Chosen By Aegislash (Main)

Prologue:

Many people wonder how the monarchy came to be in the world of Pokémon, for it has gone on so long that no-one can remember how it all began. You may assume that a collection of knights formed an order so that they could stabilize the land and, using a regal Pokémon as a mark of kingship, said knights elected a king to rule. While it is true that an order was established, a king was chosen by other means...

Long ago, the Pokémon world was much different than what it is today. The land was plagued by war. Brother fought brother and Pokémon fought Pokémon, all of them seeking to control the land. The people who were left abandoned or without homes during the bloodshed looked up at the sky and begged for it all to stop. They would look for a sign from Arceus, for a way to stop the never-ending war.

Then one day, an object fell from the heavens. It shot across the sky and vanished into a vast forest, where it was discovered by a forgotten tribe. What they came upon appeared to be a shield mounted against a mighty blade. As one of the tribesman reached for it, the sword suddenly came to life, moving without aid from anyone. The tribes-people were shocked by this, but not as shocked as they were about to be. The sword danced in the sky and then cut a message into a nearby tree; when it was finished, the message read:

Touch the shield and receive the message

Wary but curious, the tribes-people reached out and touched the shield. Instantly a message started playing out in their heads. The message went as follows:

I am Aegislash. I have been sent from on high to find he who is worthy to rule this land, for he has been blessed by Arceus, and his judgment shall better the people around him. I wish that you help me find this one so that we may move forward. To help with this quest, I bestow upon you power and I convey this title to our order. We will be known as The League of the Divine Blade, for you are my order, and together we shall bring peace to this land.

With that, the ones gathered around Aegislash gained the ability to understand Pokémon and gave the people gathered there new clothes in order to better cope with the travel. Together, they set out to find the true king. They had little progress for months, until one day Aegislash felt a presence nearby. When they discovered the presence they found that it belonged to a young man named Richard. Aegislash told his order that Richard has the innate power to be king. With this news, the order bowed to Richard and told him who they were and why they were here. It was shocking news for Richard, for he was a mere servant boy who never thought that he could rule. However, he accepted what the order told him and went with them.

When the order returned to their home, they presented Richard to the people and declared:

"People of the land, you have struggled greatly under the toil of war, and many times it has seemed that your prayers for peace have gone unanswered. But today we are here to tell you that your prayers have been answered. Not too long ago, an object fell from the heavens and landed before us. It told us that it was sent by Arceus to help find the true king through its ability to sense the power and spirit of leadership. That object is here beside us, the Pokémon Aegislash. We have travelled far with Aegislash and found the true king. This is Richard, the true king of this land, which shall be named Kalos."

With this announcement the people rejoiced, their prayers finally answered and a true king found. With Aegislash at his side, Richard led the people out of the darkness and together they built a kingdom to rival any other, and the centrepiece of their kingdom was the palace itself, a glorious building where the King could govern his people and run the Pokémon league. Upon Richard's coronation his was given an Eevee as his first Pokémon; when he asked why he was told that, because of its many forms, Eevee represents a new beginning.

As his first act as king, Richard created the Pokémon league, a place where people who caught, tamed and trained Pokémon could come and battle one another. The people who caught Pokémon were called trainers. With the creation of the league, the once great division between humans and Pokémon started to dissipate, as it presented an opportunity for people and Pokémon alike to grow stronger and closer through the art of battle. Over time, the foundations of trust, honesty, loyalty and fair play were formed and the division between the two races disappeared for good.

Richard ruled as a fair king and his children following suit, each possessing the same power to rule as their ancestor, and the kingdom prospered under generations of peace. However, despite these harmonious times, hidden away in shadow, rumblings of treachery and deceit were beginning to stir. Unbeknownst to the people, a new order was rising in the darkness – one with more sinister intentions. Referring to themselves as the Shadow Alliance, their ultimate goal was to overthrow the king and claim the land of Kalos as their own. They waited years for the right moment to come, constantly plotting new plans to overthrow the king. Every plan they had failed for a long time, this was because The League kept such as a close eye over the king and his children that it was almost impossible to see any weaknesses.

Eventually though, they found what they were looking for. King William, the current king had one major weakness, his wife and queen. She was his rock of stability; even with all the craziness that being a king can entail she was always there to help him. The alliance knew that in order for their coup to work, she had to be eliminated, which would leave the king devastated and, most importantly, vulnerable. With this in mind they set their plan into motion.

The Alliance sent a bogus threat from a neighbouring country to the king, threatening an invasion unless William met the other country's king. Worried about sparking a war, the king rode out with his guard, leaving his queen behind. By the time he had got to the supposed meeting place, realized he'd been duped and rushed home, it was already too late. The queen was dead, stabbed through the heart.

The king went into a deep depression, which worried the Divine Blade League. In response, they investigated the queen's murder, trying to understand what happened. What they found shook them to their core. The remnants of Dark and Ghost attacks were found on the queen's body, which led them to believe that they were more sinister forces at work. Dark and Ghost Pokémon usually secluded themselves and left humanity alone, but these attacks were clearly from trained Pokémon. Now sure that there was a person or order out for the crown, the League increased their watch over the king, waiting for their enemies to make their next move. They did not have to wait long.

