Michael could only watch in horror as Addison's scepter fell from her fingers. She was resigned to her defeat. He tried to rush onto the field, but the barrier blocked him and forced him a few feet backwards. He pounded ceaselessly on it, hoping that he could do anything he could to save her. But a hand caught his arm and pulled him backwards.

"It's over, Michael" Giselle told him gently. "We lost."

"This can't be it!" he defiantly shouted. "There has to be something we can do."

Chris shook his head. "Does that look like a girl who thinks there's something we can do?"

Michael looked desperately towards Deidre's daughter. But she was showing no signs of anything. It was as if her body was beginning to shut down. She simply stood there, staring blankly at nothing. She did not move to defend herself, nor did she have the power to prevent Mewtwo from ending this battle whenever he wanted. Michael tried to break free from Giselle's grasp, but she held firm. "This can't be it!"

"Why is she just giving up?!" Dawn cried out.

Lucas lowered his head. "Was all of this just unavoidable?"

"Addy" Piper whispered frightfully.

"I don't think Mewtwo is in a merciful mood, either" Julia shuddered.

"No..." Matthew hissed out, before the pain from his nerve damage caused him to fall back into Julia's arms.

Mewtwo towered above Addison and the others. His piercing sapphire eyes met Michael's first. Let this serve as an example to all who will dare to defy me! Your precious heroine shall be stripped of everything she is and ever was! But first, I will make her see the error of her ways! His hands jerked forward and Addison was flung into the air and held their with fierce telekinetic strength. If you will not serve me, than you will meet your destiny!

Addison's limbs began to bend in awkward ways, causing her to shriek in pain. This only caused Michael to pound harder and harder against the barrier Mewtwo had created, but to no avail. Mewtwo then slammed her repeatedly into the ground until she crumpled into a pile of shrieking, crying and likely dying bones.

"No..." she whispered. "It can't-"

I think you'll find it can! Mewtwo then showered the girl with Thunderbolts. Addison roared in pain, her shrieks breaking Michael's resolve instantly. The King tried to throw himself into the arena, but was blasted backwards several feet. Mark and Lizzie hurried over to help him up.

"You need to stop!" Mark told him angrily. "There's nothing we can do, now!"

"It's over" Lizzie admitted. "All of it."

"Addy never stood a chance?" Piper cried.

"I can't just let her die!" Michael growled as he tried to push his way to the front. Addison's screams and pleas for death only made the Fury boil inside of him. He could feel he was going to lose himself to it again, which prompted many more to make sure Michael remained in place. He frantically looked for any way to break through the barrier. Any potential space he might have missed, but Mewtwo was seemingly thorough. There wouldn't be any mistakes this time. His final glance fell on the Black Knight, who slowly made it back to his feet and watched as Addison was tortured. The broken form of what had once been a boy he thought of as a son slowly regained his power and stared at the battle the same way a trainer would with his Pokemon.

But it was only when he thought he could see Ryan speaking to himself that he finally lost it. "How dare you?!"

The Knight returned his glare. "What?"

"How dare you?! You called yourself a Champion?! A hero?! What kind of hero lets someone he loves die?!"

The Knight brushed this off. "She is nothing."

"SHE WAS EVERYTHING TO YOU!" Michael roared. "YOU WERE WILLING TO DIE FOR HER! YOU GOT BRANDED FOR HER! YOU WERE GOING TO MARRY HER! AND NOW, YOU'RE JUST GOING TO SIT BACK AND WATCH HER DIE?!"

"I have a master I serve."

"HOW SPINELESS ARE YOU?!"

"I will hear no more of this, Lord Kingston!"

"You shame the boy you once were" Michael pressed on. "Ryan Kingston truly is dead! And you're the monster that killed him!" He pounded his fists against the barrier, his frustration boiling over. "You'd better hope against hope that Mewtwo doesn't open up the barrier before he kills me! Because I am going to make you pay for the lives you've destroyed!"

The Knight turned his back on Michael. "We have nothing to say to each other, then."

"Only this. You failed me, Ryan. And that stain will be there forever!"

This seemed to draw his attention, but he instead refocused his attention on what was in front of him. Mewtwo showering Addison in electrical currents and violently jerking her body around with his Psychic power. Every scream his friend's daughter made pierced him inside. And everyone surrounding Michael felt his grief. For all of their hard work, all of their training, it didn't matter in the end. Addison was about to die right before their eyes. When she did, the universe would be destroyed. Whether by Arceus or by Mewtwo, they would face nothing in the end but death.

"You can't possibly mean that this is the only way for things to happen" Julia pleaded. "Rosemary should have warned us!"

