As the sun came and went over Kingston Castle, Ryan looked on in astonishment as a seemingly endless line of carriages streaming towards his Grandmother's Castle. Gazing from the tower he and his brother were spending the evening, he could see countless men, women and children of varying ages being led from the carriages and making their way for the castle itself, all dressed as if they were off to impress the Queen herself. Or maybe their going out of their way to be able to see Piper perform in person. The thought of seeing Piper in her element made Ryan blush at the very idea of it. Though the Queen was leagues out of his reach (not only from social standing, but a seven year age gap), he was determined to root for her when she came out to perform for everyone, unless of course it came down to her against Addison or Holly. It was all the boy could do to try and convince himself that two uncultured grandchildren of Lady Bonnie Kingston belonged at such an elegant Ball like this was shaping out to be.
Ryan moved away from the window and looked himself over in the mirror. Earlier in the morning, upon learning that both of her sons would be attending the Ball, Alison had sent their tuxedos to Kingston Castle for them to wear at the reception. She also charged Michael with making sure her sons would look presentable. So, here Ryan was, in a thin black tuxedo, his hair styled by his grandmother's personal stylist and a loose fitting tie. He looked about as comfortable as a Rapidash on a small island surrounded by oceans on all sides.
Matthew wasn't fairing much better. His own tuxedo, a navy blue with black stripes, didn't exactly fit him as comfortably as it once did, prompting him to spend several minutes working on making sure his arms wouldn't punch their way through the sleeves. Yet despite this, Matthew seemed to possess an unexpected confidence and elegance about him. He was presenting himself in front of his own mirror, putting on a sophisticated and charming persona. "Why yes, Grandmother. I haven't had the pleasure of meeting the Lady of the Magenta Grove."
"Oh brother" Ryan laughed.
"Can it" Matthew snapped. "I'm trying to be sophisticated here."
"That's like trying to fit a bow onto a Tauros" Ryan joked.
Matthew turned back towards his mirror, once more putting on his elegant and refined 'Lord' persona. "You must forgive this one, Duchess. He was raised in a barn by a pack of Miltanks!" He looked back towards Ryan, who was doing his best to regain his old hairstyle. "Ryan, would you stop messing up you hair? Mom will kill us if she sees us on TV and we don't look good."
"Unlike you" Ryan replied, doing his best to keep himself from wanting to mess his hair back into it's normal appearance of being covered by his bandanna, "I can at least admit that I won't be comfortable here."
"Mike said that these kinds of things aren't for comfort" Matthew told him, a slight tone of anger in his voice. "This is all about show. Remember what Dad said about the Kingstons and their personal appearances. This is one of those things he must have been talking about."
"I don't see him being dragged up here to look good" Ryan said, doing whatever he could to straighten his tie. "He gets to stay down in Charizark Town and run the Gym."
"Don't forget the real reason we're here" Matthew told his brother. "For Addy."
"And Holly" Ryan added.
"Yeah sure" Matthew spoke back quickly. "I wonder what kind of performance Addison is going to put on tonight?"
"Me too" Ryan said. "I can't wait to see what she and Holly were working on with Aunt Erin."
The door to their shared bedroom opened and Michael stood there in the doorway. "How are you two still not ready?"
"We don't wear suits often" Ryan insisted.
Michael shoved his cousin in front of a mirror and looked him over. He adjusted his jacket and slightly moved his cousin's bow tie to make it more in line with the rest of the suit. "Button up your jacket. You can unbutton it when you sit down."
"Will there be sitting?" Matthew asked.
"Only when you're done dancing" Michael told them.
"Wait, what?" Ryan gasped. "We have to dance?"
"You're Kingstons" Michael told the twins. "It's expected of you."
"You'll be there too, right?" Matthew asked.
"Regrettably" Michael told him. "I know you don't want to have to do this. I don't either. But so long as we're Grandma's guests, we need to abide by what she wants." Michael looked at himself in the mirror and puffed out his jacket to make himself look better. "It's the burden of being a part of this wretched family."
