To say that neither Ryan nor Matthew were in a good mood when their family boat touched the shores of Waypoint Island would be an understatement. Both boys were completely and utterly miserable as their father made them unload the boat and set up their campsite while their mother took Kayleigh to the water to splash around. Nevertheless, Ryan took a moment to find the perfect spot on the island to camp in as he inspected their new stomping grounds.
Waypoint Island was a desolate island with almost no greenery to speak of. A few dead trees from years of storms ravaging the island, but that was it. The island was mostly barren rock, surrounded by blue waters. It was hardly three miles in length, but it sheltered a wide and deep cavern inside it's rockface and soaring cliffs that loomed high above the island's newest temporary inhabitants. Ryan thought he could see a Mandibuzz circling overhead, but shrugged it off as him seeing things in the clear blue skies and went back to work pitching his tent.
He found the perfect area, not too close to the water, but not too deep into the rockface and right in the line of the sun. He tried to pitch his tent by digging the spokes into the ground, but the rockface did not give way when he tried to push into it. After his failed attempt, he looked towards the rest of the camp and saw his brother was already hitching his own tent together and setting himself up inside. He tried a second time, finally piercing his stake a bit into the ground. He stomped on it a handful of times for good measure before beginning work on the other ones.
As if he could sense his son's frustrations, Ryan noticed his father coming over to check up on him. "You could cause an earthquake with those stomps of yours, kid."
"If I could get these damn things in-"
"Watch your mouth" Robert scolded. "Just because we're on vacation, doesn't mean you get to talk like a sailor around your sister."
"Like Kayleigh can hear me" Ryan grunted as he finally got the final stake into the ground and began to tie his tent to them. "Look, I just want to endure this whole trip with some of my dignity in tact and get back to Arcana so we can focus on actual problems going on."
"You don't think our family being at each other's throats is a problem?"
"Not as big as the psychopathic Pokémon bent on causing genocide."
His father let out a beleaguered sigh. "Ry, when you're all fixed up, I'm taking you boys to the water to fish up some Pokémon."
"Dad, I appreciate you wanting to bond with us, but Matt and I-." Before Ryan could finish, his father thrust something into his hands. It was a teal-colored Poké Ball. "A Net Ball?"
"If the only thing we can bond over is catching Pokémon these days, then so be it" Robert concluded. "Now, hurry and fix up your tent. The Pokémon won't wait around forever."
Ryan frowned, but admitted he could probably use another Pokémon to add to his team, especially if Mewtwo came around soon. He knotted his tent together and casually tossed his sleeping bag and belongings inside before taking the Net Ball his father had given him and followed him to his father's designated fishing spot. To his surprise, his brother was putting up an almost hostile attitude about the entire enterprise.
"My team is fine enough" Matthew huffed angrily. "I don't need to waste more time on an already waste of time trip like this!"
"Get a move on, Matt!" Robert ordered. "The only one wasting time on this island is you!"
Upon noticing Ryan sauntering his way up to the situation, Matthew muttered several words he knew their parents would go white if they heard him shout and went about pitching his own tent.
Ryan followed his father down to a small cliff where they used to cast fishing lines for him when he set out to catch Pokémon. He used to tell them that they were too young to take care of Pokémon when they would help him, but would promise that they would be the ones to catch them someday. After all he had been through, most of Ryan thought the gesture was utterly pointless. After all, he had a dozen Pokémon to his name and a Championship belt in his corner. What would he need a new Pokémon for?
Then again, it was a something of a passing of the torch that he could appreciate. Though he was the Champion and by proxy in charge of things, his father would always look at him as a little boy. No matter how many matches he won, no matter how far he got with Addison or how much people like Cameron, Giselle or Michael respected him like an adult, he would always be his father's young boy. Could this finally be the time his father started treating him like a man? Or at least no longer think of him like a child? He optimistically held the Net Ball in his hand as he skidded to a stop at his father's side.
Robert was already in a comfortable fishing spot with his feet dangling over the edge. At his side sat three different fishing poles. One was old and rusted, a second looked as if he had just opened it for the first time and the second was somewhere in between both. His father tapped the ground beside him. "Pop a squat, son. Since you got here first, I'll let you pick the rod you use."
Ryan thought for a moment as he looked at the three options. Was this a test? Could he pick wrong? Or would it not matter? No matter how appealing the shiny and brand new rod was and how utterly terrified he was of using the Old Rod, he knew the best option no matter which one he chose would be the one in the middle. He plucked the Good Rod into his hands and sat down beside his father.
"Why that one?" Robert asked.
Ryan shrugged. "I don't know. There was something appealing about this one, I guess."
Robert grinned. "Alrighty then. You remember how to-"
Now, it was Ryan's turn to snicker. "Come on, Dad. I know how to fish." He checked his reels and let his pole rip the baited hook into the water. He then slouched down on the rock with the pole between his legs. "And now, we wait." He knew he would have to be patient and bide his time until a Pokémon took his bait and came up on him. After a moment, Matthew was up by the two of them. Without speaking to either of them, he plucked up the Super Rod and sat down in a mood before baiting it with a Poffin and tossing the lure into the water.
"You know, you could have said you both knew how well to fish" Robert chuckled, somewhat sadly.
"Had to learn from Jocelyn" Matthew growled. "When you're out on your own, you don't have a choice."
Though Ryan wanted to go after his brother and blame him for his own predicament, he held his tongue and simply went with his own story. "Yeah, and I basically figured it out on my own while we were going around the region."
