Royal Unova: A nuzlocke: Chapter nineteen

"Alexander!" Alexander heard a familiar voice sound behind him. He whirled around to find Bianca grinning ear-to-ear before him, "thank Arceus I found you."

Emma looked from him to his friend and grinned as well. Alexander blinked, "Ah, right, Bianca, this is Emma, she helped me look for you. More importantly, where did you run off to?"

Bianca flinched, motioning around her. Their current surroundings didn't seem all that interesting; just some more irrelevant houses that meant absolutely nothing to him. These ones were among the taller in the city, but still, nothing too interesting. He turned to her to ask her for an explanation, carefully forming a witty, magnificent, hilarious retort in his mind. He smiled at his genius, "What?" He cursed inwardly. He'd never been good at being very clever.

Bianca laughed, "When I couldn't find you, I came to town. I, uh, met the Warrior here."

Alexander raised an eyebrow, "Another one? Goodness Bianca, developing a talent for that aren't-" he cut off as he noticed Emma tugging on his sleeve, "what's wrong Emma?"

The short girl didn't bother to write a response, instead looking frantically around them and trying to drag Alexander along. Alexander grew uneasy, "We should listen to her, Bianca," he insisted. Bianca frowned uncertainly but nodded, following along the path Emma led.

Their paced quickened rapidly as Emma became more agitated, pulling Alexander along with surprising force. Bianca continuously shot the two of them questioning glances, but never once objected. They eventually emerged into a crowded part of town where Emma grew considerably more at ease and they were finally able to speak again. Bianca shot a questioning gaze once more at Emma, but the red-haired girl paid her no mind.

"Er, right, moving along, how did you come across this Warrior? Do you have men who go out and find them for you?" he asked with a chuckle.

Bianca seemed less amused, "I helped him save a man who was injured."

Alexander frowned, "I see, well no need to be so upset. We're back together now and no harm was done," he grinned, but it was not returned. He grimaced, "right?"

"Actually," Bianca said slowly, "I think I'm going to be staying with Atilio for a while. He needs my help, and, to be honest, I think I've missed working with medicine.

Alexander blinked, "Bianca, when we planned this journey we all agreed we would stay together. Charon's already left-"

"He'll come back," Bianca insisted.

"We don't know that, and what about you? Do you plan on catching up with me if I move forward and you're still back here?"

Bianca paused, "Yes," she sighed, "maybe. Alexander, I just want to try this. We can still train and we'll fight Atilio at the same time, but we can't always be at each other's side. Before we left we all wanted to go on an adventure. Now it seems we all want different things. Charon wants to be with his noble friends, I may want to work with medicine, and you, Alexander, I don't know what you want."

Alexander faltered, "I- I just wanted to travel with my friends."

"Wanted, but what about now?"

Alexander stared at Bianca, open-mouthed, tapping the notebook in his jacket pocket, "I don't know."

Bianca sighed and pulled Alexander into a hug, "We're still friends; the best of friends, and I'd never dream of abandoning you or Charon, but I think we all need space to think about what we need to do. We can meet down by the main bridge every day for a training session, though. How does that sound?"

Alexander smiled weakly, "Sounds great, Bianca," she released him from the hug, "do you have time to train for a while today?"

Emma tapped him on the shoulder and motioned towards the sky: it was becoming very dark, very quickly, "Right, suppose not. Are you staying with, what was his name, Antonio?"

Bianca nodded, "Yes, he insisted I stay there for as long as I'm in Castelia, although I have to admit it's rather awkward and I really don't think the servants care too much for me. I'd much rather be staying at any old inn, but I suppose I shouldn't be complaining," she said sheepishly, staring at her shoes, "I- I don't know if maybe you could stay as well, I'd have to ask but-"

"No," Alexander interrupted, "what you said, about figuring what we need to do, I don't want to hinder you in that.

Bianca looked like she might object, but she only sighed, pausing for a bit too long, "I really must be getting back. I'll meet you by the bridge tomorrow at midday, alright?"

Alexander nodded, still smiling, until Bianca turned her back, at which point he sighed and turned to Emma, "I worry about her, I always have. She's used to be like a sister to me, in the same way Charon is like a brother," he began to walk in the opposite direction. Emma nodded, offering an encouraging smile.

The pair marched through town, weaving down alleyways until they found a small inn. Alexander paused to poke his head inside; it was empty, despite looking fairly clean. The man who appeared to be the innkeeper had even fallen asleep at one of the tables, "Emma," he said, turning to her. He paused, trying to form a coherent thank you for all she had done for him in the past day, but again, words failed him, "thank you."

Emma seemed to understand regardless. She scribbled quickly: It was my pleasure. If you ever see me wandering around, make sure to say hello, alright?

Alexander nodded, "Of course, and thank your sister for me as well," he turned to walk into the inn when he felt a tap on his shoulder.

Emma had written another message: Good luck.

-----

Louis had always expected that if anything bad were to happen to him- if the threat of death hung over him and he began to lose all hope, the day would be dark. The sky would be gray and the rain so strong that people seldom ventured from their homes. It would be a dark day when he awaited death, he had always assumed.

Quite the opposite ended up being true. As Noah led him down the street on what was the darkest and most fearful day of his life, the sun shone brightly. People wandered about their daily lives, rarely so much as glancing his way. Children laughed and played in the streets, as they always did, wives hung clothes out to dry. Some of the resident pokemon, such as minccino, were even out and about, running alongside the children. If anything, it was an exceptionally nice day.

