Chapter 20: Running the Gauntlet of Fire
Ash and Serena sat together on a cliffside overlooking the ocean with just their Pokemon. Serena gently combed Braixen's tail to the rhythm of the ocean waves but kept her eyes fixed on Ash. Similarly, the young knight held Pikachu in his arms while staring out at the horizon and listening to seabird pokemon singing with the ocean breeze.
"You ever wonder what other regions are like, Ash? Well, I suppose you do know." Serena giggled slightly.
"I actually don't remember much about Kanto. How about you, Pikachu?"
"Pika?" Pikachu stroked his head while thinking back to his earliest memories.
"Maybe when this war is over, you and I could travel to the other regions. Performing and battling." Serena beamed at the idea of herself and Ash going from region to region with their Pokemon, living out their dreams with each other. She took out the time flower AZ gave her and stared at it with intrigue.
"We could make all kinds of precious memories and have them forever."
"Grouu." Ash and Serena turned to where Lucario pointed and saw none other than Monsieur Michael a few hundred yards away, staring out at the ocean with a lost expression. His Gogoat provided the nobleman with comfort and nuzzled him with his head as visible pain overcame Michael.
"You think we should talk to him?" Serena asked.
Ash considered it, but before either could do anything, Sycamore revealed himself and approached Miachel, sitting down beside him and providing some comfort.
"I can't imagine what he's going through right now. Are you sure he's up for this?" Serena asked.
"Oui, he's the one who planned out the assault. Michael is a true chevalier. I see it in his eyes, and when the time comes, he won't hesitate.
Ash soon looked much more determined as he gazed back at Coumarine City in the distance behind them.
"Still, we need to focus on our part too. We have quite a challenge today. Earl Kabu won't be an easy opponent, but we'll give him everything we've got!" Ash cried with fiery enthusiasm.
"Pika!"
"Gre!"
"Grauuu!"
"Grouuu!"
"Runt!"
"Fletch!"
Serena still smiled but did so warily with her Pokemon doing the same.
"Ash, you shouldn't be so careless about such things."
Ash grinned with his eyes closed.
"It becomes second nature after a while. Ask any knight, and he'll tell you the same."
Serena sighed deeply and hugged him tightly.
"Just promise me you won't do anything reckless. I can't lose you too."
"I'm not going anywhere, Serena! I've got too many aspirations and ambitions to achieve." Serena and Greninja couldn't help but feel a little amazed at Ash's personality revival. Immediately after Alexandre's death, he'd become hardened and stiff, but now he was back to himself almost entirely.
Even though Greninja hadn't known Ash back them, he sensed the knight's aura reforming into something more true to itself and, in doing so, revealed even more of his true nature.
Serena sighed deeper and sat Ash back down with her arms wrapped tightly around him and her head against his shoulder.
"Just make sure you don't do anything reckless."
"I won't. You shouldn't worry about those kinds of things, Serena." The Princess now gave him an almost angry expression.
"I can and will! Believe it or not, your life actually means something to me, Ash! Papa was reckless, and now he's gone." Serena almost trembled and nearly came to the verge of tears.
"Braix!"
"Char!"
"Cham!" Serena pokemon tried to comfort her, and each gave Ash a nasty look, making him sweatdrop.
"Serena, I'm sorry, I didn't mean." Ash cursed himself and pulled her in for a long embrace.
"Pika, Pikachu." Pikachu similarly nuzzled his head against Serena to offer her comfort.
"Serena, I'm sorry. It's just who I am, and-"
"I know. It's part of what I love about you. You aren't afraid to do your best even in the face of failure. But failure here means death, Ash."
"Maybe, but if I don't fight, then Kalos will never be free."
Serena took Ash by the shoulders and stared deeply into his eyes with a fiery passion.
"Just promise me you won't leave me a widow."
Before Ash could answer, Greninja came up behind him and placed his webbed fingers on the knight's shoulders.
"Gre!" Within moments, Pikachu, Charizard, Lucario, Tyrunt, and Fletchinder similarly came around Ash like a protective barrier.
"I won't be alone." Serena finally smiled again and pulled Ash in for a long and passionate kiss, the time flower absorbing the entire encounter.
Later that morning, Ash stood armored alongside a combined Kalos army made up of Arnaud's company, Baron Rene's forces, and the feudal troops of Courmarine.
Almost two-thousand soldiers and knights arrayed themselves before Courmarine's lower walls. The city itself lay divided into two sections, with one at the base of the cliffside and another smaller portion on top consisting mainly of a citadel.
Banners flew from the walls depicting either the Galar Coat of Arms or a brown slab with fire on it.
"Please be careful, Clemont, please!" Bonnie pleaded as she hugged him tightly.
"It's ok, Bonnie. Ash will keep me safe."
"Oui! He won't be coming in until we've made it safe!" Ash assured her. Bonnie took a deep breath and then burst into a fiery determination.
"Show these Salopards what happens when they attack Kalos!"
"Bonnie!" Clemont yelped upon hearing her language. Arnaud, and Rene, however, laughed.
Serena kissed Ash one last time before guiding Bonnie back to the camp.
