Chapter 23: The Chevalier
"Pitié! Pitié." Clemont wailed as he reeled from a blow from Ash's sparring sword.
"Ahhh, come on, brother, you're pathetic! You think a Galar knight will show you mercy!"
"If I ask for mercy, the codes of chivalry-" Clemont started before Bonnie's glare silenced him.
"She's right, Clemont. This could save your life, allez. I know you can do it!" Ash came back at Clemont, who, despite his pleas, was performing considerably better than just a year earlier. Ash was confident enough to say he was probably better than the average Galar man-at-arms, but a knight would be the true test.
Ash's Pokemon cheered for him while Clemont's did the same for the squire, both sides catching their breaths after an intense morning training session, made worse by the dry air and intense heat of route 13 and its arid climate.
Clemont panted heavily and glistened in the sunlight from his sweat, which stung his eyes. Even so, the squire fought through the pain until he felt Ash catch his sword, then sweep his leg, using leverage more than strength to hurl Clemont onto his back.
"Ahhh." Clemont muttered.
"Allez, that's the move you need to learn, Clemont.
"What's the point? Look at me. I'm not built like you, Red, or my dad." Even with his drastic increase in muscle mass, Clemont was still much smaller than his companions.
"Clemont! Listen to me, moves like this are all about leverage! You can overcome bigger opponents! Allez, let's try again!"
Clemont forced himself up and practiced for another hour or so on similar moves but couldn't successfully bring Ash down once.
"Awww, brother!" Bonnie facepalmed.
"I'm pathetic." Clemont moaned.
"Don't talk like that! You will improve. You have improved! You overcame that man-at-arms during the battle!"
Clemont nodded slowly.
"Oui, I did."
"Bien, so you have a chance."
Clemont kept his head low.
"To be a decent squire, but a chevalier-" Ash placed his hand on Clemont's shoulder and gave him a comforting look.
"You're capable of it. I know you are." Clemont felt Bonnie take his hand.
"You are."
"Ches!"
"Lux!
"By!"
Clemont teared up slightly and tried to wipe them away.
Later that morning, Clemont sat with Bonnie and his Pokemon across from Ash and Serena.
"I don't know why, but Charla seems extra motivated lately." Serena said while looking over at the dragon Charmeleon, who still practiced even while the other Pokemon ate their breakfast.
"Char! Char!"
Serena sighed with deep fatigue across her face.
"I appreciate her enthusiasm, but she's starting to wear us out."
"Braix."
"Cham." Braixen and Pancham nodded, both similarly getting tired of Charla's constant need to keep training.
Pikachu sweatdropped and tried to avoid looking at them, for he had a stark suspicion that he might've been responsible for her desire to get stronger and undoubtedly evolve into a Charizard.
"Char!" Charla growled to herself while looking in Charizard's direction, making Pikachu sweatdrop harder upon hearing her reiterate that he was her goal.
"Serena, are you ok?" Clemont asked, noticing how exhausted she looked.
"Oui, I'm fine." Ash wasn't fully convinced and eased his wife back until she rested her weight on him.
"Try to relax. All that extra training is going to pay off!" Ash declared, earning a slight nod and smile from the Princess. The extra training and route 13's harsh climate had to be the reason she was feeling so tired lately. She longed to get out of the desert and more inviting lands, but alas, that wasn't the case.
"Where to next?" She asked warily.
"Well, we can't go any further south with Lumiose still under Galar control. Going north isn't an option with the Queen looking for you. The only option is Laverre city in the northeast." Clemont hesitated and looked back at the other young adults who did the same.
"...The northeast is where the fighting is most intense. Where King Victor is." Serena muttered.
"And Calem, and Grand Duke Daniel, and Red!" Ash reminded them.
Serena nodded.
"Oui, from what Michael heard, Count Philip and Countess Valerie are still in control of Laverre. We could head there." Serena didn't sound particularly enthusiastic, for she knew to get there meant traveling through route 14, a harsh wetland.
"Look on the bright side. I doubt many routiers will be eager to move through the swamps!" Ash laughed. Serena and the others couldn't help but giggle at this and realized he had a point.
