Chapter 9: The Battle Chateau
Red cooled his sweat-soaked skin with cool water, fresh from route 7's river. He and Ash had just finished another morning training session with their pokemon, and the young man felt it in his aching muscles.
With the sweat finally cleared from his eyes, Red looked for Ash, only to find him with Serena on the other side of their camp. She, too, just finished up her training and now conversed with her husband.
Red smiled tenderly as he watched them. Despite everything having gone so wrong, it filled Red's heart with joy to see his brother and Serena still finding happiness with each other.
"Alright, time to try it again." Clemont said nervously as he very carefully lit the fuse on his latest hand-cannon.
"S'il vous plaît s'il vous plaît!" He pleaded, only for the device to explode just like the others, leaving him covered in soot.
"Another failure, brother." Bonnie sighed as he collapsed.
Red and his pokemon chuckled a little. Red knew Clemont wasn't a fighter, but he admired his spirit and determination despite so many setbacks. However, the knight's happiness began to fade as he looked at the remnants of the hand cannon and considered its intended use.
Two days passed since they left the Parfum Palace, and so far, they'd yet to run into any Galar Routiers. While Red was partially grateful for this, he almost began to feel slightly guilty.
Red was a Royal Knight of Kalos. It was what he'd trained virtually his entire life for and all he knew. Now, his King and partial father figure was dead, and he, his standard-bearer, wasn't actively fighting the invaders.
A part of Red longed to join Calem, Daniel, and Alain in the actual battles against King Victor or possibly join Arnaud's company. But alas, he was here while others fought for them. Red sat down beside his Charizard, who placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.
The royal knight glanced back at Ash and Serena again. It wasn't that he didn't understand the importance of keeping Serena safe. He just wished he could do more. Perhaps once they got her to Shalour City, he could. But that might mean leaving Ash, his brother, and Serena, the only family he had left. This all became more complicated as the thought of Shalour City brought someone else to mind as well.
"Korrina." He muttered.
As Red continued to stare at Ash and Serena, he began to picture himself and Korrina in their position, the two married, traveling Kalos together.
"Gaaah!" Red almost jumped up with fresh sweat growing on his brow.
"No! Concentrer!" He scolded himself. He had a duty and mission to his late King and wouldn't get distracted by such things, even if Korrina was perhaps the most beautiful woman in the world, even if she was fierce and formidable, yet devoted and loving, her long blonde hair that flowed in the wind, and deep silvery eyes that.
"Stop!" Red held his now blushing face.
Charizard and Noibat tried to ease their trainer. Sceptile nearly did the same when he glanced over at Ash's Lucario, who eagerly feasted on breakfast after a particularly intense training session. Sceptile gazed at the lucarionite on his wrist and then stared longingly at the sceptilite on his neck.
"Tile." He sighed.
Ash's Lucario heard this and glanced over at Sceptile with intrigue.
"Grouuu?"
Sceptile didn't answer at first before Lucario pressed him.
"Tile." Sceptile grumbled, a hint of jealousy in his voice as he pointed out that he was the only one among them who'd mega evolved and how he wanted to experience it.
Lucario went still for a moment and then snarled. All eyes turned to the two pokemon as Lucario sprung up and slammed Sceptile into a tree with fiery eyes.
"Lucario, what are you doing!?" Ash shouted.
"Grouu!" Lucario roared at Sceptile in a fiercely stern tone, warning him that he wasn't ready for mega evolution.
"Pika!" Ash, Pikachu, and Charizard managed to pull Lucario off Sceptile, who dismissively narrowed his eyes at the fighting pokemon. So what if he'd been unable to control himself when he mega evolved? There was no way the same thing would happen to him.
Sceptile was more than confident in his abilities and his bond with Red. The grass pokemon looked over at his trainer again and gave a longing expression. He just needed to find the right moment for it to happen.
After breakfast, the group continued down route five, passing a farming village along the way, apparently rebuilt and populated since the liberation of Camphrier town.
"No Routiers in this area? Huh, I thought the Galar controlled the Battle Chateau." Serena said after departing the village.
"I'll bet those cowards are hold up there, afraid of Arnaud!" Bonnie proclaimed, earning smiles from the others, save Red.
"Peut-être, the word is spreading of his growing strength in this area." Ash said before noticing his brother's somewhat distant expression.
"Red, are you ok?" Ash said, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"Huh!? Oh, I uh, Oui, Je vais bien." He said, sweatdropping, leaving Ash and Pikachu less than convinced.
"Pika." Pikachu muttered.
"Red, if something's bothering you, tell me. I'm your brother." Serena heard the conversation but decided not to get involved unless she had to, wanting to give the brothers space.
Red sighed, deeper this time.
"Ash, I just feel a little guilty, is all. Knowing others are fighting the Galar invasion while I linger here." Ash and Pikachu's expressions mirrored each other as they stared at Red.
"Red, a few days ago, you scolded me about remembering my duties and fulfilling our promise to Alexandre."
"I know! It's just, gaaah! I'm the royal standard-bearer. I should be riding into battle and driving the Galar from our shores! That's what a knight is supposed to do! I'm a chevalier of Kalos!"
"So am I." Ash said, earning a deeper sigh from Red.
"Red, you've done plenty of fighting. You helped defeat two routier companies. That's nothing to scoff at." Red nodded slightly.
Ash wasn't wrong, and it made the knight feel slightly better. He glanced back at his brother and felt his stomach tighten. Red didn't want to inquire about what would happen once they got Serena to Shalour because Red was afraid of the answer.
Luckily, he didn't have to, for Pikachu and the other pokemon all heard something in the distance contrasting the river's flowing water.
"What is it?" Ash asked Pikachu, who looked around.
Clemont soon heard something too and looked towards the river where a fisherman on the far bank frantically shouted something at them while pointing in the direction they were going.
"Quoi!?" Clemont shouted, but the river proved too loud. The man facepalmed and then yelled something to his Wingull.
"Pika!" Pikachu pointed ahead to some bushes where a wounded and exhausted Kirlia stumbled as she tried to get away from an unseen pursuer.
"Kirl-" The Kirlia frantically looked behind her as the group watched in horror.
"She's in trouble!" Clemont cried, and Red had a reasonable idea of who threatened her.
"There you are." A deep and intimidating voice reached them and the Galar language sent a shiver down Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie's spine.
Moments later, an enormous figure emerged from behind Kirlia. A bulky knight with a scar across his left eye, clean-shaven head, light skin tone, and piercing blue eyes loomed over Kirlia, his black and white facepaint matching his armor's and that of the monstrous Rhyperior beside him.
"Look like we've caught your dinner for tonight Rhyperior." The Galar knight grinned with an almost sadistic pleasure that his pokemon seemed to mirror.
Kirlia teared up and covered her face as the Rhyperior raised both arms up.
"Leaf blade!" Red's Sceptile dashed forward and intercepted the Rhyperior's arms with his leaf blades before shoving him back. The Galar knight pulled a longbow from his back, but it was too late. Sceptile scooped Kirlia up in his arms and raced back beside the others. Kirlia opened her eyes slightly and saw herself in Sceptile's strong arms.