"What if she did?" Piper inquired. "What were the last two truths in that prophecy of hers?"

"Well, eighth was Ryan and Uncle Robert's deaths" Chris thought aloud. "Ninth was..."

"About the Arcane Crown being restored" Lizzie pointed out. "Ten?"

Michael lowered his head. "Two lovers being reunited. Whether she meant Courtney's twisted vision or not, I would imagine it came to pass."

"What are all of you talking about?" Professor Wong inquired.

"Yeah, we could use details" Giselle pointed out.

Julia took the initiative. "There are three prophecies that Countess Rosemary once safeguarded. One of the Arcane Crown, one of the White Mage and one of the Twelve Truths. The twelve truths have signaled events that have indeed come to pass. The birth of Mewtwo, the rise of the Crimson Fury, Claude's death, and so on. But the eleventh prophecy, if I recall correctly, is impossible."

"How is it impossible, Your Majesty?" Dawn worried.

"The dead will walk in reverse?" she quoted. "How is that not an impossibility. How can death be reversed?"

Michael was about to affirm this, but noticed Lucas's face grow pale at the mentioning of this prophecy. "Lucas? Do you know something about this?"

He gulped. "What? No. Never. How could anyone-"

Dawn stepped in front of Lucas. "You're jittery. That means you're lying."

"I don't know what you're talking about" Lucas insisted. "It's not scientifically possible for-"

Dawn exploded in anger. "LUCAS! IF YOU DON'T TELL ME WHAT'S GOING ON RIGHT NOW, WE'RE DONE! DO YOU GET ME?! I WILL BREAK UP WITH YOU AND YOU WILL NEVER HEAR FROM ME EVER AGAIN!"

Lucas began to hyperventilate. "I can't."

"WHY?! BECAUSE YOU DON'T TRUST ME?!"

"No!"

"Is this you trying to be cool?!"

"NO!"

"Do you think this is going to somehow make you more cool?! DO YOU THINK I CARE ABOUT-"

Lucas grabbed Dawn's shoulders with surprising strength. "I CAN'T LOSE YOU AGAIN!" This caused Dawn to calm down almost immediately, but Lucas slumped down onto the ground in front of her. "Please. Don't ask me to go through that again. I can't lose you."

"What are you talking about?!" she asked, more gently than before. "You never lost me."

"Yes. Yes I did." Lucas looked at everyone around them, despair all over his face. "We lost."

"I know we're losing, but-"

"No. You don't understand. We lost." Lucas took a deep breath to collect himself. "That battle on the Crag Hills. It wasn't the first time you battled there. And it wasn't the actual outcome."

Michael raised an eyebrow at this. "What? How is that possible?"

"The battle supposedly went the same at first, but things were different." Lucas clutched at his arm. "Addison fought the Black Knight in battle. She even beat him, but...but when he took his mask off, she found out it was Ryan. She lost the will to fight him and Mewtwo demanded they fight to the death. When she refused, he began to-to make-to turn you all into stone. Just like Addison's father and Daniel."

"You'd think we'd remember something like that, right?" Holly questioned. "You sure this wasn't a bad dream or something?"

"You all got turned to stone" he continued. "Addison told us that the King was turned to stone and his statue shattered upon crashing into the earth." He made eye contact with the Queen. "When you heard this, you looked like you had a heart attack."

Julia was deeply confused. "What? I don't remember-"

"Matt tried to save Addy, but Mewtwo snapped his neck" Lucas recalled nervously. "Addison was the only one left standing and she called us to let us know we'd lost. When I found out-when I heard Dawn was fossilized too, I lost it. We all feared that this was the end." Lucas rubbed his arm in shame. "But it wasn't. Thanks to Eusine and everyone in the Cellar with us-"

"The Time Flute?!" Michael gasped.

"The what?!" Dawn asked.

Lucas eyed the King desperately. "There was nothing else we could do. You all were gone and the battle was lost. We had to give it a try, so with Addy's help and Eusine's playing, we reversed time to the point just as Addison confronted the Knight. That was where she kissed the knight and revealed him to be Ryan. Your Majesty, how could Addison have known the truth about the Knight without seeing it for herself beforehand?"

"You broke one of the laws of nature?!" Chris replied in shock. "Kid, that's ballsy. And not in the good way."

"Matthew and the King were dead" Lucas defended himself. "By playing the flute, we were able to win the battle and-"

Michael tried to intervene as Chris grabbed Lucas by the collar of his shirt. "CHRIS?!"

"WHY DIDN'T YOU USE IT TO SAVE MY SISTER?!" Chris snarled.