At a dinner party held at the castle, the League of the Divine Blade was watching over the room and looking over all the guests. They were sure that their enemies would attack the king when he looked vulnerable and without guards. But when they were just about to stop, they saw something.

A man was trying to poison the king's food. They confronted him and the man made a break for it, followed by other members of the Shadow Alliance. However, they were found by the League's Pokémon and were routed. The captured members told them where their base was and the Divine Blade order and the King's guard rounded up the remaining members of the Alliance. They were brought before the king, who sentenced them to banishment far away from the kingdom.

However, the Shadow Alliance's plan worked: the poison made the king very ill, and he died.

Now the Kingdom of Kalos was in panic. With no heir, who would be the next king? Not wanting to watch all of the hard work of the people of Kalos ruined by civil war, the League of the Divine Blade announced that they would use Aegislash's power once again to find someone with the power of leadership, and crown him the next king. They would search high and low to find their next ruler.

What they did not know is this: Who would have this power? What would they be like? And how would they govern Kalos?

My name is Kenitoh Skylark, at least that’s what I was told. I never knew my parents and grew up in the orphanage, with not even the caretakers having any answers. The only thing that truly distinguished me was my birthmark. A sword sheathed within a shield.

I lived in the orphanage for about 4 years, never getting answers about my past or birthmark, not only that but I was extremely lonely. There were kids, definitely, but none of them I considered friends. Often times, I would look around the playground and just feel like I was an observer. I never knew what to say, what to do or even how to fit in with others. It felt horrible to always watch but never play.

Why couldn’t I just get along okay with the others? Why did I feel so out of place?

These questions continuously raced around my mind. I longed to just play with the others and have fun, but I just couldn’t. This, combined with no information about my past and with the orphanage caretakers having no time pay me any attention, with the many trouble making children abound, lead me to run away from the orphanage to make my own life and find out the mysteries of my past. I would need to make it out of Foxhedge and the easiest of doing that without getting caught was through the sewers. I entered the sewers and quickly ran my way through until I could hear other footsteps running towards me. When they reached me, I found that they were other children that were also runaways. They asked me to follow them to where the town guard would never find me. So I did.

I was brought into what looked like a criminal hideout and brought before the group’s leader, a 9 year old who they called “Brutal Jack”. They had been watching the orphanage and he was impressed by my speed and quick thinking, two traits he had seen during my fights with bullies at the orphanage. He told me that the purpose of his group was the same as mine, to create new lives for themselves. Jack offered me a position in his group, which I immediately accepted.

Jack immediately put me to work in the group. In order for the group to leave Foxhedge, we would need supplies and money. The group focused my particular training on my speed and reflexes, setting up obstacle courses for me to run through that simulated market days in the town. I was determined to prove my worth to the group so I did all I could to help them succeed. As the town guard wised up to our little thieving ways, the group needed a new idea and plan of attack, to which I provided an answer. Having watched how the town guard operated, I devised new plans for the group which included more distractions with other group members and new alternate routes to take if the guard blocked it. These new plans impressed Jack and earned me a position as second in command of the group.

It was on one of these missions for food that I meet a friend for life. I had outwitted the town guard yet again and was about to make my escape when I saw another guard chasing an Eevee. The tiny cat had an apple in its mouth and was dodging the guard’s attempts to catch him. From what I saw, I felt a certain kinship with it and wanted to help it. I waved my hand to get the Eevee’s attention and lifted the sewer grate, showing an escape path. The Eevee immediately changed direction and dived into the sewer with me close behind. Once we ran for a safe distance into the sewer, we stopped to catch our breath.

“Nice job” I said to the pokemon

“Vee” The Eevee yipped in gratitude

“You don’t seem to have a trainer or owner, huh?”

The Eevee nodded sadly and I knelt down to it

“Then how about I be that trainer, eh? Together, we can make those guards bite our dust. What do you say?”

The Eevee gave a happy yap and jumped onto my outstretched hand and climbed onto my shoulder. Together we made our way to the hideout.
From then on, Eevee became an intergral part of my plans. We worked together in a dynamic that frustrated the guards even more than usual. From our many heists spawned an unbreakable bond of friendship.

This was my life, it wasn't much and my life had a ton of questions about my past, but it was my life. I didn't know what would happen next but I would make sure I was ready for it.

The noon day sun shone brightly in the sky as Haelstrom was leading his platoon through the forest a few miles west of Foxhedge town, reading the scroll that stated his order of business. The commander was resplendent in a clean white cloak, as were the comrades who walked alongside him. Beneath he wore sturdy armour, colored scarlet and gold. Across the breastplate was the symbol of The League, a winged sword sheathed in a golden crown. Two rows of guards walked on either side of him and his comrades, who were part of the king's legion, wore ornate silver armour.

The commander re-read his order from the League:

Sir Haelstrom,

As you are fully aware, King William has been slain by assailants of the Shadow Alliance, meaning this land is without a monarch to rule. Therefore, Aegislash has awoken, and the League of the Divine Blade must be called upon in these dire times.
You are hereby bestowed with the important task of escorting Aegislash across the distant lands in order to find the heir to the throne. Whomever Aegislash chooses, its decision must not be questioned. Once found, you are to bring them to the castle so the League may greet them formally and preparations for the coronation can be made.

