Project: Titans -- A Pokemon Story (OC x Piers)

Chapter 24 -- Piers' POV

If I hadn't listened to my little sister, I never would have gotten tangled up in the mess I was in now.

The only reason I tagged along to this stupid costume party was because the Gym Leaders were expected to come, and I didn't feel comfortable letting Marnie go alone. That being said, she also begged me to get out of Spikemuth for once, and I can rarely say no to her. Though I put my foot down on wearing anything relatively costume-ish.

We made it to the Chairman's summer home, with plenty of turbulence and almost getting sick over the side of the carriage. I never did like Flying Taxis as transportation, and I doubt I ever will. We exited the carriage on the outskirts of Wyndon, tipped the driver, and started looking for the address. After a good minute or so of walking away from Wyndon, Marnie and her Morpeko called me over to them. I gaped at the estate once I got a good look at it.

"This has gotta be it," I mumbled, looking down at the calling card and back to the address on the entrance gate, trying to mask my awe. To call the house a mansion was an understatement. It was a palace, made entirely of rusty-red sandstone cobbled together and towers with coral roofs that reached beyond the clouds.

The castle had a weathered and beaten look to it, with ivy growing from every nook and cranny in the stones. Huge, heart-shaped leaves in all shades of green decorated the walls, and giant rose gardens stretched and shrunk on the darkening horizon. The entrance was an arch made of the same material as the castle, with a ten-foot fence made entirely of metal that encased the property like a snug embrace.

Marnie's eyes were huge, taking in the castle and the gardens and everything big and grand. Truthfully, I never expected something this big when we got the invite in the first place. But I guess I should've seen something like this coming when we got the invitation with a solid gold lining. It got a lot more intense when we went inside.

The palace insides were just as regal as the exterior, and just as red. The walls were a blush pink, with enormous, white marble pillars and cherry curtains. A huge, crimson rug stretched down the hall, which was lined with rosewood doors (what else?) that had solid golden door knobs. There were enormous windows framed with gold that were so clear I could barely tell there was anything there until I noticed a window cleaner cleaning it off with spray.

"Beautiful, aren't they?" I turned at the sound of the Chairman's voice. He was gazing wistfully in the direction of the windows, which overlooked the many hedges of multicolored roses. "Bit of a stretch from your usual suit, eh, Rose?" I asked in response.

"Oh, this old thing?" He smiled down at his suit, which was a dark teal with bright orange markings. "I'm surprised it still fits. Oleana's been giving me a hard time about me straying from my diet, but how can I not take a sample of May's cooking, especially when her tarts are globally renowned?" I didn't smile back.

"You know, I've been meaning to talk with you about the whole...Spikemuth issue," he said after a moment of silence, putting a hand on my shoulder and walking me forward. Marnie trailed behind us, blissfully ignorant of anything but the decor.

"It's been a long-standing problem, for the both of us. We both know less and less people are showing up to Spikemuth. And I'm sure you're aware of the financial state of your town." I said nothing, keeping my poker face, but his words stung with painful truth.

"It's a real shame, Piers, it really is," he said sympathetically, patting my shoulder with a heavy hand. "I'd hate for a whole town to be wiped off the map, but time has sympathy for no man, and I doubt you'll be able to make up the debt in six months. You know, I'm still saving that little spot of land in that valley for something." His hand on my shoulder was becoming less friendly and more demanding with every word that dropped out of his mouth.