The winds were whipping Mirage Island's shores greater than they had ever done so before this day. Only now could Courtney know that the day her Master had foreseen would come had indeed arrived. The storms of darkness are growing. This can only mean that Hunter is returning to the Island. The sooner he does, the sooner The Grand Master will be placated.
Courtney had lost much of what she held dear to her for the past few months. The Grand Master, for her incompetence during his plan to trap his enemies within the Realm of Dreams, had revoked her opportunities to replenish the lost memories she was still seeing from the past life she had lived in the Johto Region as a maiden named Celina. For allowing the Kingstons to escape, she had lost her position as his right hand man. And for allowing a piece of Mewtwo's mind to be seen by Michael Kingston, when she hastily demanded he be brought into her Master's Singularity as she and Hunter had been, her very life was sitting on the edge of a knife.
Much of Courtney's beauty and mental prowess was slipping. Unable to even enjoy the slightest comforts due to the Grand Master's desire to punish her for her transgressions, she had let herself slip closer to madness than she had ever been before when Maxie abandoned her. Her hair was growing longer again, with her even spying a white hair among her ordinarily lavender-colored hair. She found herself shaking with her nerves regularly. The wrath of her furious Master would not be long contained. Fortunately, so long as she was not the direct lightning rod for his rage, she would make it through these moments of intense worry and strife. And Hunter's return would make for at least some interesting drama to bring before her Master.
Because of her falling out with The Grand Master, Courtney knew little about what Hunter had been dispatched from the Island to find. It had to have been important, as Hunter vanished from the island right around the time their Master had been freed from the Master Ball by Claude Jacques. Since then, with the exception of her own bungling combined with the betrayal of one Avery Frost, the Syndicate's plans could not have gone better. Her Master had succeeded in separating the world's trainers from their Pokémon by influencing their minds thanks to the energy he collected from the minds of his captives that were now ensconced in the Dark Void. Those that had escaped from Mirage Island, Ryan Kingston, Michael Kingston, Matthew Kingston, Cameron Kingston, Piper Pines and Addison Tenton, did not seem too keen on returning to the island at this point, though. They were terrified of facing her Master unprepared. And while they were distracted with their little Civil War with that old fool Claude Jacques, their side was free to become stronger. Her Grand Master was reaching levels of power Courtney had once thought impossible for any lone Pokemon to reach. It would be only a matter of time before they would sweep their enemies aside in one fell swoop. And it would begin with Hunter's return.
Courtney stood at the front of a welcoming party of a few dozen Syndicate Peons whom neither Mewtwo nor Kage had any use for. While they stood at attention and listened to her every command, Courtney knew they were mocking her behind her back. They did not take her nor her ambitions seriously anymore. She was certain some were wondering why waste their time following her when they could be serving under someone with an actual future. All Courtney had was one lone follower, a scrawny and cowardly whelp whom was a relative of someone whom had been affiliated with Elezar Aced's Syndicate. He had escaped into hiding after The Battle of Mt. Heatmor and resurfaced to join their ranks when she and Hunter refined the Syndicate for these newer plans. Courtney could tell the boy was smitten with her, but she had no use for easily manipulated fools. Not when she needed the other half of her soul to be reunited with her. But, he had his uses, especially as the last loyal minion she personally had.
Caleb, a petrified boy of what had to be twenty years of age or less, fidgeted nervously by her side as he reread the reports Hunter had sent out. "I thought he would have been here by now."
"Hunter always has a penchant for showing up when he chooses to" Courtney spat out. "But, so long as he's the only one of us in The Grand Master's favor, I suppose it cannot be prudent of us to criticize him."
"Do you think he succeeded in his endeavors?"
