Fiery Lands and Stormy Seas (Pokemon Watty Award Winner 2014)

Chapter 6

CHRIS

The travelers arrived at evening much to the delight of the citizens of Mauville City. People lined the streets while lights flickered in their wooden homes. They cheered mostly for King Spark and the beloved Sarah, but Price Chris and his Marshtomp walking alongside received some cheers as well. Once, Chris thought he saw a group of young women whispering excitedly to themselves and pointing at Ryan.

"I think you may find some pleasant company here, friend," Chris said as the party was bobbing on their Doduo. Ryan must have noticed too, judging from that sheepish smile.

"You had some company with a girl earlier today, maybe I'll meet many girls tonight," said the guard-in-training, waving back at the farmers or blacksmith's girls or whichever townsperson had a starry-eyed young lady for a daughter.

"Save one for me," called Hector, Wingull perched on his shoulder.

"That's no way to treat our hosts," jabbed Chris. "Why would we place you amongst these lovely Mauville girls without their approval?"

"Our Prince is right," added Ryan. "A girl likes a man with lean muscles. Many girls like men like me with big muscles. No girls like fisherman's boys."

"I'm sure Princess Sarah counts for more than all of your many girls combined," Prince Chris had the final say there; he always had the final say.

At long last, King Marcus Spark and his guards rode led the group into a walled complex. Huge wooden buildings with slanted roofs all conjoined each other within the twenty foot high walls made of pointed wooden logs. Marcus and Sarah were still astride their Manectrics, and some other guards greeted Chris and his companions to lead their Doduo to the stables.

"Welcome to my home, Chris Marsh," said the jolly King Marcus as he gestured with arms open wide. "This is my palace, and hopefully a second home of yours one day." The Prince noticed the slightest wince in Princess Sarah Spark's otherwise stoic poker face.

"A fine house, and more lavish than my own I might add," said Chris. Marshtomp, Marrill and Wingull eagerly grouped themselves together, looking for a pond or pool to play in.

"Yes you're stubborn family has always been droll," the King Jested. It was true, though, the Marshes never used their status as Kings to acquire free labor or taxes from their citizens. "Now if my cooks want to keep their jobs, we should find out what they have prepared us to eat!"

"Ahem, my lord," said one of the guards who had stabled the Doduo. "The chefs had no word of when you would arrive, so they haven't prepared any food as of yet. Shall I let them know that you're here?"

This was the first time that Prince Chris had seen a look of rage cross King Spark's face. It was just as noisy and blustering as his good moods. "Why those lazy good for nothing-"

"King Spark," Chris spoke up, "Perhaps my friends and I could go into town, and experience the life of the village." He stole a glance at Princess Sarah, who was now sitting on a wooden bench and polishing her bow. "After all, I may be their Prince as well soon." That was just the thing to relieve the bearded King of Mauville from his sour mood.

The Princess Sarah, meanwhile, was glaring at him with those big brown eyes. It was the same glare she gave him when he retrieved those arrows. I have to admit, I was impressive, he thought to himself. That may have been the best throw I've ever had with my spear. Though I must say, this Princess is made of tougher wood than most girls for her to keep her feet in my presence. He liked that. The harder the mountain to climb, the more fun the journey was. As he expected, Sarah Spark rose and went inside the small palace, she wouldn't be joining Chris and his friends tonight.

Chris handed his spear to a nearby guard, to keep safe at the King's compound. "Keep this safe. I love my spear almost as much as my baby sister, and only a bit more than my mother. Marshtomp, come. We're going into the village." The Spirit Pokémon were delighted as there were no ponds sufficient for play or exercise to be found.

At first, the trio from Slateport wound their way through the streets, waving at the commoners but never stopping to talk. If you stopped, you drew a crowd. That was one thing his uncle, Apollo Love, his mother's twin brother, had taught him about the other kingdoms of Hoenn.

After they had made their way and scouted through the main streets, they decided on a little tavern to eat at. Prince Chris was thankful for the guards regularly stationed around the city. Without them, there would be no room to eat. There was little room enough as it was, Ryan had invited every pretty little Mauville flower to come and sit with him, sometimes even two at a time. Chris decided not to tell him that the girls that sat on his lap only had eyes for a Prince. Marshtomp, Marill, and Wingull took no notice of the gathering crowds. The foreign food was too appealing to the Pokémon.

Eventually, Ryan found a girl that found him the most exciting of the bunch, and they left for a few moments. He turned to Hector. "How do you like this place?" he asked.

"The city is fine, I guess," he said. "These fish were caught two days ago, and at the wrong time of day," he said of his meal. "I could show them a thing or two about how to fry a fish."

Chris was about to respond when he heard a yell of "make way" coming from the outside. His interest was piqued, and he swiftly made for the doorway. He felt the building tremble a little bit, and noticed a party of about twenty riding Doduo up the street towards the palace at the top of the hill. He was able to just glance the head of it, and he saw a huge purple Pokémon with an even larger mouth. Chris remembered from his studies that that was an Exploud, and its Spirit Human must be Chief Flowers of Verdanturf, one of Mauville's loyal tribes. Another Swellow flew swiftly ahead, it must be a messenger.

"They're in a hurry," Hector remarked.

"Let's go see what they want," agreed Chris.

"I'll go find Ryan."

"That wouldn't be good for him, or you," the Prince said and Hector finally understood. It saddened Chris, really. The poor fisherman's boy had no experience with women. How could he even make it without Chris or Ryan by his side?

Prince Chris and Hector, and Marshtomp and Wingull made their way back up the winding road into the palace. Ryan's Marill decided to stay and wait for its partner without a worry. It had done its fair share of waiting while its Spirit Partner was with a girl.

Chris Marsh found the King armored and astride on his Manectric just inside the walls of the palace. There must have been a hundred armored men on Doduo with their King in the courtyard. A stable boy handed King Marcus Spark his sword. Chris was about to ask a question, but the King only nodded and took off with all his men back out into the town, where they turned to the west and stampeded down the streets. Chris saw the shape of the Exploud with him as well.

Among those that remained was Princess Sarah. "What happened?" Chris asked her.

Her face was grave, yet indifferent at the same time. "Dark news from one of our Chiefs. A camp of five thousand fires have been seen north of Rustboro, with dark shapes flying in the sky. It appears the Mt. Chimney Kingdom is looking to expand. My father's recruiting two hundred more of his best city guards, and all able bodied men that can fight to assist him drive them back to where they came from."

Chris spied the Swellow from earlier that was now being tended to. "Hector, fetch me paper and ink."

"What for?" the fisherman's son asked inquisitively.

"If one day I am to be King of Slateport, I must do what my father would do at times," he met Sarah's eyes and smiled. "Our friends need help. I'm going to send a message home to my mother. Slateport will come to help Mauville. The Brightflames of Lavaridge should have learned their lesson last time."