"Laverre city it is. Let's finish eating, then get underway." Ash said.
Just as they finished packing their things, Fletchling squawked in terror.
"Fletch!"
"Fletchling, what's wrong!?" Ash quickly channeled his aura connection with the firebird and looked through his keen eyes. In doing so, he saw precisely what scared him.
A Noivern flew fast and used his echolocation to survey the area, clearly looking for something or someone. When Fletchling/Ash peered closer, they saw a Kalos knight riding his back with the royal coat of arms painted onto his breastplate. However, his raised visor gave Ash his final clue, for he recognized the man's face as Monsieur Thevot.
Thevot was a knight of the royal household, precisely one of Queen Grace's. Further below, a hundred or so mounted knights and men-at-arms on Rapidash/Rhyhorn followed with a dozen or so Talonflame above them.
"Merde! The Queen's men!"
"Mama!" Serena yelped.
"We need to move now!" Clemont picked up Bonnie and ran with the others. However, Serena's exhaustion and oddly sore feet made running a struggle.
"Wait!" She cried. Charla, Pancham, and Braixen all stopped to try and help her. Ash, however, showed no hesitation and swept her up into his arms bridal style before continuing his dash.
"We can't outrun them!" Bonnie screamed in panic.
"Là!" Clemont pointed to a crevice just big enough for all of them.
"Perfect, allez!" Ash led the party inside and quickly set his wife down.
"Silencieux." Ash quickly silenced the others moments before Noivern landed with Monsieur Thevot.
"Hmmm." He and his dragon carefully surveyed the area, and Clemont trembled when they passed the crevice. However, the tense moment passed as Monsieur Thevot sighed deeply, his Noivern trying to comfort him.
The ground shook a little as Grace's other knights raced over.
"Rien?" The lead knight asked.
"Rien." Monsieur Thevot muttered.
"Well, we'll need to be careful now. Any further south, and we'll likely run into some Galar routiers."
Monsieur Thevot narrowed his eyes slightly.
"Riddle me this, mon ami. Should we not be seeking out Galar routiers to defeat? Our Kingdom is under siege, and we search for the lost Princess instead of fighting the invaders."
"It's vital we find her before the Galar do! Her majesty is right! Imagine what would happen if King Victor got his hands on her! We need to get Serena to Navarre."
Monsieur Thevot looked less than enthusiastic.
"And force the Princess to end her marriage to Monsieur Ash."
"Oui, pour Kalos."
"...We've known Monsieur Ash for years. King Alexandre himself
sanctioned the marriage, are we not betraying them both, and Princess Serena!? She clearly loves him."
Hearing Monsieur Thevot say these things caught Ash and the others by surprise, though a pleasant one to be sure.
"This is bigger than that, Thevot! You're letting your emotions get the better of you! You think Princess Serena will be happy watching the Galar behead Monsieur Ash before King Victor forces himself on her!?"
"Forces himself on her?" Bonnie whispered.
"...I'll explain later." Clemont muttered, sweatdropping.
Monsieur Thevot sighed with his Noivern.
"Allez, let's keep moving then." It took a few minutes, but the company left and left the group to sigh in relief.
"Now what?" Bonnie asked.
"We move east. Fletchinder, fly ahead and keep your eyes out for the Queen's knights or any Routiers."
"Fletch!" Fletchinder saluted before flying off.
As the group continued, Ash occasionally checked in Fletchinder via their aura connection and froze in place.
"Non." He muttered. Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie noticed his face turn pale, and soon Ash's other Pokemon mirrored this expression when they saw what Fletchinder did.
"What's wrong, routiers!?" Clemont asked.
"...Bonnie, stay here." Ash said as he sat Serena down and raced ahead with his Pokemon
"Ash!?" Clemont and Serena raced after him, so hastily they didn't even notice Bonnie following them. However, upon passing a hilltop, a familiar stench overcame them, and both went still upon realizing what it meant.
"Bonnie!" Clemont frantically covered her eyes, and Serena vomited. Spread out before them lay no less than forty dead men and a dozen Kalos Pokemon.
