ChloboShoka
Writer
Title: The Ketchum Inheritance
Rating: K
Main Ship: Advanceshipping
Other ships: Wishful, Pendragon, Restless, Ego, Cavalier and Diamond.
Genre: AU, Historical, Drama
Disclaimer and notes: Any characters mentioned in this are copyright to their respective owners and especially Nintendo, Gamefreak and The Pokemon Company. This is a spin off to the Other King and the fic has been influenced by The Boleyn Inheritance by Phillipa Gregory and The Innocent Traitor by Alison Weir. The Other King didn't have as much advanceshipping as I had intended so to compensate, so I started this spin off.
Summary: Giovanni Ketchum grandparents were King Link and Queen Zelda of Hyrule. He has two nephews and two sons. His nephews, Lance and Gary are already kings of the strongest kingdoms in Asia. His sons are the brave solders that aspire to be great kings. Fueled by his desire for world domination, he attempts to make his sons' dream a reality.
Index
Chapter 1: 1587 (This Post)
Chapter 2: 1588
Chapter 3: 1589
Chapter 4: 1590
Chapter 5: 1593 Part One and Part Two
I entered the bridge to Petalburg Castle with my eldest son. The meeting will not only seal his fortune, but his destiny. If everything comes to plan, which all my ultimate plans do, then our family will become very powerful indeed. King Norman and I have been planning this meeting since his coronation in 1577. My eldest son is twenty years old, and he is a successful knight known to the world as The Red Prince.
I named my first-born son Ash after my mother, Ashley Rocket. My sister, Arianna has long since married and produced the King of Johto. And my nephew meddles with my plans all the the time, which is why I always prayed for humble nieces who knew their place. My nephew, Gary Oak is just as bad. Gary and Lance would accuse me of being a dictator without any proof.
Whilst it's true that I have many supporters, I have no intention of destroying the world as they so creatively describe in red blood. Ironically, their mothers have a sharp tongue, but my sister-in-law is a terrible ruler. They should have passed the crown over to my wife, her kindness would sooth the hostility in this dark world. Her marriage to a Hoenn lord was meant to cause a political alliance, but instead it lead to a civil war.
Kanto needs support from Hoenn. King Lance of Johto and Queen Iris of Unova are dangerous together, and the petty insults they throw at Ash are pathetically funny. They even had the nerve to call Ash a little kid. My boy has more bravery in his finger than their whole dragon empire put together. His Pikachu can spark them out any day of the week.
When I first approached King Norman, he was pleasantly surprised as he had not even thought about finding a suitable husband for Princess May. It's safe to assume that he had the same idea that I had: wait until their twenties when they are older and wiser. He also mentioned that his younger son, Max would be too sick to claim the throne, and that his governors were sexist and didn't like the idea of a female monarch.
What King Norman needed was a marriage for his daughter. His only daughter had to marry a fine prince to support her through her reign. He told me that Princess May loved banquets, travelling, pokemon and was a sweet lady unless someone stole her food away. The description reminded me of the time where Ash ate an plateful of pickled ginger and chilies. They would get on very well, I think.
"So what do you know about May?" Ash asked me.
"She's an optimistic lady," I replied. "And the most eligible woman in the world. She loves food and pokemon just like you do."
"Well I hope she saves some food for me," Ash growled with his arms folded. He was not very pleasant when he was hungry and when he gets to that stage he lets gluttony take control of his body. He most certainly did not behave like a Kanto prince. Pikachu tapped Ash's ear with his micro fingers, then gazed at the magnificent hall as we grew closer to the castle.
The guards opened the gates as soon as they saw my face. King Norman was standing behind the doorstep waiting to greet us. King Norman brushed up on his appearance with ruby kimono with sapphire sleeves and a green obi encrusted with emeralds. Behind him were a row of geisha ladies who lowered their heads.
All the attention was on my son. He was speechless, he had his eyes and his mouth wide open. I had to tap his back so he remembered his manners and he bowed like a true gentleman.
"We finally meet at last," Norman said to Ash. "You look good, just like your father said." I smiled, for everyone should know that I always keep my promises regardless of the consequences. "Come now, stand! Allow me to introduce to you my daughter, Princess May."
The geishas moved as Princess May walked down the stairs like a duck paddling on water. Her bright blue eyes, lovely complexion served her well as a pleasing brunette. When she approached Ash, she held onto his hand and curtsied. She was the one to make the first move.
"I'm so honoured to meet you Your Majesty," Princess May said in a sugary tone that reminded me of Delia. "I hope that we have a long and prosperous life together."
My poor son gulped and bowed. "And... so ... do...I!"
"Great!" King Norman cried out. "You two should get married as soon as possible." King Norman rushed up to the stairs with a smile on his face.
"WAIT!" Ash cried out. I stared at him blankly. I hoped that his dense nature and nerves doesn't stop it all now.
"Father," Princess May said to King Norman with a smile on her face. "Prince Ash is really nervous. I think the idea of marriage is far too soon. We've only just met. We need to get to know each other more."
Her wisdom surprised me.
I had succeeded. I like her very much: she will make a perfect for my son. I saw her nerves through her klutzy feet, but from everything I've seen from her, she and Ash would get along really well. And perhaps she could produce excellent grandchildren for me to continue The Ketchum Legacy. May will become Queen of Hoenn and she will have no one else but my son.
The Ketchums are an ambitious family, and you have two options: you can take it or you can take it.
Giovanni was kind to me. He supported me in my education and insisted that his son would become my tutor until the time was right for them to be married. They would both teach me things that a lady could never taught in books or a library.
