Hi everyone, for the first time I'll be answering comments, I'm really excited.
anonymous reviewer: Well, as for the fate of Team Plasma, Rocket, Hunter J, and any other antagonists in the pokemon world, I can't say much right now for spoiler reasons. But what I can guarantee you is that they will regret it if they cross Shirou's path at some point.
About blocking ideas for Shirou to separate himself from Ash's group, you can rest assured that I have everything planned, and about the repercussion of Shirou's actions in the pokémon world, well, it would also be a spoiler if I said.
EMSreader: I always try to update as soon as possible, but I'm experiencing some health issues, so I can't promise a high frequency of chapters. I hope you understand.
Having answered everyone, stay with the newest chapter. See you soon.
After a pleasant night's sleep, May woke up as the first rays of sunlight entered the room she shared with her new friend. Sitting on the bed, she stretched and went to the bathroom to do her morning hygiene.
After a few minutes, she came out in her travel robes, and Dawn was already awake as she waited for her to come out of the bathroom.
"Good morning May, no need to worry, I didn't wait long because I just woke up. Wait for me here because I won't take long to get ready, and I'm also curious to see the letter Shirou left for you." The blue haired girl smirked as she teased her friend before entering the bathroom.
"I just hope it's not a declaration of love, or I'll be forced to steal Shirou from you;" Dawn didn't see the slight frown that came over May's face at her comment. The Hoenn coordinator took Dawn's words a little too seriously, she no longer knew what her priority was on this journey through Sinnoh, and it hadn't even been 24 hours since she was reunited with Ash.
She obviously aimed to win the Sinnoh Grand Festival, but her main motivation for starting this journey was to win Ash's heart. Problem was, she was also interested in Shirou, and seeing a girl she'd just met have more success in her advances with her friend frustrated her, and what made it worse was the fact that Ash was still dense as a rock and not notice your progress.
She felt like she was losing Shirou as she began to be uncertain of her chances with Ash, and her own feelings were conflicting. Before they left Hoenn she was confident she knew what she wanted, but now she wanted her white-haired friend to have his eyes on her again. Dawn was frank with her in declaring her interest in Shirou, and May felt bad for wanting her friend's advances to go awry. It wasn't fair to the girl and May knew it.
But she needed to decide what she really wanted before it was too late.
May snapped out of her thoughts at the sound of the bathroom door opening, and Dawn came out in her travel clothes, ready for a new day. The bluenette sat next to May as she looked expectantly at her friend.
"So...open the letter, I want to see what Shirou wrote to you." May had forgotten about the letter while she was lost in her thoughts, and at her friend's request, she took the letter and opened it.
As she started to read, she felt her heart tighten.
My dear friend May Maple
If you are reading this letter, it means that I went on a journey alone.
I want to make it clear that it's not your fault or any of your friends' fault, but for your safety, I'm obligated to let you go.
You saw what I am capable of when motivated at the event involving those who called themselves Team Rocket.
I have an apology to make to you and your family: I didn't suffer from Amnesia. I deliberately lied because your deduction of my mental state was an opportunity to avoid being forced to explain.
I have abused your family's trust and so I accept any hatred and dislike you may have towards me, but please know that it was never my intention to play with your feelings and trust. I still consider you a dear friend and a wonderful person, you don't deserve someone like me in your life.
There are secrets involving my life that could put you, your family and your friends at risk, so I won't tell you everything in absolute detail. What I can tell you is that yes, I was a member of the church in the past, I was what they called the "Executioner", a secret division of the church dedicated to neutralizing people who went against their interests, as well as wizards who threatened to expose the magic to the world.
Yes, it may sound crazy, but magic does exist, at least it does exist where I come from, and as a mage, I'm not someone you can trust. May, there is a mantra among mages that is one of the few absolute truths I consider to be true.
To be a mage is to walk with death.
This means that no matter how hard I try to avoid getting my hands bloody, I will always end up being dragged into the conflict, putting my life, my friends and innocent people's lives at risk. It's not safe for any of you to be around me, and even though this decision breaks my heart, for your sake I've decided to disappear.
Don't try to find me, nothing good will come of such an attempt. I recommend that you try to forget that you ever knew me, believe me, it will be the best for everyone. Even if you hate me, know that I will always be praying for your safety and success, and when you need it most, I will be there to protect you.