Robert's face darkened. "Boys, I know neither of you wants to be here. Believe me, you two aren't as good at hiding your emotions as you think you are."
"Was I being subtle?" Matthew asked dryly.
"No" their father answered softly. "But-well-there was an ulterior motive to bringing you two out here."
"That being?" Ryan inquired.
Robert looked out onto the waters surrounding Waypoint Island. "I've seen the two of you grow up so fast right before my eyes. And seeing the men you are going to grow up into, I could not be more proud of a father. But I want you two to understand something. Just because you're doing things kids your age shouldn't be doing, be it getting involved in battling evil forces, dating or losing loved ones, that doesn't mean you aren't still young."
"What does that matter?"
"Being the youngest kid of six" their father continued, "I know how it feels to want to grow up and experience all that the world has to offer. Seeing my brothers rise through the ranks and become politicians, Police Officers and Gym Leaders and my own sister become the Queen of Arcana, I felt that if I didn't achieve as much as they did at that age, I was somehow letting my parents down. Your grandfather gave me permission to head out into the world when I was about your age, but he told me that I should never forget that I'm still a kid. I thought that he was still trying to treat me like a baby and I scoffed those words. I went out into the world and fought tooth and nail to become a Champion. From Kanto to Galar, people knew Robert Kingston as a contender of contenders. But I could never put it all together and by the time I thought I was ready, your Grandfather had died. I didn't get to experience as much time with him as I wish I had. I was so eager to become an adult and take up responsibilities that I didn't realize that if I rushed time ahead, it would mean that I would be taking my father's place in the world."
Both boys, who had been casually ignoring his words before this, were snared in by the tale their father told to them. Ryan was putting together the pieces of what they were going through, while Matthew was surprisingly reflective and quiet.
"All your lives, boys, what I've wanted for you guys was to just grow up and enjoy yourselves. I didn't want you guys to be too quick to grow up. To understand just how cruel and dark the world can be. I know you've seen hell and heaven when it comes to Arcana, but at your age, you should still be full of hope and optimism. If something were to confuse you or worry you, I wanted you boys to always lean on me or your mother to help you." He again chuckled sadly. "I guess I failed in those regards, since both you boys look up to Michael more than you do me."
"It's not that we don't look up to you, Dad" Ryan explained. "It's just that-"
"For me at least" Matthew interjected. "It's because-"
"You don't need to explain yourselves" he assured both boys. "Your cousin and what he's gone through is inspiring. But that doesn't mean that he has all of the answers, especially about how you two both act and react to things. You both are my sons, so I know you slightly better than he ever could." He picked up the Old Rod and cast his own line into the water. "I want you guys to find a little bit of happiness in the world before we plunge into the next catastrophe. Some childlike wonder and excitement. Because when you hit that high of being an adult, it stays there forever. You don't get to reverse the clock. No matter how much you may want to."
"Dad..." That was all Ryan could say. This was the most open and honest his father had ever been with them. Matthew was also seeing this new light to their father, with even less words to speak.
"I'm not going to be around forever" Robert remarked. "And when the clock strikes twelve for me, I won't be able to impart any more lessons or fatherly advice on you. Boy, if I could get one more piece of wisdom from my Dad right now, I'd be truly happy. But he's long gone. And I don't want to leave you guys feeling unfulfilled. When the end comes, I want the three of us to have felt like we had complete and perfect relationships." He then looked to Matthew. "Son, you have no idea how much I wanted to go to Johto to bring you home. Not to punish you, but to tell you something just like this. But seeing just how much you've grown up the last few months, I know that you were in the right hands with Jocelyn. She steered you away from the same path Elezar walked. And I will be forever grateful to her for that. Your Mom and I have to reward her big time when she-" He bit his lip as he could not bring himself to finish his sentence.
Matthew nodded. "When we get her back. I'm not going anywhere until I get her back. I...I love her."
Robert looked slyly at his son. "Oh really?"
"Not like that!" Matthew snickered. "I mean, she was more to me during those two years than I deserved. She kept me thinking positively and never let me feel too down and out. When she was with me, I felt like I could conquer a thousand armies. She's like a big sister, one that I think both Ryan and I could have used."
Ryan smiled faintly. "Yeah. She is something special, that's for sure."
"As for you, Ry" Robert went on, "you have gone through both the peaks and valleys of popularity. But when I saw how much what happened to you when you fought Claude had scared you, I felt too ashamed to try and help you go through it. I've never experienced the Fury, kiddo. I don't know how to do these things, which is why I asked Michael to help you get through it."
"You asked him?"
"Of course I did. I was worried sick. And naturally, he said yes. He loves you boys. And he was just what you needed at that time. But just because your Mom and I couldn't be there for those problems you two had, I never want you boys to think we can't be there to help you in other things. I even feel like I missed time with my mother and she got to live another seventeen years after Dad passed. Nothing lasts forever, unfortunately." Robert's line began to shake wildly. Robert quickly brought the Old Rod in, reeling as quickly as he possibly could. In a rush of water, a Magikarp leaped out of the water and flopped about on the ground beside them. Though it seemed a bit unfair to take advantage of the splashing Pokémon, Robert tossed his own Net Ball at it and snared his capture easily.
Ryan was about to comment, when his own line began to buck and weave. He reeled in his own hook, before it shot out of the water, alongside a shooting explosion of water. At the top of the geyser, sat the happiest Mudkip Ryan had ever seen. He leaped off the geyser of water and landed right in front of Ryan. He hardly had to tap the Net Ball before Ryan had snared his newest addition to his team. A team which now consisted of the soon to be father Achilles and the extremely affectionate Shaymin, now in the care of Addison.