Sycamore walked in front of the assembled army, who already rode in high spirits after a performance from Serena, now knelt down when he took out a pendant and performed a sign.
"Reduka, father of all life. Today, we, your humble children, ask you to protect the lives and souls of those before you as they fight for the freedom of their people and families. May their mortal flesh remain safe, and any who do give the ultimate sacrifice, may they rest in your loving embrace forever."
Ash, Clemont, Arnaud, Michael, Rene, Serena, and every other soldier lowered their heads.
"Reduka, be with my companions and me this day. Help me remain strong and brave in the face of danger. Whatever happens to me, keep Serena and my pokemon safe."
Serena clenched her hands tightly in prayer, begging Reduka for Ash, his Pokemon, and Clemont to come back safely.
Greninja stared over at Ash and felt his calmness once again despite the situation.
"Gre." Greninja looked up at the sky for a moment and lowered his head.
"Gre." Pikachu then noticed Greninja perform the same motion as Sycamore, intriguing him.
"Pika?"
"Amen." Just as Sycamore finished, the peace his prayer brought became shattered by loud and bombastic music behind him. All eyes turned to the Galar knights, soldiers, and Pokemon adorned in their typical flamboyantly decorated armor, complete with red face paint, tattoos, and whigs.
Ash and his team narrowed their eyes with their fellow Kalos fighting men/pokemon doing much the same.
"Come on! Take back your city!"
"Coumarine is ours now, and soon all of Kalos!"
"Thanks for the city and all its revenue!"
"What's wrong? Afraid of your own fortifications!" The Galar laughed and jeered, enraging the Kalos troops, particularly Michael's, who watched their city in the hands of the invaders.
Among the troops came two more figures, both in full plate armor and slightly older. The first was tall and broad-shouldered with thick grey hair and an iron expression.
"Earl Kabu." Ash growled alongside his Pokemon, who stared at their target, and his Centiskorch, who moved alongside him. However, the Earl's arrival was nothing compared to the man beside him, whose appearance made the entire Kalos army seethe in visible hatred.
Kabu didn't speak but merely looked upon the elderly Count with his steel features, making Ramos and his Gogoat wilt.
"Hommes de Kalos, it has taken you great courage to come here and stand before us, but it is folly. King Alexandre is dead, and we have a new King now. Victor will take us to a bright future, uniting the crowns of Kalos and Galar."
"Listen to your own Count, Sliggoo Eaters!"
"Aye, he's the only one of you with any wits about him!" Various Galar soldiers/knights jeered, only fueling the Kalos Army's rage that much more. Ash, Serena, Clemont, Bonnie, and their pokemon had mixed emotions about Ramos's defection.
According to Michael and his men, the Count handed over Courmarine city over to Earl Kabu without a fight and very nearly let his feudal troops get captured had Michael not stepped in and evacuated the men-at-arms/knights.
As much as they wanted to feel sympathy for Ramos's desire to prevent further bloodshed, at the end of the day, he'd betrayed Kalos and all those still loyal to Calem, which was most of the Kingdom save Lysandre and his forces.
"S'il te plaît, for the sake of your lives, your pokemons' lives, and peace in Kalos, lay down your weapons and end this pointless fight. Hail King Victor of Galar and Kalos!"
"Hail King Victor!" The Galar troops echoed back. Ash and Pikachu grit their teeth hearing such words from the Count. Even with some reluctance in his voice, he chose to say them and many other decisions.
However, Monsieur Michael spoke on behalf of the Kalos Army. The young man rode up on his Gogoat and stared across the field with pure raw emotion.
Serena covered her mouth when she saw him on the verge of tears while staring his father down on the battlements above.
"Father! Sale traître! I won't forget this! None of us will forget your betrayal! You've chosen your side. Now you'll face the consequences!"
"Goat!" Michael and his Gogoat spewed venom at Ramos and his Gogoat, but Ash and the others felt the young lord's lament and approached him.
"Are you ok?"
Michael wiped away a tear but nodded.
"Oui." He muttered.
"I'm sorry it has to be this way." Ash placed his hand on Michael's shoulder, only to see the knight's face turn fiery red.
"He's made his choice, et j'ai fait le mien, let's get my home back."
Ash felt a few knots form in his stomach and didn't let go.
"Michael, don't let a desire for revenge cloud your judgment. He's still your father."
Michael growled.
"He's not my father, not anymore." Michael jerked away from Ash, who sighed alongside his pokemon.
The Prince Consort returned to his position beside Arnaud and Monsieur Raymond. The knight Lieutenant appeared visibly shaken by the exchange, with unmistakable guilt tearing through his face.
"Don't even think about it, Raymond. We don't have time for you to mope about your past mistakes." Arnaud said while unsheathing his sword.
"Hawl! The Captain's Shiny Hawlucha similarly ran over to Raymond and his Pyroar, flexing his arms.
"What about you? Still eager to face another earl?" Arnaud smiled upon seeing Ash and his pokemons' enthusiasm.
"Oui! We've trained hard for this, right guys!?"
"Pika!"
"Grauuu!"
"Gre!"
"Well, my understanding is that Earl Kabu specializes in fire-type pokemon."