"Kirl." She muttered while blushing intenselg.
"Well, what have we here? Three Kalos Sliggoo eaters by the looks of your demeanors." He said looking at Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie.
"But you two, well, yah dress like Kalos, and I can probably smell the Sliggoo on your breath, but you don't look like weak little squires."
"Hey!" Clemont shouted.
"Brother, you are a squire." Bonnie reminded him, making Clemont sweatdrop.
"Why are they always calling us Sliggoo eaters? We don't actually do that." Serena added.
Ash and Red drew their swords with fierce expressions, though Red's possessed a hint of eagerness.
"Knights then, how interesting. What are two knights, their squire, mistress and bastard doing here all alone."
"Mistress!" Serena growled, deeply offended.
"Fen!"
"Cham!"
"Bastard?" Bonnie asked, not quite understanding the Galar language.
Clemont and Serena sweatdropped.
"Well you see, Bonnie-" Clemont started.
"Oh, does he mean bâtarde?"
Clemont gave a crestfallen expression.
"Where did you hear that!?"
"It's what papa always called Duke Lysandre."
"Get back, Galar!" Ash growled, earning laughter from the knight as he drew his sword.
"Here, I was afraid I'd only have pokemon to hunt. You two just made our day."
Clemont smiled eagerly as he adjusted his glasses.
"I wouldn't be so sure, salopard. Behold the finest squire in Kalos!" In what felt like a moment, Clemont went to work and placed both Knights' suits of armor and helmets on.
"Hmp, how about that!"
"How about this." The Galar knight placed two fingers in his mouth and let out a sharp whistle. Before any of them could blink, a squad of Galar longbowmen with green face paint and gambesons flanked him, each carrying a longbow, hatchet, and a Maractus beside them.
"Sir Mercer." One said before the Galar knight pointed to the group.
"Kill them."
"As you command!" The longbowmen each drew an arrow and then unleashed a volley while the Maractus similarly let loose pin missile.
"Flamethrower!" Both Charizards unleashed a torrent of fire, engulfing the incoming pin missiles and several arrows. Pikachu turned his tail to iron and knocked away a few more incoming pin missiles while Ash and Red shielded the others with their bodies.
Two arrows struck them both, making minor dents in their armor and inflicting sharp pain from the kinetic energy.
"Ash!" Serena cried, but he merely grunted.
Lucario, Fennekin, Luxray, Bunnelby, Chespin, Pancham, and Pikachu all unleashed counterattacks at the longbowmen and their Maractus, knocking out a few of the pokemon and scattering their handlers.
"Come on then, you gits!" Sir Mercer roared at his longbowmen while charging with Rhyperior, four of the longbowmen following close behind.
Red eagerly charged Mercer, but Ash felt his heart pound while looking back at the others. That was until he saw that the fisherman's Wingull was pulling his wooden boat over to them.
"Gull!" She shouted while bringing her wing up in a salute.
"Merci! Serena, get in the boat!" The princess didn't argue and grabbed the two siblings by their hands before leading them and their pokemon towards the boat.
The remaining longbowmen tried to take aim, but Fennekin, Luxray, and Bunnelby kept unleashing ranged attacks that made the soldiers move and send their arrows far off the mark. Sceptile handed Kirlia off to Serena before joining Red in the charge on Mercer and his Rhyperior.
Both knights clashed hard, nearly knocking each other off balance. Mercer had a slight size advantage over Red, but not a decisive one, and the two exchanged a series of ferocious sword/buckler blows, with neither able to gain a clear advantage.
Sceptile, by contrast, reformed his leaf-blades and easily slashed Rhyperior's heavy arms back, earning a series of tenacious snarls from the rock pokemon, who then tried to use fire punch.
"Duel Chop!" Red shouted when he saw this. Sceptile felt slightly annoyed, as he'd hoped Red might mega evolve him to counter the new attack. But, he did as he was told, and switched his grass blades to dragon ones, which easily countered the fiery blows and allowed him to slam the Rhyperior back with his tail.
Ash, meanwhile, exchanged blows with the four longbowmen, now wielding hatches and bucklers with a few Maractus beside them.
"Pika chu!"
"Fletch!"
"Grouu!"
"Grauu!" Ash's pokemon easily kept the small grass pokemon away and prevented all four Longbowmen from attacking their trainer at once. In doing so, Ash was able to fight no more than two longbowmen at once, easily knocking their weapons array with parries before striking back.
Ash's sword sliced through part of one's gambeson, but not all the way. Even so, the strike sent the longbowmen into a stumble and allowed the knight to thrust his buckler up and into the next one's exposed face.
Blood and teeth flew when the metal shield struck flesh and avoided the man's helmet. Ash didn't give him time to recover and instantly followed up with a clean blow, decapitating the man.
"You'll die for that. You damned prat!" One of the longbowmen shouted as he tried to draw an arrow. Ash slammed his shoulder into the nearest soldier and sent him sprawling backward, then slashed hard, smashing the second longbowman's bow and severing his two drawing fingers.
"Gaaahhh!" The man seized his bleeding hand, allowing Ash to finish him with a murder stroke. By now, the two disoriented longbowmen staggered towards the knight but became easy prey, both falling within moments.
Meanwhile, Red managed to parry Mercer's sword and deliver a punishing buckler-strike to the side of his open-faced helm. Mercer stumbled backward, allowing Red to bum-rush the Galar knight and knock him onto his back.
"Get this stupid pillock!" Red grabbed his sword by the blade and readied himself to stab Mercer through the face but groaned when two longbow arrows bounced off his breastplate, creating two new dents.
Ash readied himself to aid his brother when the knight saw six more longbowmen join those already there.
"Merde! There's too many of them!"
"Pika!" Pikachu pointed to the others, who'd all gotten in the boat and kicked off.
"Red, allons-y!" Red grit his teeth in frustration, particularly as he saw the Galar knight spring back to his feet, but nodded. Both knights climbed onto the backs of their Charizard while Pikachu leaped onto Ash's shoulder, Fletchling and Noibat took off, and each Charizard grabbed Sceptile or Lucario.
Despite their passengers, both fire lizards took off and flew directly over the river, even as the Galar longbowmen loosed arrows, and their Maractus used more pin missiles.
Ash let out a sigh of deep relief with his pokemon, but Red and Sceptile both looked slightly disappointed.
"Are you guys ok?!" Ash shouted to the others below.
"Oui, but what do we do now!? If the Battle Chateau is taken, then we'll have to cross the river now-" Serena started before she and the others went silent.
Directly ahead of them, they saw the Battle Chateau, a great castle built over the river like a bridge connecting both sides. To their disbelief, Galar banners didn't fly over the castle's turrets but those of Kalos and the Countess of Santalune City.
"Quoi!?" Each shouted in utter astonishment. However, any relief such a sight brought instantly vanished when they saw several hundred Galar entrenched around the river's southern bank, clearly laying siege to the Battle Chateau.
Hundreds of tents surrounded the area with trenches and stakes dug into the immediate area in front of the Chateau's entrance. A few broken siege ladders and the charred remains of a battering rams lay near the stone bridge.
