Unable to sleep following her first meeting with the Countess, Addison sat on the foot of her bed in an attempt to clear her mind and see if she could meditate on her own. With Galatea overlooking her egg as a doting mother would, she was free to attempt this work on her own. She took a long and deep breath, attempting to suppress all outside forces from her mind. Whether it would work or not would be left for her to find out. But she needed to try. Despite Rosemary's understanding about her needing a more simple approach to her training, she felt as if she had failed the Countess. She needed to make amends in time for their next meeting in the morning.
Suppress the outside thoughts...suppress the outside thoughts...empty my mind...
She had never been able to control when she had visions, but was praying to Arceus above that this trend would change. If she couldn't do it for Ryan or Michael, she could at least do it for herself. To improve herself as a prospective White Mage and potentially as a person. Even if she wasn't the one destined to fight Mewtwo, she would do her duty and protect the people she cared for. This time, for the boy she loved. For the boy she lost. For the boy she would have spent all eternity with.
She squeezed her eyes shut before opening them in frustration. But the room around her had changed. She was no longer inside Kingston Castle, but on a quiet and dimly lit campsite somewhere in Arcana. It was neatly tucked away from any peering eyes, making Addison assume that this was not a camp meant to be seen. It did not take long for her to find the person who had established this site. She spied a familiar foe, sharpening his knives and inspecting his rifles, but his primary focus being on a strange looking device on his lap. It looked to her like it was a helmet of some kind, but it often sizzled and crackled with powerful electric currents that made it show with a strange and ominous power.
"Heh heh heh" Hunter smirked. "This could not get any better." He finished sharpening his machete with a whetstone before putting it back in its sheath on his back. "Took care of what The Grand Master wanted and now I get to finish the job here in Arcana!" He took up the helm in his hands and grinned menacingly. "And not even the Master will be able to stop me!" He placed the helm on his head, with it sparking and shining with tremendous power.
Addison drew back. "What's going here?"
Hunter did not acknowledge her, giving Addison the belief that he could not see her and this was indeed just a vision. She concentrated harder to ensure that she did not lose this image. Hunter spun one of his rifles in his hand and loaded it once the helm was fitted onto his head. "No mental control from that disgusting beast. No interference from Courtney. And no little Kingston heroes to worry about. Once I take out both Ryan's little princess and Cameron, I'm going to become the most powerful person in the universe! All six Mythical Pokemon at my beck and call! And who knows? Maybe even Arceus will bow to me?! If not, that's why I've got that special little gift I stole from that chump in Orre."
"What does that mean?" Addison asked. But she knew she would not receive an answer, as she felt herself being tugged away from Hunter's campsite by an outside force. "WAIT! I NEED TO KNOW MORE!" She could not hear Hunter anymore, but could clearly see he had mouthed a single location she knew Michael and the others needed to know. She closed her eyes and opened them once more. The distraction was coming from her Pokemon Gear. She looked to see who was trying to contact her and frowned. "What does he want?" She reluctantly answered the call. "What is it, Matt?"
"You okay?" Matt asked her.
"I'm a little unhappy, to be honest" she snapped. "All I wanted was to find a way for me to-you know what? Never mind. Just forget it. What is it?"
"I need you to let someone at the Castle know about our plan" he requested.
"What is your plan?"
"We're going to trap Hunter. We have a feeling he is still here in Arcana. And if we can trap him, we can get the Mythical Pokemon back from him. But we need Michael's approval. We sent Cameron there, but we haven't heard from her in a while."
Addison gasped. "Wait a minute. You want to catch Hunter? Do you know where he is?"
"Not really, but we think he might be-"
"I know where he is" she told him.
"You do?"
She pondered for a moment. Matthew had once been aligned with Hunter. Could he be trusted with such vital information? Or would he be luring the others into a trap to help him? "I want to know I can trust you to do the right thing with this information when I give it to you."
"Are you serious?" Matthew snapped over the line.
"The last time someone gave you information, you sent Holly to get branded by Cassius" Addison reminded coldly. "Don't think for a minute that because we're on the same side that it means I trust you again!"
"What more do you want me to do, Addy?" Matthew fired back. "I literally saved your life from Avery and helped you wake my brother! I haven't tried to make a move on you since we've been here. All I want to do is right by my brother and here you are still acting like a damned gatekeeper! WHAT MORE DO YOU NEED TO KNOW THAT WE'RE ON THE SAME SIDE?!"
Addison got the message. "Okay. Sorry. I just-"
"I know" he replied calmly. "Pure evil and all that."
"That's not what I-"
"Just tell me if you can. If not, I'll figure it out on my own."
"Charizark Town" Addison replied glumly. Either Matthew was so evil, he had mastered the art of tricking her into helping him, or she had genuinely hurt him with her remarks. "He's camped just outside of town. But he seems loaded and dangerous. Be careful."
"Stop pretending that you care if I live or die" Matthew replied coldly.
"Matt-"
"I know I'm not Ryan, but I thought you and I would at least be able to miss him as friends. But forget I even mentioned it!" With that, Matthew ended the call and left Addison alone once more.
Addison tossed her Poke Gear aside and frowned. "Matt...you know I'd care if you were hurt..."
{}
Mark was hard at work preparing a stew for a late night supper for himself, Lizzie, Matthew and Justin after a long day of training. While Matthew was checking in on Addison and her training underneath the Countess, he could not help but make cheeky glances back at Justin and Lizzie, wondering if Lizzie had realized she had feelings for the handsome yet awkward nephew of their old enemy. But Lizzie remained focused on training her Umbreon while Justin was at work grooming his Raichu with a comb. The presence of a powerful electric Pokemon had certainly put his own Pikachu on edge, but Mark let him take a turn stirring the pot while they observed in quiet.
He spotted Matthew returning from his call. "Any news?" Mark inquired.
"Charizark Town" Matthew replied. "That's where Addy claimed he was."
"Then what are we waiting for?" Lizzie asked. "Let's go and-"
"And get ourselves killed?" Mark sternly reminded her. "Or did you forget all seven of us play a role in this? If we go without Cynthia, Cameron or Piper, we're in colossal trouble. Cynthia especially since she's filling in for Michael now. This isn't the same as when Michael was leading us." He frowned. Without his old friend at the helm, command of this dangerous task had fallen upon him as the senior member of Michael's Elite Four. "We need to do this delicately and decisively. No mistakes, or we could lose Hunter for good."
"But if he's there now" Justin suggested, "would it not make more sense for us to make our move now? Assemble the others along the way?"
"Piper messaged me and told me that Cameron is in no condition to go for this now" Mark warned. "We're just going to have to wait until morning. So we should all eat up and rest up." He stirred his pot one last time while his Pikachu scurried about their campsite playfully. "Dinner's ready."
Matthew slowly made his way to a spot on the side of Mark and Justin, while Lizzie kept to her own side, feeding her Umbreon before taking a bite to eat for herself. He sat down and took a bowl of stew for himself, but did not feel hungry. While both Justin and Mark shoveled it down, with Justin letting out extremely happy and satisfied "mmm" noises, he stared at his stew, unable to get himself in the mood to eat.