"Knowing Hunter like I do, I should expect nothing less." Courtney folded her arms in contempt. "But with all that's gone wrong since he departed, I would wonder why he's taken so long to return." She looked out onto the horizon and saw Hunter's speedboat finally making it's way towards their shores. She gestured for the men to stand at attention, which they did unfailingly. This fueled Courtney's growing contempt for Hunter, but she kept her emotions in check when the boat finally skidded to a stop and pulled itself onto the sandy dunes. Hunter emerged from the inner quarters of the ship, dragging someone behind him. Hunter hadn't changed much since she last saw him, save for having shaved the rest of his hair off, now boasting a cue ball style to go along with his ordinary punk clothing. Strapped to his back was numerous rifles he could use to freely poach any Pokémon he wanted.
The wild-eyed poacher snapped his fingers and two of Courtney's welcome party dashed their way over to see him. He tossed the other person to them. Whoever this person was, Courtney could tell she was petrified. She had a sack over her head and was tightly bound with rope, but she was shaking horrifically as more men man-handled her. Courtney herself looked up towards the boat as Hunter leaped from it and dusted himself off.
"Well, that was certainly eventful" he declared. "But, I did my duty."
"You're late" Courtney declared. "The Grand Master expected you a few days ago."
Hunter shrugged. "Orchestrating this has taken some time. Especially when I get sent to check on Claude's little suicide mission in Arcana."
Courtney paused. "You were in Arcana?"
"See, unlike you, I follow The Grand Master's words to the letter" Hunter snickered. "He told me to keep and eye on Claude and seek out what kind of prospects he has at beating the Kingstons." He stretched out his arms and let out a low chuckle. "He won't last much longer." He looked back towards the men who were holding his prisoner hostage. "Let's go. boys. The Grand Master wants to see his new guest." The men nodded and dragged their prisoner off towards the base.
Courtney dispatched Caleb to join the men taking their prisoner inside, while she and Hunter followed at a bit of a distance. Things had completely changed for her so quickly, that she needed to ensure that she and Hunter were still indeed allies. But the more swagger she saw her former partner walking with made her realize that Hunter was preparing to leapfrog her as Mewtwo's trusted lieutenant and leave her behind.
"So, I hear you drove the entire operation here into the ground" the poacher mocked. "Let yourself get whipped by a bunch of stupid kids and the broken remains of a former hero."
"I would have succeeded if Avery Frost hadn't betrayed us!" Courtney hissed.
"Well, if all your plans hinged on that miserable little wretch staying loyal, they must not have been particularly good plans of yours."
"Fortunately the Grand Master let her wither away to nothing. And now, we've got nothing holding us back from completing his objectives."
"Keep telling yourself that, Courtney" Hunter smirked.
"What does that mean?"
Hunter stopped and folded his arms while staring down at her condescendingly. "Let's face it. You're compromised, Courtney. You're letting stupid ideas of fate and destiny decide things for you. That little worm Michael Kingston is floating around you like a bad disease. You're stuck on a guy who will never be with you, especially after how you let him escape from Mirage Island with a piece of The Grand Master in his mind. You should be praying to Arceus that he remains oblivious to it. Because if he doesn't, you might suffer a fate worse than death."
Courtney did her best not to show fear. "I will do as my Master commands me."
"Always the good little soldier" Hunter mocked as the two continued walking after their goons and Hunter's prisoner. "Not even with the slightest trace of rebellion within you. Well, you'll probably be cannon fodder to the Kingstons as soon as The Grand Master is ready for his endgame."
"And you know what his endgame is?"
"I should think it's obvious. Mass genocide. Anyone and everyone who doesn't conform to what he wants. Even your precious Michael probably won't be spared unless you shape up."
Courtney was beginning to have doubts that Michael was even worth saving. The other half of her being, her soulmate over time and space, had thoroughly and utterly rejected her when they last crossed paths. Now, six months later, the toxic disease that was Julia Pines had no doubt made him forget about all that she had told him about their past relationships. Corrupting him to the point that all of her work to make him who he was supposed to be would be negated. But now it was more of her hatred for Julia motivating her than her desire to win Michael. If he didn't accept their fated union, they would have to fight until they've destroyed each other and repeat this in another lifetime. But Julia had interfered with her plans long enough. She needed to be removed from the equation somehow.