Ash and his Pokemon were already looking over the dead with immense pain in their eyes.
"Reduka, watch over them." Ash muttered as he shut their eyes. From the torn banners and bloodied gambesons, these were clearly Kalos soldiers. Some still had longbow arrows sticking out of their bodies and broken weapons beside them. The Galar routiers stripped off any metal armor and other items of value.
"Non." Serena covered her mouth as she and her team slowly walked through the massacre site. Ash grit his teeth and clenched both eyes shut. Clemont similarly felt his stomach turn to stone, and after a minute, Bonnie broke free.
"What is it!?" Bonnie turned pale and frantically buried her face in Clemont's stomach.
"Leo!"
"Huh?!"
"Pika!" Pikachu pointed to a wounded Litleo, who nudged one of the bodies with a heartbroken expression.
"Leo! Leo!" Litleo continued, tears in his eyes as he refused to leave his trainer's side. Serena, Clemont, and Ash all felt terrible pain overcome them, while their Pokemon experienced much the same.
"Pika." Pikachu struggled to do so but approached Litleo with Greninja.
"Pika, Pikachu."
"Gre."
Litleo ignored them and kept nudging the young man's body.
"Leo!"
"Pika, Pika Chu!" Pikachu jumped when he saw the body move on its own, followed by a cough.
"AHhh!" Ash sprinted over at top speed and knelt down before checking the young man's throat for a pulse.
"He's alive!"
The soldier slowly opened his eyes and looked up at Ash.
"De l'eau s'il vous plait." He struggled to speak. Ash frantically took out his waterskin and gently poured some water into the young man's mouth.
"Ahhh, merci." He muttered.
"Hold on!" Serena ran over despite her fatigue and quickly took out a Pecha berry.
"Eat this!" The young man didn't move, but his Litleo nudged him again, and with Ash's help, he chewed the Pecha berry, then swallowed.
"Please don't die!" Bonnie pleaded while Ash and Clemont examined his injuries.
"The wounds don't look fatal. He could survive if he gets help!" Clemont cried.
"Help." Ash and Serena looked at each other and nodded.
"Fletchinder, go find the Queen's knights. They'll recognize you. Bring them here."
"Fletch!" Fletchinder flew off.
"Alright, we're sorry, but we have to leave. Help is coming." Ash said.
"Save her, save her."
"Huh?"
"The noblewoman. The Galar who attacked us had a Kalos noblewoman with them. They took her with them to the nearby castle."
"A noblewoman, who?" Serena asked.
"Don't know, she was young. Had brown hair, green eyes, and a Delcatty." Ash, Serena, Clemont, Bonnie, and all their Pokemon froze for a moment, then turned to each other.
"You don't think?"
"Where is the castle?!" Clemont roared.
The soldier struggled but pointed west.
"Allez!" Clemont moved with a sense of purpose, and the others quickly followed Ash, leaving the wounded soldier with a waterskin.
Litleo tried to comfort him, but it was only a few minutes before the ground shook, and he saw a company of knights and men-at-arms racing forward.
"Reduka aie pitié! Medic!" Monsieur Thevolt roared.
A Wigglytuff raced forward and picked the young man up in her arms.
"Tuff." She said while using a healing pulse on the soldier.
Further east, Ash and the others arrived on a cliffside overlooking a castle on the plateau below. Galar banners flew from the battlements with well over a hundred routiers inside the fortress.
The soldiers laughed and jeered in celebration while listening to their bombastic music. Some counted up their plunder while others lost themselves to Kalos wine with various Pokemon.
However, the group wasn't interested in the soldiers but their prisoner. Clemont and Serena's hearts raced faster and faster, both praying to Reduka until at least one of the Galar knights shouted.
"Alright lads, time to celebrate properly. Let's bring out the entertainment." The garrison let out haughty cheers when two led a young woman out from inside the castle.
Clemont and Serena caught their breath.
