In a hastily organized Council Meeting at the campsites on the Crag Hlls, the many people who were determined to prevent the apocalypse of their world had been assembled to discuss what lied ahead in not only reconstructing the region, but also preparing it for what else may come. The Council currently consisted of Michael, Julia, Chris, Piper, Mark, Lizzie, Addison, Matthew, Jeremy, Annette, Garret, Jack Duon, Holly, Dawn, Lucas, Lance, Iris, Diance, Steven Stone, Leon, Giselle, Wes, Gonzap, Professor Helen Wong, Elmont Queensbury, Kevin Tress and Justin Jacques. Notably absent from the gathering were much of the Kingston Family, exhausted and nursing major injuries and mental scarring. Billy, at the request of Amanda, remained behind with her to tend to his own wounds and spend time with her. Also absent was Cynthia. Addison learned that the King had gone to ask Cynthia to appear, but after a tear-filled revelation of her being mentally unwell, Michael comforted his old friend and told her to not worry. Dawn and Lucas would stand in her place on behalf of Sinnoh. She was thankful, but also admitted to feeling ashamed of her actions, despite his comforting words saying otherwise.

Though many present were focused on the idea of rebuilding their world for what lied ahead, everyone besides the White Mage was flabbergasted at the words the King spoke. Not only was their battle not over, but the most vital portion might still yet be upon them. Addison attempted to keep her focus on what she intended on doing, while the others debated what was left to be done.

"You can't be serious" Garret Fiveroux insisted as he heard the words coming from his King's mouth. "We just whooped that Clone Army. Mewtwo is done! We won! We lost so much just to get here! Why would we need to risk more lives to go after him?"

"Because this war isn't over yet" Michael insisted. "So long as Mewtwo has the power to oppose us, he will keep doing so. His goal remains the same as it was before our battle reached its conclusion. Complete annihilation of the human race and the Pokemon who battle alongside them. This passion will burn inside of him until the very end of all time, or his own destruction." He angrily clenched his fists. "And I'm tired of playing on that monster's terms. We need to take the battle to him."

"You actually want to go back to Mirage Island?" Diance gasped. "We just got back from there."

"This doesn't sound like a good idea" Lance objected. "Michael, I will stand by you as long as you need, but I have to voice that I have concerns about this. What else could there possibly be to worry about?"

Addison watched Professor Wong rise to speak. "Everyone. Those clones you all battled bravely were only a paltry force in comparison to what he's been working on. What he made me work on." She stood nervously before a crowd that would heckle and lambaste her, but Addison respected her bravery. "Mewtwo has been creating clones of himself. Or, more specifically, clones of Mew. Identical copies of him with his intellect, power and hatred of mankind in tact. One Mewtwo was bad enough. Multiple is just asking for death at this point."

"You mean, those clones he's created are going to be as powerful as him?" Gonzap snarled. "We can't let that happen!"

"Didn't take you for being the heroic type" Wes commented.

Gonzap shook his head. "Don't get the wrong idea. I don't mind villainous ways. I do have a problem with me being used as a puppet, though!"

"What can we do to prevent these clones from attacking?" Steven inquired.

This was Addison's time to shine. She rose to her feet and stood proudly despite every eye in the council now falling on her. She cleared her throat and spoke as eloquently as possible. "The only way for Mewtwo to be stopped...is for him to be destroyed. I'm not a fan of killing anyone, not even someone as monstrous and evil as him. But Mewtwo will keep on trying to destroy us. More people will fall than need to." She held her hand close to her heart, her thoughts on Ryan already being warped against her. "And I have seen enough people I care about be hurt because of this. As the White Mage, the being destined to destroy Mewtwo and bring about an end to the Age of Heroes, I have to defeat him." She glanced to everyone in the meeting. "Which means I have to go to Mirage Island."

The council began a heated debate over what would come. Her friends voiced their concerns over her well being. Many who had been imprisoned on the Island for months were extremely hesitant to return. Addison shrunk as she stood around a chorus of arguing and hardly what she would consider constructive criticism. Her only thoughts were of Ryan and how desperately she wanted to get to him. Even if it was just to say goodbye, she needed to make sure Mewtwo would never control another of her friends, least of all the boy she loved.

