Paldean Knights - Chapter 5

“Today's the day,” I hummed to myself, slipping on the incubator as I bounced slightly, my energy abnormally high.

No secret as to why.

“Okay, I think Your Highness is done,” Alice stated, looking me over with a piercing gaze. Stantler, wearing his saddlebags, was crouched behind her, vaguely amused. “You're ready to go, sire.”

“Thank you Alice,” I smiled at the maid, taking a step past her. “I'll leave you to it, then?”

“Yes sire,” she nodded, turning the motion into a small bow.

I paused... “You know you can tell me if you need a day off or anything, right? I'll make it happen for you.”

Alice blinked, jerking slightly in surprise as her eyes widened. “A-ah... did I say something? No... did someone else?”

“Just a feeling,” I replied.

She pursed her lips for a moment, then nodded. “I'll let Your Highness know when my family's plans firm up, thank you.”

“Alright then. My schedule might change in a month when the Academy starts up, I'll let you know the specifics. I might need outfits prepped weekly instead of daily,” I cautioned her. “Since I don't know how frequently I'll be able to return to the palace.”

She smiled at me and nodded. “I'll be sure to liaise with your mother over the matter. Now, don't make yourself late, sire.”

“Right, right,” I nodded, picking up the incubator and my bag. I had to admit, I never really expected one of those crazy bullshit 'bigger on the inside' bags to actually exist... and I'd even looked into how they were made. The math was way over my head, but it was awesome to have a Bag of Holding, no lie.

With that... I turned the opposite way I should have gone, gave a cordial nod to my aunt lingering in one of the many 'painting rooms,' and stopped at a small library – well, reading room – before seeking out one of the shelves. “Hmm... right here.”

One of the panels flipped outwards with a firm pull, allowing me into the darkened area beyond.

Or, it would have been dark...

“Litwick!” “Litwick! “Litwick!”

“Sorry, sorry!” I held up my hands with a smile as I stepped into the space and pulled out berries. “I didn't mean to interrupt... oh, you're playing a game. Here's a snack and I'll be on my way.”

The tiny candle-ghosts perked up as I handed out berries, looking away from one of the boardgames they'd 'borrowed' from the reading room to stare at me with their glowing yellow eyes. I chuckled and gave them a bit of attention as they milled about, waiting for the hidden door to close properly behind me so I could reset the switch.

“Li-li-wick.”

I blinked, my eyes growing used to the faint illumination. “Oh? No, I'm just headed to the big reception room downstairs.”

“Wick-wick!”

“Something's stirred up the catacombs?” I frowned, looking at the hallway I wasn't taking. “Okay, I'll be sure to avoid that area for a while.”

...and that's why it pays to be on good terms with the local 'mon.

I hummed, idly staring down the labyrinthine path I knew would take me down to the catacombs. Part of me wanted to investigate, or at least ask the litwicks for details, but... I had an appointment to keep.

I took the other path-

whi-whe-woo!

-I stopped, turning back to the catacomb's path. “That... isn't a pokemon call I recognize. Dammit... ugh, I'm going to have to look into this later, aren't I?”

Shaking my head, I turned and resolutely headed towards the reception room.

Thankfully, this secret corridor was fairly clean given the amount of pokemon traffic it saw. In addition to the ghosts that populated most of the castle's forgotten secret passages, there were also a number of other types that made the areas their homes. One of the other big groups, in fact, was bug types.

Which was incredibly beneficial and... also a little dangerous.

“Knock, knock... it's just Aznaro passing through,” I called out, rapping my ring against the stone wall as I carefully stepped over the lines of webbing strung at ground level.

“Spin!”

“Ah, yeah... I'm prepared to pay the toll,” I nodded, pulling out yet more berries and dropping them in the tiny spider's net. “So... ariados in a good mood today?”

I hoped she was, at least.

The spinarak cocked its head, then dipped it once, and I heaved a sigh of relief.

Pokemon, at their core, were friendly.

Except when you stumbled into their homes.

And they had young they were looking after.

Let's just say... the local spider queen and I hadn't exactly gotten off on the right foot, and she had a long memory.

Normally, it was the custom of the Paldea region – most of it at least – to remove a pokemon who had threatened a human from the area and resettle them. On the flipside, though, the colony of spiders peacefully coexisted with the ghosts and kept the palace-castle almost entirely free of rats, mice, roaches, and other small pests. There was an entire ecosystem behind the castle walls that I didn't need to tamper with just because I'd wandered around unaware of my surroundings.