Dozens of Galar longbowmen and Maractus stood in the trenches, exchanging volleys with Kalos crossbowmen and pokemon inside the Chateau, who loosed from balconies and battlements.
Further into the camp, the Galar struggled to construct a pair of trebuchets, and Ash soon understood why. High in the air, over two-dozen Fletchinder and Talonflame harassed the engineers and clearly had achieved some success given the scorched remnants of another trebuchet nearby.
All of these firebirds were directed by a Kalos knight on a Noivern, who managed to give out orders while taking longbow and galar pokemon attacks from below. Interestingly, Ash didn't see any Galar flying pokemon among them, most of those in the camp being grass.
Red peered closer into the camp and saw several banners depicting what looked like a brown stone with a green leaf on it, clearly the sigil of their commander's house. Interestingly enough, they also saw what looked like a garden growing in the camp's center.
"The Chateau isn't lost!" Red cried, his voice booming with enthusiasm.
"Not yet!" Ash reminded his brother moments before a longbow arrow nearly struck Pikachu.
"Pikachu!" Ash seized Pikachu and wrapped him in his arms to protect the electric mouse from further harm. Red looked down and saw several boats filled with Galar longbowmen and men-at-arms pursuing them as Sir Mercer and his Rhyperior directed them from the shore.
"Chercher!" Ash shouted.
"Bunnelby, use mud shot, Chespin, Pin missile!"
Bunnelby and Chespin managed to intercept the incoming arrows while Serena and Bonnie got as low as possible.
"Kirl." Kirla moaned. Her injuries only got worse, leaving blood on Serena's clothes.
"Non! Please, don't go!" Serena cried. She set Kirlia down beside Fennekin and Pancham before furiously grabbing a paddle with Clemont.
"Paddle!" She barked, but Clemont hyperventilated.
"I'm 'huff' trying!" One of the galar boats got dangerously close, and la ongbowmen took aim.
"No!" Ash cried.
"Hmp, face my gunpowder!" Clemont roared as he adjusted his glasses and sprung up with his handcannon.
"No, Clemont, it'll fail, you'll sink the boat!" Bonnie shrieked.
"Not this time." Clemont lit the fuse, and the girls braced themselves. However, rather than exploding, the cannon blasted a small cloud of smoke out from the front and nearly sent Clemont tumbling overboard.
Luxray caught his trainer just in time, pulling him back on as Clemont breathed heavily.
"Merci." Serena looked back and saw the longbowman holding his upper chest where blood seeped into his gambeson.
"It, it worked?!"
"It worked!?" Bonnie cried.
"It worked!" Clemont held both hands up with stars in his eyes. The Galar in the boat looked terrified and frantically pulled their wounded companion back while trying to figure out what happened.
Yet before they could, a wave of crossbow bolts flew from the Chateau and struck several before a stone edge ripped the boat apart.
"Huh?" Serena only then realized that they'd reached the Chateau. Then, something emerged from an open window, at first she thought it might've been a Machamp wearing a suit of armor, but upon seeing he had only two arms, she realized in disbelief, it was a man.
"À l'intérieur!" The knight's booming voice almost sounded like Clemont's hand cannon. Reaching out, he picked up all three of them in his immense hands as if they were napkins.
An armored Pangoro quickly did the same with all of the pokemon, and within moments, Serena, Clemont, Bonnie, and the pokemon found themselves safely inside the castle.
Back outside, Ash and Red tried to find a safe place to land with the Galar attacks closing in on them when they spotted a stone platform built outside the Chateau, clearly used for pokemon battles.
"There!" Both Charizards eagerly flew down and let off their passengers.
"Grauuu!" Red's Charizard groaned, glaring slightly at Sceptile and muttered about his size.
"Tile!" Sceptile snapped back, claiming it was all muscle.
"Assez!" Red snapped at his pokemon and emphasized the approaching Galar forces, who now began disembarking on the platform.
Ash and Red lowered their visors as they prepared to make a stand.
"Vive Kalos!" The ground almost shook, and both brothers felt their hearts soar upon seeing a few squads of Kalos knights and men-at-arms burst from the Chateau to back them up.
At their head came perhaps the largest man they'd ever seen. The knight looked perhaps eight feet tall with four hundred pounds of muscle beneath his suit of armor and an equally massive armored Pangoro close behind him. Both brothers and their pokemon blinked when they saw him carrying a halberd in each hand, a weapon that typically required two hands to use, but clearly not for this chevalier.
The knight slammed into five Galar as if he used the move bulldoze and sent them all tumbling into the river.
"Vive Kalos!" Ash and Red cried before they joined the other defenders. Red's enthusiasm raged like an uncontrollable fire as he battled the Galar soldiers, quickly forgetting any sense of fatigue in his body.
The fight was quite one-sided, with the Galar attackers easily pushed back into their boats or into the river.
"Help! Please!" The Galar soldiers pleaded as their armor dragged them underwater.
"Merde!" The massive knight groaned before tossing his weapons aside and plunging both hands into the river. Moments later, he pulled two gasping longbowmen up with ease.
"Try anything, and you'll go right back into the water." He growled. The trembling soldiers nodded before tossing their daggers and hatchets into the water.
As Red and Ash's adrenaline died down, their chivalry kicked in, and they quickly joined the others in helping the drowning Galar soldiers up, their pokemon doing the same.
Red pulled a floundering man-at-arms onto the platform and watched in horror as the man coughed up half the river.
"Gaaah! I saw my whole life flash before me eyes! It was really boring." He muttered.
Red couldn't help but feel a bit of sympathy for the drenched man. However, the knight's guard rose as Noibat pointed to a dagger still on the soldier's belt.
"Your weapon!" Red growled, pointing his sword back at the frightened man, who nodded.
"Right." The Galar soldier tossed his weapon into the river then rose both hands. Red started to lower his sword when the Galar soldier convulsed.
"Gaah!" Red's eyes went wide when he saw the end of an arrow stick out of the soldier's shoulder.
"Those stupid wankers." The man stuttered as he held his shoulder and collapsed into Red's arms. The young knight could only watch in horror as he saw Mercer on the shore directing a group of longbowmen.
"He's shooting at his own men!?"
"À l'intérieur, now!" The massive knight roared as he flung four captured Galar soldiers over his shoulders and raced inside. Red was about to get up when he felt something grab his hand.
"Please, don't leave me!" The wounded Galar soldier pleaded. Gritting his teeth, the knight helped his prisoner up and into the Chateau.
"Damn it!" Mercer cursed.
"Uh, sir." One of his men nervously muttered as he emphasized an approaching figure
"Bloody Hell, my lord." The knight said while sweatdropping before the furious man standing over him.
"Mercer!"
Inside the Chateau, Red, at last, felt his fatigue catch up with him and gasped for breath, almost ripping his helmet off and watching sweat drip down.
"Bien, get these prisoners out of here." The massive knight said to a few men-at-arms waiting for them inside. A physician came to look at the wounded man Red helped, and he looked back at the knight one more time.
"Thank you." He muttered, and Red felt a strange feeling inside him as if the war suddenly stopped for a moment.
