"Quit your squirming, will ya?" Lena snarled as she tried to shove the sack into their wagon. After that other Kingston brat had destroyed their truck, they were forced to downgrade a couple of centuries and steal a wagon and Rapidash from one of the vendors on his way to the Faire. It paid off though, as they found a poor innocent young lady wistfully wondering about the area like she had no cares in the world. The perfect target to ambush and send to Cassius to use for his experiments.

"Please let me go!" the girl cried in the sack.

"No chance, sweetheart" Lena snickered. "We've got to bring you in to our base."

"But I'm not a trainer! And if you let me go-"

"Can it" Lily snapped. "Unless you want the duct tape."

"HELP!" the girl screamed.

"That's it" Lena said as tossed their captive into the wagon. "Tape her mouth shut!"

"We've got company" Lily cried out, pointing towards the road ahead of them.

Lena brushed past her and grunted. "Not those brats again!"

"I'll secure the girl" Lily told her sister. "You deal with them!"

"Uh, Lily?" Lena said.

"What?"

Lena pointed past the girl and saw the sack they had been keeping the girl in running about on it's own, heading into the direction of their old enemies. She groaned. "Things just keep getting better and better, don't they?"

{Meanwhile}

Ryan and Addison skidded to a stop when they saw the abducted person in a sack running towards them. Ryan opened his arms wide to catch her and managed to do so. Addison kept her attention on the Syndicate Goons to ensure they didn't try anything sneaky on him.

"Are you okay?" Ryan asked. "I've got you." He took the sack off of her and was shocked. "Jasmine?"

The young girl he had met at Queen's Ball was as pale as a sheep and looked far less confidant than she had been that night, but was also relieved to be with someone she knew she could trust. Her entire body was shaking, from her head all the way down to the hands that were tied behind her back by her former captors.

"You-you're Matthew's brother!"

"I have a name. you know" Ryan remarked.

"I'm sorry, Ryan" she cried. "It's just, those two-"

"We've dealt with them before" Ryan assured her. "Stand behind us. We'll take care of it."

"Oh thank you, Ryan. Thank you so much!" She quickly ran behind Ryan and Addison as she saw Lily and Lena rushing up after her. She cowered behind the two and desperately tried to reach her one and only Poké Ball in the hopes she could get it to free her while her heroes protected her.

"You again?" Lena snarled.

"How many times do we have to prove this same lesson to you two clowns?" Ryan demanded.

Lily grinned slyly. "Why, you up for a rousing game of abduction yourself?"

"HE IS NOT!" Addison declared angrily.

"Relax, princess" Lena sneered, "We're not after your boyfriend this time. As long as he stays out of our way!"

"Better think again" Ryan cautioned the two. "Leave here now, or face us in a battle!"

"I guess we have to do this the old fashioned way!" Lily said bitterly. "GO! Arbok!" With that declaration, both sisters sent out their Arboks to battle with one another. "We'll keep teaching you the same lessons over and over again, little hero."

Ryan sent out his Gallade and Addison added her Gardevoir. Together, Achilles and Galatea stood firmly against the two Syndicate Snatchers. "Achilles! Use Psycho Cut!"

"Galatea! Use Psychic!"

Galatea offered her hand to Achilles, and the two joined together. In a flash of multi-colored light, Galatea had made multiple copies of Achilles. In a flash of light, Achilles moved swiftly, cutting down both Arboks with one attack, before their combined attack ended and the two reverted back to their original forms and their trainers in surprised shock.

"What was that?" Ryan asked.

"A combination attack?"

Lily and Lena were equally stunned at this turn of events. "You've got to be kidding me!"

Addison turned her attention back towards the two Snatchers. "Unless you want some more, you'll back off."

Lena grunted. "I'll show you who wants more! Plusle! GO!"

"Minun! GO!"

From out of their Poké Balls appeared two small Electric Pokémon, one with a Positive Charge and the other with a Negative. Like Ryan and Addison's Pokemon had done, the two Electric Pokémon joined hands and began to spark out immense energy.

Ryan was about to send Achilles forward, but Addison stopped him. "Leave it to me. Galatea! Use Moonblast!" Gathering all of the power of the moon at her disposal, the Gardevoir unleashed a devastating blow on both Pulsle and Minun, effectively knocking the two of them out in one shot once again.

The Syndicate Snatchers were livid. "This can't be real."