The two continued until they made it towards the entrance in the now scorched valley of thorns. While one of the guards clung to Hunter's captive, the remaining thugs scaled their way down the side of the cliffs and walking their way towards the entrance to the base. Hunter and Courtney followed at a distance, with Courtney suspiciously eyeing her old accomplice as if he was intending on supplanting her as The Grand Master's newest second in command. But she knew better than to allow her emotions to drive her. She needed to keep her head down, especially with her very existence clinging to the edge of a knife. Hunter seemed to notice her mistrust of him, but he didn't care enough to comment on it. He knew it would be like kicking a Growlithe while it was down. He was on the ride, she was on the fall. And everyone knew it.
The group kept moving to bring Hunter's captive along through the Harvesting Chamber. Courtney was confused as to why the machine was making no noises, but figured it was because their master was not in need of acquiring as much power through the dreams and mental capabilities of those they had captured. Of the more than 100 Pokémon Trainers they had planned to secure within the Harvesting Machine thanks to the power of Darkrai, however, only ninety-two pods were filled. Sinnoh League Champion Cynthia was left out as she was used by Courtney to infiltrate the ranks of Team Sinnoh and Arcana's alliance, but two of her charges had also managed to escape being placed in the machine. On top of that, of Team Arcana, thanks to the combined efforts of Jocelyn Aced, the treachery of Avery Frost and the sheer dumb luck of the Kingston Family, only four of the intended ten targets had been taken: Jeremy Lockhart, Annette Fiveroux, Giselle Odelia and Christopher Kingston. A part of Courtney's mind played a theory that the reason the machine was not on was a cruel act by The Grand Master to remind her of her failings. She did not waste much time inspecting the Harvesting Machine as she followed the men and Hunter as they continued to progress to what had once been her own chambers.
The Grand Master's arrival on Mirage Island had eliminated her fierce control of events on it. She lost her power and with it her own private office chambers. Now, she was relegated to little more than a holding cell, where she kept all of her work, including a top secret project she and Caleb had been working on. She had feared Mewtwo would sense their thoughts in it's completion, but she was fortunate that he was more driven to find answers to the cryptic warnings Jocelyn Aced had given to them before she had been fossilized by The Grand Master. Something about the Three Arcane Prophecies was troubling her Master dearly, but she had found nothing truly worthwhile when trying to research them. Apparently, the data on the Three Arcane Prophecies had been destroyed when Balthazar Aced's lab was destroyed on the base of Mt. Heatmor and the backup files were being safeguarded by the likes of an organization in Arcana known as The White Guardians. Very little was known about them, as the last person with any true information about them to live was James Kingston, who had been dead for more than fifteen years. So long as they were at a dead end and it kept her Master's focus, she and Caleb were free to continue their work unabated. She just hoped no one caught wind of what they were attempting to do.
The doors to her former chamber opened as soon as they approached it and the group marched in. The Grand Master was now sitting on a throne made of metal where her desk had previously been, his tail moving of it's own will. The most powerful being she had ever known simply sat in deep meditation as they came up to him. To the left of the Throne Room, sat the fossilized form of Jocelyn Aced, the daughter of Elezar and faithful ally to the Kingstons as her grandfather had been. She had paid the price for her treachery to the Syndicate, but now would serve as bait to lure their enemies back to Mirage Island. Perhaps she would get one last chance at claiming Michael as her own, Julia Pines be damned.
His sapphire eyes flashed open and then reverted into their more amethyst-colored eyes when he wasn't attempting to concentrate his powers. He looked at them and let out a low chuckle.
Hunter. You have returned. And I see you did not come alone.