I took part in ceremonies where the most beautiful pokemon would earn ribbons. In Hoenn, ribbons are a symbol of eternal love and power. The ceremony gave out ribbons of five colours, and each colour represented something different. A golden ribbons represented power. An orange ribbon meant that a pokemon was cool and could control their nerves under pressure. A blue ribbon represented both inner and outer beauty. A green ribbon meant that a pokemon was smart and cunning. The pink ribbons stood for cuteness.
I have ribbons galore of course. There are other ribbons of different colours, but those were the most sought after. You would be honoured to even have one of these ribbons, and I have earned at least seventy.
Giovanni encouraged Ash to teach me the ways of competitive battles and how to win wars. I had learned so much from them and I have only known them for a week. I had sneaked in on my father and Giovanni's conversations and one of the things that caught my ears was when Giovanni was talking about Ash. He claimed that beneath that glorious stance was an innocent child. I found that it was true, he acted like a ten year old. I still act half my age half the time.
Thinking about what other people have said about the Ketchums, I think they really over-exaggerate. As I stood near the edge of the lake, Ash stood besides me and presented me with an ocarina. The wind instrument was beautiful. It was blue and it glowed in a mysterious light.
"Thank you," I said in excitement. "I love music."
"So do I," Ash replied with his lips curving into a smile. "I used to sing a lot, but it made everyone's ears bleed."
"Where did you get this from?" I asked as I gazed at awe. "It dosen't look like anything you would see in a shop."
"Father passed it on to me," Ash responded. "He said it's the same ocarina that belonged to Master Link. He said that the golden triangles on it is the royal symbol of Zelda. He says that good things come to those who play music on it."
"It's beautiful," May said. "But not as beautiful as you are of course." Pikachu sighed as he splashed water at us. I knelt down before the bank and asked the electric mouse, "What was that for?"
Pikachu cired out loud happily and all three of us ended up having a splash fight. As princess, I should win by default, but it was clearly obvious that Pikachu was winning.
It's about time they put a proper Ketchum back on the throne. The King of Johto is my cousin, but he doesn't count because his surname is Den. How long must I wait to be king? Why must I wait until King Norman loses his power to marry May?
Princess May may not know it, but she's got a whole empire waiting for her. I don't think that I can hold this dense act any longer. I've been using the dense act for years and quite frankly, I'm sick of it. If anyone should use the dense act, it's my younger brother. When is he going to learn that Iris won't be interested in him?
Purple was a precious colour and The Queen of Unova had locks of long purple hair. Kamon collected lots of things that reminded him of Iris. She was once a great friend of mine until she married her cousin and they both started being mean to me. I don't think that Lance and Iris love each other very much though, I think they only married each other for power.
Cilan was once a good friend of mine too. He and his brothers built a huge house with the help of their pokemon's teamwork. The house is amazing and I think that Cilan will melt her heart. I have seen the pair of them naked on a field once. I don't know what to say about that, other than I am closer to Arceus than they are.
I was pleased that Brock visited me that morning. He was appointed as an ambassador and he would report to my family over at Kanto how I was. I was more worried about Misty than anybody else because Gary was a reckless Casanova.
"Queen Misty is okay," Brock told me. "King Gary has given her many water pokemon."
"I hope she forgives me," I said. "I really cared about her, but I couldn't give her what she wanted. But we've all moved on now."
"And you may become a king," Brock stated.
"I know I will be king," I gasped. "It is Arceus' will and my own destiny to be king. But I'm getting so impatient. I want to be king now."
"It is a good idea to have a little patience," Brock said. "Why don't you do something amazing?"
"Like what?" I asked. I was driven by my impatience. It had nothing to do with Princess May, I just felt I could be doing something more glorious. "My father wants me to stay in Hoenn. I can't fight. I feel like I'm not doing anything special." I bowed before a rock as my knees sank into the sand.
"You have been knighted by Queen Cynthia, King Lance and Queen Iris," Brock reminded me. "Doesn't that make you feel special?"
"I suppose," I said. Lance and Iris only knighted me because Pope Mickey ordered them to. Queen Cynthia knighted me because Pikachu pawned an army. "I really want May," I confessed. "I don't think I can contain it anymore."
"Why don't you ask Princess May if she would like to go on a journey with you?"
Brock's idea made me jump to my feet. I can't believe I never thought of that before. It's a great idea and I think May will love the idea. I've traveled with Misty, Brock, Iris, Cilan, Dawn and Tracey before. Why not go out with May?
"Going to great journeys with Princess May will greatly benefit you," Brock suggested as he grabbed onto my shoulders. "Not only will your relationship with The Princess blossom, but you can also gather more allies that will support your great desire to be king."
I could see Brock's eyes glisten. Pikachu slapped my thigh and cried in happiness.
"You think it's a great idea too?" I asked Pikachu and he nodded. I shook Brock's hand and scurried out of the beach as fast as I could. If we needed an adventure, we needed to have one right now. I raised my hand and looked back at Brock, who appeared to be startled. "Thank you Brock! I'll see you at my coronation!"
A prince was born today: the second son of my cousin and the love of my life. I bet Lance is happy that he won the heart of the Queen of Unova. He only has her because he was The King of Unova, and the fact that The King of Kanto was already married to the Duchess of Cerulean. Lance may be a king but he's weak.
He gets his dragon pokemon and his army to do all the dirty work for him. He ordered beybladers and duelists to be burned and classed anyone who wasn't a pokemon trainer was a heretic.
My father said I was betrothed to a digidestend, but the engagement had to be canceled because the lady I was due to be married with was burned for heresy. King Lance and Queen were very strict monarchs. For Johto the condemned were burned and in Unova you were beheaded.
And he says my father is cruel. To be frank, he was never kind to me. Being the eldest son, Ash was always the centre of attention. We both want to be king and so does my father. I can see it in his eyes and the way he moves Ash about like the king on a chess board.
And I've seen the way my father raises his hands at my mother.
