The Traitor's Crown

Inveni

 Ingo jolted awake, his heart rapidly pulsating. He stared in utter confusion at his new surroundings. He was in some sort of white room, laying in an oddly-shaped bed, while people in blue uniforms rushed to his side.

"Sir! You're awake! We need to talk to you!"

"Where did you come from? And what do you know about the storm?"

"Who are you? Do you have family nearby?"

Ingo pulled the covers over his head, terrified of these strange people. As they scurried in and out of the room, they were constantly bothering Ingo. They asked him all sorts of private questions, and invaded his personal space, which Ingo responded to by hiding under the covers.

"I want everyone out of here! Our guest is still recovering, and you could make his condition worse by harassing him," said a tall scientist with oddly-shaped hair, as he entered the room.

The people obeyed his orders, and before long, Ingo and the scientist were the only ones left. The scientist set a tray of food on the table, as well as a newspaper. Ingo looked up at the man, still disoriented from the recent events.

"My name is Colress. I have a few things to ask you, but I can wait until you feel better. Just know that you will be in the best of care here. If you need anything, just ask," the scientist explained.

"Could you please tell me where I am, and how I got here?"

"It's a bit of a long story, but in short, my team and I were researching the strange weather patterns, and found you laying on the ground in the middle of the storm, and you were in quite a bad state. I decided to take you to the hospital, as quite a few of my colleagues work there, and I knew that they could help you out. Oh, and don't worry about your medical bills. I'm paying for all expenses."

"I don't think I've heard of a hospital in Hisui. The Medical Corps must have opened one quite recently."

"Hisui? Oh, you must mean Sinnoh. I'm afraid you're quite far from the Sinnoh region, as we're currently in Unova."

"Unova...I know that name..."

"I'm going to leave you be for a while, but I'll come back to ask you a few questions later. Oh, and do you have any family members? I could call them for you, if you'd like."

"No. All I had was...Akari," Ingo murmured, remembering his fallen companion.

Ingo broke down into tears, realizing how much he had lost in a single day. His closest friend, his clan, and his home had faded away, and were now only memories. Was there any hope left?

"I'm sorry to upset you. That was certainly not my intention. Please take some time to recover from your current mental state," Colress requested, as he left the room.

The hours ticked by, as Ingo pondered everything that had happened. Why was the name "Unova" so familiar? Did it have anything to do with the portal that Volo had opened? As the afternoon turned into evening, Colress entered the room once again.

"Good news! The doctors say that you should be alright to go home soon. You don't seem to have any health issues, other than having problems with your memory."

"If I leave the hospital...then where will I stay?"

"That brings me to the questions that I need to ask you. I need to know your name, where you came from before your accident, and any connections you might have."

"My name...is Ingo. I am Sneasler's warden from the Pearl Clan. Years ago, I came to Hisui from some other place, and I do believe that I had someone very special to me in my past life. Without this person, I was all alone. Irida, the leader of the Pearl Clan, allowed me to stay with her clan, and put me to work as a warden. I eventually became the mentor to a young girl called Akari. She was like family to me. But then..." Ingo paused, as tears began to fall from his eyes, "an evil man took everything from me. He murdered Akari in cold blood, and he dragged me to this place."

"So you're saying that this man kidnapped you?"

"Yes."

"Do you know where he is now?"

"No. He could be anywhere."

"Could you describe him for me?"

"He wears white robes, and he has blonde hair. He's at least six feet tall."
"How about you draw him for me?"

Colress handed Ingo a pencil and a piece of scrap paper. The old warden began to sketch a detailed drawing of the man who had ruined his life. After quite some time, Ingo scribbled the name "Volo" in the bottom right corner, before handing the paper back to Colress.

"Is that his name? Volo?" the scientist asked.

"Yes."

"I'll do my best to look into the situation. I have an acquaintance who works for the International Police, and he could probably help us track down this man. In the meantime, as you don't seem to have any connections, you are welcome to stay with me in my apartment for a while, after you're released from the hospital."

"Will you please tell me as soon as you know something about Volo?"

"Of course."

•❅───✧❅✦❅✧───❅•

A lonely traveler trudged through the rain, the bitter cold piercing through his skin. As he walked through the desolate darkness, he bumped into a tall, looming figure. The figure held out his hand to the traveler.

"I know who you are, Volo. I've been waiting for you," said the figure, in a low, but soft voice.

"What the hell do you want?"

"I want a new king."