"You bet it's real" Ryan warned them. Holly and Tommy, who had approached the scene a few minutes late, worked on untying Jasmine while Addison and Ryan continued to face down the two Syndicate Snatchers. "Why can't you losers go somewhere else and bother them?"

"We could ask the same of you, kid!" Lena snapped.

Lily stomped her foot on the ground. "Yeah! Why can't you kids be good and just let us capture you?"

"Because we don't want to be at the mercy of some half-baked bounty hunters like you!" Addison chided.

"HALF-BAKED?!" Lena growled. "Oh that does it-"

"Uh, Lena!"

"WHAT?"

Lily pointed above them and saw the coming sign of a Noivern. Ryan and Addison looked at the same thing they were. It was Matthew.

"Three thorns in my side is where I draw the line" Lena hissed, calling back their Pokémon and grabbing her sister's arm. "We'll be back to settle the score, Kingston Brat!" With that, both Syndicate Snatchers hurried for their wagon and took off into the distance. Before Matthew could even land his Noivern, another Dragon Pokémon burst out of nowhere in pursuit of the two. A massive Tyrantrum roared in fury as the wagon was once more out of it's reach.

"We almost had them!" a voice remarked bitterly. A man slid down the back of the Tyrantrum. He had a long dirty-blonde mullet and was clad in armor befitting a Gym Leader.

"Jon!" Ryan called to his cousin.

Jon, who had not even noticed his guests, laughed. "Well I'll be!" He recalled his Dragon Pokémon and hurried over to his cousin and his friends. "So you two were the ones who chased off those pests!"

"That would be us!" Ryan said proudly.

Jon grabbed his cousin and nearly suffocated him in a bone crushing hug. "Oh, Ryan! I haven't seen you in ages, kiddo!"

"Thanks Jon" Ryan spat out, before being able to breathe again when his cousin put him down.

Jon looked him over. "Good. You've been growing the past few months. And not just in height. I can see it in your eyes. You're a true blue Pokémon Trainer. It would be my honor to battle you in my gym after the Faire is said and done."

"I can go now!" Ryan insisted. "I'm on a roll!"

Jon shook his head. "Annie just had this made for me. Do you really think I'd get it dirty before the festivities even begin? I'd never hear the end of it!" He looked into the skies as Matthew approached. "And I see your brother is as much of a show off as always."

"As always" Ryan laughed as Matthew finally landed on the solid ground. His brother dismounted off of his Noivern and stretched himself out. When he realized all present were looking at him, he shrugged.

"Don't tell me you guys started the fun without me!" he said jokingly.

"MATTY!" a voice cried behind Ryan. Ryan just barely had the time to leap out of the way as Jasmine rushed past him and into Matthew's awaiting arms.

"Matty?" Addison asked, completely confused. Her confusion remained until Jasmine took Matthew's head in her hands and planted a kiss right on his lips. Then, her confusion became sudden realization, followed swiftly by shock.

As Matthew pulled back, he laughed nervously. "Come on, Jas. Only Ryan knows right now!"

"But you don't understand Matty" Jasmine eagerly told him. "Ryan and his friend saved my life."

"I have a name you know" Addison remarked.

Matthew looked at Ryan and Addison gratefully. "Well, it looks like that's one I owe you guys for. Thanks Ryan. Thanks Addy."

Addison raised an eyebrow. "You're welcome?"

Jasmine lovingly flung her arms around Matthew and kissed his cheek. "You and your brother are heroes, Matty!"

"Well" Jon said proudly, "if you guys did just save Jasmine here from the Syndicate Goons, I see no better reward than giving you four seats at The King's Court for the feast tonight! He stretched himself in his chainmail suit and armor. "But, since we won't be seeing those two clowns again for a while, I think we've all earned a relaxing opening day at the Faire here in Cauldro City." He flung his cape and armor back and made his way back into the Faire Grounds, which only lay beyond the trees.

Matthew did his best to entangle himself from Jasmine's enamored embrace, but failed to do so. "I'd like to thank you guys again, for saving Jasmine for me."

"It's the least we could do" Ryan laughed. "Reuniting lovers and all."

Jasmine giggled. "I like the sound of that."

"When did Matthew become such a ladies man?" Holly asked, folding her arms as she observed the situation.

"All his life" Jasmine insisted. "Matthew Kingston is my gallant prince and knight in shining armor as well as the favorite to win the Pokémon League this year."

"I thought you dropped out?" Addison inquired.

