The sounds of squawking Wingulls was what woke Elezar Aced from his bout of unconsciousness. The Syndicate Leader found himself, washed up on a rock to the side of Mt. Heatmor. He could only open one eye, as the other had been irreparably damaged by Michael Kingston's Crimson Fury induced attack. He was surprised to find a part of his face had been bandaged up and cleaned where it could be. He tried to move around, but his body was in such pain from his injuries and near death at the hands of The Grand Master that he just couldn't. He looked above him and saw that the sun was shining brightly and the skies showed no sign of clouds or storms in sight.

He rolled onto his stomach to try and push himself up, but felt something roll off his stomach and onto the rock. It was a piece of folded paper. He curiously unfolded it to try and read what was written on it.

[Father,

I hope that you have come to realize how wrong you were about the world. After seeing the damage Michael Kingston put you through, you'd have to be completely free from sanity to think otherwise. The Crimson Fury and all of your ambitions failed. There is now a cure for the Crimson Fury that will heal all of those you and The Grand Master made suffer. Yet while The Grand Master got what he deserved in the end, Fate somehow intervened and allowed you to live. I asked myself why when I found you and could only surmise that the world isn't quite done with you yet, or rather, you aren't quite done paying your debt to the world back. Nevertheless, I chose not to override her judgment and allowed you to live. Hopefully, it will allow you to see all of the wrongs you have committed.

You were wrong about many things. The world, the Crimson Fury and even about the Kingstons. But the two things you were most wrong about were about Mother and Grandfather. I will never forgive you for what you have done to Mother, but perhaps you can find some way to redeem yourself in the eyes of others someday. We both needed her and yet you refused to admit it and now, you're alone in a world that would have gladly wanted you gone, no Mother to love you and no Daughter to bond with. In the case of Grandfather, I believe The Grand Master led you and the others astray with the facts about him. Julia Pines has posted all of his Journal Entries online and I have enclosed the address to you. If you want to know what Grandfather was truly like and the legacy he left behind, please read it. It's free for all.

Do not come looking for me. I have since put Arcana far behind me. While I know that because of my actions the Kingstons would welcome me in as one of them, my traveling partner is viewed quite poorly by them and thus I chose to maintain my quest to salvage him instead. Perhaps I'll find something in the world to give me purpose again. But I must continue on without you and you must do the same without me. One day, I know we will meet again, perhaps only in passing. But for now, we both need to take some time apart and understand how the world works.

I will not keep up correspondence in kind. Please understand why.

Your Daughter,

Jocelyn]

Elezar glanced at the bottom of the letter and noticed that there was indeed a link to a webpage that Julia Pines had made to commemorate his father. It was called: Arcana's Greatest Scientist: Balthazar Aced. He looked to the bright blue skies above him and let out a soft sigh. Even after all he had put them through, both the Kingston boys and Jocelyn had spared him. It had been The Grand Master who had betrayed him. The one who he had placed his undying faith in. Why had those he decried as his enemies spare him, but the one he had trusted betray him? And why was he still alive?

Perhaps Jocelyn is indeed correct, Elezar thought to himself. Perhaps I've been wrong about my view of the world. He folded up Jocelyn's note into his pocket and looked for a way back to shore. Not to continue his quest for revenge. But to find out what true purpose he had in this world.

{Some Time Later}

While at their makeshift desks in the basement of their apartment, the ArcResistance Team prepares to deliver the news of the day to their suddenly surging fanbase of viewers and subscribers. They had once been lucky to get a handful of people to agree with them. Now, they had over 100,000 subscribers to their newscasts and more coming as they were the only truly trusted source for information now that ArcTV had been ruined by scandal after scandal, including their highest rated host, Walter O'Hara's imprisonment for involvement with the Syndicate. Though it had been several weeks since the epic clash on Mt. Heatmor, the trio had continued to garner immense popularity from the videos they uploaded and the news reports they made daily online.

Corey was now the executive producer and still worked the cameras, though their increased revenue had allowed him to upgrade his camera to the top on the market. He would also serve as the lead editor and occasionally cover other news topics himself. He had also trademarked and patented his Electromagnetic Shocker devices, selling them to the Arcana Police Force and receiving a significant bonus for it: 250,000 Poké Dollars per box. But, because his passion was always behind the camera, he was content to stick around with his friends for as long as he could.

