6. Prince Ash and Princess Lillie

Chapter 7 Shadehollow Kingdom

The forest of Viridale Kingdom slowly fades behind them as Ash, Lillie, and Golly make their way toward the next destination: the Shadehollow Kingdom. The transition from the lush greenery of Viridale to the eerie stillness of Shadehollow is stark, the atmosphere thick with an unnatural gloom. Despite it being midday, the sky above them darkens as they approach, as though the sun itself fears to shine on the land ahead.

"Why is it so dark here?" Ash asks, his voice breaking the uneasy silence. Pikachu, perched on his shoulder, twitches its ears, sensing the strange energy in the air.

Golly, walking ahead with a determined stride, glances back at her brother. "Shadehollow Kingdom is surrounded by deep valleys. The mountains on either side are so high that they block most of the sunlight. But it's not just the geography—it's said that the Spooky Plate, the artifact used by Arceus to create this kingdom, imbued the entire area with the essence of shadows. The Ghost-type Pokémon thrive here because of it."

Lillie wraps her arms around herself, shivering slightly despite the warm air. "It's like the darkness has a life of its own..."

Golly nods. "It does, in a way. The Ghost-type Pokémon here are more powerful than anywhere else. They draw strength from the shadows, becoming almost invisible in the gloom. The people here have adapted to it too; they can see things others can't, and some say they've learned to communicate with the spirits of the dead."

Ash's eyes narrow as he takes in the darkened landscape. "We need to be careful, then. This place sounds like it's full of tricks and traps."

Curiosity piqued, Ash asks, "Golly, what's the history of this place? It feels like there's more to it than just ghost stories."

Golly's expression shifts, her usual confidence giving way to something more somber. She takes a deep breath before beginning. "It's a sad story, Ash. The tale of Shadehollow is intertwined with the tragedy of a girl named Sine Kageyama."

Ash listens intently, as does Lillie, who's clearly unsettled by the heavy atmosphere of the kingdom.

"Sine was born into a poor family," Golly begins. "She had a brother and a father, but because of their poverty, she was forced to leave her home and marry into another family. Her husband died when she was still young, leaving her to care for her elderly mother-in-law. Life was hard, but it got worse when her mother-in-law demanded to recover a debt from a doctor in town."

Ash furrows his brow. "What happened then?"

Golly continues, her voice tinged with sadness. "The doctor refused to repay the debt and even tried to kill Sine's mother-in-law. Fortunately, a man named Dox and his father managed to save her, but things weren't as they seemed. Dox was a local ruffian, and after moving into Sine's house, he began threatening her and her mother-in-law, demanding that Sine marry both him and his father."

Lillie gasps, horrified. "That's terrible! What did Sine do?"

"Sine refused," Golly replies. "But that only made things worse. Dox decided to poison Sine's mother-in-law to get his way. He threatened the doctor, who, out of fear, gave him the poison. Dox mixed it into the soup meant for the mother-in-law, but in a twist of fate, his father drank it instead and died."

Ash clenches his fists. "So he blamed Sine for it, didn't he?"

Golly nods. "Yes. Dox accused Sine of murdering his father, and because the local authorities were corrupt, they tortured her into confessing. To spare her mother-in-law, Sine falsely admitted to the crime and was sentenced to death. Before she was executed, Sine made a vow: that her blood wouldn't touch the ground but would instead stain the vain in front of her, that her body would be covered in three feet of snow in June, and that the region would suffer a three-year drought. All of these things came true after her death."