"Well" Matthew tried to explain, as Jasmine clung to him like a Remoraid clings to a Mantine, "I had a little help in seeing that it would probably be smart of me to resume my challenge, especially since I only need the Gym Badge here in Cauldro City before I can contend for the Pokémon League."

"You won in Titanio City already?" Tommy asked in shock.

Matthew opened his wallet to show that of the ten possible badges he could have obtained in Arcana's Pokémon Gyms, he already had seven. With the Gyms in the Magenta Grove and Charizark Town closed, he was exactly one win away from contending in the Pokémon League, as he had stated. "The Titan Badge from Renee. She was pretty tough, lemme tell you. But I throttled her before I got here for the Faire." He propped up Jasmine next to him as if she were the princess of his story. "You see, many of the experts are picking Jasmine to win the Queen of Arcana Contests in a few days."

"They what?" Addison asked sharply.

"They what?" Holly echoed as coldly.

Jasmine beamed. "I'm sure I'll do the best I can, but Morgan is also competing too."

"Can't forget about her can we?" Matthew smiled as the young couple rubbed their noses together.

"I think I might throw up" Tommy retched.

Jasmine suddenly remembered that Addison and Holly had also been at the ball. "Oh and I wish the two of you the best of luck as well."

Addison folded her arms in bitterness, while Holly pretended not to hear her.

Matthew took Jasmine in his arms. "Well, I've got to go. I promised my lady I'd spend the day with her at the Festival today. I'll see you four at the banquet." Matthew gave each of his friend's a courtesy nod. Jasmine admiringly waved at the two before Matthew swept her off her feet and carried her off towards the Faire.

Addison, Ryan, Tommy and Holly were all blown away by the complete character transformation their friend and Ryan's brother had just undergone in the last few days.

"What the-"

"-heck-"

"-did we-"

"-just witness?"

Addison was rattled. "I-I didn't know Matthew had such...charisma? Is that the word?"

"Matthew and charisma do not go together" Holly insisted.

Ryan paused. "I don't know. I'd rather a brother that's talking to me and competing with me than one who's trying to slug me in the face."

"Let's go see the Faire!" Tommy burst out as he ran along after Matthew and Jasmine. Holly rushed along after him, determined to ensure her brother was on his best behavior.

Ryan looked towards Addison, who was still clearly rattled by the whole events that had just transpired with Matthew. "You gonna be okay, Addy?"

Addison shook her head to wake up from whatever state she had just been in. "Of course, Ryan."

Ryan heaved a sigh of relief. "Good to know." He then offered her his arm. "Doth m'lady need an escort to thy Faire?"

Addison laughed so hard she couldn't even realize how red her face was by his offer. "Why, my dear Champion. I thought thou would never ask!" She put her arm in his and the two made their way for the grandest celebration in Arcana this year.

{Meanwhile}

"Can't you two simpletons do ANYTHING RIGHT?" Victor roared at Lily and Lena when they returned to his secret camp outside of the reach of the Faire Grounds. The Lead Snatcher was livid at the two for yet another failed capture of one of the targets, which turned out to not be the target they were supposed to be after. The enormous man punched a tree so hard, it left an indent in the wood.

Lily immediately fell behind her sister, prompting Lena to have to testify on both their behalf. "Victor, please. How were we supposed to know that she wasn't the one we were supposed to be targeting? We were told that she would be one of the contenders for the Queen of Arcana Contests!"

"Did you two honestly just find the first contestant and assume she was the one you were supposed to go after?" When neither Lily nor Lena answered, Victor wiped his face with his furious hand. "As usual, I'm going to have to do this myself. You should count yourselves lucky I'm going to keep you two alive for this!"

"Trust us" Lena assured him nervously, "no one is more thankful for your generosity than we are."

"OH SHUT UP!" he bellowed, causing the twins to jump back. "We have only until the last day of the Faire to pull this Snatch off, and you two blew your cover like THAT?"

"Forgive us, Victor!" Lena begged.

"One more chance, Victor" Lily added.

"I've had my fill of giving you two chances" Victor grunted. "And so have the rest of us. You two are being sent to The Compound."

"The Compound?" Lily cried out.

"Yes, dimwit, The Compound. Maybe Cassius will find some use for you two. And if you prove yourselves not so worthless, you might be allowed to go Snatching in the City. But I'm taking over this operation, fortunately for you two. And I intend on making sure it goes right to the letter. That ringer I've brought in should make the Joust very interesting tomorrow. An interesting plan he and I cooked up."