You have been given this great task for your loyalty to the crown and to the League of the Divine Blade. You have provided a great service to the people and this land. Our future now rests with you, therefore swift completion is expected.

I remain unto you,

Lord Senlis, High Chancellor

Commander Haelstrom refolded the letter and placed it back into his cloak. As he walked, he pondered the enormity of the task set in front of him to find this new heir. According to the scriptures, the original League took months to find the first king, though to be fair they were, most probably, traveling across the entire kingdom in order to find the new heir. He also pondered what this new heir would be like. Would he show the qualities of true leadership, like he was akin to have? Would the people of the land take a liking to him? The league's worlds did hold a great deal of weight, but a lot of expectations would land on the new heir's shoulders

As he pondered this, he looked to the Pokémon that floated beside him, the mighty Aegislash. This Pokémon - sent down from the heavens, a mighty silver blade with a golden handle, with an elegantly patterned shield wrapped around the blade, ribbon-like arms folded round its back, black as jet with tips of blossoming lavender - was truly quite a spectacle to behold.

"Are you sure that this is the right way, commander?" said one of the legion.

"Put your fears at ease, guardsman," said a voice from behind them. Commander Haelstrom and the legion turned around to see two people approaching them, riding on two Rapidash. "Aegislash has never steered us wrong in the past and we have no reason to distrust it now."

"I was wondering which members of the League would be joining us on this mission," said Commander Haelstrom "but I did not expect you, Lord Innsvar."

Innsvar threw back his hood to reveal his face to the legion; a well-built man with a tall figure. He had short blonde hair and eyes of bright blue, and alongside him stood his trusty Bisharp.

"...and unless my eyes deceive me, that is Lady Cantessa that is with us, as well," said Commander Haelstrom.

The Lady Cantessa then threw back her hood and revealed herself to the legion. She was a woman of astonishing beauty, built like an acrobat but with hidden strength. Her hair was chestnut brown, long and flowing in a gentle wind and eyes of brilliant hazel. Alongside her came her faithful companions, an Espeon and an Umbreon.

"Yes, Innsvar and I have been chosen to take part in this important matter." Said Cantessa "While the other members of the League take care of governmental problems, we will find the new heir. Have you begun your search, Commander?"

"We are just starting now, my lady," the commander said, and with that we looked skywards, outstretched his arm and called:

"Come to me, Staraptor."

A mighty black and white bird with a red tip of feather came from the sky and landed near the commander, its powerful wing beat causing a strong gust of wind which caused many in the legion to duck behind their shields, almost losing balance. Lord Innsvar was unaffected, protected by a glowing shield cast by Bisharp, it was protect, a defensive commonly used in battle. Lady Cantessa's Espeon jumped to her shoulder and used its psychic powers to direct the wind away from her.

"Staraptor," said the Commander, "I ask you to scout ahead and alert us of any nearby settlements."

The Staraptor nodded and spread its mighty wings again, the legion once again ducking behind their shields to avoid being knocked over by the gust caused by its wings.

Commander Haelstrom, Lord Innsvar and Lady Cantessa watched as Staraptor flew off before continuing on their path.

"My lord, my lady, I must ask," said Commander Haelstrom, "What do you think this new heir will be like? The pressure upon them could be insurmountable."

Lord Innsvar chuckled. "This is why the League was formed in the first place, commander. The League of the Divine Blade not only finds heirs to the throne, but also teaches, guides and, if necessary, raises them for the time when they will be rule this land."

"Raises them?" asked the commander, confused by the statement. "Do you honestly think the heir will be that young?"

"The League has taken care of the ruling family's children for generations, preparing them for the future," replied Lady Cantessa. "Whether or not the new heir is that young is all down to fate. Now, shall we head off, commander?"

"Yes, of course," said the commander, turning back to his men. "Let us go search for the new ruler of this land."

"FOR THE KINGDOM!" said the legion, in that kind of perfect militant unison that Haelstrom was all too familiar with.

Staraptor was patrolling the skies, following his master's orders. Soon his keen eye spotted smoke coming over a nearby hill; investigating it, he saw the distinct pattern of thatched roofs over simple cottages. It was clear that a town was not too far from group's position, so he started to turn around and fly back, but something within the town centre had caught his eye. He glided over for further examination, perching himself on the clock tower get a better look. He could see that the town centre was crowded with people and stalls; a market was taking place. Various people in different types of dress were looking around the stalls and behind all of them were the local shopkeepers and farmers, constantly shouting about the loveliness of their produce.

As he gazed around the street, something else caught Staraptor's eye. A group of children were having some sort of private meeting. Judging by their tattered clothing and lack of shoes, Staraptor assumed they were either extremely poor, orphans, or both. He flew down to a closer ledge nearby to have a listen-in on what they were saying.

"...Oh yeah, and how are you going to distract those towns people, Kenitoh?" asked one of the boys. "Do you see many are out there? You'll never get them all!"

"You worry about getting food, leave the rest of the work to me," replied the boy named Kenitoh. The others listened intently to what he was saying. "And if you such a problem with it, I'd like to see you come up with a better plan."

The first boy opened his mouth, hoping that he had something to say but didn't.