"Ash!" Serena cried as she raced over and embraced her husband.
"You're ok, thank Reduka!" Clemont panted as he came over with Bonnie.
Red looked around at the determined defenders around him and couldn't help but smile, finally feeling like he was where he should be. Sceptile, Noibat, and Charizard all grinned, seeing their trainer so happy when a familiar voice reached them.
"Kirl!" Sceptile and Red looked down at a now bandaged Kirlia as she came over.
"Oh, Kirlia, are you ok?" Red asked the psychic pokemon, who nodded before looking up at Sceptile and blushing.
"Kirl." She muttered before Sceptile placed his hand on her head, making her blushing even worse.
"Bonjour, monsieur Ash, monsieur Red. This is a bit unexpected but certainly welcome." Ash and Red both recognized the voice and turned to see none other than Countess Viola approaching them with a warm smile.
"Countess Viola!" They cried in unison.
"Ma dame, we recovered a dozen or so prisoners." The enormous knight removed his helmet to reveal a very intimidating look. Deep scars cut across what could've been a handsome face, including deep green eyes and short black hair.
"Merveilleuse, see that they're treated fairly, and hopefully, we can exchange them. Princess, monsieurs, this is my Captain, monsieur Raoul."
"Bonjour, Princess Serena, it is a privilege." Raoul said as he knelt down and kissed her hand.
"Countess Viola, it's great to see you, but we're a bit confused. We thought the Battle Chateau was lost." Viola took a deep breath and nodded.
"Oui, I can explain." She led them to the lounge esk chamber, where a servant prepared them wine, bread, and cheese.
"I apologize it's not much, but we have to ration." She said while sitting down.
"It's more than enough." Serena insisted. All of them saw unmistakeable fatigue in the Countess as if she hadn't slept in days.
"Countess, my mother, where is she?" Serena asked nervously.
"Ahh, oui. The Queen is safe, she desperately tried to get back to Lumiose when we heard what happened to the King, but I couldn't let her. Please understand-"
"We understand! If she'd come, she'd have been taken, prisoner!" Serena almost cried. Viola nodded and took a sip of wine.
"I had some of my men escort her north. That was when I heard from my husband."
"Count Grant, oui. What did he say after he and the others fled!" Red growled as painful emotions returned to him like a wildfire.
"Red!" Serena scolded the royal knight. Ash wanted to do the same but found it difficult, as he too held some resentment towards most of the high-nobles. If they'd stayed, then perhaps they could've won the battle, even with Alexandre's death and Lysandre's defection.
Viola tried to look defensive, but immense guilt tore through her already exhausted expression.
"He, he feels terrible about what he did. Grant wanted to come right back, but it was too late. By then, the Galar took Cyllage City and used it as a base to bring in more of their companies. Grant told me he was taking his troops to retake it and that I had to bring my forces to ensure the Battle Chateau wasn't lost."
"I thought it was." Ash said, earning a nod from Viola.
"Oui, we were too late to stop the Galar from ransacking route 5. But the fools left the Battle Chateau with only a skeleton garrison, and we easily retook it."
"Oui! Victory for Kalos!" Bonnie cried.
"Not quite." Viola sighed before finishing her wine.
"When I heard about Captain Arnaud and his company, I intended to link up with him, but alas, the Galar arrived and laid siege to us here."
Red and the others went silent.
"That's a big company. Who's leading it?" Red asked.
"One of King Victor's high-nobles, the Earl of Turffield. Milo, his name is, I believe."
"An Earl." Red and Ash couldn't help but chuckle a little to themselves as they thought about their renewed ambition to face the Galar Earls.
"How are things going here?" Clemont nervously asked.
"Well enough, they haven't made any significant progress, and we're well provisioned. But we haven't been able to make much progress either, nor have I gotten word from my husband." Serena understood the fear in Viola's voice and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.
Red and Ash similarly let go of any uneasy feelings about Grant now that they knew he regretted his actions and was actively working to drive out the Galar.
"Have you tried getting word to Arnaud? He can't be far, and if you could coordinate a two-pronged attack on the Galar camp-" Red started.
"Oui, I sent out a messenger a few days ago, but he hasn't returned. I have no idea if he even knows about our situation."
"Even if he doesn't, we won't let the Galar take this castle!" Red declared, standing up and slamming his fist into the table. Viola couldn't help but smile a little at Red's spirit.
"Merci, I appreciate your courage, monsieur."
"Ma dame." All eyes turned to Raoul as he entered the chamber and bowed to Serena.
"Oui?"
"Ma dame, Earl Milo is here under a flag of truce. He wishes to see you."
"Eh?" Viola muttered.
Several minutes later, Viola stood with Raoul, Ash, Red, and several other knights/men-at-arms on their side of the bridge with a few dozen crossbowmen at the ready on the parapets.
Directly across from them stood just as many Galar longbowmen, knights, and men-at-arms. Red tightened his fist when he saw Sir Mercer among them, and the Galar knight's sinister eyes met his.
However, Ash and the others kept their gazes fixed on another Galar knight. The man wore a suit of armor painted green with the camp sigil on his breastplate.
He stood almost seven feet tall with bulging muscles beneath his armor, green eyes, and peach hair. Like the others, the green paint covered the knight's otherwise innocent and oddly cordial face.
"Bonjour, Countess Viola." Earl Milo said in excellent Kalos and a warm tone that almost made the group forget he was their enemy.
"Bonjour." Viola said cautiously as she, Ash, Red, and Raoul approached with their pokemon. Milo similarly came to meet them alongside Sir Mercer, two other knights, and a Ludicolo.
Viola's Surskit and Vivillon kept a watchful eye on the Ludicolo, who merely waved back. Both high nobles sat down at a table prepared for them, and Milo began pouring tea into a delicate china cup for Viola.
"Sugar?"
"Uh, no thank you."
"As you wish." Milo poured himself some and then offered Viola a plate of crumpets.
"I apologize if they're not as sweet as you expected. Good sugar isn't easy to come by in an army camp." Viola wasn't sure how to react, nor were Red and the others.
"You wanted to talk." Viola said in a serious tone while Milo sipped on his tea.
"Yes, I suppose we should get to business, my lady. First, I wish to commend you and your men for the stiff resistance you've put up. I had hoped to take back the castle quickly, but you've delayed us far more than I ever anticipated." Milo spoke with genuine respect and admiration, something that visibly irritated sir Mercer.
"Hmp, I'm pleased we didn't disappoint you." Viola said while taking a swig of tea.
"Indeed, however, I'm afraid this siege cannot continue. I have my orders to settle this land for King Victor and cannot deal with that villain Arnaud until I have this castle."
"Villain!? You and your damned routiers are the villains!" Red couldn't contain himself, and sir Mercer reached for his sword.
"Hold!" Milo's friendly expression almost erupted into a fiery rage as he turned back to his knight, who reluctantly stood down. As the anger faded, Red watched in disbelief as he saw what looked like guilt, embarrassment, and shame in the Earl's face.
"I won't deny that many of our companies have not acted chivalrously. For that, I am sorry."