Courtney watched as the ordinarily rebellious and self-centered poacher from her home region of Hoenn strode forward and knelt down in front of The Master as if he was his most loyal and trustworthy ally. She folded her arms in both anger and jealousy. Apparently, only she had failed The Grand Master recently.
"My Master" Hunter said politely, keeping his head down, "I have done as you accomplished. I ask for forgiveness for taking so long. The guest you asked me to bring here was working in Cerulean City and was a bit harder to bring here than I had thought before."
There is no need for you to ask for forgiveness, Hunter. I did not demand she be brought to me immediately. You accomplished this task with aplomb and I am truly impressed with your work. A strange looking box floated over towards Hunter at The Grand Master's command. I am a being of my word, Hunter. I present to you a gift. Unfortunately, due to incompetence on the island, I cannot give to you Victini or Shaymin at this time. The box opened and two Poké Balls floated out of it and floated towards Hunter. But Manaphy and Celebi are yours. As I promised.
Hunter took the Poké Balls in his hand and grinned. "I thank you, Master. And I am still at your service."
The Grand Master waved his hands and the ropes constricting Hunter's captive fell to the ground. A guard removed the sack from over the woman's head. Courtney could tell that the woman was paralyzed by fear. She had long black hair and wide thick glasses on her head. She was wearing a dirty and worn lab coat from her weeks of being Hunter's hostage. She eyed the chamber she had been brought to and shuddered at the sight of Mewtwo.
"Who are you? Whe-where am I?"
It is an honor to have you here on Mirage Island with us, The Master spoke, his voice echoing through the halls of the base like the tempting words of a devil. And it is high time that you and I finally met, Professor Wong.
The woman looked at Mewtwo, shivering as if she had just come out of a blizzard. "You-you know me?"
Why would I not? In fact, Professor, you could call this something of a family reunion of sorts. You see, you and I have the same father.
"Wait, what?" Hunter asked.
"Father?" Wong asked. "I don't understand."
Your father was Professor Tyrus Wong, was he not?
Now, Wong was even more confused. "Well...yes. Yes he was."
Do you recall the top secret project your father was brought onto many years ago? The one where he was said to have undertaken a serious accident and died, shortly before the rest of the team on the project was also destroyed? The Grand Master rose from the throne and projected his aura to her. You are looking at the greatest blend of natural and unnatural sciences, my dear. Your father nursed me from the simple DNA of the Mythical Pokémon known as Mew, into what I am today. If only he were alive to see this day, where you, his greatest personal creation, met with his greatest scientific one.
Wong was flabbergasted. "B-bb-but it's impossible. The whole lab was destroyed. Not even Professor Turbine managed to live."
Fire cannot kill science. It only gives it life in a new form. The Master floated his way over towards Professor Wong, eyeing her with surprisingly soft eyes. Your father was the closest thing to a friend I've ever known. He nurtured me and breathed life into my consciousness. And I could not have accomplished what I have so far, if it were not for him. For that, I have brought you here, Helen. To help me complete his research.
Helen Wong looked from the guards surrounding her, to Courtney and Hunter and then back to The Grand Master. It was no surprise to Courtney that she was petrified as to what designs this Pokémon had for her. "And what would that entail?"
The greatest enemy of progress is regression. Pokémon, as an entire race of being, must transcend the decadence of mankind if they are to truly reach the promised lands of Arceus and beyond. We must break free from the bonds of loyalty and friendship they have us chained to. If we are to achieve the kinds of progress science wants us to reach, we must destroy all sources of regression in the world. The Master looked up the ceiling of the chamber they were in, as if deep in thought. I have enemies who would want us to return to the status quo. To make Pokémon the slaves of mankind once more, when we have evolved past the need for them. If they would have their way, I would be destroyed and the Pokémon that I freed would be captives once more. I know some Pokémon have rejected the call to freedom out of some twisted sense of loyalty. Unfortunately, some are too far gone. They must be purged alongside the humans.
