Pokemon: The Dawn of Arcana

by TheNMan64

The Final Clash with Mewtwo is upon us in the next chapter of the Crimson Fury Saga. With the forces of good pushed to their breaking point and on the brink of collapse, an unexpected chosen must rise to the occasion and oppose Mewtwo despite their fears and lack of confidence. Darkness will rise, light will fall and the end of an entire age of the world is coming...

16. Chapter 15: Home

With all of the commotion going on around Kingston Castle over the impending wedding, both Dawn and Lucas found some solace in the Cellar of Kingston Castle while getting back into Lucas's studying for what had to have been the first time in six months. Even Dawn was thankful for the distraction of doing whatever she could to help Lucas. If she had to hear one more thing about this wedding before it happened, she was going to go berserk. To her confusion, however, Lucas was extremely skittish about the whole affair. When it would be brought up in conversation, he would look at her weirdly before either quickly changing the conversation or simply run off. Whether it was about a fear or something, she didn't know. And when she confronted him about it, he seemed to not know what she was talking about. That, of course, was his cover story.

He's got to be up to something, Dawn thought to herself. Why else would he be so reluctant to even be around when that darn wedding is being talked about?

Nevertheless, she chose to keep her curiosity to herself and let Lucas do her thing. Though he would occasionally ask her to hand him one of his notebooks or one of the library books that covered elements of the Crimson Fury prior to the studies done by Balthazar Aced and James Kingston, she was left mostly to thumb through her Poké Gear, looking up news stories and funny videos with trainers and their Pokémon, though there had been an ominous lack of new videos since Mewtwo's proclamation compelled so many to abandon their trainers. She herself was lucky to still have her Staraptor named Raptor and her Luxray named Kiara, two of her closest companions since childhood. But she had also lost her Garchomp, her Torterra, her Infernape and her Empoleon. She missed them dearly, wondering sometimes in the darkness of night if she had ever truly been as faithful to them as she was her other Pokémon.

Her ringtone blared throughout the cellar, causing the Pachirisu asleep on Lucas's head to jump up and squeak in surprise. Dawn was shocked when she saw who was contacting her. "It's Mom!" She quickly accepted the Video Chat and eagerly waved to her mother. "Mom! It's so good to see you!"

Her mother, a splitting image of her daughter only with much shorter hair, beamed at the sight of her daughter. "Hello, Dawn. It's been a while since we were last able to talk. How are you doing, sweetie? I hope that nastiness in Arcana is almost over."

Dawn nodded. "It is. That crazy old guy that was trying to be a King is dead now and the Kingstons are back in power. Cynthia and I helped as much as we could. So did Lucas." She winked at her friend, but Lucas did not seem to notice and was instead fixated on his research. "Now, we've just got to focus on helping Lucas finish his research and getting our Pokémon back."

"I hope you aren't getting yourself into too much trouble over there" her mother admonished.

"I'm behaving myself" she proclaimed. "You can even ask Cynthia."

"She and I have our conversations. She told me about this wedding you'll be attending."

Dawn sighed. "Why can't we escape talk about that wedding?"

"You don't have anything to wear to such an event, do you?" her mother asked. "If it wasn't happening so soon, I'd send you one of my Contest Dresses."

"I'm sure I can just borrow something from Holly or Addison."

Her mother looked off screen for a moment and nodded. "Yes, I've got her. Dawn, I've got Professor Rowan with me. He wants to chat with you two."

This caught Lucas's attention. "Professor?" Her friend was by her side in a flash, prompting Dawn to giggle.

The scruffy old man made his way in front of the screen and nodded. "Ah yes, my two star pupils. The battling prodigy and my apprentice. Lucas, how fairs your research?"

"I've been learning so much about the Crimson Fury from the work Balthazar Aced did on it" the young scholar answered proudly. "And I think I might have an answer regarding how all of it may be in sync. It'll be tricky to figure out, but I think it has something to do with all of those events that were said to take place in that mythical region from back in the day. What was it again? Hisui?"

Rowan chuckled. "Hisui? Lucas, I think you might be studying a bit too much, son. Hisui was what Sinnoh was called long ago by the first people who came here."

"But so much of what went on there is unexplained. There was a boy who claimed to have been in contact with-"

"All mythological" his mentor warned him. "You wish to be a scientist, correct? We need facts, not superstitious belief."

Lucas frowned slightly. "Yes sir."

The old Professor turned his attention to Dawn. "And Dawn? Has Arcana provided you with that challenge you've been craving?"

"More than that, Professor!" she exclaimed. "The Champion and I are basically best friends at this point. We're going to have a true rematch once we've got our Pokémon back."

"Professor" Lucas interjected, "if I may, is there any scientific reasoning behind why the Pokémon of the world up and abandoned us? I mean, I don't think any of us were abusing our Pokémon. Were we?"

"You two certainly weren't" the Professor answered. "And if what you and Julia have said about Arcana is indeed correct, I doubt many there were cruel to their Pokémon either. As to your theory regarding the scientific reasoning of said phenomenon, Lucas, I'm afraid there is no consensus. Since I'm almost retired at this point and with all that's been going on, we haven't been able to converse as much as we did before. The illness striking Maria Pines and the disappearance of Amanda Fouritz has certainly made things harder." He seemed to be thinking for a moment, but then quickly responded. "But I'm certain that the reasoning behind it will come up. Even a Pokémon as powerful as Mewtwo cannot possibly gain that much intuition."