"Tell that to the men, women, children, and their pokemon who lay dead. To burned villages and-" Viola almost shouted before Milo raised his hand.
"I'm sorry! I truly am, I do not condone what our captains have done and-"
"Are still doing." Ash added, making Milo sweatdrop.
"Peace won't return to Kalos until we end this needless fighting. Once King Victor takes his place as King of Kalos, we can work together to make this Kingdom even more prosperous than it ever was before. That starts here, as soon as Arnaud is dealt with I can-"
"Peace will return to Kalos when you and your wretched King leave our home!" Viola stood up.
"You dare speak ill of our King, you daft miltank!" Sir Mercer roared.
Raoul motioned towards him before Viola raised her hand at the same time Milo did.
"Please, my lady. This bickering is getting us nowhere. As I said, you and your men have put up a spirited defense, and I have no desire to massacre the garrison should we have to take the castle by storm."
"Feel free to try. We'll see who gets massacred." Raoul growled.
"As I was saying. I have no desire for more needless death. Therefore I come with an offer." Viola and the others looked slightly intrigued.
"What kind of offer?" Viola asked cautiously.
"Single combat?" His answer caught the Kalos completely off-guard.
"Yes, I will fight in place of my men to spare their lives. Our duel will also include one pokemon each, and victory will be through death or yield. Should I win, you will surrender the castle. Should you win, my men and I will withdraw."
"And what assurances do we have on your part!?" Viola snapped.
"My honor as an Earl." Viola hesitated.
"I'd be happy to fight you in a pokemon battle, but surely you cannot expect me to fight you myself."
"Of course not. I'd be more than happy to fight a knight of your choosing." Viola grinned widely.
"Quel malheur pour toi. Monsieur Raoul." The colossal knight nodded and stepped forward before staring down at Milo, who stood almost a foot shorter than the Kalos knight.
For a brief moment, Red thought he saw fear in Milo's eyes, but he stood firm and nodded.
"Very well. We shall duel on the morrow, good sir."
"Bon." Raoul offered his hand and shook Milo's. Cheers erupted from the Battle Chateau while dread filled the Galar as they saw the immense figure of Raoul. All except Mercer, who gave a sinister grin.
"We'll see." Red didn't like the sound of that. That night, a blacksmith inside the castle repaired Ash and Red's armor while the rest of the soldiers celebrated the near end of the siege. None doubted monsieur Raoul wouldn't defeat Earl Milo, a sentiment enhanced by Serena when she treated the garrison to a performance, including tossing out her blue irises, which went over particularly well.
Monsieur Raoul didn't take much part in the celebrations. He ate a good dinner, watched Serena's performance, then went to bed early with his Pangoro.
That morning, Red and his pokemon sat near a windowsill overlooking the river, savoring its gentle rustling as it flowed beneath them like a tranquil symphony. Even the Galar camp seemed oddly quiet.
Red tried to remain optimistic about the upcoming duel and the promise of a Kalos victory. Sceptile gazed at the Galar camp with a somewhat longing expression. He'd hoped that the siege and possibility of a battle might provide adequate incentive for Red to mega evolve him, but now that didn't seem likely.
"I'm just saying, people, are starting to recognize me even with short hair. Maybe I should grow it out again."
"Bon, I like it long."
"Ash!" Serena giggled. Red and his pokemon glanced further down the hallway and saw the young couple embracing each other while Ash kissed Serena's cheek and neck.
Red couldn't help but smile a little. Despite everything that happened, it did his heart wonders to know Ash and Serena still had each other. Thinking about the end of the siege now made Red think about the future in general.
His happiness slowly vanished as the knight considered what might happen even if everything worked out exactly as they hoped it would. A Kalos victory, the Galar drove out, and Calem placed on the throne. Perhaps they'd get to finish their journey, but what then?
Red's excitement for Ash and Serena finally getting together perhaps blinded him to the deeper implications for their future. Ash and Serena wouldn't remain in the royal household, not anymore. Red was a knight of the royal household and the standard-bearer, which meant he was now sworn to Calem.
It only got worse when Red realized that such a possibility could come even sooner when they reached Shalour city. Ash wouldn't leave Serena, and he'd have to choose between staying with Ash and leaving to continue the fight.
Red's pokemon saw his face turn pale as the young knight realized that even if they won, he might be separated from Ash, his brother, and the only blood family he had left. Red couldn't imagine life without Ash. They'd been at each other's side their entire lives.
"Kirl."
"Huh!?" Red almost yelped, his heart racing fast.
"Kirlia." He and the others looked down at Kirlia, who nervously approached them, and blushed slightly when she saw Sceptile looking at her.
"Ahh, bonjour, Kirlia. Feeling any better?" Red asked, trying to distract himself from the thought of becoming permanently separated from Ash.
"Kirl." Kirlia nodded slightly, but her smile faded as she sensed Red's growing angst.
"Kirlia?"
"You see right through me, don't you." Red muttered before each of his pokemon nodded, making the knight sweatdrop.
"Je suis désolé. I just, I-"
"Kirlia!" Kirlia came closer and placed her right paw onto Red's leg before giving him a reassuring look.
"Kirlia." She added. Sceptile listened to Kirlia explain that he shouldn't worry about things too far into the future, how when Rhyperior and Mercer went after her, she was focused solely on getting away and nothing else.
"Grauu." Red's Charizard nuzzled his snout against him, trying to reassure his companion while Sceptile and Noibat joined in, making him smile a little.
"Merci, all of you. So Kirlia, what were you doing near the Galar siege camp anyway."
Kirlia's eyes narrowed, and she crossed her arms with a fierce expression.
"Kirl! Kirlia!" Sceptile, Charizard, and Noibat all looked impressed and even chuckled.
"Grauu."
"Tile." The two began acting out what Kirlia said and quickly depicted what looked like a pokemon sneaking into a camp to seal food for wild pokemon.
"Kirlia!" Kirlia growled, adding how she didn't mind Milo since he grew his own food with that new garden, but Mercer pillaged the surrounding areas, robbing the wild pokemon of their food.
Red chuckled and gave Kirlia a round of applause.
"You're very brave, Kirlia."
"Tile." Sceptile added, making her blush again.
"Gaaah! Merde! Merde!" Red almost jumped to his feet and looked out the window towards the platform where none other than monsieur Raoul and his Pangoro, both out of their armor, clutched their legs as daggers stuck out of them.
Something splashed into the water, and Red's eyes widened as he saw two unarmored men swimming away with the air of a pair of Drizzile.
"Assassins!" Red cried, and several crossbowmen raced to their stations. Yet by then, it was too late, the assassins reached the shore where Sir Mercer stood, a horrible grin across his face.
Red's blood boiled for a moment before he turned back to Raoul and sprinted out with two crossbowmen.
"Merde! My leg!"
"Pangoro!" Charizard and Sceptile helped the massive bear pokemon in while Red and the two crossbowmen did the same for Raoul.
"Physician! Physician!" Red barked out as they sat the colossal knight down on a chair. Moments later, one came sprinting in alongside Countess Viola.
"No! No! What happened!?"
