Pokemon Conquest: Fate of Crimena (Role Playing) (2024)

It was a foggy evening. A fog that didn’t lift ever since King Harmonia was murdered. That very same evening, an elderly woman wearing a magenta robe stood by a lake. Beside her were two other women of equal age. One wore a cyan robe, and the other wore a yellow robe. The yellow robed elder was different, for her eyes were so swollen, that the eyes look like they are closed. They all stood in front of the lake where a strange creature stood before them. It was small, blue, had a red gem on its chest, and two long antennae. The blue fairy-like creature was talking to the three elders.

“And so, fellow guardians, that is why we must stop the traitors from executing their plan. This meeting is adjourned.” The Fairy creature said as she went back into the lake, which turned out to be the sea. The woman in pink then turned to the two elders.

“When shall we three meet again? In thunder, lightning, or in rain?” The magenta robed woman asked the two.

“Neither, for we shall meet in snow.” The cyan robed woman said.

“I wish it wasn’t so…” The yellow robed woman lamented.

“Don’t worry, dear sister, if all goes according to plan… the Frozen Boundary will forever remain a husk… For now, we depart and pray that evil will die and good shall endure…” The magenta robed woman said. Soon, the three all chanted out a rhyme.

“Fair is foul, and foul is fair Hover through the fog and filthy air.” The three women said as they soon changed into strange fairy like creatures, and flew off.

—

TV Tropes Presents…

A Psyga315 creation…

POKEMON CONQUEST: FATE OF CRIMENA

—

The waves crashed against the ship as the wind was ripping into the sail. It was perfect weather for Sir Aaron’s travel. His look was a grim one though. He had gotten word that King Harmonia is dead, murdered by a Pokémon. It was odd. Lucario felt the same, but more bitter.

“Sir Aaron, why must we leave our kingdom to assist Crimena?” Lucario asked Aaron.

“Because their future heir is missing. Every passing moment could result in people rioting out of despair, and the moment we bring them a shining hope, the better.” Aaron said. There was more to the reason than that. Even if N wasn’t to be king, he’d still want to find him. He and Aaron became friends at an early age, and he was the first one to learn to be taught how to speak Pokemon from N. For that gift, he’d give an arm and a leg to find his friend. Just then, a Dragonite flew to the ship, nodding to Aaron as he showed him an empty mailbag. Aaron smiled.“Good job. You’re quite good for Crimena’s loyal messenger.” Aaron said as he took out something from his pocket and broke a piece of it off. It was a piece of chocolate, which he threw to the Dragonite. The Dragonite ate it, and smiled. It then flew off, ready for any mailing duties that may be required.

Aaron had sent several letters to people he would think would be able to help him find N and bring balance to Crimena. The letter asked them all to meet him at the docks near Crimena so that they can begin their search as soon as possible.

—

The Crimenain Docks. Dark. Cold. Always full of exports and imports. This is just the place for a thief like Zolo Arkham to reside. He was hiding behind a crate, watching the ships enter and leave the docks. There was a fun little game he’d like to play called Treasure Trove. The object is to see how many objects he can steal, to consume them for later. However, the question is what he would want to take... He then noticed a ship carrying imported apples from a far off country. Zolo licked his lips. Apples. Perhaps his most favoured of foods. He noticed the dockhand who was carrying off the apple crates. Not that bright. Those were his favourite kinds of people. The ones who won’t know they’ve been robbed, even if it’s done in front of them. He then saw another dockhand helping him out, then leaving for what is assumedly a break. He carefully analyzed the leaving dockhand. He knew what trick to pull now. He went to work.

The dockhand was busy unloading the crate off the ship. Then he noticed his partner.

“Okay, I’ll take over now. You can go on break now.” He said to him.

“Oh... Okay then...” The dockhand said, unsure. He could swear that he just went for a break, but then again, those crates were heavy, and he may need a break. He then left. The second dockhand smirked and then picked up two crates, then snuck off to hide the crates. When he turned around to get more, he noticed the actual second dockhand coming back, noticing that the first was missing. He better not risk stealing more.

The false dockhand’s eyes glowed blue as he was bathed in a magenta wave of energy. His body changing back to his true form: Zolo Arkham. He chuckled. It sadly wasn’t his best hoarding, but at least it will last him until the next import or two. He cracked the crate open and began to feast upon the apples.

edited 27th Sep '12 12:05:47 PM by Psyga315

Elsie the Skitty woke Althea up by scratching her forehead fifteen freaking times before she even bothered to open her eyes. The bell collar chimed as she did scratching motions. "Nyaaa, nyaaa, nyaaa~"

"What happened, Elsie?" Althea groaned as she hated waking up this early in the morning. With perfect timing, the Skitty jumped off her face and pointed the bowl with her tail. "Nya, nya, nyaaa."

"Oh great, milk." she grumbled before she grabbed the scarf and hat. "I'll buy milk from the grocer, is that okay?"

The Skitty nodded it's cute little head and then went to her side. Early as this time of the morning, it was rare that this Pokemon of hers do the waking. It must be certainly important for her to do so, anyway. If she always did that, Althea would scream the heck out of her. She wasn't the type to spoil people.

