Pokemon: The Dawn of Arcana

by TheNMan64

The Legend of Arcana draws to a close in the final chapter of the Crimson Fury trilogy. With the forces of good pushed to their breaking point and on the brink of collapse, an unexpected chosen must rise to the occasion and oppose Mewtwo despite their fears and lack of confidence. Darkness will rise, light will fall and the end of an entire age of the world is coming...

34. Chapter 33: The White Mage

"Addison. Addison, honey. Wake up."

Addison stirred in her bed and slowly opened one eye, than another. Though she was still tired and half-asleep, she could at least tell her mother was who had woken her. "Huh? Mom?"

"I need you to wake up and get dressed" her mother gently told her. "Countess Rosemary would like to see us."

Addison let out a yawn and tried to turn over in her sleep. "Can't it wait until it's later?"

"She insisted, Addy" her mother replied, more sternly. "Come on. Get up. And make sure that you bring Galatea with you."

With a deep reluctance, Addison rolled herself out of bed and prepared to throw together an outfit for herself. As her mind began to push it's cogs as quickly as she was used to, she took in a deep breath and reached out to Galatea. "How are you feeling?" After waiting for a moment, Addison turned on her side to see that Galatea had teleported into her room and now sat gracefully by her pillows. The look on her Pokemon's face was unreadable, though Addison could tell thanks to their connection she was still in deep mourning over her mate. The only solace she seemed to get these days was constantly watching over their egg, which she was unsure when it would hatch.

Unwell, if I am being completely honest with you. She looked longingly out the windows of her trainer's bedroom, where the skies still only showed the beginning stages of dawn. My power feels as if it has waned. Without Achilles, I am a shadow of what I can be.

"I know what you mean" Addison replied as she threw on her shirt. "I miss Ryan so much." Once she had gotten herself presentable for an audience, she went about ensuring her hair did not look like a tangled mess by brushing it out. "But I think you and I would be better off trying to find our own inner strength. We can't keep mourning and being weak forever." She looked back towards her Pokemon and tried to smile brightly. "Come on. Countess Rosemary wanted to see us."

Us?

"That's what my mother said. And I'd rather we both go instead of just me."

I intended on keeping an eye on our egg today, but if you need me for this, I shall go.

The two slowly made their way out of the bedroom and through the quiet halls of Kingston Castle. Up and down the winding halls and all the way over to the other side of the Castle, where Countess Rosemary would rest and take her guests that were in dire need of having their minds cleansed. But before the two could walk into the room, Galatea paused just outside. She grabbed a hold of Addison's wrist to stop her as well.

"Huh? What's going on?"

Something...feels different. My mind is beginning to open again. It's strange. I cannot understand why.

"Could it be the Countess herself?" Addison wondered aloud.

It did not happen the last time we encountered her, so why would it be her now?

"Unless we have another reason behind it, I think we're just going to have to deal with it." Addison and her Pokemon slowly entered the Countess's room. To her surprise, the Countess was not alone. The newly named (but not yet crowned) King and his Queen were also present. Though the two were unofficially monarchs of the entirety of Arcana, it did Addison's heart good that neither was flaunting their titles and instead wore their usual clothing of the business casual. Her mother had followed suit, as she sat to the right of Michael on the bench. The trio smiled politely as they noticed Addison walking in, with her mother gesturing towards an empty chair stationed between their bench and the chair Rosemary was seated in.

The elderly Countess was eyeing the situation carefully, though even Addison could tell something was making her sad about this day. Something was going on. As usual, Galatea's intuition picked up the situation before she could.

"Is something wrong?" Addison asked. "Mom, why are-"

"Just sit down, sweetie" her mother replied.

"Did I do something wrong?"

"Of course not" Julia replied gently. "Countess Rosemary has something to tell you and she wants us present."

Addison turned towards the Elderly Woman and ushered Galatea to sit beside her on their shared chair. "Okay. Well, I'm here. Is something wrong, Countess?"

Rosemary took in a deep breath. "Well, Addison Michele. When last we spoke privately, I believe you and I came to a rather unexpected understanding."

"We did?"

"Certainly. After all, it is not truly out of character for one as keen to intellect and truth as you to doubt the gifts of mental prowess that I have. You are not alone in doubting it. The King certainly has had his share of doubts of my power as well."

"More fear than doubt, but who's counting" Michael replied plainly.

"But we both came to certain terms with each other. I have come to see you as more than just a role player for Ryan's adventure towards being the Champion. And you have come to see me as someone you can confide your fears and doubts in. Of course, if I were truly perfect at reading signals, I might have been able to see this from the beginning. But nobody is without flaw, after all." She clapped her hands and the room suddenly grew dark. Addison and Galatea looked to each other and wrapped their arms around each other in confusion and fear.

