o

"Discontinued"

The time gear had long since gone irreversibly cold. Coronus did not know where he'd stashed it, nor did he care, but it did not stop the occasional whisper of a temptation to open the top drawer of his heirloom cabinet first thing in the morning upon rising from his bed.

There were days when the old habit would unconsciously possess him, and he would come to his senses staring at the velvet lining of the drawer, his fading dreams crying out that something, somewhere, had gone dreadfully wrong, but the panic would fade as rapidly as the memories of those dreams – an old, irrelevant concern from lifetimes past.

From the southern aperture of his royal chamber, he surveyed the rays of the morning sun and the shadows they cast across the silver spires of Amaranthine's castle and the marble streets that spanned beyond. There was something wrong about them as well – perhaps the sunlight was too bright, perhaps it should have been obscured by a certain cloud formation he'd once memorized – but he pushed that out of his mind. The past and the future were dead to him. The present was his throne, one he'd rightfully earned, and he would reign for as long as fate would allow.

He selected something suitably modest and comfortable from his wardrobe, a princely red gown with golden trimmings. Something that demands respect, but keeps the subjects at ease, he thought, fitting the specially-tailored clothes over the bulk of his body. It had been some time since he'd enjoyed the convenience of deciding what to wear each morning, remembering a distant day where he'd donned a robe from this very cabinet and wore it for so long that it had become a tattered black rag which had hung pathetically from the spikes on his back. But as a prince, public image was quite important, and he made an honest attempt to play the part, making sure the twine was tightened around his waist and the folds of his stole fell gracefully without wrinkles, before exiting his room.

The Nidoking enjoyed a lonely walk down a gothic corridor, the sunrays falling through the skylights somewhere high above. Around him, pointed archways branched to other rooms, adorned by paintings of the legendary gods and ghost-torches that would turn themselves on at nightfall.

Charon. He was around somewhere. Or perhaps not. Coronus was used to meeting him in this very hallway each morning, but the old ghost seemed to have retired from his position of companionship and gone to do other things with his time. Had he been angry? Perhaps, it was difficult to remember, but he sensed they had shared bitter feelings over some irrelevant topic. How long had it been since he'd last spoken with the Chandelure? Was it already two decades? It only felt like days. The Nidoking admitted to himself that he missed the convenience of sharing his thoughts with another soul at a whim, but considered that his thoughts nowadays were best left to himself. Besides, he had other companions now, companions who he valued a fair deal more than some old single-minded ghost.

Morning brunch was always his favorite time of the day. The royal cooks would lay out a small feast in a private dining hall. Every day he looked forward to opening the door to be greeted by a cheerful wait staff, the strong smell of amberdough bread, the rectangular table set with spotless silverware and crystal goblets of mago juice, and perhaps most importantly, the company.

"Ah! A bright and shining morning to you, Your Starborn Highness," said a noble Charizard, raising his glass. "Any noteworthy plans on this day?"

"Several, but given this delightful weather, I'd assume that your own plans will involve some flying," the Nidoking replied formally, seating himself at the head of the table.

"Keen of you," replied the Charizard, flashing a mischievous grin. "I've been at the skies since dawn. Given a few days more of this favorable weather, I'm certain I'll have built the endurance to cross the channel on wing."

The Nidoking scoffed. "What need have you to cross the channel? What do the westerners have that Amaranthine does not?" he said facetiously, waving a goblet in front of his face. "Tell me, and I shall have it ordered from abroad!"

"The unknown, and the challenge which comes with it," the Charizard responded proudly, punctuating his statement with a bite of bread.

On the other end of the table, a large Raichu assembled food on his plate. "Speaking of which, have you heard the latest news from the west?"

The Nidoking's stomach turned at every mention of the "west," and had on several occasions entertained the thought of a royal decree banning discussion of western politics on the castle grounds. "What has my father done now?" he said disinterestedly between sips of his juice.

"Found a whole terrorist base!" the Raichu replied. "Under the Great Plateau in the Midwest! Thousands of dissidents were found in the ruins of an old school. It's going to take weeks to clear it all out, I hear!"

"More riches for the Master, then," the Charizard hummed. To the prince, he said, "However, your father is quite the negotiator; I'm certain he can secure at least a fourth of the spoils for the treasury."

"The Master can keep it, for all that I care," Coronus grumbled, hiding an unsettled breath.