Louis didn't recognize the town they were in, and whenever he tried to speak, his half-brother silenced him. It was a small town with very few, albeit very large, homes. Everyone seemed to greet each other as if they'd all been friends since childhood, and overall it seemed like the perfect place to live. It seemed like the worst place possible to be killed.

He tried to force the thought from his mind, but with nobody to speak to help him think of something else, his mind kept drifting back to the thought. It's funny, he thought, how ready I was to embrace death, and yet now, here I am, afraid to so much as walk too fast and draw attention to myself.

"Louis," Noah hissed. He turned to see his half-brother holding open a door. His expression was blank, but he could tell by his clenched fists that he was angry. Louis rushed to his side and ducked into the house. They were greeted by an exceptionally tall, pale man with an unfriendly scowl and piercing eyes.

"Hello," Louis tried to sound confident, but he was sure the man would see right through him. Unable to meet his eyes, Louis focused on their surroundings. The room had extraordinarily high ceilings and bare walls with little to make them stand out, as opposed to his home in Nacrene, which had been crammed with various portraits and paintings. Behind the tall man was an enormous spiral staircase and a long hallway which seemed to end in some sort of sitting room.

Noah coughed, "Hello Michael, this is the boy I was telling you about. I found him in the streets of Nacrene and I," Noah glanced at Louis, and he could have sworn there was an apology there, "I took pity on him."

The man- Michael- leaned uncomfortably close to Louis, to the point where it was near impossible to not shy away. He tapped his face, which Louis found odd, but he didn't say a word. After a minute, he grabbed Louis by the wrist, "Yes, fine. He'll make a decent servant, anyway. You really are too kind, however, Noah. Now, I'm busy, so I'd like it if you were on your way."

Noah frowned, "Of course. Do take care," he flashed a quick glance at Louis with the last three words, and with that he was out the door.

Michael turned to Louis, "Surely you can find your way to the kitchen? If you can't, look harder," he started up the stairs, "and don't bother me until supper."

Louis nodded solemnly and headed in a random direction, hoping for the best. The house was massive, although not as big as the one he'd had in Nacrene. He tried not to think about that. He knew, however, that regardless of whether he found the kitchen, his time spent with Michael were not going to be pleasant.

-----

Charon regretted every action he had made in the past week. He sat at a table, ignoring the conversation Chili, Cress, and Anderson were having as it had grown dull long ago. His Noblemen friends, he had quickly learned, had very little to say. The topics of discussion from the first day of their meeting repeated every day, as if they had forgotten discussing it. Small things changed, but it was always, in essence, the same conversation.

He wondered if he and his friends had always done this without realizing, but more than that, he wondered how he'd ever found the three he was with now remotely desirable as friends. At first, Anderson's attitude had intrigued Charon, but after another day, it had grown bothersome. They sat here, at a small cafe, while the entire city of Castelia surrounded them, begging to be explored, and it was ignored in favor of comparing women the trio had met at parties.

Charon decided to speak up, "Do you want to explore the city?"

They paused in their conversation, staring at him as if he'd just suggested they go and slaughter every man who happened to look at them in a way they didn't like. Anderson spoke slowly, "Well, you can do that. Just meet us back here in an hour."

Charon rolled his eyes in agitation, wondering if maybe he should go find his friends and be done with these people. No, he told himself, you have worked far too hard for this. Try to convince them. "There's nowhere you want to visit? This city is huge, surely there's more than this cafe?"

Anderson sighed, "Any place you had in mind?"

Charon grinned, "Are there perhaps any parties?"

Anderson blinked, "Always, although," he said, raising an eyebrow, "I don't know how you'll be taken, given your attire."

"Why, this isn't good?"

"Not remotely," Anderson stated flatly. Charon was ready to object when Anderson grinned, "but I can probably lend you something. Come on, everyone, we're going to take Charon to a party."

Chili offered a few weak objections, but in the end, as always, he followed loyally behind Anderson. Charon smiled and followed along as well, but it was a forced smile. He wanted to feel some sort of delight, but he only felt dread. "I want to be with Alexander and Bianca again," he whispered.

"Charon?" Anderson called impatiently.

Charon hesitated, but only momentarily, before following the group. His mind was at war with itself as he walked, one side reasoning that he had simply worked too hard to give up on these friends now, while the other argued that they weren't worth his time. He cursed inwardly, wishing he'd simply been born into wealth; perhaps as one of the children his father accepted. He immediately shook off the thoughts of his father.

"Charon?" Cress' voice sounded beside him. The blue-haired man's face was concerned. Over the days they'd known each other, Charon had come to like Cress the most. He wasn't the most bright, but he seemed to have his heart in the right place, "are you feeling ill?"

Charon sighed, "N-no, just a bit nervous."

Cress smiled, "Oh! Well don't worry, my friend! I'll help you along. This party will be the best thing that ever happened to you, I can safely say!"

Charon forced a laugh, "I'm sure it will be, Cress. Thank you."

Cress nodded and ran forward to join Chili. Charon watched the trio and forced himself to think positively; he was living the life he'd always wanted, he assured himself. Give them another day or two. One more day to show that they can be those great Noble friends you always dreamed of. He sighed once more, forcing another grin, and ran to catch up with the group.