The Ghost of Olivine. Never had such a vehicle inspired so many conflicting emotions. In the hearts of those from Kanto, the great airship was a terror that spelled doom and destruction. For centuries onward, long after the likes of Abus Dumbledore and Harry Potter had been rendered little more than names in textbooks and in legends, the Ghost would haunt the citizens of Kanto just as its name suggested. Old men and women would tell their grandchildren of seeing the shadow of the vessel and know that the Sons had come to their town to wage their war. Campfire stories would be told of its passing, the herald of death for all those that opposed it. It would be the terror spoken of in harsh whispers to keep naughty children at bay.
In Johto though the tales were different. Less a wraith than a guardian spirit, the Ghost of Olivine had been at first a rallying point for a downtrodden people, seeking to throw off the yoke of oppression. Its capture early in the war by a squad led by Jonas Kenway, younger brother of Jack Kenway, had been a matter of national pride. The flight of the great ship, one of the few in existence, brought about cheers and the knowledge that one day they would be free. And they were freed, at long last, thanks to that ship and those men and women that commanded it. On that day, when the Kanto Pokémon League exploded and fireworks lit up Victory Road, the Ghost became the flagship of Johto.
The Johtoians loved the Ghost. They cried out its name and scanned the sky in hopes of seeing it pass overhead. Women spoke of it like it was some movie star while men memorized its dimensions. Children would snatch large boxes from their parents' garage and happily pretend they were at the helm, flying the great airship. The people of Johto would stand in the rain for hours just to catch a glimpse of that great airship which had shown them the worth of holding onto hope for one second more.
The Ghost of Olivine was no longer a war ship, however. No, despite what either side might think or fear, those days were past it. Yes, it still carried its grand weapons and was armed with Sons who would fight if called upon, but the war was over. Johto had won. The Elite Four was now made up of native Johtos and Prime Minister Rebecca Lorne had been in command of the 5th Division of the Sons of Johto.
Now the Ghost served a different purpose, a grander purpose in some eyes. It was now the vessel that carried Jack Kenway… the man many called the King of Johto.
He was not the king, of course, though he could have been twice over. Jack was of noble blood; the Kenways had once been the Earls of Cianwood before Kanto had seen fit to remove the lords and ladies of their holdings and force them to bend the knee. On his mother's side the right to rule was even stronger, for the Ironsides were the descendants of the kings of Hoenn, though the title had not been used for nearly 300 years. Jack, and his brother Jonas, were of royal blood, though they did not announce this fact. After his victory against Lance Blackthorn the people of Johto had cried out 'Long Live King Jack!'. He'd put a stop to that quickly, claiming that he hadn't fought against one tyrant to become one himself. He'd wanted to say that they were 'all bloody fools' followed by a string of curse words, but Jonas (who had always been less emotional) had managed to get him to say the right pretty words. No, Jack would not be king.
Not that the people hadn't tried. After the war a sense of national pride had filled the people of Johto and they wanted to reward those that had freed them. Old titles were remade and new one created, among them Kent and Marie Kenway had been made once more Lord and Lady Cianwood. Jack had been pleased and then made it clear that his younger brother Jonas would become Lord Cianwood upon their parents' passing, politely refusing the title even as he remained the future head to the House of Kenway. The next tactic had been to restore Jack's wife Clair her own nobility, making her the Countess of Blackthorn. Jack had earned the right to be Count of that region both via his marriage and through conquest; but again Jack had waved this off. He had declared it was bad enough that he was married to Lance's cousin… taking the man's last name would be horrifying.
They had attempted several other ruses before finally catching him by making him the Headmaster of Olivine Point, something he'd dreamed of and happily accepted. The moment he sat down at his desk he'd been informed of a long forgotten law that made the Headmaster the Lord of Olivine. The newly elected Council of Gym Leaders, which included Clair, had then happily changed the law so that the title would remain with Jack and his family from then on… and there was nothing he could do to get rid of it. Beaten, Jack had finally accepted… begrudgingly and with much cursing and at least one broken window.