Wong recoiled at the word 'purged'. "Forgive me, but as a member of the human race, I have a few objections to this."
I know some humans can be taught to love and honor Pokémon equally. The youngest members of it's race will be spared and educated on how the world needs to work. Others, whom I have also deemed it acceptable to join our ranks, will live on as well. But the majority of man does not care for Pokémon as we need to be cared for. They force us into battles, contests and treat us like vermin. I would have that changed. You, Professor, would be one I spare. So too would your husband and children. I would never bring harm to family.
"Why did you seek me out, though?"
You may call yourself a Pokémon Scholar, Helen, but your passion for science follows closely after your father's. You have delved into experiments of preservation and cloning of Pokémon. Do not try to deny it. I have seen your work. The Master pointed his stubby hand up to his head. My mental capacity has grown exponentially since I was brought to life by your father.
Helen gulped. "I was told never to pursue that field."
I will not allow you to have your talents wasted on the likes of experiments more suited for lesser minds. Helen, I mean to complete your father's research and advance Pokémon and the world into the next age. I cannot do so without your expertise. He signaled to the guards. Escort Professor Wong to an open room. And don't let that lecherous Kage anywhere near her. All of you are dismissed, save for Hunter and Courtney. Realizing the Master meant no harm to her, the guards now gently led Helen Wong away to an open chamber. Only when the chamber had emptied to just the three of them, did Courtney address The Grand Master for the first time in weeks.
"Grand Master" Courtney began.
What levels of incompetence you have wrought on me, he snarled. Here we sit, closer than ever to our goals, yet your foolishness has allowed for things to go wrong.
Hunter sniggered as he looked down at her. "What'd she do wrong now, Master?"
"I've done nothing wrong, Master" Courtney insisted. "I've been doing the research on the Arcane Prophecies as you asked me to."
"What's been going on?"
The Grand Master seethed as he cocked his head upward in a quick motion and glared down at the two of them. My plans still require me to obtain more power from those we have imprisoned here on the island. But thanks to someone's ineptness, the power source for the Harvester has disappeared!
This caught Courtney off guard. Now things made sense as to why the machine wasn't siphoning away dreams. "But how? No one is still on the island, is there?"
Evidently, my dear, you have forgotten your own reports to me. There is someone still lurking on this island. The Grand Master floated back to his throne and waved his stubby hand at them. No more games, Courtney. You told me in your reports that you and Cameron Kingston encountered Elezar Aced on this island. Now, I want you to go and find wherever this cretin has been hiding and finish him! Hunter, you should do the same, considering I fear Courtney may not be completely up to the task, anymore. And perhaps, you can correct another lax security issue on this island.
"Can this one be blamed on Courtney?" Hunter smirked. Courtney glared at him, knowing one slip up could mean the end of her.
Not entirely. If anyone should be blamed, it would be your little friend Kage. I told him to keep guards posted in the dungeons where we were keeping Cresselia, to ensure we didn't have another incident occur. But it would seem that Avery Frost's treacherous little friend is still about and acting in her interests. The guards there were sound asleep and the means with which my pods could be freed from their prison of slumber can be awakened. Cresselia has been freed and the power source to my Harvesting Machine are gone. I mean to acquire them both immediately. Hunter, seek out where Cresselia and Darkrai have fled to. Courtney, find Elezar and destroy him this time. Don't dare to fail me again!
"If I may interject, My Master" Hunter spoke up, startling Courtney. "I think it would be more prudent to allow Courtney to continue her research regarding the Arcane Prophecies as you asked her to. I think if there is a chance that those in Arcana can defeat you, it should be known more quickly than figuring out what's wrong on this island. I'll take Kage with me to hunt down Darkrai and Cresselia. And this specter of a man we all know was actually dead. I'll have Darkrai crawling back to our side before you know it."