Better not to press that topic, he decided. Better not to risk the Charizard, the Raichu, or any of the others from sparking distant memories – memories that never should have been theirs to begin with. Synchronous awareness, he called it, and although he could never prove its existence to Charon or himself, he'd sworn to see signs of it on several occasions.

He did not intend to tempt fate. It was better to be safe.

"Quiet today, Saura," Coronus said to the Ivysaur across the table, pointedly switching the topic. "Any plans on this fair-weathered day?"

The Ivysaur looked wistful. "None," he said. "Nothing of importance, at least. Might as well go sit at the top of the seaside hills and sunbathe."

The clattering of crystalware accompanied an odd, terse silence.

"Ah, what a utopia we must live in, to have more time than we know what to do with, eh Saura?" the Nidoking said with loud, forced cheer. "How wondrous to have no responsibilities, to float about on the wind's wake however it may take us? Could we ever ask for anything more?"

The Ivysaur tilted his head. "I suppose," he replied. "Sometimes I wish I could do more to help. The harvest is over, the recruits are on break, what am I to do but sit here and eat up your resources for the winter months?"

"Your royal orders are to eat, drink, and be merry," the Nidoking insisted. "Your rest has been well-earned. Savor it while you can."

Though it lasted only a moment, the Ivysaur sent him a strangely forlorn look, then returned his attention to the meal.

I need to find something for him to do, and quickly, Coronus realized. He has always been too generous, but that's his nature and I cannot deny him that. He is not happy unless he's busy, so I must keep him busy. The others…

He glanced at the Charizard, the Raichu, and the three empty seats between them. He nodded to a Gardevoir servant who removed an empty dish from the table.

I'm glad the others learned to fit in, for the most part. Now, if only I could just quash this Charizard's notion of flying to the west…

The door slammed open once more, drawing the attention from the kitchen staff. Coronus glanced up, casting a warm grin to the newcomer. "Nice of you to join us, Adron," he said, setting his teacup onto its saucer. "I began to wonder if you would show up today."

The hardy Scyther was clad in his steel helmet and silvery armor, as was the norm for him. "It reminds me that I am always on duty," he'd once told the prince. "The guard never sleeps."

The prodigious Scyther had fit in with the royal lifestyle almost too well. Raised as a warrior by an elite clan known as the Adrellos, at the top of his brood at that, he was thrilled to be hired as the high general of the castle guard – at least, in a manner of speaking. Like the others, Adron wasn't exactly hired for anything in particular, but valor and discipline were all that the young Scyther knew, and Coronus could not say no to his aspirations. After a talk with his father, Coronus handed the Scyther full command of training the army's recruits and defending the castle, and Adron had since proven himself one of Amaranthine's greatest assets. He ran the military like a machine, churned out droves of able-bodied soldiers a year for Cepheus's overseas campaigns, never failed, never displayed weakness, and despite it all somehow managed to maintain a striking measure of charisma and intrigue to his personality. The Starborn Prince never tired of his company.

"Your Highness," the Scyther addressed, bowing formally. "Pardon my delay, but I have something to report. This morning, Aether summoned me to conference..."

"Aether?" Coronus repeated with a twitch of surprise. "Well, what is it? Is she well?"

"She was stricken with a minor migraine and was unable to sleep since sunrise. She believes there is little cause for concern, but cause nonetheless. I don't believe she will be attending brunch this day."

"A minor migraine, you say? Does it blow from the west?"

"Regrettably, yes."

A pained grumble sounded from the Nidoking. "And? What has she spoken of?"

"She told me little, other than to keep my eyes on the horizon. She seemed more interested in an audience with you. If I may…?"

After a solemn nod from the Nidoking, the Scyther approached the table, standing rather than sitting, and was served a platter of small morsels fit to be skewered at the end of his blade-tips.

"I'm certain it's nothing," the Charizard said, noting the worry upon the Nidoking's face. "Whatever lurks to the west, it is His Majesty's affair."

"So I would like to think," said the prince, "But if Aether deems it necessary for me to know, it is apparently of my concern." He rose from his seat. "Might as well see what the matter is."

Once upon his feet, he glanced reluctantly at the plentiful table – the second course had not even come yet, and would no doubt be cold upon his return. And the company – they were all there, just as he liked them to be… and he had to leave them.