It was another spot of land that had almost become his domain that Jack now stepped on as he exited the Ghost. Sevii Island was technically his by right of conquest; he'd stormed the island prison during the war to free his parents after Bruno of the Elite 4 had conspired with Koga to use the elder Kenways as hostages against their sons. Jack, Jonas, Clair, and a small squad made up of the Sons of Johto had broken into the prison, slaughter those guards that did not stand down, taken control of the towers and defenses, and murdering any prisoner that got in their way. Before the war Sevii had belonged to Kanto but been used by all the regions to hold their most vile prisoners. Hoenn, Sinnoh, Unova, Kalos, Avalon, Little Surrey, and of course Johto had sent men and women there to suffer. Kanto was paid large tithings to run and operate it and it had been a wonderful source of income for them.
Jack looked about the rocky isle and scowled. Of all his victories and all his prizes, this is the one he hated the most. Jack was a student of history and he'd learned much about the island and its past. Sevii Island had once been a beautiful place but the many regions in the area had made it quite foul. Isolated and without a native people, it had been the perfect place upon which to build their 'grand prison'. It allowed them to place the most dangerous and vile of men and women away from the good and decent folks. Jack had laughed bitterly about that; those 'decent folks' had taken a forested paradise and turned it into a place of stone walls and wailing cries of the tortured and the damned. They had driven the native bird Pokémon away, forcing them into the cities and towns to flock and beg for breadcrumbs, and turned this pass into a haven for ghosts.
"Lord Kenway," one of the guards said as Jack walked down the ramp of the Ghost, his boots crunching the broken stone chips under his soles. Mumik, his faithful Donphan, ambled beside him, looking at the prison with almost as much disgust as was on Jack's face. Trainer and Pokémon both shared a look and Jack let out a grunt that Mumik answered with one of his own. "Welcome."
"Azkaban," Jack grunted, pulling the collar of his duster tighter against his neck, his red hood up in an attempt to keep pounding of the rain that hung over the island from soaking his scalp. Mumik paid no heed to the rain; Jack had encouraged his friend to overcome the fear of water that most ground types had.
"I'm sorry sir?"
Jack merely smirked. "An old term from Johto legend… you know me, I'm a bloody buff for the old ways, Isaiah." The guard smiled and Jack patted him on the shoulder, the tail-ends of his coat billowing in the wind. The 'Father of Johto' prided himself on learning the names of servants rather than the names of highborn men. He claimed it kept him grounded while his wife claimed it was because he was a prick. "Azkaban was the name of a paradise that was corrupted by foul spirits and made into a diseased barren place. It was the hubris of man that allowed the demons to come and ruin harmony." The Pokémon Tracker paused, watching as some Dusknoir floated by, their bellies engorged upon the pain and suffering they had sucked from the prisoners that remained on the island. He narrowed his eyes, lips pursed. "It seemed to fit."
"Don't let me Lord hear you say that, sir. He loved his Dusknoirs."
"Yes yes, he enjoys the gloomy skulled fellows like Mumik enjoys his sweets." The Donphan let out a 'humpf!' and rolled his eyes, causing the guard to stop short; Jack enjoyed how much it startled people when they realized his partner was much smarter than they suspected. "Besides, I'm not one to jump at shadows, I'll remind you. I bloody well discovered the Trevenants, remember, and those damn things can look like oaks and maples right before they grab you. A lot more terrifying than some bony buggers" Jack scratched his chin, hoping that sounded more convincing out loud than it did in his head. "Still… at least I can work my head around those buggers. Your ghosties… ugh." He rolled his wrists, assuring himself that his escrima sticks were up his sleeve and ready to be deployed. "Every damn time I come here, Isaiah, every damn time I just want to see if their skulls will crack under my sticks." Isaiah laughed at that and Jack smirked. The smile fell with his next words. "By Johto, I should have burnt this entire island to the ground when I had the chance."
Once the prison had been stone dungeons with lead bars and dank cells that held wailing souls tormented by the Dusknoirs. All of that had been swept away years ago and in its place was a state-of-the art facility with the latest in monitoring devices, prisoner restraints and anti-escape tech. The Dusknoir remained of course, though now they were little more than a final defense against any attempts to escape.