"Ugh-if you play the flute too much, Lord Christopher...it urgh...it could have disastrous consequences." Lucas finally managed to wrench himself free. "That flower we experimented spontaneously combusted when we used the Time Flute on it too much in experimentation. Who knows what might have happened if we kept using it to get an outcome we all wanted."

"Be that as it may" Michael went on, "what's done is done. We don't know what consequences are out there for the battle, but we do know that this was something that had to happen." To alleviate the concern, Michael tussled Lucas's head and pet the Pachirisu clinging onto his backpack. "Lucas single-handedly got the eleventh prophecy going. Death did walk in reverse, if that is to be believed. Because Matt and I are still here."

"But what about the Twelfth?" Jeremy worried.

Julia gulped. "The end of the Age of Heroes. That's all we know for sure."

"You mean-" Annette shrieked.

"All of this may still have been for nothing" Michael replied ominously. He glanced back at where Ryan stood. "Mewtwo beat us. He really beat us."

"What do we do now?" Piper asked nervously.

"I'm not going down without a fight" the King declared. "Neither should any of us. If Mewtwo wants a fight, we'll give him one he'll never forget!" His face darkened as he realized Ryan was a lost cause. This was going to be the end. And Ryan was just going to have been a tool in Mewtwo's quest. Nothing more. Nothing less.

Goodbye, Ryan. You were such a good kid...

{}

The Black Knight stood, his arms folded and ignoring the words spewing from Lord Kingston, watching his Master utterly destroy the last chance their enemies had for victory. It would not be long now before the Master and he would sweep their enemies aside and total victory would become theirs. He could feel nothing but delight in the fact that his master was so close to achieving his goal despite all of the colossal miscalculations. Courtney's failures, the destruction of X and Y, all of it would soon be negated. And the last people standing between their destiny of creating a new humanity free world would be achieved.

At least, that's what his brain was telling him. His brain was good at soothing his mind and gently reminding him that their task was soon to be complete. It was almost like a medication for him to take, one that made sure no thoughts of rebellion or mistrust of the Master succeeded in penetrating themselves to the outer layers. Such a useful organ for his survival.

His heart was telling him a different story. But he stopped paying attention to what it had to say a long time ago. Back before he could even remember. He recalled the moment in vague detail. That he had found out the truth about someone who had betrayed him and he was soon determined to avenge his crushed heart. What good was a heart that was wrong so many times?

The Master's victory shall be my victory, The Knight told himself. Our vision shall take the world by storm!

He would occasionally hear things. Thoughts that may not have been his own, or perhaps they were from his treacherous heart. Telling him how the Master had abandoned his followers before. How he would not hesitate to destroy a second in command who had failed him before. Warning him that the Master would never see him as anything more than a slave to his will. Whispering to him that this was not the path he was supposed to walk. He would have carved his heart out by now, if he did not need it to survive. He simply ignored what his heart or whatever intrusive thoughts came to him and tried to relish in his master's victory.

And yet...was he succeeding? If he was, why would his heart answer questions directed at him? Why would it repeat the phrase "It's too late for me" to the White Mage as many times as it had?

What was wrong with him? Why could he not enjoy the destruction coming the way of his enemies?

THAT GIRL! It had to be her fault. The one who had constantly tried to goad him into changing sides. The one who had practically begged him to see the light, whatever that meant. The one who had tried to bond her soul with his own. This was all her machinations. Weakening his resolve. Making him doubt himself. Making him second guess what the Master had planned. She was responsible for his doubt. He needed to get rid of her.

But she was going to be tricky to dislodge. She had latched onto something inside of him. She was clinging to something. Perhaps one last shred of the past life he was desperate to purge from him. Why had he let this part of him stay? What had it brought him if not pain?

His eyes, one of the few things not completely blocked off by his mask, gazed with great pride towards his Master. The most powerful being in the entire world. The one whose vision many had clung to. Even degenerates like Courtney, who clung to him for their own personal desires. Though that number was few. Who else had done so? Hunter? Kage? Claude? Victor...Nadine...Elezar...Cassius...Archer...

No! Those fools were weak. The Master and I are strong. It is only natural for the weak to cling to those of strength! And besides, those fools had all been disposed of. Written out of the legacy of the Master like the parasites they were.

His Master would achieve victory in the end. Who was going to stop him? This foolish White Mage? The girl no older than him screaming and writhing in intense pain? The shrieks of which both piqued and provoked feelings inside of the Knight. He was delighted to see her suffer. To remind her of the pain she had caused him by choosing an inferior person to give her heart to. She had betrayed him and deserved this treatment. And yet...he felt her pain. Could he possibly empathize with an enemy? Could he truly be this weak emotionally? Part of him, a very small sliver of his being, wanted to do nothing more than comfort this girl. To tell her she would be fine. But this part was a weakness. A disease he needed to be rid of. And the only way for this part of him to die, he suspected, was for this girl to meet her end. He wanted this part of him to watch this treacherous viper die. But the more he looked...the stronger this soft voice's yells became.