"Your Highness, I would accompany you, if you wish?" offered the Charizard, feigning disinterest in the food before him.

He sighed. "Yes, thank you," he responded, beckoning with his claw. "I think I would like that."

It was a long walk to Aether's chamber, but the Starborn Nidoking always had room in his heart for a leisurely stroll through the castle. It was a relaxing matter to meditate upon its perfection and security; how solid and symmetrical the walls, how well-maintained the pearly pillars and arches, how royal the furnishings and marble designs underfoot. Such architecture never failed to satisfy something deep within his ground-type nature.

But this day, the pleasure Coronus took in his walk was not enough to outweigh the dread. While Aether's summoning was bad enough of an omen on principle, being summoned in the early morning from the breakfast table suggested something perhaps a bit more urgent than usual. If Aether had been bothered enough not to come to brunch… this was dire. Very dire. It was the whole reason he kept her around; she was to be the harbinger of doom, the indicator of his failure, and he hoped the day would never come when she would speak of an ill fate.

But perhaps things were not so bad. Perhaps it was only a silly little twinge, a migraine. Perhaps it was unrelated to the future at all. Perhaps there was nothing to worry about.

"No interest in your food today, Amadeus?" the Nidoking said jovially, hoping to find some comfort in the Charizard's companionship. "Aerial acrobatics left your stomach in a loop, is it?"

The Charizard grinned. "You discredit the iron stomach of a dragon? Hah! Would any winged predator survive, were they to disgorge their prey once they've just swooped to capture it? Arceus would have been mad to allow such a backward adaptation!"

"Arceus has made greater mistakes," Coronus muttered, tasting more scorn than perhaps intended.

"Furthermore, you discredit the eyesight of a flying predator, which we require to track our prey as we stalk them from the clouds," the Charizard continued, "the very type of keen eyesight which can spot when a Starborn Prince requires company, despite not saying a word."

"And I thank you for it," Coronus returned. "If it were only a migraine, I see no reason it should be something to fret about. Adron's voice carried an unnatural tone; perhaps it was that which brought me disconcertion. But even if it should signal a shower of meteors to break apart our castle, I would have no other Pokémon at my side when I would receive the bad news."

"Your Highness, I confess I will never understand what you see in me, to have chosen me as your friend as you have," Amadeus said with a small laugh.

"Your humanity? Not even that?" Coronus said. "Would you believe that I find you a novel specimen, a human trapped in the body of a Pokémon, as much as I would find a caged Mew at the side of my throne?"

"I have no memories of my humanity, as I have told you in the past," The Charizard said. "My human past hardly factors into the Pokémon I am today."

"Ahh, my dear Amadeus, you are far more of a human than you know," Coronus said mysteriously.

The Charizard was very amused. "You claim this upon what basis, your Highness, you who have never met with a human in the flesh? You, who once spotted a flaming salamander crawling between the tall grass of midwestern Ambera and thought to himself, 'yes, this is human enough for my tastes'?"

"Perhaps you are not the only one with a keen eye? And besides, are you complaining?"

"Never. Though I cannot claim to understand the infinite wisdom in your choice of friends, my fire would die before the day I would disrespect it. I only beg your pardon for my occasional curiosity."

The Nidoking hummed, searching for a fitting response. "For your curiosity, I greatly enjoy the company of dragons, and the passionate hearts of fire-types. When I spotted a young Charmander, I gambled upon the future of a companion who may one day provide me with both. That you have grown into the very Charizard I hoped was but a fortunate roll of the dice."

A perfect lie, one crafted not from a mistruth, but from omission – the very kind of lie he was used to feeding himself each day. The Charizard seemed satisfied with the answer, as with all of the answers he'd been told before, but Coronus knew that if one Pokémon in the world possessed the scholarly intellect to one day figure out the truth on his own, it was Amadeus.

However, the Charizard's insight was not the most immediate threat at the moment. With every step up the spiral staircase of Aether's tower, Coronus seemed to slow his pace, hoping that, if fate had at last caught up to his meddling, he could savor these final few moments before everything would begin hurling towards an undignified end.

At the top of the northern tower, one of the highest points of Amaranthine's castle, an old and withered Absol sat brooding. She faced toward the last remaining sliver of the night upon the western horizon.

