1. Ash's Story (Part 7: Kalos)

Chapter 40: Castle of Chivalry

We were about to leave Shalour City when Calem caught up with us near the road leading away from the coast.

He looked a little different now that the Mega Ring rested on his wrist. It did not make him arrogant, but it made him seem more aware of the responsibility waiting for him. The Tower of Mastery had given him a new path, and I could tell he was already thinking about how he would walk it.

"Here, take this," Calem said, holding out a disc case.

I accepted it and recognized the label. "HM Surf."

Calem nodded. "If you use Surf, you can travel over water. The Rumble Badge already lets you use it outside battle, so this should help you on the next part of your journey."

Serena smiled as she looked at the HM. "That will make traveling through Kalos easier."

Calem looked at me with a small, serious smile. "I will challenge you to another battle sometime. That is the best way to get strong, after all. I was lucky enough to meet you and end up traveling beside you for part of this journey, so I should take advantage of the chance to battle you properly."

"I see," I said, putting the HM away carefully. "I am looking forward to it."

Calem waved once before heading back toward the city, and we left Shalour with the sea breeze behind us.

Route 12, also known as Fourrage Road, stretched ahead with softer grass, open views, and the feeling of a road that wanted travelers to slow down. After the Tower of Mastery, Mega Island, and the Shalour Gym, that calmer feeling should have been welcome. But Kalos had a habit of hiding the next challenge behind beautiful scenery, and it did not take long before we heard about a place that pulled David's attention immediately.

A traveler resting near the road told us about the Castle of Chivalry, where Pokémon and Trainers seeking true strength could train under Wikstrom of the Kalos Elite Four.

David's eyes sharpened at once. "Wikstrom is the Steel-type Elite Four member. I would really like to go there."

Elline gave him a knowing smile. "You heard Steel type and Elite Four in the same sentence, so of course you want to go."

David did not deny it. "That does not make the reason weak."

I laughed softly. "Of course. Let's go."

Serena looked toward the road leading away from the main path. "A castle run by an Elite Four member sounds like it might be intense."

Pikachu shifted on my shoulder, looking curious rather than worried. His meaning reached me through the way his ears tilted toward the distant castle. "Strong places make strong promises."

The Castle of Chivalry stood on a hill, built from gray stone and decorated with banners that snapped in the wind. It looked old, but not abandoned. The training yards, towers, and outer walls all looked cared for, like the castle was still waiting for knights to return through its gates.

When we entered the courtyard, a man in armor stood before us with an Aegislash floating at his side.

"Thou who seekest strength, I welcome thee here," he declared. "I am the Man of Steel of the Kalos Elite Four, Wikstrom."

Serena sweatdropped beside me. "He is really intense."

Wikstrom lifted one armored arm dramatically. "I believe chivalry to be the path of the truly strong. In order to convey such to Trainers and Pokémon around the world, I established this Castle of Chivalry."

His Aegislash shifted beside him, shield facing forward, sword steady. The presence of that Pokémon made the castle feel less like an attraction and more like a battlefield with manners.