{Back with the gang}
After Ash managed to wrestle Abby down to help them, she teleported to the nearest place she had a marker set, which was over in Pewter. They had lunch with Brock's family, it was nice.
But after that, they had to go through Mt. Moon, and Ash and Brock hadn't been here since the last time Team Rocket had been drilling into the walls. It looked like the rangers had cleaned up nicely. Now, if they wanted to head over to Cerulean City, they would need to go east, but to go to Rota, they went north.
Yeah, Rota is only about a day's journey from Pewter. Even though Rota's economy and government are considered separate from Kanto, they're still close to Kanto, even if they have different laws and stuff.
Like, for example, did you know the reason Team Rocket doesn't go to Rota is because, unlike every other big region in the world, Rota is one of the last ones that still allows the death penalty? Giovanni doesn't want to risk it and calls Rota off-limits.
Yeah, it's wild how different their laws are. They don't even have a Gym here, even though the walk to Rota takes less time than getting over to Cerulean. But laws and governments are a topic for another time.
That does bring up the question of how the ruling system even works. Even Ash doesn't really have a good idea. Most of the world is under the Pokémon League's dominance, okay, that's simple enough, but then there's the Pokémon Association. And he can't say this enough times: those two are not the same thing.
But let's just assume those two are at the top to make things simple. After that, there are places like Rota, or even Kalos, that at least respect royal power, because royalty still exists in this world and is actively supported by the League.
Here in Rota, the name of the kingdom the Queen rules is Cameran. However, she actually has authority over all of Rota, even if it's relatively small.
Then there are people like Dawn's lookalike, Princess Salvia, who was also royalty, so she had authority. But then there are some weirder cases, like over in the Mirage Kingdom with Princess Sara.
Or Acerola over in Alola. She's a descendant of Alola's royalty, and yet she lives a completely normal life and doesn't even talk about it. And there are probably a lot of others in Kalos, and more Ash can't think of off the top of his head.
Needless to say, all of this is confusing. That's mainly why, back in Johto, when Morty was so adamant about calling Ash the Prince of Johto, he wanted nothing to do with that. He didn't know what would be worse, actually becoming a prince or becoming Champion.
But all of that is way out of his league right now, so he decided not to think about it and buried it in the back of his mind until it inevitably became a problem later.
Instead, he just kept walking, heading toward Cameran Castle with the gang, hoping to find anything out of the ordinary, any clue as to why Mew specifically had slapped him with the invitation.
—
{In the castle}
On a balcony, Queen Ilene watched down at the horde of people excitedly walking into the castle, each of them wearing some sort of cosplay, since it was customary for the festival for people to dress up in traditional costumes.
As she looked over the crowd, Riley walked up next to her, wearing an outfit that looked a lot like Sir Aaron's instead of his usual blue suit. He kept his hat, since he was technically also Ilene's royal guard, mostly because she requested him specifically, since she could actually act like a normal girl around him.
Ilene glanced at him and smiled, "You clean up well."
Riley huffed, adjusting his collar, "Jenny is the one who insisted. Said it would 'set the mood.'"
"And it does," she said lightly, "Plus, it's tradition."
"For you, maybe," he replied, "I'm pretty sure Sir Aaron didn't have to deal with crowd control."
Ilene snorted, "Don't think he ever complained about his clothes either."
Riley raised a brow, "And yet here I am, dressed like a legendary knight, trying not to trip over a cape."
"You look heroic," she said teasingly, "Very inspiring. The people love it."
"They love you," Riley replied, glancing down at the crowd, "I'm just the familiar face standing next to the Queen so they don't panic."
Ilene leaned her elbows against the balcony railing, resting her chin in her hands, "You say that, but half of them are whispering because they think Sir Aaron reincarnated is back~"
Riley groaned, "Please don't encourage that rumor."
"I don't encourage it," she said innocently, "I merely… don't correct it."
He shot her a look that was more like an older brother trying not to hit his little sister on the head than anything befitting a Queen, "You're so annoying sometimes."
"And you're the one who keeps covering for me," she shot back, smiling, "So whose fault is that?"
Riley sighed, but there was no real annoyance in it, "You know, for a Queen, you're terrible at acting like one."
Ilene glanced sideways at him, "And for the head of the Aura Guardians, you're far too willing to let me slack off."
"Well, I'm sorry, I'm not the one who basically jumped in glee when she found out we're practically cousins."
Ilene giggled, "Can't really argue with that, huh?"