"What's going on?" Nobody answered immediately, except a shrill voice Addison had only heard once before...

The Fury is Coming

With Great Power It Teems

For Beware Young Child

All is Not as it Seems

For One Great Code

You Must Learn Before You Rise

To Understand Its Powers

Seek the Truth Among The Lies

To Addison's horror, the room began to glow with an ominous crimson glow. High above her and Galatea's heads, loomed a sphere of frightening power. It crackled and surged a feeling within Addison she hadn't felt in two years. Feelings of anguish and pain, thirst for battle and unrelenting rage. Addison was about to cower away, but Galatea rose to defend her trainer and used a powerful Moonblast to dispel the Crimson Ball of light above them. When the red light faded, the room regained it's prior light and calm aura. Addison looked to her side and saw her mother, Michael and Julia had returned.

"What the hell was that?" Juiia asked.

"I have no idea" Addison gulped.

"Don't you?" Rosemary asked. "Come, Addison. Don't you remember?"

Addison shook her head and closed her eyes. "No. I don't want to remember!"

"Why wouldn't you? Your actions alone are what aided in you and your friends escaping from the Haunted Library. Had it not been for you, Ryan and the Queensbury children would have been sealed in the dimension of the dead."

"All these adventures you kids got up to" Deidre giggled. "Maybe I should have taken your father's advice and grounded you through college."

"Nothing happened" Addison insisted. "That was all a dream."

"And was this last encounter with the voice in the Crystal Ball?" Rosemary inquired.

"How did you know-"

Rosemary chuckled softly, before her cackle began to grow higher pitched and echoed exactly that of the witch who's crystal ball Addison had gone to within the bowels of Trickton's Haunted Library. Addison shrunk down in terror, before coming to a slow and unexpected realization.

"It was you?!" Addison cried out. "You were the witch in the Crystal Ball?"

Rosemary nodded. "That Ball within the Trickton Library was an artifact of my late master, Tiberius Duon. When my training had begun, he brought me to that Library and placed the Crystal Ball inside. I had asked him why, but he simply told me that he had a vision that this Crystal Ball would be the key." She smiled faintly. "I had not expected to be the one who got to see his vision come to fruition, and I expected even less that my encounter would have been with you and not Ryan. Nevertheless, as you kids are known to say, simply rolled with it."

"I thought you had said you were forbidden from interfering" Michael asked inquisitively.

Rosemary winced a bit at those words. "Unfortunately, my nephew, there are certain ways I can and cannot act on fate and prophecy. Some actions I've taken went in line with how events were to unfold. Some, you could say, I did a bit too much and might have altered the future considerably. Which is why I strongly advised you against the actions you took on behalf of Alison's sons. Our world is already on the precipice of complete obliteration. Any slight mistake from our ends could jeopardize everything we've gotten accomplished so far." She made a guilty look towards Julia. "It's almost as it was when we first met, Your Majesty."

Julia, clearly deeply uncomfortable with the idea of being called a Queen, simply smiled nervously. "I know I was nervous to meet you when you first arrived."

Rosemary smiled a sad smile. "Forgive me, Juiia, but I meant when we met for the first time."

Julia cocked her head to the side. "The first time?"

"I'm sure you recall your brief but all too important time serving beneath the former tyrant Giselle Odelia" the Countess recalled.

The Queen's face darkened. "How could I forget? She made my life a living hell for an entire week." She looked at her husband. "I should have made you stuff her like a taxidermist!"

"She's paid her price" Michael answered. "If it weren't for her, we wouldn't even be here."

"Either way" Rosemary went on, "Professor Maria was the only person in all of Arcana vocally opposed to Giselle after the death of Jane Kingston. No one else stood by her side and she was determined not to have her granddaughters grow up in the shadows of a dictator. She installed you as an intern, imploring you to get any useful information you could back to her. It didn't take long for you to be given the documentation that was needed."

"But when did-"

"However, I could tell you were not privy to the information contained in that envelope. You simply thought it was another menial chore you had to do on behalf of the maiden who had first stolen and then later banished your dearest friend from you. So, I did the only thing that would get you to see what you had in your fingers. I rudely shoved you to the side as you walked down those stairs towards the Corviknight Cabs, where the envelope's contents were revealed to any who picked them up."

Julia thought for a moment before she went pale. "I remember! A woman had shoved me to the ground and I lost the envelope."