"Bien, we're ready. All we need to do now is get to him." Ash stared back up at the wall and tightened the grip on his sword hilt.
"If Clemont's weapons can get us up there-" Raymond started.
"Fire!" Clemont roared, though six cannons breathing fiery metal through the air immediately drowned him out. Within moments, a hundred men wielding hand cannons stepped forward and unleashed a concentrated volley across the top of the walls alongside hundreds of pokemons' ranged attacks.
"Incoming!"
"Bloody Hell!"
Entire portions of the parapet shattered like glass when the cannonballs hit, sending a dozen of so Galar men-at-arms flying with them.
"Forward!" Arnaud roared.
Ash looked back at his pokemon and took a deep breath with each of them. Greninja saw the human and pokemons' eyes all flash blue as their aura synched, moments later, his did too. Ash was still getting used to this sensation, but he loved it more and more each time he trained with Greninja.
The Prince consort became increasingly aware of his pokemons' inner thoughts, senses, stamina, and emotions, and they of his. Tyrunt, Lucario, and Fletchinder burst with excitement for the upcoming engagement, while Pikachu and Charizard remained cautious, not just for themselves, but Ash and their team. Greninja was still a bit hard to read, as if he was intentionally only allowing Ash to see part of him.
However, such things would need to wait, and Ash lowered his helmet's visor.
"Let's go!"
"Pika!"
"Grouu!"
"Grauuu!"
"Runt!"
"Fletch!"
"Gre!"
Ash climbed onto Charizard's back with Pikachu, but the fire-lizard flew low to the ground and slow enough to keep up with the other thirteen-hundred or so soldiers/knights racing towards the walls. A few dozen flying pokemon soared at the same level as Charizard, unable to go any higher without suffering friendly fire from Clemont's gunners. Fortunately, this and ranged attacks from the gunners' pokemon kept the Galar flyers from launching an attack.
"Don't just sit there, loose!" Ash heard from the walls thanks to Pikachu's heightened hearing.
"Incoming!"
"Grauuu!" Ash and Charizard warned. The air whistled slightly as a volley of longbow arrows and ranged pokemon attacks came from the walls. However, with continous cannon and gunfire from Clemont's troops, the Galar longbowmen and pokemons' attacks came scattered as the incoming lead forced them to take cover or perish.
"Grauuu!" Charizard and several other fire pokemon burned up the incoming arrows while some bounced off armor. Greninja, however, evaded the missiles/moves with agility or slashed them apart with Night Slash.
"Gre!"
Unlike Ash's other pokemon, save Pikachu, Greninja didn't wear armor, earning interested glances from the various armored Kalos pokemon running beside him. Lucario glanced down at his armor and then back at Greninja.
"Grouuu."
"Now's not the time, Lucario!" Ash shouted while Pikachu and Charizard similarly scolded him.
"Grouu." Lucario groaned, lurching to the side to evade an incoming poison sting from the wall.
"Keep moving! We're almost there!" Raymond grunted when two longbow arrows bounced off his armor, nearly knocking him over.
"Runt!" Ash grunted when he felt a sharp pain hit Tyrunt's legs. The rock lizard tumbled to his side along with groups of men-at-arms and pokemon.
Greninja leaped up and grabbed onto Fletchinder while Charizard swooped in to pick up Tyrunt and Lucario.
"Look, ground types!" Arnaud cried. Fletchinder's keener sight allowed Ash to peer further downrange, where he saw three trenches dug before the base of the wall. Spiked stakes and ground-type pokemon hid in the fortifications alongside a dozen or so well-concealed men-at-arms.
"Earth power!"
"Magnitude!"
"Dig!"
"Stone edge!"
"Look out!"
"Rock Throw!"
"Rock Tomb!"
Charizard's eyes widened when he saw the barrage of spiked stones, falling rocks, and flying boulders coming for him in a wide spray. He couldn't fly up without hitting Clemont's barrage, nor could he go down less he risk the ground moves hitting him.
"Dragon Pulse! Aura Sphere! Iron Tail! Night Slash!" Ash tried to remain calm, but the pokemon sensed his deep hidden fear for their safety and fought that much harder.
"Grauuu!"
"Pika!"
"Grouuu!"
Fletchinder hastily got behind Charizard as he, Pikachu, and Lucario unleashed everything they had into the incoming barrage. Unfortunately, Charizard couldn't use Dragon claw with Lucario and Tyrunt in his arms, thus he couldn't stop every attack, and a few spiked stones crashed into him. Fortunately, they only struck his armor, saving him from any real damage, but Ash felt the sharp pain Charizard endured and grunted with him.
"Pika! Pika!"
"Grouuu!" Pikachu and Lucario smashed apart the flying boulders, but could do nothing for Rock Tomb. However, oddly enough, they felt no fear, only trust.
Greninja opened his eyes and looked up.
"Gre."
With utter peace and calm, Greninja flipped himself up and out of Fletchinder's talons towards the incoming rock tomb.
"Gre!" Like a master swordsman, Greninja sliced the incoming rocks into harmless pebbles.
"Water Pulse!" Greninja knew instantly where to launch his attack via Ash's sight and thrust his offhand in that direction without even looking. Ash, Charizard, Pikachu, and Lucario saw the fresh wave of stones break through their moves, but didn't even flinch for the aura connection told them exactly where and when Water Pulse came.
