Chapter Two: The Leader and the Thief

"No… It's not too late! I can and will try!" - Gentleman, Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire

I wake up with the sun shining on my face. I'm more well-rested than I have been in months. I step outside, past a Grapploct and a Centiskorch, who greet me formally. Near the edges of the camp I catch the scent of a group of wild Cherubi and Cherrim skipping by.

Then I smelt something even sweeter coming from the campfire and I remember I'm starving. I ignore the heat and sit down beside Olivia and Posy. Someone's standing over the fire stirring something, I'm guessing a pot.

"Good morning, Dei," Posy says softly as she comes up behind me. She was downwind, and I couldn't hear her, so I'm glad she announced herself.

"Ah, you two haven't met yet," she says, "this is Oakley, she's a Chesnaught."

"That smells tasty," I say to the cook, "what is it?"

"Porridge," she answers, "flavoured with cinnamon."

"Ooh, cinnamon," Posy says.

"Mm, we found some cassia trees a mile north of here. We only had time to grab a few branches."

I always hated porridge back home, but I'm so hungry I don't even care. Oakley puts a bowl down in front of me. It's the tastiest thing I've ever eaten. Very sweet, and a tiny little bit spicy; it's wet enough not to be sticky but the oats are nice and fluffy.

"Where's Olivia?" I say.

"Say it, don't spray it," Posy says, giving me a gentle poke in the side. "She's coming now."

I caught the scent of an Ivysaur, along with a smell I remember but just can't name. Olivia put something down beside me and said:

"Here, it's Honeybush. Gaia said it was my favourite."

"It is!" I say with a little hop.

I drink it all down in one go then go back to the porridge. I eat every bite then lick the bowl clean. Dreigo and Zweil would be so shocked if they saw me now, I think.

"Nice to see someone appreciate my food," says Oakley.

"Poor thing hasn't eaten properly in days," says Posy.

"It's a miracle you survived that long fending for yourself in the towns," says Olivia.

I don't say anything. I don't want her to know about the stealing.

"Landorus," Oakley says, and I can feel her getting closer, "that's a big bandage."

"Yeah," I say. "It's a scar."

"Mph. Have my share of those. What gave it to you?"

I wipe the last bits of first real meal I've had in three days off my face.

"It was a human," I say.

The campsite smells of fire. But it also smells of roasted berries, charred nuts, fresh green grass. It smells of other Pokémon. The campers are going to train soon. Oakley is brewing a special bean drink that's supposed to give you lots of energy but she says I'm too young for it. Olivia and Posy get to drink it; they tell me it tastes bitter and I wouldn't like it anyway. I believe them, because Dreigo told me the same about wine, and when Zweil gave me a sip it made me feel like my tongue was shrinking.

Big stomping footsteps approach. My nose twitches, and my heart started going faster. Oakley stands, and I hear Olivia and Posy move beside me.

"Relax, guys," comes a rumbly voice, "the kid knows me."

"Prometheus?"

I feel the Incineroar's hand ruffle the fur on my head.

"Nice to see you again, kid."

Prometheus takes me up to the rocky hills around the campsite to train. The ground is rough and I have to be careful not to trip on the rocks. It hasn't rained but the grass feels wet from the cold.

I stretch my jaws as wide as I can and bite down. Pro tells me to do it again, then when I'm not expecting it (and obviously can't see it,) throws a rock at me. I bite down on it and it doesn't break and my teeth hurt.

Pro chuckles. I get into position. I open up my jaws again and feel the energy flowing through me. Pro throws a rock at me. It hits me in the back of the throat and I choke and spit it back out.

"How the hell did you keep wildlings away like that?"

I planted my feet, and Roar. I hear him stumble back a couple steps.

"Okay, okay, I see your point."

I can hear the sounds from the campsite below us: voices, blasts, and thuds; the sounds of soldiers training, but without the clanging of metal I'm used to.

"Why did you take me up here?" I ask.

Pro's voice was closer in my ear. "I needed to talk to you," he says, "Pokémon to Pokémon."

I appreciate being spoken to like a grown-up. I've earned that by now.