"Are Addison and Holly already down there?" Ryan asked.
"And when are they performing?" Matthew asked
"Performing?" Michael asked. "I think Piper is the only one performing tonight."
Ryan looked at Michael as if he had just been slapped with a wet Magikarp. "What do you mean they aren't performing?"
"This Ball isn't about their choreography or that of their Pokémon" Michael told the two green boys. "This is about how they perform in social settings, how kind and courteous they are and how they look in ballgowns. The first real test for them is going to be in Taghwan in a few weeks."
"Well" Matthew groaned. "This entire trip here was entirely pointless."
"Not quite" Michael told his cousin. "Grandma wants the two of you to be introduced to her friends and most importantly to her friends granddaughters."
"Why their granddaughters?" Ryan asked naively.
"Come on, Ry" Michael admonished his cousin. "Grandma may love us all, but she does have a penchant for getting involved in places where she shouldn't. She wants to play matchmaker for each of her grandchildren. It was here at the Ball where Jon and Annie met, after all."
Matthew shook his head in revulsion at the idea. "Matchmaker? No way!"
"So long as I have to endure it" Michael said, coming over to inspect Matthew, "you boys have to as well." He studied Matthew up and down to look for a slight blemish in appearance. "You clean up pretty well, kid. Just make sure you keep an eye on your suit whenever you can. It looks like you're going to burst right out of it."
"I think the cleaner shrunk it!" Matthew insisted.
"No" Michael told him. "You boys are just growing up, that's all."
Ryan sat back on his bed and looked at his Pokémon, all nestled within their Pokémon Balls and resting for their next day of questing towards Terra Town. "The sooner we get through this, the better."
"I agree" Michael told him, patting Matthew on the shoulder upon completing his inspection of both. "Let's all agree to get this night over and done with as soon as possible." He ushered both boys out and led them down the steps that would take them towards the Regal Ballroom. They stopped at the steps when they noticed a woman and her daughters approaching them. "Madame Augustine!" Michael called to her, a tone of complete derision in his voice.
Augustine, a middle-aged, plump woman in a plum colored dress, came over with two shy girls around the boys age coming behind her. "Michael Kingston! It is an honor to once more be invited to your Grandmother's Regal Ball."
"I'm sure she'd have it no other way" Michael replied politely.
Augustine looked the boys over. "I didn't know you were a father, Michael."
Michael waved off the idea. "Oh no. I'm not married yet. These are Robert and Alison's boys."
"Oh my" Augustine smiled. "They do look like their mother, don't they?" She ushered her daughters forward. "These are my daughters. Jasmine and Morgan." The girls looked just as comfortable in their dresses as the boys did in their suits. They curtsied before them. Jasmine appeared to be the older of the two, with long black hair with a singular streak of red in her hair. Morgan, meanwhile, had long and flowing red hair with a singular streak of black. Augustine then waved her arm at the boys. "These young men are Lady Bonnie's Grandsons."
Matthew took the initiative and came forward, bowing to the two of them. "It's an honor, m'ladies."
"Smooth" Michael whispered to Ryan.
The girls giggled embarrassingly at the idea of being courted by a Kingston. "It's an honor to meet you, My Lord."
"You can just call me Matthew" Matt insisted. The girls giggled once more.
At the urging of his cousin, Ryan stepped forward, bowing as well. "Jasmine and Morgan. It truly is an honor. I'm Ryan."
"My daughters hope to one day become Queens of Arcana themselves" Augustine explained. "I hoped to give them an audience with the Queen before the ball, but it appears that she is currently preparing for her performance at the Ball tonight. I do hope she gets to meet my daughters."
Michael nodded. "Her Highness usually does give time to her competition. Though she should have been ready by now." Michael looked past Augustine and down the hall towards where Piper's room was. "If you'll excuse me, Madame. I must check on Her Highness." He then turned towards his cousins. "Boys, why don't you take these lovely young ladies down to the Ballroom?"