She looked back down, watching the festival grounds fill, children tugging their parents forward, Trainers laughing, and some of the Aura Guardians standing like knights, making sure no one went into places they weren't supposed to.
Ilene exhaled, "It's a good turnout."
"Scouts did their job," Riley nodded.
"Soooooo, use your Aura thing, how many of them have Aura?" Ilene excitedly poked Riley's side like a little sister nagging her older brother.
Riley sighed as his eyes glowed slightly blue and he looked out, "Hm, not bad. I'm counting five… no, six, and—"
He suddenly stopped when he saw something.
In his Aura sight, he saw a monstrous Aura, larger than any he'd ever seen. It felt warm, almost overwhelming, but he couldn't get a clear read on who it belonged to. With so many people around, and Aura being life energy, it was hard to pinpoint a single person, even one with such an extraordinary presence.
"You okay?" Ilene tilted her head, "You look like you forgot how to breathe?"
Riley snapped out of his trance and coughed, "Um, yeah. I just, well, I saw something."
"Uhhh… wanna fill me in? Not all of us are Aura wizards," Ilene raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah, just… I'm gonna go see if I can find them and get a better look. Someone with that amount of Aura can't be normal, and we definitely can't let someone like that out of our sights. I'll inform the other Aura Guardians to keep an eye on whoever that was, and hopefully we can have him join."
"Uhhh…" Ilene blinked a few times and nodded, pretending to understand what he was saying, "Okay, I understand."
She did not.
Riley turned to the door, "I'll be back before the tournament starts. Hopefully we can find whoever that was again."
Then he walked out, leaving Ilene alone.
Ilene sighed, having lost her favorite person to talk to, and looked back out. But at least her Mime Jr. peeked through the door Riley had left from and happily ran in, jumping onto the balcony with her.
—
{Back down}
As they walked, Brock read a pamphlet while May and Max looked around happily at all the stalls. Ash, meanwhile, was holding back a cold sweat.
He could feel that someone had seen him. He'd forgotten to conceal his Aura, but in his defense, he'd only met two Aura users before, and they couldn't sense Aura. So Ash quickly pulled his Aura inward to hide it, which he could do pretty easily, since it was one of the techniques he'd learned from the Aura book all that time ago.
Yeah, speaking of which, he hoped he could find another one of those books. It would be nice if he could complete the unfinished techniques he knew. He still didn't even know how to throw Aura Spheres yet, even after he'd seen Pokémon do it. He just couldn't do it. Not yet, anyway.
But yeah, it was a good thing he remembered to conceal his Aura, because when they reached the festival, Ash could see actual Aura Guardians standing around casually, looking over the crowds.
Ash needed to get out of here to catch his breath, and he knew the way. He reached out and grabbed Brock and May by the wrists, "Hey guys, come on, let's get some costumes to get into the spirit!" he said excitedly.
Brock barely had time to protest before Ash was already dragging him and May toward the area in the castle where it said they could get costumes and change.
"Ash!" Brock stumbled, pamphlet flapping, "I was in the middle of reading about the—"
"—Ancient Cameran etiquette, yeah, yeah, we'll get back to it," Ash said quickly, not slowing, "C'mon, Max, Pikachu, Vee!"
Pikachu scampered after them, hopping up onto Ash's shoulder with a curious "Pika?" while Max followed alongside Vee. They ducked into the tower, out of sight, and Ash finally let go.
Inside, they saw rows upon rows of different costumes, ranging from adventurers all the way up to princes and princesses.
"Ooooh, costumes!" Max said, "This place is awesome!"
Max didn't hesitate for even half a second.
"I'm gonna be a knight!" he declared, already darting toward a rack of smaller outfits.
"Pretty sure those are squires," Brock said, peering over his shoulder.
Max stopped, squinted at the tag, then shrugged, "Even better. Knights start somewhere. Hey, Ash, can you dress like a knight and I can be your squire!"
Max didn't even let Ash answer before he grabbed one and ran to a changing room.
A bit later, Max emerged proudly in a squire's outfit, short cape, fitted tunic, and a wooden emblem stitched onto the chest. He struck a pose that was way more dramatic than the outfit warranted.
"Yep," Brock nodded, "That tracks."
Brock himself had wandered off and, to no one's surprise, returned in long brown robes with intricate gold stitching, a high-collared mantle, and a cap that went over his hair, one that looked like it was meant to replicate a bald head without, you know, actually having to shave.
"Hey, wise man Brock in the house," Ash clapped.
"You look like you're about to lecture a dragon," May said, grinning.