"There are a 156 of us at this camp, including you and me. Right now we're nothing but a bunch of scattered Varia loyalists desperately looking for a way out of the mess we've got ourselves in. Every one of those Pokémon would be thrown in jail if the Skarsgards ever found them, and let me tell you, if you knew what went on in those jails…"

"Even Olivia and Posy?" I say. I can't imagine why anyone would want to capture them; what could they have done?

"They're both conjurers," Pro says. "Two of Zweil's most promising proteges, or so Olivia tells me. Their efforts helped us a great deal at the Battle of the Crown and the Battle of the Dragons."

"But they're healers!"

"You think that matters?"

I don't know how to answer. I kick at a stone and hear it tumble down the hill. I feel Pro's hand on my back.

"The people down there need a leader, Dei. They need someone to step up and take charge, to be the person your brothers were."

Suddenly I don't want to be a grown-up anymore. And even if I do, I know I'm not ready for it. Those Pokémon need a leader, but they deserve someone who knows that they're doing. I hang my head.

"I'm just a kid," I mutter.

"You're a Varia," his voice rumbles, "you're a prince. And you're a Deino, that counts for quite a bit, you know."

"It does?"

Pro sighs and sits down. I'm afraid I've said something wrong. He takes his hand off me and I hope he's not angry.

But his voice is calm and quiet:

"People… People have let Charizard rule them for the better part of a 150 years. Generation after generation the same family has been in charge, the same blood, the same face, over and over and over. Do you know the story of the first king?"

"Dreigo told me but I don't really remember."

"You weren't listening?"

"No. It was boring."

Pro chuckled.

"Will you listen if I tell you now?"

"Yeah."

"Good lad."

I can hear Pokémon yelling down below. They don't sound happy. I try to ignore them and listen to Pro's story.

"The first Pokémon to gather all 18 regions of Itori was a Charizard named Sol. At the time, he was the ruler of the Mountain Region, where most of the fire-types lived. He'd realised, faster than any of them, that if we were going to survive in this world on our own, we needed to be organised. He brought all 17 of the other chieftains to Grande Castle. They spent the next 2 months there drawing the map of Itori, outlining territories, forming alliances, and establishing law.

"The chieftains from the Range, Rainforest, and Tundra regions were constantly fighting for control over a big patch of land. Finally the leader from the Polar Region suggested taking all of that land and giving it to the whole country instead. The leader from the Rainforest Region argued, saying: "How can one bit of land belong to everyone?" And Sol said—"

"All of this land should belong to everyone."

Pro gave me a playful punch in the side. "See, you were listening!"

"Yeah," I said, kicking at some more rocks, "I always liked that part."

"Sol was a good Pokémon. He was a good leader. When the chieftain from the Coast Region asked who would rule this patch of land, the Marsh leader said it should be Sol. He was the one who dragged them all from their homes and forced them to make peace, so he should be the one in charge of keeping it. Sol agreed. He gave command of the Mountain Region to a member of his consort and made his new home in the crownlands. He was the first monarch of Itori. He's the reason anyone who gains a lick of political power gets a last name. He needed one, so when his children came into power, they would be reminded of him by the "family name".

"His queen was a Charizard, too. So were all his children, and his children's children. The family line goes all the way down to Queen Octavia. Sol was a good Pokémon, but fuck me, if only he hadn't married one of his kind."

That makes me feel icky. You shouldn't tell someone who to marry, I think. But I keep quiet.

"For 151 years Charizard have felt entitled to rule, thanks to this one ancestor," Pro carries on, "and over time they've convinced everyone else that's the way it needs to be. Since our country began the only non-Charizard who've ever ruled have been married to one. Your brother was the first Pokémon in our kingdom's history to break that tradition. And that's something to be proud of.

"But people are still people. They want to believe in some inner greatness that gives other Pokémon the right to rule them. That way they don't have to question who they let boss them around. It's easier for them to just let someone else take control."

The arguing Pokémon have left each other. There are a lot of voices still murmuring down below.

"Doesn't all that mean I shouldn't be in charge?" I ask.

"It means you have a chance. You need to exploit this weakness in people's minds, make them believe you were the one born to rule."

I feel weird about it, but I can't find any way to argue back.

"All the Pokémon in the camp have been staring at you, Dei."