"He? You mean Elezar?"

"Elezar doesn't bother himself with Snatching, you idiot! Our newest Admin."

"You've got another one?" Lena asked. "That's thirteen now."

"It may become eleven if you two don't shape up" Victor threatened. "Now get out of my sights! I can't stand the sight of either of you." The twins slinked off into the distance, before running for the main road back to Titanio City. Alone, Victor was able to process the remainder of his plan. Things are about to get very interesting here. Hopefully our new Admin knows what he's talking about when it comes to setting traps. Otherwise, this whole little enterprise might be for nothing.

{Meanwhile}

A throwback to the more medieval ages of Arcana's long ago past, The Faire in Cauldro City evoked ideas of legend and myth. The young ladies and women were all adorned in the finest silk gowns made in all of the land, while the boys and men wore the tunic and armors of the knights and lords of old. There were acrobats, jugglers, sword dancers, and plenty of musical bands performing the tunes and ballads of days yesterdays tucked into the wayside. There were colorful tents teeming with merchants selling the finest homemade treats, handwoven gowns and other such knickknacks and other ornaments.

Before the four could even find the time to enjoy themselves, Jon's fiancé Annie, a sweet and charming young woman with auburn colored hair, whisked the four off to be fitted by the finest tailors and seamstresses the Kingston budget could afford. Though she was not yet a member of the Kingston Family, Jon's parents, Byron and Joy, spared no expense to make her one of the most elegant and refined maidens in all of the land and she in turn used this to benefit those who did not have such access to luxuries of being fabulously wealthy. While Jon was occupied with running the Gym in Cauldro City, Annie constantly spent her time using their families' fabulous wealth being charitable and offering her time to assist at the orphanage in the city. But when it came to the Faire, Annie spared no expense to throw an event twice as glamorous and memorable as the Queen's Ball at Kingston Castle could ever hope to be. Hiring performers and recruiting merchants from all over the world, she was determined to make the Faire the grandest and most spectacular event in the entire world.

She spent time with each of the four, trying to determine what the perfect outfit would be for each of them. For Tommy, she tried to model his outfit after her beloved Jon's, with the dark green tunic and chain mail to go along with the armor, but when the boy could barely fit in any of the armor she gave him to try on, she decided he would just look dashing in his tunic with black chainmail and had the tailor craft him the perfect outfit. For her soon to be in-law, Annie used a picture from a previous Faire to model Ryan as a dashing knight of old, complete with a red and gold tunic with silver chainmail underneath. Ryan was a trifle unsure about running around looking like he was in an oil painting, but decided to do roll with it when she so eloquently pointed out to him that he looked just like his cousin Michael in his getup.

Holly was quick to pick a pink ballgown for herself, complete with her own hennin and all the trimmings. While there, Holly seemed to be neglecting her crush on Ryan as so many other young and dashing boys her age were about the Faire Grounds. She was determined to leave this Faire having courted at least one of the dashing trainers present. Addison was given a sky blue and periwinkle gown that Annie assured her brought out the vibrancy in her violet eyes. Though she felt she looked ridiculous at first, the dropped jaw look Ryan gave her when the two reunited was enough to tell her she looked as good as she possibly could.

While they had initially been keen on sticking together with Tommy and Holly, the two soon found themselves walking around the Faire Grounds together and watching as all the carnival games were being played around them. There were pie eating contests, children's archery, and even a few ordinary games, such as strength contests, cup in the ball gimmick games and even Whack-a-Diglett. The two simply admired the scenery together until Ryan came to a stop when he noticed some of the prizes available for the games: Mega Stones.

"Mega Stones?" Ryan said to himself. He tugged at Addison and led her over to one of the games, where Pokémon would test in a controlled area just how strong their Earthquakes were.

"Really, Ry?" Addison teased. "A strength contest?"

"Did you see some of the prizes?" Ryan remarked.

She laughed. "You and your Mega Stones." She nudged him forward. Ryan called out his Sandslash Terra and volunteered to be the next participant. The two made their way towards the controlled area as the Game Chief explained the rules to him.

"Okay, there, young knight. You see that scale there?" He pointed toward a digital scale that rang out the power of each Earthquake that struck in the area. "The record on this machine was set at 7.8. If you and your little Sandslash there could break that record, you're free to get any prize I offer you. Think you're up to the challenge?"