"A Mudkip" Robert laughed. "Not bad."
"Let's see what I pull in. What the-WHOA!" Matthew was hoisted up into the air by his own snare. Robert and Ryan tried to grab him, but Matthew was almost dragged deep into the water, only being stopped by his heels digging deep into the ground. Robert wrapped his arms around his son's torso, while Ryan grabbed hold of his brother's legs. The trio pulled with all their might, until a massive Cloyster shot out of the water and growled at them, it's steely shell aiming spikes directly at all three. Matthew quickly pushed his father and brother off of him and faced off against his catch.
"That thing looks angry" Ryan gulped.
"Good thing we're master trainers, eh?" Robert remarked.
"This is what I was looking for" Matthew grinned, sending out his Marowak to face off against the angry Water Pokémon. The Cloyster spat out an Ice Beam, but the Marowak batted it back at him, before leaping into the air and using Thrash on it, until the angered Pokémon was weakened enough for Matthew to launch his own Net Ball at it. The Ball snared the capture easily, wiggled three times and secured itself, adding a powerful new member to Matthew's battalion.
"Cloyster can be tricky" Robert told his son. "Impenetrable from Physical Attacks, but is basically a glorified lightning rod if something like Thunderbolt or Leaf Storm is used. But if you raise it well, it can shield your back from pretty much anything."
Matthew looked at his Net Ball and nodded. "Good. It's about time we started adding Pokémon instead of losing more of them."
Ryan called out his newest capture. The Mudkip was surprised and delighted to be out of the Poké Ball, running up to his trainer and sniffing his shoes. When he was certain of the kind of person Ryan was entirely through his investigations, the Mudkip hopped into Ryan's arms and wiggled his tail in the face of his new trainer. Ryan was content to know that although he was still missing many of his Pokémon, at least one other Pokémon was content to be his friend.
In a flash of light, Achilles emerged from his own Poké Ball and eyed the new addition to Ryan's team. Hmm. This Pokémon is but a child. Perhaps raising him to the capabilities of being a valuable asset to our team would be a smart move. The Mudkip looked at Achilles and spat a bit of water in his face, prompting Achilles to wipe his face clean and shake his head. Children are not so easily controllable, I see.
Ryan shrugged. "Eh, you'll have to figure it out sooner or later. After all, you will be a father yourself, soon." He paused when he realized his father and brother had gone back to camp, with Alison beginning work on cooking their dinner. Knowing his presence wouldn't go unnoticed, he gestured for his Pokémon to follow him down towards the camp. While his Mudkip happily chirped along, Achilles followed at a cautious and uneasy pace.
{}
"This drive is extremely hard to crack" Corey admitted to Michael as he came to check on ArcNet's progress in deciphering the secrets of it. They had been in possession of this drive since finding it on the body of Archer, but were not even remotely close to figuring out what secrets it contained. ArcNet was convinced that it would be the stolen Pokémon from the millions of trainers out there, but they wouldn't know for sure until the firewalls and security mainframes could be broken into. Corey cracked his fingers and sighed as another attempt to bypass the security failed. "Whoever was the original owner of this drive certainly knew how to keep it's secrets locked up."
"All of Arcana is counting on us, Corey" Amber reminded him.
"We can't exactly go back to work emptyhanded" Dylan added.
"Neither can I" Michael warned. "I suspect things around Arcana are going to get a lot more challenging and I would like some kind of good news."
"We're doing the best we can, sir" Corey insisted. "This is some maximum levels of sealed. Almost like a hacker themselves were the one to be involved in this."
"We promise we'll get you an answer as soon as possible, Lord Kingston" Amber promised. "Just bare with us a bit."
Michael, though deeply unhappy with the lack of progress, nodded at Amber's assurance. "Very well. Keep up the good work. Contact myself, Cynthia or Lady Julia if anything pops up." He then departed from the Cellar and into the elevator back to the main floor. He kept his arms folded and his thoughts focused on the present situation, though Countess Rosemary's warnings continued to flare in the back of his head.
Whatever this Eighth Truth is, I'll be there to make sure it doesn't come to pass. We've been through enough already. I don't think Arcana can handle any more darkness the levels she's calling for. He was certain he couldn't. Too much had already been taken from him in his life. His Grandfather, his Aunt Jane, his cousins Christopher and Daniel, Icarus, his old friends from around the world, Celebi and more than a Pyroar's share of his Pokémon. What else was he capable of watching himself unable to protect? Knowing all too well the devious and cruel minds he would be up against, Michael was certain to constantly be hovering near both James and Arya and had a security detail nearby Julia at all times. This helped soothe his nerves a bit, but there was only so much he could prevent without getting directly involved.
The elevator arrived on the first floor and Michael stepped out. To his surprise, Julia was there waiting for him. He stepped out of the elevator to assess the situation. Julia had a face full of worry on her, but the worry was not intense enough for him to guess something was wrong with their children. "What is it?"
Julia sighed. "We're hosting guests, right now."
Michael's frown only deepened. "What kind of guests?"
"They invited themselves in" Julia explained. "I was with James and-"
"Who invited themselves in?"
Julia squeezed her eyes shut, walked to Michael's side and took her husband's arm in hers. "My love. It's the last people you want to see, right now." Before Michael could respond, Julia led him up towards the Dining Hall. "They insisted they needed to talk to you. It was your father's idea."
Michael could feel a familiar tingling feeling in his heart. "I thought I made it clear I didn't want her anywhere near Arya or James?!"