"Good morning to you, miss Aether," the prince said. "I came as soon as Adron gave me the news. Have you suffered a restless morning?"

The Absol's gaze remained fixed on the darkness in the way that a Xatu would watch the sun. "My words to Adron were understated for the sake of secrecy. You may hear the truth from me, then do with it what you see fit."

If an icicle had already entered the prince's gut, the Absol's words shoved it deeper.

"Amadeus," the Absol said, turning to regard the Charizard, "Perhaps his Highness will need you to leave for this discussion?"

"I brought him to help me bear the weight of the news," Coronus said. "He has my permission to hear whatever it is you have to say. Now then, let's hear the worst of it."

The Absol sighed, staring up at the midmorning sky. "The visions from the west kept me up since midnight," she admitted. "They were sharp, and forceful, and full of blood and fire."

"The fire, perhaps, we can deal with," said Amadeus with some forced humor.

The Absol spoke over him. "Not since the days of my youth have I experienced a vision so strong. An Absol's sense of prophecy increases with age, but even so, this was something unbearable," she said forcefully. "I cannot say what this means for our kingdom, but something grave has transpired in the west, and could very well reach us from across the channel. My prince, I cannot say for certain, but I would consider preparations for war."

Coronus blinked.

War. The very word he had hoped she wouldn't say.

"War, you say?" the Nidoking said in a dismissive tone. "What gives you the idea that war will be necessary? I thought your horn only sensed the changes of the earth and sky? Since when could you sense a change in the hearts of our foes?"

"I sense impending suffering and death, in whatever form it may come," she said. "When the souls of a hundred Pokémon are sentenced to a dark fate, my nightmares and my daydreams make it known to me. And when there are a thousand, I sometimes hear their voices of anguish from the future."

"And how many voices have you heard on this distressing night?" Coronus asked carefully.

"Many thousands," replied the Absol, her head falling in solemnity. "The location where this tragedy is to happen, I cannot say. But I only know the danger originates from the west. And logically considering the dangers which may cross the channel and come at us – not a tornado, or a hurricane, or an earthquake – but an army is something we could realistically expect."

"And who else could cross the channel with an army large enough to slay ten thousand of us, but the Master himself?" Amadeus considered. "Could it be that your father's way with words has failed, your Highness?"

"…Your Highness?"

War.

Icy adrenaline held the Starborn prince captive, refusing him the ability to speak.

He'd had enough war for one lifetime. No, twenty lifetimes.

A surge of intrusive thoughts broke into his head.

The Astral Throne.

The slaughtering.

The failures upon failures.

No! I cannot go back. I will not.

I will come back here. I will rebuild this.

I will rebuild everything the way it is right now.

By reflex, he reached for a pouch that was no longer there.

"…Your Highness? Are you quite alright?"

Charon. I must speak to him. Where is he?

We are going back. We are doing everything over again. We can prevent the war.

I don't care how many tries it takes. I'm going to build the world I want.

"I'm… I'm fine." Coronus muttered. "Thank you, ever so much, for your forewarning, good Aether. I shall… use it to my advantage…"

The descent through the tower proceeded even more slowly than the ascent. Coronus clenched his claws in seething hatred, pulling out old, dusty thoughts and memories he'd hoped he'd never need again.

Is that it, then?

Would you tear down my hopes and dreams, O cruel tides of fate, in one swift motion of your tail?

Take away the ones I loved? The family that I… that I have earned?

Rage was building. Heart was pounding. Stomach was plummeting.

From somewhere, there came an urge to destroy the castle himself, so that the Master could not have the satisfaction.

But then, cutting through his downward spiral of thoughts, his Charizard companion touched his shoulder with a warming claw.

"Before you unleash your fury, O Highness, would you care to hear my perspective?"

YOUR perspective? Your perspective is what CAUSED all of this in the first place! You, who cannot fathom what you have placed upon my shoulders…

But he swallowed his anger. "What is it?" he managed.

"I will tell you," the Charizard whispered, "Once we leave her earshot."

Following his friend's lead, the Nidoking exited the stairwell and ducked into one of the castle's upper halls. Though Coronus could not understand what Amadeus could possibly say to make things better, there was always something about the Charizard that made his heart want to believe in his words, and so he was willing to listen.

"I have a suspicion as to what triggered her headache," Amadeus hissed, walking quickly. "According to the grapevine, yesterday, your father found a terrorist ring beneath the Great Plateau of Midwestern Ambera."

