Teller's Ice Cream Parlor was absolutely bouncing with business upon it's reopening. The line stretched from up to the counter and all the way down to the docks, with it's number of customers multiplying upon a rumor spreading that the Kingstons were buying rounds of Ice Cream for the lucky few who came while they were inside. Sure enough, while anyone was online or inside the expanding Ice Cream Shoppe while Michael, Jenna and Billy Kingston were inside, they would be treated to a scoop of any flavor of ice cream on them. Well, almost any flavor, as Cynthia of Sinnoh was still buying up each and every tub of Coco Pina Bliss she could get her hands on.

While Billy stood near the counter and took the orders of all the children and young adults eager to get their sugar fix on, Jenna and Michael sat in the corner of the parlor, each licking their second helping of their own select favorite Ice Creams. Michael had convinced Teller to put aside one Coco Pina Bliss tub for himself and anyone who truly wanted it, while Jenna was content with her own Rawst Berry Delight flavor, topped with hot fudge. With Michael still doing his best to keep his mind off of what had happened between him and Julia in the study, it was left to Jenna to field any of the various praise and compliments from the gracious people who came by. Michael wanted to answer, but he couldn't bring himself to.

Jenna picked up on this. While Billy was buying up the last round of ice cream before he would have to sink into his own personal bank account, she gestured for Michael to follow her out towards the docks. The two slipped past the crowds and parked themselves on the bench just outside of the Parlor. Once Billy was finished, the trio could finally eat their ice cream in peace. But while they were alone, Jenna pressed her cousin on the issue bugging him. "Alright, what happened?"

"Can't a guy want to eat ice cream with his cousins?" Michael chuckled. He looked around Pocus Town and sighed. "We haven't done this since Grandpa took us all here when we were younger. That was when Danny was born."

Jenna nodded. "Yeah. We all tried to take on the 36 Scoop Challenge as a team of eight. Billy barely had any teeth at that point and Cameron used to be such a picky eater, she only went for the chocolate. It was up to the six of us to eat it and we all ran out of room in our bellies. Grandpa had to pay for the whole thing. I remember Grandma was so mad."

"At least we had Aunt Jane to defend us" Michael recalled. "How were we supposed to know we couldn't handle it?"

"Throwing Grandpa under the bus now?" Jenna giggled.

"No way!" The two laughed for a good moment before Michael continued. "I-I never reconnected with you guys after I came back."

Jenna raised an eyebrow. "You felt you had to?"

Michael leaned back on the bench. "Why not? I may have beaten Giselle, but the only reason I came back was for Julia. But the only people I seemed to truly get along with were Chris and Cam. I had twelve years to reconnect with you guys and I never did. Maybe I was just afraid of being hurt again. Or I didn't trust you guys. But you weren't the ones who exiled me."

Jenna shook her head. "No. You didn't have to. You coming back and stomping out Giselle and the Syndicate was more than enough for us to reconnect. Sure, it would have been nice to be in the same vein as Chris and Cam, but we were just glad to have you back." Jenna looked back at the Ice Cream Parlor and smiled faintly. "We all don't have to have the same relationships. You and I don't have to be as close as, say, Madeline and I are, Or the way Billy and Danny are, they don't have to be the same as you and Chris. We're family. We don't all have to be super close, but the love will still be there."

"It still makes me feel bad that this didn't become a normal thing for us to do."

"Billy has idolized you since you came back. He's always wanted to be just like you when he got up to being a Pokémon League contender and as a Gym Leader. Honorable and strong. Determined, but reverential. Above all, he wanted to have the good heart you showed to people. It was hard for him at first, but once you and Julia helped him to meet Amanda at your wedding, I think he got it." She lowered her eyes to her ice cream. "When he's off duty, all he can think about is her. I never would have pegged Billy to be the one who get's stuck on someone so much, but I guess that's a testament to just how wonderful a person Amanda wa-is. How wonderful she is."

"Amanda not being here has made things harder on everyone" Michael admitted. "But, as strange as this may sound, it's probably the reason why we're here to begin with. If I had Amanda or Chris to relate to right now, a part of me thinks I wouldn't be trying so hard to get back into a good place with you and your brother." He felt himself tense up as vivid flashbacks of Darkrai putting Chris into the Dark Void flooded into his mind. "I put too much of my trust in too few people. If I'm going to be a good leader like Grandpa, I can't make the same mistakes he did."

"It's not like Grandpa had a menagerie of cousins to depend on" Jenna counseled. "It was just Grandma and Balthazar as far as I know. His brother died when they were young and Countess Rosemary has kept her distance from the family for a long time." Seeing the plight in her cousin's face, Jenna playfully patted his hand. "But, if it makes you feel better, I can assure you that you can count on me and Billy for anything, Michael."

"Thanks Jenna. That means a lot to hear coming from you."

Jenna eyed him curiously. "So are you going to tell me the real reason we're out here?"