"How do we even know Mewtwo will let us go back?" Iris insisted, her dress moving as erratically as she did.

"He doesn't have a choice in the matter" Michael explained. "We still have the Spirit Keys. We should be able to come and go from the island as needed. And more importantly, to destroy him and make sure no one else can go back."

"You honestly expect a child to be the one who defeats Mewtwo?" Gonzap scowled. "With all do respect, I doubt that anyone besides a true Pokemon Champion will be able to stop him."

"And what does this matter?" Wes asked. "Mewtwo isolated himself on Mirage Island. If Miss Tenton here is indeed the White Mage, then she should be able to defeat Mewtwo under all circumstances."

"We have to have faith in Addison" Julia implored to the group. "There is literally not a single person in the world who can stop him, otherwise."

"We can't jump to such an extreme conclusion, Your Grace" Diance spoke eloquently. "We all contributed to this victory. We all could, hypothetically, have our chance to defeat him as a team."

"Or Mewtwo could pick us off one by one" Addison interjected.

"Bold to say that in a room full of Champions" Giselle smirked. "Bold...but correct."

"How can you-" Iris snapped, but Giselle stood her ground.

"We all were on Mirage Island" Arcana's former tyrant reminded them. "One hundred of the world's most powerful trainers, competing in a tournament. And we were all, every single one of us, hoodwinked into picking ourselves off for their amusement and according to their plans. Who walked off that island in the end? Nine people, one of whom wasn't even among the hundred selected, two of whom were put to sleep by Darkrai and the only one going unharmed mentally or physically being an eleven year old boy. No one escaped that hellscape unscathed, not even the best trainer on the island." She made a remorseful glance back at Michael before continuing. "Even Addison barely escaped with her life, but I can't sit here and imagine she wasn't allowed to for a reason. She is our best chance. If not her, then we're doomed."

Her words seemed to resonate with the council. Many lowered their heads and all side conversations died down as Giselle concluded. Addison knew she once more had to take the initiative. "There are more people who are in danger now than even when Mewtwo attacked us. We won't get an opportunity to surrender. The humans who worked with him tethered him into a desire to need a part of the world to go unscathed. Now? He'll obliterate anything that stands in his way. Anyone who isn't strong enough or able to protect themselves will fall. And I will not watch anyone else I care about get hurt." She held her hand to her heart. Ryan, please give me the strength to do this. "Which is why I have to go alone."

"WHAT?!" Holly shrieked.

"Under no circumstances should we send you to Mirage Island on your own!" Elmont Queensbury responded harshly.

"There is no other choice" Addison explained. "We need to stop Mewtwo from destroying the world."

"And how will you destroy Mewtwo and the clones he's created?" Matthew demanded.

"Not to mention if Ryan is still out there" Annette spoke worriedly.

Addison was becoming despondent. "Then what can we do? I need to get to Mirage Island!"

"I propose a strike force" Mark spoke up. "A small team of people dispatched to Mirage Island with two objectives: one, to wipe out the clones. And two, to stop Mewtwo and the Black Knight before they can rise against us again."

"How can we destroy those clones, though?" Leon asked. "It's not like they have self-destruct mechanisms in them."

Professor Wong grinned. "Actually, as a matter of fact, they do. All cloned Pokemon lack the same kind of behavioral natures their original DNA had. Their DNA is artificially made, therefore, it can be artificially unmade. Feeding a negative reactionary fluid instead of their growth fluids could very likely kill them in their cribs and hopefully prevent anyone else from repeating these nightmarish experiments." She frowned slightly. "Mewtwo thought of me as a sister, because he thought of my father as his. But I have no sympathy to a creature who would have no trouble threatening my son if it meant he got what he wanted."

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Iris proclaimed proudly. "Let's go and crush the bad guys once and for all!"

Lance, who had been keeping his gaze between Addison and the King, smiled and shook his head. "No, Iris. I think that this is one fight we're going to have to sit out on."

"What?" Steven gasped, his eyes finding Michael. "You can't mean to keep us sidelined in a time like this."