Jack hated all of it.
The prison that so impressed the other regions was an utter failure in his eyes. All of the money that had been poured into it had done little to stop him and Jonas from storming the island to free their falsely imprisoned parents. The Dusknoir had been the strongest deterrent but in the end Jack's Treverant, Fangorn, had forced them back and allowed the Kenways to take their fury out on the walls. The guards had actually laughed at that, thinking that the young men would break like waves against a cliff face. They didn't laugh when Clair had strode forward and, with a cold nod, told the brothers 'it's time'.
Never before had Jack and Jonas released their Tyranitars AND their Aggrons at the same time. Never had Clair unleashed her Dragonite to join with the family Pokémon of Houses Kenway and Ironside. Sevii had stood no chance against that might, for it seemed that the rage of the three, bond by blood and by marriage, had fueled their Pokémon. Sometimes, if Jack closed his eyes, he could still hear the wall breaking under their assault and the laughter of the guards turn to screams.
After he had won the war Jack had been ready to finish what they had started that night and raze the prison. It was in his right as victor; Kanto had controlled Sevii for 500 years and Jack had taken it from them in a day. To the victor go the spoils... even the horrid ones. Sevii disgusted him and he wanted to wipe it from the face of the Earth. In his view, the prisoners fell into one of two categories: those whose crimes did not justify the torture the Dusknoir brought, and those so vile that they should have been slain right then and there. War had hardened him and he had come to believe that keeping prisoners only allowed them a chance to escape and drive a knife through your belly. Better to gut them first or set them free.
In the end, it had taken much brokering to get Jack to allow Sevii to stay open. Unova, who had sent aid to the Sons early in the war, along with Kalos and Hoenn had declared that they would recognize Johto as independent if Jack kept the prison open. That had solved a major problem for the sons; though they had won the war they had all known that failing to get recognition from the other regions would mean that their fledgling freedom would be for nothing. Jack had accepted the deal, though not without a bit of grumbling.
All of this passed through Jack's mind as he entered the Keep. One of the few hospitable places on the island, the Keep housed the many guards that patrolled the cells of the prison, was used to entertain what few visitors came to the island and, of course, served as the home for the warden… the Lord of Sevii.
"Presenting Lord Jack Kenway," a crier called out as Jack entered the Great Hall of the Keep. Jack smiled slightly at that; it had taken him four visits to convince the man not to rattle off all his titles. Between his Lordship, being a Regent, his Tracker status, and Speaker status and all the tracts of land that had given him titles (it seemed that even now, nearly 5 years after the war, towns were still making him the Duke of this and Earl of that) it took nearly two minutes to present him.
"I lose minutes of my bloody life every time you rattle of my titles," Jack had groused under his breath the last time.
Lord Kenway glanced over at one of the attendants and resisted the urge to roll his eyes. The Lord of Sevii did enjoy keeping servants around; Jack had never seen the need. Even now, as Headmaster and as Lord of Olivine, Jack preferred to cook for himself and did not need a valet or a Pokémon to dress him. Still, it had been drilled into his head by his mother to be polite. One of the attendants, use to Jack and his tastes, offered him one of the spicy summer sausages that he so enjoyed. Jack pulled out his hunting knife and set to work slicing off several slices while Mumik happily accepted a large loaf of pretzel bread. The Lord of Olivine popped a slice in his mouth, savoring the taste and welcoming the warmth if brought to his veins. One servant took a step, a pitcher of beer in his hand, but knew Jack wouldn't partake; the last Kenway to drink was Edward the Grand.