On their way to the busy streets of Saffron City, she noticed people were agitated for some reason. The Skitty walked away, pretending to be oblivious to their surroundings.

"Nyaa, nyaaa, nyaaa." The Skitty slapped her leg with her fat, pink tail. Elsie signaled for the paper pasted on the door of the grocery.

Accepting recruits for trainers who wish to avenge the King's death.

"Elsie, you knew, didn't you?"

The Skitty is such a bad liar and denied otherwise by doing a "No" motion. Sincerely forgot the term. Sorry.

Althea picked up the lovable Skitty and took the details. "...You always wanted to be stronger, right, little Elsie?"

"Nyaaa!"

edited 28th Sep '12 6:28:25 PM by YinHachiko

Honnō-ji Temple — the base of the Dark Knighthood. A few days ago.

The sound of clashing metal filled the air of Honnō-ji Temple's garden. Two people — men, even though they were quite feminine — were slashing at each other while their Pokémon watched. One was long-haired, tall and pale. His black hair was braided, and reached his thighs; he was wearing a set of purple armour, baggy white pants and purple slippers, and wielding a katana.◊ His Pokémon was a Mightyena.
The other was shorter, his features were more delicate, and his hair — black like the first one's — was closely cropped. He was wearing a white tabard over a purple, wide-sleeved shirt, short purple pants, knee-high, purple boots and golden bracers.◊ In his hands he held a truly massive, somewhat curved — the famed Nōdachi Iron Vengeance. His Pokémon, an Absol, was sleeping near the Mightyena.
The two men circled and slashed, the katana darting this way and that only to find the Nōdachi waiting for it. After a while, they locked blades, each straining to overbalance the other, but then a Dragonite appeared over the wall, and they disengaged.
“I fear we will have to continue this in another opportunity, Akechi,” said the purple-wearing one. The other bowed.
“Of course, young master,” Akechi replied. “Your duty above all.”
The young master, whose name was Ranmaru Mori, nodded and went to the roost, where the handlers were already taking care of the Dragonite. He took a letter from it, and returned to the garden, where Akechi and the two Pokémon waited. Once there, he sat down, cross-legged, by a bubbling brook, and opened the letter. He read it, his face inscrutable.
“Akechi,” he said at last, “it seems that the Heir has disappeared. I am to go on an expedition to find him.” He handed Akechi the letter, and the older man accepted it with a bow before reading it.
“You are to lead the knighthood while I will be away,” continued Ranmaru. “This quest is of utmost importance.”

The Crimenan Docks. Now.

Ranmaru and his Absol walked in the docks, the boy's Nōdachi strapped to his back. They were looking for the Kantoan ship that was supposed to bring Sir Aaron, the foreign knight, to Crimena. While they were looking around, the Absol noticed someone eating apples. While he did seem harmless, the fact that he was gorging himself on said apples directly from a shipping crate made him suspicious in the Pokémon's eyes.
“My Lord,” she said, “that human” — she lifted a paw and pointed at Zolo — “is behaving as though this is his last meal, and does not have the malnourished look of the impoverished.”
Ranmaru turned and looked at the thief. He scrunched his face. There was something wrong with that person. “You are observant as always, Nene,” he said, petting the Absol's head. He went to Zolo and stood behind him.
“Excuse me?” he said.

The voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground

Crimenain countryside, the early hours of the morning.

Somewhere on an uncommonly-used dirt road leading to the Crimenain docks, leisurely trots a Zebstrika with yellow, lightning-themed barding covering it's chest and head while carrying a heavily armored knight with a wicked-looking axe hanging from his waist and carrying a lance on his shoulder, whose motif evokes that of the legendary Thunderbird Pokemon Zapdos; the golden color of the armor making the resemblance even stronger. After several uneventful minutes, the Zebstrika speaks to it's rider with a fairly irritated tone.

"Tell me, why did we have to leave for the docks so early?"

The knight replies to his mount with a neutral yet very collected tone.

"It is because I wish to see this Sir Aaron as soon as possible and judge for myself his worth as the leader of our quest."

The Zebstrika snorts rather dismissively before talking in a haughtier tone.

"You lie as poorly as you do injustice, The real reason is because you are restless from the desire to see our king's murder be avenged."

The knight stays silent, causing the Zebstrika to smirk slightly.

"I commend your sense of justice, but I wish not to see you surrender your well-being in the process."

"Your concern is appreciated, but I am well aware of my body's limits."

"But are you of mine? I wished to sleep for a slightly longer time."

"Please, you have slept for lesser periods of time in the past. What difference will it make missing a full night's worth of slumber for but a single day?"

The Zebstrika sighs defeatedly.

"Very well, you wish to get there quickly then?"

Apparently aware of what's to come The knight speaks in a slightly snarky tone.

"Did you not say you were tired moments ago?"

"I will simply catch up on my lost slumber the moment we reach the port."

And then it uses Agility on itself to greatly boost it's speed as it galloped through the dirt road faster than a Fearow on the pursuit of injured prey. Fortunately for the rider, his stirrups and saddle prevented him from sliding off the speeding Pokemon.

edited 27th Sep '12 9:45:44 AM by Strigon

Shameless Self-promotion ho!