"Gaaah, Je suis désolé, ma dame. Pangoro and I were readying ourselves for the duel when two Galar sprung up from the water and stabbed us. Merde!" Raoul snarled when the physician pulled out the dagger before immediately bandaging it.
The smaller man sniffed the blade and turned pale.
"Poisoned."
"Poisoned!?" Red yelped before the physician took out two Pecha berries and handed them to Raoul and Pangoro.
"Vivillon, use Aromatherapy!" Viola cried, and her butterfly pokemon quickly flapped a sparkling powder onto the knight and his companion while they ate the Pecha berries.
"Ahhhh, merci, ma dame." Raoul and Pangoro's expressions became blissful as the Aromatherapy and Pecha berries took effect.
"Well?" Viola asked the physician, who nervously looked over the knight.
"They should make a full recovery in time."
"In time, Raoul has to fight Earl Milo this morning!" Viola screamed as she grabbed the physician by the shoulders.
"What happened!?" Clemont yelped as he and Bonnie rushed over alongside dozens of equally horrified soldiers/knights.
"Quoi!?"
"Reduka, help us!"
"Treachery! Those salopards attack monsieur Raoul before the duel!" A crossbowman snarled.
"Oui, they shall pay for this!"
"How exactly, we aren't in a great position ourselves." Ash reminded the garrison, who sweatdropped.
"Don't lose hope! That Earl Milo seemed reasonable if you explain the situation to him, he might punish those responsible." Serena said.
"I'll bet he was involved!" Red shook his head.
"No, no, I don't think so. But regardless, I think he'll still insist on the duel. He's a man driven by a sense of duty just like us." Red said, and the others realized he was right.
"But, who's going to fight him now? That Earl is massive. Only Monsieur Raoul is bigger than him." A soldier muttered as he looked at the other knights among them. None of the Kalos knights were small by any means, but the tallest of them was only roughly the size of Sir Mercer.
Viola took a deep breath and stood up.
"Assemble all the knights, I have to pick someone else-"
"I'll do it." Ash, Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie froze when they heard Red's voice.
"Quoi!?" Dozens of voices cried all at once as they turned to him.
Red showed no hesitation in his face and slowly approached Viola.
"I'll fight him."
"You, you will." Viola stuttered, shaking a little.
"Oui."
"Red!" Ash sprinted over and seized his brother by the shoulders.
"T'es en colère! You want to fight him alone!"
Red smiled a little, though not arrogantly.
"You were the one who wanted to face the Galar Earls. Here's our chance."
"Red, this is serious! You're a master jouster, but-"
"I can hold my own in a duel! I beat Calem unless you've forgotten. I can handle this Earl."
Pikachu mirrored Ash's concern, but the Prince Consort almost looked furious.
"No! I'll face him."
"Ash!" Serena gasped. She certainly didn't want Red facing him either, but the thought of losing Ash was beyond terrifying. Red seized Ash's arms and pulled them off him before returning his brother's intense gaze.
"No, you won't, le frérot. This is my fight. The royal standard-bearer for Kalos will fight for his Kingdom!" Red smiled again alongside his pokemon.
"It's our duty."
"Vive Kalos!" A soldier cried.
"Vive Kalos!" The cried echoed.
"Vive Red!" Bonnie added.
Ash felt his stomach tighten before Serena took his hand.
Several minutes later, Red stood in his repaired armor alongside Viola and dozens of men from the garrison at the edge of the stone battlefield.
Earl Milo approached on a boat alongside a dew dozen of his men, including Mercer. Much to Red's amusement, he saw a massive black-eye on the knight's face and a piece of frozen meat over it to reduce the swelling.
Earl Milo glared at his knight before stepping onto the battlefield alongside his armored Ludicolo. The lord's rage faded into deep shame as he approached Viola.
"Bonjour, ma dame. How's monsieur Raoul?" He asked in utter sincerity.
"He'll be fine, though I'd be more concerned about your honor, Earl Milo. I suppose deceit and underhanded tactics are the only way Galar can get ahead." Viola growled.
"Please, I did not intend for this to happen. Sir Mercer can sometimes get carried away with his devotion to our King." Milo snarled at Mercer, who looked away with a scornful expression.
"I swear on my honor as a knight and lord of Galar that this is not what I intended. If I could face your champion now, I would, but alas, I still have my orders to take this castle and must insist you designate an alternate."
"She has." Red said. He showed no fear but felt slightly nervous as he took in lord Milo's imposing figure.
"This is monsieur Red of the Royal Household, King Alexandre's standard-bearer."
Earl Milo's smile widened with an eager expression.
"Yes! Yes, that's more like it! I humbly accept you as my challenger, good knight." He extended his hand, which Red shook, and felt the man's overwhelming strength.
"My Ludicolo will join me. Who will you use?"
"Tile!" Sceptile, who also wore his armor, stepped forward beside Red.
"A Sceptile! Excellent choice!"
"May Reduka be with you." Viola kissed Red's cheek before stepping back beside Ash and the others.
"Red, do your best!" Bonnie and Serena cried.
"Kirl!" Kirlia added.
Ash kept an anxious but supportive look towards his brother, who smiled and lowered his visor.
"Tile." Sceptile said, nudging Red and indicating his Sceptilite.
Red chuckled and shook his head.
"No, Sceptile, we can't risk something going wrong." Sceptile sighed but nodded, immensely disappointed.
Clemont looked back at sir Mercer with a suspicious look and waved a few crossbowmen over.
"Comment aimeriez-vous, les hommes, une arme qui crache du feu et crache du métal?" Clemont asked while taking out his hand cannon, much to the crossbowmens' awe.
Red and Milo positioned themselves at opposite ends of the battlefield as both sides cheered on their respective champion.
"The duel between monsieur Red and Earl Milo will now begin! Victory will be achieved through yield or death! Begin!"
Milo raised his broadsword and buckler while Red did the same with his own weapon. Unlike the Galar lord, Red kept his sword sheathed and instead used a halberd.
Ash's heart raced as he watched his brother close the distance and exchange the first blow with a loud clang when Red's halbert met Milo's sword.
"Pika." Pikachu said as he and Serena tried to ease him. Red, however, grit his teeth when he felt his polearm rattle from Milo's blow. The Galar knight followed up with a series of masterful and powerful strikes.
"Sceptile use leaf blade!"
"Ludicolo dodge and use knock offf!" Sceptile lunged at his opponent, who began dancing about with surprising agility despite his size and armor.
"Ludicolo!" The water-plant pokemon thrust his palms forward yet only met the end of Sceptile's blade arms as he used them as a shield.
"Great work Sceptile, now slice him!" The two began exchanging blows much like their trainers, with neither gaining an advantage.
"Kirl!"
"Noi!"
"Grauuu!"
"Monsiuer Red!"
"Sent that salopard to the bottom of the river!" A few Kalos knights and soldiers cried.
"Come on, kill that wanker!"
"Off him and the castle's ours, my lord!" A few Galar cried.
Red stumbled backward even after successfully blocking another one of Milo's attacks. Red quickly understood that despite his powerful physique, he couldn't overpower the Galar Lord and his imposing figure.