His glance returned to the Master. Surely the Master knew this was needed. That this enemy was too dangerous to be left alive. That there was no going back from this battle when she refused to join them. She needed to be removed from the situation and stop being a nuisance to their plans. He surely knew better than a lowly servant like him to even consider being slightly merciful to an enemy. The Master was always right, after all. Who had said that to him? Courtney? But she was wrong...she was wrong about everything. She had even admitted to wanting to hate the Master. Why? Was it because of something that happened in battle? If she was wrong, what else could she have miscalculated? Was she right in defying the Master? Surely not. It's not like she was even on the enemy's side.

He looked down at the writhing form of the White Mage. No...not the White Mage. She didn't even look like a Mage anymore. Not even a young woman. She looked like a little girl. One who was crying. Not about being tortured. But about having fallen off the monkey bars. Her knee looked scraped. It might even be bleeding. The only thing he wanted to do was rip off a piece of his shirt and...WHAT?! What is he doing? She's the enemy! How could he ever look at her in any other way? Who cares what kind of past they might have had?

The Master continued to pour his malice and hatred into his attacks, caring nothing for the pained and dying young maiden in front of him. The Knight focused intently on the Master. Perhaps he could be a little more merciful? Less cruel? Did this person really deserve such torment? To be treated like the lowest form of life for standing up to him? But...hadn't others done that? Courtney? He had ruthlessly allowed Kage, Hunter and Claude to die when he thought they had failed him. Was this the default action the Master took with his own allies? Could he truthfully expect any different outcome for himself? He was...ugh...human after all.

He felt something strange. His fists were being clenched. Why? What was causing this? Was he...angry at the Master? For what? Was he beginning to doubt that the Master was truthful in his goals? What if he meant to destroy all life? Himself and all Pokemon?

STOP IT! The Knight's face contorted in anger behind his mask. You cannot poison me against my Master! Get out of my head!

For the first time in his moments of indecision, he clearly heard someone answer him back. It wasn't a girl's voice though. It was someone else's. As if from a different life time.

I will not stop! I cannot stop! Not until we-we realize what's at stake!

"Enough" the Knight hissed. "I will not tolerate your treachery!"

You once sought my thoughts for guidance. The same way I once clung to you for protection. We still need that relationship, my friend! Now more than ever.

"You're trying my patience!"

You once had patience. You once had kindness. A good heart. Even when we lusted for battle, we were never cruel. The voice was silent for a moment, with the Knight believing he had resolved to give up. But then, naturally, he had to interject once again as if he felt obligated to. Do you remember why you felt like this? Or has Mewtwo made you forget?

"Do not call the Master that! That's his slave name!"

Your precious Master made you feel like that. The same Master that you serve is the reason your life and world almost fell apart. He compelled your friends to abandon you and now has forced them to bond with you in unnatural ways. Do you not hear their cries?

As if on cue, The Knight began to hear cries from other beings that now shared a bond with him. Or...maybe they always had. Various barks, calls and roars that seemed so familiar to him. But he knew this other voice was just here to confuse him. He tried to ignore them, but to no avail. They just kept crying for him. As if they somehow needed him.

These are the voices of Pokemon that you lost. Pokemon that Mewtwo tricked into hating you. Pokemon that you were so happy to reunite with here. Pokemon that realized you were never the monster he said you were and lost their wills to life when you fell. I was the only one that remained. And I only fed your worst impulses, because I felt lost and abandoned as you did. I was not a good friend for you, but I will be now. This is not the path you wish to walk, my friend. You must break through the lies he's told you.

The Knight scoffed at this, his attention returning to his Master. But new images assailed his mind. Images of him using two people as puppets right before his eyes. Images of him turning people he knew and might have once cared about to stone. Images of him relishing in someone else's torment. These thoughts made him angry. How could the Master torment people for pleasure? No one deserved this...

"Ergh! Get out of my head!" he snarled, pounding at his helmet as if trying to force this new voice out.

His sight returned now to the maiden being tormented right before him. But now, she was not a Mage, nor a little girl. She wore the same costume of a Gardevoir she had on now. But her eyes...there was something different about her eyes. Every few seconds, they seemed to change. Sometimes, they were a deep shade of amethyst. At other times, they were the color of blood. She was shrieking in intense pain, her left arm shining with something cursed on her arm. Even as she recoiled because of what the Master put her through, she still seemed to be whispering out to him with her last breaths.