"Considering that it's been Kenitoh's plans that have kept us fed, I say we follow it," said a much taller boy, who was clearly the leader of this gang. "Kenitoh and Eevee have not failed in the past to be the best distraction this side of a circus, so why should it fail now?"

The little Eevee that was sitting on Kenitoh's shoulder gave a happy little yap. Judging by its dirt marks and thin shape, Staraptor assumed it was just as poor and hungry as the orphans.

"Just one question, though," said the leader. "What route are you taking, Kenitoh? While Chester can be annoying, he has a point. There are a lot of people out there."

Kenitoh pulled out a piece of paper from his clothes and showed it to his fellows.

"This is the plan," said Kenitoh, as he unfolded the paper revealing what appeared to be a map of the town centre, but with a large black line drawn all over it with two X's marking what appeared a start and finish point. "I looked over the market as they were setting up, and managed to take one of the maps the guards made of where every stall is being set up. We practiced the route underground with the tables that were down there. The plan is that Eevee runs out first and I follow suit on this course. The noise and panic should draw the town watch to me and, in turn, the crowd. You guys grab what you can and meet back at the hideout, I'll meet back with you later."

The other children were clearly happy with this plan and Staraptor had listened to the details. It seemed that this boy, despite looking so young and ragged (no older than seven by Staraptor's estimate), he clearly possessed a strong will and surprising intelligence. There was only one flaw that could be seen: if the boy was not fast enough, then someone would catch him and the whole plan would be in ruins. Staraptor knew he had to get back to his master but he decided to stick around to see how this plan went off.

The other boys and girls had run off to another location nearby and waited for a signal, leaving Kenitoh and Eevee in the same alleyway. Kenitoh talked quietly to the Eevee.
"This is it Eevee. This is what we've been practicing for weeks. You have my back and I have yours. Remember if it gets too difficult on our set path and we have to take one of the extra paths we drew up, any path that gets us to the finish is fine. Ready?"
The Eevee gave another happy and confident yap and they shared a quick hug before preparing themselves. It was clear to the Staraptor that Kenitoh cared for Eevee very much and, despite the fact that the boy was not Eevee's master, it was loyal to Kenitoh beyond all doubt. Kenitoh started making hand signals that Eevee and the other children could see. It was a countdown.

5, 4, 3, 2, 1…

Eevee set off running as fast as its little legs could carry it, and a few seconds later Kenitoh burst out into the street following it. With Kenitoh giving chase as Eevee darted through the crowd, attention was starting to turn on them. Soon after they started climbing over and around the stalls, the workers trying to catch them. Sure enough, just as Kenitoh predicted, the town watch started to close in on them and the attention of the townspeople was fully drawn to the two. While this was happening, Staraptor was the only one who noticed that the other children were taking food from a variety of stalls. Vegetables, cheese, fruit, bread, anything they could get their hands on. As soon as they had all that they could carry, they quickly darted back to the alleyway and down a manhole they had lifted earlier.

Kenitoh had noticed that the others were disappearing down the manhole, one of them turning around and giving the "all clear" signal; he could stop the chase. Eevee noticed this as well and changed direction, heading for a nearby alleyway, Kenitoh hot on its heels. Staraptor noticed that the town watch was quickly gaining on them, though this wasn't surprising. Since they were able bodied without empty stomachs, Staraptor waited for what seemed like the inevitable, but what he didn't know was that Kenitoh had anticipated them doing this. Eevee made a sharp turn towards a shadowy alleyway and Kenitoh followed suit. They quickly jumped to a bin and then onto a nearby ladder, quickly scampering up it. The guardsmen then ran into the alleyway, expecting to see a small boy with nowhere else to turn, only to find the alleyway completely empty. They searched the nearby bins but he was nowhere to be found. One of them even climbed up the ladder to get a better look from above, but to no avail.

Staraptor stood there on his perch, stunned by what he'd saw. He had clearly underestimated the boy greatly, coming up with an escape pretty much on the spot from a situation that adults would struggle greatly with. He continued to watch the boy and the Eevee as they made their way to the top of the building, finally deciding to take a rest to regain their breath. Once they were finished, the Eevee jumped onto the boy's shoulder, and he slid down a drain pipe and made his way to the open manhole. The Eevee jumped in first and just as Kenitoh was about to follow, he looked around to make sure all was clear, and spotted the Staraptor. Kenitoh jumped at the site of the massive bird, having seen nothing bigger than a Fletchling in his life. He stood in stunned awe as the two surveyed one another before Staraptor unfolded his wings and took off into the sky. Kenitoh watched it for a moment before he heard the guards and quickly jumped down the manhole, closing it as he left.

Staraptor flew away from the town and made his way back to the commander. His keen eyes noticed the armour of his master and flew down towards him, his descent causing the legion to raise their shields so that they didn't get blown off their feet.

"Welcome back, my friend," said Commander Haelstrom. "Did you find a settlement nearby?"

"Star, Star, Staraptor," said Staraptor

"Is that right?"

“Commander?” asked Lord Innsvar, who had just made it to Haelstrom.

"Staraptor here was just telling me about what he saw. According to him, a town is not too far from here and he witnessed something amazing. A gang of orphans just managed to pull a raid on the marketplace."

"Wait..." said Lady Cantessa."A gang of orphans? This I have to hear."