In a spectacular fashion, the move shattered the Stone edge like nothing, saving Greninja's companions.
"Alright Greninja!"
"Pika!"
"Grauu!"
"Grouu!"
Unfortunately, those around them didn't fair as well. The trenches halted their advance in its tracks, leaving the Kalos army at the defenders' mercy. One by one, the ground/rock moves took their toll on pokemon and men alike, dropping them one by one as they tried desperately to protect themselves.
Additionally, their close proximity to the walls meant the longbow arrows and pokemon moves came more frequently, and with greater effect. Several less-armored men-at-arms in only briganding started feeling longbow arrows hit between the gaps in their plates, sending them to the ground in blood-curdling screams.
"Merde! Stand your ground! Bring water and grass pokemon forward!" Arnaud barked out as he tried to regain order among the soldiers/knights.
"Let's give them cover!"
"Pika!"
"Grauuu!"
Ash's pokemon unleashed every ranged attack they had, but suddenly, the ground started shaking again. Ash and his teams' eyes widened as two gates on either side of the Kalos troops opened up and the Galar defenders above started laughing.
"You're buggered now, Sliggoo eaters!"
"Bye bye!"
Galar Rapidash huffed and winnied as they emerged from the gates, hundreds of Galar mounted knights and men-at-arms in their saddles, lances raised.
"Charge!"
Both squadrons began a trot, and then a full charge, yet Ash and every ground soldier showed no fear, confusing many defenders.
"Are they daft?"
"No, they're not!" Another squeled in terror as he pointed further out. The Galar mounted knights felt the ground shake again and heard loud cries in Kalos approaching their flanks. It was only then they realized that Clemont's barrage prevented them from looking out that far.
"Pour Kalos!" Rene and Michael roared as they each led a squadron of Kalos Mounted Knights towards the flanks of the encircling Galar knights. Rene and his squadron rode either Rapidash or Rhyhorn while all of Michael's knights rode Goagoats.
The clash occurred before a single Galar mounted knight/man-at-arm could reach the Kalos ground troops. Many cheered in delight for in became clear that the Kalos knights were of higher-quality than their Galar counterparts in both armor, weapons, and mounted abilities. This, plus the direction of their attack all but assured the outcome, and allowed the Kalos chevaliers to take more Galar knights as prisoners than as corpses.
"Gaaah!" Rene roared with Aegislash on his arms as sword and shield.
"Oui! Now, it's our turn! Into position!" Arnaud directed a dozen water-pokemon, ground pokemon, and grass pokemon forward.
"Now!"
"Surf!"
"Earthquake!"
"Leaf Storm!"
"Frenzy Plant!"
"Hydro Pump!"
Tyrunt, now recovered from the Earth Power, shook his head and eagerly leaped down, joining the others as he unleashed Earthquake alongside Greninja's Hyrdro Pump.
"Pika!"
"Oui!"
"Ha ha ha!"
Ash and his pokemon cried in delight when they saw the combined attacks utterly swamp the Galar trench defenders, leaving them unconscious and on flat ground, their trenches uprooted.
"Now! Ladders!"
Clemont stared across the battlefield with a telescope and smiled widely.
"Well?" Serena asked anxiously.
"They're at the wall, Ash, Arnaud, and Raymond are still ok!"
"Merci." Serena sighed, though not too loud as the battle wasn't over.
"Cease fire! Get ready to move!" Clemont roared.
"Please, be careful!" Bonnie pleaded.
"I will." Clemont promised.
The Galar wall defenders moved like never before when the barrage stopped and unleashed everything they had at the incoming Kalos attackers. Longbow arrows, pokemon moves, and pieces of broken wall all flew down but to no avail.
"Ready?" Ash asked, though he had his answer via aura before they even responded.
"Let's go!" Charizard braced himself and flew straight up with Tyrunt and Lucario still in his arms.
"Pika!" Pikachu smashed through two thrown rocks with Iron tail while Greninja blew apart an incoming Thunderbolt.
"Lucario!" Ash touched his keystone and Lucario felt his trainer's aura surge through him.
"Grouuu!" Mega Lucario burst out of his armor and landed amid the defenders, hurling them back with an aura pulse, and cleared a place for the others.
"Grauu!" Charizard and Fletchinder scattered more Galar with a fiery inferno while Ash, Pikachu, Tyrunt, and Greninja leaped beside Mega Lucario.
"Kill him!" Ash and his team quickly learned where every incoming attack came from thanks to their shared senses, earning a confident smile from the chevalier.
"Together!" Ash swept around with sword and blocker, standing back to back with Greninja who did much the same using Night Slash. Together they blocked and parries every incoming attack/move while Ash's other pokemon fought back.
"Allez!" Arnaud landed near Ash thanks to his Hawlucha who quickly joined in. Soon the flying knights who'd remained airborn joined them. These initial attackers focused more on holding the defenders' attention than brining them down, which proved successful as men-at-arms and pokemon scaled ladders, grappling hook ropes, or rode moves to the walls.