Something to the effect of...

I was afraid you'd never get to me...

The voices and cries inside of his head became more prominent, as if the more he was exposed to this girl, the more powerful their voices echoed inside of him. He felt his brain and his heart drifting further and further apart. His mind was set on serving the Master. But his heart? It wanted to...defy him? Betray his only reason for existing? Why? Why turn on the only being in the world who had spared him the pain of living as a shadow?!

You came for me...

He saw images that seemed like parts of a past life flashing in his head...his heart assailing him one last time with painful memories of a life he'd lost...of an older cousin taking his younger one on a ride around his Dragonite, of an aspiring Pokemon Professor doting on a boy like a second mother, of five individuals and their Pokemon fighting their hardest to defend Arcana, of three children vowing to keep their friendship strong forever, of a boy standing alone against a living shadow...

Ryan? Is that you...

"Ryan is gone" the Knight repeated as the images became more vivid. "Ryan is gone! Ryan is gone!"

Who told you this? Was it your Master? The whole reason you were even taken from them in the first place?!

The Knight felt his head was about to burst. He squeezed his eyes shut and moaned in pain. "This is-"

Open your eyes, my friend! Open them!

"I can't!"

Mewtwo is not the only reason you exist! There is one other!

The Knight dared to open his eyes, but the world seemed...different now. He did not see a Master triumphing over a mortal enemy. He did not see a world of possibilities opening before his eyes. He no longer even looked at the tall and imposing Pokemon with any sort of adoration. All he saw was a thug. A bully. A tyrant. Someone who was so desperately blinded by his own beliefs that he was willing to destroy an entire world to prove his point. He mercilessly rained his hatred down onto this poor person who had chosen to stand against him. This poor soul...

She was now something different to the Knight altogether. She was pale, near the point of death and screaming her lungs off. But she was still alive, somehow. As if her will was keeping her there. She seemed in so much pain. And yet, still she was beautiful. She must have a warm smile. An engaging laugh and a deeply passionate personality. But what got him the most were her eyes. The kinds of gemstone-colored eyes that pierced a boy's heart. The kind that made him want to smother her with all his love and affection. The same eyes he had known practically his entire life. The same eyes...that were beginning to lose their sheen as the life was drained from her.

The Knight's head rose as Mewtwo made his proclamation of complete victory. So much for the White Mage! He raised his hands and seemed to be preparing one final Shadow Ball to end the life of this broken girl beneath him.

And it was at that moment that it all clicked for him. Mewtwo wasn't the one who had saved him. Who had spared him the indignity of his life clinging to mortality. Mewtwo had put him there. And he was about to destroy the very reasons he had worth living to begin with. The friends and loved ones he had made throughout his life. They were all there. A blonde haired girl almost as beautiful as the lavender eyed one, a boy who had once been a rival and then a fierce friend, a man who's very aura was reminiscent of a powerful King, so many others. Even one who looked very similar to him. One who had been both a great enemy and his best friend.

But most important of all, the girl only a few feet from his own. The girl clinging to life with every fiber of her being. The maiden who had seemingly always held his heart. The girl he realized he could not bear to see suffer the same fate he did.

And so, he did the one thing his former Master never wanted him to do: he decided.

He made his own mind up. It would never be made for him again!

He was no longer The Black Knight. The scourge of the Master's bidding. The powerful and feared right hand to a dictator.

He decided to be greater.

He decided to be Ryan Kingston.

He was Ryan Kingston.

His mask fell from the helmet almost instantaneously. He threw the helmet off in one motion. He clenched his fist and concentrated on where exactly he needed to be. He closed his eyes and opened them. He appeared directly in front of his former Master. Before Mewtwo could even react, he took the tonfas embedded with the powers of his Pokemon and struck with all his strength. The flaming power of Simba struck hard, scarring Mewtwo over his eyes. As the mighty Pokemon fell backwards, howling in pain, he decided to make his next move clear. He summoned any strength left inside of him and thrust his fist forward. Mewtwo was sent flying. He struck a seemingly impenetrable barrier, which shattered upon contact. A mystical light engulfed the arena as shards of the barrier descended from the heavens like snow.

He knelt down beside Addison. She was alive. But barely. Mewtwo had drained her of all her remaining energy. And she would need more to stand a chance against him. He stood his ground in front of her.

She stirred, her body smoldering from the electricity surging around her. Her voice was almost indiscernible. "Huh? Ryan?"

"Just know that if you are ever in any danger, even when the darkness comes in and creeps up on you, come hell or high water, I will fight to keep you safe!"

Addison coughed and winced. "Ryan. It's you!"