"Shauna!" Shauna didn't appear mistreated or in poor health, but the same couldn't be said for her spirits. The noblewoman and her Delcatty glared defiantly at the jeering Galar soldiers as she passed them, many of whom made obscene gestures or comments. Particularly because they'd forced her into an incredibly revealing outfit that would've made a harlot seem decent.
A red piece of fabric covered her breasts, and a similar bottom barely concealed her lower extremities.
"Shauna!" Bonnie cried before Serena covered her mouth.
"Alright then, time to entertain the lads." The lead Galar knight laughed as he shoved Shauna onto a stage at knifepoint.
The noblewoman continued to stare back defiantly but took a deep breath and began dancing with Delcatty.
"Not like that! We want real dancing!" A routier jeered.
Shauna clenched her eyes shut and looked ready to cry but started to dance more provocatively.
"Brilliant! Now sing for us, in that sweet Kalos language of yours!" Another man laughed.
Shauna began singing. However, it wasn't in regular Kalos. Instead, Shauna used a distinct southern dialect from where she grew up. The Galar clearly had a cursory understanding of Kalos, but only those from the southernmost part of Kalos still used this dialect.
"You're all vile Swinub! Soon divine justice will descend upon you!" Shauna sang in a delightful voice, contrasting the words she used.
"King Calem and his armies will put your heads on pikes! All your wives are cheating on you with Kalos soldiers because you don't have any-"
"Ahhh!" Clemont frantically covered Bonnie's ears. The Galar soldiers laughed, none understanding what Shauna actually sang. Serena couldn't help but smile tenderly at her friend's defiance but soon hardened her expression.
"Ash, we have to rescue her!"
"Oui! We can't leave her!" Clemont cried.
Ash nodded.
"We will! But it won't be easy."
Serena and Clemont reluctantly nodded.
"What if we wait for them to leave?" Bonnie asked.
"Non, they'd probably take her with them. We need to rescue her sooner rather than later." Ash said.
Clemont adjusted his glasses and carefully examined the castle interior. After a few minutes, the routiers led Shauna back inside, and the squire nodded.
"I've studied this type of castle before. The layout should be similar enough."
"So you know where the dungeon is?" Serena asked.
"Oui." Ash nodded.
"This could work. If I could lure them out, Clemont could infiltrate the castle and free her."
Normally such a proposition would've terrified Clemont, but now, he showed no hesitation and nodded.
"Oui!" Bonnie beamed at her brother's confidence, as did his Pokemon.
"What about me!?" Serena sounded no less dedicated to freeing Shauna and stood up tall.
"You and Bonnie need to bring in our reinforcements." It only took a moment for Serena to understand what he meant.
"Oui! I can and will!" Serena took out her wing suit and turned to Charla.
"Prêt?"
"Char!"
"Wait until I have their full attention." Ash said as Clemont nodded.
"Ash." Serena tossed something to him.
"Serena."
"You need it more than me." The Princess took off with Charla close behind.
Ash took a deep breath and turned to his pokemon.
"No heroics. We distract them, nothing more."
"Pika!"
"Grauu!"
"Grouu!"
"Fletch!"
"Runt!"
"Gre."
Clemont quickly placed Ash's armor on before doing the same to himself.
"Bonnie, you stay out of sight, understood?" She nodded before hugging her brother.
"Be brave."
Clemont patted her head.
"I will."
Taking a deep breath, Ash channeled his aura and watched Greninja's eyes glow.
"Alright, lads, next up for your entertainment, we have-"
"Grauuu!"
"Grouuu!" The garrison almost jumped in unison when two thunderous blasts hit the walls.
"What the Bloody Hell was that!?"
"There!"
All eyes turned to Mega Charizard Z, who flew overhead with Ash and Pikachu on his back.
"Galar, this is our one warning, surrender or face the consequences!"
"Grauuu!"
"Get that wanker!"
Longbow arrows and Pokemon moves both flew towards Charizard Z, who dodged or knocked them aside with Dragon Claw. However, moments later, Mega Lucario leaped high enough up to unleash two Aura spheres onto one of the battlements, sending several archers and Pokemon tumbling into the courtyard.