"And within that envelope was the notes and research of Cassius Sinclair that he had hidden during the trials of my nephew. Everything you would ever need to realize Michael had told the truth about his branding."

"I never believed you" Julia said sadly to her husband.

"I didn't either" Deidre comforted her old friend. "But we're here now. And so was everyone else yesterday."

"Indeed" the Countess added. "To see and hear that the families gave Michael an unequivocal vote of support in this coming crisis was something that made my heart feel good. But it would not have been possible without the words of Addison. She gave Michael the confidence to accept his role and her words swayed many on the Arcanan High Council. I had feared when we first brought the High Council together that there would be too many to doubt the need for Michael to assume the throne. But Addison did more for us yesterday than she ever had before. Unfortunately, it will not be the last time we call on her." She then returned her attention to the youngest one in the room. "Which leads us back to where we started, my dear. Addison, I know this may be a bit of an odd request, but I'd like you to describe me."

"Describe you?" Addison asked, looking to Galatea for support, who only shrugged her shoulders in equal amounts of confusion.

"Truly and sincerely tell me what you would tell others about me" the Countess explained. "As if you were telling someone about me that has no idea who I am or what I look like. And do not be afraid. Don't hold back. Give me all you can."

All of the eyes in the room fell on Addison, no doubt drastically raising the scrutiny of her. She fidgeted uncomfortably in her chair before trying to describe Rosemary as honestly as possible. "You take great care of your personal hygiene."

Rosemary burst into laughter. "Ah, yes. Go on."

"You like to wear white" the girl continued. "But I'm sure that has more to do with your position than anything. You seem like more of a Maroon or Magenta loving kind. And from your personality, though you project an aura of knowing everything there is to know, you are more afraid of the things that are beyond your knowledge." She closed her eyes and let out a grin. "And I can tell that you know everything I am about to say, because you can read my mind."

Deidre gasped. "What?!"

"I knew it" Julia exclaimed.

Rosemary nodded. "Good. Very good. You remind me much of myself at your age." She tapped her scepter on the ground and three scrolls floated over from a nearby desk and landed gently on the Countess's lap. "Now, to business. Addison, I think you've noticed by now that you have a unique gift. In fact, as far as I know, only about six or seven people in the world to this day have the ability to communicate with their Pokemon in the same way you do. Not even I have this power available to me. The only three I know of for sure are a maiden in Hoenn's Battle Frontier, my nephew and yourself. This gift is only given to trainers that Arceus blesses upon their birth. It's so few, that many believed it to only be a theory. One in which would have passed out of thought and time had a certain aspiring Pokemon Professor not made her research paper specifically on this theory." She looked towards Julia, who blushed slightly, before continuing. "I had initially thought that it was only this gift that made you special. But I was wrong, Addison. I've been wrong about quite a bit recently."

"I'm special?"

"In more ways than one, Miss Tenton." To Addison's surprise, the Countess used her own gift to unfold one of the scrolls. "Written on this Scroll is the Prophecy of the Arcane Crown, one of the three Prophecies that the great Rupert the White had foretold over six hundred years ago. It spoke that one day, a child would be born that would one day bring about the revival of the once revered Arcanan Monarchy. This King would be tested in his lifetime and cursed by a great darkness. Thanks to you, Addison, this Prophecy has been completed to it's fullest extent. That leaves only two Prophecies left to unfold." The first scroll rolled up by itself, with the second unfurling as quickly as the first disappeared from her sight. "The second Prophecy here is one I'm certain you're all aware of at this point. The Twelve Truths have unfolded quickly over the last twenty years. The last three alone have unfolded in the last few weeks. I cannot be sure when the Tenth Truth will come to pass, but we must be prepared for when it does."

"If you don't mind me asking" Deidre spoke softly, a touch of nervousness in her voice, "what does the Tenth Truth entail?"

Rosemary took a deep breath and recounted it. "Two long lost lovers shalt be reunited."

"Long lost lovers?"

"What does that mean?" Julia asked.

"I cannot be sure without proper meditation" the Countess warned. "And the time for that is not nigh. We must prepare for what will come with the Third Prophecy." The second scroll rolled itself back into place, just as the third unraveled.

"What could this one be about?" Addison asked aloud.

"I'm certain you remember a certain letter that was delivered just after Mewtwo separated you from your Pokemon." Out from Addison's purse came a letter she had folded and kept at the very bottom underneath countless adventuring supplies, beauty products and the Poke Balls that would contain Galatea and Zero if she wasn't so afraid of losing them the same way she had Ariel, Buzz and the others. The letter landed in Rosemary's hands and she unfolded it herself.