Their moment would have to wait. Because now, Ryan Kingston had his own titanic problem to deal with. Mewtwo had recovered. And he was absolutely livid.

You wretched, arrogant little traitor! How dare you defy me?! I should have-

"You should have finished me when you had the chance!" Ryan declared. He rushed forward, but was this time snared by Mewtwo's Psychic powers.

You pitiful, insignificant fool! Did you forget you are bound to the Singularity now?! I OWN YOU!

Ryan responded by using all of his strength to open up his arm for an assault. "I'd rather die!"

SO BE IT!

Ryan braced himself for the worst. But it never came. Mewtwo was struck in the head by the combined force of two immensely pressurized water cannons. As Mewtwo was flung backwards again, Ryan fell to the ground. He did not need to know who had made the move. Ten figures rushed forward as if in an advance guard for what would be the final clash between Addison and Mewtwo. Michael and his Blastoise, Chris and his Blazekin, was that Giselle and her Liepard? Jeremy? He's back? And his Stoutland? Could that possibly be Annette and her Tyranitar? The five moved with such force that he knew that Mewtwo would have his hands full long enough for him to check in on Addison.

He struggled his way over to her side. Addison had hardly any strength left in her. She was breathing, but only just. She eyed him with tear-soaked eyes and she smiled weakly. "You came back?"

"Sorry it took so long" Ryan replied. "So, how are we gonna stop him?"

Addison shook her head slowly. "I can't."

"What do you mean?"

Addison looked herself over. "I can't even move my limbs. I think...I think he broke me." She lied back on the ground. "But it's okay, Ryan. I know you're back. You're safe. That means...I can die in peace."

Ryan took her hand in his. "No way! You aren't dying on my watch, Addy!"

She winced once more and smiled at him. "Ryan...I love you..."

"And you're going to be able to say it for the rest of your life!" Ryan declared. He reached deep inside of his mind. To the only person he knew might be capable of helping Addison here. "What can we do to help her, Avery?"

I don't know...maybe...it's possible...to transfer your energy to her? I don't know how.

"I'll find it!" He took Addison into his arms, just as he felt the last flicker of light leave her eyes and her life pass. He cradled the girl he would love for all eternity and he kissed her. The color in Addison's skin began to return. Her eyes began to flicker as if she had just been recharged like a battery. Ryan looked to his own body and saw it beginning to fade. Undaunted, he kept kissing her. Breathing all of the life he could into his one true love. It was only when he no longer felt her lips upon his that he realized it was done. Mewtwo's forced gift of life had been passed along to Addison. He smiled as he began to disappear from view. "She'll be safe. That's all that matters."

Maybe we'll get to see her again...but it's got to be up to her, now. We did our part. The rest is up to her...

Ryan looked down at Addison as she began to stir before he closed his eyes and accepted moving on to the next part of his soul's journey.

{}

"Addy? Addy?!"

Addison's eyes fluttered open. She found Piper, Julia and Professor Wong standing over her. Despite her joy at seeing them, she was now more confused than she ever had been before. She was breathing? She was able to move her limbs? What was going on? Were they all dead? It was only when Piper began to shake her, that Addison realized she was very much still alive.

"Huh? What? Who?"

"What the heck just happened?" Piper asked earnestly.

"What do you mean?" Addison replied, her head swelling from the pain she had endured.

"One minute, you were a mess with Ryan sitting over you" Julia pointed out, "the next he's gone and you're here."

Addison gasped. "Ryan? Where is he?"

"Gone" Wong answered directly.

Julia pulled Addison up to sitting on her rear end. "Addison, do you think you can handle Mewtwo right now? If you can't, just let us now. We'll-"

Addison massaged her throbbing head. "I don't know. Galatea, are you still with me?"

I am. But our Bond Phenomenon is feeling like it may slip at any moment. We need to reconnect. And meditate. If we don't, Mewtwo will surely destroy us.

Addison looked to her friends, desperately trying to show confidence. "How much time can you give us?"

Piper gestured behind the young maiden. "I think they can handle it."

Addison spun around and saw the sheer chaos unfolding behind her. Mewtwo was being assaulted on all sides by Pokemon and trainer alike. Lucas's Pachirisu moved like lightning, showering Mewtwo in electrical sparks. Dawn's Staraptor slammed hard into Mewtwo with Brave Birds. Holly's Roserade created a Grassy Terrain all around the others, supplying them with health replenishing nutrients. Annette's Tyranitar would grapple with Mewtwo, slamming it into the ground with the sheer force of it's weight. Chris's Blazekin would analyze a weakness and sneak in the occasional Blaze Kick. Whenever Mewtwo would launch the enemies aside, Michael's Blastoise would unleash rapid powered Hydro Pumps, dousing the inner flames of hatred inside of the genetically enhanced Pokemon. Jeremy's Stoutland was chomping on Mewtwo's tail defiantly. All of her friends were fighting with their hearts for her. And she needed to return the favor.