"Arcana is virtually defenseless" Michael explained softly. "My family took a beating defending our world from Mewtwo and his clones. Two of my uncles are dead, my father is dead and so too is Cameron, our region's standing Champion. We are in as precarious a place as we've ever been." He looked to Lance, who seemed to get where he was going. Addison was surprised at the deep camaraderie between Michael and the rest of the world's great trainers. "If we fall on Mirage Island and all of us go, no one will be here to hold the world together. I need people I can trust to remain here and guard Arcana and the rest of the world from this threat."

"Why do you have to go?" Diance inquired. "As King, you should remain behind."

"The Spirit Keys respond to those who collected them" Piper explained. "Meaning that I'm not staying behind, either."

Wes rose to his feet. "We have our task, then. We're staying."

"You think I take orders from you?" Gonzap snarled.

Wes glared at him, his face remaining serious. "We're staying." Realizing he could not sway his former minion, Gonzap relented and sat back down.

"We'll remain here, as you wish" Steven sighed.

"I wish we could see the look on Mewtwo's face when he died" Iris echoed her disappointment, but shrugged it off just as quickly. "But, it also means I can get to speak with my family back home."

"You'll be sure to keep an eye on one another?" Lance asked his old friends. "Mark? Michael?"

Mark nodded. "We're going to finish this, one way or another."

Michael smiled only slightly. "As always, Lance."

Wes waved his arm and drew roughly half of the group away with them. Himself, Leon, Steven, Lance, Gonzap, Iris, Diance, Elmont Queensbury, Jack Duon and Kevin Tress all stepped away from the council without much hesitation. It did not shock Addison at just how many were eager to make a name for themselves and stay behind to help her. Her friends surrounded her and gave her a resounding approval.

Michael walked over to Addison and stood behind her, putting his hands on her shoulders. "If you stand with the White Mage, you'd better prepare yourselves." Chris and Piper, any further words from them muted, came to her side. Addison saw Piper wink down at her. She glanced up at Chris, who's face wore a look of such determination that she was shocked it could ever have been seen from such a normally laid back man like him.

Mark, Lizzie and Justin made their moves to support Addison next, but Lizzie took Justin aside and whispered something to him. He seemed eager to retort, but lowered his head and departed to follow the others. They then took their place in the group.

"Can't let you clowns have all the fun" Giselle replied with her usual conceit. "Where will you be if I didn't tag along?"

"A much less fascinating place, I'd imagine" Lizzie grumbled.

Matthew walked in front of Addison and knelt before her. "If you'll still have me, I'll keep fighting for you. Until the bitter end."

She smiled and helped him to his feet. "Until the bitter end."

"We'd better make sure we tag along before Tommy get's any ideas about sneaking in as well" Holly added, dragging Jeremy along with her. "Besides, on something as dangerous as this, you need as many people as you can trust. And there aren't many the White Mage trusts more than me."

"So much so that she startled you by thinking she'd go on her own?" Piper joked.

"We would have stowed away if we could" Jeremy insisted. "We have to fight. Not just for our families and our Pokemon. But for all of Arcana."

"And Sinnoh" Dawn added as she stepped up to stand beside Matthew. "Don't forget us."

"You'll probably need some extra brain power to help fry those clones" Lucas proclaimed. "That'd be me."

Addison looked over to where Annette and her brother were having an extremely heated debate between them. Annette won out in the end, though, as Garret sighed, shook his head and kissed his sister's head before departing after Justin. She strode her way up to Addison and knelt as Matthew had. "I'm ready to help, anyway I can."

Michael was about to say something, but noticed Julia worming her way in. "Hold it."

"Hold nothing" his wife replied. "I am not going to be put on the sidelines again. We end this together. All of us or none of us."

Addison smiled up at her idol. "Your Majesty, it's okay."

Michael sighed in defeat. "Very well. Fifteen of us."

"Do you think we should have a name or something?" Mark joked.

"Don't be dense" Chris barked. "We don't need a name. We need a plan!"

"Mark's plan is a sound one" Julia added in. "Half of us get into the base and shut down those cloning operations. The rest of us will go on the hunt for Mewtwo with Addison. Simple, but concise. Professor Wong, myself, Michael, Chris, Piper, Lucas and Dawn in one group. Addison, Giselle, Matthew, Holly, Mark, Lizzie, Jeremy and Annette in the other.