"Avery's Letter?"

"The last line reads 'The White Mage is Coming', does it not?"

Addison gasped. "The White Mage?" She looked excitedly towards the others, but Julia and Michael's faces wore deep lines of worry and her mother's was simply confused on all that was transpiring. Galatea was listening intently, but was lost in one of her trances. This left her as the only one to respond to the Countess's question. "Yes, it did. But we can't be sure what that means, can we?"

Rosemary smiled sadly. "You already know. You're just too afraid to admit it. A feat you have in common with a certain Monarch." She closed her eyes as the candles surrounding them all began to dim ever so slightly.

Addison looked around her as the flames from the candles began to change color. From an orange to a mystical white blaze that reminded her of freshly fallen snow or a cloud. But the lights shined brighter than she was sure candles could. Addison had to shield her eyes for a moment before she felt Galatea touch her arm.

Don't be afraid, Addison. Open your eyes.

Addison opened her eyes and saw that the rest of the room around them had disappeared. In fact, all that she could see was a bright heavenly light. No scrolls, no other people. Just herself and Galatea. The two locked arms as they heard words being spoken as if by some celestial being.

The Fate of Man and Pokemon Kind

Can wither in the Night

Yet Darkness Shalt Dispel

When Faced with Pure Light

A Child of Noble Birth

Their Parents Trueborn Stars

Rising High and Through the Ranks

Yet Shall Suffer Many Scars

A Mother Will Nurture

and a Father shall Impart

A Scholar shall Enrich

and a Hero give them Heart

Light Will Cast Its Shadow

As Bonds will Strain and Break

Betrayal Shall Form Their World

And Fill Them With Ache

But Light Will Restore Them

As Two Hearts Become One

One half becomes a Star

The other shalt not be done

A Devil shall Haunt their World

and pierce them like a dart

But thanks to their Hero

The child shall not lose heart

The Devil will make his Challenge

and the Child will engage

Because within their heart

Lies the spirit of the White Mage

The Mind is their Gift

As is the love they share

But above all their greatest gift

is one where they deeply care

They love all life

Good, evil or the lot

Hatred will never guide them

Or fill their heart with not

Their Power will grow Strong

and so too will their doubt

The King will give them courage

for the inevitable bout

When the Devil doth eclipse

and leave the land in a curse

The Mage shalt make their stand

And let Time itself Reverse

The bonds of mind and heart

Make this Child's Dreams Soar

As even when darkness shrouds

Their Love Will Open the Door

The white light faded considerably and those who had been around her finally returned to their place. Addison looked longingly towards her mother, Julia and Michael, but only found looks of wonder and awe. She then eyed Galatea curiously. "What does this all mean?"

Galatea smiled faintly. It could not be better told to you.

"Addison" Rosemary's voice echoed around her, until the Countess herself appeared in front of her. "You are the White Mage. The one with the power to save Arcana and put an end to Mewtwo's evil."

Addison shook her head worriedly. "No no no no no no no no. I can't be a Mage. I was just-"

"Unfortunately, Addy" Michael responded soothingly. "we don't get to choose what happens in our lives."

"But I have no idea how to take on Mewtwo!" she insisted. "I don't even know how to-"

"Your gift is the key" Rosemary explained, far more compassionately than Addison was expecting. "You and Galatea shall both unlock each other's power and in time, you will be far more powerful than I could ever imagine. And I will impart every single lesson I possibly can to impart on you." The elderly woman rose to her feet, leaning heavily on her scepter. "I am old. And as you can tell by the power of this gemstone, my time on this world will not last much longer. But I will use every single moment I have left to prepare you for this."

Addison began to breathe heavily. "No. I can't do this. This isn't me. It has to be Matthew! Or anyone. I can't-"

Deidre jumped in front of her daughter and put her hands on her shoulders. "Addy. I promise you that you are stronger than you seem."

"I'm not strong. I'm not smart! I'm not brave!"

"You are braver than you believe you are" Michael assured her.

"And you are smarter than you think, Addy" Julia encouraged.

Addison could not feel less confident in herself than she did at this moment. "I'm not the hero. I never was meant to! This was Ryan's story and-"

"And Ryan is gone, my dear" Rosemary responded sadly. "No one wants this to happen, but we don't have a choice. Our roles in this world are dictated to us long before we are born. Even my nephew had to know this. Which is why he gave himself to constantly protecting those weaker than him. He followed Michael's footsteps well enough, but that did not mean he was the one meant to stand up to Mewtwo this final time." She looked to the others for support, but realized there was little they could do to sway her. "Addison, I'd like you to tell me how much Ryan meant to you."