She glanced the other way and saw Mark and Lizzie both holding Matthew's limp body. Both were itching to get into the fight themselves, but were protecting Matt as well as the statue of Jocelyn with all their might. Everyone was doing their part.

"Now, it's time for me to do mine" Addison thought aloud. "Everyone, give me a moment to meditate!" Addison took a deep breath and began to clear her mind as Countess Rosemary had lectured countless times for her to do. Everything became secondhand to her. Only she and Galatea mattered. Their Bond needed to be strengthened. Any links between them reforged. Lest the end in a disastrous defeat.

The two sat in silence, deep within the confines of Addison's mind. Despite a few fleeting thoughts about the survival of her friends and the current situation of Ryan, she remained bound and determined to reforge the bond with Galatea as needed. Nothing else mattered to her.

The Twelfth Truth is upon us, Addison, Galatea mentioned.

"Aren't we trying to focus here?" she asked, half-jokingly.

The Twelfth Truth signifies the end of the Age of Heroes. One of Countess Rosemary's greatest points of interest. One way or another, this is going to end the Age we're currently in. Come victory or defeat.

Addison froze up at this. "You mean...this is the end?"

Galatea took her hands and gave her the best smile a Gardevoir could. No matter how this ends, my friend, it has been an honor to know you. You, and our mates, are the greatest beings I have ever come to know. And I will never regret that, no matter the cost.

Addison nodded, beaming. "Our mates."

Galatea giggled. This is the first time you haven't denied your mate his role.

"Eventually, I got used to thinking of him like that. Are you ready?"

Yes. Let's go.

Addison opened her eyes, as Mewtwo finally began to blast the assailing Pokemon Trainers aside. Mewtwo's power was now drained, but he did not seem to notice this or care. His eyes blazed with hatred and the sheer force of power he was emanating was colossal. Despite the intensive training and sheer force of their Pokemon, the remnants of their expedition from Arcana seemed to realize that it was coming down to this. Addison rose to her feet and walked past the others, her eyes never leaving where Mewtwo floated nearby.

The pestilence of mankind must meet it's end! I WILL NOT TOLERATE YOUR EXISTENCE ANY LONGER! DO YOU HEAR ME?!

Addison stretched her arms. "No, Mewtwo. This is not where mankind ends. This is where you end." She gathered all of her inner energy and took a deep breath. She just hoped that she wasn't bluffing this time.

She drew her hands together and attempted to call forth the single most powerful Moonblast either she or Galatea had ever conjured. Even more powerful than the one she had drawn in during her first encounter with the Knight and his Master. But this time, more than the power of the moon was needed. And she knew it. It would require all of the sheer force of her emotions and memories of her friends and loved ones, but especially memories of Ryan. If Ryan had been there with her and now wasn't, she could only assume he had given his energy to her and passed on. She swore she would never let him down. She felt endowed with more power than she had ever held in her hands.

But she felt an even greater surge coming from Mewtwo. He was channeling all of his own force into this next blow. A Shadow Ball the likes of which would annihilate everything and everyone in this area. It was almost the same size as the Draco Meteor he had used to try and destroy her. But it's shadow seemed to be cast far longer than even that had.

She bent over and picked up the scepter by her side and channeled all of that power into the Countess's prized possession. This would be the moment she needed the Countess to be rooting for her more than any other. "Countess. I'm gonna need some help here." She pointed her scepter at the immense shadowy force above her. A small rose-colored ball of energy appeared in front of her. After a few seconds, it doubled in size. Then again. Then a third time. Finally, the Moonblast energy she had conjured was the same size.

Mewtwo glared down at her and snarled. TIME TO DIE!

"MOONBLAST!"

The Shadow Ball and Moonblast rushed at each other, colliding with such force that Addison could have imagined it was like what happened when the Big Bang created the known world. It took all of her remaining strength to keep her feet planted. The others and their Pokemon were being pushed backwards by the intense g-force of the colliding attacks. So much power being thrown around. Addison could feel her limbs buckling. Even maintaining the power of this Moonblast was exhausting. The entire Realm of Dreams seemed to be exploding all around her and she was beginning to feel the strain.

"I don't think...I don't think I can do this..."

"I didn't spend all that time mentoring a quitter, did I?" a voice called. Addison looked anxiously around until she spotted a spectral figure that bore a striking resemblance to the Countess. "This is your moment, Addison. Show this monster just what you're capable of."