As both girls giggled for a third time, Ryan mouthed the words What about Addison to his cousin.
"I'm sure you boys can manage without me" Michael said, bowing to Augustine and the girls before taking off down the Hall.
"The Champion sure is busy" Jasmine remarked.
"He certainly is" Augustine replied. "But his business is his own." She turned towards her daughters. "Now, you girls be on your best behavior. The boys will escort you down to the Ballroom." Augustine departed to mingle with more of the Lords and Ladies of Arcana.
Ryan and Matthew looked at each other. "I was hoping Mike would be here to help us" Ryan said.
"We can't rely on him for everything" Matthew told him. "We have to figure somethings out on our own." Matthew walked over to Jasmine and nodded courteously to her. "Would you care to dance?"
Jasmine smiled and bowed politely. "I'd be honored to." She took Matthew's arm in hers and the two descended the staircase towards the ballroom.
Ryan walked over to Morgan and asked the same of Morgan, albeit with a little less flourish. "Morgan, would you like to dance?"
Morgan beamed at the sight of the boy who would be her first dance partner. "I would love to." She took Ryan's hand and led him down the stairs after Matthew and her sister. Ryan and Morgan would wave to any of her grandmother's guests that would notice the two shy kids making their way for the ballroom.
Ryan's eyes looked all around for Addison or Holly, but he could not seem to find either of them. I guess they're still getting ready.
Ryan and Morgan made their way for the ballroom and saw that many roughly around their age had already descended upon the dance floor, including Addison and Holly. While music cascaded throughout the halls, Addison was waltzing with some pretty boy with blonde hair in a military uniform complete with epaulettes and looking as if he were some prince from a fairy tale book. She did look radiant though, in a pink ballgown and a smile that rivaled that of Piper's. Holly, meanwhile, was having the time of her life going from one boy to the next in her own Seafoam colored gown, acting as if there wasn't a thing to care about in the world.
"Let's dance" Morgan called to Ryan, pulling him onto the dance floor along with the others. "Would you like to lead? Or for me to?"
Ryan nodded to her. "You can decide."
"Then allow me to" she smiled. Ryan, looking at how the other boys were dancing, did as best as he could to imitate them, putting his arm around Morgan's waist and taking her hand in his own. He mirrored her every step as Morgan led the way in their own waltz. Ryan, despite doing his best to keep up with how fluid Morgan was, couldn't help but be distracted by Addison dancing with that other blond haired boy. Nevertheless, Morgan did whatever she could to keep him on his toes and the two soon found themselves in the middle of a ring of dancers. When the music finally came to an end, the partners came apart and bowed to one another. The blonde haired boy took Addison's hand and kissed it, prompting Ryan to nearly explode in jealousy.
The girls then moved one partner down, with Holly happily coming towards Ryan, while Addison made her way over towards another boy. Matthew took Morgan out onto the dance floor. Holly curtsied to Ryan. Noticing the unhappiness etched on his face, she eyed him curiously. "How can you not be having a wonderful time?"
Ryan waved her question off. "Trust me, Holly. I'm fine."
She then put her arm around his waist and took his hand. "Then we shouldn't have any problems?"
"Not from my end" Ryan insisted and when the music resumed playing, their own waltz began.
{Meanwhile}
Michael knocked on Piper's door. "Piper?"
"Mike? Is that you?"
"Yeah, can I come in?"
"Of course you can."
Michael opened the door and entered Piper's chambers. He was surprised at how gorgeous Piper looked in her silver and white ballgown. She was looking at herself in the mirror as Michael entered. When Michael looked at her, he couldn't help but picture Julia in the same kind of gown for their wedding.
"My my, you look dashing" Piper teased.
"And Her Highness looks radiant as always" Michael replied.
"What brings you up here so soon before my performance?" Piper asked, making sure not a single hair on her head was out of place.
"I wanted to talk to you before the evening got too chaotic" Michael told her, sitting on the foot of her bed. "I thought a lot about what you said to me a few days ago. About Julia."