"So, Charizark Town?" Justin asked as he emptied his bowl. "What's that town like?"
"Quiet and lowkey" Lizzie replied as she pet the Umbreon on her lap. "The perfect place for a scoundrel like Hunter to hide."
Matthew kept himself quiet. He knew more about Charizark Town than any of them, but he was unwillingly letting Addison's words get to him. Even now, with Ryan gone and their side on the brink of total collapse, everyone still viewed him as an enemy. Even Julia wasn't around to defend her own words about him before that disastrous camping trip to Waypoint Island. Why was he still even here if no one trusted him? Once he knew Kayleigh and his mother were secured, why not just leave? Go off on his own? Find out what he was meant to do with his life. Michael would take care of the region and Addison would take care of Mewtwo. Why did he even need to stay?
"You've been awfully quiet" Mark pointed out to him. "Something on your mind."
"What does it matter?" Matthew barked. "It's not like I'm one of you, anyway."
"Who says you aren't?"
"Addy, that's who!"
Lizzie eyed him for a minute and rolled her eyes. "You let these things get to you."
Matthew scoffed at this. "That roll of the eyes. That's all I've gotten since coming back to this hell pit. Well, that's not entirely true. Scorn, derision, hate. Part of me feels like I should never have left for Mirage Island in the first place! Then at least I wouldn't have sit here and suffer insults like that." He hurled the bowl back at Mark's kettle, with it dropping in as if he was putting it back. "Even when I do the right thing, it's never enough."
Justin was surprised by Matthew's outburst. "I don't understand. What's all this about?"
Mark sighed. "Let's just say that Matthew once walked down a dark path like your uncle."
"And he thinks that just because Addison doesn't trust him, that the world doesn't" Lizzie added. "We're not your enemies, Matt. And we see how much you've done and offered to do."
"You don't have to tell me that to cheer me up" Matthew grumbled. "I've walked alone before and I can do it again."
"But can you walk the right path on your own?" Mark questioned.
"You don't think I can make decisions for myself?!"
"Yes I do, but I also know you've struggled to figure out what's right and wrong before." He put his own bowl on the ground, with his Pikachu happily leaning in and nibbling on what was left inside. "You are not a bad person, Matthew. You're just lost. And lost people often need help finding their proper direction. Imagine if I had left Michael on his own when we met. Do you think he would be as good a man? Or do you think he would have kept to the shadows of society? Being lost doesn't mean you're evil or bad or even what you were underneath Elezar. You've done good before and will do good again. It's going to take some time for others to see it."
Lizzie let her Umbreon eat up her own stew as she took the opportunity to console Matthew. "This loner act may work for some, Matt, but it's not who you are. You grew up around friends and family that loved and cared about you. You threw that away in pursuit of power and found yourself empty and alone at the end of the day."
"But Jocelyn saved you from that loneliness and helped you do something with your life" Mark reminded him.
"And now she's gone" Matthew bitterly added. "And all I have left to show from her is the derision from people I thought were my friends."
"Michael and I always knew the hardest hurdle for you to get across would be your brother and Addy. You three were inseparable. Best friends. And you let your rivalry with Ryan devolve into a grudge match with Addison caught in the crossfire. She was pretty messed up by what you did. I don't blame her for keeping her distance. But I also don't think that you should give up on what you've accomplished just because Addison isn't warming up to you."
"It's not just Addy! It's Holly, Tommy, Jasmine, Morgan, basically everyone in Arcana who isn't my Mom or my little sister!" He pounded his fist into the ground. "What's the point of doing all this when the people who I'm fighting for couldn't care if I lived or died?"
Mark smiled faintly. "You know, I used to think Ryan was the one who had more in common with Michael. But I'm beginning to think I was wrong. What about you, Liz? Do you see something of Michael in him?"
Lizzie thought for a moment before answering. "Ryan was what Michael always wanted to be. Happy-go-Lucky, carefree, always doing the right thing and putting friends and loved ones above all else. But you are what he was long ago. Angry, lost, alone and afraid of hurting people again." She looked into the embers below Mark's kettle. "I understand him a bit more now. He's shouldered so much pain from the past that we thought he was invulnerable to it. But now, he's on the verge of breaking again." She eyed Matthew curiously. "But people like Mark and I? We don't let those we know are good fall away. We're going to keep Michael upright, kicking and screaming if we have to. And we'll do the same for you. You've made too much progress from the monster you used to be to slide back into that."
Justin nodded. "I've only known you for a short while, Matthew, but I never got a dark or evil vibe from you."
Matthew's frown only deepened. "I do. Each and every night."
"Which is why Lizzie said the loner life isn't for you" Mark warned. "You need a balancing influence in your life. There's nothing wrong with that. We all have one. Kayleigh may tether you here, but she's not someone who balances out what you need. You need someone to fill in that role in your life."
"Like a girlfriend?"
"I was thinking a true friend" Mark laughed. "A relationship can work, but it's not mandatory. I feel as if I've been a balancing influence on Michael. And he in turn has been a balancing influence on Lizzie and I. He's even done so for Chris and Cam. Cam's balancing has been brought up thanks to Cynthia and Chris's by Piper. Addison and Ryan were each other's."
"I had one of those. And she's gone."
"But not forever" Lizzie reminded him. "I doubt Jocelyn would want you to give up so easily."
"I promised her I would go back to her" Matthew growled. "I promised her I would save her! And I'm as close to that as I am getting my friends back."
"Jocelyn, Chris, Giselle, and plenty of others are off on Mirage Island and in need of rescue" Mark pointed out. "Just because we haven't been able to rescue them, doesn't mean they've been forgotten. I have friends there and so do Cynthia, Rui, Michael and many others. Just keep your chin up and you'll hopefully find a better path for yourself. But one thing to keep in mind, Matt."
"What's that?"
"We haven't given up on you" Mark replied. Lizzie nodded in agreement, as did Justin.
Matthew nodded, but his mood did not improve much. "Thanks."
With Matthew at least placated for the moment, Mark looked to his Pikachu, who finished burying his face into the stew and looked up at him happily. "Now, the only things we have to worry about are Cameron and Greta."
"You mean you never told her?" Lizzie asked in astonishment.
"Why would I? The last thing I want to do is make her worry too much about me. We already don't know if Michael supports this, but I know Greta would refuse to let me get involved."
"I don't blame her."
"Letting her know what's going on is only going to end in a fight. Like my older brother always says, it's better to beg forgiveness than to ask permission."
"Pushing off the fight for later isn't helpful, either" Justin pointed out. "My mother regrets letting my Uncle get as bad as he did. But it's too late now."
Lizzie's stare hardened. "For all that positive talk you have for Michael, you fail to realize it was shady stuff like this that he hated, right?"
Mark frowned. "And are you all willing to let our number helping us here drop to six?"