My heart starts beating fast.

"There's been infighting since you arrived."

"Why? What did I do?"

"Some of them think you should have the power just 'cause you're a Varia. Some are saying you shouldn't have any because of it."

I don't know what to do or what to say so I just stay still. I remember how I used to be the "morale-booster", the happy child, the one who made everyone smile. Now I'm just making people argue. I tell this to Pro. He leans in close.

"Then you know what you need to do?" he says.

"What?"

"You need to win the argument."

I eat dinner in my tent, I don't want anyone watching me, and I don't want to cause any arguments. Olivia and Posy are eating with me because they don't want me to be alone. I can't believe how afraid of them I was only yesterday. I just wish I'd met them sooner. It's been a really long time since I've had friends.

The tent flaps rustle. I recognise the scent from a few of my old soldiers: A Thievul.

"Get out of here, Casper," says Olivia; she and Posy move to stand in front of me.

I smell more Pokémon behind him. A lot of them.

"The Pokémon in this camp have come to a decision," he has a poncy voice, "they believe I should be placed in charge of this encampment. My name is Casper Cottonwood, known to my enemies as "Dead Silent.""

"Why?" I ask.

"Because however much they interrogated me, I never said a word. And considering I was a Grand Castle guardsmon until the day the battle began, they had a lot of questions."

"You can't just barge in with your friends and decide you're in charge of a small army," Posy says, "that's not how this works."

"My friends and I make up roughly a third of the camp."

"Hmm, just how rough are we talking here?" says Olivia.

"Does it make a difference? Clearly, none of the other soldiers in this camp can come to a decision. The rest share one mind as to who they want as their leader, and they have chosen me."

I get to my feet.

"I remember when tens of thousands of Pokémon chose me as their leader. Including you, Casper."

Casper laughed. Olivia and Posy both start to argue with him but I asked them to stop. None of his friends had joined in. I need to defend myself. I need to look strong.

"You are a child."

"I am a prince."

He laughs again.

"Your kingdom lasted weeks," Casper says, "and I've been leading many of these soldiers for months."

"It was your kingdom too," I say, "and you also failed to protect it, so what makes me think you can win it back?"

"Nice," Posy whispers.

"Yeah, you tell him," Olivia adds.

"Because unlike some," Casper says, "I know what it means to lead."

"You have no idea what it means to be a prince."

"Do you?"

Laughter comes in from outside the tent. I let it die down so they can all hear my response:

"Did you fight in the first battle?" I ask. "The Battle of the Crown?"

"Did you?"

I heard snickering behind him.

"Yes. I did."

His lackies went quiet.

"I fought my first real battle when I was 8 months old. I fought for two days, without food, without sleep. And I wasn't very brave. I was terrified, every single second, from the moment we left home. The fear didn't go away even a little bit until all the flames had turned to smoke. Even after that I couldn't sleep for days. I watched Pokémon I'd known my whole life die in front of me. I had to fight my friends. I watched a girl I spent my nursery with limp down the castle halls with a missing leg, and I couldn't run to help her because she'd chosen to side with the Skarsgards. I still don't know if she survived. I used to dream about. I'd wake up screaming.

"Then six weeks later I had to do it all again. Just when the nightmares had finally stopped, they all became real. I had to face one of my best friends, a traitor holding a sword in his hands, not knowing if he was going to kill me, not knowing if I was going to kill him."

I'm shaking. I can't stop. I know I'm going to cry soon, but I need to keep my voice steady until he leaves. I have to do this. I can't let another thief take my crown.

"Maybe you know what it's like to be a leader," I say, "but you don't know what it's like to be a soldier."

The Pokémon outside were silent.

"I… I am ten times the soldier you are."

I laugh.

"Then prove it."

His voice sounds like a laugh:

"Is that a challenge?"

"You bet it is."

All the camp Pokémon gather around to watch. Posy doesn't want me to do it, she doesn't want to risk anything happening to my wound, especially while it's still healing. Olivia understands I need to do this, and she wants me to fight as hard as I can. I really like these Pokémon. They remind me of Zweil and Dreigo.

Casper's waiting on the other side surrounded by a ring of cheering yes-mon.

