"I swear that woman is a godsend to have at this Castle" Deidre Tenton remarked to Addison while she was getting ready for their evening plans. "Not only did she manage to help get Ryan out of those nasty charges, but she's also so world weary and wise. It's like having a fortuneteller right at our fingertips."

Addison, not particularly acknowledging her mother's ramblings, simply nodded as she pet the Rockruff on her bed. "Oh really?"

"I hope I get to have another meeting with her soon" Deidre went on. "She's helped me so much already."

"Mom" Addison giggled, "you only saw her once, for like fifteen minutes."

"And those fifteen minutes were more than I've gotten in years from some other people. Your grandmother was a stressful woman, Arceus rest her soul. And all of the other things we've been dealing with these last few months finally being brought into the light, I find myself as light as a feather sometimes." Deidre continued to apply makeup onto herself as she looked back to her daughter. "You should try and speak with her at some point, Addy. Maybe she can help you gauge how you feel regarding things you've been concerned with."

"Mom, now that Ryan isn't facing any charges, my only concerns now are stopping Mewtwo and getting Dad back." The Rockruff playfully nipped at her fingers when she stopped petting him, prompting her to continue.

"Well, he's busy with Michael right now, so I think that means it's going to be another Mommy-Daughter evening. So, what did you have in mind for dinner, tonight?"

"What about that restaurant down by the port at the Northern Outpost?" Addison asked. "We always said we wanted to try there."

"You mean the Krabby Klub?"

"I think that's it's name. Either that or that Tavern place in Pocus Town."

"I think the Pocus Towne Tavern is where we'll be taking Aunt Caitlin this Friday. So I think that Krabby Klub will work just fine. See if you can bring up their menu from afar. I like to know what I'm ordering beforehand."

"Okay, Mom." Addison went onto her Poké Gear to try and find a menu online for her mother to browse while they were waiting, unaware that her Rockruff was now nibbling at her shoes until he chomped down a bit too hard and the sole of her foot. Addison recoiled, prompting the Pokémon to temporarily bounce around the room excitedly. As he did, he rammed himself into the dresser, where her mother's paperwork was poorly stacked. The stack of papers flew about the room wildly as the Rockruff finally settled down when Addison dove off the bed and caught him. "What is your-" She was about to reprimand the wild Rockruff, when she realized the mess he had made. "Oh, Zero. Look at this mess."

"Those papers were bound to fall at some point" her mother pointed out. "I'll help you when I'm finished getting ready."

"I can handle it" her daughter insisted. As Addison collected the paperwork and made sure her Pokémon had finally calmed down and hopped back onto her bed, she paused when she spotted a disturbing piece of paper her mother had been keeping. It was a Final Notice warning from the National Bank of Arcana. Her anxiety began to act up the deeper she went into the letter. It described her mother as a delinquent spender and how legal action would be taken to ensure that all debts were paid. To her horror, the red number at the bottom of the paperwork read 7,197,563 Poké Dollars. She flashed a glance back towards her mother, but was confused by her still going about and applying makeup. How could her mother be so calm about being over seven million Poké Dollars in debt to the National Bank of Arcana? Was she in denial? Was she just putting it off until the last moment? Or was there more to her Aunt Caitlin's visit to Arcana than she was in the know about?

"Hey, Mom" Addison called, trying not to be too obvious. "Why don't we just eat here? I'm sure Michael and Julia's chefs can whip us up anything we want in the kitchens."

"We need this, sweetie. Well, at least I do. Some sort of celebration is in order now that things are finally looking up."

"I don't think it's a good idea to do this."

"You've been talking to your Gardevoir too much" Deidre teased. "Now, let's get all dressed up and enjoy a night on-"

"How can we do this with all this money we owe?"

Deidre was silent in the other room. She put down the brush she was using to make her hair look more proper and came out of the bathroom, a look of surprise and sorrow on her face. "Addy, we don't owe anything. I made some spending mistakes that put me in a lot of trouble, not you. But that's all in the past now."