"Which reminds me" Dawn's mother added. "Dawn, your pass finally came in."

"My pass?" she asked in confusion.

"Your Battle Frontier application was confirmed."

Dawn gasped. "They accepted me?!"

"Congratulations, Dawn" Rowan appraised.

"Battle Frontier?" Lucas inquired.

"The Battle Frontier is a prestigious domain where only the finest trainers in the region are invited to compete" the Professor explained. "Cynthia helped Dawn fill out an application for them after their battle at the Pokémon League, but it took them a long time to grant her that offer." Rowan looked over the pass as Dawn's mother held it for him. "Let me see, ah yes. You are now an honorary member of the Frontier Committee. Because of this, Dawn, you are free to use this to compete in any and all Pokémon Tournaments that are held around the world. You can even use that to gain entry into the most prestigious Pokémon Leagues, including the one in Arcana."

Dawn's eyes went wild. "I'm a member of the Frontier Committee! This is so cool!"

Dawn's mother sighed. "Now, I won't get to see my daughter again for years on end."

"Why's that?" Lucas asked.

"Yeah, Mom?"

"We both know you, Dawn" her mother reasoned. "You have an unquenchable thirst for battle. You'll be out there battling until you meet someone better than you and then you'll keep going until you've beaten them. Just like your father."

"I think getting the opportunity to face the greatest trainers in the world will be enough to sate your pleasure for competition" Rowan laughed.

Dawn was unable to add more. She was in total shock. She could not essentially go wherever she wanted, whenever she wanted. To be a part of the Frontier Committee meant she didn't even have to go through any lengthy application processes or worry about not being registered ever again. She could use this special pass to go and challenge any Pokémon League she wanted. She could go back to Sinnoh and challenge Cynthia to a rematch. Or Ryan. Hey, why even go back to Sinnoh when there were only so few trainers left that were better than her? Arcana was said to hold some of the most powerful trainers in the entire world. Michael Kingston was said to be unbeatable. Cameron Kingston right behind him. And if Cynthia respected those two enough to heap praise on them, why even go back to Sinnoh to be it's Champion when she could go anywhere she wanted and compete whenever it suited her needs.

"I think we've over stimulated her" Lucas teased. "But I'm sure we'll all be able to talk this over better when we get home."

Dawn paused. "Home?"

"Once Lucas is finished with his research" Rowan explained, "Cynthia has promised to bring you two back home. She claims her own battle in Arcana isn't over, but she thinks you two should be home."

"I agree with her" Dawn's mother reiterated. "Lucas, your parents miss you dearly."

"I know" the boy replied. "It shouldn't be more than a few days. I miss home, too."

Dawn didn't immediately answer, contemplating how best to break it to her mother and especially to her best friend. "That's the thing, Mom. I-I don't think I'm coming back, yet."

"WHAT?!" Lucas cried out. "But Dawn-"

"I knew it" her mother moaned. "Give the girl a Frontier Pass and she's gone for the rest of her life, forgetting about the mother who raised her and cares for her and worries sick about her."

"Come on, Mom" Dawn moaned. "This is a huge opportunity for me." She grinned at the idea of how the Pokémon World Tournament was supposed to unfold and all of the chances she would have to become a better trainer. "I got a taste of what the other leagues can do. Arcana alone is just a fantastic place. I'm under the same roof as four of the greatest Pokémon Trainers who ever lived. The thought of seeing what I can do and pushing me and my team to the very brink of our abilities is getting me pumped for more! I mean, I can already go toe to toe with Ryan and Cameron Kingston and did well against Cynthia. Imagine me, Dawn of Twinleaf Town, taking on the great Lord Michael Kingston."

"The Pokémon Leagues aren't going to open up until the Kingstons can beat Mewtwo" Lucas reminded her. "Even then, that could take months or years." He lowered his head. "Dawn, do you really want to stay here? With all of this going on, even if the reason we came here is completed?"

Dawn felt guilty about her feelings, but shook her head. "I have to stay, Lucas. If not to sate my feelings, to keep my promise to Ryan."

"You talk an awful lot about this Ryan" her mother eyed her daughter curiously. "I wonder if-"

Dawn blushed and waved wildly at her mother. "What? Of course not! Ryan's got a girlfriend and I don't date my rivals." She then sighed. "Mom, Ryan is my friend. This battle against Mewtwo involves all of us because they've hurt all of us. Lucas and I included. If Ryan needs help, I'll be there to get his back. The same goes for Addison and Holly and even Ryan's jerk brother Matthew. If they fall, what's going to stop Mewtwo from taking the battle to us in Sinnoh? We can't run from this. I know you feel the same way I do, Professor."

Rowan scratched his moustache and nodded. "Indeed. Despite how much I have grown to care for Julia and her family, I would feel much better if this battle for all existence took place in Arcana instead of Sinnoh." He then sternly eyed Dawn. "But if it is your intention to remain behind, you must convince Cynthia. She is your guardian at this time and I will not overstep her wishes. At least until your Frontier Pass arrives for you in Arcana."

