life and destruction, bringing great suffering to the world. Finally, Reduka willed for it to end, and the youngest brother confronted the oldest. At last, the horror ended. Listening to Reduka, the youngest brother reversed his brother's mistakes, but the oldest brother fled in shame and remorse, hiding from Reduka, who wept, for he loved the oldest brother."
"Papa, is this story true?" Serena asked very innocently, earning a smile from her father, who kissed the Princess's cheek.
"Oh, mon amour, it's a legend. Maybe it's true, maybe not. Only Reduka knows for certain."
Author's note
I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter so far, also from this point I'm going to try and do my best to use OC's for roles like Lord Joyce and other Galar characters/Kalos forces
Ash and Red will face down the Galar Earls as they would gym leaders, and you won't have to wait too long to see how that will play out moving forward 'wink' 'wink'
So until next time, I love hearing feedback so let me know what you guys thought, anything you'd like to see more of, or something else you might want to see moving forward
Please review, comment, suggest, or ask (VIA PM)