Matthew looked to the leader of their group. "You may regret not telling her. Making a mistake in a relationship can haunt you for a long time."
Realizing he was outvoted 3-1, Mark admitted defeat. His Pikachu chirping up at him and giving him a disapproving look all but sealed the deal. "Fine. I'll message her."
"Call her" Lizzie ordered. "Trust me, I'll be saving you grief."
Mark rolled his eyes and reached for his Poke Gear. To his surprise, Greta had already tried to message him. He sent out a call to her and waited patiently. When he noticed everyone doing their best not to pretend like they were listening in, he rose to his feet and walked away several steps. Finally, after the fourth or fifth ring, she answered.
"Mark? Where are you? I thought we were supposed to have dinner tonight."
"Listen, Greta" Mark tried to explain. "I've got an important mission to do."
"What kind of mission?"
He took a deep breath before blurting out the answer. "I'm going after Hunter to get our Pokemon back."
"I know" Greta answered. "The King mentioned it."
So Cameron got his approval, then. Good. "And you don't mind me taking part?"
"Of course I mind" Greta answered sharply. "I'm absolutely livid that you're putting your life on the line against that psychopath that almost drowned Lizzie. But, I also know that I can't stop you whenever you have your heart set on something. And I know how important Mew is to you. Just promise me you'll be careful. There's already one too many broken hearts in this region to fix. Don't make me another one."
Mark nodded. "You have my word."
"Please. Come home safe." With that, Greta ended the call.
Mark turned to his friends. "There. Satisfied?"
The trio pretended they hadn't been listening in and all helped themselves to more of Mark's stew. He rolled his eyes. At least he knew he had people he could count on in the long run.
{}
While making his way up to his bedroom alone, Michael paused when he thought he could hear some kind of commotion going on around the corner. He peered around and spotted Olivia's son, whom everyone was now calling Little Michael, trying desperately to make his practice Poke Ball snare the plush Eevee he was known to play with. But the ball always landed several feet in front of the toy. The young boy pouted as his latest attempt didn't even make if halfway between their distance.
"If you're looking to catch that one" Michael advised, "I'd recommend moving closer."
"But it might run away, Mr. King" the four year old boy replied. "Got to catch it!"
"You do know very few kids your age get Pokemon, right?"
"Gotta catch it" he repeated. He grabbed the ball, trotted back to his position and threw it again, missing again.
"Your posture is all wrong" Michael confirmed, kneeling down to be eye level with Olivia's son.
"Posh Chur?"
"The way you stand" the King laughed. "If you're going to be at a distance, you can't just lob the ball at it. You don't have much arm strength yet, son."
"How do I do it, Mr. King?"
"Try a step, then a throw."
The boy took a step, paused in place and threw. The ball this time went too far.
"All in one motion. Watch me." He took up one of the boy's toy Poke Balls and stepped and threw. The ball caught the plush Eevee easily.
The boy was astonished. "Wow! You good, Mr. King, sir."
"You'll get there one day too, kid. Just keep practicing." He released the plush Eevee and gave the boy his practice Poke Ball back, before continuing on his trek to his and Julia's bedroom. He paused when he noticed Olivia's guest room was open. She was sitting on the edge of her bed, shaking her head. When she spotted him, her mood only worsened.
"It doesn't feel right" Olivia admitted.
"What doesn't?" Michael asked as he entered her room.
"All of this" she declared, gesturing to her and him. "We shouldn't even be entertaining the idea of this if Julia is still around."
"We don't have a choice" Michael reluctantly answered. "You girls said it best. I can't do this alone. And if Julia's memory doesn't come back, I highly doubt she'll want to stick around in a marriage she's not committed to." It pained him to even think that, but there was no guarantee of the drug she was given working. Giovanni said as much himself. And now, with the unexpected side effect of Julia being out cold for who knows how long, he was left to linger on it. His every thought wondering if the last kiss they shared would indeed be their last. His pondering if this lesson of throwing a Poke Ball with Little Michael would not be the last time he acted as the boy's father. If he would be taking on a distant cousin as his wife and Queen, all because he lost the love of his life.
"It's not fair to Julia" Olivia pointed out. "I mean, the only time I never thought much about you was when I was with Georges. But before and after him, all I can think about was what could have been." She did her best not to make eye contact with him and simply lowered her head in shame. "Julia doesn't deserve to have this happen."
"Trust me, I am going to make the person responsible for this suffer regardless of whether or not she wakes" Michael growled. He had lost more than enough patience with Courtney. She had crossed a line by trying to hurt Julia. He would not be showing her any mercy. In actuality, it would be a competition between him and Cameron on who could get to her first. "But until we know for sure what's going to happen-"
Olivia leaped up to her feet and stared at him. "And what happens if she wakes and remembers? Am I supposed to just casually toss these feelings aside?"
Michael shook his head. "I wouldn't ask that of you. But I would ask you to understand my position. Julia is everything to me. And it's nothing against you, but I am not looking at all forward to the moment she might decide to leave." He took a step forward. "Fate has a way of steering us to where we're needed to be. You got sent to meet Georges and have a wonderful son between you. It sent me back to Julia. Tell me. Would you give up all of that, everything you've experienced, your own son, just for something that could have been? And let's be frank, my Grandmother was more keen than anything to marry me to Deidre. Believe me, I got enough grief about that from Julia."
Olivia shook her head. "Little Michael is my entire world. I wouldn't give him up for anything."
"Exactly. Which is why we take things as they come." He turned to leave, but Olivia was quicker than he was and she grabbed his hand.
"Don't forget your promise."
Michael nodded. "It hasn't been forgotten. Julia and I will take care of Michael if anything happens to you."
She released him. "Good. Now, if Your Highness permits, I have an early work day tomorrow. And I need to sleep." She was about to head out and collect her son, but stopped herself in the doorway. "Oh, but Michael. You're not the only one who's rooting for Julia."
"I know you are too."
"Your father is, too."
Michael was surprised at this, but nodded. "Of course. He's always loved her."
She kept her back to him as she became slightly emotional. "He told me, aside from the days you and Tori were born, the proudest day of his life was her asking him to walk her down the aisle." With that, she rushed out of the room to go and make sure her son got enough rest for the night. Though he could hear the four year old protesting to the best of his ability, he knew the boy's mother would be the winner in the end.
Michael folded his arms and found a genuine smile coming on his face. "Well, well. Didn't think he could be proud of us." That leaves only Mom...
{}
It was before dawn when the group that plotted to ambush and finally bring Hunter down set off for Charizark Town. Though Piper suggested ambushing him while he was sleeping, Matthew and Lizzie both agreed that Hunter would be suspecting this. Instead, as the skies were hardly even light, five individuals showed up at the now closed Charizark Town Gym to await the arrival of the last two members of their team.
This day is either going to be the day the tide turns or we lose for good, Matthew thought to himself while they waited outside his father's old Pokemon Gym.