"I'm not any happier about this than you are" his wife assured him. "I even called Annie while she and Jon are away to ask if it was allowed for us to kick her out of the halls. But, it's only for dinner. And maybe more if she's finally willing to apologize."
"Almost twenty years too late for that" Michael hissed as the couple approached the door to the dining hall. Each spot at the table was filled with a patron and a covered dish that no doubt had a fine cuisine item on it. Naturally, the head of the table and it's left hand were empty for Michael and Julia themselves. James and Arya were fastened into high chairs, one on each parent's side. Anthony sat beside Arya, making goofy faces at his step-granddaughter and keeping her content enough to forget she was being forced to wear a dress again. To James's right sat Tori, who was casually admiring her nephew's sorting around of his ringed cereal pieces. Greg sat to her left, the only one who stood up and rose to greet his hosts.
"Michael! Julia!" He walked over and took both into their own back breaking hugs. "Good to see you."
"The feeling's mutual" Julia squeaked as Greg finally let her go.
"I wasn't expecting anyone" Michael said politely as he and his brother in-law parted. His eyes found his parents, with his father wrapping up a call on his Poké Gear about his work schedule for those in Terra Town and his mother seated beside Anthony, herself engaged in a conversation with the also unexpectedly there Olivia Novren and her own son. At least he was mildly content to see his cousin and her son. The others conversely...
"We figured we'd stop by" Tori explained, finally rising and giving Julia a hug and a kiss on the cheek. "After all, we are all family." She came over to her brother's side and hugged him, but not without whispering into his ear. "Please don't be mad. Dad made us all come here. I think he wants to make some kind of speech."
"Oh, so he actually wants to be a father for once?" Michael spat out, before the siblings came apart and Michael and his wife finally made it to their seats. Michael sat down, without acknowledging either his mother or father and stewed in his seat, his temper already being tested. Gerard and a few servants came out to uncover each patron's dishes (save for the trio of young kids already eating their own meals), but Big Mike stopped them and raised a wine glass when his work related call finally ended.
"Before we eat tonight" the heavyset man said proudly. "I'd like to propose a toast. To family. It may be rough at times, but it's the only one we've got."
"To family!" Many at the table responded in kind, clanging their glasses together in congregation.
Michael did not partake and he was content to see Olivia did not either. She eyed Michael's growing frustration and winked at him in their own mutual recognition before ensuring her son was eating his dinner.
"I don't like mashed tates" the young boy told his mother.
"They're healthy for you" Olivia assured her son. "You want to grow up big and strong, don't you?"
"Okay, Mommy."
The trays were uncovered and soon, a pleasant and tranquil meal was taken in by everyone at the table. While Big Mike and Olivia discussed what their client was interested in turning their newest project into and Greg conversed with Erin and Anthony about a trip they had taken to the Alolan Coast, Julia and Tori were locked into conversation about motherhood. Tori was hoping that after months of trying, she and Greg would finally become pregnant and have a child, while Julia did her best to try and not bring up how she and Michael were trying for their third child. Even James and Arya were engaged in childlike babbling between each other, with Arya telling her brother to eat his "dry soup" and James drooling bubbles back at his older sister.
Michael was decidedly quiet during the entire affair. He kept his focus on his meal and said nothing to anyone. If someone tried to bring him into a conversation, he would simply nod and go back to eating. He was absolutely livid at the moment. The last thing he wanted was to explode when his children were in the room, but he could feel his will being unable to hold back the inner restraint he had been compelled to hide. The years of work he had with Celebi and in exile proving to be not enough as the dark shadows of his past once more came to the forefront. He gripped his fork as if it was the handle of a sword and he were in the middle of a battle. His grip tightened and tightened until his knuckles were white.
"Wouldn't you agree, Michael?" his father called down to him.
Michael blinked and relaxed his fists momentarily. "Pardon?"
"Man, you're in your own world today" Greg commented. "We've been talking to you for like five minutes. Is everything okay?"
"I've got a lot on my mind" Michael lied. "And not a whole lot of capacity to do much about it."
"Which is why we're all here" his sister assured him. "To help bear the burdens. You can't do things on your own, forever. You need to let us help you."
"That won't be necessary. Julia and I can handle things until Jon and Annie come back."
"Where did they go for their honeymoon, anyway?" Olivia asked, trying her best to keep Michael from exploding.
"I think they said they were going to Kalos" Julia recalled. "We gave such a glowing review of the place when we lived there. I'm sure Annie wanted to see the palaces for herself."
"A truly wonderful place, Kalos" Erin commented.
"Eh, I prefer Alola to Kalos" Big Mike critiqued. "The sun, the sights, the beaches. They've got Kalos beat all over."
"And not to mention the fishing" Anthony laughed. "What I wouldn't give to go back."
"Once all this stuff with Mewtwo passes, we can all go back to enjoying ourselves" Julia said confidently. "It's been a long time since we were able to not worry about things." Seeing the growing frustration on her husband's face, she reached for his hand under the table and grasped it tenderly. "I know I can't wait to show James where we used to live in Kalos. Right, honey?"
Michael nodded, his strength failing him. "The sooner, the better."
Big Mike sighed. "Alright, enough of this tap dancing around the issues!" He looked directly at his son. "Michael, this has to stop."
"What does?"
"This!" he gestured to the table. "All of this unbridled anger and frustration towards us. Let me put it to you simply: we are not your enemies! We are family. We always have been and always will be. The past is the past. No one can change it, so we should just move on from it. All of this anger and mistrust needs to stop. Am I being clear?"