Also, spinarak and ariados weren't actually native to the region, so relocating them would be taxing on the small group of bugs.

How'd they get here? Honestly, I wasn't sure. My money was on one of my ancestors capturing one a few generations back and these being the descendants. We had one or two bug fanatics in the family tree that I could recall.

“Ari!”

I winced, forcing myself to relax. “Lady ariados.”

The extremely large spider dipped down from the ceiling, its gaze locked on me... and the spinarak. The spider mom hissed at her young, who dragged its bounty of berries off in the tiny net-bag. Then, she glared at me again... and turned away.

“Thenk you for safe passage,” I stated, giving her a small bow, the spider giving a huff of air.

Recognizing a dismissal for what it was, I carefully picked my way through the next ten feet of web-strewn hallway before finding the door I needed.

“Honestly, where is that boy? It's five minutes til and he knows I expect him to be early for these appointments!” Mother sighed as I quietly slid the rear of the coat closet shut and shifted through the hanging clothes to get to the door.

“You know how the boy is, Dear. He does love to appear out of nowhere,” Father said with a carefree tone, my sister giggling in the background.

I flipped up the peephole in the door and scanned the room.

Good, Father was entertaining Lehonor on the chaise lounge... and Mother was pacing by the door. That meant neither of them had easy line of sight for the closet I'd come out in. Of course, that was by design. The closet door, in fact, was covered in intricate wooden engravings of sudowoodo – a relatively rare 'mon for Paldea, to camouflage it against the rest of the wall. I'd wager that neither of my parents consciously remembered this closet existed most days.

I slid the door open softly, having oiled the hinges a few months prior myself, and took a few careful steps into the room, approaching hidden by the large sofa chair.

“If big brother doesn't show up, can I get his pokemon instead?” Lehonor asked.

I smirked and slipped into the overstuffed chair, flipping out a book to a random page and crossing my legs. “Are we waiting for someone?”

Father stiffened, Mother squealed before she could catch herself, and my little sister simply jerked around to stare at me in wonder.

“Aznaro!” Lehonor cried. “You're late!”

“Really?” I asked, frowning as I pulled out my pocket watch and looked at it. “But I've been here for five minutes?”

There was a beat of silence as my mother took a shuddering breath and my father, put a hand over his face, his shoulders quietly shaking.

“Why didn't you say anything!?” Lehonor asked, pouting.

“I'd just gotten to the good part of the chapter,” I raised my prop up, finger tucked between the pages, as if to save the spot I'd stopped at.

“Be that as it may...” Mother took another breath and motioned to me. “Stand up, I want to see how you look.”

I obliged her, even going so far as to slip in a bookmark into the book I'd brought along. For what it was worth, I did intend on reading it at some point, as dry as the treatise on multi-type pokemon energy was.

Mother sighed and picked at my clothing, raising an eyebrow at a small white thread, but flicking it into the trash without comment. “Very well, I can see Alice got you into something decent. Hmm... now, you've made your decision about your starter? Director Harrington's time is valuable, I don't want you wasting it dilly-dallying.”

“I have made my choice, Mother,” I nodded firmly. “I won't drag things out.”

“Good,” she sighed, moving in for a brief hug, her citrus perfume thick as I embraced her. “Mhm... I thought we'd have a few more years before you went off to school. But you're a smart boy, and I suppose it's better than having you creeping around the castle scaring the daylights out of me.”

I chuckled slightly, reaching up to wipe at my eyes. “I'll be home every weekend, if not more often.”

“Oh?” She asked, pulling back with a slightly amused expression. “How do you think you'll manage that? The academies are in Mesagoza. That might not be on the other side of the region, but unless you're planning on chartering travel, it'll be a few day's journey.”

I nodded, conceding the point. Travel in the Paldea region was... well, it wasn't difficult, like getting to Galar or Kalos... or, Arceus forbid, Unova, but it wasn't the easiest thing in the world, either. It just wasn't a priority for most towns or cities within the region to invest in infrastructure connecting population centers.

We liked our neighbors where they were, thank you very much, and didn't enjoy them visiting more often than they already did.

It was one thing if you were moving as part of the royal family, in a convoy with guards and knights. We'd done that to get to the party in Levincia, which pretty neatly cut through the mess that was the rural parts of Area Two. Given the palace was on the outskirts of Artazon, we'd made the journey in a matter of hours.