"Oh Mike" Piper said, turning over to him, "I'm sorry I put you on the spot like that. I just-well-I know how happy you two are and I just want it to keep going for the rest of our lives. But I know I may have put you in a bit of a-"
"No, Piper" Michael insisted. "You were right. I have been putting it off selfishly." He then reached into his pocket and pulled out Julia's engagement ring. "That's why I wanted you to see the ring before I asked her to marry me."
Piper dropped her brush at the word 'marry'. She looked as if she were about to break out into tears. "You're really going to ask her?"
Michael nodded happily. "Piper, I love her and I want to spend the rest of my life with her."
Piper squealed like a school girl and raced over to Michael, flinging her arms around him. "Oh, I'm so happy for you! And I know she's going to say 'yes', Mike!" She took the box from his hand and looked at it and did let out a cry. "Are these real sapphires?"
"I'd feel bad if they were any less" Michael insisted.
"Oh my goodness" Piper remarked. "She is going to love this!"
"I certainly hope so" Michael said.
Piper gave the box with the ring inside back to Michael and was about to comment more, when her Poké Gear went off on her vanity. She hurried over to pick it up and recognized the number calling her. "Now, he chooses to call me?" She took the Poké Gear up to her ear as she called, clearly in a bad mood. "Where the heck are you, Alonso? You should have been here over an hour ago!"
Michael grinned to himself. Finally, something's going right for once in my life.
"What? When?" Piper sounded as if she had just been told her house burst into flames. "No, I can't just go and call him! You know what? I hope you enjoy getting that surgery for polo you-ARGH!" Piper hung up her Poké Gear and slammed it into her dresser. "I can't believe this!"
"What happened?" Michael asked her.
"Would you believe it if I told you that Alonso broke his leg in a polo accident?" Piper cried out, before frowning. "I can't do my performance tonight without a partner!" She seemed about to cry. "All of this has to happen now? It's so overwhelming!"
"It'll be okay" Michael told her. "Can you do a solo performance?"
"Not for the Ball!" she said sadly. "Not when so many people are looking for a-for a-." Her eyes widened in shock. "That's it! Why didn't I think of it when Tanner and I broke up in the first place? Everyone will love it!" She looked towards Michael. "Mike?"
Michael gulped. "I'm not liking where this is going."
"Mike, please" Piper said, falling to her knees in front of him. "You're the only person I can count on right now. And you're a better dancer than you think you are."
"Do you really think me taking a part in this is going to help?" Michael asked her. "Or did you forget what I just went through on TV the other day?"
Piper laid the entire top of her head and arms on Michael. "I'm begging you, Michael! Please. This is going to help boost your ratings. I promise! PLEASE!"
Michael lowered his head and sighed. "You're lucky I can't turn you down."
Piper looked up at him, her eyes fighting back the urge to shed tears. "You mean it?"
"I'm still here, aren't I?" Michael said.
She flung her arms around him. "Oh thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" She quickly rose from her begging and raced to her vanity. "Oh I look fine the way I do now! Let's go and wow that crowd!" She hurried back over towards Michael. "I can't thank you enough for this, Mike." She pulled him up from the foot of her bed and the two then made for the door.
{Meanwhile}
The orchestra in the Ball Room continued to move from song to song seamlessly, though none of the partners had changed. In fact, this particular dance still seemed to be going on longer than he had anticipated. He and Holly were in lock step with one another. With a little training he had with Morgan, he was now primed to go as long as his feet had the strength to carry him. Ryan did notice something was different about their dance though. When he had observed Holly before, she was very talkative and enjoying herself with every boy she danced with. But with him, she was silent and almost out of it. She only kept her eyes focused on his as they let their feet do the talking for them. Whenever Holly seemed ready to say something, she would immediately look down as if for some reason embarrassed.
"Are you okay, Holly?"
"Ye-yes" she said, in almost a low whisper. "I'm fine. Never been better."