The dam inside of him finally exploded. But instead of rage, all Michael could find was laughter. He hysterically laughed at his father's assertions, to the point that even Julia was rubbed the wrong way by his actions. She let go of Michael and put her hand on his shoulder. "Honey?"
"Is something funny?" Erin asked coldly. "I don't recall your father saying anything worth laughing at."
Michael stopped laughing abruptly and looked his father dead in the eyes. "Where did you figure it out after all these years?"
"Huh?" His father was decidedly confused at his son's question.
"What are you talking about?" Tori asked her brother.
"Where did you learn to be a father?" Michael snarled. "It certainly wasn't when I was a kid, that's for sure."
"Michael James!" Erin snapped. "There is no reason to be disrespectful towards your-"
"I'll deal with you in a minute" Michael spat out, prompting his mother to nearly fall out of her chair in shock. "You guys want me to just move on? Forget that the past ever happened and hasn't defined who I am? To pretend that Icarus isn't dead? That Grandpa is in the other room playing the piano or smoking his pipe instead of being buried outside in the garden?! That I didn't spend my entire life trying to figure out how I can possibly be who I am when I'm surrounded by nothing but people who cursed me, cheated me and hurt me?! IS THAT WHAT YOU WANT ME TO DO?!"
James and Arya's babbling conversation suddenly stopped at their father's anger. Neither made a movement to cry or worry, but both tiny children's eyes widened in worry and shock.
"Mike" Greg tried to reason, "I think your Dad is trying to say that we should just try to focus on the future and not the past. I mean, it's been over fifteen years. Eventually, those scars have to heal, right?"
"They do" Michael responded, much more reserved, "but only when there is a mending period. So far, there hasn't been one."
"Then let's get to that" his father spoke, doing his best to contain his own explosive temper. "Vent away, Michael. You've clearly got an ax to grind, so do it!"
Michael took a deep breath, taking a moment to prepare himself for the sheer frustration and anger that was about to come out. Knowing he needed to get the easiest ones out of the way first, he turned towards his stepfather. "Anthony. I have been unnecessarily distant and unkind towards you since you came into the family. You are a wonderful and caring man and I look forward to having you spend as much time with James and Arya as possible."
Anthony stared at him blankly. "Uh, thank you? But I never thought you-"
"I hide my emotions well when I need to" Michael revealed. "But I can admit when I'm wrong and I apologize for it."
"Apology accepted" Anthony said graciously. "Thank you for that, Michael. It means a lot."
"If you would be so kind as to take Arya and James out onto the Veranda for a bit, I would appreciate it."
Realizing where his stepson was going with this, Anthony nodded and scooped both of Michael's children into his arms and brought them out onto the Veranda, giving a worried look back in as he vanished beyond the evening sunset and out of the dining hall.
"Why did you-" Olivia began.
"Because they don't need to hear this" Michael growled.
"Hear what?!" his mother cried out. "Why they can't see their only grandmother?!"
"Erin, please-" Julia pleaded.
"SHUT UP!" Michael roared, his rage burning in every word he spoke. "For once in your life, just know how to keep your mouth shut and let your son talk! How dare you try to justify your ignorance by claiming you're their only grandmother?! Do you think Julia's parents wanted to die in that plane crash?! Or are you just so shallow and self-absorbed that you feel entitled to everything your black heart wants?!" He then took a deep breath and tried to calm himself. "No. Not you. Not yet. There's no sense in going after you first." He then glared down the table. "How about instead, I start with the man who chose his career over his family?!"
"As if that were the truth" his father scoffed. "I chose to advance myself for the-"
"Don't give me that crap! You advanced yourself for yourself! You chose to make all that money and pawn Tori and I off to the nearest relative! All of that money you made and the advancements you made in your career. I'm happy you made it as far as you did for your own sake, but did you even think for a moment that you choosing your career over your family might have had some repercussions down the line?!"
Big Mike rose from his chair. "I DID IT ALL FOR YOU TWO!"
"You couldn't stand the fact that Grandpa was able to and willing to take care of us!" Michael accused. "It made you feel emasculated! Just admit it! You couldn't live with yourself knowing there was someone with a bigger wallet than yours! So you ran off to make your fortune and left Tori and I in the care of other people, thanks to the damage your actions did to your marriage to our mother! Just admit it!"
"I did what I had to do for you kids!" his father argued. "And think about it! Think about all the toys and clothing you got. All the top of the line gear and-"
"I would have gladly given all of that up to have a father in my life!" Michael cried out. He laughed. "How dense do you have to be to realize that all of the gifts and promises and things you did to try and buy our love wouldn't have needed to happen if you were just there?" He gestured out towards the doorway to the gardens. "I had to look for a father figure in my grandfather! I had to fight, tooth and nail, to get to where I am. I learned how to be a man and fight my own battles. I had to learn how to shave, how to cook, how to live on my own and so many other things! I put myself on the map to being a Pokémon League Champion! I took down both Giselle and the Syndicate on multiple occasions. All of it, every single solitary thing I did to help reach manhood, without my father being there! Tell me, Dad. Tell me how you did it all for Tori and I and you weren't ever there for us when we needed you?! TELL ME!"
His father's anger quickly reverted to shock and contemplation. He slumped back into his chair and stared blankly at the table.
"Okay, that was a little harsh" his sister spoke up. "Dad was trying to-"
"Trying to do what he thought was right" Michael interjected. "Rather like you two!" He turned his attention to his sister and brother in-law. "Tell me. Is there even half a brain between you two?! Because the last time I checked, appeasing wannabe dictators and egomaniacal scumbags like Claude Jacques is the LAST thing anyone who wants to keep peace would do! Had you simply took the fight to Claude and not sat around hoping for some sort of deal, we could have beaten him back a lot earlier than we did and maybe with less casualties and damage! But instead, you both saw fit to appease him!"