My cousin Gary, The King of Kanto, he's just an idiot. Why should he feel the need to cheat when he has the beautiful and slender Misty Waterflower. Every time I see him, he always has a different mistress. He even tried to seduce my elder brother once and then told everyone at court that he was a womanizer. Even though I am good friends with my regal cousin, what they do with their power makes me feel sick.
Maybe Queen Iris should leave him and turn her eyes towards somebody who actually loves her for who she is. Someone like me perhaps.
My affections for Iris are no secret. Lance banishes me from Johto's court whenever Iris is around, and always tries to sneer at my locket. The locket contains a miniature portrait of Iris and when I'm alone I find myself distracted with it.
As soon as Ash becomes the King Of Hoenn, maybe my father will have a little bit of time for me. There's only been two things that I've wanted in my life: the first was Queen Iris' love and the second was the blessing of my father.
And now he is betrothed to Hoenn's Princess May. How on earth was Giovanni able to arrange such a perfect alliance? He thinks that my mother and I didn't do a good enough job of running the country? Is that it? They should grow up with their childish desires and be the epic soldiers they were destined to be. My queen has not yet returned from her outing with her sisters. Thankfully, I've had Mistress Dawn to keep me company.
It will be Mistress Dawn's last week of freedom, for she will have to return to Sinnoh and prepare for her wedding. I don't know how Queen Cynthia got permission from Pope Mickey to allow the marriage to happen. People will be talking about it for years: no one shall forget a royal lesbian marriage.
But poor Dawn Berlitz only has eyes for me.
I could not find the brothers anywhere. I had heard from a Nurse Joy that they had been locked up in Goldenrod Tower on The King's orders. It was all thanks to the work of King Lance that the Uchiha Clan was left in ashes. Lance wanted to cleanse his dragon empire by executing anyone he didn't like. It's all because of one quote of The Original Story, a book about the origins and the laws of Arceus.
You must obey your masters and cherish your teammates. If you do not share your life with pokemon, then your life is worthless.
King Lance burned Sasuke's entire family, and kept him and his brother within the tower. When they saw that I had no pokemon with me, they strip searched me and charged me with heresy for being a ninja. It seemed that only the people that worked with pokemon were spared like the trainers, breeders, co-ordinators and those who keep pokemon as pets. It was well known that Lance was burning thousands of duelists and beybladers, but he had also ordered ninjas, pirates, and digidestends (whatever they do), I'm beginning to think that King Lance is making this up as he goes along.
If The King wants me to kneel at his feet - I will not! If he wants me to declare my lifestyle a crime and that all my friends are evil, then I shall not. I will never give up being who I am. I am a ninja, and I am proud of it. The King cannot take that away from me. Not even if threatens me a thousand knives.
King Lance has always been a kind man, but I find it tragic that he has had to go to such violent ways to show his authority. Both he and his wife were great monarchs, and even though they are strict, it's only the people of Unova and the rest of the dragon empire that have benefited.
I don't think that Queen Iris would allow such violent plaugues in her country. And I am glad for it, because I fear that if Lance had it his way that he would try and take every country and do some of his cleansing.
King Lance is a great trainer and of course a dragon master, but these executions will not benefit us. He should either stop them or Johto should have a new ruler. I wonder if he knows about Queen Iris' lover, Cilan Dento.
Of course I have my friends Ash and May in mind. They are beloved by the pokemon because they respect all religions, occupations, races and people. It's not just the pokemon that adore them, but also the other creatures and races. Ash has always dreamed of becoming the greatest king in the world, and I think he can do it!
I will still pray for my friends, but I don't think they'll need it.
My steelix is trying to roll about in the grass, but he makes holes in the mountains. Bless his soul, I'm glad that he's been so playful. He had a bad injury during one of the recent wars, but now I'm glad to see that he's fully recovered.
The ninetales behind me was a gift from my tutor, Suzy when she was a vulpix. Suzy was a legendary breeder, one of the best we ever had and always saw the inner beauty of everything. When she died, I felt a hole forming in my heart and it has never truly recovered. I never got to admit my true feelings for her. But in her will, she left me her ninetales which evolved before she passed away.
Which reminded me, I should speak to Prince Kamon at some point. He looks like he could do with some of my advice.
They should bow before my father instead. He would never allow such slaughters to happen. For as long as I have lived, I have never seen nor heard of capital punishment being performed in Hoenn. The criminals are sent to exile and never heard of again. My father also owned Hyrule, which had been deserted by humans five years after it became a republic and plague wiped the humans population out.
I was stunned by the rural settings and the white sand on the beach. I was even more shocked from the weeping crowds dressed in rags. Their red faces and shiny eyes and black fingers. It was no way to live.
They must have been waiting for somebody. A savior to bring them light in their dark world. I can see why they adored the Glitter Lighthouse so much.
Charizard halted next to a tree as Ash lowered me down to the sand. I carried the skirt of my dress over my knees as walked towards the crowd. Ash and his Pikachu was behind me, but they both had smiles on their faces. They knew that we were about to do something good for them.
There was not a dry eye on that beach and every last one of them got down to their knees for us. Pikachu sighed and nodded as he smirked. He was sitting comfortably on Ash's drawn out arm.
It was my time to speak. I knew it was from the the fierce lines in Ash's eyes.
"I am Princess May," I announced to the people. "My father is The King of Hoenn. This is my fiancé, Prince Ash of Kanto. We have come here to seek war, nor do we wish to kill any of you. We are here to bring peace."
"My great-grandparents were the legendary King Link and Zelda Ketchum of Hyrule," Ash explained to the crowd. "Hyrule now belongs to Hoenn, but there are no humans."
"One day we'll be king and queen," I told them. I tried to say it in the most boldest voice I could. "And we will make you victorious."