"I thought reconnecting was the real reason."

"We could have reconnected at Kingston Castle" she pointed out. "But a part of me thinks you don't want to be there right now. Which is strange to me. After all, James and Arya are there. So are Mark and Lizzie. Cynthia and Cameron. Addison and Deidre. Julia and-" Jenna stopped when she saw Michael tense up again. "Aha. We've found the root of the problem. What happened?"

Michael scratched the back of his head. "I don't even know where to begin."

"Begin with what?" Billy's voice sounded off nearby. Jenna's younger brother sauntered out of the Parlor to the dismay of those still on line, licking up the remains of his bowl of Chocolate Ice Cream. He paused when he saw the relatively serious expressions on his sister and cousin's faces. "Why do I always have to miss the serious stuff around here?"

"Michael here wants to reconnect with us" Jenna laughed. "As if he needed to."

"Yeah, Mike" Billy agreed. "You don't have to do anything with us. We're just glad you came back at all."

"Well, I appreciate that" Michael answered, a hint of sorrow in his voice. "I just wish I had done so sooner. It might have made losing the people we did a bit easier on us."

Billy didn't seem to agree. "There is no way that we could use each other to fill the holes in our hearts. I can't replace Chris anymore than you could replace Danny. No matter how much of a sister Piper or Cameron has been to you, they couldn't fill that spot Tori had left until we found her. And while everyone has been trying to set me up with someone, no one is going to replace Amanda to me. Losing the people we love isn't a kind of puzzle we can change and fit the way we want to. It's harder than that."

"Those were some really poignant words" Jenna teased. "Didn't think you had it in you."

"Sometimes I have to be the mature one around here" Billy joked.

"How good are you with relationship dilemmas?" Michael asked his cousin.

Billy shrugged. "I could take a crack at it, I guess. Though Amanda and mine's only fight was over who had the last scoop of Chocolate Ice Cream in the date we had. And we both just agreed to get more to replace it, so I'm not so versed at it." He casually pointed to his sister. "But Jenna here has had more boyfriends than I can count."

Jenna turned beet red. "Billy!" Realizing he had overstepped his bounds, Billy slinked off before running into the Parlor to get some more Ice Cream for himself. Jenna calmed herself before getting back to the point. "So, what happened?"

Michael frowned. "You know what Julia went through when we were younger, right?"

"All those tightwads in the Queen of Arcana contests calling her 'street trash'?"

"You knew, too?"

"The whole of Arcana knew that girls like Rebecca Eighern and Betsy Seissuon were pompous bitches" Jenna pointed out. "Deidre and Tori did their best to shield Julia from it, but it never seemed to fully work."

Michael blinked. "Tori helped, too?"

Jenna nodded. "All for you. Well, that's what they said. Someone like me, who is a bit more in tune with how people feel, knew it was for slightly different reasons." She shrugged. "I was eleven, after all. Just reaching that ripe age when boys weren't such ugly little monsters to me, anymore." She took a lick of her ice cream before continuing. "Tori wanted to protect you because she saw how much you cared about Julia. She made sure those insults and taunts went dead if you were around the contests. That's why you were basically oblivious to it all."

"That's no excuse on my part. Julia was as close to me as Chris was. I should have seen it."

"And Deidre just wanted to be nice to Julia, considering how close you two were. She didn't want to step on any toes with Julia, considering that you and Deidre were supposed to get married back in the day."

Michael's frown only deepened. "Grandma and her damned betrothals!"

"Julia found out?" Jenna sighed. "I told Annie that it was supposed to be kept in confidence."

"She found Grandma's paperwork" Michael told his cousin. "About who all of us were supposed to be betrothed to in her plans. Me with Deidre, Tori with Warren, you and Annie's brother, even your brother with Jocelyn Aced." Michael, unable to finish more of his ice cream, put it in the trash can beside their bench. "It made Julia think I've been messing around on her with Deidre, as if I would ever think of such a thing."

"Childhood trauma can make someone fear the worst about someone they love" she theorized.

"But she knew I would never do it and confronted me about it anyway" Michael added. "And then-I found out she had a relationship while she was in Sinnoh studying under Professor Rowan."

This surprised his cousin. "Julia Pines? The girl who was in love with you from the moment she met you?"

Michael nodded. "It was with some pampered little putz that was related to Professor Rowan. She's kept it a secret from me for ten years, all while thinking I was the one messing around with people behind her back. First Piper, then Courtney, now Deidre. I just can't see why she would do that and then cover up that she did it to me when she was in college."

Jenna was troubled by this twist. "I'll admit, this was not something I expected to happen."

"Now you see why I needed someone to trust and talk to me. Because I legitimately have no idea what to do next."

"How so?"