"..therefore i wish to receive weekly reports during my absence and whenever things of special interest should require my supervision I also wish to be informed immediately. Unless directly ordered by myself we will stick to the usual schedule. Any questions?"-"No ma'am"- "Dismissed."

with these words Runa finished her preparations for her upcoming travel. As the crowd of guards dissolved into the neighbouring corridors of the guard house she headed towards the medical station, where Ferdi assisted in the treatment of a patrol, that got in a hassle with some thugs shortly before the meeting.

Ferdis hands were glowing faintly, as she fixed some small bruises on the guards torso, as Runa went in and waved at her old friend.

Already done?Ferdi asked her telepathically, while peeking at herYes, I thought it would be better to keep things short, to not unsettle them unnecessarily Runa replied,

And you better keep it easy Ferdi and catch some sleep before we break up. Who knows, when we get the next opportunity to sleep in safety like this.

Ferdi sighted as she signed one of the stations Audinos to take over,

Fine but you come with me, I am not the only one who needs some sleep badly, you know? Or do you plan to scare away bandits with that eye bags of yours?

Runa chuckled and heads together with Ferdi towards their bedroom. While in bed Runa thought about last months events, the retirement of her former Knight Leader and how she took his place after the sudden death of the king and the chaos that followed...she thought about the letter she received yesterday and her decision to join the search for Prince N...

but the nights she worked through, to keep the district running, finally took their toll and she fell asleep, before she could think any further.

edited 27th Sep '12 11:15:14 AM by Kiefen

Iris arrived at the dock the earliest she could, she was wearing her armor except for the helmet that she was carrying around, he hair was loose, but fortunately the wind wasn't strong.

"I wonder if we're late, I ended taking quite a while to get ready." Said Iris, to her partner at her's side.

"I don't think so mistress, it's still pretty early, maybe we should just wait." Said Cyrius, scanning the area to see if he could find something or someone interesting.

"All right..."

The duo then wandered through the dock, they knew more or less what to expect, but Iris was visibly nervous with all that had happened the last few days, still, she wanted to help the best she could.

Noticing the figures at the dock Martel spoke to his partner Levia, a milotic "You have any idea who they are or what they're doing here?"

"None. It's too dark to tell, they could be our allies or they could have found out and are trying to intercept us. If they do, they insult us. Two of them alone stand no chance of victory." Levia replied. They were currently concealed in the shadows a small distance from their rendezvous point. The fools! Don't they know that the Blue Knight's stength lies in the water? I say we give them a bit of a surprise and get their attention and identies, she said with a grin that was both playful and malevolent.

"I say we should. How about an Ice Beam then?" He looked at her with a withering stare "And cover me this time I don't want this to be a repeat of the Ryaga incident."

"Would I do that?" Levia grinned wider.

"Yes, you would. Now lets go." He lay down on her back as she sped through the water. When they came within distance of the pair he jumped from her back and sneaked up to the pair and put his sword to the back of one's neck, a girl he noticed now that he was closer, as Levia fired off an Ice Beam.

With a stern voice he exclaimed "Identify yourselves if you wish to live. And why are you at this location. Speak quickly!"

edited 27th Sep '12 1:32:02 PM by Xargnio

Zehi Ni Oyobazu... - Oda Nobunaga

The garden was beautiful. The sun shone down, revealing not a spot of yellow in the field of grass. The flowers and vegetation around the garden looked like they were glowing from the sunlight, giving the garden a lustrous feel. In the middle of the garden was a table seating two men. One was older, reading a newspaper. The other seemed younger, he was drinking tea. The most noticeable thing, however, was the great blue dragon taking a nap alongside them.

"It seems the Harmonian King has died. Something's brewing, isn't it?" Said the older man to the younger man as he flipped a page of his newspaper.

The younger man merely nodded, and with his eyes closed, took another sip from his teacup.

"So, have you been called to action yet?"

His head shook this time, and he took another sip.

"Do you plan on speaking at all-"

Suddenly, a strong wind created by a great wingbeat swept over them, and a large shadow of a dragon loomed overhead. A single envelope descended from the sky, landing cleanly on the table, and the shadow was gone.

"A letter?" The man put down his newspaper as his son picked it up. He opened the envelope, and his eyes swept over the letter, moving back and forth.

"It's a request for help. Sir Aaron calls for aid." He said as he put down the letter. "Hyperion."

The Salamence, having slept through the gust of wind earlier, awoke instantly to the sound of his name. He waited as his partner climbed onto his back before rising to his full height.

"Where to?"

"The Crimenain Docks."

With a few flaps of his large red wings, Hyperion lifted into the air, and flew off into the horizon.

After they flew out of his vision, the old man picked up his newspaper again. "Good luck, Nicholas my boy." He muttered as he looked at the front page once again, a headline saying Sir Aaron Assembles Knight Team: Heir To The Crown Soon To Be Found? "Good luck."

edited 27th Sep '12 3:07:31 PM by TehStanman

"Why does everything have to loop back to YGO?" -Guy who ruined YGO

Zolo was immediately forgotten when Ranmaru felt something cold pressing against his neck.
An assassin! was his first thought. It was amplified by the fact that a Pokemon fired an Ice Beam nearby. But then the would-be assassin commanded him, on the pain of death, to identify. Ranmaru felt anger blooming inside him. That man had no honour. He turned around, completely calm.
"I am Ranmaru Mori, the Dark Knight. You besmirch your honour by idly threatening passers-by," he said.
Suddenly, something was prodding Martel from behind. He completely disregarded Nene, it seems, and the Absol was now poking his back with her single, curved horn.

The voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground

Martel blinked for a moment "Ran...Maru... Mori..." His eyes wided in surpise and horror "Oh my apologies. I assumed you were an assassin or attempting to create an ambush for the knights who are gathering here." He droped to one knee and held his sword to his chest "I pray that you are able to forgive me. If there is any way I can make it up to you, please let me know."

He finally noticed the Absol prodding his back "What are you doing? Going based off the fact that Ranmaru here is a dark knight and you are a dark type that you are his partner, no? I'm suprised you didn't attack me for threatening him."

His eyes got even wider with suprise "Oh my. In all this commotion I forgot to intoduce myself." He sheathed his sword "I am Martel Lascet, The Blue Knight at your service. And this is my partner." He raised his voice "Yo Levia! They aren't hostile, They're allies! Come over here!" The Milotic came over to them "This is my partner Levia the Milotic."

"It's lovley to meet you, I am Levia. I'm sorry my partner and I attacked you." the Milotic nodded to them before bowing.

edited 27th Sep '12 2:00:16 PM by Xargnio

Zehi Ni Oyobazu... - Oda Nobunaga

"No apology is need," said Ranmaru. His purple eyes bored into Martel's blue ones. "I advise learning patience."
He bowed. "I am honoured to make your acquaintance, Levia, Sir Lascet. I am, as I have said, Ranmaru Mori, the leader of the Dark knighthood. This is my partner, Nene."
The Absol stopped poking Martel and bowed. "I am honoured to meet you," she said.

The voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground

Martel bowed once again "Once again I apologize. I've been on edge for a while now. I don't know why but I have a bad feeling in my gut. Almost like we're being used as pawns in someone elses game and I keep on expecting a trap." He grimmaced and muttered under his breathe very quitely one could only hear it if they were listening "Nothing goes this well for this long." returning to a normal expression he asked "How long do you think it'll be before the others arrive? And have any of them gotten here already?"

Zehi Ni Oyobazu... - Oda Nobunaga

Hyperion landed at the dock with a great big thud in a way that was anything but subtle, kicking up a huge cloud of dust and attracting the attention of everyone in the immediate vicinity.

"Aawwwrriigght! Who's ready for some search and rescue?" Hyperion said with a roar. In contrast, Nicholas climbed off without a word and looked around, recognizing some of the faces around him and inquiring about the others.

At last, he uttered a single phrase. "Nicholas Hawthorne, Dragon Knight Leader."

"Why does everything have to loop back to YGO?" -Guy who ruined YGO

With a sigh "Subble. I'm Martel Lascet, the Blue Knight. Feel free to call me what you wish."

He looked at Ranmaru and said with a completly straight face "Well that answers that question, doesn't it?"

He looked to Levia "Go into the docks and conceal yourself. Tou never know when we'll be attacked."

Levia just nodded and silently slipped back into the waters.

Zehi Ni Oyobazu... - Oda Nobunaga

"Was that an Ice Beam?! There's a battle happening here?!" Said Iris, as she quickly went in the direction of the sound she heard.

"Mistress, wait!" Said Cyril as he tried to keep up with her.

Running the fastest she could, Iris eventually found a Milotic, an Absol and two other people there, she couldn't see very clearly though, but from what she could see it wasn't a fight, maybe a misunderstanding since she could then see one of them bow with his Milotic.

"Huh...? What's happening here?" Said her, as she approached them with caution.

"From the looks of it, it was a misunderstanding." Said Cyrius, at Iris's side, but still ready for any sort of conflict.

A book with a plain brown cover with the crest of Crimena sat upon a tree stump. The book open, showing a story with pictures within.......

Once upon a time, there was a Great and Powerful King who ruled all the land. He ruled his people with love and compassion, and in turn his people loved him. But one day, a great and powerful evil fell from the sky and killed the Great King. The people wept in despair as the Evil reached out and ruled the land with cruelty and hatred, using a vast army of demons to do its bidding. Many warriors tried to fell the evil, but all had failed......

But then a young man, born from a farmer's family, rose up with both the courage and strength to defy the Evil. Flying upon the back of a Golden Altaria, the hero slew the demons with great frevor. He reached the Evil in the King's throne, the King's own corpse left where the Evil struck him down. The young man and the Evil fought furiously, but the young man could not kill the Evil, as no weapon could harm its body. In desperation, the young man took the King's sword, still covered in blood, and stabbed the Evil with all his might!

The sword struck true, piercing it flesh and going right for its heart! The Evil roared in agony as the King's love and compassion seeped into the Evil from his blood. The Evil withered and died, and all that remained was the King's sword. Taking up the sword, the young man became the New King and peace prospered throughout the land once more!

The sword of the First King, however, vanished into thin air. In times of great crisis, the sword will reappear, and the one whole wields it......shall be King.

"I loved that story. Too bad its a load of crock!" A pair of hands closed the book shut.