Dawn looked at Lucas and frowned. His world seemed to be crashing around him, as his eyes seemed to be glazed with fear and worry. She wanted to talk to him, but he simply nodded to Professor Rowan. "Thanks for checking in, Professor. I've got to get back to my work, now. I'll report to you when I'm finished." He quickly went back to his work and left Dawn alone to conclude the conversation.

"Take care, sweetie" her mother responded. "We'll be rooting for you. But please be careful."

"I will, Mom. Love you!" When the conversation ended, Dawn made her way over to Lucas's side, but he tried to focus himself entirely on his work and avoid making eye contact with her. She knelt down beside him. "Come on, Lucas. You can't just avoid talking to me for the rest of the day."

"Sorry, Dawn, but I've got a ton of research to do" he replied half-heartedly. "We both have futures to worry about."

This struck Dawn hard. "Ouch." She was about to walk away, but she remained determined to compel her friend to forgive her. "Look, we both know what's at stake for the world if Mewtwo wins. I won't have a Frontier to challenge and you won't have a Sandgem Lab to be the Professor of." Realizing she was getting herself emotional, she calmed down slightly.

Lucas's silence was more deafening than anything she could think of at this moment. She turned to leave him to his work, but then realized she had just the thing to get him to stop being mad at her. She approached her best friend ever so flirtatiously. "So, Lucas. I don't think you're aware, but there's a big wedding going on here at the Castle. And wouldn't you know it, I don't seem to have a date for it."

"You could always ask Ryan" Lucas grumbled.

Fed up with Lucas's talk, Dawn spun his chair around and planted a kiss on the boy, causing him to blush a deep shade of red she had only seen her Infernape's fire glow at. The Pachirisu on his head brushed her nose with her tail, causing her to laugh and pull away from the kiss. She winked at her best friend as she spun around and departed. "I expect to meet you in the Foyer at 7:00 on Friday Night. Dress sharply."

"Did you forget we both don't have anything to wear?"

Both stared at each other in silence before Lucas began to giggle. Dawn joined in and soon, the two were guffawing like school children over the clear emotional tension in the room. It was clear that no matter what the future held for them, it would still be the two of them.

{}

After finally corralling his daughter into taking her nap, Michael Kingston slumped into the rocking chair he and Julia often shared while watching over their children and also reading to them. He felt like he deserved a nap himself, after countless games and several stories finally got the still young Arya Kingston to take her nap. But he wouldn't pass the moments of fatherhood up for anything. Because it was moments like this, with Arya in her world of dreams and the still fussing James in his arms that made it all worth it.

He looked down on his son, who made a handful of coos and coughs while wrapped in his blankets, a deep pride for the boy who would one day no doubt succeed him as the Head of the Family. He could hardly count on the little hurricane of his to settle down. Arya would be out and trying to take down every trainer in Arcana before she could tie her shoes. But James, he hoped, would be more relaxed and tame. So far, so good.

"Hey buddy" Michael said softly, "you have no idea how much I love you and your sister." The baby showed little acknowledgement of his words, but Michael could feel in his heart that father and son were bonding. "You know, it's funny. They say parents give life to their kids, but I don't think my life really began until we formed our little family." He held his son up to his face, the baby finally making eye contact with him and giving him a toothless smile. "Oh, James. I won't make the same mistakes my parents did. I'll be there for ever bump and bruise. You won't ever have to feel abandoned with me, son. And one day, when you're old enough, I'm going to help you become the man I could have been. You won't have to endure what I did. You'll be there to fight your battles, with Arya and me and Mommy all looking after you." His son reached for his nose and patted it, prompting his father to laugh. "I knew you'd get it, bud." He brought James over to his crib and settled him for his own bed, the nursery they were keeping the two siblings in seeming to grow smaller by the day the older they got. He gave his son a bottle to drink from, which the boy happily took into his arms and sucked on.

He kissed his hand and touched the boy's small head. "Love you, buddy. Be back to check on you." He looked over to Arya, significantly more manageable when she was asleep and kept the bright smile on his face. "And you, my little princess. No matter how crazy you are or how wild you can be, I never want you to change, Arya. Keep being the star in my heart." He bent over and kissed her head, prompting the toddler to turn over in her sleep.

With his duties as a father being relieved for a moment, he made for the exit of the nursery. He opened the door and walked right into Julia. His wife was flustered at the surprise, but nevertheless kept herself quiet when she realized what had happened. "Oh. Michael. I was just-"

"They're sleeping" Michael responded, a tone of melancholy in his voice. "Took me almost an hour to get Arya to agree to it."

"I don't want to bother them" she answered, "but I feel like I have to see them." She then eyed her husband with a deep and soulful look. "Then, I need to talk to you."

"You know where to find me" he concluded, sliding past her. He was surprised when she caught his hand.

"Please, wait out here" she asked.

Michael nodded and stood by the doorway as Julia entered. He didn't want to go through the conversation they were about to, but for the sake of their relationship, for the children and potentially for all of Arcana, it needed to happen. He simply folded his arms and waited while leaning on the walls of the castle as Julia gave her love to their children.