"If this is some way to try and-"

"I want you to tell me with the fullest confidence that Ryan would have refused this journey if he had lost you" the Countess sternly spoke.

Addison slumped back on her chair. "I don't think I can do this."

"I will instill into you all of the knowledge and power you could ever need. I will help you clear all of this doubt and worry from your mind. You will be able to see more clearly than ever before." Rosemary looked at Galatea and her tone softened. "And I can sense that your friend knows what I say is the truth."

Galatea nodded and made a passive call towards her friend's mind. The Countess speaks the truth, Addison. We've relied on others to help ourselves for long enough. Perhaps it's time we found our own inner power.

"I've seen you two do some incredible things" Michael reminded her. "I wouldn't be here right now if you hadn't stood up to Mewtwo on Mirage Island."

"I'm glad you brought that up, Michael" Rosemary chirped, before her attention focused once more on her reluctant pupils. "Believe it or not, your exploits on Mirage Island, and chiefly in the Realm of Dreams did not go unnoticed. Mewtwo can now see you as a potential danger, which is precisely why I suspect Ryan was removed from the equation. He believes you are incapable of having power without others. But you and Galatea proved that to be false. You demonstrated tremendous control of your mind. You overpowered Mewtwo and Courtney and held your own against the most powerful Pokemon trainer in living memory. You have this gift burrowed deep inside all of that angst and worry you carry on your shoulders. Trust in me the way you trust in Michael. I will not steer you wrong or lead you down a path you are not meant to take. Follow my lessons and focus on unleashing this untapped well of power inside of you. You will be ready for him." Her eyes seemed to darken. "I will admit, though. It is not going to be a path easily traveled or easily conquered. It is going to take a steep commitment not only of time and energy, but mental and physical strain. And yet, the results will speak for themselves."

Addison searched one last time for someone in the room to take her side, but found nothing. Her mother kept her in place and smiled approvingly at her. Michael was silently observing her, as if he was fully persuaded by Rosemary's words. Julia, though skeptical of Rosemary's powers and words, also seemed to agree that this was unavoidable. With no one on her side, she sighed and looked herself over. "Will this change me?"

"Hmm?" Deidre asked. "What changed you, honey?"

"Will this training change me?" Addison asked. "Can I even call myself Addison Tenton after all of this is said and done? Or will I be just another cog in the wheel of the White Guardians?"

Rosemary's face wore the lines of the dozens who had preceded her. She now looked as much as the elderly woman that she had ever been. "When this training is complete, Addison, there will be no need for the White Guardians. Their task will have been completed. The Order will be left in your hands. Keep it going, dissolve it, it will be your call. Our sole duty has been to help you reach the goals we know you can reach. When that is accomplished, there is little more we can say we exist for."

Addison held her hand close to her heart and pondered her role for the future. "But will it change me?"

"I do not know" her mentor admitted. "Beyond my vow to help you unlock that power within, I do not know what happens with clarity beyond this point. But one with a support group as strong as yours can very easily help move the process along nicely. You have a doting mother, a loyal and caring confidant in Galatea, a King and Queen quite fond of you and more fiercely brave and loving friends than I ever had. In fact, you have far more advantages than I did. What we will need to see is if you can apply it."

Holly...Tommy...Dawn...Lucas...even Matthew to an extent. They're all going to be rooting for you.

Addison, though not fully sure of herself, knew there was no way she could get out of it now. "I'll do it."

"Then we shall begin immediately" Rosemary concluded, but collected herself. "Well, when your mind is less muddled. Spend the day doing what you need to do, my dear. Come to my chambers at sundown. There, the real work shall begin." Michael, Julia and Deidre filed out of the room, but Addison and Galatea remained in place in their chair. Rosemary sensed the fear growing inside of her and gave her a knowing glance. "You're afraid?"

Addison nodded. "Shouldn't I be?"

"Very much so" she admitted. "Because we're both going to be going blind into this."

{}

The embryo of the second clone of Mew was showing signs of growth and spiking telekinetic power, but Professor Wong knew it was still too early for it to be removed from the nutrient filled goop she had it in. The secondary embryo would need to be copied from the lone strand of DNA that they had forcibly extracted from Mew for the first one, as that rogue who had kidnapped her had gone out to Arcana for reasons unknown to her. While the machines began to scan and try to replicate the same process they had done successfully several days earlier, Wong carefully studied her work, the clanging and banging often causing her to wince in mental pain.