The book was then flung out of the bathroom door and landed with a thud. The Breloom resting by the bed did not stir. The sound of a flushing toilet and sink running, followed by someone walking out. He reached for a pair of windows, flung them open.

Edwin Owens, current Knight Leader of the province of Stamford, looked upon the view from the balcony of his castle of the Green Knights. It was the wondrous aerial of the city of Stamford itself. Edwin nodded in silent revere of the moving windmills and various buildings and hustle and bustle, proud that he and his predecessor managed to make it the most progressive city in the kingdom.......especially after adapting the windmill and indoor plumbing technologies from Unova!

Edwin then put on his regular clothes and went downstairs, greeting servants and his fellow knights as he walked towards the mess hall. His Breloom, Stumpy, on the other hand, stoically followed him, reminding him of various duties for the day. After eating a hearty breakfast and holding a short meeting concerning his upcoming journey, Edwin went to the civilian offices into his own private office, making last minute paperwork checks before meeting with the staff on what to do during his absence.

The Knight Leader then went out into the town and into the market, meeting with various knights on the beat patrol and guiding servants on what errands needed to be done. He soon reached his own house, greeting the guards there and entering. There his kindly mother greeted him in the kitchen. Hugging and kissing her on the cheek, he sat down and talked to her while she made lunch for him with Stumpy helping. Soon another man came down and said good morning. He, his mother, and Stumpy made sure to completely ignore his father. His father tried to interrupt the conversation but most of what he said was ignored.....until he made an insulting comment.

Immediately the two guards outside came in and dragged his father outside to the back alley to beat him up. Edwin and his mother went back to their discussion as if nothing happened.

After lunch, Edwin said goodbye to mom just as the knight his father back inside the house. He explored the town more, greeted by many people and Pokemon, many wishing him good luck on his journey. He also made one final visit to the various community centers, from homeless shelters to orphanages, greeting the volunteers and the people. Stumpy actually visibly smiled during these times, especially towards the children and formerly abused Pokemon.

As he made his way back to the headquarters, Edwin bought a snack from a street vendor. He licked his lips are was about to bite into it, but saw a young homeless child. After a moment's contemplation, he went over to the child and gave her the snack, patting her on the head as she gratefully said "thank you."

Back in his living quarters at the HQ, he, with Stumpy's assistance, donned upon the Knight Leader his armor. After he finished, he puffed out his chest proudly.

Waiting outside for him at the front of the HQ was a Tropius from the Royal Stables, as well as all the servants off-duty knights, civilian employees, and all of their Pokemon wishing him goodbye. At the front was his mother, giving him one last hug before he and Stumpy mounting the giddy Tropius. The two waved goodbye as the sauropod took to the air, hovering for a bit and then heading straight towards the Crimenain docks.

DAMMIT MARK, STOP HOTTING HELPY!!

A Carriage near the Crimenan Docks

After an thankfully uneventful travel Runa glimpsed out of the windows, to find the docks at the horizon.

Gently she shaked Ferdis shoulder, who slept leaning on hers for most of the ride.

“Oh, are we there already?” muttered Ferdi.

“Almost, but we better prepare ourselves. I think a gathering of adventurers and nobles like this may attract the wrong kind of people.” said Runa, while starting to pull out her armor from a case.

“And I thought we might visit the lighthouse, before meeting with Sir Aaron” Ferdi moaned while helping Runa with her armor.

“This isn’t a sightseeing tour, you know?” Runa chided her, while strapping her rapier to her waist.

“Why not? Places with a lot of visitors might hold informations of the princes whereabouts.” Ferdi protested.

Runa rolled her eyes, while covering her rapier with the kilt bearing the districts coat of arms.

“As if a lost prince would just conveniently hang around the local pub”

10 minutes later Runa and Ferdi step out of the carriage and head towards the piers while looking for the emblem of the Kanto royal navy family.

edited 27th Sep '12 3:06:24 PM by Kiefen

"Hear me Lord, and for all your Grace and Glory treat my words with care."

These words, spoken in a hushed tone by a voice whose intonations called to mind the sounds of shifting sand and the tearing of metal. This prayer, a call to Arceus to placate His followers in times of great trouble, echoed far and wide across the rolling hills and farmlands of the province of Anglore. Sir Douglas Cross, Knight of the Earth and Sovereign of Dust, stood on an old dirt road, a winding, gravely path forged by the trampling of herd animals and the grinding wheels of carriages.

"A Great Storm gathers above, oh Lord, and with all Your infinite wisdom I beseech you."

He held his shovel in one hand, the crudely sharpened head crusted with dried blood and once-fertile soil. In the other, a travel bag slung over his shoulder like a bushel of fresh kills brought back from a fruitful hunt. Knight Leader Cross turned first to the fiefdom behind him, an expression of vague concern forming on his face. He felt almost guilty, setting off like this without word or warning to the people who relied on him so. Sir Fairbanks would've had a few thoughts on the matter, that was for certain. Still, he assured himself they would be fine. This wasn't the first time their Lord had stepped out unannounced, and it wasn't as if Anglore required his presence to run. Silently, Douglas thanked Arceus for the bureaucracy, a thought that sent a slight chill down his spine.