Ryan nodded. "I think so. Let's go, Terra." His Sandslash jumped into the small enclosed area and awaited an order. "Use EARTHQUAKE!"

The Sandslash rocked the entire area, even causing a slight tremor in the ground outside. The digital scale rapidly increased in number until topping itself off at 8.3. The Sandslash came out, proud of itself.

"Well, I'll be, son" Game Chief told him. "That was a mighty Earthquake. You can choose one of these fabulous prizes you want." He offered Ryan the chance to look at his wears and found four Mega Stones available to him: Mawilite, Absolite, Gardevoirite and Sharpedonite. Ryan, knowing he had caught none of the aforementioned Pokémon, knew exactly which one he wanted.

"I'll take this one" he said.

"Alright, you enjoy yourself now." He handed Ryan the Mega Stone and Ryan hurried over to Addison, who shook her head at him.

"Enjoying yourself?"

"You know it" Ryan said happily.

"So, which of your Pokémon are you Mega Evolving?"

"None, but how would you like to Mega Evolve your Gardevoir for the Performances in two days?" He handed the confused girl the Gardevoirite. When she took it in her hands, she was on the verge of tears. She held her mouth to her hands and did everything in her power to not squeal or cry out as much as she wanted to.

"Ryan, I-I don't know what to say..."

"Thank you would be appropriate" Ryan joked.

She flung her arms around him. "Thank you, Ry." She then for the third time in his life, kissed him on the cheek. She called out her Gardevoir and offered her the Gardevoirite happily. Galatea took the artifact and felt almost blessed to have such an object in her hands. She gestured for Ryan to come down to her and as he did, she too kissed him on the cheek.

Ryan, flustered by both kisses, shrugged. "It's the least I can do for you two. You deserved it."

"Now, let me return the favor" Addison said, before she frantically ran off, looking for a game she could master herself. When she finally found one that was offering the kind of prize she was looking for, she grabbed Ryan's hand and pulled him along through the crowds. The two came to a stop at the table of one of those find the ball in the cup games. The Game Chief eyed Addison and put on his best used car salesman voice.

"What can I do for a pretty young thing like you?"

Addison, completely unaffected by the flattery, looked behind him at the Mega Stones he was offering. "How many games do I have to win to get that Mega Stone?"

He sighed. "Well, you'll have to win ten straight easy games, five hard games, or one Master Mode Game."

"I'll do the Master Mode" she declared, handing him 100 Poké Dollars to get the game started.

"I'll give you as many tries as you want for another 100?" he told her.

"Nah. I'll only need the one."

Ryan looked at her, completely bewildered. "One try? Are you nuts?"

She looked at him with a dangerous smile on her face. "Do you trust me?" She gave his hand a gentle squeeze.

Ryan could feel his knees melting underneath him. "Of course."

The Game Chief took out ten cups and offered her one of the Mega Stones to choose from. "Pick whichever one you want and I'll put it in the cups."

Addison pulled Ryan closer. "Which one do you want?"

Ryan studied for a moment. There was a Beedrillite, Heracronite, Kangaskhanite, Pidgeotite and Manectite. The choice for Ryan was obvious. "The Pidgeotite."

"Very well." The Game Chief placed the Mega Stone into one of the cups and watched in awe as the cups began to move as fast as lightning in his hands. Ryan lost the Pidgeotite after a few seconds, but Addison seemed completely focused on the movements of the Game Chief, almost as if she could sense every single strategy he was pulling. Ryan smiled nervously. If he had a fairly strong connection to Achilles already, he could only imagine how powerful her connection to Galatea was.

The Game Chief rearranged the cups one last time, with Ryan completely lost as to where it could be, but Addison was silent and lost in her thoughts as he allowed her to make her choice. "Choose wisely, my dear."

"Third from the Left" she said in half a second.

The Game Chief's heard dropped. "Excuse me?"

"Third from the Left" she repeated. She picked up the cup she had designated. The Pidgeotite was there.

"That...was...INCREDIBLE!" the Game Chief proclaimed. "You truly are one of a kind, my dear." He allowed Addison to take the Pidgeotite, where she immediately gave it to Ryan. The Game Chief looked at her in awe. "How about you work for me, kid? We could definitely make some big bucks if we tag team for the rest of this Festival."

Addison pulled Ryan's arm close to her. "Sorry, but I'm spoken for." She gave her friend's arm a squeeze, prompting Ryan to nearly let out a squeal of his own. The two continued to walk along together until it was time for the banquet.