When you finish reading this letter, a seal will be imprinted with my mana on your right wrist, it will only activate in life or death situations, and it has no harmful effect. It's my apology for the actions I took.
Tell Dawn that even though I've known her for less than a day, I've seen her as a sweet, kindhearted girl. I would have liked to have had the opportunity to strengthen our bonds and be a good friend, but unfortunately I won't be able to, as a more experienced coordinator, I ask you to guide you, as you have had a mentor in the past, it is your chance to be a mentor for the new generation.
Brock and Ash, although I haven't talked to either of them much, I think they're good people. May, thank you that you have so many trusted friends in your social circle, you don't know how rare it is to find such types of people.
And about your love for Ash, remember what I told you before we left for Sinnoh, the fear of rejection isn't worth a lifetime of doubt. Don't do something you'll regret, take the initiative and show him how you really feel. If the answer is yes, I wish the couple all the luck in the world, and if it is no, know that the pain of rejection passes one day, but the pain of regret is eternal. Don't make the same mistake I did, I don't wish such a fate on anyone.
In the name of our brief friendship, I have one last request: Live your life to the fullest. Fight for your dreams, take advantage of opportunities to make new friends, keep being the wonderful person you are, and always be ready to help your friends. I am a person who can no longer be saved, but you have not yet been stained by the world. Live to the fullest and try not to turn into someone like me.
Farewell, my dear friend.
May the stars guide you and may the sun shine on your paths.
Amakusa Shirou Tokisada.
At the end of the reading, a mark on May's right wrist appeared, composed of a black sun and a white moon, both wrapped in a circle and a Christian cross below. It was painless, but even if she was in pain, May was unlikely to notice it.
Silent tears streamed from May's eyes as she held the letter as if her life depended on it. Dawn looked confused at her friend and when she asked the reason for her sadness, May slowly handed her the letter, and when Dawn finished reading, the younger girl was more expressive in her feeling, crying profusely as she hugged her friend.
Many things were on May's mind. Shirou had deceived her, lied to her and her family. He never had amnesia and abused her trust. She felt betrayed, but at the same time she wasn't angry, for although he had lied, he had never done anything with the intention of hurting her, her family or her friends, he had even protected her from Drew and helped her make the decision to leave. run after your love.
May's main feeling wasn't hatred for Shirou or disappointment, but fear. She feared that she had lost her friend forever. She was afraid of some of the things Shirou said in the letter, like the fact that he was an enforcer, she knew how to read between the lines, meant that he had already taken lives in the past. The thought terrified her, she couldn't imagine what kind of situation would lead to someone taking a life, and so she couldn't sympathize with her friend. It was wrong to kill and he needed to stop. But what could she do now? Shirou ran away and she had no idea where he was at the moment, and she feared for her friend's safety. He didn't have anyone to be by her side and if anything happened to him, May wouldn't forgive herself. She felt a little guilty about Shirou's escape, after all,
The thought of Team Rocket made a feeling of hate flood the girl. They'd always been a drag on her life since she'd met Ash, but this time they'd gone too far. Because those three stupid thieves friends of hers had run away, she wanted Shirou back, and if Jessie, James and Meowth showed up again, she'd introduce them to hell.
Dawn didn't know what to say to her friend. Unlike May, she barely knew Shirou, so there was no way to know what the boy's true persona was. She met a handsome, polite and kind boy who quickly became an object of interest to her, but the Shirou who dealt with those criminals was someone ruthless, cold, but what scared her was none of that.
It was the fact that he looked ready to kill.
Dawn wasn't innocent, she knew there were all kinds of people and not all of them were good at heart, but it was one thing for her mother to warn about such people and another to see something like this in person. Dawn was scared of Shirou, but at the same time she felt that the boy deserved at least the opportunity to explain himself. He didn't seem to be evil, and his aggression only came about when they tried to harm one of his friends. She was worried about May, she was shaken by what had happened and feared even more what would happen after Brock, and especially Ash, read the letter. She knew practically nothing about Brock and so she couldn't expect any reaction, and Ash would know about May's feelings for a letter that wasn't even from the girl, and a rejection would break her friend's heart even more,
Deciding to help May react, Dawn spoke to her friend. "May, let's get something to eat, we need to break the news to Ash and Brock, I know it's not easy, I don't really know what to do myself. But anything is better than sitting here in the room crying." May nodded slowly and after picking up their backpacks, the pair of girls headed to the cafeteria.