"We were trying to decide how best to-"
Michael waved them off. "But, that's water under the bridge. You both paid penance for your actions, with Tori being held hostage by Claude for half a year and Greg I'm sure losing that same amount of time off his life worrying about you. And with some information coming to me recently about the past, I can let it slide for both of you. Let's just consider us even for you standing up for Julia when I couldn't." He made a flash glance back down to Olivia, who was doing her best not to feel awkward in the conversation.
"We all did you wrong" his sister said solemnly, herself shocked and hurt by her brother's outburst. "No one is denying that. But we're trying to do right by you, Mikey."
"The past is in the past, Michael" Julia told him gently. "We all are trying to right the wrongs we've done to you, no matter how steep the tasks may get."
"Are you?" Michael asked, his attention turning towards his mother. "Because I'm not sure all of you are on the same page."
Erin gave her son a confident smirk. "Go ahead. Lambaste me. Call me the world's worst grandmother for taking my eyes off of Arya for a second. Call me a terrible politician for doing what I had to do to preserve the family and protect the Kingston legacy. But do not for a minute think that I will not defend my duties as a mother to you and Tori. Considering the circumstances, I did a very good job of raising you both as a single mother and hardly any child support coming in from your father's wonderful business. With or without your father, you would have become the same young adults I see before me right now thanks to my parenting. So I am just dying to hear how all of your problems and woes stemmed from me being a terrible mother to you. Go on, Michael! Tell me how horrific and cruel I was to you. And please give examples. Come on. Eviscerate me! I'm not afraid!"
Michael lowered his head, a single tear falling out of his right eye and onto his hardly touched food. "I was."
Erin raised an eyebrow at this. "Come again?"
"I was" he repeated, his anger giving way to a genuine emotional breakdown. "I was alone, kidnapped by a mad scientist and tortured! Cassius Sinclair stuck a scorching hot Crimson Brand into my arm until it left a scar that would never heal. My best friend died in my arms after giving his all to save me. I lost myself to a power I had no knowledge or control of and killed people! I had to blindly stumble my way home, only to get hauled off and cast into the dungeons a floor below! I was told I was a monster! A traitor! A criminal! A punk! A diseased freak! A murderer! Shunned by an entire region, who bought the lies of Giselle and the Syndicate completely and cast out into a cold and unforgiving world. For four years, I went from place to place, trying to not repeat what happened in Arcana. Trying to find some normalcy when one slight hiccup could turn me into a killing machine!"
Erin's confidence fell from her like a curtain drops on a bad play.
Michael was shaking, not from anger, but from years of pain and grief. "And where was my mother during all of this? The mother who was supposed to be there for her son through thick and thin? The mother who could tell her son things were going to be okay, even when she knew it could never be? The mother who could have stopped for a moment to make sure her son was taken care of and protected in a world full of monsters and killers? Where was that mother?" He shook his head. "She was the first person to drop me like a bad habit. The first person to leave my corner, kick dirt on me and pretend I wasn't even her son. At a time when I needed someone to be there for me, my own mother thumbed her nose at me and shut the door in my face."
His mother, who had once haughtily believed herself infallible, now could not even look her son in the face. She kept her head down and found herself crying.
"You weren't alone" Michael said to his mother, his eyes following everyone at the table. "Every single one of you in this room abandoned me at that time. Everyone in my family, all of my friends and all of this stupid, worthless and miserable region called me names I'd dare not repeat in the presence of a child." He looked down at Olivia's son, who was curiously looking at him as if he could somehow understand every word he was saying. He wore a look on his young face that Michael could only think was reminiscent of the one his grandfather's specter had given him in the presence of the Relic Stone in Agate Village.
He relaxed his fist and turned a pitying and pained look at his mother. "The only person in the world who stood by my side, lost her life for it. The only person who didn't think I was a monster. The only person I could look to when I felt weak and afraid." He grinded his teeth as Jane Kingston's words echoed in his head. "Jane Kingston was a better mother to me than you ever were. Tell me something. Why is it that someone so caring, kind, generous and loving like her needed to die, when all of the rest of the miserable, odious and degenerate monsters who degraded, besmirched and treated me like I was some lesser form of human deserve to live?" When no one answered his question, Michael nodded sadly before departing. "Good night, everyone."
He was out the doors and found himself walking without direction or purpose. All of the years of pain, suffering and loss he had endured were brought to the forefront and displayed for all to see. And yet his family felt they could just wash it all away and pretend it didn't happen? What kind of life would he be living if he just ignored all that had happened to him since Giselle Odelia had spurned his affection and delivered him to the Syndicate as her prisoner?
His pointless journey throughout Kingston Castle had brought him to the Parlor of the castle, where his grandmother used to spend all of her time knitting and his grandfather would puff his pipe and muse the world's comings and goings. He entered the room, not caring if anyone was with him or nearby. The room was deathly quiet and dark, as the normally roaring fireplace was nothing but charred wood that needed to be replaced. He slumped into what was now his grand chair, but had once belonged to a much better man, and exhaled loudly as his body slouched into it.