Speaking of May, she stepped out from behind a screen a moment later. She was wearing a flowing pink princess dress, layered skirts shimmering softly, delicate gold accents at the waist and shoulders, a small tiara resting in her hair, and a little Beautifly trinket at her back.
Max's jaw dropped, "Whoa."
May did a small twirl, skirts fluttering, "Well? Too much?"
"Nope," Brock said, giving her a thumbs-up, "Very authentic."
Ash, unfortunately, was still costume-less.
He had backed himself into a corner, literally, arms crossed, staring at a very specific outfit hanging on a display mannequin.
May tilted her head, then followed his gaze. Her eyes widened slightly, "…Oh."
Brock adjusted his fake-bald cap, squinting, "Huh. That's… surprisingly accurate."
Max poked his head out of the changing room again, still in full squire mode. He looked from the mannequin to Ash. Then back to the mannequin. Then back to Ash.
His eyes lit up.
"Oh. Oh, that's PERFECT."
Ash immediately pointed at him, "No."
"Yes!" Max shot back, "You have to wear it! I literally just asked you to be my knight!"
"I did not agree to that!" Ash protested, "Isn't there, like, some armor I can wear?"
"You didn't say no fast enough," Max said smugly, "That's consent."
"That is not how consent works!"
May walked closer, hands clasped behind her back, studying the outfit with a thoughtful hum, "I mean… it is the festival. And it is traditional. And, hey, it suits you."
"Aaaand I'm leaving," Ash said, turning toward the door.
He didn't make it two steps before Brock grabbed him by the collar and dragged him back in. Basically, they all ganged up on him, shoved him into a changing room, and closed the door, forcing him to change.
After a bit, Ash stepped out slowly, sighing and tugging at the gloves, "I hate this. I hate how warm it is, I hate how everyone's gonna stare, and I really hate how it actually fits."
Because it did. Perfectly. The tunic sat right on his shoulders, the sash resting naturally at his side, the boots scuffed just enough to look worn-in, it really did suit Ash.
"I did not expect to be forced to wear a replica of Sir Aaron's gear," Ash said as he walked over, grabbed the hat, and put it on, completing the look.
"Hey, it looks great on you. In fact, you look a lot like Sir Aaron," May said, glancing outside, where there was literally a statue of Sir Aaron and banners of him hanging over the plaza.
"That's what I didn't want," Ash sighed.
Pikachu jumped up onto Ash's shoulder again, now wearing a tiny red-and-gold cape with a lightning-bolt clasp.
Vee followed, sporting a little knight tabard with a stitched Aura symbol, spinning in a happy circle like it had won the lottery.
Max pumped a fist, "YES. This is awesome. Best festival ever."
Ash groaned, dragging a hand down his face, "I can already feel this becoming a problem."
Then Ash heard a voice he recognized, "Well, this certainly is a surprise. I didn't believe it at first, but it really is you."
Ash blinked and looked over. By the door, a familiar face walked in with a Lucario at his side. It was Sorrel again, even if now he was wearing some kind of model armor for the festival.
Ash blinked in surprise, then smiled, "Yo, Sorrel! How you been?" He walked over and clasped Sorrel's hand, "It's been… what, almost two years!"
"It will be two years exactly in one week. How have you been?"
"Ive been great, you been keeping in touch with Verity?" Ash asked.
Sorrel nodded, "We've exchanged a few texts. What about you, how's Charizard been?"
"Same with me. Verity sends me some texts sometimes. And as for Charizard, he's never been better, he's training in Charicific Valley," Ash leaned in, "And between you and me, I'm like 90% sure he has a girlfriend he's not telling me about."
"Um… Ash?" Brock coughed, making Ash remember, oh yeah, they don't know.
"Oh, right. Well, guys, this is Sorrel. We met over in Kanto a while ago, and we went on a short adventure together with another friend of ours," Ash said, leaving out the fact that it involved Ho-Oh.
Then he turned to Sorrel, "And Sorrel, these are my friends, Brock, May, and Max."
Sorrel gave a nod, "It's nice to meet you all."
Then he saw Pikachu again, and Pikachu recognized Sorrel too, running over to nuzzle against him, "And hello to you too, Pikachu."
As they watched Pikachu, Ash's eyes drifted to Sorrel's Lucario. The moment Lucario noticed Ash looking at him, he quickly glanced away, trying to pretend he didn't know him.
Ash smirked and suddenly appeared right next to Lucario, placing a hand on his shoulder, "Hey, buddy. Remember me~" he said sweetly, with a big old smile.