You won't have to endure what I did, Michael repeated in his head. He meant it when he told his son that. He lost out on a peaceful and normal childhood the day his parents chose to end their brief seven year marriage with each other, his mother being the first ever member of the Kingston Family to get divorced. He had to get his reassurances and love from a woman who wasn't his mother. He had to get his morality from a man who wasn't his father. He could only wish he had a true family, when he was surrounded by a family he could never have. Had his Grandfather and his Aunt Jane not cared for him as much as they did, who knows how he would have turned up. Who knows how anything in the world would have gone? But both of them were long gone, with eighteen and fifteen years having passed by like leaves in the wind. He could almost hear his Grandfather's wise and sage-like voice in his head, so too could he hear the sweet and loving words of the woman he had long thought of as his real mother...

Always care for your Pokémon as you would yourself. Remember, Michael, they have hearts and souls just as much as we do...You can always earn the respect of a wild Pokémon with a combination of confidence and reverence. Pokémon respect confidence and they admire reverence.

I promise you, Michael. I swear with every fiber of my being, I will do everything I can to keep you safe...You may feel lost and alone through all of this. I promise you it's not true. You'll always have me and Chris and Cam. We love you so much, Michael. Even if the day comes when we do have to separate, hold us in your heart, because you'll never lose a place in ours...

He would pray every night that she hadn't died. That he would return to Arcana and happily and warmly embrace the woman who had been the lone voice on his side when he was made a pawn in the game of Elezar and Cassius. That she hadn't been forcefully silenced by Giselle's thugs and removed from the lives of the man and children she adored. He loved Chris and Cam immensely, more than he cared to admit, but the feeling that he had somehow been responsible for Jane's death never went away. He was bound and determined to keep the two of them safe from everything he could. To impart the kind of wisdom they needed. To give them even the slightest bit of affection anyway he could. To help them grow up.

But in both cases, he failed. Jane Kingston was dead and her children were far from safe. Cameron was the safest of the two and what she endured on Mirage Island as an emotional pawn in Courtney's twisted game, she was emotionally and mentally stunted. A girl who was once as fierce as a raging Gyarados, reduced to someone as meek as a newborn Phanpy. Which wasn't even half of what his best friend and prodigal brother Christopher was enduring as a hostage having his dreams siphoned to power that monster Mewtwo. He had failed the people that meant the most to him, apart from his children and wife of course.

Yet even that part of his heart was feeling down. With all of the trials and tribulation he and Julia had gone through to even get to the altar in the Castle Chapel, from his initial banishment to her fears of losing him to Piper, Courtney or countless others, and now this stunning truth that she had been involved with a fellow student while he and she were still together, it made Michael realize how miraculous it was that they still had James and Arya through all of this.

While he waited for Julia to wrap up her time with their children, one last person's words floated around in his head. The words he would wake up and go to bed with every night since his cousin had said them to him. 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.

Was their love strong enough for this to just be one in a series of misunderstandings and mistakes? Or would his heart never allow him to get over this, after years of having to be the one who fights off the accusations of being involved with everyone from her own prodigal sister to a psychotic like Courtney? He had to make his decision soon. And he felt it was coming today.

The door opened and Julia slipped her way out of it and wore a warm and loving smile. "Oh, those two. We make beautiful children."

"We do" Michael blankly replied, wanting to get to the point of it quickly rather than tap dance around the question. "So, Jules. What do we need to talk about?"

Julia turned pale. "You know darn well what we have to." The two slowly walked away from their children's nursery, both unable to come up with the words they wanted to say to the other. Finally, Julia found the proper words. "Michael, I want there to be no more walls between us. No more secrets, no lies. I want a full and completely truthful relationship to go between us." She seemed to be fighting off tears like a woman in labor. "I can't think straight when I don't have you. I've lost you twice in my life already. I could have a many more times during and since. I don't have the strength in me to lose you again."

"I can take the accusations" Michael admitted. "It does hurt a bit that you don't trust me after I've been nothing but faithful to you for twelve years, but I try to have thick skin about those things. So I can take it. What bothers me the most is the double standard." He and Julia made their way out onto a windowed balcony that overlooked the gardens and out onto the King's Bay far to the north of the castle. "Julia, this wasn't just a peck on the cheek or being flirtatious. You actually cheated on me."

"And I instantly regretted it" Julia swore. "My Abuela could tell you."

"She knew?"

Julia shamefully grasped her arm and looked away. "Michael, I wish I could tell you that it never happened. To just forget it ever happened. I never counted on Peter falling in love with me. Or on him coming all the way to Arcana thinking that we had anything beyond a one night affair after I transferred dorms." She finally looked into his eyes. "Michael, I had just gotten you back after four of the worst years of my life. What was going to happen if I told you what happened? You, so stressed out over the Crimson Fury and running the Pokémon League and me off studying. I was so afraid of losing you again, that I felt I needed to keep it hidden. If no one ever talked about it, did it ever actually happen?"

"You would have gone the rest of our lives never telling me?"

His wife shook her head. "My Abuela was the same way. She told me I had to tell you, too. If I had listened to her, we would be over this."

Michael folded his arms. "How many other people know?"

"Just the four of us, unless you told someone too?"

"Five" he responded.

"Please tell me you didn't tell Cameron. I'm just now on her good side."

"I have more sense than to confide in her. With Chris gone and me broken-hearted, she'd chew you up and spit you out."

Julia let out a moan. "Please don't say that. I can't have broken your heart."

"Consider it cracked at least" Michael said bluntly. "You can thank Jenna for me wanting to even talk about this. If it weren't for her, I wouldn't even want to discuss this at all."