"So come with us!" Ash roared with his fist in the air. "Pack all your belongings and live in Hyrule. You will never go hungry and you can be who you want to be!"
A tall men with blonde hair held his fist in the air with a pack of cards in his hands. He shamelessly shouted, "All hail Ash and May!"
The rest of them joined in and repeated. We had won their hearts with peace.
To celebrate the huge success of Ash's campaign, the new residents of Hyrule organised a feast for Ash and May. Both of them dressed to impress, Ash wore a navy armour and a pointy green hat. Princess May made me wear a clown's outfit, which at first I didn't like, but everyone else thought I was adorable, so I just went with the flow.
Over Princess May's magnificent pink dress, she wore a scarlet kimono with enormous sleeves that went up to her knees. I knew that Ash liked the dress from the way he looked lost in it. It sure was a beautiful dress, I bet it was expensive. I don't think anybody from Kanto would be able to afford it, not even the wealthy King Gary. It took us a while, but we finally got to reach Hyrule in one peace. Not to mention we all came back with thousands.
It was a lot more than I expected, the news of Ash and May trying to save the non-trainers of Johto spread like a wild fire. They all joined them to start a new life in the once deserted Hyrule. Ash and May almost got arrested by Sir Edmund Blackadder. He is such a vile man, but his metaphors are hilarious. It's so hard to take Blackadder seriously because he just has that goofy look about him. Maybe it's the curves on his nose, his fat black eyes or his beard shaped as a snakes head.
All that matters is that we're safe and that we have a nice plate of food in front of us. I love banquets, but I think Ash and May are obsessed with them. I frowned when they ate all the chicken and only left me the bones. On the positive side, I got to try all the exotic berries and with each bite, I felt refreshed. Humans believed that fruit have amazing healing powers, and I think it's true. A nidoran pricked my tail and I was overwhelmed with sickness and diarrhea, and then I had a lum berry and the discomfort disappeared.
"Pikachu," Ash said with a mouthful of bread. "Have a piece of this bread."
I gazed into his glistening eyes as I said my name. I would love to taste the warm and soft bread, but I can't if someone keeps eating it. A lot of pokemon address their trainer as master, but I personally don't like it. So some people look at me and Ash and think that we are strange people. Most people believe in something that's known as the divine right of the master, which means that the pokemon are meant to obey their trainers at all times.
Ash has a belief that he's named the divine right of friendship, which means that pokemon and humans should be best friends. I've noticed that some people try to do a mixture of both, but I don't think many trainers understand better than Ash. Ash's divine right has many supporters, but not everyone follows them properly. It's people like King Lance who burns non-pokemon users that give Ash's great beliefs a bad name.
Ash broke bread with me as I wiggled my nose and smiled. It was the best scent I have smelt all day! With each act of kindness, the level of Ash's greatness becomes higher and I am eternally grateful that we were chosen to be partners in the eyes of Arceus. I could easily describe my relationship with Ash as best friends, but I think we're more like brothers than anything. He doesn't boss me around like other trainers do to their pokemon and we're always together through the thick and thin.
I remember our first meeting as if it were yesterday. I was laying on Professor Oak's altar in Pallet Temple where he would give new trainers their blessing on their tenth birthday. They are given a starter pokemon and then they go off to their own journeys. As well as me, there was another pikachu who was eventually named Sparky by his trainer, Ritchie, Ash's half brother. Most people call him a bastard because he was born out of wedlock, but I personally find the word vulgar.
Ritchie and Ash were so surprised at how they both looked identical to each other and coincidently, they both had pikachus as their starters. They were the last two, I would have thought that princes would be in front of the line, but I guess since he wasn't in the direct line of succession, he was treated as equally as everyone else. Once Ash had picked me, we had to go to Professor Oak and he would give us both blessings.
"I'll never forget the first day I met you, Pikachu," Ash said out of the blue. I smiled: I was thinking the exact same thing. I swallowed my last mouthful of bread and hugged Ash's back. "And things can only get better from here."
I knew exactly what he meant from that statement. He knows he's going to be a king, and it has always been his dream. As soon as he left the temple on that fateful day, he told me his dream.
"Pikachu, I'm happy to that we are partners. I'm Ash Ketchum, The Red Prince. I've been training all my life to be the greatest king in the world. With you by my side, I shall become the best king in the world. I will make everyone proud of me, weather it's through my victories in battle or personal triumph. We will become an unbeatable heroes."
I do admit, at first I thought it was really intimidating, but once I got to know him more he remained true to his words. Over a decade has passed since that day, and now his dream is right within his hands.
Rating: K
Main Ship: Advanceshipping
Other ships: Wishful, Pendragon, Restless, Ego, Cavalier and Diamond.
Genre: AU, Historical, Drama
Disclaimer and notes: Any characters mentioned in this are copyright to their respective owners and especially Nintendo, Gamefreak and The Pokemon Company. This is a spin off to the Other King and the fic has been influenced by The Boleyn Inheritance by Phillipa Gregory and The Innocent Traitor by Alison Weir. The Other King didn't have as much advanceshipping as I had intended so to compensate, so I started this spin off.
Summary: Giovanni Ketchum grandparents were King Link and Queen Zelda of Hyrule. He has two nephews and two sons. His nephews, Lance and Gary are already kings of the strongest kingdoms in Asia. His sons are the brave solders that aspire to be great kings. Fueled by his desire for world domination, he attempts to make his sons' dream a reality.
Index
Chapter 1: 1587 (This Post)
Chapter 2: 1588
Chapter 3: 1589
Chapter 4: 1590
Chapter 5: 1593 Part One and Part Two
The Ketchum Inheritance
1587
Lord Giovanni Ketchum
Petalburg Castle 13th May 1587
1587
Lord Giovanni Ketchum
Petalburg Castle 13th May 1587
I entered the bridge to Petalburg Castle with my eldest son. The meeting will not only seal his fortune, but his destiny. If everything comes to plan, which all my ultimate plans do, then our family will become very powerful indeed. King Norman and I have been planning this meeting since his coronation in 1577. My eldest son is twenty years old, and he is a successful knight known to the world as The Red Prince.