Giselle sneered. "Still don't trust me around your hubby wubby?"

Addison noticed Michael flushed at this. She remembered all too well the last encounter Michael and Giselle had on Mirage Island. How it had ended with Giselle going off on her suicide mission alone, but not before planting one of the most passionate kisses she had ever seen on the unexpected and flustered King of Arcana. She expected Julia to add to the fire of their ceaseless rivalry while Michael could only listen on.

"I trust my husband completely" Julia replied. Those words were icy enough to make Giselle back down.

Michael took Julia's hand and called out his Dragonite. "Rest up and gather some supplies, everyone. In one hour, we meet back in Parlor Town to go on towards Mirage Island. We'll be going to get the Spirit Keys." He then swept his wife off her feet, placed her on the back of Rhaegar before mounting his Pokemon himself, the Dragonite soaring into the heavens moments later.

Addison looked around to her remaining friends. "Look, if any of you are having doubts, don't feel bad about sitting this one out."

"No way" Annette answered. "We're your friends, Addy. We stick together."

"We won't let anything bad happen" Holly insisted. "We guarantee it."

"This is our fight" Mark told the Mage. "If we didn't take part, it would feel like we were letting everyone down."

"This journey started a long time ago" Professor Wong responded. "My father's work, Balthazar Aced's research, James Kingston's heroism, all of it led us to this momentous occasion. If we turned away this journey as we reach it's conclusion, we couldn't exactly consider ourselves heroic or scientific."

"Since Cynthia can't be here" Dawn assured Addison, "we'll fill in as best as we can. Plus, maybe I can knock some sense into that thick head of Ryan's."

Annette frowned. "Do you think there's a chance for us to save him?"

"There's always a chance" Addison promised her friend. "It's never too late. But we have to believe in him." She looked up to the skies, which seemed to be graying once more with the signs of an impending storm. Whether it was Mewtwo's wrath or another rain storm, she could not immediately tell.

{}

Though she was beginning to doubt that there was much of anything that remained of the boy she loved inside of that armored minion of Mewtwo's, Avery knew she needed to remain behind and do everything she could to pry him away from the darkness. So, while doing everything she could to prevent Mewtwo from sensing her presence, she lurked around the base, listening in on whatever the two discussed. Which, to her disappointment, turned out to be very little. Mewtwo was mostly confined to the laboratory that Professor Wong had abandoned, working on expediting the clones he hoped to make of himself, while the Knight stood guard at the side of his throne room.

There were other beings in the Throne Room, but none of them said a word or made a movement. Two were fossilized statues. Elezar Aced and his daughter Jocelyn, a matching pair of the family that had once been firm allies to the Kingstons turned sworn nemesis by the very Master who had turned both to stone. Both had taken very different paths to their shared fates, with Jocelyn betraying her father and becoming an ardent friend to the Kingstons, including Ryan and Matthew. Elezar, despite showing signs of being able to change, remained as cruel and selfish as ever before when he betrayed their location to Mewtwo and his allies. His reward? The same fate as the daughter who despised him.

The other being besides her and the Knight in the Throne Room was all that was left of Courtney. Her body was made an empty husk, devoid of any mental capabilities after having her mind blanked by her master. Avery did pity her, but only to a degree. She had been a ruthlessly evil menace in her lifetime, well before when they had met on Mirage Island when she and Hunter found their way there, almost by mistake.

Almost. She was sure she would never leave anything to chance again.

Courtney was a menace then. But leading up to her downfall, she had become downright heartless and cruel. Tormenting Ryan and Amanda for the sheer pleasure of it, threatening to kill Amanda's beau Billy and striking down Cameron Kingston in a fit of hatred, Avery knew she could not pity this wretch despite being completely and utterly helpless. She was still involuntarily breathing, though how long that would last was up in the air. Despite all that she had done, the lonely girl could not help but pity what had become of her. Courtney could have been someone powerful. Perhaps even as strong an ally to her friends as she was. But she had allowed vanity and hate to consume her and thus followed the path so many before her. One that ended in her own self-destruction.

As she put a hand on Courtney's innocent looking face and closed her open eye lids, the Knight scoffed at her. "Why pity such a waste like her?"