Michael put his head into his hands before resuming. "I can't just move on from this. I mean, this is a complete and total betrayal of my trust. I love her more than anything in this world. But it still haunts me that she did this to me." He slumped back on the bench as the skies slowly began to darken around them. "And it's not like I could talk to anyone else about this. If I talked to Piper, it would just start a fight between them. Cameron isn't in the kind of state to help, either. Mark and Lizzie are both onto their own things, so I can't ask them. And if Tori has truly been as protective of me as you say she was, then she'd explode on her." Fighting off the urge to lash out both in frustration and sorrow, he turned to his cousin. "I feel so lost, Jenna."

Jenna's face showed a deep sense of empathy. "Well, Michael, the way I see it there's only two possible routes you can take. You can forgive her, or you can not forgive her."

"How is it that simple?"

Jenna scooted herself closer to her cousin and put her arm around him. "Michael, I don't mean this in a derogatory way when I say this. But you are the simplest and purest person I've ever known. You don't think of ulterior motives or conspiracy theories. You take everything at face value for what's unfolded before you. It's probably because of who raised you."

Michael nearly snorted. "My parents are about the last people I would think are pure."

"That's not what I mean" Jenna laughed. "Mom and Dad used to say that while Aunt Erin and Big Mike were your parents, it was really Grandpa and Aunt Jane who raised you. They were your real parents. They gave you your morals and your ethics. They helped you to become the man the people of Arcana love and adore." She embraced her cousin softly as she went on. "It's probably why you made such a good Pokémon League Champion. You had Aunt Jane's heart and Grandpa's soul inside of you."

"I guess I could see that" Michael responded. After all, he had spent more of his childhood as a guest of his Uncle Jeice and his Aunt Jane than he remembered actually being in the Chateau in Alchemiburg with his mother and sister. He barely even remembered seeing much of his father outside of family functions and holidays. And his Grandfather took such an interest in his upbringing, probably out of fear that he didn't have a paternal figure to look up to.

"So, it really comes down to two options, Michael" Jenna concluded. "You know she's over this guy from Sinnoh. You know she's since done everything in her power to have a great and loving relationship with you. But you also know she did just as much to hide this story from you. In fact, I'd be surprised that Piper or Professor Maria even know. Which leads you to the crossroads. If you feel you can forgive her, then there's no reason to be mad at her beyond this point. If you can't bring yourself to forgive her for this, then there's no reason to prolong the years of doubt and mistrust. Not even for James and Arya."

Michael looked up to the heavens. "So, basically, all I have to do is decide how I feel about this?"

"I know how much she hurt you, Michael. I can see it in your eyes." She frowned. "I-Billy wasn't exactly lying when he said I've had lots of boyfriends. I had an especially bad breakup last year when I was in school. So, I started seeing another boy named Joshua. He's nice, gentle and less of an obnoxious ogre than Teddy was. But Teddy came back to me a few weeks later and kept asking me to get back together. He said he was sorry and wanted one chance to prove himself. I was happy with Josh, but I wasn't feeling the same way I did with Teddy. I asked myself if it was worth potentially hurting Josh just to get the thrills of being with Teddy again, because I still cared about him."

"What did you do?"

Jenna smiled warmly. "I asked myself a question that I've heard Maddy, Jon, Tori, Billy, Chris and Cam all ask themselves. I asked myself: 'What would Michael do?' How would he handle this situation?" She wrapped her arm around his and kept a bright smile. "It all became so clear to me after that. I told Teddy to shove off and have been happier than ever knowing I get to spend all the time in the world with Joshua now."

"Didn't know you guys thought so highly of me."

"Are you kidding? Michael, we all love you. And no one wants to see you in this pain any less than we do. Which is why I ask you that simplest of all questions, Michael. What would you do in this situation?"

Michael nodded. "You're right, Jenna. It is just up to me. I guess I've got a lot of soul searching to do." He gave his cousin an affectionate squeeze. "Thanks for this, Jenna. You have no idea who much this has helped me."

"Glad to help, Michael."

The two looked behind them as Billy came out, brandishing three more Ice Cream Cones for them to enjoy. The two made room for Billy on the bench as he sat beside his sister and handed out the Ice Cream. The trio each held out their cone to the skies and then simultaneously licked their third cones of the day, no doubt knowing they were going to have to cut back hard on sugary intake for the next few weeks.

{}

Having already infiltrated the Syndicate Base once before, Elezar found it all the more nerve-wracking as he attempted to break into it a second time. After all, stealing a power crystal was one thing. Rescuing two highly valuable hostages back from the most powerful being in the universe was a different matter altogether. But after several seemingly endless hours of heroic and heartfelt speeches from that girl he had let coerce him into forging an alliance with his former archenemies, he begrudgingly allowed himself to once more break into the most dangerous place in the world to rescue two people he would rather continue to watch suffer. With his Scizor flanking him and keeping guard, the once archetect of the entire Syndicate now sought to tear down his former comrade's new base to attempt a daring mission to save two people locked in the eternal slumber of the Dark Void.