I named my first-born son Ash after my mother, Ashley Rocket. My sister, Arianna has long since married and produced the King of Johto. And my nephew meddles with my plans all the the time, which is why I always prayed for humble nieces who knew their place. My nephew, Gary Oak is just as bad. Gary and Lance would accuse me of being a dictator without any proof.
Whilst it's true that I have many supporters, I have no intention of destroying the world as they so creatively describe in red blood. Ironically, their mothers have a sharp tongue, but my sister-in-law is a terrible ruler. They should have passed the crown over to my wife, her kindness would sooth the hostility in this dark world. Her marriage to a Hoenn lord was meant to cause a political alliance, but instead it lead to a civil war.
Kanto needs support from Hoenn. King Lance of Johto and Queen Iris of Unova are dangerous together, and the petty insults they throw at Ash are pathetically funny. They even had the nerve to call Ash a little kid. My boy has more bravery in his finger than their whole dragon empire put together. His Pikachu can spark them out any day of the week.
When I first approached King Norman, he was pleasantly surprised as he had not even thought about finding a suitable husband for Princess May. It's safe to assume that he had the same idea that I had: wait until their twenties when they are older and wiser. He also mentioned that his younger son, Max would be too sick to claim the throne, and that his governors were sexist and didn't like the idea of a female monarch.
What King Norman needed was a marriage for his daughter. His only daughter had to marry a fine prince to support her through her reign. He told me that Princess May loved banquets, travelling, pokemon and was a sweet lady unless someone stole her food away. The description reminded me of the time where Ash ate an plateful of pickled ginger and chilies. They would get on very well, I think.
"So what do you know about May?" Ash asked me.
"She's an optimistic lady," I replied. "And the most eligible woman in the world. She loves food and pokemon just like you do."
"Well I hope she saves some food for me," Ash growled with his arms folded. He was not very pleasant when he was hungry and when he gets to that stage he lets gluttony take control of his body. He most certainly did not behave like a Kanto prince. Pikachu tapped Ash's ear with his micro fingers, then gazed at the magnificent hall as we grew closer to the castle.
The guards opened the gates as soon as they saw my face. King Norman was standing behind the doorstep waiting to greet us. King Norman brushed up on his appearance with ruby kimono with sapphire sleeves and a green obi encrusted with emeralds. Behind him were a row of geisha ladies who lowered their heads.
All the attention was on my son. He was speechless, he had his eyes and his mouth wide open. I had to tap his back so he remembered his manners and he bowed like a true gentleman.
"We finally meet at last," Norman said to Ash. "You look good, just like your father said." I smiled, for everyone should know that I always keep my promises regardless of the consequences. "Come now, stand! Allow me to introduce to you my daughter, Princess May."
The geishas moved as Princess May walked down the stairs like a duck paddling on water. Her bright blue eyes, lovely complexion served her well as a pleasing brunette. When she approached Ash, she held onto his hand and curtsied. She was the one to make the first move.
"I'm so honoured to meet you Your Majesty," Princess May said in a sugary tone that reminded me of Delia. "I hope that we have a long and prosperous life together."
My poor son gulped and bowed. "And... so ... do...I!"
"Great!" King Norman cried out. "You two should get married as soon as possible." King Norman rushed up to the stairs with a smile on his face.
"WAIT!" Ash cried out. I stared at him blankly. I hoped that his dense nature and nerves doesn't stop it all now.
"Father," Princess May said to King Norman with a smile on her face. "Prince Ash is really nervous. I think the idea of marriage is far too soon. We've only just met. We need to get to know each other more."
Her wisdom surprised me.
I had succeeded. I like her very much: she will make a perfect for my son. I saw her nerves through her klutzy feet, but from everything I've seen from her, she and Ash would get along really well. And perhaps she could produce excellent grandchildren for me to continue The Ketchum Legacy. May will become Queen of Hoenn and she will have no one else but my son.
The Ketchums are an ambitious family, and you have two options: you can take it or you can take it.
May: Petalburg Castle
20th May 1587
Everyone I knew had described The Ketchums as a dangerous and reckless family. The men were killers and the women were harlots. Giovanni's sister, Arianna was Queen Dowager of Johto, but if Arianna Ketchum was that much of a *****, then why did the late King of Johto marry her? I've never met Arianna Ketchum, but I can imagine that she was a firm woman.20th May 1587
Giovanni was kind to me. He supported me in my education and insisted that his son would become my tutor until the time was right for them to be married. They would both teach me things that a lady could never taught in books or a library.
I took part in ceremonies where the most beautiful pokemon would earn ribbons. In Hoenn, ribbons are a symbol of eternal love and power. The ceremony gave out ribbons of five colours, and each colour represented something different. A golden ribbons represented power. An orange ribbon meant that a pokemon was cool and could control their nerves under pressure. A blue ribbon represented both inner and outer beauty. A green ribbon meant that a pokemon was smart and cunning. The pink ribbons stood for cuteness.
I have ribbons galore of course. There are other ribbons of different colours, but those were the most sought after. You would be honoured to even have one of these ribbons, and I have earned at least seventy.
Giovanni encouraged Ash to teach me the ways of competitive battles and how to win wars. I had learned so much from them and I have only known them for a week. I had sneaked in on my father and Giovanni's conversations and one of the things that caught my ears was when Giovanni was talking about Ash. He claimed that beneath that glorious stance was an innocent child. I found that it was true, he acted like a ten year old. I still act half my age half the time.