Julia squeezed her eyes shut. "I never wanted to hurt you. I've done too much to you, already."

"Then why did you do it?"

Julia walked over to the balcony and rested her arms on the walls as the sun shined brightly above them. "I don't know. Maybe it was how lonely I was in Sinnoh. Maybe it was how much I wanted to please Professor Rowan. Maybe it had to do with my fears of losing you. Maybe it was fears that...that...that in the time we were apart, you gave your heart to someone else and only came back out of pity."

Michael shook his head. "You know that last one isn't true." He came over beside her and shadowed her movements. "I had no one to give it to. How could I love someone, when I didn't even care if I lived or died?"

"Don't say that!" Julia cried out. "You had to care-"

"I didn't" Michael reiterated. "What point was there to life if I could just snap and hurt someone I cared about? I couldn't ever envision myself falling in love with anyone. The Crimson Fury gripped my heart like a vice. I couldn't build relationships or make friends, but that's all I've ever known. If Mark and Lizzie weren't so damned persistent, I probably wouldn't have." He laughed sadly. "Those two probably are the reason I even went to find out more about the Relic Stone in Orre. Them and to an extent, others like Cynthia and Steven. I wanted friends. I wanted to find love. But how could I love and care, when all I could do was destroy? Girls came and went, but nothing ever came of them. How could they? It's why I didn't want to come back at all. No matter how much it hurt to turn Chris and Cam down. Or how much I wanted to help them. Or you. It's why I-Jules, I wanted to marry you for years. Long before we finally did."

"My Abuela told me that too" Julia responded softly.

"I asked her permission years ago" Michael revealed. "Long before the Syndicate resurfaced and we even had talks about the house in Kalos. But how could I marry you the way I was? So quick to anger and being a danger to the people around me? Even Celebi could only do so much. So, I promised myself that I wouldn't ask you to marry me until I was free from it. But after learning from Piper how much you wanted it, I picked that engagement ring for you the same day I exploded on Walter O'Hara's show." He chuckled half-heartedly. "You know where it went from there."

"You were never a danger to me" Julia promised him, putting her hand on his arm. "You treated me better than I deserved to be treated. And no amount of apologizing will ever make up for what I've done. I know that."

"There could never be someone else for me. Not Deidre. Not Courtney. Not Piper. Not Giselle. Not a single soul but you. And do you know why?"

"Why?"

"Because you were willing to give everything up for me" he reminded her. "Your Grandmother was the Syndicate's prisoner. Piper was forced to hide with my Uncle Jeice and Aunt Shannon. Your whole world was back in Arcana. And you gave it all up for me. You knew what I was and how I might never do what you wanted and you stayed with me regardless. You told me that if I wasn't leaving Orre, neither were you. For the first time since before I got branded, someone knew what I endured and how dangerous I could be and said they weren't afraid. Right then, I knew that nothing else mattered to me but you."

Julia rested her head on his shoulder. "Oh, Michael. What are we going to do?"

Michael sighed. "Julia. My cousin told me I had to make a simple decision. To decide if I could forgive you or not. After that, things would be clear and straightforward." He finally cracked a smile. "And I can't live in this world without you, Julia. You are the key to everything that makes me get up in the morning and go to bed at night. The mother of my children, the light that brightens my darkness. And the one and only person I can ever imagine being my wife."

Julia exhaled. "Thank Arceus. Because I feel the same way."

"But if you meant what you said about the transparency" he cleared up, "I want it. It has to come from the both of us."

"Absolutely" Julia nodded, as guiltily as she had when he asked if she wanted to make it up to him after they had broken up before the Battle of Mt. Heatmor. "I swear everything will be open and honest. What do you want to know? Anything?!" She gasped. "I know! How about we tell each other things we haven't said." She slapped him playfully. "And none of that 'I don't care if I live or die' crap, Michael James! Because that almost gave me a god damned coronary."

"Where do you want to start?"

"My first kiss was with Christopher" Julia confessed.

Michael would have choked on something if he had the capacity. "What?! Chris?!"

"Since we're trying to avoid the whole dark feelings corner of our time together" Julia butted in, "I think we should avoid asking why. Let's just say it involved a lot of nastiness from Rebecca Eighern and those girls that flocked around with her." She quickly went to assure him. "It meant only as much as a promise between friends. We never got together or anything. I promise!"

Michael chuckled. "At least you have a story with yours. Mine was taken from me."

"Taken?" Julia inquired.

"Olivia Novren" Michael recalled. "My Mom made Chris and I be extra polite and gentlemanly towards her. And when we were dancing at the ball, she basically thrust herself into me to draw the attention of the people present. Chris wouldn't shut up about it until Aunt Jane made him." He shriveled up at the idea. "She wasn't an ugly little girl, but it was definitely awkward. Made me want to throw up."

"Why's that?"

"She's my cousin."

"WHAT?!"

"Like second or third cousin, but still related. It'd be like if I kissed Jenna or Madeline."

"Or Cameron" Julia interjected.

Michael sighed. "Since we're trying to leave dark memories aside, you were there for my first consensual one."

"You mean that farm girl? Wendy was it?"