"Gre!" When another squad tried to move in from the adjacent battlement, Ash-Greninja leaped up even higher than Mega Lucario and knocked them down with two Water Shurikens.
By now, most of the garrison remained fixed on Ash and his team, allowing Clemont's party to race up against the castle's base.
"Alright, where are you, ici!" Clemont found the weak spot and set down a barrel of gunpowder. After clearing a safe distance, they patiently waited for the right moment.
"Dragon Pulse!"
"Now!"
"Lux!" Luxray lit the fuse from a distance and braced himself for the explosion, which happened at the exact moment Charizard Z's dragon pulse hit, masking the boom.
Once the dust and debris settled, Clemont saw an opening and drew his sword.
"Allez!"
"Lux!"
"By!"
"Ches!" The four raced inside the castle halls and carefully maneuvered through the winding passageways. Thankfully, most of the Galar were already in the courtyard, allowing Clemont to avoid the few remaining who raced up towards Ash.
"Just a bit further." Clemont's heart raced, but he remained fixated on his goal, ignoring all sense of fear or doubt until finally, they arrived.
Inside the dungeon, he spotted Shauna curled up against a cell wall with Delcatty beside her.
"Come on now, don't be like that, little Pidove." A single guard with two Galar Wheezing remained. His face oozed with unsettling desire as he gazed at Shauna, still dressed in the revealing outfit.
"I can make your stay so much more comfortable. Just give me one little dance, with a little less clothing on." Shauna turned to the soldier and spat in his face.
"Putain de merde!" The routier wiped her spit from his face and slammed his fist against the bars.
"Looks like we'll do this the hard way then."
"Comme l'enfer, vous le ferez!"
"Eh?" Shauna muttered. She, Delcatty, and the soldier turned to see Clemont, sword drawn.
"Clemont!" Shauna covered her mouth while blushing intensely.
"What the!?"
"Charge beam! Vine Whip! Mud shot!" Clemont's Pokemon unleashed their moves into both Wheezing while the squire charged their handler.
The routier pulled out a hatchet and swung hard. Luckily, Clemont parried well, easily knocking the blow aside with its own momentum before bashing his buckler into the man's face.
"Damn it! Bugger off, Sliggoo eater!" The guard came back, but Clemont struck first, hitting the inside of his arm and then stabbing forward.
He convulsed for a moment, then went limp, the sword going through his unarmored neck. By the time this happened, both Wheezing had collapsed to the ground, and Clemont exhaled deeply.
"Shauna." The squire had barely unlocked the cell when she burst out and wrapped her arms around him tightly.
"Clemont! I can't believe you're here!" Shauna beamed but not nearly as much as Clemont, whose face turned so bright red that steam nearly shot out of his ears, especially considering Shauna's state of undress.
Under normal circumstances, she might've been similarly flustered, but currently, Shauna was so relieved to see Clemont that she wouldn't have cared if she'd been naked, which she nearly was.
"Shauna, allez, we need to move. I don't know how much longer Ash can hold them."
"Ash! You're with Ash!"
"Oui, Serena too!"
Shauna beamed even brighter and held her face with glittering eyes.
"Serena's safe! Merci Reduka!"
Regaining his senses, Clemont led Shauna back the way they came.
"Just up ahead! We-" Clemont and Shauna both halted in place, their faces turning pale.
"Non." Clemont muttered when he saw the hulking figure of a Galar knight approaching him.
"What do we have here?" The man chuckled, his gray facepaint making him look like iron.
"Clemont's not afraid of you!" Shauna roared.
"Is he not?"
Clemont responded by holding his sword out.
"Get back!"
"Lux!'
"Ches!"
"By!"
The knight laughed as two Toxtricity flanked him.
"I don't see any spurs, and with that armor, wait, don't tell me you're a squire!" The knight laughed hysterically.
"Get back!"
"Or what?" The Galar knight drew his own sword and gave Clemont a sinister grin.
"She's not going anywhere, and neither are you."
Tightening his grip on the sword, Clemont charged.
"Gaah!" The Galar knight nearly knocked the smaller man unconscious with his counterblow.