Mark was easily the most alert and focused, with him knowing that he and likely Lizzie and Matthew would be needed to be the ones who did the most heavy lifting in their group. Mark was formulating as many contingency plans as his mind could allow, almost looking like he was doing advanced calculus in his head. Unlike the others, he didn't show any signs of grogginess or hesitation. Justin was barely awake, needing to be constantly nudged by Matthew and Lizzie to stay awake. He would insist he was awake and ready to make his move, but the others knew better. Piper was doing her best to remain focused, but seemed too worried about Julia to be of much help besides throwing out the occasional clever trick or maneuver. She simply kept to herself. Lizzie was pep talking herself through this, with Matthew noticing she seemed a little nervous about this whole exchange. Having tangled with Hunter before and seen just how dangerous and resilient he could be, it didn't surprise him.
He himself was still muddled. How things had ended the previous night with Addison had rubbed him the wrong way. And now, with seven lives on the line against one of, if not the, most dangerous killers in all of the world was making him very uneasy. But he was committed to this and would not fail again. He would either do right and free the Mythical Pokemon from his old ally's demented grasp, or die trying. The only bit of solace he got was from Shaymin, who floated around his head and would occasionally yip in his direction as if trying to will courage his way.
"How do we even know he's still here?" Justin asked, still pretending he wasn't tired. "He might have moved on."
"That's not how Hunter operates" Lizzie explained. "He may be vicious and dangerous, but he's patient. He knows how to lie in wait. All he needs to do is sit and hope we're the ones that blow cover."
"Well, it's a good thing we're all set on the plan, right?" Piper asked.
"Not looking forward to being live bait" Matthew firmly replied, "but if Ryan can do it, so can I, I guess."
"If Cameron is as hung over as I think she might be, you may need to do double duty."
"I didn't think Cameron drank" Mark wondered. "That seemed more of a Chris thing."
"Considering all she's been through, I can't exactly blame her."
Matthew was about to add to the discussion, but the doors opened and Cynthia and Cameron entered. Though Cynthia seemed fresh and eager for battle, Cameron looked sluggish, drained and appeared to be more eager to get sick than take part in a battle. Victini was already out of his Pokemon Ball, doing his best to motivate and inspire Cameron to wake up more properly. Though it seemed to be working, no one seemed that interested in riling her up just yet.
"Sorry we're late" Cynthia apologized. "Needed to make sure we were ready and not about to throw up."
"We?" Matthew asked slyly.
"I take responsibility for Cameron" she replied sharply. "That's the extent of the 'we' you will be getting."
"Fair enough" Mark interjected. "I'd rather everyone focus on the mission and less on their hookups." He looked at all six surrounding him and took in a deep breath. "Okay, this is going to be the thing that defines us. We either come out on top or give Hunter basically unlimited power. But it's a risk we have to take. I can't take Mew, Celebi or any of the other Mythics at his mercy for another moment."
"So what exactly is the plan?" Piper asked. "I mean, we're going to be ambushing all at once if he takes the bait?"
"I don't know what to expect with Hunter" Mark admitted.
"He's going to suspect a trap" Lizzie warned. "Which is why I still think we should have gone after him last night."
"A good number of us were otherwise occupied" Cameron mumbled, before rubbing her head to try and jump start herself.
"So we've heard" Matthew added. "Just giving you guys a warning. Lizzie's probably right. Hunter isn't dense. If he sees Cam and I on our own training, he's probably going to think something's up."
"We can't just give up now" Piper argued. "We've got to do this." Her cheeks reddened for a moment. "Not just for Chris. But for Michael as well. Getting those Pokemon out of Hunter's grubby hands has got to count for something, right?"
"We'll worry about the aftermath when we know it's good or bad" Lizzie concluded. "We're in too deep, now. We have to do this."
"Cameron and Matt are the only bait Hunter would take" Mark explained. "This is because they have Shaymin and Victini on them. The rest of us aren't even worth him glancing at. But unlike the times he's ambushed us either here on Mirage Island or off of it, we know he'll be here. We know he'll be coming for us. And we can prepare for that."
"How dangerous is this guy?" Justin nervously asked. "I mean, you guys talk about him like he's some stealthy stalker."
"Hunter is a killer" Lizzie quipped. "And a damned good one."
"We've tangled with him before" Cameron added. "And only barely escaped with our lives."
"Then why are we acting like this isn't some major crisis?" the greenest member of their team wondered.
"Because hesitation is something Hunter preys on" Matthew groaned. "He'll take you out more quickly than you'd expect." He paused. Shaymin hadn't yipped at him in awhile. He looked up to find his Mythical Pokemon ally staring at a dark corner of the Gym. While the others continued to debate their plans, Matthew's attention was entirely on what Shaymin was focused towards. Matthew moved to the side of the group and slowly took a step, one every second, keeping his guard up.
Dad's Gym is never this dark. Something's wrong. Shaymin sniffed at the darkness, before bounding behind his trainer and letting out a nervous groan.
"And you think he's going to just lie in wait and hope for us to come to him?" Cameron argued with someone's point. "When has that ever been Hunter's MO?"
"It's not" Matthew replied quietly.
"I can't believe we're having this argument now" Cynthia snapped. "I mean, how long are we going to-"
"GET DOWN!" Matthew roared. The group at first did not understand, until Victini caught onto what Shaymin had seen. The two Pokemon flew behind the group. The unmistakable sound of gunshot echoed throughout the Gym. The lone lamp that hung over their group in the Gym fizzled out. Matthew called out his Noivern to protect them and to use it's sonar to find out where Hunter was hiding. Before he could react, Matthew was tossed aside. He landed hard on the floor of the gym, just in time for the others to scatter and try to find the phantom attacking them. He scrambled back to his feet and pressed a button on the side of the Gym, causing the fire streams nearby to light.
"HUNTER?!" Mark growled.
Matthew spun around and saw something like a shadow sneaking around the room. Victini and Shaymin were being corralled to safety by Cynthia and Piper, while the others were trying to catch the vicious poacher. Matthew finally got a sight of Hunter and tried to tackled him. Hunter was tripped up for a moment, but kicked him hard in the face with his boot to scramble to safety. Mark fell on him immediately afterwards, the two exchanging in a grappling match Mark was unfortunately not built for. After receiving an elbow to the head and a punch to his gut, Mark fell over. Matthew heard the sound of one of Hunter's many rifles cocking and loading and knew to dive onto the ground. But the shot never came around.
"Get off me, you little imp!" Hunter roared.
Matthew peered up and saw, to his astonishment, Justin Jacques had gained a reckless confidence and slammed their enemy to the ground. Lizzie hurried over to assist him while Cameron tended to Mark. The duo had almost managed to subdue him, but Hunter managed a cheap shot to Justin's groin before sucker punching Lizzie in the jaw and sending her backwards. Cameron lunged forward, but Hunter sidestepped her and swung his rifle around to fire at her. Lizzie recovered in time to kick Hunter in his thigh. Mark joined in the fray as well and got Hunter in a headlock, applying pressure onto his thigh to force him to kneel down.
"I can't believe that worked" Piper remarked.