Thinking about what other people have said about the Ketchums, I think they really over-exaggerate. As I stood near the edge of the lake, Ash stood besides me and presented me with an ocarina. The wind instrument was beautiful. It was blue and it glowed in a mysterious light.
"Thank you," I said in excitement. "I love music."
"So do I," Ash replied with his lips curving into a smile. "I used to sing a lot, but it made everyone's ears bleed."
"Where did you get this from?" I asked as I gazed at awe. "It dosen't look like anything you would see in a shop."
"Father passed it on to me," Ash responded. "He said it's the same ocarina that belonged to Master Link. He said that the golden triangles on it is the royal symbol of Zelda. He says that good things come to those who play music on it."
"It's beautiful," May said. "But not as beautiful as you are of course." Pikachu sighed as he splashed water at us. I knelt down before the bank and asked the electric mouse, "What was that for?"
Pikachu cired out loud happily and all three of us ended up having a splash fight. As princess, I should win by default, but it was clearly obvious that Pikachu was winning.
Ash: Slateport Beach
29th June 1587
I know I'm going to be King of Hoenn. The only question is when? Link Ketchum was responsible for the golden age of Hyrule. Link and Zelda were my great-grandparents. I've been often taught about all the great things they did through my father and Grandma Rocket. Grandma Rocket was only Queen for a short while because Hyrule chose to become a republic after Zelda's death. That was until King Norman helped himself to the country.29th June 1587
It's about time they put a proper Ketchum back on the throne. The King of Johto is my cousin, but he doesn't count because his surname is Den. How long must I wait to be king? Why must I wait until King Norman loses his power to marry May?
Princess May may not know it, but she's got a whole empire waiting for her. I don't think that I can hold this dense act any longer. I've been using the dense act for years and quite frankly, I'm sick of it. If anyone should use the dense act, it's my younger brother. When is he going to learn that Iris won't be interested in him?
Purple was a precious colour and The Queen of Unova had locks of long purple hair. Kamon collected lots of things that reminded him of Iris. She was once a great friend of mine until she married her cousin and they both started being mean to me. I don't think that Lance and Iris love each other very much though, I think they only married each other for power.
Cilan was once a good friend of mine too. He and his brothers built a huge house with the help of their pokemon's teamwork. The house is amazing and I think that Cilan will melt her heart. I have seen the pair of them naked on a field once. I don't know what to say about that, other than I am closer to Arceus than they are.
I was pleased that Brock visited me that morning. He was appointed as an ambassador and he would report to my family over at Kanto how I was. I was more worried about Misty than anybody else because Gary was a reckless Casanova.
"Queen Misty is okay," Brock told me. "King Gary has given her many water pokemon."
"I hope she forgives me," I said. "I really cared about her, but I couldn't give her what she wanted. But we've all moved on now."
"And you may become a king," Brock stated.
"I know I will be king," I gasped. "It is Arceus' will and my own destiny to be king. But I'm getting so impatient. I want to be king now."
"It is a good idea to have a little patience," Brock said. "Why don't you do something amazing?"
"Like what?" I asked. I was driven by my impatience. It had nothing to do with Princess May, I just felt I could be doing something more glorious. "My father wants me to stay in Hoenn. I can't fight. I feel like I'm not doing anything special." I bowed before a rock as my knees sank into the sand.
"You have been knighted by Queen Cynthia, King Lance and Queen Iris," Brock reminded me. "Doesn't that make you feel special?"
"I suppose," I said. Lance and Iris only knighted me because Pope Mickey ordered them to. Queen Cynthia knighted me because Pikachu pawned an army. "I really want May," I confessed. "I don't think I can contain it anymore."
"Why don't you ask Princess May if she would like to go on a journey with you?"
Brock's idea made me jump to my feet. I can't believe I never thought of that before. It's a great idea and I think May will love the idea. I've traveled with Misty, Brock, Iris, Cilan, Dawn and Tracey before. Why not go out with May?
"Going to great journeys with Princess May will greatly benefit you," Brock suggested as he grabbed onto my shoulders. "Not only will your relationship with The Princess blossom, but you can also gather more allies that will support your great desire to be king."
I could see Brock's eyes glisten. Pikachu slapped my thigh and cried in happiness.
"You think it's a great idea too?" I asked Pikachu and he nodded. I shook Brock's hand and scurried out of the beach as fast as I could. If we needed an adventure, we needed to have one right now. I raised my hand and looked back at Brock, who appeared to be startled. "Thank you Brock! I'll see you at my coronation!"
Kamon: Goldenrod Temple
1st July 1587
1st July 1587
A prince was born today: the second son of my cousin and the love of my life. I bet Lance is happy that he won the heart of the Queen of Unova. He only has her because he was The King of Unova, and the fact that The King of Kanto was already married to the Duchess of Cerulean. Lance may be a king but he's weak.
He gets his dragon pokemon and his army to do all the dirty work for him. He ordered beybladers and duelists to be burned and classed anyone who wasn't a pokemon trainer was a heretic.
My father said I was betrothed to a digidestend, but the engagement had to be canceled because the lady I was due to be married with was burned for heresy. King Lance and Queen were very strict monarchs. For Johto the condemned were burned and in Unova you were beheaded.
And he says my father is cruel. To be frank, he was never kind to me. Being the eldest son, Ash was always the centre of attention. We both want to be king and so does my father. I can see it in his eyes and the way he moves Ash about like the king on a chess board.
And I've seen the way my father raises his hands at my mother.
My cousin Gary, The King of Kanto, he's just an idiot. Why should he feel the need to cheat when he has the beautiful and slender Misty Waterflower. Every time I see him, he always has a different mistress. He even tried to seduce my elder brother once and then told everyone at court that he was a womanizer. Even though I am good friends with my regal cousin, what they do with their power makes me feel sick.