I do not understand what Mewtwo wants to accomplish with this, she told herself. If we overwork this piece of DNA we have from Mew, it could make an imperfect clone. Not just one like him, but one that could prove unstable and uncontrollable. And anything with that kind of power in the hands of someone unable to control it could destroy the world.

But Mewtwo was keeping to his plans. He seemed to be more confident than ever in his plans succeeding. Something must have happened to shift the balance in his favor even further. She pitied whoever would have to be the one who opposed him, even these Kingstons he had come to despise. She wished she could learn more about what had unfolded, but until she was no longer under his direct ire, Wong knew better than to overstep her bounds again. Instead, she did as a good little Combee would, diligently doing her work and avoiding her captor's wrath. Though he would stress that she was his "family", considering the kinds of menaces under his employ, she did not trust that this kindhearted side of Mewtwo was nothing but a superficial facade.

Replicating Pokemon DNA to a perfect result was something that no self-respecting scientist would want to do. Helen did not know why her father was so passionate about this field of work, considering its only successful results have borne the fruits of disaster. Cloning was then relegated to being a scientific taboo throughout the world. Not even the criminal syndicate of Team Rocket would dare to force it through. But somehow, it was catching on again. And she, having delved deeply into her father's work after he died, was the only expert in the field left. The more she looked into what had befallen the others around the world who were involved in the field, the more she began to realize how lucky she had been. Professor Urbine's death and those of his colleagues was not an isolated incident. There were plenty of cloning disasters around the world, but the strangest was how an entire group of them simply vanished overnight in Unova. Without a trace. Helen did not want to think foul play was involved, but there were plenty of rumors linking Urbine's work to many beneficial research grants provided by the crime boss Giovanni. And as a Kantonian, she knew that very few who crossed Giovanni lived long enough to tell about it.

But replicating a Pokemon with a simple DNA structure was simple in comparison to replicating Mew. Mew is an interesting specimen with the DNA of literally all of the world's Pokemon inside of it. All Pokemon can trace their origins back to Mew, who in turn was said to be a faithful friend to Arceus. Replicating the DNA of Mew had only paved the way for the tyrannical Mewtwo to declare war on mankind and the Pokemon that were, in his view, foolish enough to stand in his way. Now, Mewtwo wanted more clones made, perhaps as powerful as him, if not more so. If one Mewtwo had proven too hard to overcome for the Kingstons, Helen was completely lost as to how they could possibly defeat three or four.

Then there was a matter that was concerning her greatly the more she worked. Though these clones were said to be perfect genetic copies of whomever's DNA was used, there was the matter that their chemical makeup was not entirely equal to that of their predecessor. These Pokemon had not undergone natural birthing processes and were instead gestating in tanks or pods filled with nutritious goo for them to feed into and help grow them. Add into that the unnatural powers they possessed and these theories her father and Professor Urbine had been working on seemed to fall more and more by the wayside. Clones were, in many ways, glass cannons. If their chemical structure was not solidified, they could very easily be destroyed and reduced to little more than just the same goop they were soaking in. It made her wonder why Mewtwo was so sure his plans would work here, especially if this major drawback was a thing. Perhaps he was certain that no one in Arcana would dare make a move on him? She could not shake off the feeling of his unrelenting confidence whenever he visited her. If he was so sure he had won, why was she still working so hard on making this clone? And why could she not get over this idea that these two clones would not be the last she would be forced to make on his behalf?

Any further thoughts in her solitude were interrupted when she noticed a shadow move in the corner of the room. She lowered her notes and walked over curiously to the quickly flittering being that had come into her room. It was not one of Mewtwo's allies or the wicked Pokemon himself, as they had no need to sneak about in her presence. Someone new had come to visit her.

"Hello?"

"Shhh!" a voice cried out. It was of a young maiden. "Mewtwo can't know I'm here!"

"He won't" Helen promised. "Who are you? Or, should I ask, what are you?"

The shadow shifted again and the image of a girl appeared before her. She was pale, had bright blonde hair and wore tattered rags about her. She had a look of extreme worry and guilt on her face. "You must be Professor Wong. I'm sorry Mewtwo has you trapped in here."

"I am too" Wong replied, brushing her own jet black hair back behind her. "But, I'm making the most of it. "Who are you, though?"

"My name is Avery. Avery Frost."

Wong was startled. "Frost? I know that name. Mewtwo mentioned you."

"I bet the words weren't too flattering" Avery sighed. "But that's not the point. I came to offer you a chance to escape."

"Escape?" Wong asked, puzzled. "How do you intend to help me escape? Mewtwo and his henchmen monitor me constantly. I would be surprised if they weren't suspicious of a strange girl appearing in my lab."