Arriving at the place, Ash and Brock were waiting for them to eat, but the girls' expressions informed them that something was wrong.
Ash was the first to speak, noticing Shirou's absence and her friends' sadness. "May, Dawn, what happened to you two? And did you see Shirou? He still hasn't come down to eat." When talking about Shirou, May started crying again as Dawn comforted her friend and handed the letter to Brock to read.
As the eldest of the teenagers read, his expression grew more and more grim, and when he was done, he looked at May as if asking for her permission, and with a nod, handed the letter to Ash.
The young trainer with his Pikachu on his shoulder had mixed feelings as he read Shirou's letter. He felt angry at him for deceiving May and her family, fear that he would reveal that he was some sort of murderer, and pity that he showed a tone of resignation in his letter, as if he didn't believe he was saved.
But what scared him was the part where Shirou said that May had romantic feelings for him. That couldn't be true, she had always been best friends with him and he'd watched her grow as a coordinator as they went through various ordeals throughout the two regions they had previously traveled to. Ash was dense but not stupid, he knew what love was and was starting to suspect May's change in attitude towards him since the events of the Temple of the Sea. What he feared had come true and he needed confirmation from the girl to decide what her course of action would be.
Looking with the most serious expression his friends had ever seen on him, Ash caught her friend's attention.
"May, could you escort me out of the Pokemon center, there is something we need to talk about privately." This caught the girl's attention, and remembering the contents of the letter, her heart sped up.
Very nervously, she asked as she focused her gaze on the boy who called her. "It's about my..." Ash interrupted her trying to save the girl from embarrassment. "Yes it is. Follow me." With an unusual attitude when it came to Ash, he walked out of the Pokémon center without saying anything else, with May following him apprehensively, she would have the conversation that was the central theme of their trip to Sinnoh. It wasn't the way she expected, and she was shaken by what happened to Shirou, but she wouldn't miss such an opportunity.
Following Ash, they both sat under a tree a few feet away from the Pokémon center, in a spot that gave them some privacy.
An uncomfortable silence hung over the place, until Ash took the initiative.
"How long have you felt this way about me May?" Ash's question caught May off guard. She expected Ash to take a long time to really understand what this conversation was about, he didn't seem like the dense boy she thought she knew, trying to contain her nervousness, she took a deep breath and said what she had wanted to talk about for over two years.
"Since when you saved me in the Sea Temple. You put me in the only survival module, sacrificing your own safety to save me. From that moment I started to see you as my hero Ash, and when you took a while to show up when the temple came back to the surface, I thought I had lost you." May burst into tears remembering the event, and Ash felt bad for doing this to her friend, but needed to hear it through to the end.
Composing herself, May continued. "When you appeared using the power of the Crown of the Sea and defeated Phantom, I felt immense happiness, and in that moment I knew that the way I saw you had changed, I couldn't just look at you as my mentor and friend, I had I fell in love with you Ash, and from that moment on I tried to do my best to make you understand my feelings." May said it all at once as she placed a hand on her chest and plastered on a serene smile. Ash was looking at her and the pieces in her head were starting to connect.
"Is that why you changed the way you interacted with me? You have become very attached to me and do not leave my side at any time." May blushed at her love interest comment, and returned her gaze to Ash.
"Yes, I did it to show you how I felt Ash, I didn't have the courage to say it at the time and you were very dense, my only alternative was to show my love with actions, not words. I have something to confess to you. I had decided to travel to Johto after we shared that tape in Terracotta, because you hadn't noticed my feelings, and it hurt me Ash. I was afraid to continue traveling with you and my frustration would lead to an argument that would end our friendship. I tried to move on, to find someone special for me to take the place you took in my heart, but then I met Shirou." This left Ash surprised, he couldn't understand what Shirou had done to change May's intentions. The girl noticed the confusion and with a serene smile she continued to speak.
