A/N: I am so ashamed in myself! I told myself at a certain point that if I wrote a chapter every week, I could finish by November (which is National Novel Writing Month for me) and try to start a new story. And then I got writer's block and delayed T^T I'm sorry, guys. I go on a streak for a two or three weeks when I'm good at updating, and then I skip a week or two -.-" I'll try to be better. Only a few more chapters :) And I think you all guessed who shouted last time, you cunning dandelions.

Rant over! Read on!
-Silvia

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokespe or anything else.

Crystal expected the shout to have come from some crazy Johto-native relative of Gold—she really did. That was not exactly what happened, however.

A tall, brutishly beautiful woman stood barefooted in the cool, wet morning grass, the eccentrically long train of her cape trailing listlessly behind her. In the cold, her angry puffs of breath were visible. She was so elegant, yet so uncultivated that Crystal instantly recognised her.

Queen Sapphire Berlitz of Hoenn.

Crystal remembered the only other time she had seen the queen. It was at her coronation as regent of Hoenn; Crystal, Green, and King Oak had all gone. The coronation ceremony for Sapphire was completely traditional, and yet the young queen stood out against her predecessors. Sapphire was simply one who refused to fit in, whether she knew it or not.

Crystal was paralyzed now in shock. Sapphire was probably the last person she would have expected to show up in that moment, and Crystalcertainly hadn't expected the young queen to show up hugely pregnant.

"P-pardon?" she managed to conjure lamely. She doubted that Sapphire heard her. Instead, the queen marched forward, a few armed guards adorned with the Hoenn insignia trailing behind. Not that she would need them; she was intimidating enough with just her piercing navy gaze.

"Your Majesty?" sputtered Governor Blaineconfusedly. "What brings you to—?"

Sapphire held up a hand, and he stopped short. "Save it. Men, retrieve the imbecile." For a moment, Governor Blaine looked worried that she might have meant him, but her armed guards surged towards the gallows, and instead brought Gold over to her.

The queen tugged the black hood off, and then promptly slapped Gold across the face.

"WHAT AREYA DOIN' GOIN' AND GETTIN' YERSELF KILLED LIKE THAT?!" she bellowed, and Crystal flinched. She vowed then never to be in the queen's line of was refined and respectable, but she could be downright frightening.

"You mean, almost killed," Gold pointed out, but there was no humour in his expression.

The queen sent him a dark glare and would have continued to reprimand him, but Governor Blaine tried to catch her attention. "Pardon, Your Majesty, but what is the meaning of this?"

Sapphire crossed her arms. "No, no, you tell me what the meaning of this is. What has this idiotic beast done to have earned a trip to the gallows?"

Crystal suddenly noticed that the way Sapphire spoke usually was polished and proper, like a true monarch, and yet when she was angry and yelled, she took on a loutish accent. It was rather curious.

However, Crystal had always had a distant admiration for the Hoenn queen's savage grace. She was not a high-ranking noble, but King Ruby had chosen her, the measly daughter of a lord, to marry. While many had doubted her—since she and Ruby were shockingly young when they took the throne after King Norman's untimely death—the people grew to love her for her uniqueness and fair rule. She was one of the reasons Hoenn had remained powerful and neutral for so long.

They were no longer so, however. Ruby and Sapphire had been overthrown. And so, Crystal could not fathom why the young queen would take such time to come to Kanto, especially taking the time to save Gold from a rope-induced death.

Governor Blaine obviously did not want to blow a fuse in the queen. "He committed crimes against the kingdom of Kanto. He harboured and assisted a criminal, resisted arrest, and seduced a royal." He gestured to Crystal.

"Hey, if anything, she seduced me," Gold replied. Crystal turned bright red, but the queen still paid her no attention. She marched right up to Governor Blaine, who shrunk back. He was still slightly taller than her, but in that moment she looked ten times more powerful. Crystal felt a shred of pity for him. He was only doing his job, after all.

"Now, ya listen here, sir," Sapphire growled. "I want ya to tell me exactly how this idiot was arrested. Who was the criminal?"

Blaine gulped. "Maiden Yellow Nympharum. She was working undercover for Unova, in the palace as a maid and was the cause of the explosion on the wedding day of the prince and princess. She admitted to these crimes. She also had a stolen artifact with her, a royal amulet that was actually from Hoenn, Your Majesty."