The Master eyed Hunter with a sense of both intrigue and deep concentration. Your confidence screams of arrogance, Hunter. But, so be it. You are tasked with bringing in Cresselia and Darkrai and to reveal whether or not that man Courtney claimed to meet was Elezar Aced or not. He lowered his gaze towards Courtney, who still had a twinge of fear in her mind over what could happen next. Go and find more information on the Arcane Prophecies, Courtney. Report to me with your findings on the morrow, or you will truly regret this failure to me! You are both dismissed!
Hunter and Courtney both bowed before The Master and made their way for the exit to the chambers. But as they exited, Courtney grabbed Hunter by his jacket and slammed him against the wall. "Alright, what is your malfunction?"
"I assume we're working towards similar goals" Hunter replied coolly. "Why the sudden show of hostility?" He scratched the back of his head, pretending to act as if he was concerned by her outburst.
"I am on thin ice with The Grand Master and here you are boasting about your achievements!" she hissed back at him, her hair flailing with every overexaggerated word. "Why are you seeking to undermine me?"
"You have no reason to fear me, Courtney" Hunter assured her, though she could detect mockery from his voice. "I don't kick children while they're down." He removed her hands from his jacket and shook his head at her. "Your place in the future is what you make of it. I intend on adding two highly valuable Pokémon to my collection and, as an added bonus, putting Elezar's head on my mantle if I wish. I have alternative reasons, of course, but unlike you who has an endless need to please The Master, I work to the beat of my own drum." He cracked his neck and let out a truly wicked chuckle. "Now go be a good little girl and do your studies. Let me do the hard labor. We've both got our niches, so let's keep to them and see what lies at the end of the tunnel." With that, Hunter strode down the hallway they had come up from.
Courtney was puzzled. What was that all about? He ridicules me and embarrasses me in front of the Master, but now is implying that we are allies? She and Hunter had worked in tandem before, to bring about the return of The Grand Master. But why was he now thinking they were allies? Could it be that he hoped that the two would succeed in their endeavors? No. He had ulterior motives for messing with her like this. And she was determined to find out what.
{}
As the moon served as the only beacon of light one could see on Mirage Island, Elezar Aced found himself running through the forests for his life. It would not take the monster leading his old organization long to know he had been there, or why. His right hand was packed deep into his pocket, clutching at the central focus of his objective to infiltrate the base in the first place.
Well, not exactly.
His true intentions were to try and find out what had befallen his daughter. Jocelyn Aced, the last truly living member of the Aced Family and someone he did not fully appreciate until it was too late, had entered the Syndicate Base with Addison Tenton and Matthew Kingston several months ago in a desperate attempt to rescue their heroes Ryan and Michael from the jaws of Mewtwo's trap. But while the group had succeeded in freeing their heroes and loved ones, Jocelyn had not emerged from the base. He was determined to know what had happened to her, when he was approached in a dream by someone. A girl no older than fourteen. She advised Elezar to complete the goals Jocelyn would have wanted him to and sabotage Mewtwo's plans however he could. Naturally, risking his own hide for something like this was not in the back of his head. But so long as it would help him figure out what had happened to his daughter, he agreed.
Elezar was tasked with finding the power source to the Syndicate's Dream Harvesting Machine and taking it, thus preventing Mewtwo from being able to harness more dreams from his captives and gaining more power for himself. The being in his dream claimed she had another mission to attend to, much deeper into the bowels of the base to seek out something else. Though he was keen to preserve his own being, he also knew he could not move on to the next world without making amends with his daughter. So, he pressed himself into the shadows of the Syndicate Stronghold and waited for his moment.