Avery did not look towards the Knight, unable to hear such cold words coming from a once loving boy. "All things in life deserve some kind of pity. You used to think that."

"Now, I see people for what they are worth" he replied harshly. "She was only ever a nuisance. Even the old man Claude was more useful to us than she was and I enjoyed watching him die."

"Would you stop with this facade?" she pleaded, finally facing him. "If Ryan is in there-"

"You and Miss Tenton make the same mistake of believing that. He tries to make his presence known to those who will listen. Then all it means is that I need to destroy every last person in the world that means anything to him and he'll disappear forever. The only question that matters now is if I begin with Miss Tenton or if I begin with the King of Arcana."

"You're a fool if you think you will destroy them" she spat out defiantly.

"And you're a fool if you think I will let anyone stand between me and my master!" he declared angrily. "Those people mean nothing to me!"

"Then what happens after you destroy everything and everyone?" Avery asked. "Do you really think Mewtwo won't destroy you?"

"I'll finally be able to die in peace" the Knight snarled.

She blinked in confusion. "Die in peace?"

"Living in this world, with all of this pain inside of me, is far more torturous than what Courtney put me through. When I purge that pain from this world, the Master can do what he wants with me afterwards."

Avery shook her head. "You're wrong, Ryan. If you think pain is something you can just purge from yourself, you are wrong. The pain of what you did will haunt you forever. Wherever your soul ends up, wherever Mewtwo takes you after this, you will remember their names and what you did with them. That's the pain you'll carry on with you. Never able to learn from Michael or Julia. Never able to rival Chris or Cameron. Never able to rekindle friendships with Jeremy, Holly, Annette or your brother. Never able to hold Addison again. If you think you know pain, Knight, then you don't know anything of pain."

The Knight raised his hand and Avery flew into the air. Avery expected to be slammed up and down as Courtney had been, but for once, she had to be thankful for the word of the Master.

KNIGHT! Come to the lab, at once!

The Knight grunted and slammed Avery to the ground. "Consider yourself lucky, Miss Frost. You are a part of that heart I need to exterminate. We shall continue this discussion later." He then turned on his heel and exited the throne room.

Avery recovered, finding herself having landed just beside Courtney, who did not have the mental capabilities to recognize her or acknowledge her. She simply shook her head and watched as the Black Knight exited the chamber. Though her heart kept begging her to reconsider, she was beginning to realize that there may not be any coming back for Ryan this time. He might be gone...forever.

{}

"I don't feel comfortable leaving them" Julia confided to her husband as the two soared back towards Parlor Town on the back of Rhaegar. Though she was now sure that a repentant and understanding Erin Kingston could be trusted to watch over her three grandchildren, the King of Arcana could tell she was harboring the strangest feeling in her heart that they might be abandoning their children by going to Mirage Island. She gripped his waist tightly as they glided across the sky. "Do you think it's a mistake, running off on them like this?"

"You can always stay behind, Jules" Michael told her gently, petting Rhaegar to keep him balanced in the air. "No one would judge you. This isn't going to be the easiest mission."

"I would judge me" she admitted.

"For absolutely no reason" he laughed teasingly.

"I don't want to think like this, Michael, but at the same time...so many families have been torn apart already. And ours is just getting started. Little Michael needs us. So do James and Arya."

"Then you don't need to worry about anything" Michael assured her. "Our kids will be here for us when we get home."

"But what if we aren't?" she shuddered, resting her head on his back.

"We will be. We didn't make it this far just to lose out on seeing them grow up."

"How are you so calm right now?"

"Truth be told, I'm not. I just hide my fear better than you. I hide it by shielding you from your own fear." He glanced back and blew a kiss to his beloved wife. "You're still being the strongest one after all this time."

She smiled at this hugging him more tightly than before. "Now and always."

Rhaegar barked to announce their landing. The Dragonite landed just in front of the newly restored home of Matthew, Alison and Kayleigh. The rest of their group was already prepared and ready. All but Addison had changed their outfits into more comfortable outfits or uniforms. Many, including Addison had bright and confident smiles on their faces about the pending mission to Mirage Island. One who didn't, was Chris. Despite Piper's soothing words, Michael knew his cousin would be haunted by Cameron's death for a long time. She had meant so much to both of them, but would always mean more to her true born brother. He was eager to take Chris aside to speak, but had his attention distracted by others.