Queen Sapphire glanced over her shoulder at Gold. "Isn't that the maidy you trusted?"

Gold set his jaw. "Yes."

Sapphire turned back to Blaine sharply. "That amulet was not stolen; it was given to her. And how do you know she was working for Unova? Have you any proof?"

"We have a witness who heard her say she was from that kingdom and her own statement, as well as plenty of suspicion—"

"Suspicion is not evidence!" Sapphire barked. "Where is this maidy? Have you even listened to what she has to say?"

"She has already been executed, Your Majesty." Blaine fumbled with his fogwatch. Gold glared daggers at him, already knowing this and hating the truth. For the first time, Queen Sapphire looked over at Crystal empathetically. Then she returned to her interrogation.

"And I suppose I can see why he resisted arrest, since he is an intolerable buffoon, but that only warrants execution when paired with other crimes. He sure as hell ain't smart enough to assist a criminal, especially since Yellow Nympharum was not a criminal. She didn't come from Unova anymore than I did, and the locket was not stolen. And seducing a royal? Why's that such a bad thing?"

Governor Blaine looked appalled. "Why, Your Majesty, he is but a commoner and he was fraternizing with a princess, and a betrothed one at that." He sent an accusatory glance at Crystal. "Of course, we haven't the slightest clue where the prince is…"

"Commoner?" Sapphire asked and scoffed. To Gold, she said, "Gold Schuyler, have you even told them who you are?"

Gold crossed his arms. "Why should I need to? I can handle this on my own. If they can't accept me as I am, then tough."

The queen rolled her eyes. "You sound just like your father." She put her hands on her hips and gave her most sharp glare yet. "This boy—this idiot—is Gold Schuyler, son of Diamond and Platinum Schuyler, brother to Cheren Schuyler."

"Yes?" Blaine asked, wondering at the relevance of this.

"This boy is my nephew," Sapphire replied, as if it were obvious.

"Nephew?" Blaine spluttered.

Queen Sapphire nodded, and then she huffed. "Oh, what? You thought that my sister-in-law, Citrine, was stupid enough to go and get herself killed? No, she did what she always wanted to do; she escaped and she found a new life. Fell in love. Took a new name. Had two sons. One of which you just tried to kill. Since Ruby and I have yet to have children and Cheren is missing, off lost in Unova, you almost just murdered the only heir to the Hoenn throne, ya damned imbecile."

"Nephew?" he asked again, not comprehending. Crystal was not sure if she did either. But suddenly it made perfect sense; Citrine Berlitz was never found after she escaped Hoenn, which meant she could have been alive. She could have taken on the name Platinum and married Diamond Schuyler. But how could she have stayed hidden all those years?

"People are dying in my kingdom," Sapphire said suddenly. "My husband is gone, and my family is stretched beyond measure. Can we please get away from these godforsaken gallows and into the bloody castle?" From the steely expressions on her guards, it was evident that this was not negotiable.

"Of course, Your Majesty," Blaine said. "We shall make arrangements immediately." He sent a pointed look to a few of his men, who scampered ahead to the castle. As Gold passed, he added, "My sincerest apologies, Your Grace."

Gold's expression twisted to something rather confused and disgruntled at that, but he didn't have the chance to make some witty remark, for the princess of Johto had drifted next to him. As they trouped back the way they had come, Gold walked beside her, watching his feet.

"I know I ought to have told you," he started when she did not speak, "but…something made me keep it in." She looked to him, but apparently the ground was far more interesting. "When I saw you in Viridian, that first day that Tanzanite and I came to Kanto, I knew I should probably have explained myself. I knew who you were, and it'd only be fair. But I'd already begun falling in love with you. Even when you were Kris Harper, I'd thought you were brilliant. And I wanted you to love me, not because I was of high rank, but because you loved me. It was a selfish thing to do, and I'm sorry for it."

Crystal reached out and grasped his hand, still shocked and overcome with relief that he had not yet left her. "Well, you're right about that. But it doesn't change how I feel about you. At least now we both know exactly who we are. You are Gold Schuyler, a duke of Hoenn. And I am Crystal Oak, princess of Johto."