"Clemont!" Shauna cried. Both Toxtricity tried to rush her, but Clemont's Pokemon intervened, and Shauna too began directing Delcatty against them.
Clemont struggled to regain his senses after the punishing blow and only just parried the next one. Each strike nearly knocked broke the squire's stance, but he refused to back down.
"I know you can do it!" Ash's words echoed through Clemont's mind. The knight slashed out again, barely missing Clemont, who now saw his opening.
"Pour Kalos!" Clemont rushed in and pinned the man's arm in place while trapping his leg.
"Huh?" Clemont grit his teeth and shoved with all his might, using leverage just like Ash taught him. The Galar knight hit the floor hard and grunted.
"Why you-" The man convulsed as Clemont pulled a dagger and stabbed it through his face. He panted heavily and felt his opponent go limp.
"Clemont." Shauna muttered in disbelief.
"Shauna, we need to-" Clemont got cut off when the noblewoman seized him in her arms and planted a fiery kiss on his lips.
"Eeeeep!" Clemont yelped, his insides now ablaze and his skin tingling.
"My hero!" Shauna beamed as she hugged him tighter. Clemont's Pokemon and Delcatty chuckled. After regaining his composure, Clemont took Shauna by the hand and led her out.
"Clemont!" Both turned to see Ash and his team racing away as the castle gates opened.
"After that Sliggoo eater!"
"Merde!" Clemont and Shauna cried when they saw the entire Routier company sallying out after them. Neither looked back and simply ran as fast as they could, panting heavily before the ground started shaking.
"Eh?"
"Ahhh, Serena!" Clemont cried in joy.
"Serena!?" Shauna yelped when she saw the Princess flying towards them with Charla. Directly behind her raced over a hundred knights and men-at-arms.
"Bien!" Ash laughed.
When Monsieur Thevolt saw the Routiers he cursed.
"Merde! Men, attack!" The routiers halted in their tracks and desperately tried to flee back inside the castle, but it was too late. Thevolt's company fell upon them with a brutal vengeance.
Within thirty minutes, it was over, and the Kalos troops secured the castle without incident. But alas, their original target had escaped.
Elsewhere, Serena and Shauna embraced each other.
"Serena!"
"Shauna!" Tears filled the Princess's eyes as she held her friend.
"Shauna, I'm so sorry, you-" Serena choked on her tears, but the noblewoman shook her head.
"I don't regret what I did. You escaped. That's what matters. Besides, I'm fine now, thanks to my knight in shining armor!" Shauna hugged Clemont again and kissed his cheek, making him turn bright red once more.
"My brother is a true knight!" Bonnie exclaimed.
"Oui, he is." Ash smiled widely and approached him.
"Clemont, kneel."
"Ehh!?" The squire muttered. Serena, Bonnie, and Shauna gasped, all of them just now realizing that technically any chevalier could knight a squire.
Trembling, Clemont did as Ash said and lowered his head.
"Clemont, do you swear to uphold the codes of chivalry?"
"Je le fais."
"Do you swear to serve the King, Kalos, and her people faithfully?"
"Je le fais."
"Do you swear to protect the innocent and defenseless?"
"Je le fais." Ash placed the flat end of his sword on each of Clemont's shoulders.
"I hereby knight you, Monsieur Clemont." Clemont slowly rose to his feet when Ash slapped him.
"May this blow be the last you receive unanswered."
"Clemont!" Bonnie almost floated into the air, and Clemont wasn't far off. It was almost surreal. He was a chevalier now.
"I knew you could do it one day!" Shauna embraced Clemont once more and gave him another passionate kiss.
Later that night, Clemont trembled again, but not from fear. He lay in his tent with Shauna cuddled up against him, having shed what little clothing she had as her head rested on his chest.
After a few deep breaths, Clemont smiled and stroked the back of Shauna's head.
"Monsieur Clemont, just wait until father finds out."
Author's note
So a few big events,
Shauna has now joined the party, and Clemont is officially a knight.
The group now moves into the more intense part of the conflict, so expect things to get more intense.
So until next time,
Please review, comment, suggest, or ask (VIA PM)