Ryan couldn't be sure though, as her eyes seemed so fixated on his own, that she never once missed a step and allowed herself to be guided by her partner and the music. Something's got to be wrong. Why is she looking at me like that?
When the music finally stopped, Holly took a deep breath and looked away from Ryan for a moment. "That was-"
"I know I'm not that good of a dancer" he said cheerily.
"No" Holly smiled, almost tearfully. "That's not it at all. That was-that was wonderful. Thank you, Ryan." Realizing she was still holding his hand, she quickly let go. "I just-thank you, Ryan." She then moved along towards her next partner, leaving a perplexed Ryan behind her.
"I hope she's okay" Ryan said to himself. He turned and saw Jasmine coming towards him. She curtsied and offered her hand to him. Like his brother had done before him, he bowed to her and took her hand. "I should warn you, I'm not that good of a dancer."
Jasmine smiled. "I don't think any of us are" she told him. "But from what I saw of you the past few minutes, you're definitely better than most of the boys here." The two then assumed their waltz positions as the music began to play once more. She eyed Matthew and Addison dancing nearby and turned back towards Ryan. "Is your brother-um-seeing anyone?"
Ryan shook his head as the two continued their waltz. "Not that I'm aware of, Jasmine" he replied.
"He is handsome" she said admiringly. "Is he in the Pokémon League tournament?"
"We both are" Ryan told her. "I think he's going to Alchemiburg next for the Peace Badge, if you were interested."
Jasmine beamed. "Oh I couldn't-I-." She then giggled to herself. "You are truly a good brother, Ryan."
Ryan shrugged. "I do what I can. I know from the way he looked at you, he wouldn't mind if he met you some time outside of this ball."
As the music finally came to an end, the two pulled apart and once more bowed and curtsied towards one another. Ryan looked down as Addison finally made her way towards him. The two stood their awkwardly looking at each other, until Ryan took the initiative to bow before her. "My lady, may I have this dance?"
Addison teasingly laughed. "Why, how cultured of you, Ryan. I'd be honored." But as the two were about to take the other's hand, the trumpets in the orchestra sounded off. The two turned towards the secondary doors that led to the Ballroom, where Gerard the Butler stood at attention.
"Announcing the arrival of Her Royal Majesty, Queen Piper Pines and her escort, Lord Michael Kingston, Champion of Arcana." The trumpets sounded off as the doors flung open and Piper and Michael emerged from the doors, arm in arm and walking towards the center of the ballroom. As they approached the center, they took up their own ceremonial waltz positions as the the orchestra began to play a much slower song for the two. Those in attendance applauded at the two as they began their dance around one another.
Ryan and Addison both stood, watching the two as their waltz took them near one another. Piper, upon noticing Ryan in the crowd, winked at him as they passed, prompting Ryan to look away, nervously. As the two twirled and spun around the dance floor, one by one, couples soon joined them on the floor. Ryan eyed Holly making her way back over to him. Had she finally decided to tell him what was wrong?
"I guess it's our turn" Addison said, startling Ryan as she took his hand and led him out onto the dance floor. As Ryan put his other arm around her waist, he couldn't help but smile when he looked at her. "I believe we owe each other a dance" Addison told him playfully.
"Then it would be my honor" Ryan replied. Soon the two were moving as Michael and Piper did on the dance floor, as if they were shadowing the older dancing partners. When Ryan flashed a glance away from Addison, he saw that they were the only one of the young group still on the dance floor. Holly watched on, with Matthew beside her, his arms folded. But his attention would quickly be drawn back towards Addison who continued to lead him on as their dance continued. Finally, as the piece of music reached it's ultimate crescendo, he was shocked to see Michael raise Piper into the air as if she were a ballerina with only one of his hands. "I don't have to try that, do I?" Ryan asked Addison.
Addison laughed. "No, I'm not ready to try that. But you're doing everything I could have asked of my best friend. Thank you." Ryan was about to reply, when Addison rested her head on his shoulder, causing him to flush with more red than Morgan's hair. He looked back towards the crowd. Holly and Matthew were gone. But he couldn't care less. He wanted this moment to last as long as it could possibly last.