But Addison couldn't forget those bold numbers on the paper she was holding. "Mom, this is serious. We can't be going out when-"

"There is no financial issue, sweetheart."

"Did Dad know about-"

"I said it was all taken care of" her mother sternly replied.

"By what?"

Deidre sighed. "This is why I didn't want you to worry about this. You're young. You've got your whole life to look forward to, Addy. A thousand and one doors open to you to do whatever your heart's desire would be. Not shackled to court life or ridiculed by your peers. Let me handle this whole debt thing."

Addison lowered her head. "I'm sorry." As her mother and she picked up the rest of their paperwork, Addison did her best to put the idea of that much debt behind her, but her mind kept running it over and over until it was embedded into it. She had to learn more. Otherwise, her fear would only grow. "Mom, I can use some of the money I made in the Contests if-"

Deidre gave her daughter and exasperated yet endearing smile. She bent down and kissed her head. "No, my love. You need to save that for your future. Like I told you, you've got so many more opportunities than I had at your age. And I want you to go out there and see what this big and wonderous world has to offer. That money is entirely for you. I've taken care of my debts. You don't have to worry about it." When she realized this wouldn't settle her daughter, Deidre sat down on the foot of the bed and gestured to her. "Come here. I need to talk to you."

Addison did as her mother asked and sat beside her. "What is it, Mom?"

"I envy you, Addy" her mother replied. "Truly, I do."

"For what?"

"Everything you've accomplished. You're fourteen years old and you've already gone around all of Arcana on a Pokémon Journey, trained to become a Queen of Arcana Contestant and even competed in a grand tournament. You're in tune with Pokémon in ways that would make your father so proud." She put her arm around her daughter and brought her into a gentle embrace. "You overcame the most dangerous affliction in all of Arcana. You found the love of your life in your best friend. You saved Michael Kingston's life. And you saved our entire region, all of it while keeping yourself together while I tried to drink myself into a grave."

Addison did her best not to break down in front of her mother. "It wasn't easy. None of it was."

"I'm sorry I wasn't there for you" Deidre said somberly. "I should have been a much better mother than this. Instead, I'm just a shadow of my own mother."

"You're a great Mom" Addison defended.

"You're sweet, but wrong. All I've ever been in my life is Dee the Damsel. Always needing to be saved by someone. Always needing someone to lean on. Always needing to be swept off my feet by some gallant prince who would take all of my worries away."

"You've done more than that. You were a great Queen of Arcana. Even Dad used to say it."

"A great Queen wouldn't have been overrun by Piper when I was" Deidre countered. "No, Addy. I wasn't a great Queen. I may have won on my looks, but I'm not half the court darling that Piper is or even the beauty that someone like Tori or Olivia Novren would have been." She looked up to the ceiling and sighed. "Your grandmother was right about me all along. All I ever did was hold the people I loved back." She laughed as tears fell from her eyes. "And I still am." She looked to her daughter and gently moved her hair about on her head, parting it so that they could speak more directly to one another. "Addy, I want you to know that I have adored you since the day you were born. You were my little gift from Arceus. The day my life really began was when the doctor handed you to me. All of the years I struggled to keep things together, the only two things I had in the world were you and your father."

Addison flushed. "At least we're doing this here and not in public."

Her mother laughed. "I agree." Addison could tell that her mother's makeup was beginning to smudge as she got all emotional. "But I mean it. Addy, you saved me in more ways than I can admit." She bit her lip as she went back to the days before she had been a mother. "Those few years before you were born were really dark. Not just for me, but for all of Arcana. First Balthazar Aced died. Than James. Then those thugs in the Syndicate rose. Then-" She shook her head. "No. I don't even think you're ready for that one."

Addison wrapped her arms around her mother and embraced her. "Come on, Mom. You can trust me."