How does that wretched girl think she can save these two? Elezar asked himself. He had read in his father's research that Cresselia and Darkrai were in fact linked by conjoined pasts, but did that mean one had the power to override the powers of another? Had he kept on his desired path like his father and became a scientist, he might have found that answer. But fate had a way of altering his path and sending him down the path of crime and villainy, allowing Cassius Sinclair to dominate the scientific wing of his organization. And considering what befell Cassius on the slopes of Mt. Heatmor, perhaps he had it lucky.

His Scizor made one quick glance back around the dark and empty halls of the Syndicate Base, before nodding to his trainer. Elezar slipped inside of the Harvesting Chamber. The massive machine was offline, thanks to the loss of power, leaving the sleeping husks as little more than useless hostages Mewtwo was keeping. Unable to harness the power of their dreams for himself, this kept the former Grand Master in a place of power obscurity. Unable to utilize his power to the fullest, but also more than capable of wiping out Arcana with one nod of his head.

Yet that cursed beast chooses to linger here on the island? Why? Nevertheless, Elezar continued, doing his best to make sure no one was around and guarding the prisoners. He raced down the walkway up to the computer that operated the Harvesting Machine. But, thanks to his previous exploits, it too was offline, meaning they were going to have to do this manually. He looked towards his Scizor. "Let's go. We don't have all day. Especially with Courtney and Mewtwo in the same place." He looked towards each of the pods and their sleeping victims inside. He could tell who most of them were simply from his studying of various trainers from around the world. The boy who had conquered Cipher in Orre was here, Wes. So too were Johto League Champion Lance, former and current Unovan Champions Alder and Iris and even the entire Sinnoh Elite Four. Thanks to Courtney's meddling, Cynthia was no where to be found and neither were the remainder of Michael Kingston's Elite Four, apart from one.

He visually scanned each and every pod, but was beginning to wonder if both of his targets were even present. Dozens of trainers who could perhaps be useful to his unenthusiastic allies, but not one of them one of the banes of his existence in Christopher Kingston. He stopped after a moment when the doors to a higher level opened. He urged his Scizor to hide in the shadows nearby as two men entered the room several floors above him to oversee the situation, hopefully oblivious to the intruder below them.

"He couldn't have vanished into thin air" a rough man's voice insisted. "I'll stake my life that the island answers to him, now."

"Don't be an idiot" an all too familiar scowl replied.

Hunter. Elezar dared a glance above. The Hoenn Poacher could have helped him win his desired victory over the Kingstons and claim dominion over Arcana, but he chose to play with his prey rather than kill. He cursed Hunter, but knew that Mewtwo was likely keeping him on a much tighter leash than he or Cassius ever could.

"The Grand Master is still in control" Hunter assured the first man. "Vermin like Elezar are just adept at hiding."

Good to know they're still thinking of me. I'd have had them drawn and quartered if they ever talked about that to my face! Insolent beast!

"The Master won't be too pleased that we haven't found him, yet."

"The Grand Master shouldn't be afraid of that tool" Hunter scoffed. "He's just one out of place ghost from a time long since passed."

"But what if that Frost kid his helping her out?"

"Avery Frost is dead. And I'll be damned if she's still out there trying to be a threat to us. Besides, even if she was, it wouldn't matter now. Once I have all six Mythical Pokémon at my beck and call, all of the world's Pokémon will answer to me. Which is why we're going to abide by The Grand Master's wishes and find that old fool. Dead or alive, we'll find him." With that, the doors to the higher levels opened and the two men exited.

Once the coast was clear, Elezar looked back to his Pokémon. The Scizor pointed his claw up towards one of the pods. Elezar noticed that this pod indeed carried the form of a woman he had once crossed paths with. "Giselle?" The former tyrant of Arcana and one of his initial partners with the Syndicate was resting peacefully in her pod as if she didn't have another care in the world. "But she won't do, old friend. We need to find Francis and Bernadette Fouritz's daughter. Find Amanda." The young woman had played a role in destroying his criminal enterprise alongside Julia Pines. He would have preferred she remain an honored guest in the clutches of the monster, but he was bound to his word to his new ally to save her. He would count it as a debt Julia Pines owed to him. As for her husband...

Elezar paused when he found the other pod he had been so eager to find. Trapped in what had to have been the newest installed pod, was Christopher Kingston. Like the others surrounding him, he was fast asleep, locked in the eternal nightmare of the Dark Void. He had heard from Avery that Christopher attempted a daring rescue of his cousin from Courtney's clutches, only to fall prey to Darkrai's powers. When Elezar asked how she had known this, she seemed to be saying that whatever Darkrai saw or did, so did she. She recalled every single person that Darkrai imprisoned in the void, every single thing he did on behalf of Mewtwo's dark ambitions, including the suffering Michael Kingston endured at the hands of Courtney and the fruitless but still bold attempt of his best friend to rescue him.