"We can do this!" Ash parried another blow and began striking back with precision like he never felt before. The chevalier managed to land his sword top between narrow armor plates and through the openings in helmets, bringing down five men-at-arms and a knight within two minutes. His training with Greninja proving quite deadly.
His pokemon proved no less coordinated, for while not perfected, the aura connection allowed Ash to issue commands to them even while fighting and focused on his opponents. Additionally, his other pokemon felt no need to protect Ash, as they instantly knew Greninja fought exclusively to protect him.
"Grouuu!" Mega Lucario roared with bursting excitement while carving a path of destruction through the defenders.
"Gigantamax!" Someone shouted. Ash didn't need to turn as a paur Gigantamax'd Galar Pokemon moved in on the wall.
"Close Combat!"
"Hydro Cannon!"
"Frenzy Plant!" Two nearby Kalos knights with a Mega Blastoise and Venusaur targeted the further Gigantamax'd pokemon while Fletchinder gave Mega Lucario the lift he needed to strike his own target, a Gigantamax'd Golem straight between his eyes, narrowly evading its colossal hands.
Thunderous cheers erupted from the attackers when they saw both Galar pokemon revert to their normal forms and lay unconscious.
"Die you wanker!" Ash grunted when he felt the power behind a Galar Knight's mace. The weapon dented his buckler and raddled the chevalier, who moved swiftly to counter the next two blows.
"It's not too late, I could still ransome you." Ash offered.
The Galar knight shouted something obscene and tried to bodyslam Ash. Given his larger girth, the Galar knight would have succeeded, had Ash not acted properly. The chevalier stepped back and moved inward, allowing the bigger knight's momentum to flow alongside him as he trapped his leg and bashed back with his sword pommel.
The Galar knight landed hard but resisted ferociously until he felt Ash's sword tip against his nose. He couldn't see Ash's face through the visor but scowled through his red facepaint.
"Rot in Hell!"
Ash narrowed his eyes and thrust forward, with his buckler. The Galar knight went limp, but still breathed as he lost consciousness.
"Pikachu mark him."
"Pika!" Pikachu came over and used his small paws to make Ash's personal seal on the knight's facepaint.
"Bien, I'll use the ransom money to buy Serena and Bonnie a present." Ash smiled and Pikachu nodded.
"Retreat! Retreat!" The Kalos army's assault proved too much and the remaining defenders fled down the stairs, many falling off in the chaos.
"Victory!" Many men-at-arms/knights cried.
"Non! Not yet! Don't get cocky!" Arnaud roared as he and Raymond began directing men/pokemon. Wounded soldiers/pokemon on both sides were swiftly escorted away alongside prisoners, all of them moving towards the two gates, which now lay undefended.
Ash and his team finally had a moment to catch their breath and regrouped.
"Everyone ok?" Ash asked, redundantly, but still earned eager nods from his team.
"Outstanding work!" before them lay the lower half of Courmarine City, which lay untouched from Clemont's bombardment, and oddly enough appeared in relative order.
"They didn't pillage the city?" Ash asked.
"They did." A Courmarine man-at-arms snarled as his Machamp helped relocate his arm.
"They must've just put things back in order to make use of the city. Merde!" The man yelped after a sharp cracking noise followed by a deep sigh of relief.
"Move! Move! We don't have much time!"
"Allez!"
Ash looked further down through Fletchinder's sight and saw Earl Kuba reforming his scattered troops alongside their reserve forces. If they launched a counterattack now, they'd overrun the Kalos troops.
"Come on!" Arnaud snarled as he led men and pokemon towards the wall's base where they started forming a line. However, the situation only got worse when Pikachu heard something else and cried out.
"Pika!" Ash caught his breath when he saw the inhabitants of Courmarine city and their pokemon flee from the houses and desperately race towards the two gates.
"Merde!" Raymond groaned as he and Ash turned back towards their knights and Clemont's gunners who tried to get in through those gates only to face a bottleneck of panicked people/pokemon trying to get away.
"Non! Please try to calm down!" Rene and Michael's knights desperately attempted to organize the evacuees but to no avail.
"Oh no." Clemont gulped as he watched his cannons stop at the base of the wall.
"They're getting closer!" Panicked soldiers cried from the walls.
Ash looked down at the cannons and then towards the nearby man-at-arm's Machamp.
"Hey! How strong do you think you are!?" Ash asked the Machamp who looked slightly insulted and flexed all four arms.
"Think you could lift that?" Ash pointed to the cannon and earned an intrigued look from Machamp.
"Champ!" The fighting pokemon leaped down and landed beside one of Clemont's crews, nearly knocking them over.
Raymond saw as Machamp slowly lifted up the cannon with difficulty and nodded.
"Ahh, brilliant! Come on, get those guns up here!"
"Lucario, Charizard help!"
"Grauu!"
"Grouuu!"
Mega Lucario leaped down and picked up one of the cannons while Charizard swept up four cannoneers in his arms then set them down beside Ash.
"Come on! Come on! Move it!" Raymond snarled. One by one, Clemont's gunners and their pokemon scaled the walls via the ladders or ropes while pokemon carried up the cannons.