When he failed to find where Jocelyn was being held, he had made for the most suspicious chamber in the Syndicate Base: the large Harvester Chamber. The Machine whirred and sputtered about as it continued to siphon dreams from those who were being held hostage inside. The majority of pods were shining with a bright light that prevented anyone from seeing the people trapped within. Elezar did not recognize many, if any, of the people trapped in these strange peapod looking objects, but he knew they needed to be rescued at some point. Hopefully not by him. He and his fiercely loyal ally: a Scizor, continued along until they reached the machine itself. The power source should be located near the base of the machine, but the base of the machine went much deeper into the earth than Elezar cared to go. His Pokémon seemed more inclined to assist than he, so it floated down into the abyss of light and increasing temperatures to search for it while Elezar stood watch. A moment later, the mighty machine began to sputter wildly until finally shutting down. The brightness of the pods soon faded as well and showed the former Syndicate Leader faces he would rather forget he'd seen. The faces of Giselle Odelia, Christopher Kingston and an assistant to Julia Pines that had managed to help unravel his plans long ago. Plenty of others he knew from far away, including Champion Lance of Johto and Steven Stone of Hoenn.
His Scizor returned a moment later with the source of the power, a bright and thinly shaped crystal. Elezar took the crystal into his pocket and sent his Scizor in front of him to serve as a guard in case any Syndicate Goons were on patrol. Fortunately, there were none, but he knew it would not last long. He needed to get to someplace safe. And fast.
The dense wooded areas of Mirage Island allowed him to blend in with the shadows. He did not dare to take out the crystal and allow it's brightness to draw attention to himself. He and his Scizor bolted down through trees, bushes and the occasional patch of thorns until finally reaching the spot where he had been told to meet this strange girl. To his left loomed the Temple of Dreams, a bastion of both light and darkness that was supposed to serve as a waypoint to those who were not yet fated to venture to the Realm of Arceus or to the Realm of Giratina. It had not seen much activity there since an apparent scuffle between Matthew Kingston and his brother. Now, it stood as little more than a reminder of the grave that loomed over the entire world if Mewtwo were to get his way.
"Did you succeed?" the girls voice called out.
Elezar looked around for the girl, but instead found two Pokémon in front of him. One was a creature almost completely enveloped in shadows, save for piercing blue eyes that reminded Elezar a bit of Mewtwo when they had first crossed paths. The other was a strange creature who was donning colors of light, with shining golden rings around it's neck. Both seemed happy to see him, even though he could not be more confused at the present moment.
"Uh, I did" he spoke up. "What about you?"
The shadowy Pokémon spoke up in the girl's voice, startling Elezar. "Of course. As you can see, I accomplished my goal. Cresselia is free."
"I doubt Mewtwo will be happy with either of us if he finds out."
"He knows" the shadowy Pokémon answered. "But his mind is otherwise occupied. He's sent Hunter after us. But Hunter won't be able to find us. Not when I'm not leading him directly to us."
"What good will this Pokémon do you?" Elezar asked.
"Cresselia is vital to preventing Mewtwo from acquiring more power" she explained, though the shadowy Pokémon seemed to be distracted by something and was looking back at the Temple of Dreams. "But for us to utilize it, we're going to have to infiltrate the base again. This time, to go after some of his hostages."
Elezar scoffed at this. "That you can do on your own. I've already risked enough of my skin to help you."
"What skin?"
"I beg your pardon?"
"I thought you found your way here after spending months afloat in the water. You're not risking anything in helping me. If anything, you risk what you have left in the realm of living people by not helping."
Elezar frowned. His daughter was still somewhere in that base. If this Pokémon was keen to oppose Mewtwo, he might need her in order to save Jocelyn. But why was she doing this? What did this shadowy Pokémon have against Mewtwo? Was she leading him into a trap? "If it's all the same to you, my dear, I believe in having transparent relationships. What do you have to gain from any of this? Why would you want Mewtwo to be stopped?"