The music finally came to an end as those in attendance both applauded the couples that still remained on the dance floor. Michael and Piper bowed before their audience, followed by each couple that was beside them, until only Ryan and Addison remained. The two then concluded the wave of bows and did so themselves.
"Aren't they all wonderful" his grandmother called from the orchestral stage. "Now, dinner will be served in the dining halls in the East Wing. If you all would proceed in an orderly fashion, we'll all have full bellies by the end of the night." Soon, the ballroom began to clear out, leaving only Ryan, Addison, Michael and Piper on the floor.
"So the Kingstons do know how to dance" Piper remarked to both Michael and Ryan.
"You know better than we do" Michael said.
"Well-I-you know-" Ryan said nervously.
"All the same" the Queen said happily. "I think you both make splendid dancers. It's a wonder you both aren't Pokémon Contest contestants yourselves."
"We can't have too much competition" Addison joked.
"I suppose" Piper said. She looked down at herself. "I truly look famished, don't I?" She eyed Ryan and Addison curiously and then whispered something in Michael's ear. When she was finished, he shrugged. "I do believe it's time for us to find our seats in the Dining Hall."
Michael bowed to Addison. "Does m'lady need an arm?" he asked her, holding out his arm to her.
"Of course" Addison curtsied, taking Michael's arm and walking out of the hall with him. She looked back at Ryan and smiled like a girl meeting a rock star for the first time and allowed him to lead her out towards the banquet hall.
"Ryan" Piper called out to him. "I would be honored if my hero would lead me into the hall. That is, if you're feeling up to it." She curtsied before him and offered the boy her arm.
Ryan, whose face had gotten so red the past few moments he couldn't remember what shade it initially was, bowed before Piper and took her arm, leading the Queen of Arcana out of the ballroom.
{Meanwhile}
Julia, who had finished her work as the moon climbed high above the rest of Arcana, curled herself up on the couch in her bathrobes, with her Sylveon sitting on her lap. She pet the white and pink Eeveelution on her head. "So, Bella? How about we watch some TV before we go up to bed?"
The Sylveon barked in approval and sat down so her ribbons didn't get in her trainer's face. Julia turned on the TV, which showed a newscast of the events as they took place at Kingston Castle. She smiled at the TV as she awaited news of how the ball had gone.
"...was a resounding success, according to Lady Bonnie Kingston" the reporter explained. "The highlight was, without question, the performance of Queen of Arcana Piper Pines, who once again stole the show and perhaps the heart of another of Arcana's greatest trainers. For more on that, we turn to Amelia White."
Julia laughed to herself. "I guess Piper's got another man in her life. That was quick."
"They say that sometimes" Amelia said on the TV, "that love comes in all shapes and sizes. But sometimes, it just needs to find itself after years of struggling and turmoil. That's what many observers in Kingston Castle saw tonight in the ballroom." The image changed to a hidden camera of someone in the ballroom, where it showed Piper leading someone into the ballroom. Someone who bore a striking resemblance to...
"Wait a minute" Julia said, leaning in to hear what the reporter was going to say. "Michael?"
"After another dance partner stood up our fair Queen of Arcana" Ameila reported over the video, "one lone hero stood to pick up her broken pieces. Our own Champion, Michael Kingston. Not only did the two steal the performances in the ballroom, but could the two have perhaps stolen each other's hearts?"
Julia rolled her eyes. "You have to be kidding me" she remarked bitterly. Of course it wasn't true. Piper only ever had a small crush on him...and Michael loved Piper like a sister, never like he cared for her. But he had defended her so vehemently on Walter O'Hara's show, and maybe they had...
"The two certainly complimented one another on the dance floor" Madame Augustine replied to a reporter outside of Kingston Castle. "It makes me wonder if the only reason the two haven't said anything is because they want to have some privacy."