"The feelings of the Kingston Family make me sick" Elezar said to himself. "And it's even more infuriating that I have to lend my support to a man who has ruined my plans time and time again!" Christopher and Michael were in lock step with one another. Where Michael went, Christopher followed. When Michael battled, Chris was right by his side along with that sister of his. Michael and his Elite Four had hampered his efforts on several occasions. Yet the fate of his daughter may rest entirely in their hands. If he ever wanted Jocelyn to have a normal life and for Mewtwo to meet his match, he had to give the Kingstons every possible advantage he could. He gestured towards his Scizor, who floated up towards the pod containing Christopher and used one Metal Claw attack to slice through the pod and open it. Before Christopher could fall, his faithful Bug Pokémon caught the sleeping husk and lowered him to Elezar's level. With the Harvesting Machine and it's computer offline, the alarms couldn't be tripped. As Christopher's body was lowered beside his trainer, the Scizor proceeded to fly back up and cut another pod open. The limp body of Amanda Fouritz descended into his arms as the Scizor floated downward.

Elezar and his Pokémon exchanged their charges as Elezar put the leaner and lighter Amanda on his back, while Scizor carried the bulkier Christopher Kingston. Knowing all too well the powers of their opposition, the two fled as fast as they could out of the Syndicate Lair and to the village to receive the protection of Darkrai and Cresselia.

{}

Courtney nervously approached the chamber that The Grand Master had taken for his own. She had received the summons from Caleb only a few moments ago, but was so knee deep into her research on his behalf that she was fearful she would suffer a consequence for delaying him. Despite this fear of hers, she continued inside the room and stood in place as the mighty form of her superior floated about the chamber. Beyond the sapphire eyes that were always visible when he was using his powers, Courtney could see nothing else. The darkness this supreme being cloaked himself in was all the more terrifying knowing the depths of his power at this precise moment.

When he did not directly address her, she cleared her throat. "Ahem. Grand Master?"

You are late.

"Forgive me, My Lord" she pleaded. "I was working on-"

I know what you were working on! You seem to labor under the delusion that I cannot delve into your mind, my child. You will not be punished for this, but do not dare to keep me waiting again!

"It will not happen again. I swear it."

The doors opened behind her and Hunter and Kage casually walked into the room, though Kage with considerably less swagger. Both strode into the room with such confidence that it made Courtney angry to be near. "You summoned me, Grand Master?"

"Forgive us" Kage whimpered, his teeth chattering in fear. "We didn't expect to be-"

I summoned you all to inform you of what has been occurring in Arcana, The Grand Master fumed. It would seem to be that Claude Jacques is dead.

"Claude?" Courtney remarked in surprise. "The Kingstons didn't spare him."

"Guess the old codger caught Michael on a bad day?" Hunter snickered.

Guess again. Michael had every intention of keeping Claude alive, as if to see if he could perhaps assist them in their inevitable clash with us. The Grand Master eyed Courtney with a quick glance. It would seem that your foolhardy attempt to link him into the Singularity wasn't entirely fruitless to me, after all.

Courtney made no motion to take praise. She was too deep in trouble to make it matter for her. So long as she got her chance to get Michael, she would be fine.

Michael does not seem to know that our minds are still linked. I cannot control him as I could you two, but I can see through his eyes. Events are unfolding in Arcana more quickly than I would have anticipated. Though they are far from being a danger to us, it will be pertinent to study them to ensure they don't achieve too much. The last thing I wish to do is to face the Kingstons unprepared.

"So who wasted the old codger?" Hunter asked.

"Suicide, I'd guess" Kage suggested.

Wrong again. Ryan Kingston struck him down.

"Wow" Hunter sneered, with a surprising amount of emotion for him. "I didn't think the twerp had it in him."

"Neither did I" Courtney admitted.

The boy tapped into an unexpected well of power to do so. A power that was merely unlocked by the Crimson Brand I gave him. A power he shares with that of his Pokémon. A dark power.

"Dark power?" Courtney remarked blankly. Could Ryan be the one that The Grand Master was supposed to fear?

"I'll exterminate the little brat" Hunter offered. "Consider it a token of my appreciation for all that you've done for me, Master. Once I get a hold of those Mythical-"

You will do no such thing, Hunter! I gave you and Kage an order. Find and eliminate Elezar Aced before he does something else to hinder my plans! You will get your chance to acquire the remaining two Mythical Pokémon when I say you can. Now, go. The Grand Master gestured with his hand and sent a surprised and angry Hunter out the door, with Kage tagging along after him. With those two gone, he returned his attention to her. Courtney, I want you to continue your research on the Arcane Prophecies. But I want you to go on the assumption that Ryan Kingston will play a role in it's unfolding.

"Which one, sir? There are several roles he can play. The Arcane Crown Prophecy, The Twelve Truths and of course the White Mage."