"I met Shirou when I was returning with my family from the market in my city, he was unconscious and we helped him. It surprised me how polite he was for his age, I had never seen a boy act like that, and his culinary talent is incredible. But what matters for our conversation is something he told me the day before we came to Sinnoh. We were shopping for groceries for our journey when I commented on my indecision. Ash, you had told me that here in Sinnoh there were Pokémon contests, and that was why I came here, at the same time that Drew had advised me to travel to Johto and compete against him, Soledad and Harley. I was very much inclined to take Drew's advice, both out of my frustration with his density and the very fact that my rivals were heading there. But Shirou told me that he met a girl in the past, she loved him, but Shirou was very dense at the time and didn't notice in time. When he realized it was late and she had moved on. He told me that nothing hurts like regret, he told me that it was worth taking the risk of rejection to avoid a life of doubt and uncertainty. Thanks to him I made the decision to come to Sinnoh and because of that we are having this conversation now." May finished speaking with a quick breath as Ash looked at her in shock.
"May I don't even know what to say. I've always been proud of you, of how you evolved from a girl who didn't like Pokémon to a talented coordinator. I admire you a lot May, I have a huge appreciation for you and I assure you that I'm not as dense as I look. I may be slow in these matters of the heart, but I assure you that you are a beautiful girl and I like you very much." May was hopeful hearing these words, her heart was beating faster and faster, unfortunately, the next words were not what she expected to hear.
"Look, I like you a lot, May, but I can't lie and say I love you as a woman. I love you yes, but as a dear friend. I've never really felt love for any girl, I've always been focused on my coaching career, and I value our friendship too much to lie and tell you that I feel something, when in fact my love is only as a friend. I'm sorry to say this May, but it's the truth." Ash looked at her with a pain in his heart to see the sadness in his friend's eyes.
May felt as if her world had been torn apart, her biggest fears had come true, Ash didn't love as a woman, her heart ached so much, she felt like it would stop at any moment. She felt alone, abandoned, as if she had no one else to comfort her at this difficult time.
Ash couldn't bear to see May in this state and affectionately hugged her, while trying to comfort her.
"May, you don't know how much it hurts to say this, but I had to tell you the truth. I will always be here for you, in good times and bad, but only as a friend. I can't play with your feelings and create a relationship based on lies. I understand practically nothing about dating someone, but I grew up without a father, he abandoned me when I was a kid. If he really loved my mother, he wouldn't have abandoned her, I wouldn't forgive myself if he took up a relationship with you, only to in the future end it all and destroy our friendship. I really hope we can continue to be friends. If you don't want to I'll understand, but know that I care a lot about you May. I will be by your side always." Ash broke away from the hug seeing that May hadn't returned it, and with sadness in his eyes, he decided to give her some time alone,
The sadness remained in May's heart, she had bet everything on this conversation and had received the only answer she feared. She thought of Shirou, it was because of him that she came to Sinnoh and now she would know for the rest of her life that she would never stand a chance with Ash.
Crying, she punched the tree, slightly hurting her wrist. "Damn you Shirou! Look what you put me through, first you convince me to come here for Ash, then you leave and now I'm rejected. Where are you now you bastard?!" She screamed as she cried more and more profusely. She took Shirou's letter which was now streaked with her tears and held it to her chest, holding it as if it was her only foundation to hold on to.
"Shirou, where are you? I need you here." She leaned against the tree while crying silently.
Earlier this same day, with Shirou
Shirou was advancing across the plains with superhuman speed towards Arrowroot Town. The same night he decided to leave his friends, he headed to the Oreburg library to learn more about the history of the Sinnoh region. He learned that Sinnoh in the distant past was called Hisui and the region has several mysteries that closely resemble those coming from the supernatural. One in particular unnerved him was about the legend that a lineage of people throughout Sinnoh's history possessed the power to control the legendary golem Regigigas, considered a legendary Pokémon of great power.
What motivated him to go so hastily to his destination was the fact that he wasn't the only one doing research that night. He had the misfortune of meeting people connected with the infamous Hunter J. Apparently the criminal was aware of the legend, and a young girl from the royal family was residing in Arrowroot Town, which provided the perfect opportunity for a kidnapping, in order to gain control over Regigigas. Shirou used a presence concealment spell to avoid attracting attention, and just after the men left the library, he prepared to move on to his new objective.
What he didn't notice was the fact that a man wearing mining clothes was walking towards him, and absorbed in his thoughts, Shirou ended up knocking the poor man down.