Maybe Queen Iris should leave him and turn her eyes towards somebody who actually loves her for who she is. Someone like me perhaps.
My affections for Iris are no secret. Lance banishes me from Johto's court whenever Iris is around, and always tries to sneer at my locket. The locket contains a miniature portrait of Iris and when I'm alone I find myself distracted with it.
As soon as Ash becomes the King Of Hoenn, maybe my father will have a little bit of time for me. There's only been two things that I've wanted in my life: the first was Queen Iris' love and the second was the blessing of my father.
Gary: Pallet Castle
1st July 1587
The Ketchum Brothers: my own cousins and two former soldiers of mine. What have I done to offend them? I thought that they were my friends. Kamon would rather serve a dragon-loving tyrant and the other Ketchum boy wants to flaunt himself to anyone he sees. Uncle Giovanni had to split him from Misty, but I fear that they still meet in secret.1st July 1587
And now he is betrothed to Hoenn's Princess May. How on earth was Giovanni able to arrange such a perfect alliance? He thinks that my mother and I didn't do a good enough job of running the country? Is that it? They should grow up with their childish desires and be the epic soldiers they were destined to be. My queen has not yet returned from her outing with her sisters. Thankfully, I've had Mistress Dawn to keep me company.
It will be Mistress Dawn's last week of freedom, for she will have to return to Sinnoh and prepare for her wedding. I don't know how Queen Cynthia got permission from Pope Mickey to allow the marriage to happen. People will be talking about it for years: no one shall forget a royal lesbian marriage.
But poor Dawn Berlitz only has eyes for me.
Sakura Haruno: Goldenrod Tower
2nd July 1587
Johto is a wonderful region. My local community are kind to each other and work well as a team even when times are tough. I was born in a village, but I moved to the city to finish off my ninja training. But there was also another reason I went to Goldenrod, I was looking for one of the Uchiha brothers: more specifically, Sasuke Uchiha. He was an old friend of mine. Sasuke and his elder brother, Cardinal Itachi were the only survivors from the Uchiha Clan.2nd July 1587
I could not find the brothers anywhere. I had heard from a Nurse Joy that they had been locked up in Goldenrod Tower on The King's orders. It was all thanks to the work of King Lance that the Uchiha Clan was left in ashes. Lance wanted to cleanse his dragon empire by executing anyone he didn't like. It's all because of one quote of The Original Story, a book about the origins and the laws of Arceus.
You must obey your masters and cherish your teammates. If you do not share your life with pokemon, then your life is worthless.
King Lance burned Sasuke's entire family, and kept him and his brother within the tower. When they saw that I had no pokemon with me, they strip searched me and charged me with heresy for being a ninja. It seemed that only the people that worked with pokemon were spared like the trainers, breeders, co-ordinators and those who keep pokemon as pets. It was well known that Lance was burning thousands of duelists and beybladers, but he had also ordered ninjas, pirates, and digidestends (whatever they do), I'm beginning to think that King Lance is making this up as he goes along.
If The King wants me to kneel at his feet - I will not! If he wants me to declare my lifestyle a crime and that all my friends are evil, then I shall not. I will never give up being who I am. I am a ninja, and I am proud of it. The King cannot take that away from me. Not even if threatens me a thousand knives.
Brock: Mt. Moon
4th July 1587
Prince Ash and Princess May have started their own journey across the world. It is a warm morning and I couldn't help but smile as I watched the couple ride on Ash's charizard as they flew over the top of Mt. Moon. Arceus is on their side and I believe that they will save Asia from great peril.4th July 1587
King Lance has always been a kind man, but I find it tragic that he has had to go to such violent ways to show his authority. Both he and his wife were great monarchs, and even though they are strict, it's only the people of Unova and the rest of the dragon empire that have benefited.
I don't think that Queen Iris would allow such violent plaugues in her country. And I am glad for it, because I fear that if Lance had it his way that he would try and take every country and do some of his cleansing.
King Lance is a great trainer and of course a dragon master, but these executions will not benefit us. He should either stop them or Johto should have a new ruler. I wonder if he knows about Queen Iris' lover, Cilan Dento.
Of course I have my friends Ash and May in mind. They are beloved by the pokemon because they respect all religions, occupations, races and people. It's not just the pokemon that adore them, but also the other creatures and races. Ash has always dreamed of becoming the greatest king in the world, and I think he can do it!
I will still pray for my friends, but I don't think they'll need it.
My steelix is trying to roll about in the grass, but he makes holes in the mountains. Bless his soul, I'm glad that he's been so playful. He had a bad injury during one of the recent wars, but now I'm glad to see that he's fully recovered.
The ninetales behind me was a gift from my tutor, Suzy when she was a vulpix. Suzy was a legendary breeder, one of the best we ever had and always saw the inner beauty of everything. When she died, I felt a hole forming in my heart and it has never truly recovered. I never got to admit my true feelings for her. But in her will, she left me her ninetales which evolved before she passed away.
Which reminded me, I should speak to Prince Kamon at some point. He looks like he could do with some of my advice.
May: Cianwood City
15th June 1587
The Glitter Lighthouse in Olivine City brought out a path to an island. In that island we found Cianwood City. We were told that there was a pharmacy in the centre of the small town. King Lance was planning to close it to stop the so-called heretics from invading Johto. Ash told me that they've even people from Kanto had been burned. Ash and I are going to reach out to those people.15th June 1587
They should bow before my father instead. He would never allow such slaughters to happen. For as long as I have lived, I have never seen nor heard of capital punishment being performed in Hoenn. The criminals are sent to exile and never heard of again. My father also owned Hyrule, which had been deserted by humans five years after it became a republic and plague wiped the humans population out.
I was stunned by the rural settings and the white sand on the beach. I was even more shocked from the weeping crowds dressed in rags. Their red faces and shiny eyes and black fingers. It was no way to live.
