Chapter Twenty-Four: Queens At War
"Trucy... do you have any idea what's just happened?" May gulped. Technically she had won, but it didn't feel like a victory. Her head was spinning.
Trucy shrugged her shoulders. "Mewtwo's trial has taken a bizarre turn."
"You're telling me."
"Well," Ash started to speak. Pikachu jumped on his head. "At least I've got my voice back again."
"This trial," May said, "If you can even call it a trial, has revealed the true nature of two young queens at war. And I have a feeling it could break out at any time."
Ash patted her back. "Don't be so pessimistic. Mewtwo got let off, that's all that matters."
May couldn't stop thinking about the two queens. They were both young, beautiful and talented in their own right. It brought May such pain to see them at war when they would be working together to create a better world. "I wish I knew more about these women. As eccentric as they both are, they're pretty...interesting to say the least."
Trucy began to talk about Queen Elodie of Nova. "Her hair is so pretty, I love the bright pink colour to it. She also loves wearing red frilly dresses. She can be a serious threat to Khura'in as she is powerful in both magic and military. She's also considered a genius in her own right. She wants to claim Alola for herself for it's booming economy."
"What about Queen Rayfa of Khura'in?" May asked. All that May knew about Rayfa was that she was Queen Elodie's rival and she rules the country where Trucy's brother, Apollo, has his own law firm there. "From what I can gather, she wants to challenge Elodie about the accusations she's made against her country. Khura'in was once a dark country filled with injustice, but it has now been transformed thanks to Rafya's reign. Elodie does not believe her and believes that she is just as bad as her predecessor."
"I studied this at school," Ash pointed out. "Both Queens want Alola to be a part of their country. The education system were really pro-Elodie." May recalled that before Mewtwo's trial, many people of Alola supported Elodie. When she looked at her phone, she saw that many others have also flocked to Rayfa's support. May heard noises from outside the the building and decided to take a look at what was going on. Everybody else quickly followed her.
Outside of the court there was a news reporter talking to the camera. "Since support for both sides are even, Elodie decides to declare war on Khura'in to see who will have Alola as part of their kingdom."
Inside the ring of gathering crowds were the two queens glaring at each other.
"I DECLARE WAR ON KHURA'IN!" Queen Elodie screamed.
Queen Rayfa agreed. "Then so be it. But I promise you, that you won't have long left to live."
Rayfa agrees, promising Elodie that she won't have long left to live.
"Hey!" May objects jumping in between the two women. "It should be up to the people of Alola to decide which kingdom they want to be a part of. I think we should hold a referendum!"
"It's far too late for that," Queen Rayfa hisses.
"Besides," Queen Elodie interrupted, "the votes will be rigged."
"Then how about you both own half of Alola each?" May suggested. "Then you won't need to go to war, and you'll have the best of both worlds."
"That sounds good," Trucy said.
Queen Elodie flipped out her magical staff and aimed it at May. "YOU INTERFERRING WENCH!" Elodie screeched with her eyes clenched tightly shut. "I'M GOING TO DESTROY YOU!" A pearl-white aura emerged from the staff and beamed at May. May tripped as she tried to escape the attack, but Trucy swiftly steered in front of May and reflected the attack with her blue cape.
When the aura explodes on Queen Elodie's chest, she is thrown off her feat. She is caught by two prickly bushes as Queen Rayfa roars with laughter. "YOU THINK YOU CAN WIN A WAR WITH AN ATTITUDE LIKE THAT?" Queen Rayfa mocks Queen Elodie. "I promise you when the sun sets a raging war will plague your kingdom!"
"Not if it takes you first!" Elodie cried out. Both Queens leave the area as the crowds split in half to follow them.
"If the war is starting tonight, then I have to go to Khura'in and warn my brother."
"How are you going to get there?" May asked. "Will you fly Thalassa, your Altaria!"
Trucy nodded as she hugged May tight. It was a shame to end the lady's vacation so short, but they knew that had to do something to save Alola.
"Please be careful," Trucy begged May with tears in her eyes. "You have no idea how important you are to me."
"Same to you too," May said with a heavy heart. She didn't want to let go of her slipping fingers. Trucy hopped on Thalassa and flew off to Khura'in.
After Trucy had left Alola, May and Ash crashed out for a few hours in the hotel room. May couldn't bring herself to get any sleep. Just as she was about to roll her eyes to go to sleep, Ash's stomach rumbled: it was time to get something to eat. May was worried that the war will breakout at anytime and that they would be in danger. Ash assured her that he is a pokémon trainer and that he will protect her at all costs. It melted May's heart and she eventually agreed to go on a date with Ash and they choose a nice Italian restaurant near the coat of Melemele Island. They shared a very large pizza between them and they both fight over the last piece and in the end they decide to share the last piece between them.
"Before I came to Alola," Ash told May with his mouthful. "I spoke to Professor Oak and my family. Davis is still working at the restaurant and I said I would give him a postcard."
"Oh that sounds nice," May said. "How is Kari?"