Dylan and Amber had become co-anchors, alternating the lead stories and other coverage stories between them. The two had become overnight sensations when the videos of the battles on Mt. Heatmor with the Syndicate were uploaded and now, they found themselves as the top journalists in all of Arcana at only the ages of 15 and 14 respectively. And because the trio now had a direct line to the Kingstons and the Pokémon League, their coverage was the only source for all major news and announcements throughout the war torn region. But this didn't become an overwhelming task, as some might have feared. The two took it quite well and have adapted their work around any and all news breaks they could, starting with the biggest news of the day on this day. As their intro played, Dylan and Amber took their seats and made sure they knew which stories they would be covering, until the lights went on to signal they were on air.

"Thank you for joining us, Arcana" Dylan said proudly. "This is your Lead Anchor at ArcResistance for the evening. My name is Dylan. We begin with Breaking News Coverage about our region's struggle with the infamous Crimson Brand crisis that has plagued Arcana for the last fifteen years. However, there have been dramatic developments on this front and I will be passing the story along to my co-anchor Amber."

Amber cleared her throat. "Thank you, Dylan. For the last fifteen years, Arcana has been plagued with the fear of being overwhelmed by the Crimson Fury, wherein trainers and their Pokémon become instinctively aggressive and violent. A criminal organization known as The Syndicate plotted to use an artificial means of branding their victims with the power of the Crimson Fury so that they would be under it's direct influence for the rest of their lives. However, as we all know, thanks to the heroic efforts of the Arcana Police Force, the Kingston Family and the Elite Four and Champion, the Syndicate was defeated and those victims were rescued from the wicked ambitions of the Syndicate's leader, who has been revealed to be a genetically created Pokémon by the name of Mewtwo." She folded her paperwork happily on the desk as she continued. "And after two months of building, testing and operating, we here at ArcResistance have confirmative proof that the last three Branded individuals have been sent into have their brands surgically removed with the aid of laser surgery and exposure to the Mythical Pokémon Celebi's purification powers. The last three to undergo the operation are the League Champion, Michael Kingston, Queen of Arcana Contestant Addison Tenton and Arcana's latest sensation, Ryan Kingston. Dylan, would you like to speak about Ryan?"

"I'd love to" Dylan answered, before turning towards the camera. "In what started out as a relatively lowkey journey of seeing the sights of Arcana, Ryan Kingston and his friends have undergone a terribly difficult journey of love, loss, tragedy and hope that culminated with Ryan's infamous confrontation with Mewtwo atop Mt. Heatmor. Ryan sacrificed himself to save all of us from the wrath of the Crimson Fury by allowing Mewtwo to brand him, only to have Ryan use a prototype Poké Ball to seal the wicked Pokémon inside and end this dark era of Arcana's history. As Ryan's brand was new, he would have to wait until others who had been branded could be healed first, which prompted Michael and Addison to elect not to have the surgery until the trio could come out of it healthy together. The sensational story of Ryan Kingston has swept all across Arcana, with a fanbase bubbling up for him overnight and some having him as the popular favorite to one day succeed Michael as the Champion of the Arcana Pokémon League. And speaking of the League, we do have an announcement about this and for that, I'd like to turn things back to Amber."

Amber waved her hair out of her face to continue the report. "In a recent Social Media post by interim Pokémon League Champion and Leader of the Elite Four Cameron Kingston, she confirmed that the Pokémon League Championships will in fact be held in exactly five weeks time to allow those trainers who have not yet been able to acquire at least eight of Arcana's Ten Gym Badges the time to qualify. This time, things will be a little different, as the Championships will allow any participants to enter so long as they have at least eight gym badges, regardless of their previous qualifications. She also alluded to an incoming conference that Champion Michael Kingston will have when he is finally checked out of the hospital, which we're told can be as early as tomorrow morning."

Dylan nodded. "Fascinating. It will be an exciting five week sprint towards the Pokémon League Championships, which will be held over three days and celebrate the tenth consecutive term as Champion that Michael Kingston has been at the helm for."

"In not so stellar news" Amber reported, "the Arcana Police Force is still on the lookout for those linked to the dreaded Syndicate, including a select few Admins who have eluded capture. While most of the Admins have been confirmed as in custody or deceased, authorities are cautioning others to be on the lookout for any suspicious characters, including one of Arcana's former lead lawyers, Claude Jacques. If you have any sightings to report, please contact your local precinct of the Arcana Police Force or contact them on their online tips pages. Hopefully, Claude is soon brought to justice and we can put this nightmare behind us."