He nodded. "And I've not told anyone else, because…well, because I can't let anyone find my mum. She doesn't want anyone to know who she really is. That's why Yellow had the ammolite. The locket was my mother's, but she didn't want it any longer. She gave it to Cheren and me, and told us that it was our right to have the ammolite, since we are royals of Hoenn. But we gave it to Yellow, knowing she'd keep it safe." He shook his head at the irony. "I gave it to her, and she was killed because of it."

"Yellow wouldn't want you to feel sorry for yourself," Crystal scolded him. "The most important thing now is that you are alive."

Gold let out his breath, deflating in relief. "I love you."

"I love you, too." She allowed herself a moment to be happy.

One of the most difficult things about becoming king was tying the loose ends left by the predecessor.

Green had never thought that that would be a problem for him. He had spent his entire life with the knowledge that he would become king. He thought he would be crowned and the power would simply shift from his grandfather to him, nice and easy.

But no one had prepared for King Samuel Oak's jarring death, and now Green was forced to pick up the pieces. And worse, in wartime.

He practically felt himself burst into flame when one of his advisors alerted him that conjoined fleets from Kanto and Johto had attacked CasteliaCity once again.

"What?" he'd barked, slamming a fist on his desk and spilling some ink. He hadn't even known that any Johto men were in Unova. Had Corvus planned this? The king of Kanto was a powerful ally, but launching an attack without Green's knowledge was not acceptable. "Withdraw some of our forces," he ordered.

A military official straightened. "Sir, we're allies with Kanto; we can't do that." All these men's faces and voices were just blurring together in the chaos.

"I don't care," Green said. "That alliance was one my grandfather formed. And you'll find that the difference between my grandfather and I is this: he joined with Kanto to take down Sinnoh and Unova. I, on the other hand, do not care about democracies or dictatorships or anarchies. I care about my own kingdom, and what is best for it. And I think at the moment that that would be to take our men from Unova."

Nobody argued.

Most of the time, when he wasn't holding the very fate of his nation very carefully in his hands, Green was just going through old records, trying to tie up loose ends left by his grandfather.

Strangely, though, one of the files it seemed Samuel Oak had taken out and inspected most recently was dated back to years and years before—about a year or so after Crystal was born. Green flipped through the records, wondering what possibly could have been so important so many years later.

One paper he found was not written in any sort of format. It was his grandfather's handwriting; swooping and practiced, but on this parchment, the ink was blotted and the script was messy, as if the previous king had tried to scribble the words as quickly as he could. Green could only make out part of the text.

Tonight my daughter has arrived in Johto. She's come all the way through a snowstorm to get to us. I've called on my son and his wife as well for assistance in these changing times, but it appears their travel has been idle. They are not so urgent as to brave a blizzard. We could not let anyone know of our suspicions, not even trusted guards, to Peridot and I came to receive her ourselves.

So that was the snowy night his grandmother had often mumbled about, Green realised. More of the script was blotted or crossed out. He couldn't read anything until further down the page.

My daughter has only confirmed my suspicions; that something has gone awry in Unova. She worries about the fate of the royal family. Ideas have spread from Sinnoh. Word has it that the cowardly king is on the verge of being deposed. We are anxious that the royals of Unova will be overthrown—which I feel particularly concerned about considering that the king and queen are planning to build a family. But some groups have been pushing for a democracy; some only want a say in their government, but others might want to take advantage of a new government. Someone might want to seize power, such the two Harmonia brothers and their cohorts. I've heard that one man called Juniper wishes to be president. I can only hope to delay this, for this movement is sparking fast.

So Samuel Oak had known about Ghetsis and Drayden Harmonia's plans long before they had come into action. This much Green figured; the previous king had hated the Unova dictator.

Green knew the stories; democracy supporters had slaughtered the royals and placed Juniper as president. Then Juniper had been assassinated and the Harmonias seized total control. The fair democracy had twisted, the embargos and quips had started, then the war.

But why had that file been brought to the surface again?

If there was strength in numbers, then Black should have felt far more confident than he actually did.

Moving through the city streets in such uncertainty with his friends, a few strangers, and the troublesome, rescued street kids, he felt very much like a target. Continuously, he worried that one of his father's men would jump out and arrest them, or N would find them if he were still lurking about. Somehow the fact that there were so many of them all walking about together made it seem that much more suspicious.

After a while, he took the reins in frustration. "I think we need some more information. I want to see things from the city folks' perspective."

"And how should we go about that?" Cheren asked.

Wally sighed. "I think I know a way."