"Hold on Clemont!" Ash tossed down a rope and Clemont nervously felt himself rise up.
"Please don't drop me!"
"Ches!" Chespin laughed while pulling himself up with vine whip.
"Pika!" Ash saw the incoming Galar troops descending from flying pokemon through Fletchinder's eyes, but continued pulling Clemont up.
"Shoot them down!" Raymond ordered as his Pyroar and several other Kalos pokemon let loose. Unfortunately, most of Arnaud's men now formed up at the base of the wall, leaving only a few dozen to face the attackers, who landed.
"En Garde!" Raymond hurled himself at the nearest Galar knight, but Ash still pulled Clemont up.
"Pika!"
"Runt!"
"Gre!" Ash's pokemon tried to help him, but too many pokemon came in and four Galar warriors came down, weapons drawn.
"Gaaah!" Ash hurled himself around at the last possible moment and held off their attack as Clemont stumbled onto the wall.
He grunted while adjusting his glasses, Luxray, Chespin, and Bunnelby helping him up.
"Clemont, come on, I need your help!" Ash cried. The squire trembled as he saw Ash struggling to fight off three men-at-arms and a knight. All nearby Kalos soldiers/pokemon found themselves similarly engaged, leaving Clemont alone. He desperately tried to take out his hand cannon but the weapon was nowhere to be found.
"Non!" Clemont's face went pale and he looked over the wall to see it laying on the ground.
"Ches!" Chespin pointed back to Ash who could only hold off the attacks from multiple directions.
Clemont's heart raced faster than a Rapidash and he trembled.
"Clemont, I know you can do it!"
"Ches!"
"Lux!"
"Bunn!" Clemont saw his pokemon fearlessly join the frey and steadied himself.
"I can do this, I can do this! Pour Kalos!" Clemont drew his sword and charged. One of the Galar men-at-arms saw the somewhat skinny squire and laughed.
"Oh you're having a laugh aren't you. Alright." The larger man lashed out with an axe, nearly scraping Clemont's breastplate. The squire lurched back but then came back in exchanging a few blows with the soldier.
After one of Clemont's swings almost took his head off, the Galar man-at-arms took him seriously and growled.
"Alright, play times over then!"
"Ahh!" Clemont cried in pain when the man's buckler hit him and sent electric shocks of pain across his body, and denting his arm plate. Clemont stumbled backward, nearly tumbling over the edge.
"Come on then!" Clemont's heart pounded and he ducked while rushing forward, narrowly avoiding the man's next strike. He tried desperately to channel Ash and Greninja's training as well as all of Pierre's, finally managing to parry the man-at-arm's ax with a well-times buckler blow.
"Eeeh!" Clemont stabbed forward and felt his sword grow heavier. The squire opened his eyes and saw the man-at-arm's widened eyes as a sword tip hit the back of his helmet, through flesh and bone.
"Ahhh!" Clemont pulled his sword free and felt a rush of terror run through him. He'd killed before, but only from a distance. This was something else entirely, he didn't like it, not one bit.
Ash, meanwhile managed to break down his opponents one by one until he killed two and submitted the third.
"Clemont, Clemont, are you ok?" Ash tried to steady his shaking companion who raised his visor to reveal a pale face.
"I, I killed him." Clemont stuttered while staring at his bloody sword.
"Oui, you did." Ash didn't sound triumphant and he thought back to how frightened he'd been the first time.
"Hey! Come on, we've got work to do!" Raymond growled as he knocked out another Galar knight.
"You'll pay me for all this trouble later, salopard." He growled while waving the gunners forward.
Clemont's pokemon came around him and provided enough comfort for him to continue, for now.
"Oui, oui, get those guns into position!" Clemont now began directing his gunners and cannon crews.
"Here they come!" Earl Kabu and his men now began clearing the last of the houses, still in formation, and chanting. Ash tightened his fist when he saw Count Ramos among them, the old man shaking in his armor while riding Gogoat.
For a brief moment, Ash considered going after the Count. Perhaps if he could get him away from the Galar, they could save his life... Of course, he was guilty of treason, meaning he'd be executed.
Ash and his pokemon hesitated, then decided to turn Earl Kabu who rode a Centiskorch with a Ninetales and Arcanine flanking them. Somehow, the Earl's eyes managed to meet Ash's via his raised visor.
"Right, he's our target."
"Halt!" Kabu roared, his company stopped in their tracks a hundred or so yards across from Arnaud's company. Both sides faced off in a tense standoff polearms raised and pokemon ready.
"Longbowmen, knock your arrows!"
Charizard and Fletchinder caught their breath when they saw several hundred longbowmen behind the men-at-arms grin widely and extend their two draw fingers towards the Kalos soldiers in a mocking gesture before pulling arrows out.
"Draw!"
Each archer pulled back, aiming not for Arnaud's men, but those on the wall.
"Loose-"
"Fire!" Another thunderous eruption overtook both sides. The noise forced Ash and his pokemon to cover their ears while thick clouds of smoke obscured their vision.
"Pika!" Pikachu groaned, his heightened hearing making the blast that much worse.
However, when Pikachu and the others looked back at the Galar archers, their pain meant nothing.
"Gaaah!"
"Help me!"