Quickly helping him out, he apologized and introduced himself with his name. The man was surprisingly the town's Gym Leader, he was called Roark and he specialized in Rock-type Pokémon. Shirou's curiosity got the better of him and a brief conversation ensued, which cheered Roark up as it mainly dealt with topics involving his preferred type of Pokémon, as well as the boy's growing interest in everything he knew about fossils.
Having gotten what he could from the Gym Leader, Shirou said goodbye and continued on his way, leading him to his current situation, running at absurd speed while trying to get to his destination as soon as possible.
Thanks to his speed, after a few hours he saw the city, and when he prepared to continue, he felt a strong headache as he began to lose consciousness, as he fell into darkness, Shirou did not notice a carriage that stopped beside him while a young man ran towards him.
Coming back to consciousness, Shirou realized that he was no longer on a plain with pleasant weather, but in front of a temple on top of a mountain with a terrible snowstorm going on. Fearing for his safety, the mage entered the temple and torches lit as he walked down the hall, stopping in front of an enormous stone gate, with ancient drawings depicting Arceus and a golem fighting each other, with a large golem depicted below. and three lines going towards three smaller golems, one representing ice, another iron and the last one rock.
Rayquaza's Poké Ball trembled in his pocket, making him worried, and a mechanized voice echoed through the temple.
"You who are the chosen of the Alpha and the Omega, welcome to my abode." And with those words, the massive gate swung open, revealing a great, weather-worn stone hall. But what caught the eye was a huge white golem, almost as tall as the massive temple, with three fingers on each hand, grass on both feet and shoulders, with gold accents on the wrists, ends of the shoulders, and what appeared to be his head.
Its face, if it could be called a face, is composed of 7 circular black holes, appearing to be its eyes, and on its chest, 6 gems, 3 on each side, of the colors red, cyan and silver, made up the body of the huge golem.
Shirou's Poké Ball opened, revealing Rayquaza, who was looking blankly at the being in front of him.
"Regigigas, it's been ages since I last saw you, I'd like to say I'm happy, but that would be a lie. I don't understand why my father keeps you and your offspring alive considering who you came from." Hatred could be heard in Rayquaza's speech, while Shirou looked at the interaction with curiosity, but preparing to mediate any conflict.
The golem held out one of its hands and Rayquaza was thrown into the wall of the great hall, much to the wrath of Hoenn's legendary Pokémon. With his mechanized voice, Regigigas spoke for the first time since the appearance of his legendary companion.
"Remember your place Rayquaza, you are in my domain, I make the laws here, and as for Arceus sparing me and my offspring, I am eternally grateful for your mercy, but I will not tolerate you disrespecting us, not in ours. domain. Be grateful that the chosen one is with you, or I would show you that you are not as powerful as you think." Looking at Shirou, he walked over and sat a few feet close to the boy, almost knocking Shirou down with the small tremor that occurred.
A mechanical laugh could be heard from the legendary golem as he extended his huge arm, and the poor boy took one of his fingers, as it was as much as his hand could hold, and mimicked a sort of greeting by shaking his arms.
"What an interesting person Arceus has chosen. Tell me young man, do you know why you brought your conscience here? Don't worry about your body, it's taken care of by people you trust." Shirou was surprised not to be physically present, as his senses remained perfectly normal, and mentally thanked his body for being safe. The boy denied knowing the reason for the conversation and the golem continued talking.
"Shirou, although I don't agree with the way Rayquaza treats me and my descendants, unfortunately it's not without justification. You see, long before the world as it is today existed, Arceus created the first legendaries, which would be key pieces in modifying the world to mold into its current form. Unfortunately, not even Arceus could foresee that the remnant of his energy released during creation would give rise to a creature that represented pure evil, the one that went against all that was created, the annihilation golem, Regialpha. For a long time Regalpha was inactive, and Arceus thought he was just an echo of creation, but it was all a twisted plan by the golem to destroy Arceus and all that had been created. When all Pokémon had been created, and the first deadly Pokémon roamed the land, Arceus had decided to create what would be known as the human species. His wish was to create a creature that had the gift of shaping the planet while walking side by side with earthly Pokémon, and so it was done." As Regigigas told the story, Shirou began to find it strangely familiar to the most famous biblical tale.