After a moment of wondering if she would get a response, her mother finally answered her. "How much do you know about life in high society?"

Addison thought for a moment. What did she actually know? Besides all of the balls and galas she and her family would attend, she knew very little. Not much about political machinations or court life. How the social hierarchy worked or even if she should be referring to the Kingstons as Lord and Lady due to their status in the region. All she could give her mother was a shrug. "Not much, I guess."

"Your father and I raised you right" Deidre said kindly. "And a few other things changed since then, as well. But when I was a little girl, there were things that were expected of you. Proper table manners, how to act in public, how to eat, how to speak. All of it was carefully and rigidly embedded into you from a very young age, especially if you were supposed to make it somewhere in Arcana. A Bonnie Kingston led world was a High Society world. And your Grandmother wanted so badly to be inside that elite world." She turned to face her daughter. "Arcanan Society is divided into several systems. Some places, they would be called castes, but they've been calling them 'classes' here. The lowest class belongs to those who weren't born into one of the thirteen families and generally don't have the means to ascend much higher than where they are right now. The next class is those like the Augustines who do have the means, but are on the outside looking in due to the well built structures of Arcana."

"Good thing we're Tentons, then" Addison remarked, but quieted herself when her mother eyed her sadly.

"Even that's an issue" Deidre continued, "because even the Thirteen Families are divided into these classes. They've been changed and altered about over the years and since many of the families have moved away from Arcana thanks to that sewer rat Claude Jacques, they are very much mixed even to this day. But when I was a little girl, it was much clearer. The Duon Family, the Eighern Family, the Seissuon Family and my family, the Setenns, were in one class. The Tress Family, the Fouritz's, the Novren's, the Fiveroux's and your father's family, the Tentons, were in the class above ours. But if you wanted to be anyone, you had to be in the upper classes. Those were the Jacques Family, the Queensburys, the Aceds and naturally the Kingstons. If it had been a few centuries earlier, we would have gotten little more than derision from the higher families. But, my grandmother did a lot to help our family move up. She had my mother become very good friends with Bonnie's daughter and the soon to be Queen of Arcana, Erin Kingston. The two of them competed together in the Contests and Erin brought her along to all of the functions as her close friend. That's why we've maintained such a strong relationship with the Kingstons."

"I get it" Addison remarked. "That must be why we're all friends, even now."

"Erin and your Grandmother wanted one thing in this world: to truly be sisters. My grandmother tried to betroth Erin to my Uncle Richard, but Erin fell head over heels in love with this handsome young construction worker from Castelia City. When that didn't work, your grandmother tried something else."

"Betroth?"

Deidre gently patted Addison's back. "Basically, from a young age, you were told who you would marry. Very few marriages were about love and feeling. If it came about, so be it. It was all the rage back in the day. Nowadays, it's a little passé. Actually, I'd say it started to go out of fashion as soon as James Kingston took over the family. Of all of his children, I think only Jeice Kingston ended up marrying someone from one of the Thirteen Families in his first wife Jane Kingston, the mother of Chris and Cameron. Everyone else married who they wanted to. Byron married my mother's friend Joy, Doug married a girl he went to university with, Robert married his sweetheart from the Kalos Region in Alison, James Jr. married his own sweetheart from university, and of course Erin married Big Mike."

"So no one else was betrothed?"

"If only you remembered your Grandmother" Deidre commented, clearly emotionally drained from even talking about her. "She pushed and lobbied hard for the Kingstons and Setenns to be united no matter what the outcome. So, when a certain daughter was born into the Setenn Family only a few weeks after a certain boy was born to the Kingstons..."

Addison's eyes lit up in surprise. "Michael?!"

Her mother nodded, her eyes brightening at the thought of these days. "And, for a while, it seemed like the Setenn Family had struck gold. Michael was James's favorite grandson. And he was my best friend." She sighed contently. "Every girl our age absolutely adored him. Julia wasn't alone, you know. Betsy Seissuon, Rebecca Eighern and Olivia Novren. All of them would swoon when he or Chris or Jon were even brought up in conversation, but mostly Michael. But no matter how much they crushed on him, he was mine by oath. When we were old enough, we were going to be married."