Avery frowned. "I know it seems complicated and unlikely to succeed, but given how things have changed so much for us, we cannot guarantee that Mewtwo won't get his way. You could be in danger. Mewtwo isn't known to treat humans well. He usually discards them when their use has ended. Which is why we can help you." The strangely translucent girl stepped forward, revealing that she herself was but a specter and that the being projecting it was who would help her escape. It was a Pokemon that Wong had only heard legends of, and tales of unrelenting and endless nightmares.

"Darkrai?"

"I can help you escape with the help of Darkrai" Avery revealed. "We can disappear without a trace and you would be taken to safety. I have a small band of people on my side helping me resist Mewtwo as best as we can. We can protect you. Myself, Cresselia, Darkrai, Elezar, Christopher and Amanda."

"Those names are also familiar to me" Helen revealed. "Mewtwo is seeking out this Elezar person and is after the other two as well."

"Cresselia and Darkrai can protect them for now."

"But how long will they be able to if I disappear as well? If I vanish as well, Mewtwo will not stop until I am found. I am apparently integral for his plans to succeed."

"And your departure will ensure his plans fail!" Avery pleaded.

Wong shook her head. "I appreciate the offer, but I need to stay here."

"Mewtwo is already unbeatable!" The girl was almost in tears with her begging. "Your help will only mean he can continue with his goals of global extinction!"

"I will not endanger my life and those of anyone else in some rescue plan that doesn't even have a concrete chance of succeeding" the Professor concluded, before collecting her notes. "Please, protect yourself and the others. But for now, I need to keep my own family safe from reprisals."

"This chance may not get to be offered again" the girl warned. "Please reconsider your decision. It's a mistake!"

"Perhaps" Helen said stoically. "But it's mine to make."

Seeing that she would not be able to compel Wong to come with her, Avery nodded. "Very well. I'll go. But you need to understand that helping Mewtwo become stronger will not keep your family and friends safe for long. If the Kingstons fall, the world has no chance of beating him." Darkrai and Avery disappeared back into the shadows, before Helen was sure she had been left alone. And though she continued her work, she could not get Avery's warnings out of her head. If these Kingstons did indeed fail, what hope was there that mankind and the Pokemon they loved wouldn't fall alongside them?

{}

"WHERE IS IT?!" Julia cried out in panic in the Lord's Study. She had come in to help Annie reorganize her husband's paperwork while he and Olivia took Arya, James and little Michael to the Bay of Kings to see if any Pokemon were still present. All was supposed to be peaceful and quiet in the Castle, until she had discovered that something absolutely vital to her was missing. Though there had once been two urns above the fireplace containing the ashes of fallen loved ones, only the urn containing the remains of Icarus were there. The one with her grandmother's ashes was gone without a trace. Annie had frantically called her to inform her and Julia sprinted with all her energy to get there in time, praying that it was a mistake. But there was no mistake.

"I have no idea" Annie insisted. "How did someone get inside here, anyway?"

"If those guards are off slacking, Michael's going to have a conniption" the young and inexperienced Queen warned.

"The guards have been in position all day. They would have seen an intruder."

"No one can just appear somewhere and then vanish into thin air!"

"I don't have many other possibilities" Annie concluded. "What's going on here?"

Julia was on the verge of a panic attack. She would have lost her mind that very instant if her Poke Gear did not start to ring. She looked at it and was not surprised to find an unsolicited number contacting her. Having already experienced this with Claude several months ago, she knew what to expect. She picked up the call and answered as eloquently as she could despite her mental state.

"Yes?"

"I think by now you understand that when I meant I wouldn't let anything stand in between us Julia, I meant anything!"

Julia froze in place. "Peter?" Once more, her former lover sounded off. He had always been so mentally strong and fiercely determined when she knew him. But this incarnation of Peter sounded desperate, anxious and off kilter. There was certainly something wrong, but she did not care to diagnose the man she was sure had somehow broken into Kingston Castle and stolen one of the most precious things in the world to her. "Where is my Grandmother?"

"Put it on speaker so that-" Annie began, but Peter interrupted.

"Tell that other nosy bitch in the room to get lost!" he demanded, in a strangely authoritarian tone.

Julia reluctantly agreed. "Annie, please leave."

"But you'll-"

"I can handle this." Though she knew this was a lie, it only needed to convince Annie to leave. She had other means with which to warn her husband and the others what was going on. When Annie had departed from her husband's study, Julia turned angrily back towards the call. "How the hell did you know someone was in the room with me?"