"Very well, my lady," said Commander Haelstrom, turning to his Staraptor. "Continue, my friend."

Staraptor continued his story with the three of them listening closely. The legion only watched, unable to understand what Staraptor was saying. It was a well-known fact that the members of the League were able to understand their Pokémon and were able to communicate with them. The commander, along with his promotion, was named a member of the League and was granted the power to understand Pokémon by Aegislash.

"Well," said Lady Cantessa, after Staraptor had finished, "that truly is an entertaining story; wait 'til I tell the others in the League."

"That will have to wait for now, Cantessa," said Innsvar, who also found the story entertaining, "Because all joking aside, it's time to begin our search in the town." Both Innsvar and Cantessa mounted their Rapidashs and, along with the legion, followed Staraptor towards the town.
Meanwhile, in the sewer system, both Kenitoh and Eevee were walking towards the hideout with huge smiles on their faces. It always felt good when they beat the town watch and succeeded with their plans. Often times when they beat the town watch they would sing their favourite song:

Weddle can roll a stone

Combee stings Ursaring

Yanma can fly around Kalos 'cause Yanmas don't care

A Spearow in a hat can make a happy home

A Jotik bites the bottom of the chancellor

They eventually made it back to the hideout where the others had gathered. The hideout was nothing special; some broken chairs and old tables were scattered around the place and the beds that they slept in were nothing more than moth eaten mattresses and sack cloth sheets. Yes, it was a dump, but it was their home and they loved it all the same.

The others were setting the table, all their ill-gotten food resting upon it. Once Kenitoh and Eevee were noticed the children started crowding around them, giving high fives and applause to their second-in-command and strategist.

"Ah, Kenitoh," said Jack "You made it back! Well done today, my friend! Please take your place with me, at the head of the table."

Kenitoh took his place next to Jack. Jack was a tall boy, around nine years old, with brown hair and eyes.

"Before we eat!" Jack said, stopping a few of the gang who were reaching for food. "A toast to Kenitoh and Eevee, for pulling another plan and managing to get us the banquet you see before you. To Kenitoh and Eevee, and TO THE GANG!"

"TO THE GANG!" said the rest of the children, drinking juice from the cups they had. As they set to eating, someone called down the tunnel.

"Boss, Kenitoh, you two are really gonna want to see this!" It was Laura, the girl assigned to lookout duty. Deciding to see what was happening, Jack and Kenitoh climbed to the lookout point, giving them a full view of the street. They expected to see traders yelling at the town watch for about stolen produce and the damage Kenitoh and Eevee had caused during their run, but something else was happening. The townspeople were gathering around one point and looking through the gap in the crowd, Kenitoh could see a group of people in silver armour and, just behind them, a man in scarlet and gold armour and two people riding Rapidashs and wearing white cloaks. The most striking thing about them was the Pokémon that was with them; it looked like a gold and silver sword sheathed inside a gold shield with an intricate pattern.

"Who are these guys?" asked Laura

"Those are the royal guard," replied Jack

"How do you know?"

"It's in one of the books I have. Those guys are the only ones who have silver armour like that and if you look closely, you can see the Kalos symbol on their chest."

"Then who are those guys riding the Rapidashs?" asked Kenitoh

"Well, if the book is correct, then those guys are League of the Divine Blade members," replied Jack

"Okay, then what is that floating thing behind them?"

"You think that's a Pokémon?" asked Laura, who was just as confused as Kenitoh was.

"According to the book, The League of the Divine Blade used a Pokémon that fell from the heavens in order to crown the first king," Jack replied. "Maybe that's the Pokémon they were referring to."

The three of them lent forward to hear what was being said. The League members were talking to the captain of the town watch.

"It is an honour to have members of the Divine Blade League come to our town, my lord and lady," said the captain. "I must ask, though: what brings you to our small town?"

"As you are aware," said one of the figures in white, "King William has died recently and so it is the duty of the League to use Aegislash's power to find a suitable heir to the throne. Our search brought us here so that we may search the town for any persons - men, women or children - who may bear the power of leadership."

The captain nodded. "Well, most of the citizens of this town will willingly comply with your wishes, my lord. However there is at least one who will not."

"And who is this person?"

"Well..." the captain looked embarrassed that he was about to admit this."There are reports of a child. Small one with ginger hair, being followed around by an Eevee. Quick little thing, responsible for a lot of havoc during market days. We've been trying to catch him for several months now, but he's very good at hiding; one minute he's there jumping over the stalls and the next he's gone without a trace."

"What about goods?" asked Innsvar.

"Whenever that boy disappears, a good portion of market produce is reported stolen. Fruit and vegetables, mostly, and occasionally bread and cheese, but a fair portion none the less."

"So you're saying that you and your men were outwitted by a single child?" asked Cantessa, raising an eyebrow.

"It's not like we haven't tried to apprehend him," said the captain, as many of the town citizens were listening in. "He often runs into an alley that's a dead end, and we think that we can get him but when we get there, he's gone! No trace!"

"Maybe alternates routes of escape?" Lord Innsvar interjected.

"It doesn't matter," Lady Cantessa said, "We will see this boy before we leave. Perhaps we can succeed where you have failed."