"Yes, Rautzen spoke of such a thing this morning."

"You mean Raikouun? I would like to meet this 'Rautzen' you keep speaking about, he sounds like he made quite an impression on you."

"Yes, yes. You are correct, of course. You were saying…?"

The Charizard found a particular pair of double-doors, and flung them open, stepping out into a balcony of his own three-story living chamber. When Coronus had kidnapped the young Charmader from the fields of the far west, he'd reserved one of the castle's best suites for him, filling it with all of the pleasantries a fire-type could want – coal fireplaces, artificial magma flows, obsidian furnishings – everything that was scientifically proven to warm a Charmander's heart. He'd even gone so far as to have the two upper floors torn out, allowing a high ceiling and a place he could practice his flight once his wings would grow. But the young Amadeus apparently preferred the cerebral comforts over the primal, and had gradually torn down his volcano-like haven, building in its place a personal library. Whenever the Charizard was not out flying, he was either learning, or sharing what he'd learned.

The Charizard hopped over the balcony rail, spreading his wings and gliding to the floor. The Nidoking took the stairs.

"Rumor has it – and you know that I always seek out the best of the rumors – the organization your father broke up called themselves the 'Gold Division,' implying that there are more of them, but nevermind that for now. This was a great triumph in favor of the Master."

Coronus bit his tongue and feigned ignorance. My father brought down the Gold Division? Could it be true? Even now, it seems too soon… Is this what happens when there is nobody to stop him? I wonder what caused Enigma to turn her attention there… Was there a mole? Did The Executioner make a mistake? It is fascinating…

No, no… there I go again, returning to that old web of thoughts. I need to remember: it is not fascinating. It is agony, and deserves to be ignored.

…But what of… what of the Adrellos? Adron never served the Master, Team Remorse does not exist, so that would mean… Where is Adrel?! What is he doing right now? Is the Solemn Fortress still defended by a Scyther? This opens an entirely new web of possibilities I never explored, because I thought it foolish to have Char taught to fight by any other team. Would this have an effect on Basin Canyon? Oh, and what of Aster? Was she associated with the Gold Division? Surely my father would have failed in his crusade had she been defending –

No! You must discontinue these thoughts immediately. They are done. They are over with. They are in the past. They are in the past's past. I am the one who decides the lines of fate now, not…

He eyed the Charizard.

Not him.

"But if I am not mistaken, there is something we are both forgetting, and I have the evidence to prove it," Amadeus said, scanning the shelves of books.

With a powerful thrust of his legs, the Charizard took wing again, flapping his way up to the second floor. The shelves up there were sparsely populated, Coronus noted, and the third-floor shelves were completely empty. He knew that, given enough time, the studious Charizard would have all of the shelves packed with books, but wondered how he managed to keep from burning down the entire library with an unfortunate swing of his tail.

The Charizard returned with a small book, setting it on his reading desk in the center of the room.

"What's this?" Coronus wondered aloud.

Amadeus opened the book. "Before Aether was tragically stricken with amnesia, she kept a diary," he explained. "This is her diary, containing all of her thoughts and memories she no longer possesses for herself."

"Oh! How… oddly convenient," Coronus said, surprised that he never knew of such a diary before, and was already plotting out ways to have it 'accidentally' tossed into the nearest fireplace. "Have you ever shown this to her…?"

"Come now, would I ever do such a thing to you, your Highness?" the Charizard said knowingly. "Am I correct in saying that her amnesia was no accident? I am no magician, but I know that it takes the most obscure and twisted kinds of magic to erase the memories of a dark-type, one who is normally immune to psychic magic of all kinds. It takes the kind of magic that only someone ostentatiously rich could commission. Someone who, say, rules an entire kingdom… Or, perhaps, the son of such someone."

At this conclusion, Coronus was both awed and shocked. Amadeus, stop being so keen. You are too true to yourself for your own good.

"Come today, I cannot deny what a wise decision it was on your part, your Highness," the Charizard said, turning the pages of the old and brittle diary, careful not to tear them with his large claws. "While I'm sure you are aware that Aether once led a terrorist team of her own, one she called 'Team Absolution,' perhaps you did not know that her team was indeed, as it says here, subservient to… the very group your father has torn down…"

"The Gold Division?" Coronus completed, Of course, that's not new information, he told himself. I already –

Oh.