"Oh no" Hunter mockingly cried. "I'm caught by the gang of punks. Whatever will I do."
Matthew stepped forward and took the initiaive. "The game's over, Hunter."
"The game is over when the poacher catches his prey" he retorted. "And boy do I have you guys in a web, right now."
"Give us the Mythics, Hunter" Lizzie ordered as she came to Matthew's side. "You and I both know you don't have the power to use them."
"Oh, that's where you're wrong, Lizzie. All I need is the last two and I'll have the entirety of the world at my beck and call. Not even Mewtwo will be able to match me. And if that means I have to bust a few heads open, I will. Or, in your case, bring the house down!"
A thunderous roar shook the entirety of the Charizark Town Gym. Before anyone in the group could react, a massive Draco Meteor ripped through the roof of the building, causing much of it to collapse. While the team scrambled to find their way to safety, Matthew spotted Hunter freeing himself from Mark's grasp and laughing at him. "Sayonara, Markie Boy!"
A chunk of the roof fell quickly and almost crushed Matthew, had his Noivern not anticipated it and flew her trainer to safety. As Matthew gratefully pet her, he saw the massive emerald shaded head of Rayquaza peer down and allow Hunter to climb atop. Mark rushed after Hunter, even managing to climb up after Hunter, but not in time to defend himself from Hunter's gun shot. The blow grazed his shoulder and caused Mark to fall off and collapse to the ground, clutching at his heavily bleeding arm. Piper was at his side immediately, hurriedly bandaging his wound.
"Don't let him get away" Mark cried desperately.
"Not like you losers have a choice in the matter" Hunter called back, giving them a mocking kiss farewell.
"Not this time!" Matthew roared. He climbed onto the back of his Noivern and pet her neck lovingly. "Come on, girl. We have to stop him!"
"Piper, stay with Mark" Lizzie told her as she climbed on top Justin's Corviknight behind him. Cynthia and Cameron were already mounting her enormous Togekiss and beginning their pursuit.
Within seconds, the three Flying Pokemon were in hot pursuit of Rayquaza. A wicked storm was already brewing outside, no doubt caused by the Forces of Nature Hunter had at his beck and call. The three djinn Pokemon, Landorus, Thunderus and Tornadus, were all conjuring the most chaotic and hellish weather they could in the hopes of aiding in Hunter's escape. But while the Corviknight buckled under the pressure and the Togekiss seemed rattled by the storm, Matthew's Noivern surged right through it, his determination to catch the vicious poacher all the more great.
Matthew's Noivern swerved in and out of the storm, while also dodging the various gunshots from Hunter and the Draco Meteors coming from Rayquaza. He knew his own Dragon Pokemon would not be able to keep this up and that he had to close the gap between them as quickly as possible. "Noivern! Use Tailwind!" The Noivern flapped it's wings quickly and surged into the skies quickly, catching up to Rayquaza as the mighty emerald dragon reached at least thirty stories into the air. With the sharpest of glares and steepest of confidence boosts, Matthew leaped off the back of his own Pokemon and landed on Rayquaza's back. He glanced down and saw Justin and Cynthia's Pokemon trying to join him, but being pushed back by various Dragon Pulses and Draco Meteors.
"Man, aren't you just the King of all Disappointments" Hunter called after him. Matthew ducked immediately, missing being shot by a few feet. He recovered in time to push himself forward. "You could have been a truly useful partner, Matt. We could have brought the Kingstons to their knees. Maybe even share in the spoils of war." Hunter cocked his gun again from Rayquaza's neck. "But you showed you have no guts, kid. And I don't side with cowards!" He shot again, this time the bullets ripped past his ears with such force that he was briefly deafened by it.
He pushed himself to his feet and dashed forward as Hunter tried to reload his gun. He tackled Hunter and the former Kingston traitor desperately fought to knock the rifle out of his hands, with Hunter smacking Matt constantly in the head with the rifle's butt. He slapped the latest attempt away and surprisingly even knocked the weapon out of Hunter's hands and onto the shoulder of Rayquaza. But his victory was short lived, as Hunter ruthlessly kicked him in the gut. As he rolled over in pain, Hunter grabbed one of his many knives and slashed at Matthew. The body of the Dragon Pokemon shook violently as Matthew's allies began their counterattack.
Matthew jumped back to his feet, only to miss being slashed in the face by a few inches. With himself staggered by his quick recovery, Hunter punched him hard in the cheek, forcing the boy to tumble off of Rayquaza's neck and only bring able to cling onto the Dragon's arm with his hands, his grip weakening every second. His Noivern rushed to assist him and even got Matthew onto her back, but had to deposit him early as another shot from Hunter, this time a shotgun, forced her to retreat. Mathew landed again on Rayquaza, only to be smacked right off and this time held onto Hunter's prized Pokemon for dear life. He could not keep a firm grip on the Dragon and could only watch as Hunter stepped up to him and gave him a wicked smile.
"Well, kid?" Hunter cackled. "Looks like this is where you bow out. But I do give you props for playing both sides as long as you did. You lasted better than Claude did, that's for sure."
Matthew tried to pull himself up, but his feet slipped off of the scales of the Dragon and he could only dangle helplessly.
"And as a reward for your struggle" Hunter went on, "I've got one last gift to give you. I'm going to teach you all about murder." He took a step closer and looked down at him coldly. "The greatest joy a killer can get is seeing the utter terror in the eyes of their quarry. It starts out as desperation with a hint of confusion, then shock and awe, before giving way to horror. That's the best part, after all. Man oh man, have I seen my fair share of those glances." He snickered. "Well, yours could use some work."
"Ugh" Matthew grunted as he tried to keep hold.
"They all come and go through my memories, but two will always stick out for me. The first occurred before you were born. You see, I was trying to catch Jirachi for a long time. And I went to Lizzie's Grandfather, the Keeper of the Shrine of Jirachi, in the hopes he could lead me to him. I offered him the stars and moon for it and he told me to get lost. I plunged a knife into his gut and forced him to watch as I lit fire to each and every one of his personal possessions. Had his wife not been tending to the Pokemon outside and their granddaughter not been out with her friends, I could have killed them in a set. But I promised to finish the job as soon as I had Jirachi. The fear he showed me and the desperation in his face to try and stop me, those are things I will never forget." With unexpected harshness, he stomped on Matthew's hands.
"ARGH!"
"The best one came not too long ago" Hunter recalled cruelly. "Though this time, it started out as arrogance. The idea, the sheer audacity that something was going to happen to him, even during a wicked storm, surprised him. He thought I was going after someone else he loved. Someone he cherished. He spent so long idolizing the idea of being a hero, he thought it would be his story at the end of the day." He looked Matthew over and cackled wildly. "I'm not going to lie, I'm getting those same vibes from you right now."
Matthew desperately pushed his foot into Rayquaza, who was too distracted by the attacking forms of the Corviknight and Togekiss to notice. He managed to dig a foothold in for himself, knowing all too well his hands did not have much left in them.