Kenitoh silently snorted. Best of luck to you, lady, he thought, bigger people then you have tried.
While this talking was going on, Aegislash was silently scanning the crowd, hoping to find someone. He had just turned to where the orphan's lookout point was, hidden behind some barrels in the street and froze. Kenitoh, Jack and Laura also froze, paralyzed under Aegislash's daunting stare.

"Why is it looking this way?" asked Laura.

"I don't know, maybe it's found something." said Jack.

"Oh like what, a collection of mildly interesting barrels," said Kenitoh, sarcasm dripping from every word.

"Maybe it found something interesting; stop being so pessimistic," snapped Jack

Kenitoh growled; he didn't like big words like that. Unlike most people, Kenitoh didn't see big words as a sign of intellect, it was more like people were stroking their egos with intelligence they claimed to have.

"How many times do I have to tell you to stop using big words I either don't know or don't understand? It makes my head hurt."

"Um...guys," said Laura, pointing at Aegislash, "how worried to we need to be about that?"

Both Jack and Kentoh looked back and were stunned into silence. Aegislash had started drifting towards them. Kenitoh caught a glimpse of the blade, silver glistening in the sunlight. He felt more scared of that sword then any number of town watch or orphan care givers.

"Aegislash?" asked Innsvar, watching the sword Pokémon float towards the orphan's hiding place. He tapped Cantessa's shoulder and pointed towards Aegislash. Kenitoh was trembling in fear, his body shaking and wanting to scream. The three of them couldn't move, frozen in fear; in a few moments it would find them and probably slash them to pieces. The sword also seemed to be looking right at Kenitoh, or rather in the direction of him

"Kenitoh, run," Jack whispered.

"What?"

"Run. Something's telling me it's after you. Run into the tunnels and hide for a little bit. We'll hold them off as best we can; you're a brother and we will protect you,"

Tears pricked Kenitoh's eyes; he loved Jack, like the big brother he never had. The orphans were a family and they all protected each other. Giving Jack and Laura one last hug, he put Eevee on his shoulder and made a break for it, fleeing down the tunnels. Aegislash sensed this and followed Kenitoh's Aura, finding the tunnel entrance. Innsvar and Cantessa saw this and were quick to act.

"Go into the tunnel and find that boy," ordered Innsvar. Four of the guard snapped to attention and ran into the tunnel. Kenitoh ran fast as he could, turning every direction he could in order to try and out run his pursuers, but he couldn't go much farther; he didn't get a chance to eat and now he was feeling the consequences. He was slowing down and could barely move, even though he could hear the armoured feet behind him.

I can't give up, he thought, I have to keep going.

Kenitoh moved as fast as he could in his weakened state, but it was pointless.

"There he is!" yelled a voice from behind him.

Kenitoh turned around and saw the guardsmen. He turned to run away, but two pairs of powerful hands grabbed his shoulders and forearms, lifting him into the air and almost making Eevee fall off his shoulder

"GET YOUR HANDS OFF ME!" Kenitoh screamed, kicking and thrashing about as best he could, but the guardsmen held on with no problems.

"We got him," said one of the guards. "Let's take him back to the lord and lady."

They turned and went back the way they came, Kenitoh thrashing all the way there. A massive crowd had gathered outside the tunnel, with the two figures in white and the flying sword at the front.

"Put him down, but don't let him go," said the woman in white. The guards complied and put Kenitoh on the ground.

Kenitoh looked directly at the two figures, and then noticed the flying sword and felt the same
freezing fear from before.

"Is this the one, Aegislash?" asked the woman, an air of excitement in her actions.
The flying sword – Aegislash – came towards Kenitoh and changed stances. Now the blade was unsheathed and Kenitoh could only see this ending one way.

"Woah, woah, woah, woah, woah," he said, "let's not do anything hasty; no one has to get hurt here."

His pleas fell on deaf ears as the sword made its way closer to him. It raised its blade and Kenitoh screwed his eyes shut, waiting for the ending slice...but it never came. Kenitoh felt a slight tap on his shoulder. He opened his eyes to see the blade slightly, and more importantly not painfully, tapping his shoulder, before making its way to the other shoulder and doing the same thing, pulling back and bowing to him. Kenitoh looked at Eevee. It appeared just as confused as he was.

"Oh, by Arceus, we have found him," said the woman in white. She and the man got off their Rapidashs and came over to Kenitoh.

"Young one," said the man. "I know this is all very confusing and that you are scared, but you have nothing to fear from us. The reason I had the guards chase you was because Aegislash picked you out from your hiding place. There is only one reason why he would do that and that is because you have the innate power to lead and to rule. Please, will you tell us your name?"

"Kenitoh," said Kenitoh. He wasn't sure where this conversation was going, but as long as it didn't lead to one of his limbs being cut off he was willing to follow along.

"Kenitoh," said the man, "I am Innsvar, high lord of Kalos and member of the League of the Divine Blade, and I acknowledge you, Kenitoh, as my king. Your Majesty." He knelt down and placed his hand across his heart. Kenitoh was shocked; he had to be dreaming this.

"Kenitoh," said the woman, "I am Cantessa, high lady of Kalos and member of the League of the Divine Blade, and I acknowledge you, Kenitoh, as my king. Your Majesty." She mimicked Innsvar's gesture. Kenitoh felt the guards let go of him and heard the sound of armour moving. He turned around, and saw the guards repeating the same gesture.