Mesagoza, though? That was a bigger ask, especially if I was traveling alone.

“Well, ride pokemon exist,” I pointed out, “and if my egg really is psychic like Gym Leader Tulip thinks, I'll have access to a pokemon with teleport. But I could easily just get a powerful, fast flier, too.”

Father cleared his throat, looking pensive. “We'll see what Lyra thinks. I'm not sure I like you out on your own like that.”

I frowned slightly, opening my mouth to argue my point, but-

“Director Harrington has arrived,” the head butler, a man named Aio, spoke up quietly, his voice nonetheless carrying as he rapped his gloved knuckles quietly on the door. He was standing in the open doorway, his black head of hair dipped in a slight bow. “He's brought along a guest, Prince Enrique. An ace trainer student.”

There was slight judgment in the man's voice, a dislike of a guest presuming to invite someone along. Aio was a stodgy traditionalist – it's why he'd gotten the job in the first place – and looked down on any breach of protocol, no matter how minor.

“That's fine, Aio,” my father replied, very obviously trying not to roll his eyes at how stiff the other man was. “Show them in.”

“Of course, My Prince,” he replied, only a slight downturn of the man's lips denoting his disapproval of the decision as he moved off.

“Up we go,” Father murmured, lifting Lehonor off his lap with only a bit of complaint from the girl as he stood and adjusted his clothes.

My sister, meanwhile, slipped over to me and took my left hand in hers as she stood posture-perfect in preparation for our visitors. She leaned in and began whispering. “I can't believe you're getting a pokemon so early.”

I hummed, nodded, and replied at the same volume. “I'm a bit surprised too. They don't usually like to bend the rules like this.”

Not 'they,' as in the school, of course. They'd have given me a starter when I was five with an almost pathetic eagerness, if what I'd seen of Harrington was true to form. No, 'they' in this context meant our parents – and grandparents – who preferred that the royal family 'set an example.'

In other words, they didn't want us to get our pokemon early and have an advantage over the lower classes who would just be getting one as they entered the academies.

Harrington walked in, dressed as well as could be expected in a nice suit, slick hair, and altogether very presentable appearance. Even with his graying hair, he was still able to maintain some vitality and youth in his stride and posture, though the thick-rimmed glasses didn't do him many favors in my opinion. The mustache, too... bigger than a toothbrush, what was that style called? Chevron? Or lampshade? Something like that. Overall, he had the look of a professional attending a formal event. Not the worst, but he'd always be something of a subordinate to the real powers of the region.

With a young teen girl in tow.

The Uva Academy uniform had a few different styles, and she was wearing the most formal one. A full, female-cut frock coat in dark gray with a yellow vest underneath it. Past that was a violet tie that matched the violet pants – odd, no skirt? - and a white shirt as the base layer. The only thing that could be considered at all 'out of place' were the strands of hair she'd dyed green, standing out against both the rest of her black hair and her tanned skin.

Her head was held high, her arms folded behind her, and her posture almost military-formal.

-ughwhydoIhavetobehere?couldn'tharringtonhavegottensomeoneelse?Idon'twanttoputupwithanotherstuckupprinceling-

“Good afternoon, Your Highness,” Harrington smiled. “As promised, I am here to present your son with his choice of the current Paldean starters. I've also brought along one of my highest-performing students, an ace trainer who ranked in the top four in this past year's conference.”

I blinked, recalling her in that instant.

“May I present Nemona Torres,” Harrington offered, folding one arm across his waist as he bowed again.

“Oh, you're Marquess David Torres' daughter, aren't you?” Father asked, smiling as he stepped forward to shake hands. “It's a pleasure to meet you, I've heard impressive things about you from him.”

Her smile was good, even if it was fake. I don't think my father even noticed, which was impressive. “Thank you, Your Highness. I'm glad you think so.”

“I liked your battle with the Aqua Tauros,” I complimented with a nod, making her blink in surprise. “Your use of tactics and strategy was excellent, especially your application of ice and electric moves to augment the terrain changes you implemented.”

A hint of surprise broke through her facade. “A-ah, thank you... um, Prince Aznaro, wasn't it?”

I nodded. “It's a pleasure to meet you, Lady Torres.”

She flushed slightly with an awkward smile. “Please, I'd feel like I'm putting on airs if I allow you to refer to me by my family name while I refer to you by your given.”

“Lady Nemona, then?” I asked politely, dipping to offer the barest brush of my lips on the back of her hand.