"In fact, I daresay this is so familiar that it's almost sickening." He dug his boot harder into Matthew's hands, with Matthew noticing a drip of blood sliding down his arm. "But it should fit. After all, considering how close you two used to be, it only makes sense."
"What are you talking about?" Matthew demanded, hoping Hunter didn't notice his feet securing himself.
"Do I have to spell it out for you, you dolt?! Or did you actually think your precious twin brother died in a storm?"
Matthew's eyes widened in shock and his heart stopped for a moment. "What?" Inside his mind, for the first time since his exile, Matthew could see his entire memory of his brother and he. From the time they were toddlers to the time they fought Daniel together in Taghwan City. He saw them sharing toys, racing each other, play wrestling, playing pirates with Addison on the old Parlor Town Playground. He saw the two of them, standing together at the start of their journey, determined to be the best Pokemon Trainers they could possibly be. And then, Ryan disappeared like dust in the wind. He found himself truly and deeply mourning Ryan for the first time since his death. His grief and despair soon turned into rage and hate.
"A perfect set of Kingston Twins to kill" Hunter mocked as he lifted his boot to kick Matthew's head. "May as well send you both off the same way!"
Knowing he had only a second to pull this off, Matthew used his free hand to grab onto Hunter's leg and yank hard down. Hunter was caught off guard and nearly fell over, but dug his other foot harder into Matthew's hand to compensate. Matthew yanked down harder and finally got Hunter to flip over him and fall out of sight. Matthew desperately pulled himself over the ledge and let out a brief exhale.
"I could use a challenge anyway!" Hunter roared. Matthew spun around and saw Hunter standing on Rayquaza's arm. He leaped onto the back of his Legendary Pokemon and lunged forward with his knife.
Matthew used a low sweeping kick to keep Hunter off balance and allow him to gain some distance between them. He recovered his stance and clenched his fists at his opponent. "YOU KILLED MY BROTHER!" He rushed Hunter and tackled him, this time raining a series of rapid punches down onto his foe. He didn't care how badly he was hurting him, just that he was. Hunter finally blocked a blow, caught his fist and redirected it at his own face. Matthew fell backwards, but did not receive his own volley of punches in return.
"You want in on this too, Liz?" Hunter laughed.
Lizzie had leaped from the Corviknight onto Rayquaza and stood in between Hunter and Matthew. "This has to end, Hunter. How many more people have to die and suffer?!"
"As many as it takes, Princess" Hunter snarled. He pulled out one of his handguns and pointed it at Lizzie. "But you've been a thorn in my side for too long. Hopefully you'll know Ryan sent my message to your Grandpa soon enough." Hunter was unable to pull the trigger in time, as Cameron had joined in the fray and elbowed Hunter in the head. While Justin and Cynthia acted as distractions for Rayquaza, the trio all fought hard to subdue and take down Hunter. A flash of lightning blinded Matthew for a moment, allowing Hunter to gain a slight advantage and smash Cameron backwards.
Cameron fell back, but had managed to rip Hunter's satchel off his back. As she fell backwards, Matthew whistled for his Noivern to catch her. She intercepted the tumbling Cameron. As his cousin recovered, Matthew saw a glimmer of a smirk on her face.
"Thanks for the gifts, Hunter" Cameron called back as the Noivern sped off into the clouds.
Hunter looked for his satchel and cursed himself. It had snapped in half, his Poke Balls being in the half Cameron had ripped from him. All that was left were a few knives and his machete that was in it's sheath on his back. He roared in fury as he threw a knife at Lizzie. The handle hit her in the head and forced her back, but Matthew was quick to take her place. "HE'S MINE!"
Hunter took another of his knives and slashed wildly at Matthew, but Matthew dodged each swing and kicked Hunter in the shin. As he fell down, Matthew tried his own attempt to grapple away something of Hunter's. Hunter gave him a firm kick with both feet that sent him backwards, but not before Matthew had gotten what he wanted to grab. In a rage, he threw more punches down on Hunter as he recovered and slammed him hard onto Rayquaza's neck. In his hands, he found two handguns, with both loaded and aimed right for the center of Hunter's head.
Lizzie recovered in time to see this exchange. "Matt?!"
Hunter looked from the guns to the boy on top of him, as if trying to analyze his foe's goals. But in the end, he simply laughed it all off. "Hehehehehehehe. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
"What's so funny?" Matthew hissed.
"You are. Well played, Matthew. You proved me wrong. You are just like me. Someone willing to do anything to get what he wants, be it all powerful Pokemon, or revenge. And look where you are now. Two loaded pistols at the head of the man who killed your brother."
"You killed Ryan?!" Lizzie exclaimed.
"You seem surprised by this?" He then moved his head closer to the guns. "You see, Matt. It's a ceaseless cycle. When you kill, you continue doing it until you're killed yourself. You and I are more alike than I thought and even you think. Just wait until you take your first truly innocent life. It'll be the proudest day of my life when you're sent to the darkest depths of hell alongside me." He grinned. "Pull the triggers. End it. Avenge Ryan. Avenge your father. Avenge everyone who's ever suffered at my hands and protect those I would have and probably will kill if you don't. Do it! Be the man they all know you are!"
Matthew hesitated, the guns shaking in his hand. If I pull the triggers...
"You think any of these people care about you?" Hunter sneered. "That they love about you? That when all this is over, they won't come for you next? What hope does someone like you have of getting that part of your life back? Addison won't ever love you. Those friends you had hate you. Your family doesn't need you. All you have left in your heart is the hate we put inside of you. So why don't you use it on me and see how far that hate takes you?!"
Lizzie took a deep breath and closed her eyes. "Do it, Matt."
Matthew was aghast. "What? Shouldn't you be telling me to-"
"This man has killed too many people" she explained. "He's going to keep on killing until he's finally taken out himself. You need to end this."
Matthew glared down at Hunter. "I should waste you now, just for what you did to Ryan!" His hands began to come apart by the centimeter.
"You really should" Hunter grinned, closing his eyes. "Ryan would be proud of you avenging him."
Would he, though? For all the arguments they got into from the time of their reunion to his death, Matthew did his best to refrain from bringing up his murder of Claude as best as he could. Killing him had paralyzed his brother and made him doubt everything he knew about himself. It took every bit of wisdom Michael had to convince him to move on from it. Could he survive going down the dark path again? It had nearly destroyed him once. Would it be stopped this time? Could it be stopped? Was it worth it? For the first time since their brotherhood had dissolved, Matthew valued Ryan greater than he ever had. The brother he would never get to pal around with again, rival or eventually surpass. The brother...the brother who would never want him to do this.
He moved his hands apart a bit more and pulled the triggers. Hunter jumped at the blast and went pale, but paused when he realized he hadn't been shot. The bullets ripped right past his ears and struck Rayquaza, who howled in an intense amount of pain, before beginning to thrash about angrily once it realized there were people besides Hunter on his back. Hunter looked up at Matthew and his eyes burned with hate. "YOU WORTHLESS LITTLE BASTARD!"