"That was her." He remembered Wendy well enough. During the earliest days of their first journey, they had gone to try and catch a Swablu for Julia to add to her team, only to be accused of poaching Swablus for their cloud-like wings and were thus captured by a group of farm kids led by their eldest sister, Wendy. She was peach-skinned and had fiery eyes to go along with chestnut-colored hair. She had natural beauty for one who spent most of her life on a farm and she had taken a shining to her prisoner. She had offered to release the others in exchange for Michael staying on the farm as her fiance. He elected to battle her instead, but eventually cleared their names by helping Wendy drive off the real poachers. This earned him their freedom, a girl's Poke Gear number and a kiss that now in hindsight, made Julia make an almost inhuman noise of jealousy. Once Wendy began talking about nuptials, however, Michael was dragged so hard away from the farm by Julia that he was sure he was going to lose an arm.

"I wonder what she's up to, these days" his wife remarked curiously.

"She's married with eight kids."

"Keeping tabs of former kiss mates, are we?"

"She was at our wedding, remember?"

Julia shrugged. "I was in such a happy daze at that time, I don't think I noticed if my Abuela was there."

Michael thought for a moment. "I think the next one was Giselle at the Faire in Cauldro City."

"Ah" Julia muttered, leaving it at that.

"If it helps, unless you count the random peck on the cheek, my next kiss was with you in Agate Village."

Julia's eyes flashed brightly. "You mean to tell me that in all of the world, there wasn't a single girl who could catch your eye?"

Michael grinned. "Well, there is one."

"Oh really?" Julia giggled.

"Why yes." Michael said as he walked away teasingly.

"Who is she?"

"She's quite beautiful. And she has the brains of a Psychic Pokémon. Knows basically anything about Pokémon that you could think of. She's also a wonderfully passionate woman. When she's engaged in something, it's for keeps. But deep down, the one thing that gets me is her heart. She is as loving and caring as she is a mastermind. Turns out, she's not only smart, but also a skilled diplomat and a superb parental figure. And did I mention she's gorgeous?"

"Sounds like quite the woman" his wife teased.

"Unfortunately, she's married" Michael glumly responded.

"I think I can picture her husband though" Julia walked along after husband. "Oh, he's a heartthrob. All of the girls love him, but none can truly penetrate the person beneath that handsome exterior. None but his wife."

"Sounds like quite a catch."

"Oh, but if only you could see the inside of this man" Julia beamed. "He's just, pure. Never let's you feel alone. Always has your back. He can win your respect and admiration just by being who he is. He loves before hating. He befriends before battling. And no matter how much you may be suffering or in pain, he will do whatever he can to expel even some of it." She sighed. "And yet, he's hurt. He's been through so much in his life. If only he could find a woman who can see him for who he was instead of what the outside world thought he was."

"I think he has" Michael assured her.

"So sure are you?" Julia flirtatiously asked.

"Does this answer your question?" Michael came to Julia's side and bent her over. Without even the slightest bit of hesitation, Julia grabbed her husband's face and the two kissed each other with such passion that it reminded them of their first kiss as an engaged couple. And yet, no matter how many more may come, neither wanted the moment to end.

{}

Piper Pines sat alone on the veranda of Kingston Castle, her mind too scattered for her to feel anything but sorrow and stress. Her heart ached for her Abuela, nearing the twilight of her life. How much time they should have still had with each other. How many things were left undone. Her Abuela had raised both her and Julia since the deaths of their fathers, taking on the role of maternal figure better than anyone could have after losing both of her sons. She had seen Julia and Piper do some incredible things, from being the reigning Queen of Arcana to being a beloved scholar and Professor of the Ranch. She had watched Julia find love in Michael and got to meet both of her great grandchildren from them in Arya and James. But Piper had yet to give her Abuela any of that. No children, not when she was still a bachelorette. Not when her love life had been a muddled mess since becoming Queen. Not since...losing him...

Before the Battle of Mt. Heatmor and the reconciliation of Michael and Julia, Piper had thought of Christopher Kingston as another big brother that looked after her. Strong, caring and high spirited, but he had an immaturity streak in him, combined with an iconic (but in her opinion gross) beard he wore after ascending towards manhood. She held her tongue about his maturity as a young maiden of nineteen herself and thought of him in a lesser light than she did Michael.

But the events of their conflict with the Syndicate and the marriage of Michael and Julia changed Chris for the better. He chose not to regrow his beard after it had been singed off. He began to think more deeply about life than he ever had before. He battled for more than just personal pride. He had taken the steps he needed to in order to become the next Michael. And Piper did not miss it. Christopher had always been handsome, but now that she was seeing who he really was instead of the front he liked to play up, she was falling in love.

He had his issues to be sure. He was as temperamental as Michael, if not a trifle less reserved than his best friend and cousin. He could be moody and always had a hankering to test his limits. But if she ever needed him, she knew Chris would be there for her in a heartbeat. He had opened up to her about his own life and what led him down the path he was walking. An unrequited love for Julia, an envious yet still loving relationship with his cousin and a dark past that stemmed from the death of his mother when he was just a boy. Knowing who he was had only made Piper love him more. She passed up on the dashing Steven Stone for him, after all, and the former Hoenn Region Champion seemed completely smitten with her. And when she asked herself it he was worth it, she vowed she would choose him again.