It then clicked together. The Nidoking understood.

Amadeus shut the book. "The reason Miss Aether couldn't sleep last night is because she heard the dying cries of her old allies as they were burned alive, arrested, slaughtered… however it is that your father treats the terrorists he finds. The deaths were relevant and personal to her, and so she sensed them with her horn, even though they might be residing somewhere inside of her mind that perhaps she cannot access. And that, my good prince, is my own perspective. The tragedy is not to happen in the future – it is already done. And as long as we do not let Aether see this diary, she will never know the reason why."

The relief swept over the Nidoking faster than the despair had, washing it away. No… no war.

No war!

No going back. No rebuilding.

We're safe. Everything's safe.

Safe!

"Ha-ha-HA!"

An awkward, relieved stream of laughter burst from the Nidoking. The Charizard seemed confused.

"Ah! Pardon me, I am simply relieved. Good work, Amadeus! Very good work! I suppose we will not be going to war. No war, no war! How joyous! Let us throw a grand feast this very night! Let us invite the council, all of them, and celebrate the fortuitous benefits of peace! Let us throw a ball! No war, no war, no war! How sweet the words!" The gleeful Nidoking sang as he shook the Charizard's hand. "Ah, how good it is that you are here, Char. I knew I brought you here for a reason."

"You wish to celebrate… what, nothing but the deaths of ten thousand Pokémon… with a feast and a ball, merely because the Pokémon did not belong to us?" Amadeus said humorously. "Such empathy you demonstrate, your Highness! Well, then. Who am I to complain? Put the fattened Emboar on the table and I'll consider showing up."

Soon after, the Starborn Prince galloped merrily through the halls with a bright, toothy grin spread across his face.

Yes, of course it made sense! How could I have ever doubted myself? After all, it was I who Amadeus hand-picked in the first place, because he saw my natural talent with weaving fate's tapestries –

He realized that his thoughts were drifting too far in an uncomfortable direction, and he drowned them out with his ignorant glee.

"Royston!" he shouted, pulling aside nearby Gardevoir (there were dozens of Gardevoir constantly about the castle, as King Cepheus felt they made excellent housekeepers).

"Y-your Highness," said the startled housekeeper, trying to compose himself. "Is something the matter?"

"Royston! Tell the staffing house at once that we are to have a grand ball this evening!" shouted the prince. "Invite the whole council! Slaughter the fattened Emboar! Let the bards play!"

"Oh… oh dear," said the wide-eyed Gardevoir. "Pray tell, what is the occasion?"

Coronus thought quickly. "The occasion? Haven't you heard the news, Royston? Our king's great crusade has been a success! He has dealt a great blow to the Master's enemies to the west, and the Master is soon to flood us with riches! What better way to celebrate than to begin spending them at once, and get the economy moving?"

"Oh, this is wonderful news, your Highness, but… this is on such short notice," said the housekeeper. "I do believe we have not even finished cleaning the dishes from Saura's half-hatchday celebration last week. If we are to give due justice to this momentous occasion, perhaps… allow us a day to prepare? Perhaps two?"

"Nonnnsense!" the prince laughed. "I have full faith that our wonderful staff can make it so. Now, get a move on, Royston! Have the table set and the ballroom opened by Seven!"

"I… I'll make known your words, your Highness," the Gardevoir said before a flash of light teleported him away.

The human-clocks struck eleven, and the district reverberated with the clear, musical sounds of bells tolling in the distance. The day was still young, and there was so much to do!

Well, mostly for the staff. Coronus could not be bothered with the minutia of planning an event. But he was not without his own responsibilities to keep himself busy.

Whenever the king was off crusading around Ambera, he would appoint several high council members to keep the kingdom running in his absence. Coronus, unfortunately, was one of those members. It made sense that he needed to learn the politics and processes of being king, as he would succeed Cepheus one day. But after having lived several dozen lifetimes in pursuit of an entirely different set of objectives, he really couldn't care less about learning to run a kingdom.

He did, however, quite enjoy throwing his weight around and insisting on having his way. And some of his daily tasks involved doing just that. It was quite a luxury not having to do everything himself for once.