The door opened behind him. Though he had been expecting it to be Julia who had followed him, it was Mufasa. The Arcanine spat a few embers onto the fireplace, which finally roared to life. He barked happily and made to sit by his trainer's side, resting his head on Michael's lap. Michael pet his Pokémon on his head shed some more tears. "If I didn't have you guys, Mufasa, I probably wouldn't have lived through this all." As if understanding his trainer's woe, Mufasa did not thwack his tail against the floor and simply sat in silence.
The doors opened again and once again, Michael was surprised to find the one who had followed him wasn't his wife. Olivia walked over to his side and pet Mufasa on his head. The Arcanine raised his head, but lowered it again when he was sure this was someone he could trust to be around his master. Olivia sighed as she saw the state her old flame was in. "You'll be pleased to know that your wife and sister added to your tirade with some of their own."
"What's pleasing about that?" Michael moaned. "You think I wanted this to happen?"
Olivia shook her head. "No. I don't. But to see with how much strength those two defended what you said, I think you have some people in your corner, still. Even with all of these shadows around you, you still draw in some form of light. If that isn't a testament to the man you became in spite of all the suffering you endured, I don't know what else can be." She lowered herself into the couch beside his chair. "I will always appreciate your father for what he did for me and my son, but I can tell you two have a lot of bad blood between you. And I think what you said finally got through to him."
"Twenty years too late."
"I do have a question, though. If you'll permit me to ask." When Michael gave her no objections, she continued. "You were right when you said everyone in that room abandoned you at some point. Not just them, though. Chris and Cam did, too. So did your cousins, your grandmother and even some people you looked at once as friends and still do. What compelled you to forgive some people, but not others?"
Michael stared into the flames and pondered her words. "From the moment I left Parlor Town when Julia told me to never talk to her again, to the time she and my cousins found me in Agate Village, I was in exile for four years. I didn't have contact with anyone from Arcana in those years. Not my parents, not my grandmother, not Dee or any of my other friends. I was shunned and tossed out of the only home I had ever known. When Julia and the others found me, they pleaded with me to come home and stop Giselle, but not before telling me they had learned the truth and were ashamed for not standing by me. Yet even their support wasn't enough to sway me. It took Celebi, Julia and the words of my grandfather to compel me to go home and settle the score with Giselle. And after I took her down and sent Elezar and Cassius into hiding, I was content to go back out into the world, if my Grandmother hadn't used some trickery to get me to stay on as Pokémon League Champion. From that point until Julia and I left for Kalos, the only apologies I got were from Julia and Giselle's actions to keep my cousin safe. In fourteen years, I haven't received a single apology or admittance of wrongdoing from anyone who cast me out. Not my Grandmother, not my parents, no one. I was glad to put this miserable pit behind me when Ryan defeated me."
"But you still came back" Olivia recalled.
"Because Lady Bonnie's will stipulated I did so" he countered. "If I could have handled things from abroad, I would have. There is nothing left for me in Arcana but misery and pain. I chose to stay so that I could hope James and Arya would have better relationships with our family than I did. And look where that got me? My daughter was almost abducted by one of Claude's thugs and my mother still thinks she did nothing wrong in that situation. But now, we're stuck here. And once again, the entire world is looking to me to fix their problems and stop this great evil, when I'm not even sure which side is good or evil anymore."
"Surely you can't mean that. One of the sides still holds Chris hostage, right?"
"And the side I'm protecting was willing to treat me like a diseased animal to protect their own hides" Michael snapped, before doing his best to calm himself. "But those who have admitted to their own faults and mistakes, I can more than easily forgive. Cameron and Chris did so. And Julia has wronged me three times and given me her most sincere and heartfelt apology each and every time. I know Giselle had changed thanks to her actions." He then eyed Olivia. "And you did, too. I can't accept you apologizing for Rebecca and Betsy, but yours I'm more than willing to abide by."
"Mine?"
"Don't think for a minute that I was all too happy to see you at the wedding before you apologized for the way you all treated Julia when we were kids. If I wasn't in the presence of your son and my kids, I probably would have said some choice things to you. But you are someone worth trusting and putting my faith into. Not because you admit you're infallible, but specifically because you can admit when you're wrong and ask forgiveness." He pointed back out the door. "Those two have never and will never admit they were wrong. My father is too hotheaded and dense to even think what he did was bad. And my mother? Her pride and vanity will always dominate her until she gets that cold slap down to reality."
Olivia sighed. "I see. Did you mean what you said about Jane Kingston?"
Michael nodded. "I did. Jane was the only human being in all of Arcana who stood up for me. The only person who would even give me the time of day." He put his head into his hands. "And she died because of me. If only I could get one more chance to make Cassius suffer, I would!"
"I disagree" she told him gently. "What would killing him get you? What would going after my brother get me? Nothing. Cassius is dead and Donnie, if we can get all of this arranged for my son, will never get his chance to treat my little Michael like vermin. All it would do is make you act like them. And that's not the Michael Kingston I know. The Michael Kingston I know chose to spare Giselle when he could have easily thrown her into the abyss. The boy I've admired since I was a little girl would never go after someone for revenge. No matter how tempting a proposition or how possible it could be, he would seek the right choices until he had no other options. The man I see before me, even when he's been wronged, will not hesitate to forgive those who ask for it." She looked back towards the doorway and smiled sadly. "With all of your heart, can you tell me that you love Julia?"
Michael raised an eyebrow at this. "Of course. Why would you ask?"
Olivia playfully shook her head. "Just checking." She rose from her spot on the couch and departed from the foyer. "If you'll excuse me, my son needs to go to bed. We've got a busy day tomorrow, apartment hunting and all of that. But if you ever need me, Michael, you know you can count on me and I will be there for you." With that, Olivia left him to be alone with his Arcanine and his thoughts as the fire sparked and crackled nearby.