Then, it all burned up. Chris decided to sacrifice himself in the hopes of rescuing Michael when he was abducted by a mad woman, leaving her and Cameron behind to save Ryan and somehow escape Mirage Island. Michael was saved, but by the work of Addison and Ryan. Chris's sacrifice was in vain, and he left behind a devastated father and stepmother, a frightened set of stepsisters and three of the most broken hearts in all of Arcana. She would have counted Julia in that, but her cousin was the rock that they were all doing their best to lean on. She, Cameron and Michael were hopelessly lost without Chris in their lives, for their own reasons. For Michael, Chris was his wingman. The two had been together since Chris was born and they had been closer than brothers all their lives. To Cameron, though she would be too proud to admit it, Chris was her best friend as well. The two siblings were all the other had in terms of memory of their long lost mother. Cameron was tempered by her brother and Chris was motivated by his little sister. But to Piper, she was sure with all of her heart that Christopher Kingston was her soulmate. He was everything she had ever wanted in a love. Handsome, strong, caring, funny, charming and cared for her like she was a true princess.

Yet, Chris was gone. And the three of them were left to pick up the pieces of their lives without him. Cameron was slowly descending down a path of desiring little more than revenge against Courtney for what she did on Mirage Island. Michael was devoting himself to his work and his family, though she knew deep down he was completely despondent without Chris.

As for Piper? She couldn't distract herself. How could she? The Contests were suspended indefinitely. She was a much better Pokémon Battler than before, but she was emotionally unable to get involved in fighting Claude and his oppressive regime. All she had left to fall back on now was what family she had left. Her cousin, her cousin's husband, their two children and of course, her Abuela. But if Maria Pines was finally nearing the end of her life, with not yet having seen Piper make the most out of her life, it made Piper feel even worse. Her fears of letting her Abuela down and even darker fear of never seeing the man she adored again made her an emotionally stunted mess. So, while people all around her got things done on a regular basis, she just found herself being aimless most days, her life feeling without much purpose. Dark doubt creeping in where she had been able to suppress it until then.

She needed to see Chris. Or at least to know he was safe. With him by her side, even for a moment, she could keep the doubt away. But there was no way for her to get to Mirage Island. Julia had collected the Spirit Keys from those who had opened the Spirit Gate to escape from Mirage Island. And thanks to her cousin, she had no clue where Julia had hidden them. And if she was recalling what Elezar Aced had told them correctly when they crossed paths on the Island, the only other way for her to make it there was as a wayward spirit. And she knew that she couldn't spend time with the man she loved if she weren't alive and he was.

Michael and Cameron, despite their own longings for Chris, also seemed reluctant to help her in this. And with both Mark and Lizzie being more interested in the bigger picture than just saving their friend, it left Piper with only one person who might say yes to her.

Fortunately, Piper spotted her making her way out of the doorways with her customary bowl of Coco Pina Bliss and moving to sit out and enjoy a moment in the sunlight. Cynthia was just as talented a trainer as Michael and arguably more worldly with her knowledge of how things worked. If the Sinnoh Region's Champion could be persuaded to help her get back to the Island, it might help them pull off an incredible rescue the likes of which no one has ever attempted. While Cynthia enjoyed herself the most sweet tasting Ice Cream in all of Arcana, Piper nervously approached her.

Like the Cynthia that Michael used to tell her about, the gorgeous blonde eyed her and gave a courteous bow as best as she could. "Come to enjoy the sun with me, Your Majesty?"

Piper smiled weakly and shook her head. "No thank you, Cynthia. I just-I don't know. I'm not in the place mentally for this all, right now."

Cynthia nodded. "I understand. Michael told me about your grandmother. I'm so sorry."

"You're kind. But as much as I love her, there's someone else that needs me right now."

Cynthia gave her a sideways glance. "Oh really?"

Piper sat beside the Sinnoh League's Champion. "You ever have that feeling that you've found that perfect thing to add to your life. Aside from the ice cream, of course."

"If you're referring to love" Cynthia giggled, "I can't say I have. But I also can't say that I haven't had many suitors. Men and women for that matter. All around the world, people pining for me and wanting nothing more than to be with me." She lowered the bowl of ice cream for a moment. "No. I have a passion for something to me that's better than romance. A passion for understanding the mysteries of the world. Knowing who I am and what my purpose in life is."

"All my life" Piper recalled, "I used to think of love like it was in my Fairy Tale books I was read as a little girl. That I'd meet some dashing prince t sweep me off my feet and carry me away to his castle. Over time, I came to realize that perhaps the prince isn't always the elegantly dressed and well mannered gentlemen and it's certainly not the handsome stud athlete." She twiddled her fingers. "But even I was surprised that my prince ended up being Christopher Kingston. And knowing he's in pain, all alone on Mirage Island, is killing me inside."

"There's unfortunately not a thing we can do about it" Cynthia sadly concluded.

"How do you know? We could maybe...I don't know...storm Mirage Island and bring him home to the people who love him?"

"And who would dive in after you?"

Piper cursed underneath her breath. Cynthia was in alignment with Cameron and Michael. "But you can't tell me sitting around and doing nothing is going to help. I've been doing that for half a year already!"

Cynthia sat up on the lounge chair. "You're not the first person to come and ask me that. And it's not the first time the idea of going to Mirage Island has crossed my mind. Cameron has been to me before to ask me if it was possible. But I told her the same thing I will tell you. No matter how much you want to be with him, Piper, it's just not meant to be right now."