Stepping out into the glorious garden at the front of the castle, Coronus breathed in the air, a strange mix of dusty autumn and delightful spring scents. Though the leaves had fallen elsewhere across the land, the castle's gardens were kept perennial by some manner of grass-type magic, keeping their vibrancy even as the snow would cover them in the winter. It was a garden that never died, and in a way, never grew, but it was always magnificent.

"Heading out to Delegate Street?' a voice unexpectedly said from nearby.

Had it been any other voice, Coronus may have been startled, but he'd grown quite desensitized to this one. He turned and greeted the iron-clad Scyther who'd flown over the hedges to meet him.

"Want me to call you some bodyguards?" the Scyther offered.

"Thank you, but I'm not going that far from civilization," Coronus replied. "The Pokemon on Delegate Street will attack with words and ideas, not tooth and claw. I believe I'll be fine."

"As you say," the Scyther said. "But before you leave, there is one other matter… about Aether."

"I've spoken with her, and she -"

"Yes, I've heard it all," the Scyther replied.

Coronus wanted to feel appalled, but only rolled his eyes. "You were listening to our conversation."

"Of course," said the Scyther, walking alongside him through the garden. "Regarding matters of royal security, it is my duty to know everything."

Coronus sighed. "I suppose there are more things to say regarding Aether's headache," he began explaining. "You see…"

"No need, I was listening to that conversation as well."

This time, Coronus was appalled. "How dare - I mean to say, how did you get into the library?! I was certain we were alone."

"I only listened through the door, your Highness," he said. "I do not believe I would have eluded your ears had I accompanied you and Amadeus in the room."

"So, you know about-"

"Aether's memory loss? Yes, I know. And I find this to be a fortuitous decision on your part, your Highness, so have no fear of scandal, at least coming from me. But even with Amadeus's explanation, something still does not sit right with me about this."

"Oh? And what, pray tell, is that do you propose?" Coronus hummed.

"I don't know," the Scyther said, lowering his voice, "and perhaps this is the problem. We are currently receiving intelligence from your father, regarding the ongoing struggle between the Master and the resistance. But I fear this intelligence, as of late, has been… incomplete. As though your father is committing lies of omission."

"What are you implying? That we cannot trust our own King?" Coronus replied.

"In the same way which western Ambera cannot trust their own Master? Perhaps not. But I have suspicions that Aether might have felt more than just the destruction of some insurgency, and some small sect of it, at that. Your Highness, I recommend that you send more spies to the west."

"And spy on my father?!" laughed the Prince. "You could not even spy on him when he is at home. What good do you think that would do?"

"There will be no need to spy on him directly, but I merely need to know more about… the circumstances surrounding his conquest."

"Good, then, you can go!" Coronus said. "I see no reason why you can't. The guard is fully staffed for the winter season, the trainees are gone, and the army is overseas."

"Despite this, I am sworn to protect the castle," the Scyther said, bowing his head. "This is my oath to your father. I wondered if perhaps you would consent to… sending Amadeus instead."

Coronus frowned. "Amadeus? Why?"

"He has clearly expressed a desire to explore the western lands, and he is a strong dragon capable of defending himself. Besides, I am not asking him to operate covertly. I only need reconnaissance. But I need it from someone I deeply trust, and there are few Pokemon I trust more than those who sit beside me at morning brunch."

The Prince snarled, hoping the Scyther would not notice. "Adron, I would seek a more suitable agent, if not just for a second option. I find that Amadeus is a Pokemon I often require at my side, and feel that his absence would be as unbearable as severing off my own arm. I will consider it if we are desperate, but only if. See if you can't find someone else, will you?"

The Scyther bowed. "Of course, Your Highness," he said, turning to leave. "I will look into my options at once. And please, take care out there. Words and ideas can be just as deadly as the sharpest of scythes."

The Nidoking immediately felt a chill upon leaving the castle grounds; outside of the garden's pleasant-weather spell, the frosty autumn air nipped at his ears and crawled under his scales, making him wish he'd worn his Arcanine-hide coat.

Knowing Adron, he'll probably send me a bodyguard anyway, Coronus told himself. Ah, Adron, if only you knew how much effort it took to cultivate the most perfect and ideal version of yourself. If only you knew the hundreds of cruel fates I've saved you from, the curses and the accidents and the tragedies that would ensure that your true self would be suppressed beneath a pained life and a shattered mind!

If only any of them knew…

(Part 1 of 4)