Addison was now more confused than ever. "Married? But what about Dad?"

"Your father was supposed to marry Michael's sister, Victoria" Deidre explained. "And those two were so sweet together. They both were so shy around each other. I remember Michael and I used to tease Tori all the time about it. They, in turn, used to tease us. A cute little cycle we all had." Her smile began to fade. "Unfortunately, things began to change. No matter how close Michael and I were, it was never strong enough to protect him from the Syndicate and Giselle."

"You loved Michael?"

"You would have to have been crazy not to back then, or now to be honest. The Kingstons were all good, thanks to James. But there was something special about Michael. You could never feel down around him. He always did whatever it could to keep you smiling around him. He never thumbed his nose at anyone or talked down to them. He would have taken an entire Tauros stampede for a friend. And he still would." She bit her lip again, but more gently. "When Michael was accused of killing those people after being branded, almost all of Arcana abandoned him. His parents, Lady Bonnie, even Julia kept her distance. I wanted so badly to help him, to do anything for him. But your grandmother demanded I never talk to him again. It broke my heart the day they told me he had been exiled. I couldn't do a damn thing to help the boy I loved and the whole world I had dreamed of crashed around me. It sent me into some very dark places. I rebelled against your grandmother and went down a wild and dangerous lifestyle. One day, when I was in the middle of a very stupid and dangerous game with some of my friends, I had only one friend there to tell me what I needed to hear. That I was being stupid and throwing my life away. That friend was your father."

"Daddy?"

"I went home with him that night, because I knew he was right. I was throwing my life away on these stupid games. It had been a year since Michael was exiled and I was probably never going to see him again. I thought life ended that day, but your father showed me that there was more to life than that. Even in Arcana, where Giselle was ruling us like a tyrant, there were beautiful things worth celebrating." She took a deep breath to try and calm herself. "One thing led to another and I found out a few weeks later that I was going to be a mother. A fourteen year old mother, in a world where high society was still king."

"What happened?"

"Your grandmother was furious, but your Aunt Caitlin stood up for me" Deidre revealed. "She told your Grandmother off and promised that we would get through it all together if we needed to. I didn't want to tell your father, because what would he do? Would he run away? I mean, we were both young and naïve. How could I know he was ready to be a father?" She cracked a smile. "Funny thing is, though, I never had to doubt. Your father committed himself solely to me when he found out. He used his Pokémon Tournament earnings to buy the house we lived in and continued to help me through this most stressful time in my life. Your father was the guardian angel I needed. And he passed that right onto you." She teared up at the sight of her daughter. "I mean it when I say you are the meaning of my life, Addison. You and your father helped me straighten myself out and become the Queen of Arcana I was meant to be, even if it was under Giselle's reign. I let the rest of the world and all of those little girl dreams pass away. I had something truly wonderful to live for. I had a fantastic husband and the most precious treasure I could ever have: you." She kissed her daughter.

Addison lovingly embraced her mother. The Rockruff, who had been napping beside them, noticed the embrace and tried to nuzzle his way into the conversation. She giggled as she tried to rein in Zero. "That's so sweet, Mom. I love you, too."

Deidre sighed. "And yet, Arceus had one final test for me."

"What was that?"

"Two years after you were born, he came back. Four years in exile had certainly hardened him, but he was the same loving and caring Michael I had known before all of this. He crushed Giselle and her oppressive regime and saved Arcana." She held her hand close to her heart. "I was afraid. Afraid I was going to pass up on being with the boy I had been in love with all my childhood. But I was even more afraid that I was going to give up the life I had with you and your father. I wanted Michael and I to be together, but I knew your father deserved better than to just have me run off on him. In the end, I decided I would let Michael decide for me." She eyed Addison and squeezed her daughter. "Once he saw you, he knew your father was the one for me and knew he would treat me like I deserved to be treated. Of course, Michael had found his own true love in Julia too, but that's another story."