"Your Majesty," they said in unison.

He saw the town watch and the citizens of Foxhedge, who had spent many a day trying to capture him, now kneeling to him with their heads down

"YOUR MAJESTY!" they all said.

Kenitoh only had one thought running through his head as he watched them all:

What have I gotten myself into this time?

Hey, this isn't finished but I got to this point before I headed off to work, so here the first part of Chapter 2. All feedback welcome please:

The next few hours were a blur to Kenitoh. He was surrounded by the royal guard and quickly whisked towards the mayor's house. The townspeople were still in complete shock and awe that the orphan most known for stealing their produce was now going to be their king. Some were congratulating the child, others still had their heads bowed while others just stood there in utter disbelief that the thieving orphan was royalty.

Kenitoh was thoroughly washed by the maids of the mayor’s house until every bit of dirt was removed. His nails were clipped, his ginger hair washed and combed and he was dressed in the most expensive child’s clothing the local tailor had, a long sleeve white linen shirt and cream cotton trousers with soft shoes. His transformation was so utterly shocking that Kenitoh stared into the mirror for the better part of a minute in sheer confusion. Eevee also had been washed and now his coat was practically shining. While he was still confused about this whole affair, Kenitoh did smile at his life-long friend finally getting the attention it deserved. One of the goals of the gang was to get enough money to live good lives. Clean, happy and safe.

Amongst the cooing that the maids did at, some of their speech caught Kenitoh’s attention. The maids and other servants of the house referring to him “Your Majesty” and “Sire”. This just added to Kenitoh’s continually growing confusion. Last he check, Kenitoh was not royalty and was not related to any. All he had to go own in regards to the ruling family of Kalos was King William who was the current King of Kalos. He found that out after over-hearing a few of the town guard saying that the king was going to make a visit to Foxhedge in the recent future.

Kenitoh was later taken to the lounge of the house where he was greeted by the three people that came with the flying sword. Kenitoh did remember their names from before. The tall man with short blonde hair was Innsvar and the beautiful woman with brunette hair was Cantessa. It was very clear to Kenitoh that these were people of high class, it was the way they sat completely straight and how they gave off an aura of wealth and privilege. Eevee took immediate notice of Cantessa’s Espeon and Umbreon and immediately jumped across to greet them. Kenitoh expected the Espeon and Umbreon to try and shoo Eevee away but astonishingly both of them shook paws with Eevee.

“Well isn’t that cute.” Cantessa said, watching the display “However, we have business to attend to. Haelstrom, please make sure we are not disturbed.”

The giant man in scarlet armour now known to Kenitoh as Haelstrom exuded none of the aura of wealth that the other had. Kenitoh knew from experience with the town guard it was better not to anger men like him unless you had a good escape route planned.

“Of course, my lady” he said, before heading to the door. Just as he was leaving Kenitoh noticed something.

“Wait” Kenitoh said, getting his attention “You wouldn’t happen to be the trainer of that big bird pokemon from this morning, would you.”

“Yes, my Staraptor.” Haelstrom responded “How did you guess that?”

“You have a feather stuck in your armour.” Kenitoh said, pointing the black feather stuck in the neck brace of his armor. Haelstrom took out the feather and laughed.

“Very observant, your highness.” He said heartily “Now if you’ll excuse me.” With that, he closed the door.

His use of “your highness” only compounded Kenitoh’s confusion. Why were these people referring
to him as that?

"Your highness, we have much to talk about," Lady Cantessa said, smiling slightly.

"We are highly eager in integrating you into the kingdom and the League, and making sure you are as ready as possible," Innsvar continued.

"Perhaps I'll start right away on etiquette." Cantessa said

"And there are plenty of brilliant materials around to use to show His Highness the arts."

"We'll have to inform Lady Elise that he’ll need a proper education"

"And Lord Merek will glower at us if we do not make sure he's not properly protected."

"Oh, and don't forget about Lord Jules -if he's not presented the right way to the various nobles…"

“STOP!!”

Kenitoh finally caught both of their attention.

“Please…” Kenitoh said, on the verge of tears “Just explain to me what’s going on. I’ve been dragged around and called “Sire” all day and no has explained anything to me. I’ll do what you want me to do just please tell me what it is.”

Cantess and Innsvar froze. They clear were not expecting their future king to be as young as Kenitoh. Cantessa took a deep breath and cleared her thoughts.

“Let’s start again.” She said “Innsvar and myself are members of the League of the Divine Blade. We were travelling around Kalos to find the next rightful leader. Aegislash here…” she pointed to the sword “… has the ability to sense the innate power of leadership in people, which is what drew it to you. I understand that this must sound crazy to you, but we need you to come with us to the capital to meet the others.”

Kenitoh pondered what she said. It did indeed seem too good to be true. In fact he was waiting for this to be all a dream and for Jack to tell him the next big plan they had. Then an idea struck him.

“Under one condition.” Kenitoh said

“What is your wish, your majesty?” Innsvar said, promptly Kenitoh to hold back an annoyed grunt.