{}
As they finished the last of their dinner for the evening, Alison Kingston collected the plates of her husband, children and herself and put them in a trash bag back on the boat. Matthew could at least admire his mother's constant and consistent drive to not want to damage the environment anymore than mankind already has. If she needed to, she would recycle whatever she could. Something completely foreign to the Kingston Family before she had married his father, but welcomed in by the others nonetheless.
As the bonfire sparked and fizzled in front of them, Alison rocked the young toddler in Kayleigh to sleep while Robert played a soothing lullaby on his Poké Gear. Ryan was busy messaging back and forth with Addison, leaving Matthew to be the only one to tend to the fire. He used a stick to occasionally push the log around and ensure it kept glowing brightly for the campers. Despite his displeasure at this distraction as he still called it, he was content to know that there was even the slightest bit of normality returning to their family.
As Alison finally tucked Kayleigh inside her sleeping bag and returned to the bonfire, she let out a content sigh. "I'm glad we did this. I know you two would have rather done anything else, boys. But I think we all needed this."
Matthew casually tossed his stick into the fire and watched it burn. "Eh, I can take it or leave it."
"Yep" Ryan spat out, before putting down his Poké Gear.
"At least you two finally agree on something" Robert remarked angrily. "Come on. You two were once best friends."
"That bridge was burned a long time ago, Dad. And you know why."
"What did I say about ending this feud?"
Matthew shook his head. "The feud was the only thing keeping me going when I was in exile! While Ryan got to sit around and lounge about like a wannabe hero, I was scavenging around the Johto Region with Jocelyn for scraps. The only thing that kept me going was knowing I would get my chance to pop Ryan in his arrogant, smarmy mouth!"
"After the hell you put us all through" Ryan hissed back at him, "you should count yourself lucky you even had that to live off of. If I were Jocelyn, I would have left you to the mercy of Klefki Prison!"
Matthew rose up towards his brother. "And if I were Addison, I would have dropped you like a bad habit when you picked that little witch Avery over her!" This taunt prompted Ryan to get up in his brother's face. Both twins were about to have a throw down with the other, until Alison and Robert intervened. Robert got Ryan into a headlock, while Alison grabbed Matt's waist and tried to haul him away. "You know, the only reason any of us are here right now is because of me! I saved Addison from that little witch and I was the one who helped her get to your snoozing ass!"
"We wouldn't have been in that situation if you weren't running around being Elezar's stooge to begin with!" his brother roared.
"ALRIGHT!" Robert bellowed. "THAT DOES IT! YOU'RE BOTH DONE FOR THE NIGHT! GO TO YOUR TENTS AND STAY THERE UNTIL MORNING!"
Matthew casually took his mother's arms off of him and glared at Ryan for a moment. Ryan ripped himself free from his father and the two traded hateful looks before both went towards their own tents. Matthew slipped into his own and leaped onto his sleeping bag, seething with anger. How could they still not see that Ryan and he were never going to get along again?! Not without a common enemy, at least.
His tent zipper opened and his mother kneeled outside of it, shaking her head disappointingly at him. "Matthew. Why? Why couldn't you just try to get along?"
"I have nothing to feud with him over" Matthew proclaimed. "This is all from him. It all stemmed from him!"
"You and I both know that's not true."
"Oh, isn't it?" Matthew sat up and stared his mother down. "What else would it be? Ryan was given the silver spoon in his mouth. He was always the one you guys babied and protected. He was the one that Addy and Holly fell for, the one Michael and Julia doted over. He got everything in his life handed to him! And what did I get? A slap in the face from reality! I had to work for everything I get! And when I get one good thing to go right in my life when it comes to my little sister, his jealous ass has to keep trying to take that from me too! He's nothing but a parasite!"
"Your brother is not a parasite!" she snapped. "And he wasn't given a silver spoon. You both simply went down different paths to try and find success."
"He took the easy route! Everything was easy for him! I was the one who actually went through the effort to please you guys and make myself strong."
"And you got led astray by people who used you to their own ends" Alison reminded her son. "I can't speak for everything else, but it's safe to assume that you lost out on getting those bits of adoration and praise you wanted because of your choice to align with Elezar. You both went through hardships to get to where you are now. But whereas you have conjoined interests and can at least put your anger aside to fight a common enemy, you're at each other's throats! Tell me, Matty? How is that going to help you get what you want?"
Matthew lowered his head. He had no answer to give her.
"A day didn't go by where I wasn't worried about you" his mother revealed. "I didn't know where you were or if you were even alive out there in exile. I could only hope that one day, you would see the error of your ways and come back home to us. And you did. I was so happy when I found out you were here. Because I know my little man is strong enough to take care of himself and was ready to do so for the rest of the family." She looked back at Ryan's tent. "You both need us. And we need the both of you. Whole and at peace."
Matthew sighed. "I'm not sure you'll get that wish."
"All we need to do is get you two working together over something" Alison assured her son. "But we can worry about that in the morning." She blew her son a kiss and winked at him. "Good night, Matty. We'll talk after we all get some rest." With that, Alison zipped up her son's tent.
Matthew turned himself over on his sleeping bag. I won't have to worry about our feud for much longer. Once I get Jocelyn back, I can go back to going about and finding my own place in the world. But no matter how much he wanted to go back to something like he had with Jocelyn back in Johto, his thoughts rang for the family he would be leaving behind again. His mother, his father, his adoring little sister. Even Ryan. Sometimes, you didn't get second chances.