"Jack!" The Lord of Sevii called out from his throne-like chair. In his right hand was a chalice filled with wine and his left was resting on the back of a beautiful blonde who'd been blessed with curves that would make Merlin himself fall to his knees in praise. Jack was well aware of the irony that the man who now deferred to him looked nobler than he did. The Lord of Sevii wore a fine black suit jacket and a white silk shirt with three buttons undone to allow everyone a glimpse of his muscular chest. His long black hair was slicked back and tied with a red band and his beard was perfectly sculpted and shaved. His entire posture and stance screamed power and wealth. Jack, for his part, was dressed in a mud-splattered brown duster and a worn red leather hood. He was bearded too but while he wore it short he did little to groom it and thus it had a wild look to it. If the Lord of Sevii looked like a king then Jack resembled a road-weary knight. "We weren't expecting you so soon!"
Jack was never one for pleasantries and at that moment he was even less interested in them. So, instead of the standard dance of greetings and small talk, the tracker merely reached into jacket pocket and pulled out a newspaper. "I came as soon as I heard."
The Lord of Sevii raised his eyebrow. "Speaking in riddles Jack? That isn't like you."
"No, it isn't," Jack said, "so I'll be blunt. They lied to you. Harry's alive."
The jovial nature of the Lord of Sevii was wiped away and in its place was a look of rage and contempt. The blonde woman quickly scampered away, realizing that the fun and games were over with, leaving the Lord sitting on his throne, glaring at the tracker. "If this is some joke I swear I'll throw you to the Dusknoir!"
Mumak trumpeted but Jack merely held out his hand, the armored Pokémon standing down. That didn't mean the Father of Johto was about to back down. Jack took a step forward, his icy blue eyes flashing as he glared right back at the Sevii Lord. "Who the hell do you think you are talking to?" he snarled. "You think I'm lying? You think I would lie about this!?" He threw the paper at the Lord's feet.
There, plastered on the front page, was a picture of a dark haired young man who was forcing himself to smile even though it was clear he was utterly embarrassed to be photographs. He was standing in front of a stone wall that looked half-blown up, an Eevee perched on his shoulder. The headline read 'Chamber of Secrets' with a smaller line underneath stating, 'Harry Potter Uncovers Lost History of Hogwarts'.
The Lord of Sevii nearly fell out of his chair, his eyes never leaving the paper and its headline. Jack, his earlier anger forgotten, rushed forward and grabbed the Lord's shoulder before he could slide out off his chair. The tracker looked at his friend, pained to see the tears that gathered in the man's eyes.
"Harry?" the Lord whispered, reaching out towards the paper. His fingers trembled like a wounded Pidove and the tremors continued up through his arm till his whole body was shaking. "He… he is… Harry…"
"He's alive," Jack repeated, knowing that this had been a shock for his friend. The tracker had originally gone to Avalon to explore some of their Northern forests to investigate rumors of Pokémon with strange pigmentation. The moment he had seen the paper though Jack had rushed back to the Ghost, knowing he had to get to Sevii. "He's alive." Jack shook his friend, who looked near catatonic. "Sirius, did you hear me? Harry's alive!"
Sirius Black, the Lord of Sevii, slowly looked towards Jack, fat tears rolling down his grief-stricken face.
"My godson's alive."
Harry Potter will return in 'Harry Potter and the Lord of Sevii'
~MC~MC~MC~
Author's Note: And thus ends 'Chamber of the Unown'. This has been a wild ride and I have been overjoyed by all of you who took the time to read and send positive, helpful reviews. I have loved talking with all of you and hope you will continue to follow this series.
I will be taking a short break (no more than a week or two) before posting the newest story, 'The Lord of Sevii', which I am really looking forward too as it begins my slow move to really push away from canon and explore this world. There will still be events from the books, but the twists and turns you've all come to enjoy will only grow greater as this series continues.
As a final note: If you enjoy how I merged Harry Potter with Pokémon, I have started another crossover series that you all might enjoy.
A Man of Iron is a Game of Thrones/Iron Man crossover that imagines a world where Antony 'Tony' Stark, Ned Stark's cousin, is Westeros' greatest swordsmith and weapons maker. He leads an easy life, never bothering with the politics of the realm. But an attack that nearly leaves himself dead changes all of this and Tony realizes that Westeros needs a hero, a man willing to do what others can not. He will seek out to create a new knight, one powered by metal and magic… a knight known as the Iron man.