Addison nodded contently, but one question still troubled her. "I don't understand something. You and Michael were so close, but he let you go with Dad. Didn't he love you?"

"I used to wonder that same question myself" Deidre concluded with a glance at the stack of paper on the dresser, "but I found the answer to it when he promised to pay off our debts."

Addison gasped. "Michael did-"

"I will always cherish Michael. He is truly one of the greatest men in this entire world. I am honored to have earned his trust and his love. And I will always love him. But he knew the same thing that I did and found it out for himself not too long ago when he married Julia. Your father and I were always meant to be, the same way he and Julia were. He told me that he wouldn't give up his family for anything, not even me. So, if Michael could be sure even in these hard times where his heart belonged, I know that I can always remain strong and true to you and my own true love." Deidre looked at her blotched makeup on her face in the vanity mirror and laughed. "Well, so much for all that time I spent putting that makeup on."

"I can help you get more on" Addison told her mother.

Deidre waved her off. "No need. I think your idea of staying at the Castle is a much better idea. We'll get some of our favorite foods made right here. And then, I think we need to-" She paused when the Rockruff hopped onto her lap and began to lick her face, laughing as she tried to push Zero's slobbering tongue aside. "I think we need to take this one out for a walk in the gardens. He's too excitable."

Addison beamed. "That sounds like a terrific idea, Mom."

{}

Once his issues with Ryan had been sorted and his cousin had been pacified, Michael had to resume his duties inside the Lord's Study. With his trusted Arcanine resting by his feet, the former Pokémon League Champion continued to effortlessly sign paperwork that Gerard and everyone else who could get into his study dropped on his desk. Mufasa would occasionally stretch himself out in front of the fire, but remained content to nap away the day. Michael envied him a bit, but knew he could get some needed time off as soon as he finished paying a debt of his own. Not a monetary one, but an emotional one. One he owed to someone who had not only come to the rescue of his wife and children, but to all of the region. And he was determined to pay it back.

"Lord Kingston" Gerard's voice echoed from outside. "Lady Annie and Commander Jonathan are here as you requested."

Michael grinned. "Good. Send them in."

The doors opened slowly and both Annie and his cousin slowly made their way in. Michael dropped his pen and rose from the chair and made his way over to them. He warmly embraced the two of them, patting Jon on the back and kissing Annie on the cheek. The couple wore looks of surprise as to why they had been summoned at all, but were pleasantly surprised at Michael's affection.

"What's that for?" Jon laughed. "We're not in trouble, are we?"

"Of course not" Michael replied. "After six months, the nightmare is finally starting to improve."

"I'm just thankful that Arcana can look forward to some calm" Annie answered sweetly. "We need it. All of us."

"It'll be nice to finally get used to sleeping on my own bed again" Jon added. "But who knows when that will come."

"I'll rest easy as soon as that menace Mewtwo is gone" Michael concluded, "but life without those mercenaries running half of Arcana is certainly a step in the right direction." Michael took a deep breath. "I owe it to you two."

"You don't owe us anything, Mike" his cousin assured him. "We're family, it's what we do."

Michael shook his head. "You two went above and beyond for us. Julia told me everything. If you two hadn't stepped up, not only would all of Arcana have probably been in Claude's grip, but I might not have had a wife to come home to. You two practically held all of Arcana together while I was recovering from my injuries and Julia from her mental anguish." He looked directly to Annie. "I don't know what we did to deserve you in the family, Annie, but I'm thankful for it and so is Julia. You've done everything we could have asked for. And I have my family because of your leadership."

Annie smiled brightly. "There's no reason to be so humble, Michael. I just helped out a bit here and there. I'm sure you would have done the same for me."