"Do you guys have the Keys?" Piper inquired.

Julia, coming right to her husband's side, nodded earnestly and revealed the four Spirit Keys. Giving one to each of the four who had collected them, with Michael getting the Altar of Water's Key, Addison the Altar of Wind's Key, Chris the Altar of Fire's and Piper the Altar of Earth's. "Alright, everyone. This is it. The big show. I hope everyone is ready for this."

"What should we expect upon getting there?" Lizzie asked.

"The unexpected" Michael bluntly answered.

"How refreshing" Giselle grumbled.

"Look, we don't know what we have waiting for us when we activate these Spirit Keys. For all we know, Mewtwo could be out there making more clones of Pokemon to attack us a second time. I doubt it, but we still need to be prepared." He looked towards the other three key bearers and nodded. "Let's get this underway already. We don't have a lot of time."

Addison made to raise her key as she had when opening the gate the last time, but paused. "Wait. Something's wrong. Someone's coming." She pointed her scepter towards Parlor Beach. The entire group turned to face this newcomer.

Chris cracked his knuckles. "One of Mewtwo's flunkies? I'll sit him down for a dirt nap!"

"Please don't go making a spectacle of yourself" Piper pleaded.

Michael made his way to Addison's side as the figure came closer and closer. He squinted as the setting sun was in his eyes and preventing him from being able to see clearly. When he finally made out the appearance of this newcomer, he was certainly caught off guard. "What the-"

"Good. Then I haven't missed the opportunity yet" a cold, calculating voice spoke.

Mark was dumbstruck. "What the-Giovanni?"

"The Rocket Boss?" Helen Wong inquired. "What on earth is he doing here?"

Michael was taken aback as Giovanni stepped towards them. He had certainly been on quite the journey since Michael last saw him in Titanio City. His clothes were torn in places and ragged, he had a bit of a five o'clock shadow growing on his face and seemed to be slowing down physically, but his eyes were as cold and domineering as they had ever been. The former Team Rocket leader had on him very little, save for a pistol in it's holster, five Poke Balls and a bag containing who knew what.

"You'd better have a good reason for coming here" Mark demanded. "After all the things you've done-"

Giovanni thumbed his nose at Mark. "Mark Lionel? Is it truly you? Still pretending to be a holier than thou trainer, are we?"

"He asked a question worth answering" Julia spoke bitterly. "Why are you here?"

"Is this the kind of treatment I can expect from the Queen of Arcana?" Giovanni responded, feigning offense. "After I saved your marriage?"

"Saved my marriage?"

Michael folded his arms. "What brought you here this time, Giovanni?"

"Hang on a sec" Matthew spoke up. "You know him?"

"We've crossed paths several times" the Rocket Boss recalled. "Most recently when that deluded nutcase Courtney attempted to kidnap the Queen of Arcana."

When Julia kept looking to him for context, Michael explained it to her. "The drug we used to counteract the memory draining virus she put in you came from Giovanni's lab. He gave it to me after he killed Peter." Julia was flustered by this, but Michael quickly returned his attention to Giovanni. It was all too convenient for him to be here, yet again.

"Still up to no good?" Mark growled. "Why don't you get lost? We've got more than enough to worry about here besides you!"

Giovanni scoffed at this. "Spare me your delusions of being a righteous savior, Lionel. I'm here because I owe the King of Arcana a debt that needs to be repaid. I would say the both of you, but your manners remain as ill as that sewer you crawled out of in Pallet Town." He grinned to the others who had not said anything. "To be frank, I have watched the comings and goings in Arcana for some time. Waiting for the opportunity to repay my debt. Michael and Mark here ensured my former loyal followers in Team Rocket understood that when I dissolved it, I meant it. He has since done far more for me, which is why I want to settle the score now rather than hope for you all to return from this foolhardy mission you're on."

"You know about our plans?" Chris asked. "How?"

"I have ears everywhere" the crime lord sneered. "A trip to Mirage Island to destroy that infernal beast is suicide."

"Then what would you suggest?" Helen Wong asked, doing her best not to sound uppity.