Matthew slammed his head down hard onto Hunter's, causing him to fall backwards, his nose gushing with blood. Matthew then casually tossed the guns off of Rayquaza's back. "I am nothing like you. I have everything you don't. Friends who believe in me. Family who loves me. And hope to beat that monster you serve." He looked to Lizzie. "Let's go."
Lizzie was also flabbergasted. "Why didn't you kill him?!"
"Why go down the same path he did? We got the Mythical Pokemon back. There's no need to fear him anymore." He made his way over to the edge of Rayquaza's back and whistled to his Noivern. He did not see Lizzie going to pick up one of Hunter's dropped knives. She was slowly walking over to deliver Hunter a painful blow.
His Noivern shot up to Rayquaza's side, with Cameron nodding to him. Her eyes then moved behind Matthew and she screamed. "LOOK OUT!"
Matthew did not turn around in time. First the blow felt as cold as ice, then as hot as fire. Then came the intense pain. He fell onto his stomach, feeling the massive slash across his backside went from his tailbone up to his right shoulder blade. He looked behind him and saw Hunter had not only recovered, but plucked up his machete and taken a chunk out of his back. Lizzie was trying to tussle with him, even managing to plunge her knife into his ribs, but Hunter simply thrashed her to the side.
"LIZZIE!" Matthew cried out, but she fell out of sight.
Hunter stepped up towards him and raised his machete to deliver the final blow. "Guess you really are a worthless Kingston after all!"
"NOIVERN!" Cameron cried out. The Noivern shot forward and spat several embers into Hunter's face. The flames seared his eyes, blinding him. Matthew desperately tried to crawl away, but Rayquaza's flailing made it all the more difficult. Cameron flew as close as she could and held out her hand to him. "Come on, Matty! I've got you!" He feebly reached up for her and let Cameron pull him up behind her. He grunted in pain as he was moved about.
Rayquaza jerked wildly as Hunter did. The murderous poacher seemed to recover and he lunged with all his might for the Noivern and it's two occupants. He rose high in the air and brandished his machete with villainous intent. Matthew closed his eyes and braced himself for the worst. But it never came. He looked up where Hunter had been, but his brother's killer had vanished. He looked down and saw Hunter plummeting towards the ground below, screaming in terror. In his blind fury, Hunter had failed to notice that Matthew's Noivern, at careful direction from Cameron, had moved a bit of a gap away from Rayquaza after picking up Matthew. He leaped the gap, believing it closer than it was. And now, Hunter was plummeting to what the others could only hope was his death.
Matthew exhaled tremendously, even as his back burned from the deep gash.
"Don't bail out now, Matt" Cameron warned him. "We need to find Lizzie. Then, we need to see if Hunter's actually dead this time." She sent the Noivern in pursuit of where Lizzie had fallen.
Matthew could feel himself passing in and out of consciousness, but the one last thought he had was that he was content to not have followed Hunter down his path. Because their ends would have been one and the same in the long run.
{}
Lizzie was not only ashamed of herself for this being how her life would end, falling from the heavens to land on the cold hard ground as Hunter should have. She was mostly ashamed of herself. She knew had she been in Matthew's position, Hunter would have been slain and nothing more than a memory. He had been haunting her every movement since she and her friends had driven him off in Hoenn. She was nearly killed by him on several occasions. He had ruined the Shrine of Jirachi. He had even taken Jirachi from her, not to mention taking Manaphy, Celebi and Mew as well. He deserved to die.
But not at her hands. Not at their hands. Not when it would mean following him down the same dark and murderous path. Matthew Kingston had made the choice she wasn't brave enough to make. He had spared Hunter, even if it backfired. And Hunter's rage would no doubt destroy him. Her own was doing a good job of that to herself.
And so, as she felt herself falling faster and faster, she simply closed her eyes. "So...this is the end..."
But before her end could come, she felt a hand grab hers and pull her away from certain doom. She opened her eyes and was stunned to find Justin's Corviknight screeching as he had just saved her. She was equally surprised to find Justin swinging her behind him and onto the back of his Flying Pokemon as they flew down at a much more gently angle towards the ground below.
"Why did you save me?" she moaned. "I should be dead."
"You saved me from Madeline Kingston" Justin winked back at her. "Let me return the favor at least before you die."
Lizzie was floored. Why was this boy so keen on helping her? Why did he just willingly almost give up his own life for hers? They had only just met a few days earlier. How could they have built up a camaraderie so quickly?
Unless...
{}
Cameron steered Matthew's Noivern along after Justin's Corviknight and Cynthia's Togekiss towards the now severely damaged Charizark Town. Rayquaza's Draco Meteor had scorched much of the Gym and the nearby homes and buildings were burning wildly. The townsfolk were panicking and fleeing for their lives as their homes burned. Several others were curiously looking at a point just outside of town, where something had crashed hard into the ground, hard enough to make an indent in solid rock. The Arcana Police Force was creating a perimeter, while Mark and Piper were filling in Police Lieutenant Madeline Kingston on what they knew from the situation. Cameron gently brought the Noivern to a halt and took her cousin off it's back, laying him on a bench nearby.
"Rest easy, Matt. We did this because of you."
She then watched as Cynthia and Justin's Pokemon landed beside them. While Cynthia descended gracefully, Justin and Lizzie somewhat stumbled off of the Corviknight, fatigued and tired from their flights and the fight of their lives.
Cynthia came over to her side. "Did we get what we needed to?"
Cameron pointed towards the satchel on her shoulder. "Yup. Finally. The nightmare is over."
"It's not over yet" her idol warned. "Remember, you've thought Hunter was dead before."
Mark and Piper noticed the remnants of their group and hurried over to greet them. Mark was pale and Piper's patchwork job was shabby at best, as the bandages and gauze were already red with blood. But he kept himself standing as he slowly followed Piper. Madeline followed quickly to get a detailed report. Upon seeing Cameron at the helm of this group, she sighed. "Don't tell me this was some kind of stunt you guys pulled."
"We were performing a service to Arcana" Cameron declared. "Are you seriously going to doubt us?"
"The only thing I know is that I have a body on the ground just outside of town and there's a hole in the roof of the Gym" Madeline barked.
"A body?" Cynthia asked.
"Is he dead?" Cameron inquired.
Madeline looked overwhelmed by the deeds of her friends. "Look, I don't want to step on anyone's toes, in particular the King. But see for yourself." She gestured several yards away.
Cameron was the first to move past her cousin and hurried to see for herself. There was a crumpled mass of clothes and blood that had plummeted from the skies above. To the left of the body was a cracked metallic helm that had to have fallen off of his head. She was about to investigate for more, but turned away and almost wretched when she noticed something sticking out of the fallen person's chest from the other side. Hunter had fallen onto his own machete, it's blade ripping through him as it had when Hunter slashed Matthew's back. There was no power that even Mewtwo could have to salvage Hunter. After all of the years of fighting and pain, the nightmare was over.