Skyla had started working at the coffee house just after Black's infamous cup incident, and she always brought about good business. Men were charmed by her light blue eyes; ladies were always stopping by to gossip with her. Her face was an ever-changing mask, depending upon who was within the café—a mask that was always comely and honest.

So while Grimsley shepherded his kin to a table and ordered teas, Black stepped up to the counter with Wally, Tansy, Cheren, Yellow, and White. White waved Skyla over, looking a bit guilty that she herself hadn't come into the café to work in a long while.

Skyla greeted them with a smile. "Hi, there! Where have you three been for so long?" she asked Black, White, and Wally. "It hasn't been nearly as lively without ya."

"We've run headfirst into some trouble," Wally explained sheepishly.

"Can you tell us about what's been going on in the city?" Black asked. "We haven't really had the chance to notice much. We've been…occupied, and we want to know if you've seen or heard anything suspicious these past few weeks."

Skyla's smile slipped into something very serious, as quick as rain might slide off glass. "Strange things have been occurrin'," she said. "I suppose that is ordinary for wartime, but a few have gotten shady. Men have been disappearing; we think they're forcefully drafted into the army. I see people sneaking about through alleyways, as if they're snakes up to no good. There's strange business going on in this city. It's the capital, but it'll be the first to go to ruins if something happens." She leaned a bit closer. "And the strangest of all: there's an odd man who's appeared round these parts. He's looking after a woman, but he don't look mean. Real young and handsome, he is. If he warn't askin' so many questions, maybe I'd've sought after him myself."

"That doesn't matter," Black explained. "We need to know if you've heard anything about those other mysterious dealings; the drafting and the sneaking or anything about my father."

"Maybe it does matter," White cut in abruptly. "Maybe the man is N. What if he's looking for Poppy? We haven't the slightest clue where she is. What if he's gotten to her already?"

Black hadn't even thought of that. Now his heart flipped; where was Poppy? Why hadn't he asked after her before? Had he learned nothing from his previous ignorance? "What did the man look like?" he asked Skyla now.

She tapped her chin. "He was tall and dark-haired." So it wasn't N. "He wore a smile, but I have a sneaking suspicion that that pretty face of his could turn real cross real fast if something were to happen to his lady. He was askin' round here and some nearby taverns if anyone had seen a young lady with golden hair and a Kanto accent. But that's as far as I know. Maybe there's more to him."

The majority of their eyes fell upon Yellow, who shrunk under so many gazes. "Me? You think someone was looking for me?" Then her bright eyes widened as she registered Skyla's description. "Oh, stars above, that sounds like Gold. Skyla, what eyes did this man have?"

"I only caught a glimpse of him once when he passed through here, but if those eyes warn't red as my beating heart, then I must be going mad."

"I will give you all one guess as to who matches that description exactly," Tansy said. "It's a monarch whose name rhymes with Ted."

"B-but why would he risk coming here?" Yellow sputtered.

"Well, I don't know the man personally, but it sounds an awful lot like he came for you," Wally said.

"Still, if that man is him, he would be completely foolish to come to Unova now." Yellow had been holding onto her last image of Red. He had been covered in sweat, blood, and soot from the fire. A nasty gash on his forehead had sent blood down the side of his face. His hair was matted and not nearly as energetically spiked as usual, and his clothes were ruined. Still, the light in his bright red eyes had not dimmed, not one bit. He was still beautiful as ever to her.

She could never have him, and he would never want her. It wasn't his fault or hers, not really, but it was something that would take time for her to accept. She'd hoped that being away could do that.

"Do you know where we might find him?" Tansy asked Skyla.

Skyla shrugged. "I'm not sure. He's got to still be about here somewhere." She called to one of her coworkers. "Has anyone seen the Kanto bloke who's been pokin' about?"

"Sure," he replied. "That guy was just at Georgia's tavern earlier today, still asking things."

"How'd you know that?" Skyla asked, sticking out her tongue mockingly. She turned to the six before her. "Georgia's is right across the way. You can't miss it."

"Thank you, Miss Skyla," Tansy said.

As they stepped back to let more people get to the counter, Black interrogated the foreigners. "You lot know the prince of Kanto?"

"Tanzanite and I don't, really, but Yellow does," Cheren said.

Yellow blushed. "I work at the palace!"

