DISCLAIMER: I do not own Pokemon and am in no way affiliated with the various parties who do.
Princess May was standing at the balcony overlooking the castle's courtyard, staring out at the shabby town arrayed around the castle's hill and at the world beyond. She longed to travel and see the lands outside the kingdom, but her father refused, not willing to put his only child in any danger. Even within the kingdom, she was only allowed to travel rarely, and only with the company of at least a score of knights and their Pokemon.
But at least she was living a safe life. She thought of the citizens of her father's land, and how terrible their lives must be. Looking over the once-proud town, she remembered what once was: a thriving market, laughter filling the streets, children running gleefully to-and-fro, and families bustling about without a care in the world. But now, she only saw what can only be described as a ghost town: ramshackle buildings, silent streets, and few pedestrians, with those who dared walk the streets glancing over their shoulders every few seconds and fingering a concealed blade. Thieves and bandits now roamed the town, attacking any unlucky sap that was foolish enough to walk around alone and unarmed. Even the town's guards were unable to subdue the criminals, themselves often committing such crimes when off-duty.
The castle was one of the few safe havens left in the kingdom. Despite the shadow that had been cast over the land, it still stood proud and strong, like a lighthouse watching over a turbulent sea. While the stones were weathered from many generations of royals, they still gleam a bright white, defying all that nature and mankind could throw at it. The castle staff retained the jolly and carefree nature of the former Golden Age and set about their duties with a will. Even the castle guards, regarded as cruel and indifferent by most, had some of the Golden Age attitude, and only acted as they did on the king's behalf.
May's thoughts were interrupted by two piercing screams, one which sounded distinctly animal-like. This was followed thereafter by the sound of raucous laughter, the source of which was easier to pinpoint: downstairs, most likely from the dungeons.
Ash and Pikachu were pressed against the door of their cell, pounding on it as hard as they could with their fists, begging to be let out. Hanging behind them was what had caused their terror.
Suspended in the middle of the room was a skeleton, hanging from the ceiling from a chain around its neck. Only a few tatters of clothing were covering it, but otherwise there was nothing to hide its dull, yellowed bones. No flesh remained on it, yet that did not discourage hordes of maggots and worms from scouring its bones, trying to find a bit of hidden flesh.
May arrived in the dungeons to find the guards in an uproar, laughing at Ash and Pikachu's misfortune. She approached the captain, who had not noticed her arrival.
"What is going on here?" she inquired, more curious than annoyed.
The captain immediately stopped laughing, straightened himself up, and saluted.
"Sorry, your highness, but there was an incident with a prisoner we had recently jailed," he responded briskly. "Don't worry, we have it completely under control."
By now, the rest of the guards had noticed May's arrival, and had quieted down and smartened themselves up.
"What kind of 'incident' are you talking about, captain?" May questioned.
"Nothing you need to concern yourself with, Princess. We have everything under control."
Just then, an onslaught of knocking and muffled cries of "Let us out!" and "Pi Pika!" were heard, coming from the nearest cell.
"What is going on in there?" May asked, concerned.
"Uh…" The captain paused, and he glanced around at the other guards for support, but they were all looking at their feet. "We're sorry for doing this, Princess May, but your father ordered us to. You remember that boy and his Pikachu from earlier? Well, your father gave us specific orders to put him in the most unpleasant cell in here, and err…" His voice trailed off, and he looked down at his feet.
May knew that going against her father would get her in trouble, but she knew that she wouldn't be able to withstand the guilt of knowing she let some poor souls get tortured. She made a quick decision.
"Captain, open the cell and let them out."
The captain looked up from nervously studying his feet. "But Princess, when your father finds out what you've done, we'll all have to face his wrath," he said as he gestured to the guards under his command.
May gulped, knowing all too well what her father did to those who displeased him. But she was already set on her course of action. "Captain, I'll take full responsibility for this. You and your men won't suffer anything for obeying me. Just please do as ask," she said as she flashed him a heart-melting smile.
The captain wavered. "Very well. Men, you heard what Princess May ordered."
One of the guards removed a key from its peg on the wall opposite the cell, unlocked the door, and jumped back as a startled Ash and Pikachu tumbled out.
Just to be clear: May did not have Ash and Pikachu released out of love for Ash, she did it out of pity of his plight.
I said in the previous chapter that this story will be short, but I have gotten some new inspiration. I can't say how long it this will be, but I want to expand on this idea and make it longer than the 3-4 chapters I originally intended.