Dylan nodded approvingly. "That's right. For one last bit of change coming towards Arcana, but in our case this time. We have decided to rebrand ourselves from ArcResistance into the newly revamped ArcNet News, as we no longer have to fear being put down by the former titans of the industry in ArcTV. Amber, Corey and I look forward to delivering you all as much news as we possibly can and cannot wait to see what the future holds for not just us, but Arcana in general. For all of us here at the newly named ArcNet News, this has been Dylan and I'm signing off. Sayonara."

With that, Corey cut the film and the trio of friends happily embraced over their success. "That was great, you guys" Corey told them.

"I'll say" a voice called behind them. The trio was surprised to find Cameron standing there. The Leader of Arcana's Elite Four walked down the steps and came over to speak to the trio. "You guys really have come a long way from when we first met here in Titanio City."

Dylan nodded. "I think I have to agree. But there's still things we need to improve on."

"And I have a feeling you'll reach it" she said as she pulled an envelope from her jacket. "Lady Bonnie Kingston would like to congratulate you kids on the successful launch of ArcNet News." She handed the envelope to Amber. "And this is a token of her appreciation for helping to save her Grandchildren."

"We don't need a gift" Amber assured her, but Cameron was already up the steps. "Hey, where are you going?"

"There's going to be a huge influx of trainers coming in for the Pokémon League Championships" she told them. "A girl's got to train."

"But this-"

"Trust me" Cameron told them, "you'll like this one."

Amber opened up the envelope and pulled out a check written out to ArcNet News. She nearly collapsed when she saw the amount the check had been made out to. Dylan and Corey nearly had the same reaction when she showed them. "I didn't think that many zeros would fit onto a check."

"Ten million Poké Dollars" Dylan uttered, in complete shock. "Wow..."

"What are we gonna do with this kind of money?" Corey asked.

"Reinvest" Amber insisted. "We can finally get ourselves a studio instead of working in this basement. Let's start looking for buildings we can lease out for us." She held the check close to her heart. "Things are finally looking bright for us." The trio then went back to work, tinkering with the cameras, mics and putting as much as they could into their search for a new studio.

{Meanwhile}

Ryan's eyes fluttered open as he woke for what felt like the first time in years. His vision, though at first blurry and disoriented by an array of colors surrounding him, began to become more clear as he realized quickly he was in a hospital room of some kind. The rainbow of colors he had seen were balloons and flowers left around the room from whom he could only assume his family had left him. He looked to his left and saw Addison sound asleep in a hospital bed next to him. To his right, Michael was drifting in and out of sleep in a bed of his own.

"Where-what happened?" he asked aloud. "Where are we?"

"Titanio Hospital" Michael answered. Ryan studied his cousin carefully. His arm was heavily bandaged and held up by a sling like contraption that came from the ceiling. He looked towards his own arm and realized it too was in a sling. Sure enough, Addison's was as well. He was trying to picture what had unfolded between the moment he was branded by Mewtwo, but he went blank.

"How did-"

"I'm not the best person to ask" Michael explained, trying to stretch without making his arm sting. "I wasn't exactly conscious of my actions then, myself."

Ryan, his head spinning, fell back onto his pillow. "Is it over?"

Michael looked at him and nodded. "Yep. It's over."

Ryan exhaled, a sense of finality coming over him. "It's finally over. We can go home."

"I owe you, kid" Michael said bluntly. "I owe you a lot."

"What for?" Ryan asked.

"The reason we're all here is because of you" Michael told him. "If you didn't reach Addy and break her out of the Crimson Fury, there's no way I would have been able to. You showed Julia the way to save someone under the Crimson Fury."

Ryan shook his head. "I just-I couldn't bear to fight her anymore."

"Your compassion saved her" Michael told him. "It saved me. It saved all of us."

"But what happened after that?" Ryan asked. "Mewtwo took control of you guys and then-." He paused. "I can't remember anything."

"Well" Michael began as he yawned, "I guess it would help if I told you that was two months ago."

Ryan nearly choked on the air. "I've been out for two months?"

"Not entirely" his cousin explained, laughing weakly. "You would occasionally shoot up and say something, before passing back out. Heck, you did it at three this morning. Addy wanted to strangle you."