Continuing with his explanation, Regigigas released Rayquaza from his control, and the Pokémon that had authority through lightning and thunder surprisingly didn't attack him, it settled on the ground in the far corner of Regigigas and watched the golem and its trainer's interaction warily.
"Regialpha saw in man the opportunity to destroy what Arceus created, and he tried to destroy human free will, implanting the desire for annihilation in the first humans. Arceus realizing this was furious and attacked Regalpha with all his might, and an unprecedented battle ensued. In the end, Regialpha was defeated, and with his last effort, created me, Regigigas, in a desperate attempt to obtain an avatar to maintain his existence in this world. Arceus noticed his attempt and split Regialpha's existence into two parts. The first would be his soul, which would be perpetually dormant in an unbreakable purple gem, and would be under the care of a human bloodline, which you may already know what it is by now. And as for his body, Arceus divided it into three parts, which gave rise to the first Regice, Regirock and Registeel. A small part of my own essence was used by Arceus to compose my three descendants, in order to always be able to keep an eye on the body of the evil golem. Shirou, you must stop the greedy silver-haired woman from obtaining the soul of Regialpha, she foolishly believes that the gem is the key to controlling me, when in fact it will be the cause of the end of the world as we know it."
The mage's eyes widened as he realized the gravity of the situation, and promptly agreed to stop Hunter J from obtaining Regalpha's soul. Rayquaza snorted seeing his trainer's reaction, he was proud the human didn't run away from such a responsibility, but he would die before admitting it. Approaching Shirou, he let his head approach his trainer as he spoke to the two beings.
"Shirou, you will wake up any moment, as Regigigas has no mastery of psychic abilities, your time in artificial realities is limited, Regigigas, if you have anything to talk about, let it be now." Regigigas nodded as he watched his artificial reality crumble.
"You who came from a distant world, protect the one who holds the soul of Regialpha, she is the key to your return. Not even Arceus has been able to completely destroy your soul, but both he and I believe you can accomplish such a feat. Good luck, and know that the golems are on your side, chosen youth." Shirou's world went white, and when he opened his eyes, he was in a luxurious bedroom, lying on a huge bed with gold accents. A maid who cleaned the room was surprised to see him wake up and ran into the hallway to warn him about what had happened.
Shirou slowly sat up as his head still ached, and slowly the events in his vision lined up in his mind. He had to find the one who held Regialpha's soul and destroy the artifact before Hunter J obtains it.
The young man was forced out of his thoughts when a girl eerily resembling Dawn, who wore a white tiara, a blue dress similar to those worn at high society balls, a small white belt with a gold buckle, white gloves and white sandals. She approached him as she greeted him, bowing slightly while holding both sides of the skirt on her dress and looking at him with a smile.
"Nice to meet you, I am Princess Salvia, proud heir to the throne of the Sinnoh royal family. She was on her way to this town in my carriage when my chauffeur spotted her unconscious by the side of the road. I quickly ordered him to stop and help him, I could not allow a member of the church to be left to his own devices while I could help him." She was smiling at Shirou, and the boy stood up, ignoring the slight headache and greeting her as usual.
He gently took her right hand, brought her left hand to his chest and leaned down while kissing her gently, then looked at Salvia with a disarming smile, making the girl blush as the employees were surprised by the young man's audacity.
"It's an honor to meet you, Princess Salvia. I am indebted to you for the kindness of caring for this humble person. I am Amakusa Shirou Tokisada, Head of House Amakusa, family member of the Babylonian court, and I am at your command." As Shirou spoke with a disarming smile, inwardly he didn't believe he was using the title Semiramis had given him when he first met him, as in her words "It is inadmissible for me to be a servant to a simple peasant", later Shirou discovered that she only wanted him. bestow a gift, but was too proud to admit it.
As he greeted Princess Salvia, he saw on her choker a purple gem that emitted malicious energy, and in his mind he heard Regigigas fervently speaking that it was Regialpha's soul stone. The princess was her target and he would need to find a way to win her trust in order to convince her to destroy the jewel that would surely be an object that had been in the family for generations.
Salvia on the other hand blushed profusely as she was greeted by the handsome young man, who she discovered was a royal. Her butler had entered the room and was about to punish Shirou for his audacity, but stopped when he heard the title by which he introduced himself. Deciding to get the attention of the young couple, he introduced himself.