Giovanni grinned. "I'm glad you asked, Professor." He reached into his bag and pulled out the one thing inside of it. "It may be an old school plan, but it's one that will work nonetheless." He revealed the spherical object in his hands: the Master Ball.

"A Master Ball?" Lizzie asked.

"The Master Ball prototype made on Mt. Heatmor by the children of ArcResistance, Thomas Queensbury and Ryan Kingston. Subsequently used by Ryan Kingston to ensnare Mewtwo. Buried for two years by order of Cameron Kingston, dug up and utilized by that old fool Claude Jacques. Recovered from the body of my former colleague Archer and lying in wait until this very moment." He looked to the stunned group, a confident grin brimming from ear to ear. "Destroying Mewtwo with his limitless power is wishful thinking. But he is still a Pokemon. With the same weaknesses. Snare him in the Master Ball and leave it on Mirage Island and no one will hear from that wretched beast ever again."

"Why?" Addison asked.

"Hmm?"

"Why would you want to help us? Why didn't you help us before?"

Michael looked from the White Mage towards Giovanni. She was getting better at sniffing out motivations. She might uncover the motivations for Giovanni's actions more quickly than anyone. Her hostile approach to him only made him prepare to safeguard the others more carefully. Giovanni may have helped him in the past, but he trusted him about as much as he did Courtney. And look where that got Courtney...

"Because that beast's existence is mostly my fault" the Rocket Boss revealed, lowering his head.

"WHAT?!" the group cried out.

Everyone except Professor Wong. She flung her hair back and shook her head. "So it was true. You financed Professor Urbine's lab. You pressured my father into helping them!"

"Do not fling accusations regarding your father's death at my feet, Helen" Giovanni growled. "He was murdered along with the entire research team I funded. Mewtwo was the culprit." He turned his back to the group, reminiscing as his hands came together behind his back. "He was supposed to be the perfect Pokemon. Unstoppable power, unquenchable thirst for battle and forever loyal and obedient to he who had financed his creation. I should have realized controlling a being of such power needed more personal care, which is why he managed to escape into the world in the first place. His power has caused enough trouble around the world for twenty years. Causing chaos in Arcana, discord in Kanto and now holing himself up on Mirage Island, the very center of the Realm of Dreams. Did you not think Mewtwo would not harness the power to control you all from your beds?"

"You think Mewtwo's that powerful?" Michael interrogated.

"That's what he was meant to do. With just one Pokemon, I would have had the entire world at my feet. But again, I underestimated the sheer power he has. No mortal can control him. Not even Arceus can at this point. And if no one can destroy him, he must be contained!"

"Why the change of heart?" Giselle asked. "You expect us to believe you're doing this out of altruism?"

"I owe the King of Arcana three debts. The first was paid when I gave him advice on how to tackle the Syndicate when they resurfaced in Arcana. You know, when all of you thought he was the one who destroyed that helicopter above Mt. Heatmor. I was the only one who knew what Elezar and Cassius were up to, because you cretins couldn't be bothered to help him. Cameron Kingston even sabotaged his efforts to contain them."

Chris tried to get to Giovanni, but Piper restrained him by pulling his arms behind his back. "Calm down!"

"The second debt was paid when I took care of a mutual problem we both had in the form of a lavender-haired harlot who raided my personal chemical stores in the hopes of neutralizing the memory of the Queen. But considering the Queen does not seem to be as thankful as I expected she'd be, it's just another example of why your precious hero should never have returned her to begin with." He made eye contact with Michael, who could feel the mood of everyone in their group dampen. "My last debt will be paid when I capture Mewtwo in his Master Ball and leave him trapped on Mirage Island for all eternity."

"What about those who are still aligned with him?" Michael asked.

"Unless you want a repeat of the last seven months, Your Majesty, I suggest you destroy anyone and everyone linked to him. Hunter and Courtney appear to be dead, and no one has seen hide or hair of Elezar in years. All that's left now is the Black Knight. Kill him and our stories finally end with a happily ever after." He grinned coldly. "Do you agree?"

"We don't" Addison fired back. "There is still good in Ryan. And I will help him see it."

"Far be it from me to tell the White Mage how to act" the Rocket Boss cackled. "But how will you have the power to fight both the Black Knight and Mewtwo, Miss Tenton? You cannot expect to save your friend and fend off his power hungry Master, can you?"