"What's important is that you follow my instructions very carefully" Peter hissed. He then stopped talking to her and then seemed to be talking to someone else. His voice constantly shifted, until he returned to the conversation. "I love you Julia. And I will not let that arrogant slug Michael have you. We are going to be together like I planned! And you are going to cooperate, unless you want me to take something else important to you."

"What do you want, Peter?"

"You are going to come to the Historic Titanio Hotel within one hour" Peter instructed. "You will come alone, with no one knowing where you've gone or following you. And when we meet, you are going to be with me!"

"So you're kidnapping me?" she clarified, hopefully loud enough for it to matter.

"Liberating you" he corrected. "Failure to follow any of these directions and the next person I take from you won't be your Grandmother."

"I'd love to see you take on Michael" Julia spat out.

"Which of your kids would you miss the most?"

Julia went white and got the message. "Okay. Historic Titanio Hotel. One Hour." Before she could get another word in, Peter ended the call. Her heart was beating rapidly as she realized what was about to happen to her. But for the sake of her husband and her children, she would endure whatever it took. And, hopefully for her own sake, Michael would be able to come and rescue her before it got too hectic.

Queen Julia Pines went into the closet closest to her husband's desk and removed a dark trench coat from within and donned it. The last thing she needed was to be spotted and recognized on her way towards becoming a hostage.

She walked out of the Lord's Study and slowly made her way for an open balcony. When she was certain there was no one around, she called out one of her few Pokemon that had remained loyal to her after Mewtwo's words: her Altaria. She climbed upon her Dragon Pokemon's back and pet it's neck nervously. "Let's go. Fly quickly!" Her Altaria got the message and took off without a second's hesitation. Her stomach lurched at her potential danger, but she knew she had to be strong. Peter seemed to be a man crazy enough to get what he wanted. If he had her grandmother's remains, she would do what it took to get them back.

Her Altaria's flight took longer than she anticipated, as the hour she had been given withered away like it was nothing. Nevertheless, she landed outside the Historic Titanio Hotel with a moment to spare. She recalled her Altaria and slowly made her way in. The Hotel was still not in service and she couldn't help but feel perturbed at how deathly quiet a once spectacular hotel like this had been. She then removed the trench coat and wandered inside the main lobby of the abandoned hotel, hoping Peter would get this over and done with.

It did not take long for him to make his presence known. Without warning, Julia was assaulted from behind. A hand grabbed her right and yanked it behind her back and another hand flew over her mouth to keep her quiet. She let out a few whimpers, but did nothing as she was dragged away into a meeting room. When they were inside, Peter took his hand off of her mouth and closed the door behind them, but then quickly put it back. She was pushed into the room and towards a lone computer chair with wheels on it.

"Sit down" Peter told her. When Julia nodded, he led her towards the chair and put her down on it and removed his hand from her mouth.

"Why are you doing this?" she pleaded.

"Why does anyone do anything?" he replied strangely. It was almost as if Peter spoke with two voices. And one was certainly not the other in terms of masculinity. He proceeded to grab her hands and force her to pin them together while he wound duct tape around her wrists in front of her. When he was finished, he wrapped another long strip of it around her arms and pinned them in place. "I told you that we were going to be together. And we were both right."

"I never agreed to anything with you!" she growled. "I am in love with Michael Kingston and I always have been."

"No, you have an attraction to him!" Peter argued, before using the tape to weld her to the chair. "But before we're finished, we'll get you to see."

"We?" Julia gulped nervously. "What happened to you, Peter?"

"It's remarkable!" Peter laughed, the insanity dripping from his voice. "Julia, I was visited by a goddess in the night. She told me how to get to you. How we could be together. How all of what we once had could be so again!"

"And how do you propose that happens?"

Peter did not answer her immediately and instead began to mutter to himself. Julia took the moment to test her bonds, but found the tape giving no leeway. She could barely even move her arms, her fingers unable to reach the tape encircling her wrists. This did not go unnoticed by Peter, who simply put her hands back down and welded them to the chair as well. "We will be together, Julia. She said so."

"Who said so?"

Peter ripped off another strand of tape and put it firmly over her lips, silencing her. "The Lavender Goddess!" He then reached into his pocket and pulled out a needle. "I'm sorry, but you'll need to go to sleep for this one." Julia tried to kick her chair away, but Peter put his own weight on it and jabbed the needle into her neck, letting a toxin into her body. As Julia began to daze out of consciousness, she could not help but hear a most familiar giggle coming from, of all people, Peter.

"I told you Michael was mine!"

Ccc-Courtney? Her eyes than drooped and she fell into a deep sleep.