“I heard you talking to the guards about my plans. I’m guessing you already know that this isn’t a one man thing.” Kenitoh said

“I had a few theories.” said Cantessa

“Well, I am part of a group. A gang of orphans that are trying to get out of Foxhedge and make new lives for ourselves. Every gang member was from the orphanage but it was house of abuse and neglect. Here’s my deal, if the gang can come with me, to the capitial’s orphanage with the promise of better conditions, I’ll come with you.”

Both Cantessa and Innsvar glanced at each other. Kenitoh silently crossed his fingers behind his back, hoping against hope that they would accept.

“Are you the leader of this gang?” Innsvar said cautiously

“Oh no, that’s Jack, but he trusts me.” Kenitoh said “Those are my terms. They leave with me or you can leave.”

Innsvar had to force down a laugh. This child was clearly in over his head here. He had already seen the guards and probably knew that all it would take was for him or Cantessa to snap their fingers, a couple of guards would come in and they would be off to the capital in a heartbeat.

“You’re terms are steep, young one.” He said

“You are asking for my trust.” Kenitoh said “I am asking for the thing I value as highly as that.”

“The word you’re looking for is equivalent.” Cantessa said, to which Kenitoh groaned

“Please don’t use big words like that, I get enough of that from Jack.” Kenitoh said, the league members chuckled softly.

“We ask that you introduce us to this “Jack”. If he agrees to our terms then we will allow them to come with us to the capital.

Kenitoh mentally cheered. Mission success.

A little while later, with their terms in hand, Kenitoh accompanied by two guards made his way to the sewer entrance. He had to admit, he did enjoy looking at all the merchants shock at the fact he was now a very important person. As he made his way down the steps in the sewer, he heard the guards were still following him.

“What do you think you are doing?” Kenitoh asked

“Accompanying you, your majesty.” One of the guards responded to which Kenitoh groaned.

“First of, stop using big words and second, the gang isn’t exactly nice to adults. This goes double since you guys basically kidnapped me. You stay here and wait for me until I come back with Jack.”
The guards straightened up and headed back up the stairs. Kenitoh had to admit that one good thing about this was that he got to order adults around for once.

Not bad. Good start, although you need to watch your typos. There's a quite few in there that you can fix quickly after a good proofread when you are all done with this chapter. Also, maybe Cantessa should be more vaguer and more extravagant with her wording, I think.

After a few minutes of walking, he found his way back into the hideout. The gang was overjoyed to see Kenitoh return but many of them were confused that Kenitoh was fully washed and with different clothes. Jack and Laura came forward.

“Glad to see you’re still in one piece, brother.” Jack said, giving Kenitoh a hug “What happened?”

“You were right.” Kenitoh said “Those people were the league of the blade. They want to take me to capital and make me King.”

A few laughs from the gang’s members rang throughout the hideout, it was a ridiculous story at face value. All laughs vanished when they saw Kenitoh was being sincere. He explained everything they told him.

“Sounds rather convoluted.” Jack said, to which Kenitoh inwardly groaned. “The idea of getting out of this town and heading to the capital does sound good though.”

“But boss…” a boy named Chester said “Adults aren’t exactly our allies. They could be lying to Kenitoh and us in order just to throw us in some dungeon far away from here.”

A murmur of agreement echoed throughout the gang.

“But would you rather have us stay here, only stealing food and never get out of this out of nowhere town.” Kenitoh said “Look, I get it, it’s a huge risk and we are all scared about it, but if we stay here just keep hiding then we will never make our own lives. This is one of the best chances we will ever get of leaving this town and truly start to make our own destinies. At the very least, we will make it to the capital and the league has promised me that the orphanage there will take care of us. Not to mention, I will make sure you guys can the push for adoption you deserve.”
As his speech ended, a look of hope for the future started showing in many of gang’s eyes. There was only one way the gang resolves a problem like this. Majority vote.

“Alright, all those in favour of this idea.” Jack said, and many members raised their hands. “All opposed.” Some hands raised, including Chester. Kenitoh couldn’t blame him, Chest preferred to see things with his own eyes before agreeing to them, but hopefully was trustworthy enough. Jack counted the votes.

“22 for, 8 against. The gang accepts this idea.” Jack said, to which Kenitoh breathed a sigh of relief “Where do you want us, Kenitoh?”

Soon afterwards, Jack and Kenitoh met with Cantessa and Innsvar. Jack seemed impressed with the League member’s plans for the gang, with the guarantee that all charges against would be dropped and that their orphanage life and adoption would be overseen by the league, after all their potential king was part of that gang. Commander Haelstrom sent an urgent message for transportation for the gang. As for Kenitoh, the tailor had given him a white cloak and he was lifted onto Cantessa’s Rapidash. As his friends waved him goodbye, Kenitoh, Cantessa and Innsvar rode out of Foxhedge and headed for the capital.

As the Rapidash sped up down the road, Kenitoh looked around, eyes wide and smile on his face. He was finally heading out of Foxhedge and making his own life. He didn’t know where the road would lead but he would take the bumps as they came. For that one moment, Kenitoh felt free.

Good work on this, and you didn't stretch it out and make it go on for too long. That's good, and keeps the pacing nicely. Now Kenitoh's finally out of there and will be heading towards the Capital. That's finally progress.