"Your Majesty, dinner is ready to be served. Lord Shirou, I am the butler of the royal family, my name is Feihet, if your majesty has no objections, I believe it is beneficial for you to participate in the dinner, as you are a personal guest of our young monarch."
Shirou smiled slightly at the butler, used to people of his kind, and after a practiced greeting, to the butler's silent approval, directed his gaze to Salvia, who still had a slight blush on her face as she watched Feihet, the one he would normally punish. sternly anyone who tried to interact intimately with her, act so friendly towards Shirou. She turned her attention to his recent source of interest and saw him smiling sweetly as he held out his right hand.
"If your majesty has no objections, I would love to accompany you to dinner tonight." Salvia timidly took Shirou's hand and Feihet led them through the halls, while the staff on the spot looked in amazement and interest at the mysterious young man who so shyly accompanied the heir to the throne of the Sinnoh monarchy.
Arriving in front of an exquisite wooden gate, two armed guards opened the doors as Feihet entered the dining hall and extended his hand to the couple.
"I present to you our Majesty Princess Salvia and her guest of honor, Lord Amakusa Shirou Tokisada, Head of House Amakusa, honored family member of the court of the kingdom of Babylon." As Salvia and Shirou waved to all the dignitaries representing Sinnoh provinces present at the dinner, reporters snapped pictures in a frenzy, hoping they'd gotten the headline of the year by seeing the princess with the mysterious lord she seemed to be so intimately connected with.
The young couple sat in two chairs positioned at the north end of the large table, and were graced with several questions from lords and representatives of the various provinces in the region.
Shirou was the center of attention, and whenever asked about his family or the kingdom for which he had the title of nobility, he answered with half-truths, without raising suspicion and revealing anything that compromised him.
A daring reporter asked a question that would make everyone uncomfortable. "Lord Shirou, you are the Majesty's guest of honor, but she appears to be closer to you than a simple guest, would you be in a relationship?" The question shocked everyone, and Feihet was fuming with rage, ready to call the guards, but Shirou's answer shocked them even more.
He fondly took the royal coat of arms that Semiramis had given him and spoke to the man. "Mr Reporter, I am not in a relationship with Princess Salvia, I was recently widowed by my wife Queen Semiramis of Babylon, I loved her very much and at the moment I am not thinking about a new relationship." As he finished speaking with sadness in his voice, his answer left the room in deathly silence. Shirou was not a simple Lord, he was a full-fledged King and the reporter had the gall to ask such a question.
Feihet was panicked for fear the reporter's boldness would spark an international crisis, while also seeing Shirou as an opportunity to strengthen Salvia's reign, but even he had empathy, and he could see that the pain in Shirou's eyes was genuine. .
Pandemonium erupted shortly thereafter. Reporters snapped photos and more photos, while dignitaries outraged at the sassy reporter's lack of common sense aired their opinions.
"How dare this commoner speak like that to a monarch"
"On behalf of Alamos Province, I offer my most sincere condolences to Lord Shirou, and I repudiate this reporter's lack of tact."
"What is this man still doing here? Call the guards to take him out."
Feihet took the cue given by the last comment and with a nod from Salvia, who hugged Shirou, something that generated even more photos from the reporters, he silently authorized the actions of his butler and adviser.
Feihet in a tone of finality, spoke so that his voice echoed throughout the room. "Guards, remove all reporters from this dining hall, on account of the audacity of one of you, unfortunately you will all pay the price and are banned from the palace for the next few days. Lord Shirou, on behalf of the kingdom of Sinnoh I apologize for this man's audacity, I hope it does not adversely affect relations between the two governments."
Shirou smiled to calm the poor butler as he spoke in a practiced tone for everyone to hear. "Feihet, I thank you and accept your apologies. I understand that this foolish man's words do not represent this realm. I am indebted to Princess Salvia for saving my life this afternoon, and it is not a misunderstanding that will affect my appreciation for her, and to an extent throughout the realm. Let's enjoy the rest of dinner and forget about this fiasco." Shirou looked at Salvia who was looking at him impressed. She had a hard time dealing with such situations and Shirou did everything with enormous ease.
"Your Highness, do you have anything you wish to add to my speech?" Salvia smiled sweetly as she denied it, and dinner went on as normal from that point on, with the journalists having been removed.