Lizzie and Justin made their way to Cameron's side, with Lizzie staring blankly down at the body of her former tormentor. "He's dead."
"Can we be sure this time?" Mark asked as Piper helped him over to the body. "I mean, we thought that last time, right?"
"He looks pretty dead to me" Piper commented.
"I doubt someone could survive being impaled by their own weapon" Madeline reported as she made it towards the others. "But the damage to the town-"
"We'll take care of it" Mark promised her. "This had to be done."
Cameron gasped. "Oh yeah. We have them all!" She reached into Hunter's satchel, which was still on her back, and pulled out the four Pokemon Balls that contained the Mythical Pokemon that had been taken from their guardians: Manaphy, Mew, Jirachi and Celebi. She was about to hand them out, when the group thought they could hear an echoing laughter nearby.
"You have got to be kidding me" Piper cried out.
Cameron pushed everyone behind her and glared at Hunter's body, which was rising out of the its spot on the ground, the machete sliding out of his body like it was nothing. His body twisted and contorted in abnormal ways, showing Cameron that Hunter was not the one to worry about in this situation. Hunter's mouth began to move, but his words were not his own, giving Cameron terrifying flashbacks to her showdown with Michael when he was possessed on Mirage Island.
"I would like to congratulate you all for your victory over this vessel of mine" Mewtwo's voice spoke through his puppet. "You have done me a valuable service in terminating this traitor. I would have had to do so myself. So, as thanks, I shall be giving you a gift. A warning."
"What more do you want to take from us?" Cameron roared.
Hunter laughed, though it was clear the laughter was not his own. "I am coming to reap your world into ashes and flames. I have acquired power and influence the likes of which you fools could only dream of. Your lives and those of the treacherous Pokemon who still remain loyal to you shall be forfeit. In one full moon cycle, I shall return to Arcana and bring about the end of you fools once and for all." Hunter's body rose several feet in the air, addressing the mortified townsfolk of Charizark Town. "For those of you who wish to be spared my wrath, abandon these wretched Kingstons and swear to me eternal loyalty. All else shall be annihilated without mercy. Use your remaining thirty days wisely. Serve me as my slaves or your bodies shall decorate Arcana as a reminder to all those who dare to oppose me." With that, Hunter's body fell back to the ground and did not move again.
Lizzie stepped forward and frowned. "We're not going to let you do that, Mewtwo."
Madeline, noticing the crowds of the town were panicking, rushed forward with her men to soothe their nerves and prevent a full blow riot. With the Lieutenant out of the way, Cynthia stepped forward and looked down at Hunter's body. "So, he really means to wipe all of us out? Guess we can't let that happen."
"And I won't have this nightmare from my past to haunt me another day." Lizzie pushed Hunter's body into the ground he had fallen into.
Cameron, guessing where her friend was going, looked to Victini. "Get a pyre going." Her Mythical Pokemon friend nodded and sent a few sparks and embers Hunter's way, his body catching fire almost immediately. Once Hunter was alight, Cameron took the time to dole out the Pokemon Balls containing the Mythical Pokemon. She kept Celebi aside until they returned to Kingston Castle, but handed Mew to Mark, Jirachi to Lizzie and Manaphy's Poke Ball to Piper. When she protested, Cameron closed her hand on the ball. "Chris would have wanted you to look after him."
This seemed to placate Piper as both Mew and Jirachi appeared out of their Poke Balls and happily showed their gratitude and affection to their trainers. Mew in particular seemed relieved to be with Mark again. Cameron noticed a small chunk of his tail had been taken out, but knew Mark would find out about it soon enough and let it pass for the moment. Jirachi, in turn, simply spun around in the air happily as he was reunited with Lizzie after months of separation. When Manaphy came out, he clung to Piper's chest lovingly, his antennae rubbing against her chin. They had gotten the Mythical Pokemon back. And that was all that mattered, in spite of Mewtwo's threats.
The group, sans the wounded and weakened Matthew, gathered around the burning body of their old enemy. Mark tried to stand up on his own, but found his wounds were getting too much and let himself rest on Piper's arm. Piper seemed to be shedding a tear, but Cameron knew it was for how much she missed Chris and not for mourning the loss of this killer. Cynthia closed her eyes and took in a deep breath, whispering something to herself. Lizzie stared blankly at Hunter's body and exhaled a near decades long contained sigh. Justin put his hand on her shoulder to comfort her, with Lizzie unsure of how to react at this moment. Cameron herself allowed herself to relax for once. This was surely the time that the tides of war turned in their favor...right?
{}
The halls of Courtney's former chamber were dimly lit as the remnants of Mewtwo's inner council gathered for another meeting. Though the guards and peons scattered across Mirage Island had heard the rumors, she had seen the events unfold. And now, it was only a matter of time before the rightful order of succession was restored. Until then, she would remain quiet and thoughtful, even as Kage seemed eager to have a mental breakdown and the all powerful Grand Master remained silent on the matter of what had unfolded in Arcana mere moments ago.
Courtney giggled, prompting an almost fiery response from Hunter's former stooge. "You think this is funny?"
"In a cosmic sort of way" she replied. "Hunter got what he deserved as far as I'm concerned. He should have remained loyal and none of this would have happened."
"He was loyal!" Kage argued.
"To himself and himself alone."
"We should have helped him! We should have done something. Why did we let him-"
ENOUGH! The quarrel between Courtney and Kage died down the moment The Grand Master echoed his thoughts for them. The mighty Pokemon simply stared at an empty portion of the room before speaking himself. Hunter was beyond salvation. Consumed by his own lust for power. Even the Singularity was not enough to prevent him from meeting his fate. A fitting end for such a fool.
"But that leaves only the three of us" Kage insisted. "What happens now that-"
We will progress as if nothing has changed, because nothing has. Hunter was just a puppet. Nothing more or less. He was useful, until those uses wore out. They have no knowledge of our cloning schemes nor do they have any idea of what they will be facing in one moon cycle. This will cause them to become unprepared and panicked. Lack of preparation will allow us to crush them all the more easily. And when they fall, the rest of mankind will follow them to the grave.
Courtney prostrated herself before The Grand Master. "Master, if it is all the same to you, I would very much like to get back to my own work."
You will do no such thing. I have need of the both of you at this particular moment. I am going to inspect Professor Wong's work on the clones. In the meantime, I want the two of you to go out into the island. The Kingstons will have no further miracles on my hands. Kage, you are tasked with finding the sleeping husks of Amanda Fouritz and Christopher Kingston. Bring them here and we will hook them back up to the Harvesting Machine.
Kage nodded. "And if I run into any problems along the way?"
Deal with them! As Hunter's protege departed, The Grand Master returned his attention to Courtney. Elezar Aced and the power source to the Harvesting Machine need to be found, Courtney. I will not tolerate further failure!
Courtney bowed. "Consider it done, My Master." She eyed the statue of Jocelyn Aced in the corner of the room and grinned to herself. "It would be a shame to keep father and daughter separated for much longer..."