Lucario remembered that smile, the one from his nightmares. He tried to stay composed, but he was starting to sweat, "L-Lucario… [Y-yes, hello again…]"
"What's that? 'Please give me the special training again'? Well, if you insist, but I can't do it here. Maybe later~" Ash said, making Lucario sweat even more.
"Uhh… Ash?" Max asked.
Ash pulled back and walked over, "Yeah, it's just nice to catch up. Hey, Sorrel, wanna come with us? We can talk more. I hear there's gonna be a tournament too. I'm gonna join in, sounds like fun. What about you?"
Sorrel shrugged, "Meh, I'm not really interested in that. But I'm more than willing to join you. It's been a while since we saw each other, and I'm curious to see how much stronger you've gotten."
"Well, you're about to be disappointed," Ash said immediately, "I trip over my own feet at least twice a day, i'm really weak still," he acted like he was upset
"Liar!" May, Max, and Brock said in perfect unison.
Ash sighed, "Wow. Betrayal in my own party."
Sorrel let out a snort, "Wow, reminds me of how we used to be with Verity."
Brock cleared his throat, "Okay, let's go. If you want to get registered, we've got a few hours," Brock suggested.
"That's plenty of time for us to hit the food stalls!" May said excitedly.
"You should think with your stomach first…" Max muttered quietly, earning a head bonk from May.
Ash raised a finger, "Actually, hold on. One second."
They paused as Ash's gaze drifted past them, landing on a nearby display rack mounted against the wall. Hanging there were various masquerade masks, ornate metallic designs, half-masks shaped like Pokémon, and traditional Cameran styles.
Ash grabbed a simple white masquerade mask that covered his upper face and put it on, "There we go. Perfect!"
May raised an eyebrow, "Why do you want a mask?"
"This looks cool," Ash said casually, holding it up, "I think I'll wear it."
May just squinted, "Liar."
Ash didn't even look at her, "Wow. Everyone's just accusing me today."
May sighed, "Sure, mysterious festival knight."
Max grinned, "You look even cooler now."
"That's not helping," Ash said.
Pikachu tilted his head, then nodded approvingly, "Pika."
Vee clapped excitedly.
"You know," Sorrel said with a small smile, "I was reading some old texts about Rota, and now that I'm looking at you again, you do look a lot like a young Sir Aaron."
"Yeah… that's what I don't want," Ash sighed, "Before you ask, no, I don't think I'm related to him. At least not that I can think of. But I'd rather not get called a reincarnation of their hero."
"Oh, so that's why you didn't want to wear that costume. Why didn't you just say so?" May asked.
"You guys literally threw me into a changing room," Ash said flatly, looking at her.
Then he sighed, "But whatever. Let's just go. I'll keep the mask on, and hopefully we get out of this with people not bowing at me."
Brock sighed, folding the pamphlet, "Alright. Masked knight it is. Let's go before someone decides to bow."
Ash nodded once, "Yeah. Let's just go."
—
Later, in a stadium full of cheering people, all wearing costumes for the Festival of Aura, an announcer walked into the center of the arena and raised his voice.
"Presenting Her Royal Majesty, the illustrious ruler of Cameran Palace, Lady Ilene!"
The crowd cheered even louder as, from a seat above the stadium, Queen Ilene stepped out, gently hugging her Mime Jr., followed closely by her maid Jenny and Sir Riley.
Riley himself was watching the arena intently, scanning the competitors. None of the Aura Guardians had been able to find the person with that overwhelming Aura again, so they figured someone like that would want to enter the tournament.
And while they would be right, unfortunately for them, now that Ash was actively suppressing his Aura, unless they were right next to him, within about five feet, they wouldn't sense anything out of the ordinary.
So while Riley searched for something he wasn't going to find, Ilene raised her arms and addressed the crowd.
"And now, in honor of Sir Aaron and his noble deeds, we will begin the tournament!"
With her announcement, the tournament began, trainers from all over getting ready to give it their all…except for one.
Ash sat in the back. He knew he could steamroll the tournament if he wanted to, but he didn't, and that was the thing. So, you know what that meant: a perfect chance to let Bagon and Beldum get some training in.
Besides, he needed not to stand out. If he blew up half the field with Pikachu or Vee, that would definitely draw attention. This totally wasn't an excuse; he was telling himself to rationalize, probably, embarrassing most trainers by losing to pre-evolutions.
Nope… Ash would never…But then again, he was wearing a mask right now.
So he stood up, stretched his arms casually, pulled them behind his head, and walked out toward the stadium.
Showtime.