"I think she's fine," Ash replied. "Davis didn't say much about her to be honest. Anyway, I found about about a pokémon League located in the nether regions. I want to enter it. They told me that it wouldn't be a good idea though."
"Why would they not want you to enter?" May asked as she gripped his hand.
Ash tilts his head as he scrapes the pizza crumbs with his thumb and licks it. "They say it's unlike any other pokémon league out there."
"Well that doesn't surprise me," May admitted. "All pokémon leagues are unique in their own special way, right?"
"Of course," Ash said with a grin on his face. "They said the pokémon league of the nether region consists of eight dark masters, an elite four and the lord of the nether regions."
"Nether regions sounds really creepy..." May admitted, knowing what nether region can also refer to.
"In what way?"
"Well it's pretty kinky."
Ash shook his head. "No it's not like that." Ash leaned over to May and whispered in her ear. "It's the underworld."
"Underworld!" May gasped. "As in... Hell?"
Ash hushed her. "I think they're all worried about me. After all, I just came out of prison and I've been arrested a lot of times. I'm the baby of the family after all."
"I don't like the sound of this," May admitted.
"It's okay," Ash assured her. "The lord of the underworld is also the pokémon league champion. Just imagine if I defeated him. If I defeated the Lord of the underworld, I would be a pokémon master."
"It sounds too dangerous," May admitted. "Is there another pokémon league in this world you'd like to enter?"
"None as dangerous and thrilling as this."
May sighed. "Prison hasn't changed you one bit. I guess if you want to do it, then go for it. Personally I would take Professor Oak's advice but it's up to you at the end of the day." May took a look at her phone and checked her notifications. There was nothing from Trucy. She gulped. "I'm so worried about Trucy. I better call her."
Just as May calls Trucy, they hear a huge explosion outside. They look outside and the streets have turned into a battlefield. The war between two queens have officially began. Ash and May try to dodge the fighting and seek shelter. They return to their hotel which was thankfully left unscathed When they return to their room, May received a telephone call from Trucy.
"May! Are you alright?"
"Yeah," May panted. "I just about made it back to the hotel."
"It's bad," Trucy said. "Hades has arrived."
"Hades?"
"Hades, Lord of the underworld. He's destroying Khura'in and Nova in his path."
"Where are you now?" May asked.
"I'm on Alaka Island," Trucy confirmed. "Apollo and I managed to save as many people as possible.
"That's good." May notices Ash jumping out of the window. "Hey!" May called Ash, "WHERE ARE YOU GOING... Sorry Trucy, I've got to go!"
"STAY WHERE YOU ARE!" Trucy screamed over the phone. "I'M COMING TO GET YOU!"
May lost signal on her phone and the call was suddenly dropped. She put the phone in her pocket and leaned over the window. It was too high for May to jump and she was amazed at how Ash could jump so high without breaking bones in his body. She saw him run up to the grey figure standing before him.
Even though they were far away, May could still hear Ash calling out to the mysterious figure shaped as a man in a dark cloak.
"Are you from the Nether regions?" Ash asked.
"I am indeed." The man nodded and removed his hood. May realized it was not a man but a demon with pale grey skin, and blue flames to serve as hair. The demon let out his hands. "You must be Ash," he said with a grin. "Pleased to meet ya, I'm Hades, Lord of the underworld. Nether Region's pokémon league champion, pleased to meet you. I heard you were looking for me."
"Yes," Ash announced. "I want to challenge you one day."
Hades laughed. "Fantastic! You know where Haina Desert is?"
Ash nodded.
"That's where our stadium is. Go to the boulder shaped as horns and say password: tenebris foedus and the gateway to Hell will open for you."
"GOT IT!"
"I like your enthusiasm," Hades admitted. "Before you challenge me you have to defeat the eight dark masters and my elite four."
"Believe me, I will."
"Be warned though, once you enter you have to leave before sunrise, otherwise you and your pokémon will be trapped in Hell until midnight the next day."
"More time to train and battle," Ash said.
"Then I shall see you hopefully in a few days."
And suddenly, Hades was gone and the night turned into day.
Queen Elodie and Queen Rayfa were finally able to make peace and together they fixed Alola, Khura'in and Nova as if the disastrous war had never happened. Now the Queens were no longer at war. To make matters even more stranger, both Queens and their subjects were having dinner with May, Trucy and Ash in the hotel room. They gave May and Trucy honourable titles. Elodie wanted Trucy to become her bondage queen, but Apollo strongly objected on her behalf.
They were all greeted by a fortune teller. An old lady covered in an Arabian cloak revealing only her chin under the shadows. She went round everybody predicting their future. She predicted peace for Khura'in and Nova. Eventually, the fortune teller made her way down to May and as she looked as May's palm, she began to smile.
"How wonderful," the fortune teller said. "It has been predicted that you will become an excellent mother."
"What about mine?" Ash asked.
The fortune teller took one look at Ash's hand and jumped off her seat and gasped. "OH MY GOODNESS." The fortune teller gripped onto her head as she rolled all over the floor. "You my boy, you will become an outrageous villain!"
"Really?" Ash laughed. "Good joke there."