"Uhhhhhg!" Dozens lay dead or sprawled on the ground in agony. Their volley disintegrated and six smoking craters resed between the killed/wounded men.
"Ha!" Arnaud and his men laughed then as a group raised the same fingers back to the Galar.
Ramos turned paler than snow and shook as if covered in it.
"Reduka have mercy! Kabu, Kabu it's over, we-" The Earl violently seized Ramos's throat cutting him off.
Gogoat tried to stop him, but "Centiskorch" snapped its fiery pincers.
"We're not done yet, old man." Kabu looked up at the wall and the cannons.
"We get those guns, we win. Sir Walter, keep Arnaud's company busy."
"Yes, my Lord!"
"You!" Kabu turned back to Ramos.
"If your damned son comes through those gates, bring me his head, or its yours."
"Quoi?" Ramos stuttered.
Kabu let go, and waved over his remaining flyers.
"Aux Armes!" Arnaud's formation locked ranks and then clashed with the approaching Galar company in a ferocious melee.
At the same time, Earl Kabu and his men, including the remaining longbowmen started swarming the walls.
"Get those guns!"
"Hold those guns!" Raymond responded while leading the remaining men-at-arms in a defense. Clemont didn't hesitate and drew his sword alongside his gunners who engaged the longbowmen.
Earl Kabu jumped off his Centiskorch and approached one of the guns, cutting down three gunners who tried to stop him.
"So beautiful." Kabu gazed upon Clemont's invention in awe.
"With you, the King will finally crush the Dauphin!"
Kabu reached forward, but then jerked back when a jet of fire nearly engulfed him.
"Grauu!" Charizard landed between Kabu and the cannon, then snarled.
"Pika chu!" Pikachu came up beside him and sparked his cheeks.
"Gre." Greninja stood tall on Charizard's left and stared Centiskorch down.
"Earl Kabu." The Earl's eyes met Ash's. The chevalier smiled, his visor raised.
"I'm told you're quite the fire-type trainer." Kabu raised an eyebrow then saw Ash reveal two badges.
"Lady Nessa and Lady Beau. How about that, so it is you after all." Kabu finally smiled and revealed a badge of his own, the same symbol as his banner.
"I understand you're the Prince consort."
"Oui."
"Lovely. Once you're dead, things will be that much easier for his majesty."
Kabu lunged for Ash while Ninetales, Arcanine, and Centiskorch did the same.
"Pika!"
"Grouu!"
Pikachu slammed Ninetales back with Irontail and Charizard caught Arcanine with Dragon Claw. Cretrix saw Greninja and cleared away, barely avoiding a water pulse. Ash and Kabu exchanged sword blow after sword blow, buckler strikes mixed in too. Even with Greninja's training, Kabu proved more than a match for the chevalier.
Despite his graying hair, the Galar knight proved far faster than he looked, and kept Ash on the defensive.
"Fire spin, thunder fang." Kabu sounded remarkable calm while directing his pokemon, even when one of Ash's counterattacks struck his shoulder, forcing him back.
"Tales!" Ninetales breathed spinning streams of fire at Pikachu, one after another.
"Grooo!" Arcanine's fangs sparked and he pounced up at Charizard. Ash sent them directions via aura.
"Pika!"
"Grauuu!" Charizard lit up his claws with dragon power and slashed Arcanine into the parapets. However, the fire pokemon quickly recovered and leaped straight back for Charizard, slamming him into the wall.
"Groo!" Charizard felt sweat form on his neck as he desperately tried to keep Arcanine's electrified jaws back.
Meanwhile, Pikachu hurled an electroball into the nearest incoming fire-spin, exploding and sending the fire in different directions. Two more closed in on either side of Pikachu, but he now raced straight for his opponent.
"Nine!" Ninetales breathed fire and forced Pikachu to leap up.
"Fire spin!"
Ninetales sent more fire straight up.
"Electroball, Dragon rush!" Ash's aura commands came in the knick of time.
"Pika chu!" Pikachu hurled his tail forward and unleashed another electroball, intercepting firespin.
"Grauu!" Charizard's entire body glowed with green aura and he almost threw Arcanine over the edge.
"Flamethrower, Strength."
Pikachu landed just in time to see Ninetale's jet of fire coming straight for him. Similarly, Arcanine renewed his assault on Charizard, using Strength to push back against Dragon Rush and force his electrified jaws closer and closer.
"Electroball! Dragon claw!"
"Pika chu!" Pikachu sent yet another electroball into the fire while Charizard successfully held Arcanine in place.
"Thunder! Dragon pulse!"
Ninetales and Arcanine felt their eyes widen when Pikachu brought down a colossal bolt of lightning straight down onto him at the same time Charizarzard blasted Arcanine at point blank range.
"Hmp, not bad. But not good enough." Earl Kabu slammed the hilt of his sword into Ash's arm and sent him sprawling backward.
"Centiskorch." Ash's eyes widened as he saw the fire centipede grow exponentially until he was Gigantamax'd.
Ash tried to remain calm despite the situation. Mega Lucario, Fletchinder, and Tyrunt were all busy helping Clemont, and he couldn't Mega evolve Charizard with Lucario already so. He only had one choice.