But while dinner was going well, the next day's headlines would surprise all of Sinnoh and even beyond.
Back in Oreburgh, right after the conversation between Ash and May
Ash had entered the Pokémon Center back, being greeted by his group of friends. His sad expression worried Brock, who quickly got an idea of what could have happened. Dawn looked at Ash and asked him what was bothering him.
"Ash what happened, what were you and May talking about?" She had an idea of what it could be, but she wanted to hear it from the boy's mouth.
"Dawn, Brock, May and I had a very important conversation, normally I wouldn't talk to you about this, even though you're my friends there are matters that are private even to me, but you should already have an idea of what it's about. May told me that she liked me more than a friend, I was really happy that she thought of me that way, but I couldn't lie and say that I thought the same thing, I had to tell her that I only saw her like a friend. I'm really not in the mood for conversation right now, I'm going to the Oreburgh gym to battle for my first badge, I've already got Corpish and Donphan to use with Pikachu." Without another word, Ash walked out towards the gym. Dawn wanted to talk to Ash, but Brock stopped her, and thinking about how May could be, Dawn ran to talk to her friend.
Soon Dawn found her propped up against a tree, and as she approached, the sight broke her heart.
May's eyes glazed over as she cried, unable to produce tears, she held Shirou's letter while looking at the horizon without a clear focus. Dawn gently hugged her, catching the poor girl's attention.
"May, I'm sorry. You've been through so much in a single day, I don't even know what to do to help you. Ash went to the gym battle in this town and Brock ran after him." hearing Ash's name made May angry, and her scream startled Dawn.
"Don't mention that bastard's name! I lost Shirou because he thought he was a danger to us, but at least he didn't make a fool of me by spending so much time chasing a one-sided crush. Dawn, I want Shirou here with me, I, I..." She couldn't finish as she started crying again. Dawn tried to comfort her by patting her back.
May didn't know how to tell Dawn what she felt at the moment, she felt like she was going to betray her friend. But she knew now what she wanted, it might seem petty, rash and selfish, but she had lost Ash, but she still hadn't lost Shirou, even though he had left for a damn misunderstanding.
Pulling out of the embrace, May with trembling lips told Dawn something that would put their newfound friendship on the line.
"Dawn, I have to confess something to you. Ash isn't the only boy I liked. In fact, I've loved him since what happened at the sea temple, but in the short time I met Shirou, he was wonderful to me, he treated me like I always wanted a boy to treat me, he protected me when I needed it, he knew how to advise me. about something that even I wasn't quite sure what to do, and even with my heart breaking from losing Ash, I still want to try something with Shirou, Dawn, if you want to hate me you'll be within your rights, but I just can't enduring giving up on Shirou, even with all the secrets he kept from me, I still have a huge appreciation for him and want him by my side."
Dawn was looking at her with a neutral expression. She suspected that May saw Shirou as something more than a friend and this was confirmed. She felt like yelling at May and telling her to fuck off, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. She in a very short time had formed a huge friendship with May and wouldn't forgive herself if she was the third person in the same day to hurt May in some way.
She didn't want to compete for the same boy with her friend, but at the same time she didn't want to give up on Shirou. He might be full of mysteries and she would force the explanations out of the boy when she found him, but he was still the same lovely, cute, kind boy she'd met when she arrived at Professor Rowan's lab.
A crazy idea popped into her head as she looked at May who was shaking with fear at her reaction. Dawn couldn't help but laugh to herself and internally agreeing with her crazy decision, which had a high probability of going wrong, but if it did it would be a reason for happiness for her, her friend and Shirou, looked at May and said with a silly smile on the face, surprising the heartbroken girl.
"May, what I'm about to tell you is going to sound crazy, you're probably going to freak out, but please, at least consider the idea." Dawn's tone made May distressed.
"Dawn, you're scaring me, what are you thinking?" May asked apprehensively and a laugh left Dawn's lips as she looked at her friend, taking a deep breath, she dropped the bomb.
"May, what if instead of competing for Shirou, we didn't decide to share the same boyfriend? A silence ensued where the two were, May looked at her friend in shock while Dawn had a nervous smile awaiting the answer.
She soon came up with a scream that scared all the Pokémon in the region.
"WHICH?!"