"Guide us in our time of need, oh Lord. Lead us not to our damnation, but instead speed us towards the end of this time of troubles. We ask this of you, oh Lord, to shield your followers from the slings and arrows of the heathen folk, and from the wages of sin."

The speaker paused for a few moments, perhaps to make sure if he had recited the prayer correctly. Douglas doubted it. Mathias never had a good memory for scripture and such, favoring his own thoughts and judgements over those of the Good Book. The Excadrill let out a rushed "Amen." before turning to face his companion. Douglas couldn't help but crack a smile at the display. It was almost charming, in a way. "Never took you for the churchgoing type, Lil' Digger." He said, leaning a bit on his weapon as it sliced into the muddy earth under their feet. Mathias looked visibly annoyed at his response, though not very much so. A little ruffled fur here and there, but that was it. He didn't take kindly to his old childhood nickname even when he was young enough for it to be fitting.

"Can never be too sure in times such as these. Best to take your chances with the divine than consign yourself to what may be your final expedition." Douglas raised an eyebrow. He'd never heard such things come from the mouth of Mathias before, no sir. He was a calm pokemon most of the day, doing as he was told with little complaint. But who wouldn't be nervous? The king was dead, slain by the hand of some monstrous assailant. The same for the his sons as well. With the only remaining heir being hidden away in who knows where and no immediate successor to the throne, it was understandable that even someone as ignorant of politics as Mathias would be on edge. Or perhaps he was simply ornery at the thought of traveling such a distance by carriage. Most ground-types tended to get a bit antsy with their feet off the ground for too long, and this was doubly true for Mathias. He didn't trust a royal galleon as far as he could throw it, and he regarded some larger Flying pokemon with a certain air of suspicion.

Douglas offered no rebuttal, though the message was clear. There would be no turning back now. The people of Crimena needed them, and it would be an honor to serve his nation in a time of such great need. Thus was the duty of a knight,and whether they wanted to or not they would search every corner of the world if it meant that they would be a step closer to finding their hidden prince. Mathias understood this well enough, but that didn't stop him from letting out a stream of mumbled grunts and curses as the pair turned their eyes back to the road ahead. Their ride would be here soon enough.

It's said that, in the right weather, you can smell the Chesterson Carriages before you see them. Foggy and overcast though it may have been, the Crimenian Docks soon found that this adage was all too true. A foul odor, the sickly sweet scent of woodsmoke and burning hair, wafted over the slowly rotting piers, mixing in with the brisk sea air and the barely concealed smell of rotting seafood. The twin Ponytas who manned the obnoxiously red carriage came to a sudden halt, the wheels skidding along the soggy wooden boards. With a slow creak, the door opened, and Douglas and Mathais stepped out, Douglas grunting under the weight of his armor as he lept from the carriage interior to the ground. One of the Ponytas turned to face him. "No free rides, peasant-knight. You give money now." He barked, in a voice that sounded halfway between a faltering whinny and the frantic crackle and pop of a roaring fire. Despite being some of the fastest drivers in Crimena, the Chesterson steeds didn't have much in the way of education.

Douglas gave the Fire-type a handful of golden coins, which the pokemon stuffed greedily into his saddlebags. Despite his rudeness, Douglas thought, that Ponyta had a point. He did look like a peasant, dressed in patchwork robes and trousers that he was. Hardly the attire of a knight, though that was really the point. To teach a lesson, perhaps. To show that even the roughest of exteriors could hide the heart of a noble man. Though he hardly thought of himself as noble. Just a man doing his job. He walked across the docks, searching for the place where he would be meeting his fellows. Mathias furrowed his brow as he followed cautiously behind, sharply clawed feet testing the boards ahead of him. " So we're to travel by sea, then. A most inauspicious concept." The Excadrill half-muttered as he attempted not to step over the knight's trailing robes. Douglas silently shook his head and continued forward. "I can only assume that's the case. That or our friends from afar have elected to aid us in out quest, a prospect that I find dubious at best."

It wasn't long before they finally found what they were looking for. A rather motley assortment of folks, to be sure, but he saw a few of his fellow knight leaders among them and that was enough for him. He approached them, a smile spreading across his face. he raised a hand in an attempt to grab their attention. "Hail!" he called, drawing closer to the group. "Sirs Lascet, Hawthrone." He said with a small bow. "Sir Douglas Cross, Knight of the Brown. A pleasure to meet you both." He had yet to see any of the other Knight Leaders before, his grasp of current events not extending very far from the borders of Anglore. He had heard tales of their deeds, though, and he supposed that would be enough. He motioned for his companion to step out from his partner's shadow, and as always Mathias did as he was told. The Excadrill bowed as well, though his was slightly deeper. "Mathias." He said simply, trying his best not to look as irritated as he felt. " The pleasure is all mine."

edited 27th Sep '12 5:35:58 PM by Bindlestick

"You have more than enough potential. So tell me what is the one wish that would make your soul gem shine." -Mitt Romney, probably

Ranmaru bowed his head. "Well met, Sirs Hawthorne and Cross. You, too, Mathias. I am Ranmaru Mori, the Dark Knight. This is my partner Nene." He put a hand on the Absol's head, and she courtesied.
"It is well that we are here to uphold the land's honour," he continued. "I am glad that our Lord's plight has not gone unnoticed." He closed his eyes for a moment. "Did anyone, worthies, see the foreign knight Sir Aaron?"
Nene, meanwhile, approached Mathais and nudged him with her paw. "Hello there," she said.

edited 27th Sep '12 5:43:52 PM by desdendelle

The voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground

Nicholas bowed to the introductions of Lascet, Cross, and Mori.