"Of course" Amelia reported, "these are only rumors. As far as we are told, Piper Pines is still single after a rough breakup with her former boyfriend Tanner Haggerty and Michael has said he is happily involved with Professor Julia Pines, though one cannot help but wonder if these two star-crossed lovers might be better off with one another."
Julia turned off the TV in disgust. "You know what, I'd rather read a book anyway." She once more picked up the biography written about James Kingston, but she couldn't help but wonder if the news wasn't just trying to get under her skin and were accurately reporting things. Why, of all the men at the Ball, did Piper insist on Michael being with her in the dance?
{Later that night}
In the halls of Kingston Castle, six of it's guests prepare themselves for bed...
While preparing herself for bed and to hit the road once more in the morning, Holly Queensbury was lost in her own thoughts, which only showed a certain boy who's brown hair was usually covered by a green bandanna. The girl dreamily took a flower from the vase beside her bed and began to pluck the petals off one by one, whispering to herself that she never realized how handsome he had been. As she hummed the tunes from the ball, Holly made it down to the last petal and smiled to herself. He loves me!
Addison meanwhile, was dancing with her own shadow, imagining each and every partner she had. From the handsome and suave Jeremy, to the shy and timid Eric, to even the overly confident yet polite Matthew. But whenever she was dancing with one of them, her imagination would change each boy into her best friend and final dancing partner. She couldn't tell why this was, but she felt it was appropriate of the two to be the last ones dancing. She finally fell into bed, her Eevee already asleep by her head, and laid her head on the pillow, a smile as bright as the moon on her face...
Arcana's Queen had already changed from her gown into her pajamas. She was humming along to the waltz she had danced to with Michael. Once again, when she needed Michael to come through for her, he had stepped up and saved the day. He had saved her grandmother from Giselle, he had stood up for her to Walter O'Hara, he had stepped up to be her partner this evening, and he had even listened to her advice and bought an engagement ring for her cousin, Julia. As she gently laid down her head, she was about to enter the realms of her dreams, when she had a sudden realization. Am I in love with Michael Kingston? The thought of her emotions leading her to disaster made her begin to rethink where she stood in many places...
In his own bedroom, though still in his suit, Michael Kingston plopped himself on the bed, too tired to care about what was going on in the rest of the world. He saw that Leonard had texted him, though he knew that could wait until morning. He did, however, pick up his Pokémon Gear and rang up Julia to wish his beloved good night. When she did not answer, he shrugged and decided to leave a message for her. "Julia, sweetie, I guess I missed you. I hope you don't have any plans for tomorrow, because I want to spend as much time as I possibly can with you. I love you, Jules. Good night and sleep well." As he hung up, he slumped back onto his pillow and prepared to fall asleep. Even though he had a great deal on his mind, from the Syndicate to the Crimson Moon itself, he did not care. All that mattered to him was what was to unfold over the next few days, when he finally made the best decision of his life he'd made yet and asked Julia to marry him...
Matthew Kingston paced angrily in his shared room while his brother was still mingling downstairs in the ballroom. How could he do that to him? How could his own brother be the one to spend that moment dancing with Addison, when it should have been him? I thought I could trust him, though that's clearly not the case. Maybe I should just focus on making myself stronger. Forget traveling with them. I'm going to go to Alchemiburg, win my fourth Gym Badge and then, maybe I'll come back and tell her how I feel...
When Ryan finally returned to his and Matthew's shared bedroom, he was in a daze. He had spent so much time dancing and playing and eating at the ball, he had forgotten how little he had wanted to be there in the first place. Everyone he had danced with, from Morgan and Jasmine, to Holly, to Piper and especially Addison had made him so unmistakably happy. Now, with a deeper confidence in himself than he'd once thought, he was ready to take on any challenge that was thrown his way. With his brother already asleep or at least trying to sleep, he chose to hop right into his bed and fall asleep himself. After all, they would be on the road for Terra Town very soon to get his third Gym Badge from Greg and see just what was going to unfold for him. With high optimism, he fell back and dozed off into sleep.