Then, together, they made their way towards the King's Court, where Jon had said they would be seated. Sure enough, there were two spots reserved for Ryan Kingston and Addison Tenton side by side from one another and only a few seats shy from where Jon and Annie would be seated. As they made themselves comfortable, more guest soon filed their ways in. Tommy, who had been by the forgery trying to make his own sword the entire time, simply bought one of the premade weapons after all of his ended up bent or broken. He sat opposite Addison beside where his sister was supposed to be seated, though Holly was currently chatting up with another young man.

Matthew and Jasmine came strolling in, arm in arm and sat beside Ryan and Addison, with Jasmine seated between both boys. As Matthew pulled out her chair and helped her sit, the girl nearly swooned. "What a gentlemen."

"You bring out the best in my, Jasmine" he told her, before taking a seat beside her.

Jasmine turned over to Ryan and Addison. "I want to thank you for saving me, before. Truly and sincerely. You didn't have to stick your neck our for me like that. That was very brave of you."

"It was our pleasure" Addison told her, a little dismissively. "Any friend of Matt's is a friend of ours."

Ryan nodded. "It was the least we can do, considering you're making my brother so happy."

"Happy I am" Matthew grinned. "Never thought I would be again."

Jasmine reached past Ryan and shook Addison's hand. "If there's anything I could do to repay you-"

Addison smiled and shook her head. "Don't worry about it, Jasmine."

Jasmine nodded. "Thank you again." She then turned to Ryan and kissed him on the cheek, causing a brief flare of emotions from Addison, who simply sat by and did nothing.

Ryan shrugged. "Any time."

Matthew leaned over to talk to his brother. "Hey, bro? What do you think about you and I taking to the lists, tomorrow?"

"The what?" Ryan asked him.

"The jousting lists?" he explained.

Ryan thought for a moment. "It sounds like fun, but how do we get in?"

Matthew chuckled slightly. "I took the liberty of enlisting the both of us. You know, to get us back in that old competitive chase we used to be in."

"You could do that just by sticking around for a change" Ryan suggested.

Matthew nodded. "Naturally, but I feel like I owe you. After that whole nasty business back in Trickton."

Ryan waved it off. "Water under the bridge, Matt. We've all been a little tense lately. It's just good to see my brother again."

"Don't worry" Matthew assured him. "Once we've both beaten Jon here in Cauldro City, it will only be a matter of time before we get you to Titanio City and get that eighth Gym Badge. And if the Syndicate tries to stop us, we'll just swat them down like we always have. Remember, we're a team and we stick together."

Jasmine looked on admiringly. "Isn't he the best?"

Ryan looked to Addison, who was still a little uncomfortable being in this situation. He put his arm on her shoulder, which seemed to alleviate some of the tension as the servants brought around the first courses of meals for every table. Tommy shoved basically anything that looked edible onto his plate and began to stuff his face with food. Ryan and the others waited for Jon and Annie to sit down. The hosting couple arrived in the King's Court, arm in arm to the polite applause of those present. When the two reached their seats, they bowed to their adoring public. But before they sat, Jon halted the proceedings, prompting Addison to kick Tommy until he stopped eating.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, I'd like to welcome you all to this 94th annual Arcanan Faire here in our beautiful Cauldro City" Jon welcomed happily. "It is my honor to be hosting his year, now that my father, Chief of Police Byron Kingston is retiring to enjoy the simpler things in life. And I am also honored to be here beside my beloved future wife, Annie Tress, who would like to read a very important letter to all present in this King's Court." With that, Jon sat down to let Annie read the letter she had received.

"This letter was sent to us by our wonderful Queen, Piper Pines, who is unfortunately unable to attend due to her injuries and will also be unable to defend her title as Queen of Arcana this year. As she is recovering at Kingston Castle as a guest of Lady Bonnie, I would like to read this letter she wrote to everyone here in the King's Court." She took a deep breath before reading:

[To All My Beloved Friends and Compatriots,

It saddens me that I will not be able to attend the Faire with you all this year. It has certainly been a trying year for all of us, but I certainly hope that things will improve in the future so that I may be able to never miss one of Arcana's most cherished events ever again. Because I will not be able to defend my title as Queen of Arcana, it falls to one of the lovely maidens attending this Faire to take up the mantle of Queen of Arcana.