"And Jon" Michael said as he turned towards his older cousin, "the work you put in cannot be overstated. You kept Billy and Uncle Robert from tearing the whole region apart and prevented Claude from claiming that crown he thought he deserved. You pummeled those thugs in Terra Town and made sure all of my father's plans for the city held ground. You helped win back Taghwan and are just as responsible for the victory as anyone else, if not more because of your leadership when I couldn't be here." He squeezed his eyes shut as his thoughts went to Chris. "It hasn't been easy. But knowing that I could rely on you just as much as I could Chris and Cam is definitely reassuring."

"Now and always" Jon promised.

"I need to show you guys my appreciation" Michael told the couple as he made his way back to his desk.

"That won't be necessary" Annie answered sweetly, her hair flashing as the fire in the fireplace crackled. "We don't need any bribery to stay on. To be honest, I've grown quite fond of your children. And Julia has been such a good friend to me. Michael, it's an honor to continue to work and help Arcana run."

"We're family, Michael" Jon said proudly. "There's no debts to square up on."

"I mean it" the Lord insisted. "Anything you two want, I'll make it done for you. A bigger house, money, even a spot on the Elite Four with some brownnosing of Ryan. You name it and I'll do it."

While Jon was adamant that they didn't need any gifts, Annie became reflective for a moment. "Actually, Michael. There is something."

"Name it, Annie."

"Come on, Annie" Jon urged. "We don't need to-"

"Maybe Michael can help us" Annie replied to her fiancé. "You see, Michael, we're in a bit of a bad place with the Arcana Clergy."

Michael eyed the couple in confusion. "The clergy? What do they want with you two?"

"Because of all that's been going on with Grandma dying and the war with Claude" Jon interjected, "we've had to postpone our wedding several times. And the Clergy who were supposed to oversee the wedding is getting angry that we haven't had the ceremony yet."

Annie frowned worriedly. "And if we can't get the wedding together soon, they're going to demand more money of us."

"Greedy beasts" Jon grunted.

"Why haven't you guys gotten the ceremony together?" Michael asked. "Surely your mother is capable of that, Jon."

"She is" Jon responded. "But the venue we had chosen in Cauldro City still hasn't opened and won't take our calls back."

"And won't be opening anytime soon, from the looks of it" Annie said sadly.

Michael chuckled to himself as an idea popped into his head. "Do you have to have the wedding there so the Clergy can get off your back?"

"I don't think the locale matters."

"Then get married here. At the Castle."

Annie and Jon's jaws dropped. "Get married here? But Michael-"

"Why not?" Michael asked. "Kingston Castle has got to be twice as beautiful as the venue you guys wanted. And like it or not, you two are family and have every right to do exactly as Julia and I did. I would be honored to have you two married in the Chapel here and to host your ceremony." He looked at the stunned couple and laughed. "Well? What do you say?"

Annie jumped for joy. "Thank you, Michael! Thank you so much!" She rushed at Jon and kissed him passionately. "We've got so much to do! We have to get ahold of the catering company and the florists! And I have to talk to my parents and my brother and sister! And get our guest list and pick a date and-EEEEEEEEEE!" The excitable woman raced around Michael's desk and hugged him tightly before pecking him on the cheek and rushing out the door, calling back to Michael. "Thank you so much, Michael!"

Jon looked as if he had narrowly survived a hurricane. "She's sure excited."

"You should be too, Jon. It's long overdue for you two, anyway."

"You're telling me" Jon laughed as he sat in front of Michael's desk. "We got engaged before Tori and Greg or you and Julia, but the two of you beat us to it. I guess all of that stuff with Malcolm's death and the Syndicate and now Claude got us preoccupied. Time flies in strange ways." Jon folded his hands and eyed his cousin nervously. "I don't want to offend you or anything, but I kinda promised Billy that he would be the Best Man at my-"

Michael waved him off. "This is your wedding, Jon. Not mine. I had my Best Man of choice at my own. You get yours. I would be happy just to take part any way I can."