Assume he will take on any of the roles and play them out. Utilize the power I have granted you to take part in these observations. Report your findings to me immediately. I am beginning to sense that our time may be limited. I will be observing Professor Wong's progress in the meantime. Find the conclusion I seek and you will be amply rewarded. Fail me, and I will make you suffer a fate worse than death. Do I make myself clear?

"Completely, sir" Courtney shuddered.

Then go.

Not wasting a single second, Courtney raced away from the Grand Master and to her much more reserved and compromised quarters to resume her work. Upon nearing the entrance, the timid Caleb stood by waiting for her to return. "Lady Courtney! I was hoping you could-"

"Time is of the essence, Caleb" Courtney told him hastily. "I have an opportunity to gain a spot in The Grand Master's good graces. And I cannot waste this moment."

"But I have an update on the helm you were asking me to-"

Courtney skidded to a stop. "The helm?"

"Yes, the device you wanted" Caleb answered. "I think I might have gotten it to work properly. I just need to adjust the frequencies."

Courtney's eyes flared with excitement and she flashed a truly evil grin. "You mean, if this works-"

"You won't have to share a mind with The Grand Master" her devoted follower responded, "but can still use his powers."

Courtney began to giggle, then it turned into a full blow cackle. "Excellent work, Caleb. Soon, we're going to be just where we need to be."

The lovesick boy stood by, shuffling his feet. "I do what I can, m'lady."

"I'll be able to complete my obligations to The Grand Master, while also following with my own ambitions." She laughed a truly evil and mad laugh. "Michael Kingston will be mine. And then I'll make that smarmy little bitch Julia writhe and wriggle like bait on a hook!" She grabbed Caleb's arm and dragged him into the lab to begin their real work.

{}

As time passed in their solace, Ryan glumly tossed a baseball up at the ceiling while Achilles mediated nearby. Whereas both Galatea and Addison were often in sync with the other through their moments of relaxing and studying the other, he could rarely find himself to be mentally in tune with his Psychic Pokémon. The two most certainly were close and had the same kind of mental communication with the other, but whereas Achilles was more than capable of meditating and keeping himself calm, Ryan was deeply troubled and downright infuriated at this turn of events that was keeping him, Achilles and Holly trapped within the confines of his father's apartment in Charizark Town, powerless to do anything until whatever fate handed him for his loss of his senses in the death of Claude. And it only riled him up more that Achilles seemed to be taking things so calmly, even though he could end up behind bars or exiled as Michael was.

"You know, you could show some sense of urgency for me" Ryan grumbled as the ball slipped out of his fingers and landed on the bed beside him.

There is no need for urgency.

"You're right. It's not like I'm going to be put on trial for what happened or anything!"

You seem to be more upset about the situation than you are my lack of urgency for something beyond your control or my own. Achilles flashed him a wry grin. Perhaps if you were to join me in meditation instead of throwing that ball about, we might be able to find a way to soothe your anxiety, if not outright expunge it.

Ryan rolled his eyes. "It's always the same with you guys. Meditate. Preach patience and calmness in the midst of danger. But that's not my style. It never has been. I always think on my feet. But this is something I can't control. It's infuriating that I have no control over what's going to happen because I lost control in Titanio City. You'd think that I should be getting praise for taking out the biggest menace to Arcana in decades, but instead I'm being put on trial like a common criminal!"

Your thoughts are muddled by dark feelings. Remember, my friend. Those are not the thoughts one with your gift needs to have.

Ryan did his best to try and calm down. "I shouldn't be taking this out on you. I'm sorry. I'm just so-I'm just done. I want to be able to go out and do things again. I want this all behind me."

So long as you keep your faith in those who will fight for you, you can know they will do everything in their power to protect you. Lord Kingston in particular.

The disgraced Champion made his way towards the window and frowned. "There are some things even Michael can't do."

It hasn't stopped him before. Why let it now?

Before Ryan could respond, he heard a knock at the door. Holly opened the door, herself looking as if she had overheard the whole conversation he had been having with Achilles, her face wearing a look of sorrow and pity yet with a small chance of hope. Though he was still angry at their situation, much of it melted in the presence of one of his oldest and closest friends in the world. Holly stood in the doorway, trying to show him a welcoming smile. "I thought you could use some cheering up."

"I could use a way out of this, but I guess I'll take some cheering up" Ryan answered. "So, what did you have in mind?"

Holly stepped inside and waved to Achilles, who nodded and resumed his meditation. "Well, I know how much this has been grating on you. I can only imagine the kind of pressure you're putting yourself through." She sat on the foot of his bed. "I just wish there was something I could do to help you get through this."

"You're already doing it, Holly" Ryan answered her. "Just being here with me is doing a lot more than anyone else has been able to do."

"I'm sure Michael is doing his best to keep you safe. And everyone else is rooting for you."