To the young ladies who are present at this banquet, I only have one piece of advice to give to you all: listen to your hearts. Your body and your mind can only take you so far in this world by themselves. The muscle and wits you use are monstrously important qualities for all to have, especially when you will be ruling side by side with the Champion who is crowned to replace the late Michael Kingston. But your heart is also an essentially important trait to have. While the muscles act as you will them to and the brain acts in response to what it requires, the heart is the deepest and most sincere of all that you take with you in this world. It is what allows you to trust, to love and to act compassionately to all who would possibly need it.

I have long since labored as to what my last official decree as Queen would be for the longest time. What would the best way for me to exercise one last swift and true judgement with my authority before I bestow that position on whomever succeeds me? And after deliberating with my cousin, Professor Julia Pines, as well as some of my friends and most trusted confidants, I decided how best I want my legacy and those of my friends to be remembered. Not too long ago, as many of you know, Arcana lost five of the finest trainers we've ever known in the horrific fires in Taghwan City that claimed many more lives on top of these. But one of the ones lost was a man that we have all come to know and love as our fallen Champion, Michael Kingston. As many of you have surmised, yes, I loved the Champion, but only as a brother to share in joys and sorrows with. And in his passing, there will now be a hole in my heart that will never be full again. And yet, there is still hope for Arcana. In Alchemiburg, I met a young man who holds the virtues of Michael close to himself and loved Michael in ways that I can fully relate to. And, while I was in the company of this young man, he saved my life as well as those of his friends and my cousin. This young man has since gone on to become a true contender in the Pokémon League and continues to follow in the footsteps of Michael and the Elite Four. That is why, with my final decree as Queen of Arcana, I would like give my League Nomination to Ryan James Kingston of Parlor Town to contend in the Arcana Pokémon League Finals.

I love you all and hope that I have the honor to one day be among you all and serve you as your Queen once again.

Sincerely,

Her Royal Highness, Queen Piper Pines]

Ryan was speechless Piper thought of him like she did Michael. And now, he wouldn't even need a nomination from Addison or Holly to make it into the Pokémon League. With The Queen of Arcana's own endorsement, he was only two badges away from competing in the Pokémon League. His dream was almost coming true right before his eyes.

"There you have it, folks" Jon said. "Piper Pines bids us farewell and in her final address, has wished all of the Maidens taking part in the Queen of Arcana Contests the best and has used her final decree to nominate my cousin, Ryan Kingston, for the Pokémon League Finals. Let's have a round of applause for all our Queen of Arcana Contestants and for Ryan Kingston."

Addison and Jasmine rose, both of them pulling Ryan up behind them, as did a few other young ladies and Holly, who was trying to make her way to her assigned seat next to her brother. The room was filled with polite applause for everyone present. Ryan looked down and saw his brother clapping proudly for him and the girls. Ryan was finally able to relax and enjoy himself.

As he sat back down, he and his friends spent the remainder of the feast enjoying plate after plate of food, reminiscing about times long since past, and listening as the band in the middle of the room played ballads of heroes long since past. As the feasting was finished and the King's Court was about to clear out, Jon again called for everyone's attention.

"And now, Annie's Niece, Emily Tress, would like to read for you all the last ballad of the evening." Annie rushed her 14 year old niece out into the middle of the King's Court. The sheepish, bespectacled girl tried to run and hide, but was forced to recite the ballad she had written.

[AUTHOR'S NOTE: I was drawing a serious blank for creating a song with which to make for this segment of the story, so I chose to write the ballad based around the musical number "Once Upon a December" from Anastasia, written by Lynn Arhens and Stephen Flaherty]

"It's a little unpolished, but I hope you all enjoy it" the timid Emily spoke up. She looked to Jon, Matthew and Ryan, gave each a faint smile and then went into her ballad.

Heart of Light

Soul of Gold

He Was Our Friend, Not a Stranger

He Gave His All

Tenderly

He Was The Heart of Arcana

Erin Had Loved Him

And Gave Him Life

Tori Cared And

Saved Him From Strife

Chris and Cam Looked Up To Him

As He Gave Us His All..

It didn't take Ryan long to realize who this ballad was meant to be written about. Feeling the deep emotions preparing to boil over inside of him, he was readying himself to excuse himself from the rest of the evening, his heart preparing to burst inside of him.