"Well, you must have made quite an impression on him there if he's gone all this way to find you," Wally replied, smirking a bit.

"Yes, yes, alright, they should go find their prince," Black said absent-mindedly. "In the meantime, we should stay and piece together what we'll do."

"I'll stay here as well," Cheren added. "I'd like to be part of any planning."

"You can't let ladies go poking about alone!" White protested.

"It's fine; I will go with them," Wally chided her, escorting Yellow and Tanzanite from the café. He located the tavern easily, but inside, there was nobody who matched the prince's description. Just lots of loud folk within, chatting and jeering. He didn't bother asking after Kanto's prince, because Tansy tugged him back outside anxiously.

"This is a big city," Yellow started, more to herself than either of her companions. "He could be anywhere, if he's even here at all."

Tansy shook her head, her eyes distant. "No, he couldn't have gotten too far from the tavern.

"It might not even be him. It could just be a coincidence. After all, why would His Highness risk his life in such a way?"

"No, it really must be him," Tansy said.

"Why are you so certain?" Wally asked suspiciously. It couldn't have just been the romantic side in her brought out.

She grinned. "Because he's coming this way." She pointed off to where she'd been looking. Sure enough, a tall man was rushing towards them, his hood flung back in the wind, his bright eyes prominent against the grey hue of the city.

Yellow saw him, and there was nobody else in the world.

"Yellow!" he called to her once she'd gazed his way. He was getting closer. For a single moment, she was paralyzed. Why had he put himself in such terrible danger—all to retrieve her? But the next moment, he was crushing her in an embrace and she could hardly think about anything else.

"Oh, look at that lovely statue over there," Wally said awkwardly somewhere behind them.

"How wonderful!" Tansy grabbed his arm and scooted away to give the prince and his best friend some privacy.

"You shouldn't be in a place like this, Your Highness," Yellow mumbled against Red's chest.

"Then don't run off to a place like this," he returned. "And…call me Red. I'd prefer it over such a stuffy title that doesn't fit me." She flushed, remembered how she'd shouted out his name after the explosion of the church.

But when she once would have protested, she said softly, "Red." He, in return, gave her a smile—his eyes so full of laughter and care.

It was a good thing, too, that he was holding her, for he managed to shield her protectively against him when the first gunshot rang out.

Without hesitation, Wally and Tansy flitted back over. Not even fully comprehending what was going on, they found themselves stumbling back to the coffee house, where people were flooding out to see what the commotion was. When they reached Black, White, and the others, they spun round.

The Kanto ambushers had returned, even more ample in numbers. Tansy could even see a Johto legion, marching down one street with blades in hand.

Another attack on Castelia City.

"This is as good a time as any to say that we need to get the bloody hell out of Unova," Black said, fiddling with the brim of his cap. It looked like a detective's hat, and he seemed to have brought it from the Harmonia manor.

"I agree," Red replied pleasantly, shaking the younger boy's hand as a way of sudden greeting.

"We should go to Kanto," Wally said. "That's where the prince, Yellow, Tansy, and Cheren need to get back to."

White nodded. "I want to go to find my older sister there."

"It's settled then." Black clapped his hands together. "Stowing so many people away…well, we'll figure it out."

Grimsley shook his head. "No. We're not going to go with you."

Black's eyes widened. "What?"

Whitney stepped forward. "It's not forever, Black. We'll hide away in Sinnoh until the war has blown over, and we'll find you again someday."

"In the meantime, we can spread the word about us," Falkner reasoned. "We can tell people that there's a third party. Not supporters of any one land, but people who just want to end the world. Who just want peace."

"There aren't many of us, but we're doing something." Marlon grinned confidently.

"We'll call ourselves…the Resistance!" Whitney exclaimed with a decisive snap.

"Right, lovely," Wally laughed. "It's perfect, Whitney."

They split apart at the swarming docks, one bundle of unfortunate souls bound for Sinnoh, and the other plummeting right into Kanto. "I do hope that they'll be alright," Black said.

White sighed. "I'm sure they'll be fine, but…will you please take off that absurd hat?!"

He blinked. "But I'm bringing sexy back." (A/N: /shotdead)

She groaned and grabbed his arm, dragging him along. They, along with Red, Yellow, Wally, and Tansy, slipped in with the cargo of a ship headed to Vermillion City.

They had no idea what they were getting themselves into.