Ryan looked over to her. "I'm sorry."

"She knows it wasn't your fault, Ry" he assured the boy. "And besides, she might have been a little peeved with all the attention that's been coming in." The Champion gestured towards all of the balloons and flowers in the room. "It's not everyday you have to room with a hero."

"I can't believe you have this many fans" Ryan laughed. "I hope you know all the Thank You cards you have to write."

Michael laughed. "Oh, you sweet naïve kid. The one big bouquet by my bed is for me from Piper. The rest, all the balloons and the flowers, they're not for me. They're all here as gifts to you. The hero who stopped Mewtwo."

Ryan gasped. "Me?"

"I know I wasn't the one who locked Mewtwo up, kiddo" Michael responded. "Pretty sure I was under his control at that point."

Ryan didn't quite know what to make of this. He hadn't felt comfortable with the attention he received when he took on Billy in Iron Mountain's Gym, but this was something completely different. It wasn't just Pokémon Trainers who knew who he was. It was the entire region. A Balloon shaped like a Jolteon from the Augustines, a wreath of flowers from the Pines Family, dozens of bouquets from the family and countless cards written out from hundreds upon hundreds of fans from around the region. All of them written out to him.

"But all I did was-"

"Stop the single greatest evil that Arcana has ever had" Michael reminded him. "Every single thing that had an impact on defeating The Syndicate came from you. You befriended the ArcResistance team, you befriended Jocelyn, you held onto the Master Ball instead of giving it to me, it was your plan that stopped Mewtwo, it was you who helped bail out Cameron, Chris and I. You were the one who saved Addison. Need I go on?"

Ryan was in awe. "I don't know what to say."

"Soak it in, kiddo" his cousin told him. "You're the one wearing the hero card now." Michael eyed some familiar faces coming into the hospital room. "Looks like it's time for this old hero to take a well deserved nap. You've got more admirers." With that, Michael turned over on his side and fell asleep,

Ryan looked over towards the door and saw his mother and father coming inside to see him. "Mom! Dad!"

"MY BABY!" Alison cried, running over to her son and showering him with kisses. "Are you okay? Are you hurt? Are they taking care of you?"

"Mom!" Ryan cried. "Stop it!"

Robert laughed as he limped his way into the hospital room. "Be thankful it was just your mother" he told his son. "It could have been one of those dozens of fan girls you've gotten since the news broke."

Ryan gulped. "What news?"

"That you saved Arcana?" Alison answered. "You're a hero now, Ryan." She was about to kiss her son again, but he weaved out of the way,

"Mom! I'm okay!" he insisted. "I'm not used to being a hero, that's all."

She took a deep breath and nodded. "That's good." Without a moment's hesitation, she slapped him in the forehead. "That's for scaring your mother, Ryan. I had originally planned on grounding you until you turned 18, but your father said that I was in no real position to be grounding heroes."

"That hurt!" Ryan said as he rubbed his forehead. "But if I told anyone, Mewtwo might have guessed it."

"That took guts, Ryan" Robert admitted. "But you put the needs of your friends above those of your own. And because of that, Mewtwo and The Syndicate itself are gone with the wind."

Ryan's eyes widened with a worry. "Wait. What happened to Mewtwo? Where is the Master Ball?"

Robert calmed his son. "You needn't worry about it, champ. Cameron took the Master Ball into her custody and it's been sealed away somewhere no one will ever find it."

"Where?" Ryan asked.

Robert ruffled his son's hair. "Unfortunately, Cameron enacted the Champion's Decree, so only Pokémon League officials can know about it. But that shouldn't be a problem for you. After all, you're going to be registered for the Pokémon League in a few weeks."

Ryan gasped. "The League?" He had completely forgotten about the Pokémon League up to this point. It's importance had waned for him ever since Addison had been kidnapped, but now that the Syndicate was gone, his dream of being a Pokémon Champion were coming back to the forefront. "They're still hosting it this year?"

"Cameron announced it earlier today" Alison explained to the boy. "And now, we get to see you battle in the Arcana Colosseum in five weeks."

"Once you're out of here" Robert informed his son, "I'll put you through the ringer. No more slouching around for you. I'll make sure you rip through the Pokémon League Trainers like they're nothing. No sense in competing in the Pokémon League unless you know for a fact you can win. These trainers are going to be the best in the region, including The Elite Four and Michael."