"I wish I could believe you. But not hearing from anyone has been bothering me." Even Addison hadn't made an effort to reach out to him, which stung him more than he was willing to let on, especially in front of Holly. The deathly silence coming from his brother, his parents, Michael, Julia, Dawn, Lucas, Cameron and everyone else has been truly shaking him to his core. He'd even welcome some completely useless but well meaning pep talks from Tommy or the inane babbling from Kayleigh or Arya. The loneliness was what was hurting the most. "I think I understand why Avery did what she did. We've only been cooped up here for a few days and I'm feeling like I have no one on my side but you and Achilles."

Loneliness is the harbinger of dark thoughts, Achilles warned. Be wary of the villainous guiles of doubt and mistrust. They will lead you down the same path as your brother.

"You can't keep thinking like that" Holly insisted. "Ryan, I can't bear to see you feeling like this. You're usually so upbeat and happy. It's really unnerving to hear all these things coming from you."

Ryan sat beside the only human friend he felt he had in the world. "I haven't had a reason to be happy or upbeat in a long time. How can I still be happy after all that's happened? There's still no sign of our Pokémon. We still haven't been able to save Jeremy, or Annette, or Amanda or anyone else who's still trapped on Mirage Island. What's there to be happy about?"

Holly shook her head. "There's plenty to be happy about. I know that we'd all be in worse shape if you were on Mirage Island. I know I would be."

"The Ryan Kingston fan club has a member" Ryan glumly joked.

Holly laughed at this. The first genuine laugh he had heard in months. "I'll always be a fan. You know that. But this fan would like a more personal fan experience."

Ryan eyed her in confusion. "What did you have in mind?"

Holly looked towards Achilles. "I'm sure Achilles could use it too." She then turned to her good friend and winked. "I want a rematch."

Ryan was surprised. "What? You mean a battle?"

"Why not? It's been a long time since we went at it against each other. And considering all that's on our minds, I think we could really use a bit of a breather from worrying about things beyond our control." She hopped up to her feet. "I want to know if I've closed the gap on you or not since the last time we battled. And you look like you could use a distraction from all of this." Achilles ended his meditation and rose to his feet in response to Holly's proclamation.

A battle could perhaps alleviate tensions.

"So, Mr. Champion" Holly winked. "What do you say? Think you can take me on?"

Ryan finally cracked a grin. "You're on, Holly."

Holly held out her hand to him. "Then let's see how much rust we still have on us."

Ryan let his friend pull him back onto his feet and the trio made their way for the Charizark Town Gym, which the apartment was built into. Taking his father's own personal lift, Ryan and Achilles remained in the back, attempting to strategize their battle while Holly stood by the door, almost blissfully unaware of the idea of a battle taking place. Though he was sure this was a feint by his longtime friend, he didn't exactly feel unsure of himself as he consulted Achilles.

"Okay" he whispered. "We've got a type advantage against Roserade. But I'm not sure if Holly has gotten any tricks up her sleeve to deal with us."

I believe that we should focus on allowing her to formulate her own strategies and countering her moves at every turn. Allow us to gauge what she has in mind.

"Good plan."

The lift finally brought them to the Gym and opened up. Ryan and Holly stepped onto the arena floor. With every step they took, the arena lights flashed on. Once both took their positions, with Holly in the Challenger's corner and Ryan defending his father's position, a wall of flames surrounded the arena, causing both teenagers to freak out for a brief moment as if they had tripped some kind of wire.

"My Dad's pyrotechnics are on point" Ryan laughed.

"Always the showboats, you Kingstons" his friend teased.

"One on one?"

"Unless we both have more Pokémon we've been hiding."

"Fair enough." Ryan looked to Achilles, who leaped into the fray and readied himself for battle. Holly reached onto her belt and called out the one Pokémon that had remained loyal to her in her Roserade. The Grass Pokémon spun around elegantly and bowed graciously towards her opponent before both Pokémon prepared for battle.

Ryan was about to remind Achilles of their plan, but his Gallade surprised everyone by lunging forward to deliver a punishing blow quickly to the Roserade. The Roserade seemed to anticipate this and showered her entire side of the arena in a Stun Spore cloud. Achilles fell for the trick and stumbled to the floor in front of Holly's Pokémon, dazed and confused as to what had just transpired.

"What the heck was that, Ryan?" Holly asked.

"I have no idea" Ryan replied. "Achilles? Mind filling me in?"

I thought-I thought I could take her.

"What are you talking about?"

Something inside of me told me that I could take this fight in one blow. And yet, I could tell the Roserade was prepared for a quick attack. His Pokémon was staggered by the Stun Spore, but leaped back to his side of the arena. Forgive me, my friend. I allowed my own arrogance to get the better of me.

"This isn't like you, Achilles" Ryan acknowledged. "Usually you're so level and calm. Why would you think a sudden attack would work?"

My mind...my own thoughts betrayed me.