"Hoh?" he says. "You're approaching me? Instead of running away, you're coming straight towards me?"

Zweil taught me not to waste my time on childish heckling. I take my place on the other side. I recognise referee's scent: a Haxorus. She'd been one of the guardsmon on the first floor. She used to protect Gaia.

"Nice to smell you again," I say, "get it?"

"The fight's about to start, Dei." Her voice wasn't warm.

We line up across from each other. The spectators quiet down standing close. The Haxorus slams her foot on the ground.

"Battle begin!"

Night Slash hits hard and fast, cutting the left side of my face. He could have gone straight for the weak spot, but he didn't. I respect that.

Dragon Rage roars after him. I hear it fade into the distance. I feel the pointy bits at the end of his tail wrap around me body then come off me fast as a whip. I recognise the move Thief, but he didn't take anything. I had nothing to steal.

I let out another fierce Dragon Rage. I hear Casper's feet dancing around it. Some of the spectators giggle.

I can't use Roar, I'll be seen as a coward. The only other moves I have are Bite and Headbutt, and for those I need to get close. But Thievul are fast, a lot faster than Deino. I need to be smart.

I hear the half-second whistle that lets me know Night Slash is coming. I dodge to the left and open my mouth to use Bite. Casper slaps me across the face with his tail. The Pokémon are muttering to each other now.

I lower my head and charge. I glance Casper's shoulder as he leaps away. He laughs. A growling Dragon Rage came from my mouth. I feel the dust being kicked up and know I've missed.

"Finish him off, Casp!" someone yells.

I hear his footsteps move across the battlefield.

"What move is that?" someone asks.

"Nasty Plot?" someone whispers back.

That's a mistake. I know exactly how long Nasty Plot takes. I wait.

Another Thief attack comes, I dodge, then Headbutt him hard in the ribs. He makes a loud grunt and rolls across the floor, but it sounds like he's landed on his feet. I charge again, Night Slash cuts me across the chin, but I power through it and chomp down on his collarbone. The Pokémon in the crowd aren't laughing anymore.

"Get off me you little runt!" the Thievul growls. He kicks and claws but none of his paws reach me. He bites but he can only nip at my fur. He drags us both to the ground so he can reach with his back paws and kick me in the stomach. It takes three tries but eventually he pulls free.

Night Slash cuts a straight line across the face from ear-to-ear. I scream and collapse in pain on the ground. The bandage is torn and I'm bleeding and the pain is almost as bad as the wine and the sword and the fire. I know I can't cry but I also can't stop myself.

"Dei Varia is unable to battle," the referee begins, "the winner—"

"No!"

I slam my feet on the ground. I push myself back up. The pain isn't that bad, it's not that bad at all, I was just remembering the pain I used to feel, but it's gone now, and I'm a stronger person. I won't lose to a thief ever again.

This one's for you, Alex.

Dragon Rage carries my roar across the battlefield. I can feel it prickling my face and blowing my fur back. The air goes hot and cold and I can hear Pokémon running for cover. I hear a high-pitched scream and I know the dragon's taken the thief in its jaws and is biting, tearing, biting, tearing. I know what it feels like, and I feel sorry for him.

But it's still not enough. Dragon Rage only does so much damage. I storm over, ready to finish the job. Sticky bits of bandage dangle from my face and blood drips to the floor. I must look terrifying.

I Headbutt him in the shoulder and we go rolling over the ground together. I pin him down. Blood drips from my face onto his fur. I open my jaws ready to bite down.

"I- I yield."

"What was that?" I say.

"I yield!"

The referee calls:

"Casper Cottonwood is unable to battle. Dei Varia is the winner!"

Big stomping footsteps approach and a rumbly voice announces to the camp:

"Soldiers of the Black-and-Blue Rebellion! You have your leader! Long live the Prince!"

"Long live that Prince!" come voices from all around me. "Long live the Prince! Long live the Prince!"

"Long live the Varias!" another screams, and some of them take up that call, too.

Olivia and Posy are calling out to congratulate me. I stand beside them so everyone in the camp can see the three Pokémon I've chosen as my consort.

"Long live Prince Dei!" Posy cries.

"Prince Dei! Prince Dei! Prince Dei!"

I wish my brothers were here.