"We'll have you two be our official witnesses" Jon told him. He took a deep breath and reclined into the chair. "This is a huge weight off of my shoulders, Michael. Thank you. When could we schedule it for?"

"We could probably have everything ready as soon as Friday."

Now, it was Jon's turn to nearly freak out. "Friday? That quickly?"

"I assume Annie isn't going to want to wait much longer" Michael joked. "We'll go over the details tomorrow."

Jon rose from the table and offered a handshake to his cousin. "Mike. I don't know what to say-"

Michael shook his cousin's hand warmly. "Don't say anything, then. Like you said, Jon. We're family."

Jon departed from the Study in a daze as Gerard sidestepped him and entered the Study. "My apologies for intruding, Sir."

"It's no intrusion, Gerard" Michael told him. "Tell me, we'll be able to host a wedding here, right?"

"Unless you mean to invite the entirety of the world to the event" Gerard dryly replied, "I'm sure we can, Sir."

"Good. We're going to need to get everything prepared. Jon and Annie will be getting married here. Possibly on Friday or soon after."

The butler bowed. "Of course, sir. We shall be in contact with Miss Tress's family regarding the whole event, catering and music and all of that. But I do have a matter of some urgency I need you to attend to, Sir."

Michael's eyebrow rose. "What's wrong?"

"Perhaps this baby monitor will explain it for you, Sir." The butler held an audio baby monitor up close to Michael. When he triggered the button to activate it, he could hear the sound of Arya throwing a tantrum in the nursery while her brother cried in his crib. "It would seem as though Lady Arya does not wish to partake in her nap for the afternoon. We have been trying to reach Lady Julia, but she appears to still be tending to the affairs of Professor Pines. Perhaps you could suffice as their father, sir?"

Michael rolled his eyes and nodded. "As is the duty of a father."

{}

Once he had gotten word of the massive wedding brewing within the walls of Kingston Castle, Mark Lionel hurried to find both his "special guest" Greta and his old friend Lizzie West about it to ensure they were kept in the loop. According to Gerard the Butler, not only was the already massive guest list from Jon and Annie's original ceremony supposed to be there, but everyone of Michael's guests in the castle, as well as plenty of others from all around and near Arcana were invited to attend. At least they would have a few days to find outfits to wear. He found the two in the Castle Library, a massive hall of books in the Eastern Wing of the Castle and just down the hall from the Lord's Study. While Lizzie was searching for just the right book she wanted to read, Greta was already ensconced in a book about the life and times of Arturius Kingston, the last King of Arcana.

"Have you guys heard yet?" Mark cried out as he rushed to greet them.

"Shush!" Greta sharply sounded.

"It's a library, you dingus" Lizzie snapped. "We're supposed to be quiet!"

"This is important!" Mark insisted, doing his best to keep the tone down. "There's going to be a big party in a few days. Jon Kingston and Annie Tress are getting married."

Lizzie seemed to be oblivious to the news, still in search of the book she wanted to read. Greta paused her reading and lowered the book to address Mark personally. "And how does this affect us?"

"We're invited" Mark replied. "It's taking place here at Kingston Castle and they want us there."

This got the desired shock from Greta as she nearly fell out of her chair. "WHAT?!"

"Shush!" Lizzie again hissed.

"You mean to tell me we're invited to a wedding?" Greta exclaimed. "Oh, if I had known, I would have packed a dress when we left, assuming I had any."

"I know a few seamstresses in Arcana I can take you to" Mark casually assured her. "Or, I could have Piper Pines or Lady Julia help you."

Greta giddily leaped from her chair and ran over to Mark. "This is so exciting. This is my first wedding where I actually get to bring a date!"