"But I'm-"

Rosemary shook her head. "You are braver than you believe." The form of Rosemary shifted until it had taken on a completely different form. Addison found herself staring at a different spirit. This time a young woman, whom Addison had heard had died an honorable death to protect a certain Sinnoh Region Champion.

"Cameron?" she gasped.

"You're stronger than you seem" she responded bluntly.

"I don't feel like I am."

"Kingstons don't marry quitters" Cameron replied. "Don't think for a minute I'll let you be with Ryan if I think you're a quitter, Addy!"

"But Cameron-"

The spectral form shifted another time. This third form was certainly one she recalled immediately. She hadn't seen him smile like this since he had asked her to hold onto her promise ring, many weeks ago. He walked over to her and stood right behind her. His hands touched hers. And though they felt like a cold breeze, Addison could not help but feel stronger just in his presence.

"You're smarter than you think" Ryan promised her. "And you can do this! Just a little bit more!"

"How do you know?" she pleaded. "How can I ever-"

"Do you trust me?"

At those words, Addison smiled. "I do. More than anything."

"Then we've got this, Addy. Concentrate on all of us. All of our memories. Our friendships. The best memories. Bringing the wedding rings to Michael and Julia, your training with Michael, getting Matt back into our lives, all of it. We're going to need them. Remember them. Hold them deep into your heart and unleash your inner strength." He coached her gently. "I will always be with you, Addy. I swear to you."

Addison felt a tear fall out of her eye, but shook it off and turned her gaze directly at the explosive force between her and Mewtwo. "MOONBLAST!"

Like a tidal wave of sheer force, Addison's Moonblast exploded with such power that it flung Addison off her feet. She and Ryan landed where the others had been just a few moments earlier cheering her on. The Moonblast kept going. With the intense bangs and explosions of their combined attacks, Addison thought she had been deafened, or was suffering from some kind of PTSD. But instead, there were only two distinct sounds she heard. One felt like a rocket rushing into the atmosphere, exploding. The other, was an ear splitting scream coming from Mewtwo.

NO! NO! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Addison looked up in horror. Both the Shadow Ball and the Moonblast had been thrust backward. And both made pure contact with Mewtwo before exploding with so much force that once more, Addison thought she was going to be pushed back out of the arena altogether. But she dug her feet into the cloudy surface and watched as a tremendous explosion shook the entire battlefield. The clouds surrounding them had been blown away. Addison noticed the cracked and ruined remains of the Temple of Dreams forming beneath her.

The skies remained dark and stormy, but Addison saw no sign of Mewtwo. She exhaled and laughed. "We...we did it. Ryan we-" She paused. Ryan was gone, if he had even been there at all.

Addison felt herself being pulled to her feet. She glanced behind her and saw Michael helping her back up. Exhausted, Addison fell backwards and let her idol cradle her. Her eyes darted to her sides. Her friends were all surrounding her, giving her looks of pride and love. Her final glance before resigning into the King's arms was Galatea on the ground beside her, smiling and giving her a thumbs up.

"Addy" Michael remarked proudly. "I am so proud of you, sweetie."

"You did it" Dawn cheered. "You really did it!"

"I'll admit, I had my doubts" Giselle spoke softly, "but there is some spunk inside that girl after all."

"Does this mean it's over?" Addison whispered.

"You know it" Annette smiled.

"Only one way to find out" Chris remarked. He gestured towards the skies. Something was falling out of the skies. Falling fast. He made to protect the group with his own body, but from out of thin air, both Darkrai and Cresselia appeared, shielding the group from the blast. The group huddled together and felt the rush of winds and flames singe everything around them. When the veil disappeared, the group dispersed.

Addison, realizing she and Galatea had come apart from their Bond, knew she would basically need to be carried the rest of the way. She felt like she was about to pass out from sheer exhaustion, only for a shriek from Lizzie to shake her out of her stupor.

"OH COME ON! HOW IS HE NOT DEAD?!"

Addison raised her head in alarm. "He's not dead?!" All she saw was the burning sapphire eyes glowing past the intense smokescreen created from the explosion. She went to grab her scepter in some dazed and warped design to defend the others, but Julia kept her down in Michael's arms. "But Julia-"

"Look!" Michael gasped.

Addison watched as the smoke and dust dispersed. She gasped in shock. Mewtwo was standing, his eyes were pierced and full of hatred and he seemed ready to resume their bout. But there was something different about him. A hole, arguably the size of Tommy Queensbury, had been ripped through his torso. The same purple goop that had made up Mewtwo's clone army now fell from the Pokemon himself. And Mewtwo's hate was now mixed with a new emotion. Horror.

The same horror that showed that this was in fact, the end.