"Then what can we do? Because doing nothing isn't helping me."

"Do you think you're the only person who's missing someone on the island? Michael told me he still gets angry messages from Garret Fiveroux regarding his younger sister. Julia had to console the broken-hearted Lockhart Family about their missing son. Michael and I are missing friends of our own from our time with the Champions of other regions. Leon, Lance, Iris, Steven. And of course, who could forget everyone who's worried over future Professor Amanda Fouritz? It would take strength to go to Mirage island and recklessly try to save them. It takes more strength to stop ourselves from doing that, Piper. Because if we did do just that and walked our way right into the jaws of Mewtwo's trap, we'd lose. We're just not prepared for them." She gave Piper a heartfelt smile. "The best I can tell you is to keep your chin up. It's what I tell Cameron." She took another scoop of ice cream into her mouth until she almost spat it out with a realization. "Oh, darn it! I was supposed to be looking for her. This always happens when I'm in the mood for Ice Cream. You wouldn't happen to know where Cameron is, do you?"

Piper looked out onto the horizon in the North. "The King's Bay, I would think. That's where she prefers to train on her own."

Cynthia hopped to her feet and winked at the maiden. "Thank you." She looked at the empty bowl in her arms and sighed. "I guess I should get some more Ice Cream, first. Maybe I'll bring some out to Cameron? Hmmmm. It's a bit of a long walk to the King's Bay. I guess I'll just wing it." She then placed the bowl back on her chair and made her way down towards the pitch below and the gardens, leaving Piper to her thoughts.

She lowered her head and held her hand close to her heart. "Oh Chris. Can we truly make it to the end of this?"

{}

While Cresselia went to work trying to slowly break the spell of the Dark Void that gripped both Christopher Kingston and Amanda Fouritz, a reluctant and increasingly impatient Elezar Aced stood guard in front of the hovel the duo were being kept in. He and his Scizor had lugged both of the sleeping husks halfway around the island to get to this hidden village that Miss Frost had spoken of, only to find Cresselia there and Darkrai missing. With no answers about the current condition of his daughter, the growing power of Mewtwo or even if this whole Cresselia ordeal would be worth it in the end, he had little choice but to brood outside of the hut with his Scizor sharpening his scythe like claws on a rock nearby.

"This is getting ridiculous" he hissed to himself and his Pokémon. "Considering all we've been through for this girl, you'd think we'd get a courtesy response to where she might have gone!"

His Scizor eyed him for a moment, before continuing to sharpen his claws.

"How is any of this getting us closer to rescuing Jocelyn?" Elezar looked inside at Cresselia's progress. The bright Pokémon was pouring translucent golden rings down into the minds of both of her patients, but there didn't seem to be any definitive progress on her end. "I'll bet that Christopher is taking his time to recover just to spite me! Just like a Kingston to keep an Aced waiting!"

"Maybe just you, Elezar" Avery's voice echoed nearby. The former Syndicate Admin spun around to see Darkrai floating down from the skies and into the hidden village, carrying the satchel Christopher carried with him to Mirage Island. "This should help Christopher hold his ground. These are his Pokémon. And unlike the people outside of Mirage Island, the Pokémon here haven't abandoned their trainer. Hunter took Manaphy as a trophy, but I think the other five are right here."

"What kept you?" he growled. "We've been here for hours."

"There's something going on there" Avery chimed. Once Darkrai had lowered the bag, the Pokémon projected the image of Avery back out to better communicate with Elezar. "I don't know exactly what, but the Pokémon that belonged to the World Tournament participants are being taken away. I don't know why and for what purpose. But they're being taken away. I just got out of there with Christopher's satchel. I think Amanda had her lone Poké Ball on her person."

"What could they be doing up there?"

"It's too risky to try that again. We need to wait until Amanda and Christopher wake up. It should hopefully be soon. I know Mewtwo sent Hunter out to find us. But I've covered our tracks well. Not even Mewtwo can find us on this island. It's fortunate that the two of us aren't of this world anymore."

"Hunter doesn't concern me, child. What does worry me is the state of my daughter, Miss Frost."

"I told you before, there isn't anything you can do for her right now" Avery sadly told Jocelyn's father. "She made a heroic stand to protect her friends. She did what your father did for James Kingston. So, it would seem that the only Aced who hates the Kingstons is you."

"It's not my fault those two became diseased by the Kingston's apathetic kindness" Elezar snarled.

"Your father loved James Kingston" Avery reminded him. "And Jocelyn grew to care for both Matthew and Ryan."

"My debt is owed to my daughter" he concluded. "I could care less about any Kingston desires or passions. I've already done more than my fair share for them. Protecting the girl who helped ruin my plans and that wretched best friend of Michael Kingston is more than enough as far as I'm concerned."

"There is nothing you can do to save Jocelyn" Avery reiterated. "Just as there's nothing I can do to fix what I did to Ryan."

"Yet here we are" Elezar acknowledged. "What point is it to just sit around here and hope something comes up?"

Avery smiled sadly. "Having hope in an otherwise hopeless situation is something I learned from Ryan. Maybe if we both hoped for a way to save the ones we care about, to prevent anymore things from happening to them, we might find those answers?"

"A naïve answer" he snorted, but let out a beleaguered and defeated sigh. "But the only kind we can truly have at this point."