Centiskorch lunged in with his fiery pincers only for Greninja to leap up and over Ash with both hands outstretched.
"Gre!" Two Water Pulses hit Centiskorch's enlarged pincers, and sent the centipede reeling back with an enraged expression.
"Brave, but pointless. Unless he knows a Z-Move or can Mega Evolve, he doesn't stand a chance." Kabu directed Centiskorch back in and the fier centipede took out a chunk of the wall trying to hit Greninja.
Ash and Greninja regrouped, both taking the same fighting stance.
"We can do this, Greninja, together!"
Greninja didn't look at Ash, but his aura told the chevalier all he needed to know.
"Gre."
Centiskorch and Kabu came in together, yet met a similar response from the Kalos due. Ash and Greninja's synchronized their strikes, forcing both Galar opponents back. As they kept this up, Ash felt his aura synchronize with Greninja's more and more.
Centiskorch reeled back again alongside Kabu when Ash and Greninja both landed the same decisive slash at the exact same time.
At that moment, Ash felt it, Greninja didn't resist him anymore, and let their aura completely synchronize. It was magnificent, reminding him of Mega Evolution.
Pikachu, Charizard, and the others all felt it with similar awe, and then Ash saw him. A strange watery viel formed around Greninja and inside, he changed, not entirely, but almost as if he were mega evolving.
"What the Bloody Hell!?" Kabu muttered in disbelief.
Neither Ash nor Greninja knew what was going on, but they didn't care either. Greninja felt stronger than he'd ever imagined and leaped up exponentially higher than before, the veil still surrounding him.
"Get him!" Centiskorch snapped his pincers at Greninja, but a glowing shurkin shaped water-blade slashed from inside the veil, forcing him back.
"Water Shuriken!"
Greninja sent his glowing move through the veil and across Centiskorch's body. While he did this, Ash renewed his assault on Kabu, pinning the Earl's sword in place and then trapping his buckler arm.
With a violent shove, he forced the man's head down and crashed his exposed face into his armored knee.
"Bet you wish your helmets had visors now!" Ash roared after hearing a wet cracking noise. Kabu's eyes watered up and he felt himself shoved to the ground.
"Pika chu!" Pikachu finished off Ninetales with thunder and saw his opponent laying belly up with swirled eyed.
"Grauu!" Charizard similarly knocked out Arcanine with a successive dragon claw attack, leaving Greninja to slash Centiskorch again and revert him. However, as he did this, Ash felt something through Greninja's aura, something strange.
"No! Brother, what have you done!?" A flood of powerful emotions overcame Greninja and he almost violently severed his aura syncrhonization with Ash.
"Gaaah!" Ash nearly fell off Kabu but steadied himself just in time to force his dagger back at the man's throat.
"Yield!" Ash roared.
Kabu spat up some blood with a dazed expression.
The ground shook again, and both men peered over as Kalos knights surged through the now cleared gateways and encircled Kabu's men.
"Father!" Michael roared as he and his Gogoat went straight for the count and his own Gogoat.
"Michael." Ramos muttered. The Count's Gogoat tried to meet Michael's but found himself overpowered by the younger pokemon and thrown to the side.
"Goat!" Michael's Gogoat pinned his father down and shared Michael's expression as the knight seized Ramos by the shoulders and held a sword to his face.
Father and son's eyes met in an extremely emotional exchange.
"Michael, please." Ramos muttered, tears in his eyes.
"Monsieur Michael!" Ash cried out from the walls.
Rene, Raymond, Clemont and dozens others stared with churned stomachs, dreading what came next. Whatever, resentment they felt for the old Count vanished when they saw his own son prepared to carry out his execution.
Michael's hand trembled and he breathed heavily.
"You betrayed Courmarine, you betrayed Kalos, you betrayed me!" Michael felt tears drop down his face.
Ramos didn't offer any excuses he merely held his hands out in submission.
"Michael." Sycamore revealed himself and placed a hand on the knight's shoulder.
"Michael, he's your father."
"He cut out my heart! He took a piece of me!"
"If you kill him, it will be gone forever. But if you forgive him, you will be made whole again. It's the only way."
Michael sobbed and felt the sword fall from his hand.
Kabu sighed deeply and gestured towards his sack.
"It's over then. No point in more men dying." Ash took out Kabu's badge and eagerly showed it to his men. Upon seeing this, they laid down their weapons and surrendered.
"It's done! Courmarine is free! Victory!" A collective cheer overcame the Kalos army and Clemont eagerly helped Raymond take down the Galar banners, replacing them with Kalos's and Michael's.
Ash's pokemon swarmed him, but the chevalier was only interested in Greninja, who'd reverted back to his normal form and kept himself closed off.
"Greninja." Ash reached out for him, but could no longer feel Greninja's aura. The water pokemon turned away, preventing Ash from seeing the tears in his eyes.
"Gre."
Author's note
Ash has his next badge and Earl Kabu is captured
Yep we jumped right into this one, if I hadn't it would've taken another 3 chapters
We also got our first taste of Ash-Greninja, but expect more to come
So until next time,
Please review, comment, suggest, or ask (VIA PM)