Ryan turned pale. That was the last thing his Gallade needed to have happen. Achilles was, aside from the Mythical Pokémon Shaymin, the only Pokémon he had left to him since Mewtwo compelled the rest of his friends to leave him. If Achilles was beginning to slip now, when Mewtwo could hypothetically be ready to strike at any time, he would be in no position to help his friends for the future. "Alright, bud. Just take some time to cool yourself down and focus on-"

But Holly was not going to give him that moment. "Roserade! Use Energy Ball!" The Roserade spun around before launching a ball of bright green energy directly at Achilles, striking him in the head and causing him to fall over. "YES! Critical Hit!"

Achilles was slow to get up, but did so all the same. He heaved as he did though, showing that Holly's Pokémon had indeed been growing stronger over all this time. Ryan knew he needed to alter his strategy now, or the fight would be lost. "Achilles, I need you to work with me here."

I will. I am ready to fight for you, my friend.

Ryan paused. The words Mewtwo had spoken to the world rang in his ear. If he pushed Achilles too far, would their friendship dissolve as had his with the other Pokémon? "Wait a minute. Maybe we should go back to our old strategy and let Holly play hers out so that we could analyze it?"

Would be easier if I was not paralyzed, Ryan. We must strike whenever we can.

"Striking for the sake of it sounds like something Matthew would do."

Sometimes, might is indeed right.

Ryan tried to collect his thoughts, but a rush of all the negative ones flowed into his head at once. Thoughts of Addison insisting they would talk about where their relationship was after the war, of Matthew returning and replacing him in the hearts of his family, of his friends suffering in Mewtwo's clutches on Mirage Island and of Claude's taunting of him that compelled him to get angry. Once more, Ryan could do little but let the rage pour into him like a vat of water dumping over. His left arm began to sear with pain and Ryan fell to one knee, Achilles mimicking his movements.

"Ryan?" Holly asked nervously. "What's wrong?"

Ryan did his best to fight it off. The desire to have Achilles rush forward and do unspeakable things to the Roserade. The passionate fire inside of him to win at all costs. But it was beating his will to hold it off. "I...I...I can't do this...I have to...I can't...I WILL!" He then rose back to his feet, his eyes rushing the color of blood. "Achilles! Shadow Claw!"

His Gallade warped in and out of the darkness before striking hard at Holly's Roserade, sending her tumbling backwards. She recovered, but this left both Pokémon and trainer shaken.

"What's gotten into you?" Holly screamed. "Ryan! Snap out of it!"

"FINISH HER!" Ryan roared, in a voice that didn't sound entirely like his own. Achilles rushed forward with blazing speed to deliver a final crushing blow onto the Roserade, but the Paralysis surrounding his body caused him to fall short of his mark and collapse to his knee in front of Holly. With one quick and ferocious blast of an Energy Ball, the Roserade struck Achilles down and caused him to faint. As if he too was struck by the blast, Ryan was launched several feet backwards until he landed hard on his back. As vivid images of what he had almost done shown brightly in his head, Ryan began to shake with absolute terror.

Despite her victory, Holly raced over to Ryan's side and knelt down beside him. "Ryan! What happened? Are you okay?"

Ryan could feel himself shaking. The same way Holly had when they had rescued her from the Syndicate Compound. The same way Addison had when he had saved her from Matthew. So it was true. The Crimson Fury was alive and well inside of him. "I-I-I-" He suddenly stumbled back to his feet, recalled Achilles and ran towards the lift back to his father's apartment. "I could have killed you. We could have-"

"Ryan!" Holly cried out, running after him.

Ryan waved her back. "NO! I'm going to hurt you!"

Holly skittered to a stop. "You're going to hurt me?"

"No!" Ryan grunted, putting his hand onto his forehead to rub the pain away. "I might hurt you. Stay back! The feeling. The rage. I don't think I can control it!"

Holly, instead of heeding his warning, ran forward and pulled Ryan onto the lift with her, her Roserade hurrying along after them. Once the three were in the lift, Holly flung her arms around him, hugging him tightly. "Ryan. I promise you, we are going to get through this. You're not alone in this."

"I could have-I could have killed you" Ryan spoke up, his voice little more than a whisper as the rage died inside of him. "I can't do this again."

"You don't have to" she assured him. "Once we get to see Professor Julia and Michael again, I'm sure they will be able to help you-"

"YOU DON'T GET IT, HOLLY!" Ryan cried out. He backed away from her. "I can't battle again. Not if Achilles and I are both this dangerous."

"But Ryan? You're the Pokémon Champion. It's your job to battle and protect Arcana."

Ryan fell onto his rear end as the lift began to ascend back to the apartment. "As Arceus as my witness, Holly. Until I can stop feeling this way, I am never going to battle again." He crumpled into a ball in the lift and wept. As his misery and despair surrounded him, Holly slipped down beside him and put her arm around him, the two in complete silence for the remainder of the night.