"I hope you'll consider yielding. I'd rather now kill you!" Milo bum-rushed forward and struck Red like a charging rhyhorn, nearly sending him tumbling into the river.
"Red!" Ash screamed while Serena covered her mouth.
"Pika!"
"Get it together!" Bonnie screeched.
Red threw himself to the ground and barely kept himself from tumbling into the water. But in doing so, he put himself at Milo's mercy.
"Gaah!" Earl Milo came down hard with sword, buckler, and greaves, trying furiously to hit the Kalos knight.
"Tile!" Sceptile cried.
"Ludicolo use Fake out!"
"Ludicolo!" Th water-plant pokemon jabbed Sceptile with both hands, making him flinch.
"Zen Headbutt!" Ludicolo grinned and lowered his head before virtually body slamming Sceptile onto his back. At the same time, Red managed to regain his footing and thrust his halbert under Milo's legs. With one jerk, he could sweep the Galar knight off his feet, but instead, Mile kicked forward and split the polearm's shaft in half.
"Gaaah!" Red groaned as the kinetic force reverberated through his arms and sent him sprawling backward.
"Red!" Serena cried in horror alongside Viola and most of the Galar forces.
Sir Mercer laughed maniacally while the Galar similarly cheered.
"Kill him! End it!" Mercer jeered.
As much as Milo wanted to make Red yield, he couldn't hesitate either and rushed forward to use a murder stroke.
"Fake out!"
"Red, never give up! Never give up until the end!" Ash cried.
Red's eyes went wide, and he saw himself as a young boy back in Kanto, a tall man standing over him with a firm hand on his shoulder.
"Remember, Aka, never give up. Even when something seems hopeless, never give up until the end."
Red's passion burst through him and soon spread to Sceptile.
"Vive Kalos!" Red sprung up, drawing his sword in the same motion and parrying Milo's sword.
"Double team!" Ludicolo jabbed at Sceptile only to see him vanish and three more appear around him.
"No you don't, knock off!"
"Ludicolo!" Ludicolo danced around and struck each Sceptile before one blocked him with two leaf blades.
"Slam!"
"Sceptile!" Sceptile shoved Ludicolo's arms up and then flipped himself through the air, smashing his tail across the water-plant's face.
"Colo!" Ludicolo stumbled backward while Red struggled against Milo's buckler, barely managing to knock it away.
"Merde!" Red grit his teeth and felt a sharp pain growing across his body. He couldn't possibly hope to overpower Milo, but that didn't mean victory was impossible either.
"Scepitile, use bullet seed, aim for his legs!"
"Tile!" Sceptile began blasting the ground in front of Ludicolo, who eagerly danced about, avoiding each blow. However, as he did so, he didn't notice that Sceptile kept moving with him.
"What's he up too?" Serena asked before she noticed Ash and Viola both smiling.
"He's strategizing." Viola chuckled.
Red seemed to follow a similar strategy as he began evading Milo's blows rather than parrying them. The Galar knight kept up a furious assault but remained vigilant of his foe's movements and the surroundings.
"I don't know what game your playing, but I'm excited to see where it might lead."
"You won't be." Red turned to Sceptile, who eagerly nodded.
"Duel chop!" Sceptile kicked off the ground and lunged forward.
"Dodge and use fake out!" Ludicolo tried to evade, but by this point, Sceptile saw enough of Ludicolo's movements to memorize his dancing pattern and knew exactly how he'd evade.
"Tile!" Sceptile pivoted off his right foot and slammed one dragon blade across Ludicolo's face.
"Colo!"
"Sceptile" Sceptile immediately followed up with another punishing blow across Ludicolo'r beak.
At the same time, Red fell to one knee and raised both arms up as they absorbed the arduous impact from Milo's sword and buckler. Red felt his body shiver but endured nonetheless and lunged into the colossal man's legs with all his might, shoving forward and then to the side.
"Gaah!" Milo lost his balance from the violent change in direction and tumbled to his back, hitting the stone floor hard. Red immediately seized his opening and fought against Milo's attempt to get back up, eventually climbing on top of the larger knight and shoving a dagger against his throat.
At the same time this happened, Sceptile leaped up and slammed Ludicolo onto his back with his tail, leaving the water-plant unconscious.
"Yield!"
As Milo gazed up at Red, whose face remained hidden behind his visor, both sides went silent.
"You could've killed me. Monsieur, you're a man of honor." Milo exhaled deeply and raised both hands in a submissive manner.
"I yield."
"Red!" Ash erupted before the others could.
"Pika!"
"Monsieur Red! Monsieur Red!" The Kalos defenders chanted in unison as the Galar forces trembled.
"Kirl!" Kirlia's eyes turned to hearts, and she almost fell backward as she looked at victorious Sceptile.
"He did it. We, we won." Viola almost trembled with tears in her eyes.
Red desperately tried to catch his breath and slowly got up before feeling a strong hand on his shoulder.
"Tile." Red raised his visor and smiled widely at Sceptile, who returned the favor.
"You, sir, are an honorable knight." Red said as he offered Milo his hand. However, rather than taking it, Milo reached into a sack on his belt and took out what looked like a small badge depicting his house's sigil.
"Here, take it, as a mark of respect from the House of Turffield." Red took the badge and stared at it for a moment.
"Merci." Red offered his hand again when suddenly he and the others heard a horn blast.
"Eh?"
"Take the castle, you useless gits!" Mercer roared at the Galar forces, many of whom hesitated.
"Sir Mercer, what are you doing!? I gave them my word!" Milo cried.
Mercer spat into the river.
"To Hell with honor! I'm taking this castle with or without you!" Red almost shivered as he realized that Mercer knew he could've killed the Earl at any moment if he chose to, and more importantly, that he didn't care.
"Treachery! En garde!" Ash roared as he drew his sword and grabbed Serena by the shoulder.
"Get inside!"
She didn't protest and nodded before grabbing Bonnie and raced into the castle alongside Viola and their pokemon.
Red backed up when he saw swarms of Galar soldiers and knights race from their boats onto the platform towards him.
"Merde!"
At the same time, over a hundred Galar infantry tried to rush the front gates, bringing up siege ladders and a battering ram.
"Fire!" A series of thunderous explosions filled the air as six of the Galar men-at-arms cried out in agony, and the rest froze in horror.
"Hmm, hmm, hmmm. I suspected your treachery. Luckily we were prepared!" Clemont smiled with his arms crossed as he stood on the battlements with six crossbowmen now wielding his hand cannons.
The attack gave Ash enough time to race to his brother's aid alongside several dozen of the garrison's men-at-arms and knights. A fierce melee broke out as the Kalos defenders did their best against the steadily increasing number of Galar soldiers who arrived via boat.
Unfortunately, the attack on the front gate prevented the garrison from focusing all their efforts on this part of the castle. Clemont and his cannoneers quickly turned their attention to the battering ram while Ash and Red directed the men on the battlefield, longbow arrows and crossbow bolts flying overhead.
"Pika chu!"
"Grouuu!"
"Fletch!"