Addison lowered her head. "I want to-"

"There is a difference between wanting to do something and having the power to make it a reality" Giovanni warned her. "We have the ability to contain Mewtwo now. And unless you're willing to fight more clones in the future, it is the only way we can take." He looked to Michael, with a surprising bit of desperation on his part. "I don't think this world can survive another ferocious crisis like this one."

Michael pondered this for a moment. Both arguments had their merit. Mewtwo needed to be stopped, but if Addison didn't have the power to do so, did anyone? Could she have to destroy Ryan and Mewtwo? Or could containing Mewtwo also restore Ryan's freedom to him? These were questions he knew he could not answer alone. "Pipe, Chris, Addy." He gestured for the four of them to come together in a huddle. As they all did as he requested he put it up to them. "What do you think, guys?"

"You can't trust him as far as you can throw him" Piper declared. "But, he makes a good point. If we can contain him and leave him somewhere hardly anyone can get to, will he be able to terrorize us again?"

"He's arrogant, he's obnoxious and he's also right" Chris pointed out. "I don't like admitting it, but capturing Mewtwo is far easier than destroying him. Especially if he's as powerful as we think he is."

"He's hiding something" Addison cautioned. "Ulterior motive to be sure. If he captures Mewtwo, this could be more problematic than Mewtwo being free."

"Do you think we should trust him?" Michael asked.

"Why are you asking me?"

"Let's be fair, Addy" Chris told her, seeming to brighten up just for a moment. "You are the brightest of us. You can see things no one else can."

Addison closed her eyes and tried to hone into her mind. "Something tells me he has a part to play in all of this. Maybe he is a treacherous little urchin, but maybe his plan holds water. I think we need to let him come, but on a tight leash."

"Who's going to be able to keep him on a leash?" Piper whispered.

"Mark will" Michael concluded. "So he'll go with you all and we'll take Giselle with us."

"Why Giselle?"

"Addy needs her friends with her and I'm not going to let Giselle blow her cover for us." The group then came apart and Michael looked at Giovanni. "Fine. Giovanni is the sixteenth and final member of our team."

Giovanni grinned. "I'm glad His Majesty sees reason."

"Giovanni will be assigned to the group sent to track down Mewtwo and The Black Knight" he went on. "Giselle will be coming with us, instead."

Julia looked like she had just been slapped. "Us?"

"Better watch out, Queenie" Giselle snickered, "Monarchy suits me far more than you!"

"Let's get this underway already!" Chris roared.

"Honey, would you mind giving us a countdown?" Michael asked his wife, eager to keep her and Giselle separated. He then brought Piper, Addison and Chris to his side, with all four holding their Spirit Keys in hand.

"Ready? One...two...THREE!"

Simultaneously, Michael, Piper, Chris and Addison turned their keys. The rainbow bridge which had once served as the barrier between them and Mewtwo now served as their bridge to him. A prism of light shot out from all four keys, until creating a tall walkover bridge that led them towards the final stage of conflict. The nightmarish island where Ryan was being held and Mewtwo was desperately conjuring his final plan to eliminate all life in Arcana. With one last glistening shine, the gateway to Mirage Island formed. One by one, Michael watched as their teams went up. Addison led the way, with Matthew right behind her. Annette, Holly and Jeremy followed. Mark refused to budge until Giovanni moved next. When the Rocket Boss finally did, he and Lizzie followed, rounding out the group that would hunt down Mewtwo.

The second group began to move next. Dawn and Lucas, arm in arm, led the way up after Mark and Lizzie. Giselle and Professor Wong followed, with Julia trying to figure out how this rainbow bridge had even formed to begin with.

The remaining three lagged behind. Piper stood in front of her husband and picked up his drooping chin. "Chris?" You okay?"

"I'll be fine" he insisted. "We've got work to do." He gently nudged Piper ahead as she caught up to Julia and led her up the rainbow bridge.

Michael put his arm around his prodigal brother. "Let's end this. And we'll end it just for Cameron."

Chris sniffled a bit and tried to put on a bright smile for him. "You know it." The two then raced up the pathway towards what both hoped would be their finest hour.