Mark flushed with color. "Well, I uh-"

"And don't worry, Mark" Greta assured her dear friend. "My feet get tired really easy. We won't dance too much!" She eagerly pecked Mark on the cheek and ran out of the library, nearly bowling over Cynthia as she did. The Sinnoh Region's Champion was surprised at Greta's excitement before she came in to commune with Mark on her own.

"Sounds like someone knows about the wedding" Cynthia laughed, patting Mark on the shoulder. "Michael taught you how to charm the girls, or what?"

Mark was flustered. "We're just-I mean-c'mon, Cynthia!"

"Don't worry" his old friend assured him. "I'm just messing with you. As it happens, I'm looking for another part of Michael's Elite Four at the moment. You two haven't seen Cameron around, have you? I was told to tell her about the wedding, but no one has seen her since we got back from Ryan's trial." When she saw Lizzie was not keen to avert her eyes from her search for a book, she looked to Mark. "Have you, Mark?"

Mark thought for a moment and shook his head. "Not me. Maybe she's off training."

Cynthia sighed. "That could be anywhere in Arcana."

"The King's Bay" Lizzie replied quickly before she went back to work. "Michael used to take her there for training when she was younger. It's her favorite place to train apart from The Lonely Road." Without another word, Lizzie resumed anxiously looking for whichever book was on her mind.

Mark rolled his eyes. "Check by the Bay, then. It's all the way in the back of the Kingston Lands, past the Gardens."

Cynthia nodded. "Got it."

Once Cynthia was gone, Mark was finally able to get a moment's rest from all the excitement. He was finally going to get to have his first real date with Greta. The two had spent several nights watching their favorite game shows together, but nothing beyond that. He had been too afraid of her father to ask her out. But now, here in Arcana and far away from the watchful and protective eyes of her father, he might be able to enjoy his first date since before he met Michael Kingston almost eighteen years earlier. He glanced back at Lizzie, who had finally found the book she was looking for about Arcana Mythology.

"You don't seem so excited about the wedding."

"You know I don't like weddings" Lizzie replied as she began reading. "I went to Michael's out of respect for him and Julia. I think I'm going to decline this one."

"Why?"

Lizzie grunted and stared Mark down. "Because I don't think I can handle it, okay?!"

Mark backed down immediately. "Uh, sure."

Lizzie frowned. "I'm sorry. I don't want to take it out on you, but-"

"I get it" Mark assured her. "I just want you to know that Jon and Annie both want us there." When Lizzie did not add anymore, Mark sighed and turned to exit the library after Greta and Cynthia. But he paused when he noticed the book Lizzie was reading. "Arcana Mythology? You want to find out more about what Countess Rosemary said?"

"No" Lizzie said bluntly. "I want to find out if what Hunter said to me was true."

"You mean about the Mythical Pokémon?" Mark asked calmly. "Lizzie, you can't trust what that jerk said."

"It's all I can focus on" she insisted. "He has four of the six Mythical Pokémon under his thumb, Mark!"

"I know" Mark frowned. Thanks to the thugs Claude had sent to kill him on Cinnabar Island, he had lost his Mythical Pokémon companion in Mew. Along with that, both Michael and Lizzie had also been stripped of Celebi and Jirachi respectively. And with Chris unintentionally surrendering Manaphy when he was captured, all Hunter needed to do to attain all six of the Mythical Pokémon was to somehow make it back to Arcana and capture Victini from Cameron and Shaymin from Ryan. Beyond that, there was little known of what would happen if all six were gathered together. It had never been done before and with Shaymin resurfacing on Mirage Island, there was no telling the kind of power they could be witnessed to in the coming months.

"So I don't see what the big deal is about some stupid wedding when Hunter could very well have the power of a god soon" Lizzie grumbled. "Weddings are for times of peace. We're still at war with Mewtwo! And it doesn't end until either he's destroyed or we are!" She then resumed her reading.

"Is this about something else?" Mark asked her. "Lizzie?" Lizzie kept silent, prompting Mark to shrug and depart from the Library, leaving Lizzie to focus on her work.