"Grauuu!" The pokemon joined in alongside their companions, making the fight that much more intense. Red did his best to keep up, but his duel with Milo left the knight exhausted and struggling to maintain his stance.
Sceptile found himself in a similar situation, particularly as Mercer's Rhyperior loomed over him.
"Fire punch!" Mercer laughed.
"Rhy!" Rhyperior let out a sadistic chuckle as he struck Sceptile with fiery fists again and again.
"Tile!" Sceptile grunted, barely bracing himself against the incendiary strikes with duel chop.
"Sceptile!" Red and his Charizard desperately tried to reach him, but too many Galar got in the way.
Rhyperior forced Sceptile to his knees and raised both arms.
"Finish him!"
"Tile." Sceptile muttered, his eyes going wide.
Red reached out for Sceptile and, in desperation, touched his keystone. Sceptile felt his Sceptilite glow as an overwhelming power he never imagined surrounded him.
"Red!"
"Grouu!" Ash and Lucario cried in horror. Red felt it too. A colorful sphere surrounded Sceptile as he and his trainer's auras became intertwined.
"Bloody Hell!" Mercer yelped as he and his Rhyperior saw Mega Sceptile emerge from the sphere and stare back at them with a feral gaze, almost identical to Lucario's during the battle a few weeks ago.
"Sceptile?!" Red muttered. He instantly knew something was wrong as if the power corrupted Sceptile, and he acted on pure animal instinct.
"Tile!" Mega Sceptile leaped into Rhyperior and unleashed a feral leaf blade barrage without mercy.
Rhyperior desperately tried to block the attacks but to no avail.
"Rhy!" Rhyperior pleaded for Sceptile to stop, but the Mega Sceptile didn't listen, and began breaking off pieces of the rock pokemon's body.
"Oi! Hey, stop! Stop it, you stupid git! Someone do something!" Mercer yelped, genuine fear and terror in his voice and eyes as he watched his Rhyperior get driven further and further back towards the river.
"Scepitle no!" Red reached out for Sceptile yet couldn't reach him, physically or emotionally.
Lucario trembled as flashbacks of his own experience with mega evolution came back. Then, the world seemed to stop, and Red's face turned pale when he saw Mega Sceptile slice through Rhyperior's legs completely, sending the rock pokemon's body into the river where he sunk to the bottom.
"Ahhhh!" Red and Mercer screamed in unrelenting terror together.
"Rhyperior!" Mercer held his face and nearly dove in after the pokemon, but was barely restrained by his men.
"Sceptile!" Red broke through the melee without Charizard and reached Mega Sceptile.
"Sceptile, please stop!"
Mega Sceptile turned his feral eyes onto Red and knocked him down.
"Red!"
"Pika!"
"Grauuu!" Red's Charizard frantically tried to reach him, and the knight trembled as he saw his trusted companion look down at him with murderous intentions.
"Sceptile." Red muttered.
"Tile!" Mega Sceptile raised his leaf blades when suddenly psychic energy held them in place.
"Kirl!" Kirlia grunted as she used confusion and struggled to keep Sceptile from hurting Red as she placed herself between the knight and Mega Sceptile.
"Tile!"
"Grouuu!" Ash's Lucario reached them and slammed his fist into Sceptile's forehead. At the same time, Red's Charizard landed behind him and slashed the mega pokemon with air slash.
"Tile!" Sceptile reverted back to his normal form and collapsed beside Red.
"Sceptile!" Red placed his hands on the grass starter's shoulders.
"Tile!" Sceptile's eyes shot open as he regained control of himself and remembered everything that just happened.
"Scept, sceptile." Sceptile saw Red and then looked back at the rippled where Rhyperior fell into the river.
"Tile!" Sceptile held his head and began shaking as tears flowed from his eyes.
"Sceptile, it's ok-" Red stared as he embraced his pokemon.
"Tile!" Sceptile hugged Red back and looked up at Lucario.
"Tile." He muttered. Lucario didn't look angry. Instead, he merely knelt down beside Sceptile with pure understanding and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Gaaah! I'll have their heads!" Sir Mercer snarled as he drew his sword and tried to reach the platform.
Before the knight's boat could continue, another horn blast shook the soldiers on both sides.
"Espérer! Espérer!" The chant grew louder and louder until finally, a familiar banner of a blue iris appeared before the Galar camp. At its head came none other than Arnaud and his company.
"Espérer!" The Captain roared with his sword held high. He and his shiny Hawlucha led their men into a furious assault on the Galar encampment, quickly overwhelming the now diverted defenders.
"Vive Kalos!" The garrison began chanting as they watched the Galar forces melt away from the attack on their rear.
"Vive Kalos!" The Noivern riding knight burst from the Chateau at the head of a hundred soldiers/knights who now sallied forth and broke the wavering assault on their gate, soon putting the entire Galar force to flight.
Across the river, Sir Mercer and a few dozen men managed to escape, with the knight glaring back at Red with murderous intention.
"Mark my words, Sliggoo eater, I will kill you and your damned Sceptile! Your heads will be my trophies!" The knight roared before he disappeared into the trees.
Ash narrowed his eyes before Pikachu pointed to another part of the farside river bank. Ash, Pikachu, Fletchling, and Charizard saw Earl Milo on another boat, alongside a few wounded Galar soldiers/knights.
Milo's eyes met Ash and Red's. All they had to do was give the word, and their Charizards would sink the boat, sending the Galar to their watery demise.
"Charizard, let them go." Ash said.
The two fire-lizards reluctantly nodded, and the nearby crossbowmen similarly obeyed. Milo reached the riverbank and began dragging his wounded men and their pokemon to safety with Ludicolo's help.
The Earl glanced back at Red one more time as they shared a look of mutual respect before vanishing.
"Red, are you ok?" Ash asked as he offered a hand to his brother.
"Oui." Red took a deep breath and got up with Sceptile.
"Merci, Kirlia."
"Kirl." Kirlia blushed.
"Bonjour, mes amies!" Arnaud laughed as he entered the battlefield with monsieur Raymon close behind.
"Arnaud, you certainly have a knack for showing up when we need you." Serena exhaled deeply in relief as she came out to meet him with Viola.
"Ahh, my princess, where you go, hope survives, and as such, we move to protect it!" Ash and Red looked out at Arnaud's company as they looted the Galar camp and rounded up dozens of prisoners. From the looks of things, he now had over two-hundred men and pokemon, including a few dozen knights, including Raymon.
"The Battle Chateau is safe." Viola exhaled deeply.
"And with our victory here, all of route 5 is clear of Galar. Now, we push west!" Raymon cried.
"Oui." Ash and Red said together.
"Kirl." Kirlia muttered nervously as she looked up at Red and Sceptile.
"How could I say no to such a brave pokemon." Red said as he picked Kirlia up.
"Kirl!" Ash and Red smiled back at each other as the knight took out his badge from Milo and stared at it. Red wasn't sure what the future held, but for now, at least, he was with his brother, and life was good.
Author's note
Yep not all the Galar are evil
Red has his first badge and Kalos has achieved a victory, but there's still much to do
So until next time,
Please review, comment, suggest, or ask (VIA PM)