A feeling of exasperation, vague disgust with the tediousness of the situation... and pleasant surprise that I appeared to be sincere.

It's mildly surprising that she can read me that well, but... she is an ace trainer. Perhaps not that surprising.

“As I'm normally quite busy during the school year, I'd hoped to introduce Nemona here as a point of contact between yourself, Prince Aznaro, and the administration. At least until you find your feed at Uva Academy, of course.” Harrington explained. “She has a good grasp of the school's facilities, personnel, and is a skilled battler in the event you either need advice or another layer of protection – though the Academy grounds are well patrolled, one can never be too secure.”

“Thoughtful of you,” my father complimented. “Now, Aznaro says he's made up his mind as far as his starter goes...”

“Sprigatito,” I replied, making all the adults in the room jerk slightly.

“Really?” Mother asked, frowning. “I was sure you'd go for fuecoco? He evolves into a secondary ghost-type, you know?”

I nodded again, “I have plenty of options for ghost types. I'd rather my starter be something else. I don't want to be a mono-type trainer.”

Mother and Father exchanged looks of appreciation, then smiled at each other. The older man's hand landed on my shoulder. “I think that's a great idea, son. Specialists are all well and good, but having a bit of variety can strengthen a team.”

From Harrington, though...

-isnotgoodhewassupposedtotakethefiretypedammittheonlysprigatitoIhaveiwthmeis-

The Director cleared his throat, breaking my already-tenuous concentration before I could get more. There were too many people in such close proximity to me, and I was already pushing myself to read so deeply with people I hadn't attuned myself to properly.

“V-very well...” Harrington stated, reaching into his pocket and removing a pokeball. “Here you are, Your Highness.”

I smiled and accepted the ball. “Sprigatito, I choose you!”

A flick of my wrist and the ball opened.

Out came a small green kitten.

Now... listen. Normally, I'm a charmander guy. Cyndaquil. Torchic, even. Fire types are my go-to in terms of starters. But there are a few exceptions. Even if I'd never really played the games, I liked the grass type Alola starter, for instance. I was a weeb at heart, after all, and flying owl ninja was some peek weebery.

Sprigatito, though...

Meowscarada, the final evolution, is a Mardi Gras themed, phantom thief, cat-girl.

Fire crocodile is cool and all, especially with ghost typing thrown in, but considering all that? I just couldn't not pick the cat.

“Meow?” The small green creature asked, its red eyes alighting on me curiously as it cocked its head.

I smiled and took a knee, extending my hand. “I'm Aznaro. Your trainer. If you'll have me.”

“Mrow?” It smiled, then bounded up my arm and nuzzled my face. “Meow!”

“Well, it seems like she likes you,” Harrington sighed, a mixture of relief and trepidation coating his emotions. Were we in private, I would have pried further, but...

“Aww... can't I have a pokemon, too?” Lehonor asked plaintively, looking longingly at the cat on my shoulder, her eyes wide and adorable.

“Not for a few years, dear,” Mother sighed, combing my sister's hair affectionately.

I hummed. “You know... having a pokemon of her own would make her safer.”

Father raised a hand to his chin as Mother gave me a look. Lehonor, however, perked up and smiled widely.

“Please, please, please...” She asked desperately.

“Not a starter,” Mother stated bluntly, then sighed. “But... your Father and I will talk about it. Aznaro makes a good point, given what happened at the party last week.”

“Yes!” Lehonor cried, throwing up her hands and bouncing.

“Mow?” Sprigatito asked from... her place sitting on my shoulder. She blinked as she felt me flex against her, then relaxed as I fed her a thread of calm reassurance. A proper bond would take time, but this much was easy, especially with close physical contact.

“Don't worry about it,” I smiled, reaching up to give her a caress.

“You're already bonding with her,” Nemono noted, her eyes narrowed as she hummed, then rapidly turned to Harrington. “Sir, I request to take a starter this year as well. I'd like to train a second team, I think it'll be good for my development as a trainer and allow me to better engage with the prince!”

I blinked, looking to sprigatito.

Her gaze was just as clueless as mine.

~~~

Surprise!

Yeah, haven't had much good pokemon stuff to read lately, so I decided to do it myself.

Here's something to tide people over for the weekend, I'll get started on the next update tomorrow. Probably, looking at the votes, going to be more Mind Games or Butler Boy.

Barring a last minute upset, at least.

Hope everyone's enjoying the last bit of the holidays, and thank you again for all of your support! Especially as we go into the new year!