"Are you guys competing?" Ryan asked.

Alison shook her head. "My training days are over" she told her son. "But the Gym Leaders are welcome to compete. It's going to be the largest tournament Arcana's ever hosted. All in celebration of the defeat of The Syndicate." She pinched her son's cheek. "I'm so proud of you, Ry."

Ryan thought for a moment as the idea of a tournament this grand played out in his head. A tournament of Gym Leaders, Trainers AND The Elite Four? Pinch me, because I must be dreaming. This is gonna be awesome. Wouldn't Matt just love to-wait a minute. "Wait. I have a question. What happened to Matt?"

Alison and Robert looked to each other, somewhat concerned. Robert cleared his throat. "Actually, Ry, we were going to ask you the same thing."

"What do you mean?" Ryan asked. His eyes moved briskly from parent to parent. "What happened to him?"

"When you defeated Matthew" Alison asked, "what exactly happened to him?"

Ryan tried to recall it in detail, but his memory was still hazy from that entire experience. "Well, when Addy broke free from the Crimson Fury's control, Galatea came to fight for me and Achilles. We crushed his remaining Pokémon and my Terra trapped him in a burrow. That's where Addy and I left him. He should still be there."

"We combed the entire fortress looking for him" Robert explained. "Even in the room with the burrows your Sandslash made. But no one found him. We were hoping you might have seen him run off or something."

Ryan was surprised. "Matt's gone? Shouldn't we find him?

Robert shook his head. "If I learned anything about Matthew, it's that he has a penchant for not being found if he doesn't want to be." He looked over to the sleeping form of Addison. "But judging from what Addison claimed she told him, I don't think he's going to remain in Arcana for long, if he hasn't already left." He smiled sadly. "He'll turn up again. They always do."

Ryan lowered his head. "I really wish I could have made him change."

Alison put her hand on her son's cheek. "Don't you worry about it, sweetheart. Sometimes, people have to find things out on their own. Wherever he is now, I know he's reflecting over what he's done. I know he's probably never going to be able to redeem his actions, but I hope for his sake that he will try to be a better person." She kissed her son on the forehead. "Get some rest, Ryan. We'll be back to check up on you in a little bit." As she departed, Robert chuckled to himself.

"What's so funny, Dad?" Ryan asked.

"Sometimes, I forget how much you're growing up" he said, He rubbed his son's head before following his wife out the door. Ryan tried to drift back to sleep, but found it easier said than done, especially now that he realized he was the new hot thing in Arcana. The next Kingston Hero and he hadn't even competed in the Pokémon League yet. Well, that's for some other day.

{Meanwhile}

A cargo ship docks at a harbor in some corner of the world. Two huge metal planks fall out so that the sailors could haul the goods into the port town. While the first was busy unloading, only two individuals slide down the second plank and onto the dock. These two beings were heavily disguised in dark clothing and little more than a written letter from someone promising to meet them. The smaller of the two figures hurried off the docks and raced over to see exactly where the taller figure had taken him. He flung off his cloak and found that it was the crack of dawn. It's barely dawn? Where on earth has she taken me? He found a sign at the end of the shipyard that read:

Welcome to Olivine City

Matthew looked back towards his traveling companion. "This is Johto. I thought you said this ship was making port in Orre."

His traveling partner flung off her own coat and revealed herself to be Jocelyn. "It is, but I never said that was it's only destination."

"Of all the places to come, why Johto?"

"It's the last place someone would think to look for you" Jocelyn said shortly. "Now come on. He'll be waiting for us up ahead."

Matthew eyed Jocelyn curiously. "I don't understand. You could have been welcomed into the family back in Arcana. You were pretty much one of them. Why would you choose to help me out?"

Jocelyn returned to the boy a sly glance. "Would you rather I ship you back to them?"

Matthew gulped. "That won't be necessary."

"Until you and I both come to understand our purpose in the world" she explained, "there is nothing for us back in Arcana. I thought I knew it all when I was serving under my father. But it all changed when I saw how dangerous The Grand Master was. Yet, through it all, your brother prevailed. I had always thought that Michael was the hero of the world, but it seemed we were both wrong about him."

"He got lucky" Matthew bitterly remarked.