Mark Befriended

And Welcomed Him

Lizzie Stopped

His Heart From Growing Dim

Piper Gave Him All Her Love

As Too Did Julia

He Lives On

In Our Hearts

He Who Guards Us From Danger

As We All

Cared For Him

He Who Wasn't A Stranger

He's Our Light

And Our King

He's The Heart of Arcana

Those present in the Court clapped loudly and proudly for the Ballad of the Heart. Emily bowed swiftly and hurried to hide behind her cousin. Her loudest applause came from Annie, Jon and Matthew.

"That was beautiful" Annie remarked.

"Absolutely breathtaking" Jon added.

"Mike would have loved it" Matthew professed.

Ryan, who had heard enough, excused himself from the tent to be by himself. Once he had left the tent, Ryan raced as far as his legs would take him before stopping and falling to his knees and burying his head into his hands. His cousin would never be there to see him achieve his goals, or be there to wipe away Julia's tears, or be there to see Tori marry Greg or Addison or Holly replace Piper as Queen.

"You're gonna miss so much of all of our lives, Mike" Ryan said aloud, trying to stop himself from shedding whatever tears he had. "Why? Why did the Syndicate have to take you away from us? I miss you, Mike. So much Please, Mike. When is all of this going to end?" He knew he would never get an answer for his questions, because the world seemed to know as much about it's future as he did.

Before he could try to console himself, he found a hand on his shoulder. He looked up and found Addison there for him. She held out her arms and within a second, Ryan fell into her, crying into her gown. She wrapped her arms around him and buried her head into his own. He could feel tears coming out of her head. "I miss him too, Ry. But he would want us to keep going. Because no matter what happens, life goes on." She pulled him to his feet. "But remember the lyrics of Emily's song. So long as we keep him in our hearts, we won't ever lose him."

"But why does it have to hurt?" Ryan asked her.

"Because we loved him" Addison said solemnly. "And he loved us. But he wouldn't want us to be like this, not at the Faire. Not when you're so close to achieving your goal of being the Pokémon League Champion." She lifted his face up with her finger so the two stared at each other. "Remember what we agreed to in Taghwan? We would shoulder this for each other, no matter how long we need it. And I'll be here for you, no matter how much you need me."

Ryan nodded, wiping away the last remaining tears he had inside of him. "Thanks, Addy."

"It's what I do" she winked at him. She looked behind them and saw that they were readying the field for the Fireworks Bonanza to cap off the night. "Let's go see if we can find a good spot." She tried to lead him away, but Ryan pulled her back.

"Wait, I have the best spot in mind" Ryan said, reaching onto his belt to pull out his Poké Ball containing Marahute and called her out. He then used the Key Stone on his wrist to have his Pidgeot Mega Evolve. His Pidgeot was now nearly twice as high and wide, with a rainbow of feathers coming out from her magnificent crown atop her head.

Addison was hesitant. "I don't know, Ryan. I mean, in this dress, I don't think-"

Ryan shook his head. "There's no other way I'd like to see you than the way you look right now, Addison."

Addison gulped as she nervously eyed him. "Really?"

Ryan climbed atop the back of Marahute and offered her his hand to help pull her up. "Let's go together."

Addison beamed as she took his hand and climbed atop Marahute behind him. Without warning, the Pidgeot took off into the skies. Addison clung onto Ryan's torso as if her life depended on it, squeezing her eyes shut. "Let me know when it's over."

"Addy" Ryan called to her. "Open up your eyes."

"Nope!" She refused. "We're still in the air."

"Addy" Ryan soothingly talked to her. "Do you trust me?"

Addison took a deep breath and then opened one eye and slowly the other behind it. She then raised her head and watched as she and Ryan were now over a hundred feet in the air watching as the Fireworks went off, one by one, directly in front of them.

"This is amazing" she said happily. "I've never seen them up so close."

Ryan stroked Marahute's head. "You did good, Mara. You did good."

The Pidgeot nodded, content with herself as she hovered in the air as the fireworks went off only a soft glide from where she was floating in the air. The cavalcade of colors swirled in the nighttime skies around them, shining both the trainers in a rainbow of different hues and shades.

Addison rested her head on Ryan's back tenderly. "Thank you, Ryan. For everything."

Ryan, for the first time since being around his crush, could not bring himself to tense up. Everything was so perfect about this moment, that he never wanted it to end. But as the Fireworks slowly wound down for the evening, Marahute brought the two down into a gentle field of wildflowers that overlooked the Faire Grounds. Ryan climbed off of his Pidgeot's back and caught Addison as she climbed down. The two then made their way over to the highest point on the field and sat together, watching the spectacular fireworks finale.