The shadowy Pokémon closed it's piercing blue eyes and projected an aura of light energy in front of it. To Elezar's surprise, a girl had appeared with pale blonde hair and equally pale skin tones. She was adorned in patchy rags and seemed to have come from the lowest dregs of society. She held her hands close to her heart and let out a sigh. "I wronged someone very important to me. And I intend to make good on my promise to help set things right by him." She looked towards the Temple as the Pokémon behind her had. "I had thought that when I appeared before him in Arcana the last time, it would be the last thing I would do before passing on. But it would seem that my task in this world is not yet done. And until it is, I have to do right by him."
Elezar cursed underneath his breath. "I'll bet this person was a Kingston, no doubt."
"Is that a bad thing?"
"Anything involving those swineherds is indeed a bad thing."
"You should know by now the truth surrounding your father. James Kingston had nothing to do with his death. Mewtwo betrayed them and planned on wiping out all life in Arcana with the Crimson Fury."
"You wouldn't know what I've endured in my life" he snarled. "My father left me and my mother alone to pursue his studies. The only thing he ever truly valued besides the sciences was his friendship with James. Above his own wife and son. How can one call himself a man if he puts the passions of those over the passions of others that depended on him?"
"Perhaps you should ask your daughter the same thing?"
This caused Elezar to sputter himself into silence. There was nothing he could do to retort to that. He was his father's son, after all.
"Now is not the time to think of the past" the girl pressed on. "Mewtwo will soon be ready to attempt to wipe out all life on earth, Elezar. The Kingstons might be our only hope in getting to do the right things and stopping him, but they are going to need our help." The spirit of this maiden looked towards the near bottomless caverns that surrounded the Temple of Dreams. "They are going to need some allies. And we need to provide them with them."
"I am not particularly keen on assisting any Kingstons" Elezar declared. "But, if it will allow me to do right by Jocelyn before I pass on, so be it."
"She would be proud of you" the girl said kindly.
Elezar rebuffed her. "No. No, I assure you she wouldn't." He and Jocelyn were not on good terms at all. He had left her, the last of the Aceds, alone in the world when he coldly told the insurance companies to cut off her mother's medications and let her die. He had attacked her and fought with all of his might against what she desired, only for her to still spare his life and depart for some kind of exile with Matthew Kingston. But now, with Matthew Kingston being acclimated back into his family's ranks after his escape from Mirage Island, Jocelyn needed him once more to fulfill his role as a father.
"She knows you are doing the right thing and for unselfish reasons."
"Oh, my reasons are far from selfless" the former Syndicate Leader warned. "I want Mewtwo to pay for what has befallen my daughter and my father. The Kingstons can do what they will with him soon enough." He turned to face the girl once more. "But if you'll have more of me, I'd rather it be known now what my future objective will be so my Scizor and I can otherwise prepare ourselves." His Pokémon was keeping watch, but nodded contently once his trainer had mentioned him.
"Two of the most important prisoners that Mewtwo is keeping in that Harvester Machine are Christopher Kingston and Amanda Fouritz" the girl explained. "The presence of those two is sorely needed by the Kingstons in their pursuit of a way to defeat Mewtwo. And we must free them and bring them some place Mewtwo and Hunter cannot find us in. But first, we need to find that place and make sure we keep Cresselia and the Power Crystal hidden. We'll come back for Chris and Amanda later."
"Christopher Kingston?" Elezar grumbled. "That boy has been as much a thorn in my side as Michael."
"The two are closer than brothers, which is precisely why they need him. Without Christopher to balance them, both Michael and Cameron will continue to descend down slopes they would have preferred to avoid." She held her hands close to her heart again. "And as for Ryan, I hope he's not making things too hard on himself. Mewtwo wants him to suffer more than anyone."
Elezar shrugged. "That boy can handle himself."
"But before we do anything else, however, we need to find a place where Hunter will not find us. And I know just the place. Follow me!" The girl suddenly vanished from sight and the shadowy Pokémon gestured for Elezar and his Scizor to follow it. The shadow and Cresselia floated off into the distance as the former Syndicate leader and his Pokémon followed at a pace, hoping they would be able to fulfill the promises made to Jocelyn.