"A pleasure." Nicholas said as he bowed. He then turned to his partner, waiting for him to introduce himself.

"Huh? Oh right! Uh, hey there. I'm Hyperion the Salamence. It would be my honor to fight alongside all of you." Hyperion said as he bowed his head.

"Why does everything have to loop back to YGO?" -Guy who ruined YGO

Iris tried to approach all the Knight Leaders that were present there at the time, she could now recognize some of them, since she heard a lot about them.

"Um... Greetings" She said, trying to draw their's attention to her "I'm Iris Renev, a knight, it's a pleasure to meet all of you" as she introduced herself, she bowed to all the Knight Leaders in there.

"And I'm Cyrius, I'm honoured to meet all of you" Said Cyrius as he too, bowed to them.

"I'm guessing that all of us were called here by Sir Aaron, am I correct?" Asked Iris, trying to be the most polite possible

Ranmaru Mori, eh? Quite the odd name, that was for certain. So this was the Dark Knight he'd heard so much about. Quite honestly, Douglas didn't know what to expect when he'd heard tell of the Shadowed Saber, as some of the less scrupulous Crimenians liked to call him. Perhaps someone a little less... youthful, he supposed was the right word. Almost girlish. The Brown Knight extended a hand towards the other leader, the smile on his face warm and welcoming. "Ah, Sir Mori. My apologies for not recognizing you at first. I'm afraid I was more familiar with your mentor, Arceus bless him, than the current title bearer." He paused, mulling over the Dark Knight's question. "I am afraid not. He was the one who called us here, no? Perhaps it would be best he showed his face before we consider this endeavor a waste of time and go our separate ways."

His conversation was abruptly ended by the arrival of yet another knight, this one a woman. Odder still. To his knowledge, it was rare that those of the fairer sex were elevated to knighthood, and even rarer that they were given the position of Knight Leader. Still, it was not unheard of, and as such he intended to treat her as he would any of his fellows. It was only fair, after all. "Hail, Knight Renev. It is an honor to have you among our ranks."

While this was happening, Mathias turned to face the Absol who was attempting to grab his attention. She'd succeeded, obviously, and at the very least she'd taken his mind off of the sea. He thanked her for that, albeit silently. "Yes?" He asked, with just a tinge of irritation in his voice. Dark-types made him a little nervous, always skulking around doing who knows what. But he wasn't intolerant. He was a 'Mon of reason, and of logic. He could stand to overcome his prejudices, slight though they were. " You are Nene, correct? What business have you with me?"

"You have more than enough potential. So tell me what is the one wish that would make your soul gem shine." -Mitt Romney, probably

Edwin looked upon the note the Dragonite had given him the day before and sighed. "You know Stumpy, I was just getting into the groove of running the province," he said. "Its been four months since she died......I was thinking its probably wouldn't be so bad.....just a little extra work at maintaining what she and her family had brought up and all that. Then the King gets assassinated last week. We're just lucky Stamford is one of the more stable provinces."

"Stamford has to be stable," Stumpy, the Breloom said. "We cannot show any weakness. The border of our province is the start of Crimena and the end of the Neutrality Zone between the kingdom and Unova. Panic on our end will signal to Unova that the entire kingdom is destabilizing, and you know our two countries have never been on the best of terms in general."

"I know that, I know that," Edwin responded.

"I know you know," Stumpy said. "The real point is stop making it sound like you're going to disappoint Master Erika with every decision you make. You have been doing surprisingly well filling in for her, far exceeding my own expectations."

"You thought I was going to do mediocre at the very least?"

"Actually I was expecting crashing and burning like the Legend of Fallen Moltres, but I've always been cynical about your potential," Stumpy admitted. "Still though, Erika choose you personally to be her successor. I still don't know why, but you're proving wasn't the rabies-laced Drapion venom going to her brain."

Edwin nodded. That was one of traits he liked about his Pokemon: The Breloom brutal honesty towards him. Even if the comments were scathing, there was a certain realness to those words......actually substance. His father had oftentimes showered him with praises over completely trivial things or utter failures but said little of his actual accomplishments, sounding scripted or forced at best. As he got older Edwin often suspected the false praising was done just to mock him, a theory that was only proven to more people other than himself with the passage of time.

His mother was much better though. Her praises were very much heartfelt and were true, but much of her reactions to his failings were always so incredibly negative, even what he thought was minor. Either she blew up into angry tirades upon him for being useless or poor grades or stuff like that, or blew up into angry rantings about her own failings at being a good mother to him. These significantly lessened after he became a full fledged Knight and she started to stop giving a damn about his father, but it still hurt him. The fact these complaints only came whenever she was angry severely hurt him emotionally. Again, he suspected it was fallout from his dad.