They must have been waiting for somebody. A savior to bring them light in their dark world. I can see why they adored the Glitter Lighthouse so much.
Charizard halted next to a tree as Ash lowered me down to the sand. I carried the skirt of my dress over my knees as walked towards the crowd. Ash and his Pikachu was behind me, but they both had smiles on their faces. They knew that we were about to do something good for them.
There was not a dry eye on that beach and every last one of them got down to their knees for us. Pikachu sighed and nodded as he smirked. He was sitting comfortably on Ash's drawn out arm.
It was my time to speak. I knew it was from the the fierce lines in Ash's eyes.
"I am Princess May," I announced to the people. "My father is The King of Hoenn. This is my fiancé, Prince Ash of Kanto. We have come here to seek war, nor do we wish to kill any of you. We are here to bring peace."
"My great-grandparents were the legendary King Link and Zelda Ketchum of Hyrule," Ash explained to the crowd. "Hyrule now belongs to Hoenn, but there are no humans."
"One day we'll be king and queen," I told them. I tried to say it in the most boldest voice I could. "And we will make you victorious."
"So come with us!" Ash roared with his fist in the air. "Pack all your belongings and live in Hyrule. You will never go hungry and you can be who you want to be!"
A tall men with blonde hair held his fist in the air with a pack of cards in his hands. He shamelessly shouted, "All hail Ash and May!"
The rest of them joined in and repeated. We had won their hearts with peace.
Pikachu: Hyrule
20th July 1587
20th July 1587
To celebrate the huge success of Ash's campaign, the new residents of Hyrule organised a feast for Ash and May. Both of them dressed to impress, Ash wore a navy armour and a pointy green hat. Princess May made me wear a clown's outfit, which at first I didn't like, but everyone else thought I was adorable, so I just went with the flow.
Over Princess May's magnificent pink dress, she wore a scarlet kimono with enormous sleeves that went up to her knees. I knew that Ash liked the dress from the way he looked lost in it. It sure was a beautiful dress, I bet it was expensive. I don't think anybody from Kanto would be able to afford it, not even the wealthy King Gary. It took us a while, but we finally got to reach Hyrule in one peace. Not to mention we all came back with thousands.
It was a lot more than I expected, the news of Ash and May trying to save the non-trainers of Johto spread like a wild fire. They all joined them to start a new life in the once deserted Hyrule. Ash and May almost got arrested by Sir Edmund Blackadder. He is such a vile man, but his metaphors are hilarious. It's so hard to take Blackadder seriously because he just has that goofy look about him. Maybe it's the curves on his nose, his fat black eyes or his beard shaped as a snakes head.
All that matters is that we're safe and that we have a nice plate of food in front of us. I love banquets, but I think Ash and May are obsessed with them. I frowned when they ate all the chicken and only left me the bones. On the positive side, I got to try all the exotic berries and with each bite, I felt refreshed. Humans believed that fruit have amazing healing powers, and I think it's true. A nidoran pricked my tail and I was overwhelmed with sickness and diarrhea, and then I had a lum berry and the discomfort disappeared.
"Pikachu," Ash said with a mouthful of bread. "Have a piece of this bread."
I gazed into his glistening eyes as I said my name. I would love to taste the warm and soft bread, but I can't if someone keeps eating it. A lot of pokemon address their trainer as master, but I personally don't like it. So some people look at me and Ash and think that we are strange people. Most people believe in something that's known as the divine right of the master, which means that the pokemon are meant to obey their trainers at all times.
Ash has a belief that he's named the divine right of friendship, which means that pokemon and humans should be best friends. I've noticed that some people try to do a mixture of both, but I don't think many trainers understand better than Ash. Ash's divine right has many supporters, but not everyone follows them properly. It's people like King Lance who burns non-pokemon users that give Ash's great beliefs a bad name.
Ash broke bread with me as I wiggled my nose and smiled. It was the best scent I have smelt all day! With each act of kindness, the level of Ash's greatness becomes higher and I am eternally grateful that we were chosen to be partners in the eyes of Arceus. I could easily describe my relationship with Ash as best friends, but I think we're more like brothers than anything. He doesn't boss me around like other trainers do to their pokemon and we're always together through the thick and thin.
I remember our first meeting as if it were yesterday. I was laying on Professor Oak's altar in Pallet Temple where he would give new trainers their blessing on their tenth birthday. They are given a starter pokemon and then they go off to their own journeys. As well as me, there was another pikachu who was eventually named Sparky by his trainer, Ritchie, Ash's half brother. Most people call him a bastard because he was born out of wedlock, but I personally find the word vulgar.
Ritchie and Ash were so surprised at how they both looked identical to each other and coincidently, they both had pikachus as their starters. They were the last two, I would have thought that princes would be in front of the line, but I guess since he wasn't in the direct line of succession, he was treated as equally as everyone else. Once Ash had picked me, we had to go to Professor Oak and he would give us both blessings.
"I'll never forget the first day I met you, Pikachu," Ash said out of the blue. I smiled: I was thinking the exact same thing. I swallowed my last mouthful of bread and hugged Ash's back. "And things can only get better from here."
I knew exactly what he meant from that statement. He knows he's going to be a king, and it has always been his dream. As soon as he left the temple on that fateful day, he told me his dream.
"Pikachu, I'm happy to that we are partners. I'm Ash Ketchum, The Red Prince. I've been training all my life to be the greatest king in the world. With you by my side, I shall become the best king in the world. I will make everyone proud of me, weather it's through my victories in battle or personal triumph. We will become an unbeatable heroes."
I do admit, at first I thought it was really intimidating, but once I got to know him more he remained true to his words. Over a decade has passed since that day, and now his dream is right within his hands.
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