"No he didn't" she snapped. "He is better than you. He knows a facet about life and Pokémon that you and I could have only dreamed of knowing. And he didn't have to be taught it. It came to him instinctively. Perhaps it should come instinctively to you as well." Jocelyn pushed Matthew into the Seaport of Johto and began to look around for her contact. "Where is he?"

"We wouldn't need to see this contact if you'd let me keep my Pokémon" Matthew grunted.

"If I let you keep your Pokémon" she insisted, "you would have learned nothing. You need a fresh start. A new lease on life. Consider yourself lucky you get one. Few in the Syndicate actually will." She then watched as an old man walked into the shipyard, carrying a small briefcase with him. "There he is."

Matthew gasped. "Is that-"

The old man ushered them over to a table and sat down. "I've been expecting you. You were supposed to be here a few days earlier."

"We needed to play things a little close to the chest" Jocelyn explained, bringing Matthew towards the chair and forcing him to sit down. "This one is a little too popular in Arcana for his own good."

"Then I suppose there's no need to prolong this" he said. "It's not everyday that I offer something like this, but my friend Maria Pines said you were someone worth trusting, Miss Jocelyn. And if she believes you, then I shall believe even a ne'er-do-well like this one can benefit from a fresh start." He put his briefcase out on the table. "Now, I don't think I need to give you the rigmarole about this, do I?"

Jocelyn looked down at Matthew and nodded. "Please do, anyway. I think he could stand to hear it again."

"This world we live in is inhabited by creatures known as Pokémon" Professor Oak explained, as he scratched his chin. "We live with them, form bonds with them and sometimes battle them. But above all, we do not belittle them and use them for personal ambitions. They are living beings, just as much as the three of us are here. They are not weapons, nor are they just tools. If you treat them right, your Pokémon will fight and bond with you." Oak eyed the boy suspiciously. "From what Jocelyn here told me, you battled for pride and power above all else."

Matthew nodded. "It's all I know. How can I be any different?"

Oak shook his head. "You can start here." He opened the briefcase. "Inside this briefcase are three Poké Balls. I want you each to pick one Pokémon. This will serve as your constant companion and friend. Use this Pokémon to travel with on your journey throughout Johto. There are plenty of people here who will be able to show you how to raise your Pokémon properly and effectively."

"What Pokémon are they?" Matthew asked.

"Three I have very fond memories of" Oak explained. "The one to the left is Bulbasaur. The one in the middle is Charmander. The one to the right is Squirtle. You may choose one. Go on ahead."

Matthew thought for a moment. Maybe this is a chance for me to start things over. No Ryan to butt heads with, no Addison to be distracted by, no Syndicate left to tempt me. And who knows? Maybe this Pokémon will really become a friend to me. The only real friend I have left. Jocelyn thinks of me as a burden, but I'll prove her wrong. I'll prove them all wrong. And this Charmander is the place to start. He reached and took out the Poké Ball containing Charmander. "I'll take Charmander." He eagerly opened up the Poké Ball and watched as the orange colored Lizard with a burning tail appeared and happily waved up at him.

"Charmander! Char!"

Jocelyn nodded. "And since your cousin has a Blastoise, I think I'll choose Squirtle as my companion." She took the Poké Ball containing Squirtle and called out the small blue turtle Pokémon out to greet it. The Squirtle spun around on his shell and cheered for his new trainer.

"Second chances don't usually come for people" Oak cautioned the two. "Jocelyn, you've redeemed yourself in the eyes of many, but you see room for improvement. Keep at it and you won't be defeated so easily." He then turned towards Matthew. "You, young one, should really consider letting Jocelyn train you. This second journey you're going to undertake will be twice as difficult as your last, as you'll essentially have to learn everything all over again. But so long as you stick to your partner here, I'm sure you'll come out of this a better and stronger person." With that, Oak rose from the table. "Good luck to the both of you. I must be off to my show in Goldenrod City. Farewell." With that, Oak departed from the shipyard.

Matthew picked up his Charmander and looked him over. The Fire Lizard cocked his head to the side and sneezed out a few embers. Matthew shrugged. "I suppose I can help make you stronger. Who knows, maybe I will actually enjoy this second lease on life."

Jocelyn nodded as she picked up her Squirtle. "Oak was right about one thing: second chances don't usually come to people like us. We have to make the most of this." She gestured for the door. "Come on, Matt. The world's waiting for you."

Matthew took a deep breath and walked out into Olivine City.