Stumpy was different. The Breloom, whom Edwin had since he was a Shroomish, was very much openly critical of the Knight Leader. He did not care if Edwin was a special needs child, Stumpy had always had something negative to say to him. However, it was never about his character that he criticized, it was his actions, and many times all those criticisms were the truth. It made any actual praise Stumpy had for his trainer all the more satisfying.....

Edwin snapped out of his thoughts when he noticed: "Oh hey, the docks!" he said. "Take us down, Bessey!"

"Got it, Boss!" the Tropius happily said before lowering herself to ground level.

"We're going to be meeting several of the other Knight Leaders here," Stumpy said. "Try not to look stupid in front of them. And actually make a damn effort to remember their names."

"Don't worry, I will!" Edwin said.

"Doubt it."

The two soon landed near the motley group of knights and dismounted the Tropius. Edwin checked his pocket watch. "Two hours. Not bad!" he complimented.

"Thank you so much, sir!" the Tropius said, her excitement clearly barely contained.

"Here's a little somethin' somethin' for ya," he said, giving her 15 gold coins. "Don't spend it all in one place, girl!"

Bessie the Tropius with gave a high-pitched squeal and bounced on her tippy toes. "O MAI GAWD, the girls are gonna be so jelly!!" The sauropod then sped off into the air with amazing speed, Edwin waving goodbye to her.

"You really didn't have to pay her, ya know," Stumpy said.

"I didn't have to, just felt it was nice."

"Uh huh."

It was then the two approached the group of Knights. "Hello, good to meet all of you," Edwin greeted, bowing to the other Knight Leaders. "Edwin Owens of Stamford, Leader of the Green Knights. This here's Stumpy, my Pokemon," he said gesturing to the Breloom.

"Hello," Stumpy said.

DAMMIT MARK, STOP HOTTING HELPY!!

Crimenain docks, now

As the speeding Zebstrika nears the port, it began to slow down and eventually; it's speeding gallop devolved into a far more relaxed and slower jog once it had entered the port proper, clearly understanding the risk involved in attempting to weave through the busy, crowded paths of the piers at full speed.

"At last we are here."

"Really now, you hardly seem tired from all that exertion; I could honestly say that you simply wanted to rest out of slothfulness."

"Can I not afford some relaxation before embarking on our journey at the very least?"

"Relaxation has no place during these troubling times."

"You say as if I would grow fa- Wait, I see the other leaders."

At the behest of his mount, the Knight also spots the congregation of armored figures and their pokemon before tilting his head up to look for the standard of the Royal Kanto navy

"We are ahead of schedule it seems."

"How fortunate, this means I can afford some time to rest."

"You may do that after we introduce ourselves."

The Zebstrika rolls it's eyes as it trots leisurely towards the other Knight leaders. And once the pair were close enough to be heard and seen, the knight dismounts his steed, walks a bit closer to his fellows and thumps his chest with his left arm as a gesture of greetings to his peers.

"Hail and well met fellow knights. I am Sir Joshua Mardh, The Yellow Knight."

And before he could introduce his Pokemon, the Zebstrika already spoke.

"And I am his humble steed Perun, and now if you'll excuse me..."

Perun then does a short, curt bow before it trots off into a dark alleyway to take a nap as Joshua glances at his Pokemon.

"...I allowed him to do that."

Joshua hasn't taken his helmet off yet.

edited 27th Sep '12 9:29:11 PM by Strigon

Shameless Self-promotion ho!

Althea dragged her feet on the way to the port. Her blonde pig tails bobbed with each movement, freckles unseen due to the dark, and her sweater covered most of her hand. She looks so pint-sized compared to the others of her age. 5'4 tall and 18, she still looks like a kid. Despite her large bosom and...backside. What makes her look mature though, is her aloofness and the way she handles herself around peers she doesn't know much. This way, Aerie doesn't look like an airhead. But if she really likes you, prepare for dealing with a loony.

"Oh phoeey. Why is it so dark?" She muttered and kicked a rock grumpily as they neared the designated meeting place. "Who gets up this early?!?" The Skitty did nothing but act like she didn't hear her master and trot happily. This way, it would assure her master that there's no turning back now. Noticing knight leaders and some trainers on the docks, Althea felt self-conscious.

"Uh...they're...quite a lot." Althea turned quite shy at the sight of them. There are quite a number of Pokemon, each varying of size and specie. Elsie the Skitty assured her that nothing's wrong by meowing. "Nya, nyaa~"

"Oh...okay, Elsie..."

Taking a deep breath, she sighed. I need to get this fear of the unknown over with. Althea had to breathe in ten slow seconds until she can proudly act her way as a confident, aloof woman.

All of this is a facade though, to her warm exterior.

"Is this the meeting place for the mission? I'm Althea von Krilovist. Daughter from the Knights of Crimera." Althea asked with a blank face to the nearest Knight in the vicinity.

...Though I don't have a talent with fighting since I wasn't TRAINED as a knight... Plus being born and raised from Kanto.

"My Skitty and I would be glad to help, though I can't fight much since she's pretty weak...do you mind tagging me along with you guys? I'm doing this for the experience."

The wind is chilly and the soil is damp. This place is giving me the chills...

How do you do italic? Oh, the first one to comment is the "nearest" Knight.

edited 28th Sep '12 5:56:42 PM by YinHachiko